The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus [2 ed.] 0195307151, 9780195307153

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Dictionary Thesaurus AND

Thoroughly integrated dictionary and thesaurus More than 150,000 entries, synonyms, and senses Plus 17 qui dereference appendices

The World’s Most Trusted Dictionaries

THE

Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus Second American Edition

THE

Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus Second American Edition

Edited by Elizabeth J. Jewell

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc. First published by Oxford University Press, Inc., 2002 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 www.oup.com First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 2006 ISBN-10: 0-19-530715-1 ISBN-13: 978-0-19-530715-3 Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. The Library of Congress has cataloged the cloth edition under ISBN-10: 0-19-515934-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-19-515934-9 EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION STAFF Managing Editor: Elizabeth J. Jewell Editors: Christine A Lindberg, Sue Ellen Thompson, Erin McKean Pronunciation Editors: Rima McKinzey, Linda Costa Editorial Assistant'. Karen Fisher Proofreaders: Debra Argosy, Suzanne Burke, Joseph M. Patwell Data Entry: Kimberly Roberts Publisher: Karen Day EDP Director: John Sollami Assistant Project Editor: Abigail Powers

135798642 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

Contents Preface How to Use the Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus Key to the Pronunciations Abbreviations Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus Special Reference Sections Standard Weights and Measures with Metric Equivalents Metric Weights and Measures with Standard Equivalents ' Chemical Elements Signs and Symbols States of the United States of America Presidents of the United States of America Countries of the World Punctuation Guide Proofreading Marks Area Codes International Time Zones United States Time Zones Dictionary Games

vii viii x xii 1 981 983 984 985 986 988 989 990 995 1002 1003 1006 1007 1008

Preface The Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus combines the information you would expect to find in a conventional dictionary and a thesaurus in a single handy volume. Within an individual entry it offers a guide to the spelling, syllabification, pronunciation, and meaning of a word, to¬ gether with lists of synonyms where appropriate. The second edition of this popular reference book also features synonym studies and detailed explorations of the fine nuances in the meanings of closely related words. Based on the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, the first American ref¬ erence work to offer integrated dictionary and thesaurus entries, the Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus offers a valuable and portable tool for students, writers, businesspeople, and all those who need to use American English with accuracy and flexibility.

How to Use the Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus The “entry map” below explains the different parts of an entry.

Pronunciation Parts of speech set off with in italic Bold face slashes / / main entry'\v \s a»CUte /skyoot/ • adj. (a*cut»er, a*cut*est) Sense numbers ^1 a (of senses, etc.) keen; penetrating, b (of pain) intense; severe. 2 (of a disease) com¬ and letters ing sharply to a crisis; not chronic. 3 a (of an in bold face angle) less than 90°. b sharp; pointed. See synonym studies at keen, crucial. • n. = Idioms and phrases aattr accent- □ acute accent mark (') placed signaled by o over letters in some languages to show vowghlength, pronunciation (e.g., mate), etc. □□ a* cute'ly adv. a*cute'ness n. Synonym section — ■ adj. 1 a sharp, sensitive, discriminating, introduced by ■ b cutting, keen, piercing. 2_intejjS£r-efKie3b"" dangerous, grave. 3 b narrow. □□ acutely see severely (severe), very adv. acuteness see gravity 3a, penetration (penetrate).

Inflected forms in bold face

New part of speech 'signaled by •

.Derivatives signaled by □□ Sense numbers ■ to definition section

Main entries and other boldface forms Main entries appear in boldface type, as do inflected forms, idioms and phrases, and derivatives. Main entries, inflected forms, and derivatives of two or more syllables show syllabication with centered dots. Stressed syl¬ lable^) are shown on derivatives by an accent mark following the stressed syllable. Cross references Cross references to main entries appear in small capitals, and cross refer¬ ences to derivatives, idioms, and phrases are given in italic type. For exam¬ ple, in the synonym section of the entry acute seen above, cross references are given in small capitals to the entries for very and gravity. A cross refer¬ ence is also given to severely (severe); the italic type indicates that the deriv¬ ative (severely) can be found under its main entry (severe) . Arrangement of synonym sections Synonyms are offered for many of the words defined in the Oxford Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus. The sense numbering in the synonym sections

How to Use This Book

ix

refers to that of the defining sections, so that users can easily see which syn¬ onyms are appropriate to which meaning of the entry. Synonyms are not al¬ ways offered for every dictionary sense, and in some cases a single list of syn¬ onyms is offered for several senses. The sense numbering may then take the form of a list, as, for example, 1, 3, 4, indicating that the words following are synonyms for dictionary definitions numbered 1, 3, and 4. Wherever a single synonym list covers all the meanings explained in the defining section, sense numbers are dispensed with and the synonym list is simply introduced by the symbol ■. A list of synonyms may be divided by a semicolon to indicate a different “branch” of meaning. bound1 /bownd/ • v.intr. 1 a spring; leap, b walk or run with leaping strides. 2 (of a ball, etc.) bounce. • n. 1 springy lgapr 2 bounce. ^^ ■ v. 1 jump, hop, vault; "gambol, caper, romp. 2 see bounce v. 1. n. 1 jump, vault, spring, hop.

Semicolon indicates new “branch” of meaning

Occasionally, the synonyms offered are for a form other than the exact 'form of the main entry. In these cases, this altered form is given in paren¬ theses at the beginning of the synonym list. COm*pli*ment • n. /komplimsnt/ 1 a polite expression of praise, b act implying praise. 2 [in pi] formal greetings or praise. •v.tr: /kompliment/ congratulate; praise. _._Synonyms ■ n. 1 commendation. bouettcrnfTEute. offered for a honor. 2 (compliments) respects, regards, plural form of good or best wishes, felicitations, salutations. ^ heacjword v. pay homage or tribute to, commend, laud, honor; flatter.

List Words

Words beginning with common prefixes (in-, non-, over-, re-, self-, sub-, and un-) are given in lists where the sense of the word (e.g., inexpensive) is clear from an understanding of the meaning of the prefix (in- - ‘not,’ ‘without’) and the root of the word (expensive = ‘costing or charging too much’). Synonym Studies

Special synonym studies compare the nuances of meanings among a group of closely related words. At the entry for absolve, the synonym study compares absolve with acquit, exempt, exonerate, forgive, pardon, and vindicate. Cross-references at related entries make the synonym studies easy to find. Special Reference Sections

Refer to the table of contents or the pages at the back of this volume for a number of handy special reference sections covering weights and measures, signs and symbols, countries of the world, and other useful information.

Key to the Pronunciations This dictionary uses a simple respelling system to show how entries are pro¬ nounced, using the following symbols: a, a

as in

aa, a'a

as in

air, air as in aw, aw as in ay, ay

as in

ch

as in

e, e

as in

ee, e'e

as in

a

as in

ar, ar

as in

g

as in

i

as in

hi ir, ir

as in

j kh

as in

N

as in

ng

as in

o, 6

as in

o, 6

as in

6, 6

as in

oo, ob

as in

do, ob

as in

as in

as in

ow, ow as in

pat /pat/, fasten /fasan/ father /fa'athar/, barnyard /baarnyaard/ fair /fair/, share /shair/, heir /air/ law /law/, caught /kawt/, thought /thawt/ day /day/, raid /rayd/, made /mayd/, prey /pray/ church /charch/, picture /pikchar/ men /men/, said /sed/ feet /feet/, receive /rise'ev/ along /along/, soda /soda/, civil /sival/ parade /parayd/, bitter /bitar/, person /parsan/ get /get/, exhaust /igzawst/, egg /eg/ pin /pin/, guild /gild/, women /wimin/ time /tim/, fight /fit/, guide /gid/ fire /fir/, desire /dizir/ judge /juj/, carriage /karij/ loch /lokh/, Bach /baakh/ en route /on root/ (preceding vowel is nasalized) sing /sing/, anger /anggar/ rob /rob/, pocket /pokit/ go /go/, promote /prambt/ jeu /zho/, schon /shon/ wood /wood, football /fobtbawl/ food /food/, music /myobsik/ mouse /mows/, coward /koward/ boy /boy/, noisy /noyzee/ run /run/, fur /far/, spirit /spirit/ shut /shut/, social /sbshal/, action /akshan/ thin /thin/, truth /trooth/

oy, oy

as in

r

as in

sh

as in

th

as in

th

as in

u, u

as in

y

as in

Y

as in

then /then/, mother /muthar/ cut /kut/, blood /blud/, enough /inuf/ yet /yet/, accuse /akyobz/ aperpu /aapersy/

zh

as in

measure /mezhar/, vision /vizhan/

Key to the Pronunciations

xi

More than one acceptable pronunciation may be given, with commas be¬ tween the variants; for example:

news /nooz, nyooz/ If the pronunciations of a word differ only in part, then the syllable or syl¬ lables affected are shown as follows:

bedroom /bedroom, -room/, forest /fawrist, for-/ The same principle applies to derivative forms that are given within the main entry; for example:

complete /komple'et/, completion /-ple'eshsn/ STRESS The mark that appears over the vowel symbol in words of more than one syl¬ lable indicates the part of the word that carries the stress. Where a word has two or more stress markers then the main stress may vary according to the context in which a word is used; for example:

afternoon /aftornobn/ In the phrase “afternoon tea” the main stress falls on the first syllable /aftor-/, but in the phrase “all afternoon” the main stress falls on the last syl¬ lable /-noon7.

Abbreviations Abbreviations in general use (such as etc. and i.e.) are explained in the dictionary text itself. abbr.

abbreviation

cogn.

cognate

ablat.

ablative

collect.

collectively)

absol.

absolute (ly)

colloq.

colloquial (ly)

acc.

according

comb.

combination,

accus.

accusative

adj.

adjective

compar.

comparative

adv.

adverb

compl.

complement

Aeron.

Aeronautics

conj.

conjunction

alteration

conn.

connected

Amer.

America, American

constr.

construction

Anat.

Anatomy

contr.

contraction

anc.

ancient

corresp.

corresponding

Anthropol.

Anthropology

corrupt.

corruption

Antiq.

Antiquities, Antiquity

Criminol.

Criminology

app.

apparently

def.

definite

alt.

combining

arbitr.

arbitrary, arbitrarily

Demog.

Demography

Archaeol.

Archaeology

demons.

demonstrative

Archit.

Architecture

demons.adj.

demonstrative adjective

Arith.

Arithmetic

demons.pron.

demonstrative pronoun

assim.

assimilated

deriv.

derivative

assoc.

associated, association

derog.

derogatory

Astrol.

Astrology

dial.

dialect

Astron.

Astronomy

dimin.

diminutive

Astronaut.

Astronautics

disp.

disputed (use or

attrib.

attributive (ly)

attrib.adj.

attributive adjective

dissim.

dissimilated

Austral.

Australia, Australian

distrib.

distributive

aux.

auxiliary Eccl.

Ecclesiastical

Bibl.

Biblical

Ecol.

Ecology

Biochem.

Biochemistry

Econ.

Economics

Biol.

Biology

Electr.

Electricity

Bot.

Botany

elem.

elementary

Brit.

British

ellipt.

elliptical (ly)

emphat.

emphatic(ally)

pronunciation)

c.

century

Engin.

Engineering

c.

circa

Engl.

England, English

Ch.

Church

Entomol.

Entomology

Chem.

Chemistry

erron.

erroneous (ly)

Cinematog.

Cinematography

esp.

especial (ly)

class.

classical

euphem.

euphemism

coarse si.

coarse slang

ex.

example

Abbreviations exc.

except

masc.

masculine

exclam.

exclamation

Math.

Mathematics

Mech.

Mechanics Medicine

x

f.

from

Med.

fam.

familiar

metaph.

metaphorical

fem.

feminine

Meteorol.

Meteorology

figfl.

figurative (ly)

Mil.

Military

flourished

Mineral.

Mineralogy

foil.

followed, following

mod.

modern

form.

formation

Mus.

Music

frequent.

frequentative(ly)

Mythol.

Mythology

gen.

general

n.

noun

genit.

genitive

N.Amer.

North America, North

Geog.

Geography

Geol.

Geology

Nat.

National Nautical

American

Geom.

Geometry

Naut.

Grk Hist.

Greek History

neg.

negative(ly)

Gram.

Grammar

neut.

neuter

N.Engl.

New England

Hist.

History

No. of Engl.

North of England

hist.

with historical reference

north.

northern

Horol.

Horology

n.pl.

noun plural

Hort.

Horticulture

num.

numeral

illit.

illiterative

obj.

object, objective

imit.

imitative

obs.

obsolete

immed.

immediate (ly)

Obstet.

Obstetrics

imper.

imperative

occas.

occasional (ly)

impers.

impersonal

offens.

offensive

incept.

inceptive

opp.

(as) opposed (to),

incl.

including, inclusive

ind.

indirect

orig.

origin, original (ly)

indecl.

indeclinable

Ornithol.

Ornithology

indef.

indefinite

opposite (of)

infin.

infinitive

Paleog.

Paleography

infl.

influence(d)

Pari.

Parliament,

instr.

instrumental (case)

int.

interjection

part.

participle

interrog.

interrogative(ly)

past part.

past participle

interrog.adj.

interrogative adjective

Pathol.

Pathology

interrog.pron.

interrogative pronoun

pejor.

pejorative

intr.

intransitive

perf.

perfect (tense)

iron.

ironical (ly)

perh.

perhaps

irreg.

irregular (ly)

pers.

person (al)

Pharm.

Pharmacy,

Philol.

Philology

joc.

Parliamentary

Pharmacology

jocular(iy)

lang.

language

Philos.

Philosophy

lit.

literal (ly)

Phonet.

Phonetics

xiv

Abbreviations

Photog.

Photography

Sociol.

Sociology

phr.

phrase

spec.

special (ly)

Phrenology

Stock Exch.

Stock Exchange

Physiol.

Physiology

subj.

subject, subjunctive

pipoet.

plural

superl.

superlative

poetical

syll.

syllable

Polit.

Politics

symb.

symbol

pop.

popular, not technical

syn.

synonym

poss.

possessive

prec.

preceded, preceding

techn.

technical (ly)

predic.

predicate,

Telev.

Television

Theatr.

Theater, Theatrical Theology

Phrenol.

predicative (ly) prep.

preposition

Theol.

pres.part.

present participle

tr.

transitive

prob.

probable, probably

transf.

in transferred sense

pron.

pronoun

transl.

translation

pronunc.

pronunciation

Typog.

Typography

propr.

proprietary term

Psychol.

Psychology

RC Ch.

Roman Catholic Church

ref.

reference

refl.

reflexive (ly)

rel.

related, relative

rel.adj.

relative adjective

Relig. rel.pron.

ult.

ultimateQy)

univ.

university

unkn.

unknown

US

American, in American use, in the United States

usu.

usual (ly)

Religion

V.

verb

relative pronoun

var.

variant(s)

repr.

representing

v.aux.

auxiliary verb

Rhet.

Rhetoric

Vet.

Veterinary

rhet.

rhetorical (ly)

v.intr.

intransitive verb

Rom.Hist.

Roman History

voc.

vocative

v.refl.

reflexive verb

v.tr.

transitive verb

Zool.

Zoology

Sci.

Science

sing.

singular

si.

slang

Note on proprietary status

This book includes some words that are, or are asserted to be, proprietary names or trademarks. Their inclusion does not imply that they have ac¬ quired for legal purposes a non-proprietary or general significance, nor is any other judgment implied concerning their legal status. In cases where the editor has some evidence that a word is used as a proprietary name or trade¬ mark, this is indicated by the designation propr., but no judgment concern¬ ing the legal status of such words is made or implied thereby.

THE

Pocket Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus

.

v

Aa A1 /ay/ n. (also a) (pi. As or A’s; a’s) 1 first letter of the alphabet. 2 Mus. sixth note of the diatonic scale of C major. 3 first hypo¬ thetical person or example. 4 highest class or category (of academic grades, etc.). 5 hu¬ man blood type. A2 /ay/ abbr. (also A.) 1 ampere(s). 2 answer. 3 Associate of. 4 atomic (energy, etc.). a1 Is, ay/ adj. (also an before a vowel) 1 one; some; any. 2 one like (a Judas). 3 one single (not a thing in sight). 4 the same. 5 in, to, or for each (twice a year). a2 Is/ prep. [usu. as prefix] 1 to; toward (ashore). 2 in the process of; in a specified state (a-wandering, abuzz). 3 on (afire). A abbr. angstrom(s). a- /ay, a!prefix not; without (amoral). AA abbr. 1 Alcoholics Anonymous. 2 Mil. antiaircraft. aard*vark /a'ardvaark/ n. anteating nocturnal mammal of southern Africa. . aargh /aar, aarg/ • int. expressing anguish, horror, rage, or other strong emotion, often with humorous intent. AB /aybe'e/ n. human blood type, ab- /ab, ab/ prefix off; away; from (abduct, ab¬ normal, abuse). a*back /abak/ adv. archaic backward; behind. □ take aback surprise; disconcert (your re¬ quest wok me aback). ■ □ take aback astound, astonish, shock, stun. ab*a*CUS /abakas, abakas/ n. (pi. ab*a*cus* es) oblong frame with wires along which beads are slid, used for calculating. a*baft /abaft/ Naut. • adv. in the stern half of a ship. »prep. nearer the stern than; aft of. ab*a»lo*ne /abalOnee/ n. salt-water mollusk with a shallow ear-shaped shell. a*ban*don /abandan/ •v.tr. 1 give up com¬ pletely or before completion. 2 forsake, desert, or leave. See synonym study at relin¬ quish. • n. lack of inhibition or restraint. □□ a*ban'do*ner n. a*ban'don*ment n. ■ v. 1 relinquish, renounce, leave; with¬ draw from, pull out of. 2 abdicate; jilt, walk or run out on, cast off or aside; jettison, evac¬ uate. a*ban*doned /abandand/ adj. 1 deserted; forsaken. 2 unrestrained; profligate. ■ 1 neglected, rejected, shunned, castaway, jilted, forlorn; predic. left alone, cast-off, cast aside. 2 uninhibited, licentious, unprinci¬ pled, disreputable, loose. a*base /abays/ v.tr. humiliate or degrade. See synonym study at humble. □□ a'base'ment n. a*bash /abash/ v.tr. (usu. as abashed adj.) embarrass; disconcert. □□ a'bash'ment n. a'bate /abayt/ v. make or become less strong, severe, intense, etc. See synonym study at al¬ leviate. □□ a*bate'ment n. ab*at*toir /abatwaar/ n. slaughterhouse.

ab*bess /abis/ n. head of a community of nuns.

ab*bey /abee/ n. (pi. -beys) 1 building(s) oc¬ cupied by a community of monks or nuns. 2 the community itself. ab*bot /abat/ n. head of a community of monks. abbr. abbr. (also abbrev.) abbreviation. ab«bre*vi*ate /abre'evee-ayt/ v.tr. shorten, esp. represent (a word, etc.) by a part of it. □□ ab*bre*vi>a*tion /-ayshan/ n. ■ compress, telescope, contract, truncate, trim. □□ abbreviation initialism, acronym; abridgment, contraction. ABC /aybeese'e/ n. 1 the alphabet. 2 [usu. pi.] rudiments of any subject. ab»di*cate /abdikayt/ v.tr. 1 give up or re¬ nounce (esp. a throne). 2 renounce (a re¬ sponsibility, duty, etc.). □□ ab*di*ca'tion /-kayshan/ n. ab'di*ca*tor «. ■ surrender, yield, disclaim, relinquish, va¬ cate, resign (from), quit, waive, disown; (absol.) step down. ab*do*men /abdaman, abdo-/ n. 1 part of the body containing digestive and reproduc¬ tive organs. 2 Zool. hind part of an insect, crustacean, etc. □□ ab*dom*i*nal /abdomi¬ nal/ adj. ab’dom'i*naMy /abdominalee/ adv. ab'duct /abdukt/ v.tr. carry off or kidnap (a person) illegally. □□ ab»duc'tion /-dukshan/ n. ab'duc 'tor n. m make off with, seize, snatch, grab, a’bearn /abe'em/ adv. at right angles to a ship’s or aircraft’s length. A*be*na»ki /aabana'akee/ • n. (also Ab*na* ki /aabna'akee/) la N. American people native to northern New England and adjoin¬ ing parts of Quebec, b member of this peo¬ ple. 2 either of the two languages of this people. ab*er*ra*tion /abarayshan/ n. 1 departure from what is normal or regarded as right. 2 moral or mental lapse. □□ ab*er'rant adj. ab*er*ra'tion*al adj. a»bet /abet/ v.tr. (a*bet»ted, a»bet»ting) (usu. in aid and a*bet) encourage or assist (an offender or offense). □□ a’bet'ment n. m urge, instigate, prompt; aid, help. a*bey*ance /abayans/ n. [usu. prec. by in, into] state of temporary disuse or suspen¬ sion. □□ a*bey*ant /-ant/ adj. See synonym study at latent. ■ see PAUSE «.; (in abeyance) pending, re¬ served, shelved, pushed aside, postponed.

abhor /abhawr/ v.tr. (ab'horred, ab»hor» ring) detest; regard with disgust and hatred. □□ ab'hor'rence n. ab'hor'rer n. • hate, loathe, abominate, execrate; despise, shudder at, recoil or shrink from. ab»hor*rent /abhawrant, -hor-/ adj. disgust¬ ing; repugnant; hateful; detestable. See syno¬ nym study at offensive.

abide ~ about

2

■ abominable, contemptible, loathsome; vile; repulsive, repellent. a*bide /abid/ v. (past a*bode /abed/ or a*bid* ed) 1 tr. tolerate; endure. 2 intr. a act in ac¬ cordance with, b remain faithful to (a prom¬ ise). □□ a»bid’ance n. ■ 1 stand, suffer, support, bear, put up with. a*bid*ing /abiding/ adj. enduring; permanent (an abiding sense of loss). □□ a*bid'ing*ly adv. ■ lasting, constant, steadfast, everlasting; unchanging, (hard and) fast, fixed, firm, im¬ mutable. a»bil»i*ty /abilitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 capacity or power. 2 cleverness; talent; mental power. ■ 1 adeptness, aptitude, facility, knack. 2 skill(s), gift(s), faculties; genius, know¬ how. -ability /abilitee/ suffix forming nouns of qual¬ ity from, or corresponding to, adjectives in -able (capability, vulnerability). ab'ject /abjekt, abjekt/ adj. 1 miserable; wretched. 2 degraded; self-abasing; humble. 3 despicable. □□ ab*jec'tion n. ab*ject'ly adv. ab’ject'ness n. m 1 see miserable 1, 2. 2 see servile 2. ab*jure /abjobr/ v.tr. renounce under oath. □□ ab*ju*ra'tion /-rayshan/ n. ab*la*tive /ablativ/ Gram. • n. case (esp. in Latin) of nouns and pronouns indicating an agent, instrument, or location. • adj. of or in the ablative. a*blaze /sblayz/ adj. & adv. 1 on fire. 2 glit¬ tering; glowing; radiant. 3 greatly excited. ■ adj. 1 aflame, afire, burning. 2 brilliantly or brightly lit, sparkling, gleaming, brilliant, luminous. 3 see fervent 1. a*ble /aybal/ adj. (a*bler, a-blest) 1 [often foil, by to] having the capacity or power (able to come). 2 having great ability; clever. □ able-bodied fit; healthy. ■ 1 (able to) capable of, qualified to, compe¬ tent to. 2 talented, quick, skilled, adept. □ able-bodied see fit1 adj. 2. -able /sbol/ suffix forming adjectives meaning: 1 that may or must be (eatable). 2 that can be made the subject of (dutiable, objectiona¬ ble). 3 relevant to or in accordance with (fashionable). ab*lu*tion /sbldbshsn/ n. [usu. in pi. ] 1 cere¬ monial washing of hands, sacred vessels, etc. 2 colloq. ordinary washing of the body. □□ ab*lu'tion*ar*y adj. -ably /oblee/ suffix forming adverbs corre¬ sponding to adjectives in -able. ABM abbr. antiballistic missile. ab*ne*gate /abnigayt/ v.tr. 1 give up or deny oneself (a pleasure, etc.). 2 renounce or re¬ ject (a right or belief). □□ ab*ne»ga*tion /-gayshsn/ n. ab'ne*ga*tor n. See synonym study at abstinence ab«nor*rnal /abnawrmal/' adj. deviating from the norm; exceptional. □□ ab*nor*mal'i»ty n. ab’nor'maMy adv. ■ peculiar, strange, curious, unconven¬ tional, unnatural, extraordinary, singular, weird.

a*board /abawrd/ adv. & prep. 1 on or into (a ship, aircraft, etc.). 2 alongside.

a*bode> /ab6d/ n. dwelling; one’s home. ■ residence, house, domicile, habitat.

a*bode2 past of abide. a*bol*ish /abolish/ v.tr. put an end to (esp. a

custom or institution). □□ a*bol'ish»a*ble adj. a*bol'ish*er n. a-bol'ish-ment n. • eliminate, terminate, stop; destroy, anni¬ hilate, nullify, repeal, cancel. ab»0*li*tion /abalishsn/ n. 1 abolishing or be¬ ing abolished. 2 the ending of a practice or institution, esp. (in US hist.) slavery. □□ ab* o*li'tion*ist n. • 1 elimination, end, ending, termination; eradication. A-bomb /aybom/ n. - atom bomb. a*bom*i*na*ble /abominabsl/ adj. 1 detesta¬ ble; loathsome; morally reprehensible. 2 col¬ loq. very unpleasant. See synonym study at offensive. □□ a*bom'i*na*bly adv. • 1 offensive, repugnant, repulsive, vile, monstrous, outrageous; see also evil adj. 1.

2

atrocious, distasteful, unpleasant, disagree¬

able.

a*bom*i»nate /sbominayt v.tr. detest; loathe.

□□ a*bom*i*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. a-bom'i* na*tor n. ab*0*rig*i*nal /abarijinsl/ adj. 1 inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists. 2 (usu. Aboriginal) of the Australian Aborigines. See synonym study at native. ab*o*rig*i*ne /aborijinee/ n. [usu. in pi.] 1 aboriginal inhabitant. 2 (usu. Aborigine) aboriginal inhabitant of Australia. 3 aborigi¬ nal plant or animal. a'bort /abawrt/ • v. 1 intr. miscarry. 2 tr. ef¬ fect abortion. 3 a tr. cause to end fruitlessly or prematurely, b intr. end unsuccessfully or prematurely. • n. 1 prematurely terminated space flight or other undertaking. 2 termi¬ nation of such an undertaking. ■ v. 1 see miscarry. 3a see prevent, ter¬ minate 1. 3b see fail 1, 2a, miscarry. a»bor*tion /obawrshan/ n. expulsion of a fe¬ rns (naturally or esp. by medical induction) from the womb before it is able to survive in¬ dependently. □□ a*bor'tion*ist n. a miscarriage, termination. a*bor*tive /abawrtiv/ adj. fruitless; unsuc¬ cessful; unfinished. □□ a*bor'tive*ly adv. ABO system /aybee-6/ n. system of four types (A, AB, B, and O) by which human blood may be classified. a*bound /abownd/ v.intr. 1 be plentiful. 2 [foil, by in, with] be rich; teem or be infest¬ ed. ■ 1 prevail, thrive, flourish, be prolific. 2 (abound in, abound with) be well supplied or furnished with, be crowded with, be abun¬ dant in. a*bout /abowt/ • prep. 1 a on the subject of. b relating to. C in relation to (symmetry about a plane), d so as to affect (can do nothing about it). 2 at a time near to. 3 in; around. • adv. 1 a approximately, b colloq. used to indicate understatement (just about had enough). 2 at points nearby (a lot of flu about). 3 in every direction.

■ prep. 1 a,b,d concerning, concerned with, on, involving. 2 around, close to. 3 en¬ circling, encompassing. • adv. 1 a around, nearly, roughly, more or less, b really, honesdy. 2 around, close by; in the area; in the air. 3 around, all over, on every side. a*bOUt-face /abowtfays/ • n. 1 turn made to face the opposite direction. 2 change of opinion or policy, etc. • v.intr. make an about-face. • int. Mil. a command to make an about-face. an. 1,2 volte-face, reversal, U-turn. 2 change of heart. a'bove /sbuv/ »prep. 1 over; on the top of; higher than. 2 more than (above average). 3 higher in rank, importance, etc., than. • adv. 1 at or to a higher point; overhead. 2 upstairs. 3 (of a text reference) further back on a page or in a book (as noted above). • adj. preceding. • n. [prec. by the] what is mentioned above. □ above all more than anything else. ■ prep. 1 on, upon, atop. 2 over, exceed¬ ing, greater than. • adv. 1 on high, aloft, in the sky. 3 earlier, before, previously. • adj. former, previous, prior. • adj. & n. abovementioned, aforementioned, above-stated. □ above all first or most of all, chiefly. a*bove*board /sbuvbawrd/ adj. & adv. with¬ out concealment; fair or fairly; open or open¬ ly■ candid, frank, straight, direct, honorable. ab»ra»ca*da*bra /abrskadabra/ int. word used in performing a magic trick, a'brade /abrayd/ v.tr. scrape or wear away (skin, rock, etc.) by rubbing. □□ a*brad'er n. ab*ra*sion /abravzhan/ n. 1 result of abrad¬ ing. 2 damaged area resulting from this. ■ 1 see erosion. 2 see scrape n. 2. ab*ra*sive /abraysiv/ • adj. 1 a tending to rub or abrade, b capable of polishing by rubbing or grinding. 2 harsh or hurtful in manner. • n. abrasive substance. ■ 1 see gritty (grit). 2 see abrupt 2. a*breast /abrest/ adv. 1 side by side and fac¬ ing the same way. 2 a up to date, b wellinformed. a'bridge /abrij/ v.tr. 1 shorten (a book, movie, etc.). 2 curtail. □□ a*bridg'a*ble or a*bridge'a*ble adj. a*bridg'er n. a*bridg' ment or a*bridge'ment n. m 1 reduce, condense, abbreviate, trim, clip, curtail, digest, summarize, abstract, precis, synopsize. □□ abridgment digest, conden¬ sation; synopsis, summary. a*broad /abrawd/ adv. 1 in or to a foreign country or countries. 2 over a wide area. 3 in circulation. a 1 overseas, out of the country. 2 about, around, all over, broadly. 3 at large, in the air. ab*ro*gate /abragayt/ v.tr. repeal, annul, or abolish (a law or custom). □□ ab*ro*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. ab'ro*ga*tor n. ab*rupt /abrupt/ adj. 1 sudden; hasty. 2 (of speech, manner, etc.) curt. 3 steep. □□ ab* rupt'ly adv. ab*rupt'ness n. a 1 quick, precipitate, immediate. 2 bro¬ ken, jerky; short, brusque. 3 precipitous.

3

about-face ~ absolutism

sheer, sharp. □□ abruptly see suddenly (sud¬ den). abruptness see speed n. 1. ABS abbr. antilock brake (or braking) system, abs /abs/ • n. si. abdominal muscles (toned abs through lots of exercise). ab’scess /abses/ n. swelling containing pus. □d ab'scessed adj. ab*scis*sa /absisa/ n. (pi. ab*scis*sae /-ee/ or ab*scis*sas) Math, (in a system of coordi¬ nates) shortest distance from a point to the vertical ory-axis (cf. ordinate). ab'SCOnd /abskond/ v.intr. depart hurriedly and furtively, esp. unlawfully or to avoid ar¬ rest. □□ ab*scond'er n. ab*sence /absans/ n. 1 state of being away. 2 time of this. 3 lack. See synonym study at LACK.

■ 1,2 nonattendance, nonappearance, tru¬ ancy; leave. 3 want, deficiency, insufficiency, scantiness. ab»sent • adj. /absant/ 1 not present. 2 not existing. 3 inattentive. • v.refl. /absent/ 1 stay away. 2 withdraw. □□ ab'senfly adv. (in sense 3 of adj.). ■ adj. 1 out, off, elsewhere, not here, away. 2 missing, lacking, nonexistent. 3 see absentminded. • v. (absent oneself) 1 keep away. 2 retire, take one’s leave. ab»sen»tee /absante'e/ n. person not present. ab*sen»tee»ism /absante'eizam/ n. habitual absence from work, school, etc. ■ truancy, malingering, playing hooky. ab*sent*mind»ed /absantmindid/ adj. forget¬ ful or inattentive. □□ ab'sent*mind*ed*ly adv. ab'sent*mind'ed*ness n. ■ preoccupied, absorbed, unmindful, with¬ drawn. □□ absentmindedly absently, vaguely, inattentively, absentmindedness forgetfulness, obliviousness, carelessness, heedlessness. ab'Sinthe /absinth/ n. (also ab'sinth) aniseed-flavored potent liqueur based on wormwood. ab*SO*lute /absaloot/ adj. 1 complete; utter. 2 unconditional. 3 despotic. 4 (of a stan¬ dard or other concept) not relative or com¬ parative. 5 (of a legal decree, etc.) final. □ absolute majority 1 majority over all others combined. 2 more than half, abso¬ lute pitch Mus. ability to recognize or sound any given note, absolute zero theoretical lowest possible temperature, calculated as 273.15° C (or 0° K). □□ ab*so*lute'ness n. ■ 1 perfect, unmitigated, categorical, un¬ qualified. 2 unlimited, limitless, untram¬ meled; total. 3 unrestrained, dictatorial, to¬ talitarian, supreme. 4 certain, sure, unambiguous, definite. ab*so*lute*ly /absalobtlee/ adv. 1 com¬ pletely; utterly. 2 in an absolute sense. 3 colloq. in actual fact; positively. 4 colloq. (used in reply) quite so; yes. ■ 1 totally, perfectly, entirely, wholly; un¬ qualifiedly. 4 certainly, assuredly, definitely. ab*SO*IU*tion /absalobshan/ n. formal release or forgiveness from guilt, sin, obligation, or punishment. ab*SO*lut*ism /absolobtizam/ n. acceptance

absolve ~ absurd

4

of or belief in absolute principles in politics, theology, etc. □□ ab'so* *lut*ist n. & adj. ab*SOlve /abzolv, -solv/ v.tr. la free from blame or obligation, etc. b acquit; pro¬ nounce not guilty. 2 pardon or give absolu¬ tion for (a sin, etc.). □□ ab’solv'er n. ■ see FORGIVE, PARDON V. synonym study: absolve ACQUIT, EXEMPT, EXONERATE, FORGIVE, PAR¬

To varying degrees, all of these words mean to free from guilt or blame, and some are most frequently heard in a legal or political context. Absolve is the most general term, meaning to set free or re¬ lease—not only from guilt or blame, but from a duty or obligation (absolved from her promise to serve on the committee) or, in a reli¬ gious context, from having committed a sin. Pardon is usually associated with the ac¬ tions of a government or military official DON, vindicate.

(President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon following his resignation in the wake of the Watergate scandal) and specifically refers

to a release from prosecution or punish¬ ment. It is usually a legal official who de¬ cides to acquit, or release someone from a specific and formal accusation of wrongdo¬ ing (the court acquitted the accused due to lack of evidence). Exonerate suggests relief (its origin suggests the lifting of a burden), often in a moral sense, from a definite charge so that not even the suspicion of wrongdoing remains (completely exonerated from the accu¬ sation of cheating). A person who is vindi¬ cated is also off the hook, usually due to the examination of evidence (she vindicated her¬ self by producing the missing documents). Ex¬ empt has less to do with guilt and punish¬ ment and more to do with duty and obligation {exempt from paying taxes). To for¬ give, however, is the most magnanimous act of all: It implies not only giving up on the idea that an offense should be punished, but also relinquishing any feelings of resentment or vengefulness (“To err is human; to forgive divine’).

ab'sorb /absawrb, -zawrb/

v.tr. 1 incorpo¬ rate as part of itself or oneself. 2 take in; suck up. 3 reduce the effect or intensity of. 4 consume. 5 engross the attention of. an ab*sorb'a*ble adj. ab*sorb*a*bil’i*ty n. ab*sorb'er n. m 1 see include 1. 2 see soak v. 3. 5 see OCCUPY 5. absorbed /absawrbd, -zawrbd/ adj. in¬ tensely engaged or interested, ap ab’sorb* eddy /-bidlee/ adv. ■ engrossed, involved, lost, wrapped up, im¬ mersed. ab»SOr»bent /absawrbant, -zawr-/ • adj. tending to absorb. • n. absorbent substance. □□ ab*sor*ben*cy /-bansee/ n. ab'SOrb'ing /absawrbing, -zawr-/ adj. en¬ grossing; intensely interesting. □□ ab*sorb' ing*ly adv. ■ engaging, riveting, captivating, fascinat¬ ing, spellbinding, gripping.

ab*SOrp«tion /absawrpshan, -zawrp-/ n. 1 absorbing or being absorbed. 2 mental en¬ grossment. □□ a*bsorp'tive adj. ab'Stain /abstayn/ v.intr. 1 refrain from. 2 formally decline to use one’s vote. □□ ab* stain'er n. ab*sten*tion /abstenshan/ n. ab*Ste*mi*OUS /abste'emeeas/ adj. moderate, esp. in eating and drinking. See synonym study at abstinence. □□ ab*ste’mi*ous*ly adv. ab*ste'mi*ous*ness n. ab*sti*nence /abstinans/ n. abstaining, esp. from food, alcohol, or sexual relations. □□ ab'sti'nent adj. ■ see self-denial, temperance 2.

synonym study: abstinence ABNEGATION, abstemiousness, continence, FORBEARANCE,

MODERATION,

TEMPERANCE.

Abstinence implies voluntary self-denial and is usually associated with the non-indul¬ gence of an appetite {total abstinence from cig¬ arettes and alcohol). Abstemiousness is the quality or habit of being abstinent; an ab¬ stemious person would be one who is mod¬ erate when it comes to eating and drinking. Continence, temperance, and modera¬ tion all imply various forms of self-restraint or self-denial: moderation is the avoidance of extremes or excesses {he drank in modera¬ tion)', temperance is habitual moderation, or even total abstinence, particularly with re¬ gard to alcohol {the 19th-century temperance movement); and continence (in this regard) refers to self-restraint with regard to sexual activity. Forbearance is self-control, the pa¬ tient endurance that characterizes deliber¬ ately holding back from action or response. Abnegation is the rejection or renunciation of something that is generally held in high es¬ teem {abnegation of the Christian Church), al¬ though it can also mean to refuse or deny oneself a particular right, claim, or conve¬ nience {abnegation of worldly goods).

abstract • adj. /abstrakt/ 1 a of or existing in thought or theory rather than matter or practice; not concrete, b (of a word, esp. a noun) denoting a quality, condition, etc., not a concrete object. 2 (of art) achieving its ef¬ fect by shapes and colors rather than by real¬ ism. • v.tr. /abstrakt/ 1 extract; remove. 2 summarize. • n. /abstrakt/ 1 summary. 2 abstract work of art. □□ abstractly adv. abstractor n. (in sense 2 of v.). • adj. 1 a theoretical, unapplied, pure, no¬ tional; intangible. 2 nonrepresentational. • v. 1 take away, draw out. 2 epitomize, abbreviate, digest, •n. 1 epitome, synopsis, essence; outline, precis. ab»strac*tion /abstrakshan/ n. 1 removal or taking away. 2 abstract or visionary idea. 3 a abstract qualities (esp. in art), b abstract work of art. 4 absentmindedness. ab*Struse /abstrdbs/ adj. hard to understand; obscure; profound. □□ abstruse'ly adv. abstruse'ness n. ab'SUrd /absard/ adj. wildly illogical or inap¬ propriate. □□ ab*surd'i*ty n. absurd'ly adv.

■ ridiculous, silly, nonsensical, senseless, outlandish; preposterous; laughable, ludi-

crous. □□ absurdity folly, silliness, ridicu¬ lousness.

synonym study: absurd FOOLISH, LUDICROUS, PREPOSTEROUS, RIDICU¬

We call something ab¬ surd when it is utterly inconsistent with what common sense or experience tells us LOUS, unreasonable.

(she found herself in the absurd position of hav¬ ing to defend the intelligence of a cockroach).

Ludicrous applies to whatever is so incon¬ gruous that it provokes laughter or scorn (a ludicrous suggestion that he might escape unno¬ ticed if he dressed up as a woman), and ridicu¬

lous implies that ridicule or mockery is the only appropriate response (she tried to look younger, but succeeded only in making herself look ridiculous). Foolish behavior shows a lack of intelligence or good judgment (it was foolish to keep that much money under a mat¬ tress), while unreasonable behavior implies

that the person has acted contrary to good sense {his response was totally unreasonable in view of the fact that he’d asked for their honest opinion). Preposterous should be reserved

for those acts or situations that are glaringly absurd or ludicrous. For example, it might be unreasonable to judge an entire nation on the basis of one tourist’s experience and fool’ ish to turn down an opportunity to visit that country on those grounds alone, but it would be preposterous to suggest that everyone who comes to the United States will be robbed at gunpoint.

a*bun*dance /abundons/

n. very great quan¬ tity; more than enough. □□ a*bun'dant adj. a«bun'dant*Iy adv. See synonym study at PREVALENT

■ overflow, superfluity, excess; plethora, wealth, copiousness, profusion; colloq. pile, □o abundant ample, generous, copious; rich in, teeming with. a*buse • v. tr. /abyofoz/ 1 a use improperly; misuse, b take (a drug) for a purpose other than a therapeutic one; be addicted to (a substance). 2 insult verbally. 3 maltreat; as¬ sault (esp. sexually). • n. /abyobs/ 1 im¬ proper use. 2 insulting language. 3 unjust or corrupt practice. 4 maltreatment. □□ a* bused /abyoozd/ adj. a»bus*er /abyoozar/ n. a"bu*sive /abyobsiv/ adj. a*bu'sive»ly adv. a*bu'sive*ness n. ■ a 1 a take advantage of, pervert, b use, be dependent on. 2 malign, call a person names, revile. 3 ill-use, injure, wrong, hurt; rape, violate. • n. 1 misuse, misusage, per¬ version; misappropriation; addiction. 2 revilement, mudslinging, vituperation, name¬ calling. 3 injustice, wrong, corruption. 4 ill-treatment, molestation; beating; rape, violation. □□ abusive insulting, scurrilous, vituperative; brutal, cruel, injurious. a*but /abut/ v. (a*but*ted, a»but*ting) 1 intr. (of land, etc.) adjoin (another). 2 tr. border on. a*but*rnent /abutmant/ n. 1 lateral support¬ ing structure of a bridge, arch, etc. 2 point of junction between such a support and the thing supported. a*bys*mal /abizmal/ adj. 1 colloq. extremely

5 bad.

abundance ~ accent 2 profound; utter.

□□ a*bys'mal*ly

adv.

■ 1 awful, appalling, dreadful, terrible, abominable. 2 abyssal, bottomless, unfath¬ omable; complete. □□ abysmally see badly 1. a*byss /abis/ n. 1 deep chasm. 2 immeasur¬ able depth. 3 primal chaos; hell. ■ 1 deep, gulf, (gaping) void. 2 see depth 4a. 3 see hell 1. AC abbr. 1 (also ac) alternating current. 2 air conditioning. Ac symb. Chem. actinium, ac- /ok/ prefix assim. form of AD-before c, k, q. -ac /ak/ suffix forming adjectives often (or only) used as nouns {cardiac, maniac). a*ca*cia /akaysha/ n. tree with yellow or white flowers, esp. one yielding gum arabic. ac*a»de*mi*a /akade'emeea/ n. (also ac*a* deme /akodeem/) academic world; scholas¬ tic life. □□ ac*a*de*mi*cian /akadamishan/ n.

ac»a»dem*ic /akademik/ • adj. 1 a scholarly; of learning, b of or relating to a scholarly in¬ stitution {academic dress). 2 theoretical; not of practical relevance. • n. teacher or scholar in a university, etc. □□ ac*a*dem'i*caMy adv. ■ adj.

1 a learned, lettered, erudite, b scholastic, collegiate. 2 hypothetical; ivory-tower, idealistic; impractical. »n. lec¬ turer, tutor, professor, fellow, doctor, in¬ structor; intellectual. a»cad»e*my /akadamee/ n. {pi. -mies) 1 a place of specialized training, b hist, place of study. 2 (usu. Academy) society or insti¬ tution of distinguished scholars, artists, sci¬ entists, etc. a*can*thus /akanthas/ n. herbaceous plant wjth spiny leaves. a cap*pel*la /a'a kapela/ adj. & adv. Mus. (of choral singing) unaccompanied. ac*cede /akse'ed/ v.intr. 1 assent or agree. 2 take office. ■ 1 see AGREE 2. ac»cel«er*ate /akselarayt/ v. 1 intr. a move or begin to move more quickly; increase speed, b happen or reach completion more quickly. 2 tr. a cause to increase speed, b cause to happen more quickly. □□ ac*cel* er*a*tion /-rayshan/ n. ac»cel»er*a«tor /akselaraytar/ n. 1 device for increasing speed, esp. the pedal that controls the speed of a vehicle’s engine. 2 Physics ap¬ paratus for imparting high speeds to charged particles. ac*cent • n. /aksent/ 1 particular mode of pronunciation, esp. local or national. 2 prominence given to a syllable by stress or pitch. 3 mark on a letter or word to indicate pitch, stress, or vowel quality. 4 distinctive feature or emphasis, •v.tr. (also /aksent/) 1 emphasize (a word or syllable). 2 write or print accents on (words, etc.). 3 accentuate. □□ ac*cen*tu*al /aksenchooal/ adj. • n. 1 intonation, speech pattern, inflec¬ tion. 2, 4 force, prominence, weight; inflec¬ tion; cadence, beat. 3 diacritic, (diacritical)

accentuate ~ accommodation

6

mark, accent mark. • v. 1,3 stress, give prominence or weight to, mark, underline. ac*cen*tu*ate /aksenchooayt/ v.tr. empha¬ size; make prominent. □□ ac»cen»tu*a*tion /-ayshon/ n. ac»cept /aksept/ v.tr. 1 willingly receive. 2 answer affirmatively. 3 regard favorably; treat as welcome. 4 a believe, b be prepared to subscribe to (a belief, philosophy, etc.). ■ 1 take, be the recipient of. 2 agree or say yes to, acknowledge; assent, accede. 3 favor, warm to; receive, welcome. ac*cept*a»ble /akseptabsl/ adj. 1 a worth ac¬ cepting. b welcome. 2 adequate. 3 tolera¬ ble. □□ ac'cept'a'bil’i'ty /—bilitee/ n. ac* cept'a*ble*ness n. ac»cept'a*bly adv. ■ 1 a deserving, suitable, appropriate, apt. b agreeable, pleasing, satisfying. 2 satisfac¬ tory, all right, fair, sufficient, colloq. ok, okay. 3 reasonable, understandable, allowable. ac*cept*ance /akseptsns/ n. 1 willingness to receive. 2 affirmative answer to an invita¬ tion. access /akses/ • n. 1 way of approach or entry. 2 a right or opportunity to reach or use or visit; admittance, b accessibility. • v. tr. Computing gain access to (data, a file, etc.). ■ n. 2 a see admission 2a. acces*si*ble /aksesibsl/ adj. 1 readily reached, entered, or used. 2 readily availa¬ ble. 3 easy to understand. □□ ac'ces'sfrbil* i*ty /-bilitee/ n. ac*ces'si*bly adv. m 1 open, available, attainable, obtainable, reachable. 2 approachable, accommodating. 3 simple, comprehensible, accession /akseshsn/ • n. 1 taking office (esp. the throne). 2 thing added (e.g., book to a library); increase. • v.tr. record the addi¬ tion of (a new item) to a library, etc. ac*ces*SO*ry /aksessree/ • n. (pi. -ries) 1 additional or extra thing. 2 [usu. in pi.] a small attachment or fitting, b small item of (esp. a woman’s) dress (e.g., shoes, gloves, etc.). 3 person who helps in or knows the details of an (esp. illegal) act. • adj. addi¬ tional; contributing or aiding in a minor way; dispensable. □□ ac*ces*so*ri*al /aksesawreesl/ adj. • n. 1 adjunct, attachment, add-on. 2 (ac¬ cessories) extras, trappings, frills, trimmings. 3 accomplice, confederate, colleague, collab¬ orator. • adj. extra, subordinate, auxiliary; see also dispensable. ac*ci*dent /aksidant/ n. 1 event that is with¬ out apparent cause or that is unexpected. 2 unfortunate event, esp. one causing physi¬ cal harm or damage. 3 occurrence of things by chance. □ accident-prone (of a person) subject to frequent accidents. ■ 1,3 chance, coincidence, fluke; serendip¬ ity. 2 mishap, misfortune, mistake; casualty, disaster. ac*ci*den«tal /aksident’l/ • adj. happening by chance or unexpectedly. • n. 1 Mus. sign indicating a momentary departure from the key signature. 2 something not essential. □d ac^cfrden'tably adv.

■ adj. fortuitous, serendipitous, incidental; undesigned, unpremeditated; uncalculated, unintended; unplanned. • n. 2 incidental, inessential, extra, addition.

synonym study: accidental ADVENTITIOUS, CASUAL, CONTINGENT, FORTU¬ ITOUS, incidental. Things don’t always go as planned, but there are many ways to de¬ scribe the role that chance plays. Accidental applies to events that occur entirely by chance (an accidental encounter with the candi¬ date outside the men’s room)-, but it is so strongly influenced by the noun “accident” that it carries connotations of undesirable or possibly disastrous results (an accidental mis¬ calculation of the distance he had to jump). A casual act or event is one that is random or unpremeditated (a casual conversation with her son’s teacher in the grocery store), in which the role that chance plays is not always clear. Something that is incidental may or may not involve chance; it typically refers to what is secondary or nonessential (incidental ex¬ penses in the budget) or what occurs without design or regularity (incidental lighting throughout the garden). Adventitious also implies the lack of an essential relationship, referring to something that is a mere random occurrence (adventitious circumstances that led to victory). In contrast, contingent points to something that is entirely dependent on an uncertain event for its existence or occur¬ rence (travel plans that are contingent upon the weather). Fortuitous refers to chance events of a fortunate nature; it is about as far as one can get from accidental (a fortuitous meeting with the candidate outside the men’s room just before the press conference).

ac'claim /aklaym/ • v.tr. welcome or applaud enthusiastically; praise publicly. See syno¬ nym study at praise. • n. applause; welcome; public praise. □□ ac*claim'er n. m v. see praise v. 1. • n. see praise n. ac*cla*ma«tion /aklamayshan/ n. 1 loud and eager assent. 2 act or process of acclaiming. ac*cli*mate /aklimayt, aklimit/ v.tr. acclima¬ tize. ac*cli*ma*tize /aklimatiz/ V. 1 tr. accustom to a new climate or conditions. 2 intr. be¬ come acclimatized, on ac*cli*ma*tiz*a' tion n. ac*co*lade /akalayd/ n. awarding of praise; acknowledgment of merit. ■ see honor n. 1, praise n. ac*COm*mo»date akomadayt/ v.tr. 1 pro¬ vide lodging or room for. 2 adapt; harmo¬ nize; reconcile. 3 do a favor for. ■ 1 put up, house, lodge, shelter, quarter, Mil. billet. 2 (accommodate a thing to) make consistent with, adapt to; (accommodate one¬ self to) become accustomed or acclimatized to, get used to. 3 oblige, favor; aid, assist. aC*COm»mo*dat*ing /skomsdayting/ adj. obliging; compliant, ao ac*com’mo*dat* ingly adv. ■ cooperative, helpful, considerate, easy to deal with. ac*com*mo»da*tion /skomsdayshan/ n. 1 [in pi] a lodgings; place to live, b room

and board. 2 a adjustment or adaptation, b settlement or compromise. 3 act or process of accommodating or being accom¬ modated. 4 [in p/. ] seat or other facilities for a passenger of a public vehicle. ■ 1 a room(s), quarters, shelter, housing. 2 a modification, change, alteration, confor¬ mation. b treaty, arrangement, terms, con¬ tract, deal. 3 conformity, orientation. aC*COm*pa*ni*ment /akumpanimant/ n. 1 Mus. instrumental or orchestral support for a solo instrument, voice, or group. 2 ac¬ companying thing. □□ ac*com'pa*nist n. ac*COm*pa*ny /akumpanee/ v.tr. (-nies, -nied) 1 go with; escort. 2 a supplement, b have as a result (pills accompanied by side ef¬ fects). 3 Mus. support or partner with ac¬ companiment. a 1 chaperon, go (along) with, guide, con¬ duct. 2 go (along) with, come with, occur with, be associated with. ac»Com*plice /akomplis, akum-/ n. partner in a crime. a accessory, confederate; henchman, col¬ laborator; ally. ac»COm*plish /akomplish/ v.tr. perform; complete; succeed in doing. □□ ac*com' plish*a*ble adj. . b fulfill, achieve, carry out; attain, reach. ac*COmp*lished /akomplisht/ adj. clever; skilled. a consummate, expert, masterful, adept. ac*COm»plish*ment /akomplishmant/ n. 1 completion (of a task, etc.). 2 acquired (esp. social) skill. 3 thing achieved. a 1 consummation, realization, attainment. 2 talent, gift, ability. 3 achievement, attain¬ ment, acquirement. ac'cord /akawrd/ • v. 1 intr. be in harmony; be consistent. 2 tr. grant (permission, a re¬ quest, etc.). • n. 1 agreement; consent. 2 harmony. 3 formal treaty or agreement. □ of one’s own accord voluntarily. uv. 1 agree, harmonize, concur, be at one, correspond. 2 see GIVE v. 4. • n. 1 unanim¬ ity, concord, harmony. 2 agreement, sympa¬ thy, concord. 3 pact, compact, contract. □ of one’s own accord see voluntarily (vol¬ untary). aC*Cord*ance /akawrd’ns/ n. harmony; agreement. ac*COrd*ing /akawrding/ adv. 1 [foil, by to] as stated by (according to my sister). 2 in pro¬ portion to. a 1 (according to) on the authority of, in conformity or agreement with, as said by. 2 by, in keeping with. ac»Cord»ing*ly /akawrdinglee/ adv. 1 as sug¬ gested or required by the (stated) circum¬ stances. 2 consequently. b 1 correspondingly, in accordance, in con¬ formity. 2 hence, therefore. ac*COr*di*on /akawrdeean/ n. musical reed instrument with bellows, keys, and buttons, □o ac*cor'di*on*ist n. ac»COSt /akawst, akost/ v.tr. 1 approach and address (a person), esp. boldly. 2 (of a pros¬ titute) solicit. a 1 see hail2 v. 2. 2 see proposition v. account /akownt/ • n. 1 narration or de-

7 accompaniment ~ accumulate scription. 2 arrangement at a bank, etc., for commercial or financial transactions, esp. for depositing and withdrawing money. 3 [often in pi] record or statement of financial trans¬ actions. • v.tr. [foil, by to be or compl.] con¬ sider; regard as (account it a misfortune). 1]Use with as (we accounted him as wise) is consid¬ ered incorrect. □ account for 1 serve as or provide an explanation for. 2 a give a reck¬ oning of (money, etc., entrusted), b answer for (one’s conduct), on no account under no circumstances, take account of (or take into account) consider along with other factors (took their age into account). an. 1 explanation, narrative, statement; history, chronicle. 3 books, (financial) state¬ ment; invoice. • v. count (as), view as, look upon as. □ on no account see by no means (means) . take account of (or take into ac¬ count) notice, take note of, allow for. ac*COUnt*a*ble /akowntabal/ adj. 1 respon¬ sible; required to account for (one’s con¬ duct). 2 understandable. □□ ac*count*a* bil*i*ty /—bilitee/ n. ac*count'a*ble*ness n. ac*count'a*bly adv. b 1 answerable, liable, chargeable. 2 expli¬ cable; explainable. □□ accountability, ac¬ countableness answerability, responsibility, liability, accountably understandably, discernibly. aC»COUnt»ant /akownt’nt/ n. professional keeper or inspector of accounts. □□ ac* count'an*cy n. ac*COunt*ing /akownting/ n. 1 process or practice of keeping and verifying accounts. 2 in sense of account v. ac*cou*ter*ment /akobtarmant, -tramant/ n. (also ac*cou'tre*ment) [usu. in pi] 1 equipment. 2 Mil. soldier’s equipment. ac*cred*it /akredit/ v.tr. 1 attribute. 2 send (an ambassador, etc.) with credentials. 3 make credible (an adviser, a statement, etc.). 4 certify (esp. an educational insti¬ tution) as maintaining professional stan¬ dards. □□ ac*cred*i*ta'tion n. ac*cred'it* ed adj. a 1 see attribute v. 2 see delegate v. 2. 3 see confirm 2. □□ accredited see official adj. 3. ac*cre*tion /akre'eshan/ n. 1 growth by or¬ ganic enlargement. 2 a growing of separate things into one. b product of such growing. 3 a extraneous matter added to anything, b the adhesion of this. □□ ac-cre'tive adj. ac*crue /akrob/ v.intr. (accrued, ac*cru* ing) come as a natural increase or advan¬ tage, esp. financial. □□ ac*cru'al n. ac* crued' adj. ac*crue'ment n. acct. abbr. 1 account. 2 accountant. ac*cu*mu*late /akyobmyalayt/ v.tr. 1 acquire an increasing number or quantity of. 2 pro¬ duce or acquire (a resulting whole) in this way. □□ ac*cu*mu*la*tion /-layshan/ n. ac* cu*mu*la*tive /-laytiv, -lativ/ adj. ac*cu' mu*la*tor n. a collect, gather, amass, pile up, hoard. □□ accumulation collecting, amassing, gathering.

accuracy ~ ACLU

8

ac*cu*ra*cy /akyarosee/ n. exacmess or care¬ ful precision. ■ correctness, accurateness, exactitude, preciseness. ac»CU»rate /akyarat/ adj. 1 careful; precise; lacking errors. 2 conforming exacdy with a qualitative standard, physical or quantitative target, etc. □□ ac'cu*rate*ly adv. ac'cu* rate*ness n. ■ meticulous, with an eye for detail, scrupu¬ lous; exact, correct. □□ accurately see ex¬ actly 1, TRULY 4. ac*curs*ed /akarsid, akarst/ adj. 1 under a curse. 2 colloq. detestable; annoying. ac*CU*sa*tion /akyazayshan/ n. 1 accusing or being accused. 2 statement charging a person with an offense or crime. □□ ac«cu* sa«to*ry /akyobzatawree/ ■ accusal, charge, allegation; incrimination, denunciation. ac»cu*sa*tive /akyobzativ/ Gram. • n. case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives expressing the object of an action. • adj. of or in this case. □□ ac*cu*sa*ti*val /-Oval/ adj. ac«cu' sa*dve*ly adv. ac*cuse /akyooz/ v.tr. 1 [foil, by of charge with a fault or crime; indict. 2 blame. □□ ac*cus'er n. ac*cus'ing*ly adv. ■ 1 (accuse of impeach, arraign for, incrim¬ inate in. 2 censure, hold responsible or ac¬ countable, charge. □□ ac*cus'er prosecutor, indicter, informer. ac*cus'ing»ly censori¬ ously. ac»CUS*tom /akustam/ v.tr. [foil, by to\ make (a person or thing) used to {the army accus¬ tomed him to discipline). ■ {accustom to) familiarize with, acquaint with; adapt to. ac*CUS»tomed /akustamd/ adj. 1 [usu. foil, by to\ used to. 2 customary; usual. ■ 1 {accustomed to) inured or acclimatized to. 2 habitual, traditional. ace /ays/ • n. 1 playing card with a single spot and generally having the highest value. 2 a person who excels in some activity, b Mil. pilot who has shot down many enemy aircraft. 3 Tennis a unreturnable serve, b point scored in this way. 4 Golf hole in one. • adj. si. excellent. ■ n. 2 a see expert n. • adj. see superla¬ tive adj. Ace band»age /ays/ • n. propr. elasticized bandage designed to support an injury such as a sprained ankle, pulled muscle, etc. -aceous /ayshas/ suffix forming adjectives, esp. from nouns in -acea, -aceae {herbaceous, rosaceous). a*cer»bic /aserbik/ adj. 1 astringently sour; harsh-tasting. 2 bitter in speech, manner, or temper. □□ a*cer'bi»cal*ly adv. a*cer'bi*ty n. {pi. -ties.) ■ 1 see tart3 1. 2 see tart3 2. a*ce»ta*min*o*phen /aseetaminafan/ n. common drug used medically to reduce fe¬ ver and pain. ac*e*tate /asitayt/ n. 1 salt or ester of acetic acid. 2 fabric made from this. a»ce*tic /ase'etik/ adj. of or like vinegar.

□ acetic acid clear liquid acid that gives vin¬ egar its characteristic taste. ac»e*tone /asiton/ n. colorless, volatile liquid that dissolves organic compounds, esp. paints, varnishes, etc. a*cet*y*lene /asetileen/ n. colorless hydrocar¬ bon gas, burning with a bright flame, used esp. in welding. ache /ayk/ • n. 1 continuous dull pain. 2 mental distress, •v.intr. 1 suffer an ache. 2 desire greatly. □□ ach'ing*ly adv. ach'y adj. (ach*i*er, ach*i*est.) ■ n. 1 pang, throbbing, pounding, sore¬ ness; discomfort. 2 pang; sorrow, grief. • v. 1 hurt, smart, throb. 2 yearn, long, hunger; crave. a*Chieve /ache'ev/ v.tr. la attain by effort, b acquire; gain; earn. 2 accomplish. 3 absol. be successful. □□ a*chiev'a*ble adj. a* chiev'er n. n 1 reach, get, manage, win. 2 carry out, execute, succeed in; realize. 3 succeed, tri¬ umph, flourish. □□ achievable see possible adj. 2. achiever high-flyer, success story, colloq. golden boy. a*chieve*ment/ache'evmant/w. 1 something achieved. 2 act of achieving. ■ 1 see accomplishment 3, act n. 1. A»chiMes heel /akileez/ n. person’s weak or vulnerable point. A*chiMes ten*don /akileez/ n. tendon con¬ necting the heel with the calf muscles. ach»ro*mat»ic /akromatik/ adj. Optics trans¬ mitting light without separating it into con¬ stituent colors. □□ ach*ro*ma'tic*al*ly adv. ach*ro*ma*tic*i*ty /akrSmatisitee/ n. a* chro*ma*tism /akrOmatizam/ n. ac*id /asid/ • n. 1 Chem. a any of a class of substances that liberate hydrogen ions in wa¬ ter, are usu. sour and corrosive, and have a pH of less than 7. b any compound or atom donating protons. 2 any sour substance. 3 si. the drug LSD. • adj. 1 sour. 2 biting; sharp. 3 Chem. having the properties of an acid. □ acid rain overly acidic rainwater, as from pollution, acid test severe or conclu¬ sive test. □□ a*cid*ic /osidik/ adj. a*cid*i*fy /asidifi/ v. a*cid'i*ty n. ac'id-ly adv. ac'id* ness n. a*cid*u*lous /asidyoolas/ adj. somewhat acid. -acity /asitee/ suffix forming nouns of quality or state corresponding to adjectives in adorn. ac»knowl*edge /aknolij/ v.tr. 1 recognize; accept as truth. 2 confirm the receipt of {ac¬ knowledged her letter). 3 a show that one has noticed, b express appreciation for. 4 rec¬ ognize the validity of. □□ ac*knowl'edge*a* ble adj. ac*knowl'edg*ment or ac*knowl' edge*ment n. • 1 admit, own up to, concede. 2 answer, reply to, respond to. 3 a greet, mark, note, b thank a person for, honor, reward. 4 grant, accept. □□ acknowledgeable admittable, confessable; answerable; rewardable. acknowledgment admission, confes¬ sion, avowal; tribute, (show of) apprecia¬ tion. ACLU abbr. American Civil Liberties Union.

ac*me /akmee/ n. highest point. ■ climax, culmination; apex, top, summit, ac*ne /aknee/ n. skin condition characterized by pimples. □□ ac’ned adj. ac»0»lyte /akalit/ n. 1 person assisting a priest; altar boy or girl. 2 assistant; begin¬ ner. ac*0*nite /aksnit/ n. 1 any of various poison¬ ous plants, esp. monkshood or wolfsbane. 2 drug obtained from this. □□ ac*o*nit*ic /-nitik/ adj. a*COrn /aykorn/ n. fruit of the oak, with a smooth nut in a rough cuplike base. a*cous*tic /skobstik/ • adj. 1 relating to sound or the sense of hearing. 2 (of a musi¬ cal instrument) not having electrical amplifi¬ cation. 3 (of building materials) used for soundproofing. • n. 1 [usu. in pi] proper¬ ties or qualities (esp. of a room, etc.) in trans¬ mitting sound. 2 [inpi; usu. treated as sing.] science of sound. □□ a*cous'ti*cal adj. a* cous’ti*cal*ly adv. ac*ous*ti*cian /akoostishan/ n. acquaint /akwaynt/ v.tr. [usu. foil, by with] make aware of or familiar with. ■ (acquaint with) familiarize with, inform about, advise of. acquaintance /akwayntons/ n. 1 slight knowledge (of a person or thing). 2 being acquainted. 3 person one knows slightly. □□ ac*quaint'ance*ship n. m 1 familiarity, acquaintanceship; experi¬ ence. 2 association, friendship, relationship. 3 associate, fellow, colleague. ac*qui*esce /akwee-es/ v.intr. 1 agree, esp. tacitly. 2 raise no objection. 3 accept (an ar¬ rangement, etc.). □□ ac*qui*es'cence n. ac*'qui*es'cent adj. m 1 see AGREE 1. 2 see AGREE 2. □□ acqui¬ escent see YIELDING 1. acquire /akwfr/ v.tr. 1 gain by and for one¬ self. 2 come into possession of. See syno¬ nym study at get. □ acquired immune deficiency syndromeAM. see aids. □□ ac* quir'a*ble adj. ac*quire'ment n. ■ 1 get, obtain, win, earn. 2 receive, amass, pick up; inherit. □□ acquirable obtainable, gettable, procurable, acquirement see ac¬ complishment 3, acquisition 2. acquisition /akwizishon/ n. 1 something acquired. 2 act of acquiring. ■ 1 possession(s), belongings, purchase; ob¬ ject. 2 gain, procurement, inheritance. acquisitive /skwizitiv/ adj. eager to ac¬ quire things. See synonym study at greedy. □□ ac*quis'i*tive*ly adv. acquisitive* ness n. • see avaricious (avarice). acquit /skwit/ V. (ac*quit*ted, acquit* ting) 1 tr. declare not guilty. 2 refl. a con¬ duct oneself or perform in a specified way. b discharge (a duty or responsibility). See synonym study at absolve. □□ ac*quit*tal /akwit’l/ n. m 1 see forgive. 2 see conduct v. 4. a»cre /aykar/ n. measure of land, 4,840 sq. yds. □□ a'cred adj. [also in comb.]. a*cre*age /aykarij, aykrij/ n. unspecified number of acres. acrid /akrid/ adj. (ac*rid*er, ac*rid*est) bit-

9

acme ~ action

terly pungent. □□ a*crid'i*ty n. ac'rid*ly adv. ■ 1 see bitter3 adj. 1, tart 1. acri»mo*ni*ous /akrimSneess/ adj. bitter in manner or temper. □□ ac*ri*mo'ni*ous*ly adv. ac*ri*mo*ny /akrimonee/ n. ■ see tart3 2. □□ acrimony see animosity. ac*ro*bat /akrobat/ n. performer of gymnastic feats. □□ ac*ro*bat'ic adj. ac*ro*bat'i*cal* ly adv. ac*ro*bat*ics /akrsbatiks/ n.pl. 1 acrobatic feats. 2 [as sing.] art of performing these. 3 skill requiring ingenuity (mental acrobatics). ac*ro*nym /akranim/ n. usu. pronotmceable word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g., laser, NATO). ac*ro*pho*bi*a /akrafobeea/ n. Psychol, ab¬ normal dread of heights. □□ ac*ro*pho*bic /-fobik/ adj. a*crop*o*lis /akropalis/ n. 1 elevated, forti¬ fied part of esp. an ancient Greek city. 2 (Acropolis) ancient citadel at Athens. a»cross/akraws, akros/ • prep. 1 to or on the other side of. 2 from one side to another side of. 3 at or forming an angle (esp. a right angle) with. • adv. 1 to or on the other side. 2 from one side to another. □ across the board generally; applying to all. ■ prep. 1, 2 see over prep. 4. • adv. 1, 2 see over adv. 4. a»cryl»ic /akrilik/ • adj. 1 of synthetic mate¬ rial made from acrylic acid. 2 Chem. of or derived from acrylic acid. • n. acrylic fiber, act /akt/ • n. 1 something done; deed. 2 process of doing. 3 a piece of entertain¬ ment. b performer(s) of this. 4 pretense. 5 main division of a play or opera. 6 statute law. •v.intr. 1 behave. 2 perform actions or functions; take action. 3 [also foil, by on] ex¬ ert energy or influence. 4 a perform a part in a "play, movie, etc. b pretend. □ act up colloq. misbehave; give trouble, get one’s act together si. become properly organized. • n. 1 undertaking, move; exploit; accom¬ plishment. 2 see performance 1. 3 a per¬ formance, show, skit. b see cast n. 3. 4 pos¬ ture, pose, stance, front. 6 bill, decree, edict, statute. *v. 1 carry on, conduct oneself. 3 take effect, work. 4 a appear, b feign, fake, dissemble, make believe. □ act up see misbehave, get one’s act together pull one¬ self together, rally oneself; hurry up, colloq. get moving. act'ing /akting/ • n. art or occupation of an actor, •attrib.adj. serving temporarily, ■ attrib. adj. see temporary adj. ac*tin»i*um /aktineeam/ n. Chem. radioactive metallic element. |Symb.: Ac ac*tion /akshan/ • n. 1 process of doing or acting. 2 forcefulness or energy. 3 exertion of energy or influence. 4 deed or act. 5 a se¬ ries of events in a story, play, etc. b si. excit¬ ing activity. 6 a armed conflict; fighting {killed in action), b minor military engage¬ ment. 7 a way in which a machine, instru¬ ment, etc., works, b mechanism of an in¬ strument, etc. 8 lawsuit. • v.tr. bring a legal action against.

actionable ~ add

10

an. 1 activity, performance, movement. 2 liveliness, vim, vigor, spirit. 3 effect,

power, force, strength. 4 undertaking, oper¬ ation, feat; (actions) behavior, conduct. 5 b excitement, interest, adventure, thrills. 6 a combat, batde, war. b fight, batde, skir¬ mish. 7 a, b see movement 2, mechanism 2, 3. 8 litigation, proceeding, case; remedy. • v. proceed against, institute proceedings against. ac*tion*a*ble /akshanabal/ adj. giving cause for legal action. □□ ac'tion*a*bly adv. ac*ti*vate /aktivayt/ v.tr. 1 make active. 2 Chem. cause reaction in. 3 Physics make radioactive. □□ ac*ti*va*tion /-vayshsn/ n. ac'ti*va*tor n. ■ 1 move, actuate, set in motion, get start¬ ed, energize. □□ activation operation, movement, activator initiator, starter. ac*tive /aktiv/ • adj. 1 a marked by action; energetic, b able to move about or accom¬ plish practical tasks. 2 working; operative (iactive volcano). 3 originating action (active support). 4 Gram, designating the voice that attributes the action of a verb to the person or thing from which it logically proceeds (e.g., of the verb in guns kill). • n. Gram, ac¬ tive form or voice of a verb. □□ ac'tive*ly adv. ac'tive*ness n. ■ adj. 1 a strenuous, vigorous, full, dy¬ namic; tireless, industrious, b agile, spry. 2, 3 effective, effectual, functioning, potent. ac»tiv»ism /aktivizam/ n. policy of vigorous action in a cause, esp. in politics. □□ ac'tiv* 1st n. ac»tiv»i»ty /aktivitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 a condi¬ tion of being active or moving about, b exer¬ tion of energy; vigorous action. 2 [often in pi.] particular occupation or pursuit. ■ 1 action, movement; liveliness; exertion, vigor. 2 work, employment, function; inter¬ est, avocation, pastime. ac*tor /aktar/ n. performer in a play, movie, etc. ■ see player 3. ac«tress /aktris/ n. female actor. ac*tu*al /akchooal/ adj. [usu. attrib.] 1 exist¬ ing in fact; real. 2 current. See synonym study at genuine. □□ ac'tu*al*ize v. ac*tu* al*i*za'tion n. m 1 genuine, factual, authentic. 2 existent, present, extant. □□ actualize see realize 4. actualization see realization (realize). ac*tu*al*i*ty /akchoo-alitee/ n. (pi. -ties) t reality. 2 [inp/.] existing conditions. ■ 1 see case1 2, reality 1. ac*tu*aMy /akchobalee/ adv. 1 as a fact; re¬ ally. 2 in truth; strange as it may seem. 3 at present. ■ 1 in reality, in actuality, in point of fact. 2 even, as a matter of fact. 3 for the time be¬ ing, currently, (just) now. ac*tu*ar»y /akchoberee/ n. (pi. -ies) statisti¬ cian, esp. one who calculates insurance risks and premiums. □□ ac*tu*ar*i*al /-chooaireeal/ adj. ac*tu»ar'i*al*ly adv. ac*tu*ate /akchoo-ayt/ v.tr. 1 cause the oper¬ ation of (an electrical device, etc.). 2 cause

to act. □□ ac*tu*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. ac'tu* a*tor n. m see activate. a*cu*i*ty /akyobitee/ n. sharpness; acuteness. a*cu*men /akyaman, akyob-/ n. keen insight or discernment. ac*u*pres*sure /akyapreshar/ n. method of treating various conditions by applying pres¬ sure with the fingers to specific points on the body. ac*u«punc*ture /akyapungkchar/ n. method (orig. Chinese) of treating various conditions by pricking the skin with needles, an ac»u* punc'tur'ist n. a*CUte /akydbt/ • adj. (a*cut*er, a*cut*est) 1 a (of senses, etc.) keen; penetrating, b (of pain) intense; severe. 2 (of a disease) com¬ ing sharply to a crisis; not chronic. 3 a (of an angle) less than 90°. b sharp; pointed. See synonym studies at keen, crucial. • n. = acute accent. □ acute accent mark (') placed over letters in some languages to show vowel length, pronunciation (e.g., mate), etc. □□ a* cute'ly adv. a*cute'ness n. m adj. 1 a sharp, sensitive, discriminating, b cutting, keen, piercing. 2 intense, critical, dangerous, grave. 3 b narrow, no acutely see severely (severe), very adv. acuteness see gravity 3a,penetration (penetrate). -acy /asee/ suffix forming nouns of state or quality (accuracy, piracy, supremacy), or an instance of it (conspiracy, fallacy). A.D. abbr. (of a date) of the Christian era (Latin Anno Domini, ‘in the year of the Lord’). ad /ad/ n. colloq. advertisement. ad- /ad, ad/ prefix (also a- before sc, sp, st, acbefore c, k, q, af- before /, ag- before g, al- before l, an- before n, ap- before p, arbefore r, as- before s, at- before t) with the sense of motion or direction to; reduction or change into; addition, adherence, increase, or intensification. ad*age /adij/ n. traditional maxim; proverb. See synonym study at saying. ■ see maxim. a*da*giO /ada'azheeo/ Mus. • adv. & adj. in slow time. • n. (pi. -gios) adagio movement or passage. Ad*am /adam/ n. Biblical first man. □ Adam’s apple projection of cartilage of the larynx, esp. as prominent in men. ad*a*mant /adamant/ adj. stubbornly reso¬ lute; resistant to persuasion. □□ ad'a-manf ly adv. m see resolute. a*dapt /adapt/ v. 1 tr. [foil, by to] fit; adjust (one thing to another). 2 intr. & refl. [usu. foil, by to] become adjusted to new condi¬ tions. □□ a»dapt'a*ble adj. ad*ap*ta'tion n. a*dapt'er or a*dap'tor n. a*dap'tive adj. a*dap'tive*ly adv. • 1 (adapt to) align to, coordinate with, at¬ tune to. 2 (adapt oneself to) accustom or acclimatize oneself to, get used to. □□ adaptable flexible, versatile; compliant, adaptation modification, change, adjust¬ ment. add /ad/ v.tr. 1 join (one thing to another) as an increase or supplement. 2 put to-

gether (numbers) to find their total value. 3 say further. □ add up 1 find the total of. 2 [foil, by to] amount to (adds up to a disaster). 3 colloq. make sense. □□ add'ed adj.

■ 1 unite, aggregate, combine, annex. 2 add up, total, sum (up). 3 continue, go on. □ add up 1 see add 2 above. 2 constitute, signify, mean. 3 hang together, be under¬ standable. □□ added see extra adj. ad*den*dum /adendam/ n. (pi. ad*den*da /-da/) 1 thing to be added, esp. [in pi] as ad¬ ditional matter at the end of a book. 2 ap¬ pendix; addition. ■ see ADDITION 2. ad'der /adar/ n. any of various small venom¬ ous snakes, esp. the common viper, ad'dict • v.tr. & refl. /adikt/ [usu. foil, by to] devote or apply habitually or compulsively; make addicted. • n. /adikt/ 1 person addict¬ ed to a habit, esp. to a drug. 2 colloq. devo¬ tee. □ □ ad*dic*tion /-dlkshan/ n. ad’dic' tive adj. • v. (be(come) addicted) be (come) depen¬ dent, si. be(come) hooked. • n. 1 (habitual) user, drug abuser. 2 aficionado, fan, ad¬ mirer, supporter, enthusiast. □□ addiction see habit 2, 4. addictive habit-forming, _ compulsive, obsessive. ad*di*tion /adishan/ n. 1 adding or being added. 2 person or thing added. □ in addi¬ tion moreover; furthermore, in addition to as well as; as something added to. ■ 1 increase, augmentation, attachment; calculation. 2 supplement, increment; extra; annex. □ in addition additionally, to boot, too. in addition to besides, beyond, over and above. ad*di*tion*al /adishanal/ adj. added; extra; supplementary. □□ ad*di'tion*aMy adv. ■ see extra adj. ad*di»tive /aditiv/ • n. substance added to another so as to give it specific qualities. • adj. characterized by addition (additive process). ad'dle /ad’l/ • v. 1 tr. muddle; confuse. 2 intr. (of an egg) become rotten. • adj. 1 muddled; unsound (addlebrained). 2 empty; vain. ad'dress /adres/ • n. 1 (also /adres/) a place where a person lives or an organization is sit¬ uated. b particulars of this, esp. for postal purposes. C Computing location of an item of stored information. 2 discourse delivered to an audience. • v. tr. 1 write postal directions on (an envelope, package, etc.). 2 speak or write to, esp. formally (addressed the audi¬ ence). 3 direct one’s attention to. □□ad* dress'er n. mn. la location, whereabouts, position, site, situation. 2 speech, talk, lecture; ser¬ mon. • v. 2 talk to, deliver or give a speech to, present a paper to, lecture. 3 focus on, aim at, turn to, concentrate on. ad*dress*ee /adrese'e/ n. person to whom something (esp. a letter) is addressed, ad'duce /adobs, adyoos/ v.tr. cite as an in¬ stance or as proof or evidence. □□ ad'duc'i* ble adj. ad'ducdor /aduktar/ n. muscle that moves

11

addendum ~ adjoin

one part of the body toward another or to¬ ward the midline of the body. -ade1 /ayd/ suffix forming nouns: 1 an action done (blockade, tirade). 2 the body con¬ cerned in an action or process (cavalcade). 3 the product or result of a material or action (arcade, lemonade, masquerade). -ade2 /ayd/ suffix forming nouns: (decade). -ade3 /ayd/ suffix forming nouns: 1 = -ade1 (brocade). 2 a person concerned (renegade). ad*e»noids /ad’noydz/ n.pl. Med. mass of lymphatic tissue between the back of the nose and the throat. □□ ad*e*noi»dal /-noyd’l/ adj. a»dept • adj. /adept/ thoroughly proficient. • n. /adept/ skilled performer; expert. □□ a* dept'ly adv. a*dept'ness n. ■ adj. versed, skilled, expert, accomplished. • n. master, specialist, authority. □□ adeptly see well1 adv. 3. adeptness see proficiency (proficient). ad*e»quate /adikwat/ adj. sufficient; satisfac¬ tory. □□ ad'e*qua*cy n. ad'e*quate»ly adv. m enough; fitting, good enough; passable, fair. □□ adequacy see fitness (fit1), ade¬ quately see fairly 2. ad'here /adhe'er/ v.intr. 1 (of a substance) stick fast to a surface, etc. 2 [foil, by to] be¬ have according to. 3 [foil, by to] give support or allegiance. ■ 1 see stick2 4. 2 (adhere to) see follow 5. ad*her*ent /adhe'erant, -her-/ • n. 1 sup¬ porter. 2 devotee. • adj. 1 faithfully observ¬ ing a rule, etc. 2 (of a substance) sticking fast. □□ ad*her*ence /-rans/ n. m 2 see follower. □□ adherence see dedi¬ cation 1. ad*he»sion /adhe'ezhan/ n. 1 adhering. 2 Med. unnatural union of body tissues. ad*he*sive /adhe'esiv, -ziv/ • adj. sticky; causing adhesion. • n. adhesive substance. □□ ad*he'sive«ly adv. ad^he'sive^ness n. ■ adj. see sticky adj. 1. • n. see glue n. ad hoc /ad hok/ adv. & adj. for one particular (usu. exclusive) purpose (an ad hoc appoint¬ ment). a*dieu/adyob, adob/ • int. good-bye. • n. (pi. a*dieus or a*dieux /adybbz, adooz/') a good¬ bye. ad in*fi*ni»tum /ad infimtam/ adv. without limit; for ever. ad'i'OS /a'adee-6s, adee-/ int. good-bye. ad»i«pose /adipos/ adj. fat; fatty. □□ add* posu*ty /-positee/ n. Ad»i*ron*dack chair /adarondak/ • n. chair with a sloping back and wide arms, usu. made of wood and used outdoors. ad*ja*cent /ajaysant/ adj. [often foil, by to] ly¬ ing near or adjoining. □□ ad*ja*cen*cy /-sansee/ n. ■ see adjoining (ADJOIN). ad»jec*tive /ajiktiv/ n. word used to modify or describe a noun or pronoun. □□ ad*jec*ti* val /ajikrival/ adj. ad»jec*ti'vaMy adv. ad*join /ajoyn/ v.tr. (often as adjoining adj.) be next to and joined with. ■ see border v. 3a; (adjoining) neighbor-

adjourn ~ admonish

12

ing, contiguous, adjacent, abutting, border¬ ing, next. ad'journ /a jam/ v. 1 tr a put off; postpone, b break off (a meeting, etc.) temporarily. 2 intr. of persons at a meeting: a break off proceedings and disperse, b [foil, by to] transfer the meeting to another place. See synonym study at postpone. □□ adjourn' ment n. ■ 1b see dissolve v. 3a. ad*judge /ajuj/ v.tr. 1 adjudicate (a matter). 2 pronounce or award judicially. ad*ju*di*cate /ajoodikayt/ v. 1 intr. act as judge in a competition, court, etc. 2 tr. a de¬ cide judicially regarding (a claim, etc.), b [foil, by to be + compl.] pronounce (was adjudicated to be bankrupt). □□ ad*jud*i*ca» tion /-dikayshan/ n. ad*ju'di*ca*tive adj. ad'ju'di'canor n. ■ 1 see judge v. 3. 2 a see judge v. la. adjunct /ajungkt/ n. 1 [foil, by to, of\ subor¬ dinate or incidental thing. 2 subordinate person, esp. one with temporary appoint¬ ment only. □□ ad*junc*tive /ajungktiv/ adj. ad-junc'tive*ly adv. u 1 see accessory n. 1, extension 3. 2 see ASSISTANT 2. ad'jure /ajdbr/ v.tr. [usu. foil, by to + infin.] charge or request (a person) solemnly or ear¬ nestly, esp. under oath, oo ad*ju*ra'tion n. ad*jur a*to*ry adj. ad'jUSt /ajust/ v. 1 tr. a put in the correct or¬ der or position, b regulate. 2 tr. make suita¬ ble. 3 tr. assess (loss or damages). 4 intr. [usu. foil, by to] adapt oneself. □□ ad'just'a* ble adj. ad'just'a'bil'i'ty n. ad'just'er n. adjust'ment n. ■ 1 set to rights, (fine-)tune, fix, rearrange. 2 see adapt lb. 3 see evaluate 1. 4 (adjust to) accommodate oneself to, accustom one¬ self to; get used to. □□ adjustability see flexibility (flexible), adjustment alteration, setting, regulation. ad«ju*tant /ajat’nt/ n. 1 Mil. officer who as¬ sists superior officers. 2 assistant. □□ ad*ju* tan*cy /-t’nsee/ n. ad lib /ad lib/ • v.intr. (ad libbed, ad lib* bing) improvise. • adj. improvised. • adv. as one pleases. • n. something spoken or played extempore. ■ v. see improvise 1. • adj. see extempora¬ neous.

ad loc abbr. to or at that place. ad*man /adman/ n. (pi. ad'men)

colloq. per¬ son who produces advertisements commer¬ cially. ad*min*is*ter /administer/ v. 1 tr. manage. 2 tr. a be responsible for the implementation of (the law, justice, punishment, etc.), b Eccl. perform the rites of (a sacrament). 3 tr. a provide; apply (a remedy), b give; de¬ liver (a rebuke). 4 intr. act as administrator. □□ ad*min'is«tra*ble adj. m 1 administrate, control, direct, conduct. 2 a execute, carry out, dispense; implement. 3 a dispense, supply, furnish, b see deliver 4b. □□ administrable manageable; execut¬ able.

ad»min»is»trate /administrayt/

v. administer (esp. business affairs); act as an administra¬ tor. □□ ad*min'is*tra*tive adj. ad*min'is* tra*tive*ly adv. ad*min»iS*tra*tion /administrayshan/ n. 1 management; government. 2 the govern¬ ment in power. 3 president’s period of of¬ fice. 4 [foil, by oft a administering of jus¬ tice, an oath, etc. b application of remedies. ■ 1 direction, conduct, supervision. 2 au¬ thority, ministry, leadership. 3 presidency, term, office. 4 dispensation, provision, de¬ livery. ad*min»iS*tra*tor /administraytar/ n. 1 man¬ ager. 2 Law person appointed to manage the estate of one who has died intestate. ad*mi*ra*ble /admarabal/ adj. 1 deserving admiration. 2 excellent. □□ ad'mi*ra*bly adv.

■ 1 see praiseworthy. 2 wonderful, awe¬ inspiring, estimable, splendid, superb; see also great adj. 4a. □□ admirably marvel¬ ously, wonderfully, superbly. ad*mi*ral /admaral/ n. 1 commander in chief of a fleet. 2 naval officer of high rank. □□ ad'mbrahship n. ad*mi*ra*tion /admirayshan/ n. 1 pleased contemplation. 2 respect; warm approval. 3 object of this. ■ 1 wonder, awe, delight. 2 esteem, (high) regard, appreciation. 3 center of attention, sensation, cynosure. ad*mire /admir/ v.tr. 1 regard with approval, respect, or satisfaction. 2 express one’s ad¬ miration of. See synonym study at esteem. □□ ad*mir'er n. ad*mir'ing adj. ad*mir' ing*ly adv. ■ 1 respect, approve of, esteem. 2 wonder at, delight in. □□ admirer suitor; lover; dev¬ otee. ad*mis»si*ble /admisibal/ adj. 1 (of an idea or plan) worth accepting or considering. 2 Law allowable as evidence. □□ ad'mis^si* bibbty /-bilitee/ n. ad*mis*Sion /admishan/ n. 1 acknowledg¬ ment. 2 a process or right of entering, b charge for this. ■ 1 confession, concession, avowal, disclo¬ sure. 2 a access, admittance, reception, acceptance, b ticket, (entry or entrance) fee. ad»mit /admit/ v. (ad*mit»ted, ad*mit"ting) 1 tr. acknowledge; recognize as true. 2 intr. a [foil, by to] confess, b [foil, by oft allow for something to exist, have influence, etc. 3 tr. allow (a person) entrance or access. 4 tr. (of an enclosed space) accommodate, no ad* mit'ta*ble adj. ad*mit'tance n. ■ 1 accept, concede, allow, grant. 2 a (ad¬ mit to) own (up to); concede, divulge, b (ad¬ mit of) permit, grant, tolerate. 3 let in, give access to, take in; accept, receive. 4 hold, re¬ ceive, embrace. ad*mit*ted*ly /admitidlee/ adv. as an ac¬ knowledged fact. ad*mix«ture /admikschar/ n. 1 thing added, esp. a minor ingredient. 2 act of adding this. ad*mon*ish /admonish/ v.tr 1 reprove. 2 urge. 3 give earnest advice to. 4 warn. See synonym study at rebuke. □□ ad-mon'ish-

ment n. ad*mo*ni*tion /admanishan/ n. ad* mon'i*to*ry adj. • 1 see reprimand v. 2 see urge v. 2. 3 see advise 1, 2. 4 see warn. ad nau*se*am /ad nawzeeam/ adv. to an ex¬ cessive or disgusting degree. a*do /adob/ n. (pi. a*dos) fuss; busy activity; trouble; difficulty. □ without further (or more) ado immediately. a*dO*be /adObee/ n. 1 sun-dried brick of clay and straw. 2 clay used for making this. 3 structure of such bricks. ad»0»les»cent /adalesant/ • adj. between childhood and adulthood. See synonym study at youthful. • n. adolescent person. □□ ad*o*les'cence /-sons/ n. ■ adj. teenage(d), maturing, pubescent; im¬ mature, callow. • n. teenager, juvenile, mi¬ nor; see also youth 4. □□ adolescence pu¬ berty, teenage years. A*don*is /adonis, odd-/ n. handsome young man. a*dopt /adopt/ v.tr. 1 legally take another’s child as one’s own. 2 choose to follow (a course of action, etc.). 3 take over (a name, idea, etc.). □□ a*dop*tion /-dopshan/ n. a* dop'tive adj. • 1 take (in), accept, take or accept as one’s own. 2 select, take on, assume. 3 take (up or on or over), espouse; arrogate, appro¬ priate. a*dor*a*ble /adawrabal/ adj. 1 deserving ad¬ oration. 2 colloq. delightful; charming. □□ a* dor'a*bly adv. • 1 lovable, wonderful, estimable, honora¬ ble, praiseworthy; beloved, loved, cherished, prized. 2 appealing, attractive, lovely, en¬ chanting, gorgeous, captivating, fetching; darling, sweet, dear, cunning, colloq. cute. a*dore /adawr/ v.tr. 1 regard with honor and deep affection. 2 worship as divine. 3 colloq. like very much. □□ ad*o*ra*tion /adarayshan/ n. a*dor'er n. a*dor'ing adj. a*dor' ing*ly adv. ■ 1 esteem, respect, admire; love, idolize. 2 venerate, reverence, revere, exalt; hallow. 3 cherish, fancy; carry a torch for; be mad about. □□ adoration see love n. 1, reverence (revere).

a*dorn /adawrn/ v.tr. add beauty to; decorate. do a*dorn'ment n. • see EMBELLISH 1. ADP abbr. 1 adenosine diphosphate, a nucle¬ ic acid essential to living cells. 2 automatic data processing. a*dre*nal /adre'enal/ • adj. 1 at or near the kidneys. 2 of the adrenal glands. • n. (in full adre'nal gland) either of two ductless glands above the kidneys, secreting adrena¬ line. a*dren*a*line /adrenalin/ = epinephrine. a»drift /adrift/ adv. & predic. adj. 1 drifting.

2

powerless; aimless.

a*droit /adroyt/ adj. dexterous; skillful. □□ a* droit'ly adv. a*droit'ness n. ■ see SKILLFUL.

ad'Sorb /adsawrb, -zawrb/ v.tr. (usu. of a solid) hold (molecules of a gas or liquid, etc.) to its surface, as a thin film. □□ ad* sorb'a*ble adj. ad*sorb'ent adj. & n. ad*

13

ad nauseam ~ advantage

sorp*tion /-sawrp-, -zawrp-/ n. (also ad* sorb'tion). adnHate /ajalayt/ v.tr. flatter obsequiously, on ad*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. ad'u*la*tor n. ad*u*la*to*ry /-latawree/ adj. a*dult /adult, adult/ • adj. 1 mature; grown¬ up. 2 a of or for adults, b euphem. sexually explicit; indecent (adult films). • n. adult per¬ son. □□ a*dult'hood n. a*dult'ly adv. m adj. 1 full-grown, matured, of age. 2 b see indecent. • n. 1 grown-up. □□ adulthood see maturity (mature), adult¬ ly maturely, sensibly. a*dul*ter*ate •v.intr. /adultarayt/ debase (esp. foods) by adding other or inferior sub¬ stances. See synonym study at pollute. • adj. /adultarat/ spurious; debased; counter¬ feit. od a*dul*ter*ant /adultarant/ adj. & n. a*dul*ter*a*tion /-rayshan/ n. a*dul'ter*a* tor n. ■ v. falsify, corrupt, alloy, spoil, water (down), weaken, dilute, bastardize, contami¬ nate, pollute, taint, doctor, cut. • adj. see spurious. □□ adulteration see pollution (pollute).

a*dul*tery /adultaree/

n. voluntary sexual in¬ tercourse between a married person and a person (married or not) other than his or her spouse. □□ a*dul'ter*er n. a*dul'ter*ous adj. a*dul'ter*ous*ly adv. ad'vance /advans/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. move or put forward. 2 intr. make progress. 3 tr. a pay (money) before it is due. b lend (money). 4 tr. promote (a person, cause, or plan). 5 tr. put forward (a suggestion, etc.). 6 tr. (as advanced adj.) a far on in progress, b ahead of the times. • n. 1 progress. 2 pre¬ payment. 3 loan. 4 [esp. pi.} amorous ap¬ proach. 5 rise in price. • adj. beforehand (.advance warning). □ in advance ahead in place or time. □□ ad*vance'ment n. ad* vanc'er n. uv. 1,2 send on (ward), go or push or press on, proceed. 3 prepay; lend. 4 support, fur¬ ther, assist; benefit, improve; contribute to. 6 (advanced) a well-ahead; nearing com¬ pletion. b see progressive adj. 1. • n. 1 pro¬ gression; headway; improvement. 2 deposit. 4 see approach n. 3. 5 increase, apprecia¬ tion. □ in advance beforehand, before, pre¬ viously; in front. □□ advancement see pro¬ motion (promote).

ad*van*tage /advantij/ • n. 1 beneficial fea¬ ture. 2 benefit; profit. 3 superiority. 4 (in tennis) the next point won after deuce. • v. tr. 1 be beneficial or favorable to. 2 further; promote. □ take advantage of 1 make good use of. 2 exploit, esp. unfairly. 3 eu¬ phem. seduce. □□ ad*van*ta*geous /advantayjas/ adj. ad*van*ta'geous*ly adv. • n. 1,3 strength, feature, attraction; upper hand, dominance, edge. 2 gain, interest, bet¬ terment, advancement; use. • v. 1,2 see benefit v. 1. □ take advantage of 1 see profit v. 2. 2 see exploit v. 3 see seduce 1. □ □ advantageous profitable, worthwhile, beneficial, advantageously see favorably (favorable).

Advent ~ aesthetic

14

Ad'Vent /advent/

n. 1 season before Christ¬ mas. 2 coming of Christ. 3 (advent) impor¬ tant arrival. adven»ti*tiOUS /adventishas/ adj. accidental; casual. See synonym study at accidental. □o ad*ven"ti'tious*ly adv. ad*ven«ture /advenchar/ • n. 1 unusual and exciting experience. 2 daring enterprise. • v.intr. 1 [often foil, by into, upon] dare to go or come. 2 dare to undertake. 3 incur risk. □□ ad*ven'ture*some adj. ad»ven'tur*ous adj. mn.

1 incident, event, occurrence. 2 ex¬ ploit, escapade, affair; danger, peril, risk. v. 1 (adventure into or upon) venture upon, brave. 2, 3 try one’s luck, take a risk (on). □□ adventuresome see adventurous (adven¬ ture). adventurous daring, bold; rash, reckless. ad*ven*tur*er /advencharar/ n. (Jem. ad'ven* tur*ess /-charis/) 1 person who seeks ad¬ venture. 2 financial speculator. ■ 1 soldier of fortune, swashbuckler, hero, heroine, daredevil. 2 opportunist. ad»verb /advarb/ n. word or phrase that mod¬ ifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb (e.g., gently, quite, then, there). □□ ad* ver*bi*al /advarbeeal/ adj. ad*ver*sar*y /advarseree/ • n. (pi. -ies) 1 enemy. 2 opponent. • adj. opposed; antag¬ onistic. □□ ad*ver*sar*i*al /advarsaireeal/ adj. an.

1 opponent, antagonist, opposition, other side, esp. poet, or formal foe. 2 antago¬ nist, competitor, rival. • adj. hostile, compet¬ itive, adversarial. ad»verse /advars, ad-/ adj. 1 contrary; hos¬ tile. 2 harmful; injurious. See synonym study at hostile. □□ ad»verse'ly adv. ■ 1 see hostile 2. 2 see injurious 1. ad*ver*si»ty /advarsitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 ad¬ verse fortune. 2 misfortune. ■ see misfortune. ad*ver*tise /advartiz/ V. 1 tr. promote (goods or services) publicly to increase sales. 2 tr. make generally known. 3 intr. [foil, by for] place an advertisement. 4 tr. [usu. foil, by that + clause] notify. □□ ad'ver*tis*er n. • 1, 2 see publicize. 4 see notify 2. ad*ver*tise*ment /advartizmant, advartis-, -tiz-/ n. public notice or announcement. ■ handbill, circular, junk mail, classified ad¬ vertisement. ad*vice /advis/ n. 1 recommendation about future action or behavior. 2 information given; news. ■ 1 counsel, guidance, suggestion. 2 intelli¬ gence, notice, notification; communication. ad*vis*a*ble /advizabal/ adj. 1 to be recom¬ mended. 2 expedient. □□ ad»vis*a*bil'i»ty n. ad*vis'a*bly adv. • recommendable, prudent, practical, sen¬ sible. □□ advisability see prudence (pru¬ dent). ad*vise /advfz/ v.tr. 1 [also absol.] give advice to. 2 recommend. 3 inform. □□ ad*vis'er or ad«vi'sor n. ■ 1,2 counsel, guide, steer; caution, ad¬

monish, warn; suggest. 3 tell, notify, an¬ nounce to. □□ adviser counselor, mentor, guide. ad*vis*ee /advlze'e/ • n. person, esp. a stu¬ dent, who receives advice from another. ad*vi»SO»ry /advi'zareel • adj. giving advice. • n. (pi. -ries) information, esp. warning about bad weather, etc. ■ adj. consultative, counseling, admonitory. • n. bulletin, notice. ad*vo*cate • n. /advakat/ 1 person who sup¬ ports or speaks in favor. 2 person who pleads for another. 3 professional pleader in a court of justice. • v.tr. /advakayt/ 1 recom¬ mend by argument (a cause, etc.). 2 plead for; defend. □□ ad'vo*ca*cy n. ad*vo*cate' ship n. ad*voc*a*to*ry /advokatawree, advaka-, advakaytaree/ adj. mn. 1 supporter, champion, backer, up¬ holder, proponent. 2, 3 lawyer, counselor; intercessor; attorney. • v. support, cham¬ pion, back, endorse; urge; preach, teach, adze /adz/ (also adz) n. axelike tool for cut¬ ting away the surface of wood. ae*gis /e'ejis/ n. protection; impregnable de¬ fense.

ae*on var. of eon. aer«ate /airayt/ v.tr. 1 charge a liquid with

carbon dioxide. 2 expose to air. □□ aer*a* tion /-rayshan/ n. aer'a*tor n. ae*ri*al /aireeal/ • n. radio or TV antenna. • adj. 1 by, in, or from the air. 2 existing, moving, or happening in the air. 3 thin as air; ethereal. □□ aer'i*al*ly adv. aer»i*aWst /aireealist/ n. high-wire or trapeze artist. aer*ie /airee, aree/ n. (also ey'rie) 1 lofty nest of a bird of prey. 2 house, etc., perched high up. aer*0*bat*ics /airabatiks/ n.pl. feats of expert and usu. spectacular flying of aircraft. aer»0*bic /airsbik/ adj. 1 existing or active only in the presence of oxygen. 2 of or relat¬ ing to aerobics. aer*0*bics /airobiks/ n.pl. vigorous exercises designed to increase the body’s heart rate and oxygen intake. aer»0*dy*nam«ics /airodlnamiks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] study of solid bodies moving through air. □□ aer*o*dy*nam'ic adj. aer* o*dy*nam'i-cal*ly adv. aer*o*dy*nam*i* cist /-misist/ n. aer*o*nau*tics /airsnawtiks/ n.pl. [usu. treat¬ ed as sing.] science or practice of motion in the air. □□ aer*o*nau'tic adj. aer*o*nau ti* cal adj. aer*0*S0l /airasawl, -sol/ n. 1 pressurized container for releasing a substance as a fine spray. 2 system of colloidal particles dis¬ persed in a gas (e.g., fog or smoke). aer*0*Space /airospays/ n. 1 earth’s atmo¬ sphere and outer space. 2 technology of avi¬ ation in this region. aesthete /es-theet/ n. (also es'thete) person who has or professes a special appreciation of beauty. ■ connoisseur, art lover, lover of beauty. aes*thet*ic /es-thetik/ (also esnhet'ic) • adj. 1 concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. 2 sensitive to beauty. • n. 1 [in

pi] philosophy of the beautiful, esp. in art.

2 set of principles of good taste and the ap¬ preciation of beauty. □□ aes'thet'ical'ly adv. aes*thet*i*cism /—tisizam/ n. ■ adj. 1 artistic. 2 refined, discriminating, cultivated, cultured. □□ aesthetically artis¬ tically; sensitively, tastefully, aestheticism beauty; tastefulness, elegance. a'far /afa'ar/ adv. at or to a distance. AFB abbr. Air Force Base. af'fa'ble /afabal/ adj. 1 friendly. 2 kind and courteous. □□ af*fa*bil'i'ty n. affa'bly adv. • see friendly adj. 1. af'fair /afair/ n. 1 concern, business, or mat¬ ter to be attended to. 2 a celebrated or noto¬ rious happening, b colloq. noteworthy thing or event. 3 amorous relationship. 4 [in pi.] a ordinary pursuits of life, b business deal¬ ings. C public matters (current affairs). ■ 1 interest, area. 2 b occasion, episode, happening. 3 romance, fling, relationship. 4 (affairs) a, b concerns, undertakings; transactions. C topics, issues. aWect1 /afekt/ v.tr. 1 a produce an effect on. b (of a disease, etc.) attack {his liver is af¬ fected). 2 touch the feelings of. □□ affect' mg adj. af'fect'ing'ly adv. ■ 1 a influence; sway, change, b act upon, ’ damage. 2 stir, impress, strike; perturb, upset. af'fect2 /afekt/ v.tr. 1 pretend. 2 pose as. ■ 1 assume, adopt, put on, feign, sham, fake, counterfeit. 2 see pose v. 2. af'fect3 /afekt/ n. Psychol, feeling or emotion. af'fec'ta'tion /afektayshan/ n. 1 assumed or contrived manner of behavior. 2 pretense. ■ 1 affectedness, pretension, airs, postur¬ ing. 2 pose, false display, act. af'fect'ed /afektid/ adj. 1 in senses of af¬ fect1, affect2. 2 artificial; pretended. 3 disposed, inclined. □□ afifect'ed'ly adv. af*fect'ed*ness n. ■ 1 (affect1) attacked, seized, afflicted; moved, touched. 2 unnatural, specious, studied; hollow, feigned, fake. 3 see inclined (incline v.). af'fec'tion /afekshan/ n. 1 goodwill; fond feeling. 2 disease; diseased condition. ■ 1 (high) regard, liking, fondness, warmth, love. 2 see illness. af'fec'tion'ate /afekshanat/ adj. loving; ten¬ der; showing love or tenderness. □□ afifec' tion*ate*ly adv. m fond, caring, devoted, doting, warm. □□ affectionately see fondly (fond). af'fi'da'vit /afidayvit/ n. written statement confirmed under oath, for use as evidence in court. af*fil*i*ate • v. /afileeayt/ 1 tr. attach or con¬ nect (a person or society) with a larger orga¬ nization. 2 tr. (of an institution) adopt (per¬ sons as members, societies as branches, etc.). 3 intr. associate oneself with a society. • n. /afileeat, -leeayt/ affiliated person or organi¬ zation. □□ af>fiM*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. m v. 1,2 associate; combine, unite, join. □□ affiliation see association 2-4. af'fin'i'ty /afinitee/ n. {pi. -ties) 1 liking for or attraction to a person or thing. 2 relation-

15

afar ~ afloat

ship, esp. by marriage. 3 similarity of char¬ acter suggesting a relationship. See synonym study at likeness. ■ 1 friendliness, fondness, partiality, rap¬ port. 2, 3 kinship, closeness, alliance; simili¬ tude, resemblance. af'firm /afarm/ V. 1 tr. assert strongly; state as a fact. 2 intr. a Law make an affirmation, b make a formal declaration. □□ af*fir»ma' tion n. af*firm'a*to*ry adj. af'firm'er n. m 1 see declare 3. 2 b see declare 1, 2. □□ affirmation see declaration 1, 2a. af*fir*ma»tive /afarmativ/ • adj. 1 affirming; asserting that a thing is so. 2 (of a vote) ex¬ pressing approval. • n. 1 affirmative state¬ ment, reply, or word. 2 [prec. by the] positive or affirming position. □ affirmative action action favoring minorities, etc., who have been discriminated against. □□ afifirm'a* tive'ly adv. m adj. 2 see favorable lb. af*fix • v. tr. /afiks/ 1 attach; fasten. 2 add in writing. 3 impress (a seal or stamp). »n. /afiks/ 1 addition. 2 Gram, prefix or suffix, af'flict /aflikt/ v.tr inflict bodily or mental suffering on. □□ af*llic*tion /aflikshan/ n. afflictive adj. m affect, bother, distress; weaken, enfeeble, debilitate. □□ affliction hardship, misery, misfortune. af*flu*ent /aflooant/ adj. 1 wealthy; rich. 2 abundant. See synonym study at wealthy. □□ af flu*ence n. af flu*ent*ly adv. m 1 see wealthy. 2 see abundant (abun¬ dance). oo affluence see wealth 1, 2. af'ford /afawrd/ v. tr. 1 a have enough money, means, time, etc., for; be able to spare {can afford $50). b be in a position to do some¬ thing. 2 yield a supply of. 3 provide. See synonym study at give. □□ af ford'a'ble adj. af ford'a'bil'i'ty n. ■ 1 a have sufficient means, be rich enough, manage, colloq. have the wherewithal. 2 give, produce; give forth. 3 see provide 1. □□ af¬ fordable reasonably priced, inexpensive; reasonable. af'fray /afray/ n. loud public brawl, af'front/afriint/ •«. open insult, •v.tr. 1 in¬ sult openly. 2 offend the modesty or self re¬ spect of. ■ n. see insult n. • v. 1 see insult v. 1. 2 see insult v. 2. Afghan /afgan/ • n. la native or inhabitant of Afghanistan, b person of Afghan descent. 2 official language of Afghanistan (also called Pashto). 3 (afghan) knitted or cro¬ cheted shawl or throw. • adj. of or relating to Afghanistan or its people or language. □ Af¬ ghan hound tall hunting dog with long silky hair. a'fi'cio'na'do /afisheeana'ado, afisee-/ n. {pi. -dos) devotee of a sport or pastime (orig. of bullfighting). a'field /afeeld/ adv. 1 away from home. 2 to or on a field. 3 astray, a'flame /aflaym/ adv. & adj. in flames, a'float /aflot/ adv. & adj. 1 floating in water or on air. 2 at sea; on board ship.

afoot ~ agenda

16

a*foot /afobt/ adv. & adj. 1 in operation; pro¬ gressing. 2 astir; on the move. afore- /afawr/ comb, form before; previously (iaforesaid). a»fore»thought /afawrthawt/ adj. premedi¬ tated. a*foul /afowl/ adv. foul. □ run afoul of come into conflict with. ■ □ run afoul of become entangled with, be at odds with. a*fraid /afrayd/ adj. alarmed; frightened. □ be afraid colloq. politely regret (I’m afraid there’s none left).

■ fearful, scared, intimidated, apprehensive; cowardly. □ be afraid be sorry or apologetic or rueful. a*fresh /afresh/ adv. anew; with a fresh begin¬ ning. Af*ri*can /afrikan/ • n. 1 native of Africa (esp. a black person). 2 person of African descent. • adj. of or relating to Africa. □ African-American n. American citizen of black African origin or descent. • adj. of or relating to American blacks or their cul¬ ture. African violet houseplant with heartshaped velvety leaves and blue, purple, or pink flowers. Af*ri»kaans /afrika'ans/ n. language derived from Dutch, spoken in S. Africa. Af*ri*ka*ner /afrika'ansr/ n. Afrikaans¬ speaking white person in S. Africa. Afro- /afro/ comb, form African {Afro-Asian). Af*ro-A*mer*i»Can /affoamerikan/ adj. & n. = African-American.

Af«ro-Car«ib*be*an /afrokaribe'ean, -karibeean/ • n. person of African descent in or from the Caribbean. • adj. of or relating to the Afro-Caribbeans or their culture. aft /aft/ adv. Naut. St Aeron. at or toward the stern or tail. af*ter /aftar/ *prep. 1 a following in time; later than (after six months). b in specifying time (quarter after eight). 2 in view of (after your behavior tonight what do you expect?). 3 in spite of (after all my efforts I’m no better off). 4 behind (shut the door after you). 5 in

pursuit or quest of. 6 about; concerning. 7 in allusion to (named after his uncle). 8 in imitation of. 9 next in importance to. 10 ac¬ cording to {after a fashion). • conj. later than. • adv. 1 later in time {soon after). 2 behind. • adj. 1 later; following. 2 Naut. nearer the stern. af»ter»birth /aftarbarth/ n. Med. placenta and fetal membranes discharged from the womb after childbirth. af*ter*bum*er /aftarbarnar/ n. auxiliary burner in a jet engine to increase thrust. af*ter*care /aftarkair, -ker/ n. care of a pa¬ tient after a stay in the hospital or of a person on release from prison. af*ter*ef*fect /aftarafekt/ n. delayed effect following an accident, trauma, etc. af*ter*life /aftarllf/ n. 1 life after death. 2 life at a later time. af*ter»math /aftarmath/ n. consequences; af¬ tereffects. ■ see outcome.

af»ter*nOOn /aftarndon/

n. time from noon to

evening.

af*ter*thought /aftarthawt/

n. thing thought of or added later. af*ter*ward /aftarward/ adv. (also after* wards) later; subsequently. ■ see subsequently (subsequent) . Ag symb. Chem. silver. a*gain /agen/ adv. 1 another time; once more. 2 as previously {back again). 3 in ad¬ dition. 4 further; besides. 5 on the other hand. □ again and again repeatedly. a*gainst /agenst/ prep. 1 in opposition to {ar¬ son is against the law). 2 into collision or in contact with. 3 to the disadvantage of. 4 in contrast to. 5 in anticipation of. ■ 1,4 opposed to, anti, averse to, resistant toward. a*gape /agayp/ adv. & adj. gaping, openmouthed. a*gar /aygaar/ n. (also a'gar-a'gar) gelati¬ nous substance from seaweed, used in food, microbiological media, etc. ag*ate /agat/ n. 1 any of several varieties of hard usu. streaked chalcedony. 2 colored toy marble resembling this. a*ga*ve /aga'avee, agay-/ n. plant with rosettes of narrow spiny leaves and tall inflo¬ rescences, e.g., the aloe, age /ayj/ •«. 1 a length of time that a person or thing has existed, b particular point in or part of one’s life {old age). 2 a colloq. [often in pi.] a long time, b distinct historical or ge¬ ological period. 3 old age. • v.intr. {pres, pan. ag*ing, age*ing) 1 show signs of ad¬ vancing age. 2 grow old. 3 mature. See syn¬ onym study at mature. □ of age adult. in. la lifetime, duration; lifespan, b pe¬ riod, time, point; see also stage n. 1. 2 a eon; years, colloq. for ever, b era, epoch, pe¬ riod. 3 declining years, senescence; senility, dotage. • v. 1,2 grow old(er), get on (in years); decline. 3 ripen, mellow. -age /ij/ suffix forming nouns denoting: 1 ac¬ tion {breakage). 2 condition {bondage). 3 ag¬ gregate or number of {acreage). 4 cost {post¬ age). 5 product of an action {wreckage). 6 place; abode (anchorage, orphanage). a#ged adj. 1 /ayjd/ a of the age of {aged ten). b allowed to reach maturity or ripeness in storage {aged cheese). 2 /ayjid/ old. See syno¬ nym study at old. ■ 1b mature(d), ripe(ned), mellow(ed). 2 elderly, ancient, gray, antediluvian. agetism /ayjizam/ n. (also ag'ism) prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of age. □□ age'ist adj. & n. age*less /ayjlis/ adj. 1 never growing or ap¬ pearing old or outmoded. 2 eternal; time¬ less. ■ 2 see timeless. a*gen»cy /ayjansee/ n. {pi. -cies) 1 business or establishment of an agent. 2 a action, b intervention. 3 governmental depart¬ ment. ■ 1 a see business 5. 2 a activity, work¬ ing/s), operation, b means, medium; inter¬ cession; operation. a*gen*da /ajenda/ n. 1 (pi. agen*das) list of items of business to be considered at a meet-

ing. 2 things to be done. 3 underlying moti¬ vation. a»gent /ayjant/ n. la person who acts for an¬ other in business, etc. b a spy. 2 a person or thing that exerts power or produces an ef¬ fect. b cause of a natural force or effect on matter (oxidizing agent). □□ a*gen*tial /ajenshal/ adj. ■ 1 a representative, intermediary, media¬ tor, go-between, b secret or undercover or double agent, informer. 2 a see influence n. b factor, agency, means, medium. ag»glom*er*ate • v. /aglomarayt/ 1 collect into a mass. 2 accumulate in a disorderly way. • n. /aglomarat/ 1 mass or collection of things. 2 Geol. mass of large volcanic frag¬ ments bonded under heat (cf. conglomer¬ ate). • adj. /aglomarat/ collected into a mass. ag*glu*ti»nate /aglobt’nayt/ v.tr. unite as with glue. □□ ag*glu*ti*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. ag*glu*ti*na*tive /aglobt’nativ, -aytiv/ adj. ag*gran»dize /agrandlz/ v.tr. 1 increase the power, rank, or wealth of (a person or na¬ tion). 2 cause to appear greater than is the case. □□ ag*gran*dize*ment /-dizmant/ n. ag*gran'diz»er n. ag»gra»vate /agravayt/ v.tr. 1 increase the se¬ riousness of (an illness, offense, etc.). 2 disp. annoy; exasperate (a person). □□ ag*gra*va« tion /-vayshan/ n. ■ 1 worsen, intensify, exacerbate, heighten, magnify. 2 frustrate, infuriate, irritate; ha¬ rass; anger. ag*gre*gate • n. /agrigat/ 1 total amount as¬ sembled. 2 crushed stone, gravel, etc., used in making concrete. 3 Geol. mass of miner¬ als formed into solid rock. • adj. /agrigat/ 1 (of disparate elements) collected into one mass. 2 constituted by the collection of many units into one body. • v. /agrigayt/ 1 tr. & intr. combine into one mass. 2 tr. colloq. amount to. □□ ag*gre*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. ag*gre*ga'tive adj. m n. 1 see total1 «., mass n. 1,2. • v. 1 see AMASS. ag*gres*sion /agreshan/ n. 1 unprovoked at¬ tack. 2 self-assertiveness; forcefulness. 3 Psychol, hostile or destructive behavior. □□ ag*gres*sor /agresar/ n. ■ 1 assault, onslaught, invasion. 2 (self-) assertion, boldness. □□ aggressor assailant, attacker, belligerent, provoker. ag*gres*sive /agresiv/ adj. 1 of a person: a given to aggression; hostile, b forceful; self-assertive. 2 (of an act) offensive; hostile. 3 of aggression. See synonym study at bold. □□ ag*gres'sive*ly adv. ag*gres'sive*ness n. ■ 1 a combative, antagonistic, warlike, bel¬ ligerent. b forward, bold, brash. 2 unfriend¬ ly, threatening, provocative. □□ aggres¬ sively forcefully, assertively, belligerently; pugnaciously, truculently, angrily, aggres¬ siveness see aggression 1. aggrieved /agre'evd/ adj. having a grievance. □□ ag*griev'ed*ly adv. a*ghast /agast/ adj. filled with dismay or con¬ sternation. ag'ile /ajal, ajil/ adj. quick-moving; nimble;

17

agent ~ agriculture

active. □□ ag'iledy adv. a*gil*i*ty /ajilitee/ n. • quick, brisk, swift, lively; dexterous. □□ agility see dexterity 2. ag*i*tate /ajitayt/ v. 1 tr. (often as agitated adj.) disturb or excite (a person or feelings). 2 intr. stir up concern, esp. publicly (agitated for tax reform). 3 tr. shake or move, esp. briskly. □□ ag'i*tat*ed*ly adv. ag*i*ta*tion /-tayshan/ n. ag'i*ta*tive adj. ag'i*ta*tor n. ■ 1 arouse, move, perturb, stir up; (agitat¬ ed) nervous, jittery, fidgety. 2 push, press, campaign; {agitate for) promote. 3 stir (up), churn, disturb. □□ agitator activist, rabblerouser, troublemaker, demagogue. a*gloW /agio/ • adv. glowingly. • adj. glow¬ ing. ag*nos*tic /agnostik/ • n. person who be¬ lieves that the existence or nature of God cannot be proven. • adj. of agnosticism. □□ ag*nos'ti*cism n. a*go /ago/ adv. earlier; before the present. a*gog /agog/ • adv. eagerly; expectantly. • adj. eager; expectant. ag*0*nize /aganlz/ v. 1 intr. suffer agony. 2 tr. (often as agonizing adj.) cause agony to. □□ ag'o*nizung*ly adv. m 1 see worry v. 1. 2 see torment v. 1; (agonizing) painful, distressful, distressing, harrowing, torturous. ag*0»ny /aganee/ n. {pi. -nies) 1 extreme mental or physical suffering. 2 severe strug¬ gle. ■ 1 anguish, trouble, distress, misery, tor¬ ment. 2 see struggle n. 1,3. ag*0*ra»pho*bi*a /agarafobeea/ n. Psychol. abnormal fear of open spaces or public places. □□ ag*o*ra*pho'bic adj. & n. a*grar*i*an /agraireean/ adj. 1 of the land or its cultivation. 2 relating to the ownership of land. a*gree /agree/ v. (a*grees, a*greed, a’gree* ing) 1 hold a similar opinion. 2 consent. 3 a become or be in harmony b be good for; suit, c Gram, have the same number, gen¬ der, case, or person as. ■ 1 concur, see eye to eye, be at one; con¬ cede, grant. 2 acquiesce, approve, accede, assent. 3 a concur, conform, correspond, harmonize, colloq. jibe. a*gree*a*ble /agre'eabal/ adj. 1 pleasing. 2 willing to agree. □□ a*gree*a*bil*i*ty /—bilitee/ n. a*gree'a*ble*ness n. a»gree'a* bly adv. m 1 pleasant, enjoyable, pleasurable, favora¬ ble, delightful. 2 in favor, consenting, acqui¬ escent, compliant. □□ agreeably see will¬ ingly (willing), favorably (favorable). a»gree*ment /agreemant/ n. 1 act of agree¬ ing. 2 mutual understanding. 3 arrange¬ ment or contract. ■ 1,2 concord, concurrence, consensus, harmony. 3 understanding, covenant, treaty, pact, accord. ag*ri«busi*ness /agribiznis/ n. large-scale farming and related commerce, as food pro¬ cessing, etc. ag*ri*cul«,ture /agrikulchar/ n. cultivating the

agronomy ~ airman

18

soil and rearing animals. □□ ag*ri*cul*tur* al /-kulcharal/ adj. ag*ri»cul'tur*al*ist n. ag'ri*cul'tur*al*ly adv. ag»ri*cul'tur*ist n. a*gron«0*my /agronamee/ n. science of soil management and crop production. □□ ag* ro*nom*ic /agranomik/ adj. a*gron*o*mist /-gron-/ n. a*ground /agrownd/ adj. & adv. (of a ship) on or on to the bottom of shallow water (run aground). a*gue /aygyoo/ n. 1 hist, malarial fever. 2 shivering fit. □□ a'gued adj. a'gu'ish adj. ah /aa/ int. expressing surprise, pleasure, real¬ ization, etc. a*ha /aaha'a, shah/ int. expressing surprise, tri¬ umph, mockery, irony, etc. a*head /ahed/ adv. 1 further forward in space or time. 2 in the lead. ■ 1 at the front, in front, in advance, in the lead. 2 winning, in front. a*hem /ahem/ int. used to attract attention, gain time, or express disapproval. -aholic /aholik/ suffix (also -oholic) denoting one addicted to or compulsively in need of what is specified in the initial element {work¬ aholic, chocoholic). int. Naut. call used in hailing. Al abhr. 1 artificial intelligence. 2 artificial

a*hoy /ahoy/

insemination.

aid /ayd/ • n. 1 help. 2 financial or material help. 3 person or thing that helps, • v.tr. 1 help. 2 promote or encourage. ■ n. 1 support, assistance, backing, relief, service. 2 funding, subsidy, grant. 3 see aide, auxiliary n. • v. 1 support, assist, fa¬ cilitate; succor, relieve, subsidize. 2 see pro¬ mote 2.

aide /ayd/

n. 1 aide-de-camp. 2 assistant. ■ aid, helper; right hand; colleague, partner, aide-de-camp /ayd-dakamp/ n. (pi. aidesde-camp pronunc. same) officer acting as a confidential assistant to a senior officer. AIDS /aydz/ n. acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a viral disorder marked by severe loss of resistance to infection. □ AIDSrelated complex symptoms of a person af¬ fected with the AIDS virus who has not de¬ veloped the disease. ail /ayl/ v. 1 tr. trouble or afflict (what ails him?). 2 intr. (usu. be ailing) be ill. ■ 1 affect, bother, distress, upset, worry. 2 suffer, be sick, decline. ai*le*ron /aylaron/ n. hinged surface in the trailing edge of an airplane wing, used to control lateral balance, etc. aibment /aylmant/ n. minor or chronic ill¬ ness. ■ sickness, affliction, disorder, indisposi¬ tion. aim /aym/ • v. 1 intr. [foil, by at, to] intend or try. 2 tr. direct or point (a weapon, remark, etc.). 3 intr. take aim. 4 intr. [foil, by at, for] seek to attain or achieve. See synonym study at intend. • n. 1 purpose or object. 2 di¬ recting of a weapon, etc., at an object. □ take aim direct a weapon, etc., at an object. mv. 1,4 (aim at, aim for) focus on, strive for, plan on; (aim to) seek to, intend to, plan

to. 2 focus, train, level. • n. 1 goal, design, ambition, objective, o take aim aim; (take aim at) draw a bead on, zero in on. airrHess /aymlis/ adj. without aim or pur¬ pose. an aim'less'ly adv. aim'less-ness n. • purposeless, pointless, undirected, er¬ ratic, haphazard. □□ aimlessly pointlessly, unsystematically, randomly. ain’t /aynt/ contr. colloq. 1 am not; are not; is not. 2 has not; have not. Often regarded as an uneducated use but used informally and jocularly air /air/ • n. 1 gaseous mixture, mainly of oxygen and nitrogen, surrounding the earth. 2 earth’s atmosphere. 3 a distinctive impres¬ sion. b one’s manner or bearing, esp. a con¬ fident one. C [esp. in pi.] pretentiousness. 4 Mus. tune. •v.tr. 1 expose (a room, etc.) to the open air; ventilate. 2 express publicly. 3 broadcast. □ air bag safety device that fills with nitrogen on impact to protect the occu¬ pants of a vehicle in a collision, air base base for the operation of military aircraft, airconditioned (of a room, building, etc.) equipped with air-conditioning, air condi¬ tioner air-conditioning apparatus, airconditioning system for regulating the hu¬ midity, ventilation, and temperature in a building, air force branch of the armed forces concerned with fighting or defense in the air. air raid attack by aircraft, in the air prevalent, up in the air uncertain. □□ air' less adj. air'less*ness n. • n. 3 a atmosphere, ambience, climate, feeling, b style, appearance, attitude, c (airs) pretension(s), show, affectedness; haughtiness, arrogance. 4 melody, song, music. • v. 1 freshen. 2 publish, broadcast, circulate, publicize. □ by air colloq. by plane; by airmail, up in the air see uncertain 1. air»borne /airbawrn/ adj. 1 transported by air. 2 (of aircraft) in the air after taking off. aircraft /airkraft/ n. (pi. same) machine ca¬ pable of flight, esp. an airplane or helicopter. □ aircraft carrier warship that carries and serves as a base for airplanes. Aire*dale /airdayl/ n. 1 large terrier of a rough-coated breed. 2 this breed, airfare /airfair/ • n. the price of a passenger ticket for travel by aircraft, air-field /airfeeld/ n. area with runways for aircraft. Air Force One • n. the official aircraft of the president of the United States, air'head /airhed/ n. si. silly or stupid person. aiMift /airlift/ • n. emergency transport of supplies by air. • v. tr. transport in this way. aiMine /airlin/ n. organization providing a regular public service of air transport on one or more routes. air»lin*er /airlinar/ n. passenger aircraft, esp. a large one. air*lock /airlok/ n. 1 stoppage of the flow in a pump or pipe, caused by an air bubble. 2 airtight compartment between areas of dif¬ ferent pressures. airmail /airmayl/ • n. 1 system of transport¬ ing mail by air. 2 mail carried by air. • v. tr. send by airmail. air*man /airman/ n. (pi. -men) 1 pilot or

member of the crew of an aircraft. 2 mem¬ ber of the USAF below commissioned rank. air*plane /airplayn/ n. powered heavier-thanair flying vehicle with fixed wings. air*port /airpawrt/ n. complex of runways and buildings for the takeoff, landing, and maintenance of civil aircraft, with facilities for passengers. air*ship /airship/ n. power-driven aircraft lighter than air. air»sick /airsik/ adj. nauseated from air travel. □□ air'sick’ness n. air-space /airspays/ n. air above a country and subject to its jurisdiction. air*speed /airspeed/ n. speed of an aircraft relative to the air. air'Strip /airstrip/ n. strip of ground suitable for the takeoff and landing of aircraft but usu. without other facilities, airtight /airtxt/ adj. 1 not allowing air to pass through. 2 having no visible or apparent weaknesses {an airtight alibi). airtime /airtim/ • n. la time allotted for a broadcast, b time at which a broadcast is scheduled. 2 time allotted or spent on a wireless telephone call. air*waves /airwayvz/ n.pl. colloq. radio waves used in broadcasting. air* way /airway/ n. la recognized route fol¬ lowed by aircraft, b [often in pi] = AIRLINE. 2 Med. [often in pi] breathing passage(s). air*WOm*an /airwOOman/ n. (pi. -wom*en) 1 woman pilot or member of the crew of an aircraft. 2 woman member of the USAF be¬ low commissioned rank. air*wor*thy /airwarthee/ adj. (of an aircraft) fit to fly. air*y /airee/ adj. (air*i*er, air*i*est) 1 well ventilated; breezy. 2 flippant; superficial. 3 a light as air. b graceful; delicate. 4 insub¬ stantial; ethereal. □□ air'i*ly adv. air'imess n. m

1 see breezy 1. 3 b see delicate la. 4 see IMMATERIAL 2. aisle W n. 1 passage between rows of pews, seats, etc. 2 passageway in a supermarket, department store, etc. □□ aisled adj. aitch /aych/ n. name of the letter H. a*jar /ajaar/ adv. & adj. (of a door) slighdy open. AK abbr. Alaska (in official postal use), a.k.a. abbr. also known as. AK-47 • n. a Soviet-designed assault rifle. a*kim*bo /akimbo/ adj. & adv. (of the arms) with hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards. a*kin /akin/ adj. 1 related by blood. 2 [often foil, by to] of similar or kindred character. ■ 1 see kin adj. 2 kindred; see also alike adj.', (akin to) related to, germane to, like. AL abbr. Alabama (in official postal use). Al symb. Chem. aluminum. -a! /al/ suffix 1 forming adjectives meaning ‘relating to; of the kind of’: a from Latin or Greek words (central, tropical) (cf. -ial, ical). b from English nouns (tidal). 2 form¬ ing nouns, esp. of verbal action (arrival, trial). Ala. abbr. Alabama.

19

airplane ~ alcohol

a la /a'a laa/ prep, after the manner of (a la russe). al*a*bas*ter /alabastar/ • n. translucent usu. white form of gypsum, often carved. • adj. 1 of alabaster. 2 white or smooth. □□ al*a* bas*trine /-bastrin/ adj. a la carte /a'a laa ka'art/ adv. & adj. ordered as separately priced item(s) from a menu, not as part of a set meal. a*lac*ri*ty /alakritee/ n. briskness or cheerful readiness. a la mode /a'a laa mod/ adv. & adj. 1 in fash¬ ion; fashionable. 2 served with ice cream, esp. pie or cake. a*larm /ala'arm/ • n. 1 warning of danger, etc. 2 a warning sound or device, b = alarm clock. 3 apprehension. *v.tr. 1 frighten or disturb. 2 warn. □ alarm clock clock that rings at a set time. □□ a*larm'ing adj. a* larm ing'ly adv. • n. 1 alert, danger signal, distress signal. 2 a tocsin, bell, gong, siren. 3 fear, fright, dismay, trepidation, terror. • v. 1 scare, star¬ tle, terrify; unnerve, dismay. 2 alert, rouse. □□ alarming see frightening (frighten). a*larm*ist /alaarmist/ • n. person spreading needless alarm. • adj. creating needless alarm. □□ a*larm'ism n. Alas. abbr. Alaska. a*las /alas/ int. expression of grief, pity, or concern. alb /alb/ n. long white vestment worn by Christian priests. al*ba*COre /albakawr/ n. 1 long-finned tuna. 2 any of various other related fish. Al*ba*ni*an /albayneean, awl-/ • n. la na¬ tive or inhabitant of Albania in SE Europe, b person of Albanian descent. 2 language of Albania. • adj. of or relating to Albania or its people or language. al*ba*tross /albatraws, -tros/ n. 1 long¬ winged, web-footed, stout-bodied sea bird. 2 encumbrance. al*be*it /awlbe'eit/ conj. formal though. al*bi*no /albino/ n. (pi. -nos) 1 person or an¬ imal lacking pigment in the skin and hair (which are white), and the eyes (usu. pink). 2 plant lacking normal coloring. □□ al'bi* nism /albinizam/ n. al*bi*not*ic /albinotik/ adj.

al*bum /albarn/ n. 1 blank book for pho¬ tographs, stamps, etc. 2 a long-playing pho¬ nograph, audio cassette, or compact disc re¬ cording. b set of these. al*bu*men /albyoomin/ n. 1 egg white. 2 Bot. substance found between the skin and embryo of many seeds, usu. the edible part. al*bu*min /albyobmin/ n. water-soluble pro¬ teins found in egg white, milk, blood, etc. □n al*bu'min*ous adj. al*che*my /alkamee/ n. (pi. -mies) medieval chemistry, esp. seeking to turn base metals into gold. □□ al*chem*ic /alkemik/ adj. al* chem'Fcal adj. al'che*mist n. al'che* mize v.tr. al*CO*hol /alkahawl, -hoi/ n. 1 colorless vola¬ tile flammable liquid forming the intoxicat¬ ing element in wine, beer, liquor, etc., and

alcoholic ~ alkaloid

20

also used as a solvent, as fuel, etc. 2 any liq¬ uor containing this. 3 Chem. any of a large class of organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl groups attached to carbon atoms. ■ 2 spirits, liquor, (strong) drink, colloq. booze. al*CO*hol*ic /alkahawlik, -hoi-/ • adj. of, re¬ lating to, containing, or caused by alcohol. • n. person suffering from alcoholism. ■ adj. intoxicating, intoxicant, inebriating. • n. drunk, dipsomaniac, sot, boozer. al*cO*hol*ism /alkahawlizam, -ho-/ n. addic¬ tion to the consumption of alcoholic liquor; condition resulting from this. al'COve /alkov/ n. recess, esp. in the wall of a room. al den*te /aal dentay, al dentee/ adj. (of pasta, etc.) cooked so as to be still firm when bitten, al'der /awldar/ n. tree related to the birch. al*der»man /awldarman/ n. (pi. -men; fem. al*der*wom*an, pi. -wom'en) elected mu¬ nicipal official serving on the governing council of a city. □□ al*der*man*ic /-manik/ adj. al der*man*ship n. ale /ayl/ n. beverage like beer, but stronger. a*le*a*to*ry /ayleeatawree/ adj. depending on chance. a*lert /alart/ • adj. 1 watchful or vigilant. 2 quick (esp. of mental faculties); attentive. See synonym study at vigilant. • n. 1 alarm. 2 state or period of special vigi¬ lance. • u.tr. warn. □ on the alert vigilant. □□ affertly adv. affert'ness n. • adj. 1 awake, attentive, wary, cautious. 2 active, nimble, lively, agile, spry, sprightly. • n. 1 warning, signal, call, siren. • v. cau¬ tion, alarm; (alert to) advise of. □ on the alert on the qui vive, on guard, watchful. □□ alertness see vigilance, intelligence lb. Al»eut /alGot/ n. 1 a N. American people na¬ tive to the Aleutian Islands and western Alas¬ ka. b member of this people. 2 language of this people. □□ A*leu*tian /-shan/ adj. ahfal'fa /alfalfa/ n. cloverlike plant used for fodder. al»fres*CO /alfresko/ adv. & adj. in the open air. al*ga /alga/ n. (pi. al*gae /aljee/ also al*gas) [usu. in pi.] nonflowering stemless water plant, esp. seaweed and phytoplankton. □□ al'gal adj. al'goid adj. al*ge*bra /aljibra/ n. branch of mathematics that uses letters, etc., to represent numbers and quantities. □□ al*ge*bra'ic /aljibrayik/ adj. al*ge*bra'i*cal adj. al*ge*bra'i*cal*ly adv.

AI»gon»qui*an /algongkweean/ n. any of the languages or dialects used by the Algonquin peoples, native to eastern N. America. al»go*rithm /algaritham/ n. Math, process or set of rules used for calculation or problem¬ solving, esp. with a computer. □□ al*go* rith'mic /algarithmik/ adj. a»li»as /ayleeas/ • adv. also named or known as. • n. false or assumed name. ■ n. see pseudonym. al*i*bi /alibi/ (pi. alffffffs • n. 1 claim or

proof that when an alleged act took place one was elsewhere. 2 excuse. • v. (alffffjis, alff'bied, alff-biffng) colloq. 1 tr. provide an alibi or offer an excuse for (a person). 2 intr. provide an alibi. ■ n. explanation; justification, reason. • v. explain, justify; give an explanation or excuse. al*ien /ayleean/ • adj. 1 a unfamiliar; unac¬ ceptable or repugnant, b different or sepa¬ rated. 2 foreign. 3 of or relating to beings supposedly from other worlds. • n. 1 for¬ eigner, esp. one who is not a citizen of the country where he or she is living. 2 being supposedly from another world. □□ al'ien* ness n. • adj. 1 a foreign, strange, odd; exotic, re¬ mote, outlandish; see also hostile 2. b unalike, dissimilar, differing. 2 see foreign 1. 3 extraterrestrial, unearthly. • n. 1 stranger, outsider, immigrant, newcomer. 2 extrater¬ restrial, E.T.; martian. al»ien*ate /ayleeanayt/ v.tr. la cause (a per¬ son) to become unfriendly or hostile, b [of¬ ten foil, by from] cause (a person) to feel iso¬ lated or estranged from (friends, society, etc.). 2 transfer ownership of. □□ al*ien*a' tion /-ayshan/ n. al'ien*a*tor n. m 1 estrange, detach, distance, put at a dis¬ tance; antagonize; (alienate from) turn away from. a-light1 /sift/ v.intr. 1 a descend from a vehi¬ cle. b dismount from a horse. 2 settle; come to earth from the air. a*light2 /slit/ adj. 1 on fire. 2 lit up; excited. a'lign /slfn/ v.tr. (also affine') 1 put or bring into line. 2 bring (oneself, etc.) into agree¬ ment or alliance with (a cause, party, etc.). □□ affign'ment n. affike /silk/ • adj. similar; like. • adv. in a similar way. ■ adj. akin, resembling one another; allied, related; indistinguishable. • adv. in like man¬ ner, similarly, equally. al*i»men*ta*ry /alimentsree/ adj. of or pro¬ viding nourishment or sustenance. □ ali¬ mentary canal Anat. passage along which food is passed during digestion. □□ alu* menffa'tion n. al»i*mo*ny /alimonee/ n. money payable to a spouse after divorce or legal separation. ■ maintenance. affive /sliv/ adj. 1 living; not dead. 2 a (of a thing) existing; continuing (kept his interest alive), b under discussion (topic is very much alive). 3 lively; active. 4 [foil, by ro] aware of; alert. 5 [foil, by with] swarming or teem¬ ing with. □□ affive'ness n. m 1 five, breathing. 2 in operation or action; in existence; on the agenda. 3 alert, viva¬ cious, vibrant, quick, spirited. 4 (alive to) sensitive or responsive to, conscious of. 5 astir, thronging, crowded, packed. al*ka*li /alkali/ n. (pi. al*kaffis) 1 any of a class of substances that liberate hydroxide ions in water, usu. form caustic or corrosive solutions, and have a pH of more than 7. 2 Chem. any substance that reacts with or neutralizes acids, ao al'kaffine /-lin/ adj. al* ka*lin'i*ty /-linitee/ n. ahkaffoid /alkaloyd/ n. nitrogenous organic

compounds of plant origin, e.g., morphine, quinine. al'kyd /alkid/ n. synthetic resin derived from various alcohols and acids, all /awl/ • adj. 1 a whole amount, quantity, or extent of. b [with pi.] entire number of (all the others left). 2 any whatever (beyond all doubt). 3 greatest possible (with all speed). • n. la all concerned (all were present). b everything. 2 [foil, by of\ a the whole of. b every one of. 3 (in games) each (score was two all). • adv. 1 a entirely; quite (dressed all in black), b as an intensifier (a book all about ships). 2 to that extent {if they go, all the bet¬ ter). □ all-America(n) 1 representing the whole of (or only) America or the US. 2 truly American (all-American boy). 3 Sports recognized as one of the best in a particular sport, all-around (of a person) versatile, all but very nearly {it was all but im¬ possible). all in all everything considered, all right \predic.] 1 satisfactory; in good condi¬ tion. 2 satisfactorily; as desired, at all in any way; to any extent. ■ n. la see everyone1, everything 1. b see everything 1. 2 a see whole n. 2. □ all in all see on the whole (whole), all right 2 see ok adv. at all see scarcely 2. AMah /ala, a'alaa/ n. name of God in Islam, ablay /slay/ v.tr. 1 diminish (fear, suspicion, etc.). 2 relieve or alleviate (pain, hunger, etc.). See synonym study at alleviate. ■

2

see relieve 2.

al*le*ga*tion /aligayshan/ n. 1 assertion, esp. unproved. 2 alleging. ■ avowal, claim, declaration; charge, accu¬ sation. aMege /alej/ v.tr. 1 declare, esp. without proof. 2 advance as an argument or excuse. □□ ableged adj. ableged*ly adv. m claim, profess, state; maintain, contend. □□ alleged claimed, avowed, stated; pur¬ ported, so-called. aMe*giance /ale'ejans/ n. 1 loyalty (to a per¬ son or cause, etc.). 2 the duty of a subject to his or her government. ■ see loyalty (loyal). aMe*go*ry /aligawree/ n. (pi. -ries) story, etc., whose characters are represented sym¬ bolically. □□ al'le*go*rist n. al*le*gret*tO /aligreto/ Mus. • adv. & adj. in a fairly brisk tempo. • n. (pi. -tos) such a pas¬ sage or movement. able*gro /aleggro, slay-/ Mus. • adv. & adj. in a brisk tempo. • n. (pi. -gros) such a pas¬ sage or movement. aMe*IU*ia /alilobya/ (also abledu'ya, hable* lu'jah /hal-/) • int. God be praised. • n. praise to God. AMen wrench /alan/ n. hexagonal wrench designed to fit into and turn a screw with a hexagonal head. al*ler*gen /alarjan/ n. any substance that causes an allergic reaction. □□ al*ler*gen'ic /-jenik/ adj. aMer»gic /alarjik/ adj. 1 [foil, by to] a having an allergy to. b colloq. having a strong dislike for. 2 caused by an allergy. aMer*gy /alarjee/ n. (pi. -gies) 1 Med. ad¬ verse reaction to certain substances, as par-

21

alkyd ~ allot

ticular foods, pollen, fur, or dust. 2 colloq. dislike. □□ al'ler*gist n. able*vbate /sle'eveeayt/ v.tr. lessen or make less severe (pain, suffering, etc.). □□ aide* vi*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. able'vba*tive adj. al* le'vba*tor n. able»vba*to*ry /-veeatawree/ adj. ■

see

ease v.

la, 2a.

synonym study:

alleviate

ABATE, ALLAY, ASSUAGE, MITIGATE, RELIEVE,

To alleviate is to make something easier to endure (alleviate the pain following surgery)', allay is often used interchangeably, but it also means to put to rest, to quiet or calm (to allay their suspicions). Assuage and allay suggest both the lessening of negative feelings (pain, fear, or guilt) and the satisfy¬ ing of a desire or appetite, but assuage im¬ plies a more complete or permanent satisfac¬ tion (we allay our hunger by nibbling hors temper.

d’oeuvres, but a huge dinner assuages our ap¬ petite) . To relieve implies reducing the mis¬

ery or discomfort to the point where some¬ thing is bearable (relieve the monotony of the cross-country bus trip) and mitigate, which comes from a Latin word meaning to soften, usually means to lessen in force or intensity ( mitigate the storm’s impact).Abate suggests a progressive lessening in degree or intensity (her fever was abating). To temper is to soft¬ en or moderate (to temper justice with mercy), but it can also mean the exact opposite: to harden or toughen something (tempering steel; a body tempered by lifting weights).

aMey /alee/ n.

(pi. -leys) 1 (also ableyway) narrow streetlike passageway, esp. between or behind buildings. 2 place for bowling, etc. ablbance /allans/ n. 1 union or agreement to cooperate, esp. of nations by treaty or fami¬ lies by marriage. 2 the parties involved. ■ 1 confederation, federation, league; axis, pact. ablied /alid, alid/ adj. 1 a associated in an al¬ liance. b (Allied) of or relating to the US and its allies in World War I and World War II. 2 connected or related. ablbga*tor /aligaytar/ n. large reptile of the crocodile family native to the Americas and China, with a head broader and shorter than that of the crocodile. □ alligator pear avo¬ cado. abliber*a»tion /alitarayshan/ n. occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words (e.g., calm, cool, and collected). □□ ablit*er»ate /alitarayt/ v. ablit'er*a*tive /alitaraytiv, -rativ/ adj. all-nighber /awl-nitar/ • n. a night during which one remains awake, usu. in order to study or work. ablo'Cate /alakayt/ v.tr. assign, apportion, or devote to (a purpose, person, or place). □ □ ablo*ca*ble /-kabal/ adj. ablo*ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. al'lo*ca*tor n. m see allot, allow 2, assign la. v.tr. (ablot'ted, al*lot*ting)

ablot /alot/

allow ~ alpha

22

apportion or distribute to (a person) as a share or task. □□ allot ment n. a allocate, allow, assign; {allot to) divide among(st), share (out) among(st), distribute to. aMow /alow/ v. 1 tr. permit (a thing to hap¬ pen, etc.). 2 tr. permit (a person) to have (a limited quantity or sum) {we were allowed $500 a year). 3 tr. provide or set aside for a purpose. 4 tr. a admit; concede, b assert. 5 refl. indulge oneself in (conduct). 6 intr. take into consideration or account. □□ al» low'a'ble adj. aldow'adjly adv. a 1 agree to, give permission for, authorize; tolerate, put up with; {allow to) let. 2 give, let have, grant, allot, allocate. 3 make allow¬ ance^) for, put aside, take into account or consideration; add (in), include; deduct, take away, exclude. 4 a agree, acknowledge, con¬ fess. 5 permit oneself, grant oneself; {allow oneself to) let oneself. 6 see consider 4. □□ allowable see permissible, allowably see acceptably (acceptable). aMow»ance /alowons/ • n. 1 amount or sum allowed. 2 deduction or discount. 3 toler¬ ance of. • v. tr. make an allowance to (a per¬ son). □ make allowances 1 take into con¬ sideration (mitigating circumstances). 2 look with tolerance upon. an. 1 stipend, grant, dole, pin or pocket money; remuneration; pension, annuity, per diem. 2 reduction, rebate, payment, recom¬ pense. 3 toleration, sufferance, concession, o make allowances(ma^e allowances for) 1 take into account, consider, bear in mind. 2 be patient with, excuse. aMoy /aloy, aloy/ • n. 1 mixture of two or more metals. 2 inferior metal mixed esp. with gold or silver, •v.tr. 1 mix (metals). 2 debase (a pure substance) by admixture. 3 moderate. an. 1 mix, combination, compound, com¬ posite, blend, amalgam. 2 admixture. • v. 1 see mix v. 1, 3a. 2 contaminate, pollute, adulterate. 3 change, modify, temper. alhspice /awlspls/ n. 1 aromatic spice ob¬ tained from the ground berry of the pimento tree. 2 berry of this. all-ter»rain ve*hi*cle /awl-terayn/ • n. a small open motor vehicle with one seat and three or more wheels fitted with large tires, designed for use on rough ground ^Abbr.: ATV. aMude /alobd/ v.intr. 1 refer, esp. indirectly, covertly, or briefly to. 2 mention. ■ 1 see refer 4. aMure /alobr/ •v.tr. attract, charm, or fasci¬ nate. • n. attractiveness; personal charm; fascination. □□ aMure'ment n. aldur'ing adj. aldur'ingdy adv. a v. see attract 2, captivate. • n. see charm n. 1 a, b. al*lu*sion /slobzhan/ n. reference, esp. a co¬ vert, passing, or indirect one. □□ aldu*sive /alobsiv/ adj. a see reference n. 2a. aMu*vi*um /alooveeam/ n. {pi. aldu'vhums or aldu»vi*a l-al) deposit of usu. fine fertile

soil left behind by a flood.

□□ aldu'vhal

adj.

aMy /all/ • n. (pi. -lies) 1 government for¬ mally cooperating or united with another, esp. by a treaty. 2 person or organization that cooperates with or helps another. • v.tr. (also /alf/) (-lies, -lied) combine or unite in alliance. -ally /alee/ suffix forming adverbs from adjec¬ tives in -al (cf. -al2, -ly, -ically). afrma ma*ter /aalmo maatar, alma maytar/ n. (also Abma Master) 1 university, school, or college one attends or attended. 2 official school anthem or song. al*ma»nac /awlmanak, al-/ n. calendar, usu. with astronomical data and other reference information. ahmighhy /awlmi'tee/ • adj. 1 having com¬ plete power; omnipotent. 2 (the Ahmight* y) God. 3 si. very great {an almighty crash). • adv. si. extremely; very much. al*mond /aamand, am-/ n. 1 nutlike seed (kernel) of a fruit related to the peach and plum. 2 tree itself. ahmost /awlmost/ adv. all but; very nearly. ■ nearly, Oust) about, practically, virtually, on the brink of. alms /aamz/ n.pl. hist, charitable donation of money or food to the poor. alms»house /a'amz-hows/ n. esp. Brit. hist, a house founded by charity for the poor, ahoe /alo/ n. plant of the lily family, usu. hav¬ ing toothed fleshy leaves, adoft/alawft, aloft/ predic. adj. & adv. 1 high up; overhead. 2 upwards. a*lo»ha /alohaa, aa-/ int. Hawaiian salutation at meeting or parting. adone /alOn/ predic. adj. & adv. 1 without others. 2 lonely. 3 only; exclusively. □□ a* lone'ness n. a 1 unaccompanied, unescorted, solitar(il)y, by oneself or itself, isolated; unassist¬ ed, unaided, single-handed. 2 wretched, friendless, abandoned, forsaken. a*long /alawng, along/ • prep. 1 from one end to the other end of. 2 on, beside, or through any part of the length of. • adv. 1 onward. 2 arriving. 3 with oneself or oth¬ ers. a*long*side /alawngsfd, along-/ • adv. at or to the side. • prep, close to the side of. adoof /alobf/ • adj. distant; unsympathetic. • adv. away; apart. □□ adoof ness n. a adj. remote, cold, undemonstrative; un¬ sympathetic. □□ aloofness see distance n. 4. adoud /alowd/ adv. audibly; not silently or in a whisper. alp' /alp/ n. 1 high mountain. 2 (the Alps) high range of mountains in Switzerland and adjoining countries. al*pac*a /alpaka/ n. 1 S. American mammal related to the llama, with long shaggy hair. 2 wool from the animal. 3 fabric made from the wool. al*pha /alfa/ n. 1 first letter of the Greek al¬ phabet (A, a). 2 beginning. □ alpha and omega beginning and end. alpha particle helium nucleus emitted by a radioactive sub¬ stance.

abpha*bet /alfabet/ n. set of letters used in

writing a language. □□ abpha*bet'i*cal adj. al*pha*bet'i*cal*ly adv. abpha*bet*ize /alfabatiz/ v.tr. arrange (words, names, etc.) in alphabetical order, aa al*pha*bet*i»za*tion /-izayshan/ n. al*pha*nu*mer*ic /alfanSSmerik, -nyoo-/ adj. (also al*pha*nu*mer'i*cal) containing both alphabetical and numerical symbols, abpine /alpin/ adj. 1 of, relating to, or found in high mountains. 2 (Alpine) of or relating to the Alps. abread'y /awlredee/ adv. 1 before the time in question. 2 as early or as soon as this, abright /awlrft/ adj., adv., & int. disp. = all right. ALS abbr. AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS. al*so /awlso/ adv. in addition; likewise; be¬ sides. □ also-ran 1 one who does not win a competition. 2 undistinguished person, alt. abbr. 1 alternate. 2 altimeter. 3 altitude, abtar /awltar/ n. 1 table or flat block for sac¬ rifice or offering to a deity. 2 raised surface or table used in a Christian service. abtar*piece /awltarpees/ n. piece of art, esp. a painting, set above or behind an altar, abter /awltar/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become different; change. 2 tr. castrate or spay. □□ al'ter*a*ble adj. abter*a'tion n. • a 1 revise, modify, transform; adjust. 2 neuter, desex, doctor, fix, geld. □□ altera¬ ble see changeable 2. alteration change, modification, shift; adjustment, adaptation, conversion.

al*ter»cate /awltarkayt/ v.intr. dispute hotly;

wrangle. □□ al*ter*ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. See synonym study at quarrel abler e*go /awltar e'ego, ego/ n. 1 intimate and trusted friend. 2 person’s secondary or alternative personality. abter»nate • v.intr. /awltarnayt, al—/ 1 (of two things) succeed each other in turn. 2 change repeatedly (between two condi¬ tions). • adj. /awltarnat, al—/ 1 every other. 2 (of things of two kinds) each following and succeeded by one of the other kind. • n. /awltarnat, al—/ alternative; deputy or substi¬ tute. □ alternating current electric cur¬ rent that reverses its direction at regular in¬ tervals. □□ al'ter*nate«ly adv. al*ter*na* tion /-nayshan, al—/ n. ■ v. 2 see oscillate. • adj. 1 every second. 2 successive, alternating, rotating, in rota¬ tion. • n. delegate, proxy, representative. □□ alternately by turns, reciprocally, in ro¬ tation. abter»na*tive /awltdrnativ, al-/ • adj. 1 avail¬ able or usable instead of another. 2 (of two things) mutually exclusive. 3 unconven¬ tional. • n. 1 any of two or more possibili¬ ties. 2 choice. □□ al*ter'na*tive*ly adv. b adj. 1 second, additional, substitute. 3 see different 3. • n. 1 see alternate n. 2 see choice 2, option 1, 2. abter*na*tor /awltarnaytar, al—/ n. generator that produces an alternating current, abthough /awltho/ conj. = though conj. 1-3. al*tim»e»ter altimitar, altimeetar/ n. instru¬ ment for showing height above sea or ground level.

23

alphabet ~ amass

abtbtude /altitood, -tyood/

n. height of an object in relation to a given point, esp. sea level or the horizon, a elevation, level. abto /alto/ n. (pi. -tos) 1 = contralto. 2 = countertenor. 3 instrument pitched next below a soprano of its type. abtO*geth»er /awltagethar/ adv. 1 totally; completely. 2 on the whole. 3 in total. □ in the altogether colloq. naked. a 1 entirely, utterly, wholly, totally. 2 by and large, in the main, generally. 3 in all, all included. □ in the altogether see naked 1. abtrutism /altr/.] pattern of squares often alternately colored. 4 a [inp/.] game for two played with 12 pieces each on a checkerboard, b pieces used in a game of checkers. • v.tr. 1 mark with checkers. 2 (as checkered adj.) with varied fortunes (a checkered career). m v. 2 (checkered) variable, mixed, unset¬ tled. checkerboard /chekarbawrd/ n. checkered board, identical to a chessboard, used in the game of checkers. checking ac-count /cheking/ n. account at a bank against which checks can be drawn by the account depositor. checkmate /chekmayt/ • n. Chess check from which a king cannot escape, •v.tr. 1 Chess put into checkmate. 2 defeat; frus¬ trate. checkout /chekowt/ n. 1 act of checking out. 2 point at which goods are paid for in a supermarket, etc. checkpoint /chekpoynt/ n. barrier or gate for inspection. checkup /chekup/ n. thorough (esp. medi¬ cal) examination. ■ colloq. going-over.

ched'dar

/chedar/ n. (in full ched-dar cheese) kind of firm smooth cheese orig. made in Cheddar in S. England, cheek /cheek/ n. la side of the face below the eye. b sidewall of the mouth. 2 imper¬ tinence; cool confidence. 3 si. either but¬ tock. □ cheek by jowl close together; inti¬ mate. cheekbone /che'ekbon/ n. bone below the eye. cheeky /che'ekee/ adj. (cheek-i-er, cheeki¬ est) impertinent; impudent. □□ cheek'i-ly adv. cheek'i-ness n. m insolent, audacious, disrespectful, rude. Cheep /cheep/ • n. weak shrill cry of a young bird. • v.intr. make such a cry. Cheer /cheer/ • n. 1 shout of encouragement or applause. 2 mood; disposition (Jull of good cheer). 3 [in pi.', as int.] colloq. expressing good wishes on parting or before drinking. • v. 1 tr. a applaud with shouts, b urge or encourage with shouts. 2 intr. shout for joy. 3 tr. gladden; comfort. an. 1 cry, whoop, hurrah. 2 temper, spir¬ it/s). 3 {cheers!) see good-bye int. • v. 1 a clap, colloq. give a person a (big) hand, b (cheer on) egg on, spur on. 2 hurrah; see also applaud. 3 enliven, hearten, console, colloq. buck up. cheer-ful /che'erfCOl/ adj. 1 in good spirits; noticeably happy. 2 bright; pleasant. □□ cheer'ful-ly adv. cheer'ful-ness n. • 1 cheery, jolly, merry, gay, lighthearted, breezy, sunny. 2 cheering, enlivening, gay; pleasant, charming. cheer-lead-er /che'erleedar/ n. person who leads cheers of applause, etc., esp. at a sports event. cheer-less /che'erlis/ adj. gloomy; dreary; miserable. □□ cheer'less-ly adv. cheer' less-ness n. • see gloomy 2. Cheer-y /cheeree/ adj. (cheer-i-er, cheer-iest) lively; in good spirits; genial; cheering. □□ cheer'i-ly adv. cheer’i-ness n. m see genial 1. Cheese /cheez/ n. la food made from the pressed curds of milk. 2 complete cake of this with rind. cheese-burg-er /che'ezbargar/ n. hamburger with cheese on it. cheese-cake /cheezkayk/ n. 1 rich dessert cake made with cream cheese, etc. 2 si. por¬ trayal of women in a sexually attractive man¬ ner. cheese-cloth /cheezklawth, -kloth/ n. thin loosely woven cloth, used orig. for wrapping cheese. chees-y /cheezee/ adj. (chees-i-er, chees-iest) 1 like cheese in taste, smell, appear¬ ance, etc. 2 si. inferior; cheap and nasty. □□ chees'i-ness n. • 2 see inferior adj. 2. Chee-tah /cheeta/ n. swift, spotted leopard¬ like feline. chef /shef/ n. cook, esp. the chief cook in a restaurant, etc. chem. abbr. 1 chemical. 2 chemist. 3 chem¬ istry. chem-i-cal /kemikal/ • adj. of, made by, or

employing chemistry or chemicals. • n. sub¬ stance obtained or used in chemistry. □ chemical engineering design, manufac¬ ture, and operation of industrial chemical plants, chemical warfare warfare using poison gas and other chemicals. □□ chem'i* cal*ly adv. che*mise shame'ez/ n. hist, woman’s loosefitting undergarment or dress hanging straight from the shoulders. Chem*ist /kemist/ n. person practicing or trained in chemistry. chem»is*try /kemistree/ n. (pi. -tries) 1 the study of the elements and the compounds they form and the reactions they undergo. 2 any complex (esp. emotional) change or process. 3 colloq. person’s personality or temperament. che*mo*ther*a*py /ke'emOtherapee/ n. treat¬ ment of disease, esp. cancer, by chemical substances. □□ che*mo*ther'a*pist n. che*nille /shone'el/ n. 1 tufty, velvety cord or yam, used in trimming furniture, etc. 2 fab¬ ric made from this. cher*ish /cherish/ v.tr. 1 protect or tend (a child, plant, etc.) lovingly. 2 hold dear; cling to (hopes, feelings, etc.). ■ 1 foster, cultivate, nurture. 2 treasure, prize. Gher*0»kee cherakee/ n. 1 a N. American people formerly inhabiting much of the southern US. b member of this people. 2 language of this people. che*root /sharobt/ n. cigar with both ends open. cher»ry /cheree/ • n. (pi. -ries) 1 small, soft, round stone fruit. 2 tree bearing this, also grown for its wood and its ornamental flow¬ ers. • adj. of a light red color. □ cherry picker colloq. crane for raising and lowering people, cherry tomato miniature tomato. cher*ub /'cherab/ n. 1 (pi. cher*u*bim /-bim/) angelic being, usu. depicted as a winged child or the head of a winged child. 2 beautiful or innocent child. □□ che*ru*bic /chiroobik/ adj. che*ru'bi*cal*ly adv. cher»vil /charvil/ n. umbelliferous plant, with small white flowers, used as an herb, chess /ches/ n. game for two with 16 pieces each, played on a chessboard. chess*board /chesbawrd/ n. checkered board of 64 squares on which chess and checkers are played. chess»man /chesman, -man/ n. (pi. -men) any of the 32 pieces with which chess is played. chest /chest/ n. 1 large strong box. 2 a part of a human or animal body enclosed by the ribs, b front surface of the body from neck to waist. 3 small cabinet for medicines, etc. □ get a thing off one’s chest colloq. disclose a fact, secret, etc., to relieve one’s anxiety about it. ■ 1 coffer, trunk, crate. 2 breast; Anat. & Zool. thorax. chest*nut /chesnut/ n. la glossy, hard, brown edible nut. b tree bearing it. 2 = horse chestnut. 3 (in full chestnut wood) the heavy wood of any chestnut tree. 4 horse of a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown color.

129

chemise ~ chickweed

5 colloq. stale joke or anecdote. 6 reddishbrown color. chev*ron /shevran/ n. 1 V-shaped line or stripe. 2 badge, etc., of such lines or stripes, chew /choo/ • v.tr. [also absol.] work (food, etc.) between the teeth. • n. 1 act of chew¬ ing. 2 something for chewing, esp. a chewy candy. □ chew the cud reflect; ruminate, chew the fat (or rag) si. chat, chewing gum flavored gum, for chewing, chew out colloq. reprimand. □□ chew'a*ble adj. chew'er n. • v. 1 masticate, munch, grind; bite, gnaw. □ chew the cud see meditate 1. chew the fat (or rag) see chat v. chew out see repri¬ mand v. Chew*y /chobee/ adj. (chew*i*er, chew*i* est) 1 needing much chewing. 2 suitable for chewing. □□ chew'imess n. ■ 1 see tough adj. 1. Chey*enne /shian, -en/ n. 1 a N. American people formerly living between the Missouri and Arkansas rivers, b member of this peo¬ ple. 2 language of this people, chi /ki/ n. twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet ('P', i|i). Chi*an*ti /keeaantee, keean-/ n. (pi. Oman* tis) dry, red Itaiian-style wine. Chi*ar*0»SCU»ro /keea'araskcbro/ n. treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting, chic /sheek/ • adj. (chic*er, chic*est) stylish; elegant. • n. stylishness; elegance. □□ chic' ly adv. ■ adj. fashionable, modish, smart, snappy. •n. good taste, style, fashion, modishness. □□ chicly see beautifully (beautiful). Chi»ca*ner*y /shikaynaree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 clever but misleading talk; false argument. 2 trickery; deception. ■ 1 sophistry, equivocation, humbug. 2 de¬ ceit, sharp practice, cheating, deviousness, duplicity. Chi*ca*no /chika'ano/ n. (pi. -nos; fem. chi* ca*na, pi. -nas) American of Mexican or¬ igin. chick /chik/ n. 1 young bird. 2 derog. si. young woman. Chick*a*saw /chikasaw/ n. 1 a N. American people native to Mississippi and Alabama, b member of this people. 2 language of this people. chick»en /chikin/ • n. (pi. same or chick* ens) 1 common breed of domestic fowl. 2 a domestic fowl prepared as food, b its flesh. • adj. colloq. cowardly. • v.intr. [foil, by out] colloq. withdraw through fear or lack of nerve. □ chicken feed 1 food for poultry. 2 colloq. unimportant amount, esp. of money, chicken pox infectious disease, esp. of chil¬ dren, with a rash of small blisters, chicken wire light wire netting with a hexagonal mesh. chick*pea /chikpee/ n. 1 leguminous plant with pods containing yellow, beaked seeds. 2 this seed used as a vegetable, on gar*ban' zo (bean) chick«weed /chikweed/ n. small weed with tiny white flowers.

chicle ~ chin chic'le /chikol/

130

n. milky juice of the sapodilla tree, used in the manufacture of chewing gum. chic*0»ry /chikaree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 blueflowered plant cultivated for its salad leaves and its root. 2 its root, roasted and ground for use with or instead of coffee. Chide /chid/ v. (past chid*ed or chid /chid/; past part. chid*ed or chid or chid'den /chid’n/) literary scold; rebuke. See synonym study at rebuke. See synonym study at SCOLD. □□ chid'er n. chid'ingdy adv. m see scold v. chief /cheef/ • n. la leader or ruler, b head of a tribe, clan, etc. 2 head of a department; highest official, • ad), [usu. attrib.] 1 first in position, importance, influence, etc. 2 prom¬ inent; leading, p chief executive officer highest ranking executive in a corporation, organization, etc. IjAbbr.: CEO. un. 1,2 principal, employer, manager, su¬ perior, director, supervisor, king, colloq. boss, si. big cheese. • adj. 1 premier, greatest, leading, ranking. 2 principal, key, prime, main, major. chieWy /che'eflee/ adv. above all; mainly but not exclusively. ■ especially, primarily, particularly, preemi¬ nently, principally, primarily, mostly, largely. chief'tain /cheeftan/ n. (Jem. chief*tain*ess /-tanis/) leader of a tribe, clan, etc. □□ chief tahvcy n. (pi. -cies). chief tain*ship n. m see leader 1. chiWon /shifon, shifon/ • n. light, diapha¬ nous fabric of silk, nylon, etc. • adj. 1 made of chiffon. 2 light-textured. chig*ger /chigar/ n. harvest mite with para¬ sitic larvae. chi'gnon /she'enyon, sheenyon/ n. coil or knot of hair worn at the back of the head. chi*hua*hua /chiwa'awa/ n. 1 very small dog of a smooth-haired, large-eyed breed origi¬ nating in Mexico. 2 this breed, chil'blain /chilblayn/ n. painful, itchy swell¬ ing of the skin, usu. on a hand, foot, etc., caused by exposure to cold, oo chil' blained adj. child /child/ n. (pi. children /children/) 1 a young human being below the age of pu¬ berty. b unborn or newborn human being. 2 one’s son or daughter. 3 descendant, fol¬ lower, or product (of) (child of God). 4 child¬ ish person. □ child care care of children, esp. by someone other than a parent, child’s play easy task. □□ child'less adj. child' less*ness n. ■ 1 a toddler, youngster, little one, juvenile, minor; colloq. kid, boy, lad, youth; girl, b neonate, infant, baby. 2 descendant; (chil¬ dren) offspring, family, progeny. 3 adherent, disciple; result. □ child’s play see breeze n. 2. child*bear»ing /childbairing/ n. act of giving birth to a child or children. Child-birth /childbarth/ n. act of giving birth to a child. child'hood /childhood/ n. state or period of being a child.

Childish /childish/

adj. 1 of, like, or proper to a child. 2 immature, silly. □□ child'ish* ly adv. child'ish*ness n. m 1 childlike, boyish, girlish. 2 juvenile, pu¬ erile, adolescent, infantile; immature, silly, child-like /childllk/ adj. having the good qualities of a child; as innocence, frankness, etc. ■ youthful, young, innocent, trustful, in¬ genuous. Chil*e*an /chileean, chilayan/ • n. 1 native or national of Chile in S. America. 2 person of Chilean descent. • adj. of or relating to Chile. chil-i /chilee/ n. (pi. -ies) small, hot-tasting dried pod of a certain red pepper, used as a spice. □ chili con carne /kon ka'arnee/ stew of chili-flavored ground meat and usu. beans. chill/chil/ •n. 1 a unpleasant cold sensation; lowered body temperature, b feverish cold. 2 unpleasant coldness (of air, water, etc.). 3 depressing influence (cast a chill over). 4 coldness of manner. • v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become cold. 2 tr. depress; dispirit. 3 tr. cool (food or drink); preserve by cooling. • adj. = chilly. □ chill out become calm or less agitated. □□ chill'er n. chill'ing*ly adv. m n. 1b sniffle(s), influenza, colloq. flu. 2 nip, chilliness; rawness. 3 pall, black or dark cloud, dampener. 4 iciness, frigidity, aloofness. • v. 2 see depress 2. 3 refrigerate, freeze, ice. • adj. see chilly. Chill-y /chilee/ adj. (chill*i»er, chill'i'est) 1 somewhat cold. 2 unfriendly; unemotion¬ al. □□ chill'i’ness n. w 1 cool, frosty, crisp, chill, colloq. nippy. 2 unfeeling, lukewarm, unresponsive, stiff, cool, cold. Chime /chlm/ • n. la set of attuned bells, b series of sounds given by this. • v. 1 intr. (of bells) ring. 2 tr. show (the hour) by chiming. □ chime in interject a remark, □p chim'er n. ■ n. la carillon, peal, b ringing, peal, tolling, jingle. • v. 1 toll, sound; see also peal v. 2 sound, mark. □ chime in 1 inter¬ rupt, break in, butt in. chi*me*ra /klmeera, kee-/ (also chi*mae'ra) n. 1 Gk. mythol. fire-breathing female mon¬ ster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail. 2 fantastic or grotesque prod¬ uct of the imagination, pa chi»mer*ic /-merik/ adj. chi*mer'i»cal adj. chi*mer'i* cal*ly adv. m 2 see phantom n. 2. □□ chimerical see IMAGINARY.

chimmey /chimnee/ n. (pi. -neys) 1 vertical channel conducting smoke or combustion gases, etc., up and away from a fire, furnace, etc. 2 part of this that projects above a roof. 3 glass tube protecting the flame of a lamp. 4 narrow vertical crack in a rock face. ■ 1 stack, funnel. chim*pan*zee /chimpanzee, chimpanzee/ n. (also colloq. chimp) small African anthro¬ poid ape. chin /chin/ n. front of the lower jaw. □ chinup exercise in which the chin is raised up to the level of an overhead bar that one grasps.

keep one’s chin up colloq. remain cheerful, esp. in adversity. Chi*na /chins/ • n. 1 fine white or translucent ceramic ware, porcelain, etc. 2 things made from ceramic, esp. household tableware. • adj. made of china. ■ 1,2 see POTTERY. chin*chil*la /chinchila/ n. 1 S. American small rodent having soft, silver-gray fur. 2 its highly valued fur. Chine /chin/ n. 1 backbone, esp. of an animal. 2 joint of meat containing all or part of this. Chinese /chine'ez/ • adj. 1 of or relating to China. 2 of Chinese descent. • n. 1 the Chinese language. 2 (pi. same) a native or national of China, b person of Chinese de¬ scent. □ Chinese lantern collapsible paper lantern. Chinese puzzle very intricate puz¬ zle or problem. chink1 /chingk/ n. narrow opening; slit. ■ aperture, gap. chink2 /chingk/ • v. 1 intr. make a slight ring¬ ing sound, as of glasses or coins striking to¬ gether. 2 tr. cause to make this sound. • n. this sound. Chi*no /che'eno/ n. (pi. -nos) 1 cotton twill fabric, usu. khaki-colored. 2 fin pi.] gar¬ ment, esp. trousers, made from this. Chi*nook /shanobk, cha-/ n. 1 a N. Ameri¬ can people native to the northwestern coast of the US. b member of this people. 2 lan¬ guage of this people. chintz /chints/ n. printed, multicolored cot¬ ton fabric with a glazed finish. chintz*y /chintsee/ adj. (chintz*i*er, chintz* i*est) 1 like chintz. 2 gaudy; cheap. □□ chintz'i'ly adv. chintz'i*ness n. m 2 see gaudy. chip /chip/ • n. 1 small piece removed by or in the course of chopping, cutting, or break¬ ing. 2 place where such a chip has been made. 3 a = potato chip, b [usu. in pi] = French fries (fish and chips). 4 counter used in some gambling games to represent money. 5 Electronics = MICROCHIP. • v. (chipped, chip*ping) 1 tr. cut or break (a piece) from a hard material. 2 intr. cut pieces off. 3 intr. (of stone, china, etc.) be apt to break at the edge (will chip easily). □ chip in colloq. 1 in¬ terrupt or contribute abruptly to a conversa¬ tion. 2 contribute (money or resources), chip off the old block child who resembles a parent, esp. in character, chip on one’s shoulder colloq. inclination to feel resentful or aggrieved, when the chips are down col¬ loq. in times of discouragement or disap¬ pointment. ■ n. 1 fragment, shard, flake. 2 nick. 3 b (chips) fries. 4 marker, token. • v. 1 snap. 2 chisel, whitde. □ chip in 1 break in, inter¬ pose, cut in. 2 help out, colloq. shell out. Chip»munk /chipmungk/ n. small ground squirrel having alternate light and dark stripes. Chip*per /chipar/ adj. colloq. 1 cheerful. 2 smardy dressed. ■ 1 see SPRIGHTLY. Chip*pe*wa /chlpawaw, —ws, -waa, -way/ n. = OjIBWA. chiro- /kfro/ comb, form of the hand.

131

china - chlorophyll

chi»ro*man»cy /kiramansee/ n. palmistry. chi»rop*o*dy /kiropadee/ = podiatry. □□ chi*rop'o*dist n.

Chi*ro*prac*tic /kfrapraktik/

n. manipulative treatment of mechanical disorders of the joints, esp. of the spinal column. □□ chi'ro* praetor n. Chirp /charp/ • v. 1 intr. (usu. of small birds, grasshoppers, etc.) utter a short, sharp note. 2 tr. & intr. speak or utter merrily. • n. chirp¬ ing sound. □□ chirp'er n. mv. 1 tweet, sing, twitter, chirrup. • n. peep, warble. chir»rup/chirap/ • v.intr. (chir*ruped, chir* rup*ing) chirp, esp. repeatedly. • n. chirrup¬ ing sound. □□ chir'rup*y adj. ChiS'el /chizal/ • n. hand tool with a squared, beveled blade. • v. 1 tr. cut or shape with a chisel. 2 tr. & intr. si. cheat; swindle, □o chis'el*er n. m v. 1 carve, sculpt; incise; gouge, groove. 2 see cheat v. 1. chit /chit/ n. note of a sum owed, esp. for food or drink. chit*chat /chitchat/colloq. • n. light conversa¬ tion; gossip. • v.intr. (-chat'ted, -chat* ting) talk informally. ■ n. see gossip n. 1. • v. see chat v. chi’tin /kit’n/ n. Chem. polysaccharide form¬ ing the major constituent in the exoskeleton of insects, etc. □□ chi'tin*ous adj. chit»teMings /chidinz/ n. (also chit'lings, chit'lins) small intestines of pigs, etc., esp. as cooked for food. Chiv*al»rouS /shivalras/ adj. 1 gallant; honor¬ able; courteous. 2 involving or showing chivalry. □□ chiv'al*rous*ly adv. • courtly, gracious, heroic, noble, wellbred. chiv*al*ry /shivalree/ n. 1 medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. 2 selfless gallantry. □□ chi'val*ric adj. m 2 honor, courtliness, nobility, knightli¬

ness, virtuousness; bravery, courage; see COURTESY. chive /chiv/ n. plant with onion-flavored tu¬ bular leaves. chla*myd*i*a /klamideea/ n. venereal disease caused by a parasitic microorganism. chlo*ride /klawrld/ n. Chem. 1 any com¬ pound of chlorine with another element or group. 2 any bleaching agent containing chloride. chlo*ri*nate /klawrinayt/ v.tr. impregnate or treat with chlorine. □□ chlo*ri*na*tion /-ayshan/ n. chlo'ri*na*tor n. chlonine /klawreen/ n. Chem. poisonous gas¬ eous element used for purifying water, bleaching, etc. IjSymb.: Cl.

chlo*ro*fluor*o*car*bon /klawrofldbroka'arban, -flawr-/ see cfc. n. colorless, volatile, sweet-smelling liquid used as a sol¬ vent and formerly used as a general anes¬ thetic. IjChem. formula: CHCU • v.tr. ren¬ der (a person) unconscious with this. chlo*ro*phyll /klawrafil/ n. green pigment

chlo*ro»form /klawrafawrm/ •

chock ~ chow

132

found in most plants. □□ chlo-ro-phyl-lous /-fibs/ adj. chock /chok/ • n. block or wedge of wood to check motion, esp. of a cask or a wheel. • v.tr. fit or make fast with chocks. □ chockfull = CHOCKABLOCK. chOCk*a*blOCk /chokablok/ adj. & adv. crammed full. Choc-O-late /chawkalat, chawklat, chok-/ • n. 1 a food preparation made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, usually sweetened, b candy made with this. C drink made with chocolate. 2 deep brown color. • adj. made from or of chocolate. □□ choc'o-lat-y adj. (also choc'o-late-y). Choc*taw /choktaw/ n. (pi. same or -taws) 1 a N. American people originally from Al¬ abama. b member of this people. 2 lan¬ guage of this people. choice /choys/ • n. la act or instance of choosing, b thing or person chosen (not a good choice). 2 range from which to choose. 3 power or opportunity to choose (what choice have I?). • adj. of superior quality; carefully chosen. □□ choice'ly adv. ■ n. 1 selection, election, preference, pick. 3 option, alternative. • adj. prime, outstand¬ ing, best, prize; select, handpicked. Choir /kwir/ n. 1 group of singers, esp. taking part in church services. 2 part of a cathedral or large church used by the choir and clergy. Choke /chok/ • v. 1 tr. hinder or impede the breathing of (a person or animal), esp. by constricting the windpipe or (of gas, smoke, etc.) by being unbreathable. 2 intr. suffer a hindrance or stoppage of breath. 3 tr. & intr. make or become speechless from emotion. 4 tr. retard the growth of or kill (esp. plants). 5 tr. suppress (feelings) with difficulty. • n. valve of an internal combustion engine that controls the intake of air. □ choke up be¬ come overly anxious or emotionally affected. ■ v. 1 suffocate, asphyxiate, smother. 2 gag, retch. 5 (choke back) repress, stifle, re¬ strain. Chok*er /chOkar/ n. close-fitting necklace. ChO*ler /kolar/ n. poet, anger; irascibility. Chol*er*a /kolara/ n. Med. infectious and of¬ ten fatal bacterial disease of the small intes¬ tine. □□ chol-e-ra-ic /-rayik/ adj. Cho*ler*ic /kolarik, kalerik/ adj. irascible; an¬ gry. □□ chol'er-i-cal-ly adv. cho*les*ter*ol /kalestarawl, -rol/ n. Biochem. sterol found in most body tissues, including the blood, where high concentrations pro¬ mote arteriosclerosis, chomp /chomp/ v.tr. - champ1. Choose /chooz/ v. (past chose /choz/; past part. chos-en /chOzan/) 1 tr. select out of a greater number. 2 intr. take or select one or another. 3 tr. decide; be determined (chose to stay behind). 4 tr. select as (was chosen king). □□ choos'er n. ■ 1 elect, pick (out), opt for, go for. 3 de¬ termine, opt, elect, resolve, see also decide 1. ch00S*y /chobzee/ adj. (choos-i-er, choos-iest) colloq. fastidious. □□ choos'i-ly adv. choos'i-ness n.

m discriminating, discerning, finicky, partic¬ ular, fussy, demanding, exacting, colloq. picky. Chop1 /chop/ •v.tr. (chopped, chopping) 1 cut or fell by a blow, usu. with an ax. 2 cut into small pieces. • n. 1 cutting blow. 2 thick slice of meat (esp. pork or lamb) usu. including a rib. □ chop shop colloq. garage in which stolen cars are dismantled so that the parts can be sold separately. ■ v. 1 hack, hew, lop. 2 (chop up) cut up, mince, dice. • n. 1 cut, stroke; swing. Chop2 /chop/ n. [usu. in pi.] jaw of an animal, etc. chop*per /chopar/ n. 1 person or thing that chops. 2 colloq. helicopter. chop*py /chopee/ adj. (chop-pi-er, chop-pi* est) (of the sea, etc.) fairly rough. □□ chop' pi-ly adv. chop'pi-ness n. • agitated, turbulent, stormy. Chop*Stick /chopstik/ n. each of a pair of small thin sticks, used as eating utensils, chop su-ey /chopsob-ee/ n. (pi. -eys) Chinese-style dish of meat, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, etc. ChO*ral /kawral/ adj. of, for, or sung by a choir or chorus. □□ cho'ral-ly adv. cho-rale /karal, -rahl/ n. (also cho-ral) 1 stately and simple hymn tune; harmonized version of this. 2 choir. Chord1 /kawrd/ n. Mus. group of (usu. three or more) notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony. □□ chord'al adj. Chord2 /kawrd/ n. 1 Math. & Aeron., etc., straight line joining the ends of an arc, the wings of an airplane, etc. □ strike a chord 1 recall something to a person’s memory. 2 elicit sympathy. □□ chord'al adj. chor*date /kawrdayt/ • n. animal possessing a notochord at some stage during its devel¬ opment. • adj. of chordates. Chore /chawr/ n. tedious or routine task, esp. domestic. ■ see TASK n. cho*re*0»graph /kawreeagraf/ v.tr. compose the choreography for (a ballet, etc.). □□ chore-og-ra-pher /-reeografar/ n. cho*re*og*ra*phy /kawreeografee/ n. design or arrangement of a ballet or other staged dance. □□ cho-re-o-graph-ic /—reeagrafik/ adj. cho-re-o-graph'i-cal-ly adv. ChO*riS*ter /kawristar, kor-/ n. a member of a choir. Chor*tle /chawrt’l/ • v.intr. colloq. chuckle gleefully. • n. gleeful chuckle. ■ v. see chuckle v. • n. see chuckle n. cho-rus /kawras/ • n. (pi. cho-rus-es) 1 group (esp. a large one) of singers; choir. 2 piece of music composed for a choir. 3 re¬ frain or main part of a popular song. 4 group of singers and dancers performing in concert in a musical comedy, opera, etc. 5 Gk Antiq. a in Greek tragedy, a group of performers who comment on the main ac¬ tion. b utterance of the chorus. • v. (of a group) speak or utter simultaneously. • n. 1 see ensemble2 3. 3 see refrain.

chose past of choose. cho*sen past part, of choose. chow /chow/ n. 1 si. food. 2 (in full chow

chow) dog of a Chinese breed with long hair and bluish-black tongue. ■ 1 see food 1. chow*der /chowdar/ n. rich soup or stew usu. containing fish, clams, or corn with potatoes, onions, etc. chow mein /chow mayn/ n. Chinese-style dish of fried noodles with shredded meat or shrimp, etc., and vegetables. Christ /krist/ n. Relig. 1 dtle, also now treated as a name, given to Jesus of Nazareth. 2 Messiah as prophesied in the Old Testa¬ ment. □□ Christ'hood n. Christ'like adj. christen /krisan/ v.tr. 1 baptize. 2 give a name to. 3 colloq. use for the first time. □□ chris'ten*er n. chris'tennng n. m 1 baptize. 2 see call v. 6. Chris*ten*dom /krisandam/ n. Christians worldwide. Christian /krischan/ • adj. 1 of Christ’s teachings or religion. 2 believing in or fol¬ lowing the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. 3 showing the qualities associ¬ ated with Christ’s teachings. 4 colloq. (of a person) kind; fair; decent. • n. adherent of Christianity. □ Christian name forename, esp. as given at baptism. □□ Chris'tian*ize v. Chris*tian*i*za'tion n. Chris»ti»an»i*ty /krischeeanitee/ n. 1 Chris¬ tian religion. 2 being a Christian. 3 = Christendom.

Christ*mas /krismas/ n. (pi. Christ*mas*es) 1 (also Christmas Day) annual festival of Christ’s birth, celebrated on Dec. 25. 2 sea¬ son in which this occurs. □□ Christ'mas*sy adj. chro*mat*ic /kromatik/ adj. 1 of or produced by color; in (esp. bright) colors. 2 Mus. (of a scale) ascending or descending by semi¬ tones. □□ chro*mat'i*cal*ly adv. chro* mat*i*cism /-tisizam/ n. chro*ma*tin /krOmatin/ n. material in a cell nucleus that stains with basic dyes and con¬ sists of protein, RNA, and DNA. chrome /krom/ n. 1 chromium, esp. as plat¬ ing. 2 (in full chrome yellow) yellow pig¬ ment obtained from lead chromate, o chrome steel hard, fine-grained steel con¬ taining much chromium and used for tools, etc. chro#mi*um /krOmeeam/ n. Chem. hard, white metallic element used as a shiny elec¬ troplated coating. ^Symb.: Cr. □ chro¬ mium steel = chrome steel. chro*mo*SOme /krOmasom/ n. Biochem. threadlike cellular structures that carry the genetic information in the form of genes, on chro*mo*so'mal adj. chron*ic /kronik/ adj. 1 persisting for a long time (usu. of an illness or a personal or social problem). 2 having a chronic complaint. 3 colloq. disp. habitual; inveterate (a chronic liar). □□ chron'i*cal*ly adv. chro*nic*i*ty /-nisitee/ n. ■ 1 lingering, inveterate, persistent, lasting. 3 persistent, confirmed, incorrigible. chron*i*cle /kronikal/ • n. register of events in order of their occurrence. • v.tr. record (events) in the order of their occurrence, oo chron'i'cler n.

133

chowder ~ church

■ n. 1 record, history, account, narrative. • v. register, list, document; recount. Chro»nol*0»gy /kranolajee/ n. (pi. -gies) 1 study of historical records to establish the dates of past events. 2 a arrangement of events, dates, etc., in the order of their occur¬ rence. b table or document displaying this. □ □ chron*o*log*i*cal /kronalojikal/ adj. chro*nol'o*gist n. chron*o*log'i*cal*ly adv. chro*nol'o*gize v.tr. ■ 2 a see sequence n. b calendar, journal, log. chro*nom«e»ter /kranomitar/ n. time¬ measuring instrument, esp. one keeping ac¬ curate time at all temperatures. □□ chro* nom*e*try /kranomitree/ n. chron*o*met* ric /kronametrik/ adj. chron*o*met'ri*cal adj. chron*o*met'ri*cal*ly adv. chrys*a*lis /krisalis/ n. (also chrys'a*lid) (pi. chrys*a*lis*es or chry*sal*i*des /krisalideez/) 1 quiescent pupa of a butterfly or moth. 2 hard outer case enclosing it. chry*san*the*mum /krisanthamam/ n. gar¬ den plant of the daisy family having brightly colored flowers. chub*by /chubee/ adj. (chub»bi*er, chub* bi*est) plump and rounded. □□ chub'bi'ly adv. chub'bi'ness n. ■ tubby, dumpy, rotund, colloq. pudgy. chuck1 /chuk/ »v.tr. 1 colloq. fling or throw carelessly or with indifference. 2 colloq. give up; reject; abandon; jilt (chucked my job). 3 touch playfully, esp. under the chin. • n. playful touch under the chin. ■ o.l see throw v. 1, 2. 2 see drop v. 4. chuck2/chuk/ »n. 1 cut of beef between the neck and the ribs. 2 device for holding a workpiece in a lathe or a tool in a drill. • v. tr. fix (wood, a tool, etc.) to a chuck. chuck'le /chukal/ • v.intr. laugh quietly or in¬ wardly. • n. quiet or suppressed laugh. □□ chuck'ler n. ■ v. chortle, giggle, titter, tehee, snigger, snicker. chug /chug/ •v.intr. (chugged, chug'ging) 1 emit a regular muffled explosive sound, as of an engine running slowly. 2 move with this sound. • n. chugging sound. Chum /chum/ n. colloq. close friend. □□ chum'my adj. (chum*mi»er, chum* mi*est). chum'mWy adv. chum'mi*ness n. m comrade, companion, colloq. pal, buddy. □□ chummy friendly, intimate, close, colloq. pally, thick. chump /chump/ n. colloq. foolish person. chunk /chungk/ n. 1 thick, solid slice or piece of something firm or hard. 2 substantial amount or piece. ■ see piece n. la. chunk*y /chungkee/ adj. (chunk*i*er, chunk*i*est) 1 containing or consisting of chunks. 2 short and thick; small and sturdy. 3 (of clothes) made of a thick material. □□ chunk'i*ness n. m 1 see lumpy (lump1). 2 see stocky. 3 see BULKY. church /charch/ n. 1 building for public

churchgoer ~ circuitry

134

(usu. Christian) worship. 2 meeting for pub¬ lic worship in such a building (go to church). 3 (Church) body of all Christians. 4 (Church) clergy or clerical profession. 5 institutionalized religion as a political or social force {church and state). ■ n. 1 see temple1 . 4 see ministry 2, 3. Church*go»er /chorchgoar/ n. person who goes to church, esp. regularly. □□ church' go*ing n. & adj. Churl /charl/ n. ill-bred person. chur!*ish /churlish/ adj. surly; mean. □□ churl'ish'ly adv. churl'ish'ness n. Churn /charn/ • n. machine for making but¬ ter. • v. 1 tr. agitate (milk or cream) in a churn. 2 tr. produce (butter) in this way. 3 tr. upset; agitate. 4 intr. (of a liquid) seethe; foam violently {the churning sea). □ churn out produce routinely or mechani¬ cally, esp. in large quantities. ■ v. 1 see stir1 v. 1. 3 see disturb. 4 see swirl v. □ churn out see run off 2. Chute1 /shoot/ n. sloping channel or slide, for conveying things to a lower level. ■ shaft, ramp, runway, trough, conduit, race. chute2 /shoot/ n. colloq. parachute. □□ chut' ist n. chut*ney /chutnee/ n. {pi. -neys) pungent condiment made of fruits or vegetables, vin¬ egar, spices, sugar, etc. ChutZ'pah /khobtspa/ n. (also chutz'pa) si. shameless audacity; gall. ■ see nerve n. 2b. Chyme /klm/ n. acidic, semisolid, and partly digested food produced by the action of gas¬ tric secretion. □□ chy'mous adj. CIA abbr. Central Intelligence Agency. Ciao /chow/ int. colloq. 1 good-bye. 2 hello. ci*ca*da /sikayda, -kaada/ n. (pi. ci*ca*das or ci*ca*dae /-dee/) transparent-winged large insect that makes a loud, rhythmic, chirping sound. cic*a*trix /sikatriks, sikay-/ n. (also cic*a* trice /sikatris/) (pi. cic*a*tri*ces /-trfseez/) scar. □□ cic*a*tri*cial /-trishal/ adj. -cide /sld/ suffix forming nouns meaning: 1 person or substance that kills (regicide). 2 killing of (suicide). ci»der /sidar/ n. usu. unfermented drink made from crushed apples. ci*gar /siga'ar/ n. tight roll of tobacco leaves for smoking. Cig*a»rette /sigaret/ n. (also cig*a*ret') thin cylinder of finely cut tobacco rolled in paper for smoking. □ cigarette butt unsmoked remainder of a cigarette. cil*i*um /sileeam/ n. (pi. cil*ia /-leea/) 1 minute hairlike cellular structure. 2 eye¬ lash. □□ cil'i*ar*y adj. cil*i*ate /-ayt, -at/ adj. cil*i*at*ed adj. cil*i*a'tion n. cinch /sinch/ • n. 1 colloq. a sure thing; cer¬ tainty. b easy task. 2 firm hold. 3 girth for a saddle or pack. • v.tr. la tighten, b se¬ cure a grip on. 2 si. make certain of. mn. la see certainty lb. b see pushover 1. 3 see girth n. 2. cin*cho*na /singkbna/ n. a S. American ev¬

ergreen tree or shrub, b bark of this tree, containing quinine. □□ cimchonMC /-konik/ adj. cin*cho*nine /singkaneen/ n. cinc»ture /singkchar/ n. literary girdle; belt. cin*der /sindar/ n. 1 residue of coal or wood, etc., after burning. 2 slag. 3 [in pi.] ashes. □ cinder block concrete building block. □□ cin'der*y adj. Cin*der*eMa /sindarela/ n. person or thing of unrecognized or disregarded merit or beau¬ ty-

cin*e»ma /sinama/

n. 1 films collectively. 2 production of films as an art or industry; cinematography. □□ cin*e*mat*ic /sinamatik/ adj. cin*e*mat'i*cal*ly adv. n 1 see picture n. 3. cin»e»ma*togna»phy /sinamatografee/ n. art of making motion pictures. □□ cin*e* ma*tog'ra*pher n. cin*e*mat*o*graph*ic /-matagrafik/ adj. cin'eTnatm'graph'bcal* ly adv. Cin*na*bar /sinabaar/ n. 1 bright red mineral form of mercuric sulfide from which mer¬ cury is obtained. 2 vermilion. cin*na»mon /sinaman/ n. 1 aromatic spice from the peeled, dried, and rolled bark of a SE Asian tree. 2 this tree, ci'pher /slfar/ n. la secret or disguised way of writing, b thing written in this way. C key to it. 2 arithmetical symbol (0; zero). 3 per¬ son or thing of no importance. ■ 1 a see code n. 1. 2 see zero n. 1. 3 see NOBODY

n.

cir. abbr. (also circ.) 1 circle. 2 circuit. 3 circular. 4 circulation. 5 circumference. cir»ca /sarka/ prep, (preceding a date) about. cir*ca*di*an /sarkaydeean/ adj. Physiol, oc¬ curring or recurring about once per day. cir*cle /sarkal/ • n. la round plane figure whose circumference is everywhere equidis¬ tant from its center, b line enclosing a circle. 2 roundish enclosure or structure. 3 persons grouped around a center of interest. 4 set or class or restricted group (literary circles). • v. 1 intr. move in a circle. 2 tr. a revolve around, b form a circle around. □□ cir'cler n. mn.

1 disk, round. 4 coterie, clique, camp, faction; society, company. • v. 1 see revolve 1,2. 2 go around, tour; encircle, surround, enclose, ring, hoop. cir*clet /sarklit/ n. 1 small circle. 2 circular band, esp. of gold or jeweled, etc., as an or¬ nament. circuit /sarkit/ n. 1 line or course enclosing an area; circumference. 2 Electr. a path of a current, b apparatus through which a current passes. 3 journey of a judge or preacher for work in a particular district. □ circuit breaker automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electrical circuit. ■ 1 round, tour, circle, orbit; compass, pe¬ rimeter, border, boundary, edge. 3 see round n. 2.

cir*cu*i*tOUS /sarkyob-itas/

adj. 1 indirect. 2 going a long way around. □□ cir*cu'i» tous-ly adv. cir»cu'i*tous*ness n. • see INDIRECT 1, 2. cifcuit*ry /sarkitree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 system

of electric circuits. 2 equipment forming this. cir»cu»lar /sarkyalar/ • adj. 1 a having the form of a circle, b moving or taking place along a circle; indirect; circuitous (circular route). 2 Logic (of reasoning) depending on a vicious circle. See synonym study at round. • n. letter, leaflet, etc., distributed to a large number of people. □□ cir* *cu*lar*i*ty /-laritee/ n. cir'cu*lar*ly adv. m adj. 1 a round, disk-shaped, b rounda¬ bout, tortuous; periphrastic. 2 illogical, fal¬ lacious. cir*CU*late /sorkyalayt/ v. 1 intr. be in circu¬ lation. 2 tr. cause to go around; put into cir¬ culation. 3 intr. be actively sociable at a party, gathering, etc. □□ cir'cu*la-tive adj. cir'cu*la*tor n. • 1 move or go about or around, flow. 2 spread, distribute, publish, air, report, broadcast, advertise. 3 mix, mingle, so¬ cialize. cir*CU*la*tion /sarkyalayshan/ n. 1 move¬ ment within or around, esp. of blood from and to the heart. 2 a transmission or distri¬ bution (of news; etc.), b number of copies sold, esp. of journals and newspapers. □ in (or out of) circulation participating (or not participating) in activities, etc. '■ 1 circuit, course, flow. 2 a spreading, dis¬ semination, diffusion, publication, issuance, proclamation. cir»CU»la*tO*ry /sorkyabtawree/ adj. of or re¬ lating to the circulation of blood or sap. circum- /sdrkam/ comb, form round; about; around. circum. abbr. circumference. cir*cum*cise sarkamsiz/ v.tr. cut off the foreskin or clitoris. □□ cir*cum*ci*sion /sarkamsizhan/ n. cir*cum»fer»ence sarkumfarans/ n. 1 en¬ closing boundary, esp. of a circle. 2 distance around. □□ cir*cum*fer*en*tial /-farenshal/ adj. cir*cum*fer*ential*ly adv. m 1 see perimeter. cir*cum*flex /sdrkamfleks/ n. mark (“) placed over a vowel in some languages to indicate a contraction or a special quality. cir*CUm*lo*CU*tion /sarkamlokyobshan/ n. roundabout expression; evasive talk. □□ cir* cum*lo*cu'tion*al adj. cir*cum*lo*cu' tion*a*ry adj. cir*cum*lo*cu'tion*ist n. cir*cum*loc*u*to*ry /-lokyatawree/ adj. ■ periphrasis; see also evasion 2. cir»cum»nav*i»gate /sarkamnavigayt/ v.tr. sail around (esp. the world). □□ cir*cum* nav*i*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. cir*cum*nav'i* ga*tor n. • see circle v. 2. cir*cum»scribe /sarkamskrib/ v.tr. 1 enclose or outline. 2 lay down the limits of; confine. □□ cir*cum*scrib'a*ble adj. cir'cum* scrib*er n. cir*cum*scrip*tion /-skripshan/ n. m 1 see define 3. 2 see restrict. synonym study:

circumscribe

encircle, enclose, encompass, envelop, sur¬ round. Strictly speaking, to circumscribe is to draw a line around something to mark

135

circular ~ circus

its limits or boundary (a square circumscribed by a circle). Beyond the realm of geometry, however, it suggests something that is hemmed in on all sides (a lake circumscribed by mountains)', when used of people, it de¬ scribes a limitation on their actions (her movements were circumscribed by the long, nar¬ row skirt she wore', the journalists were circum¬ scribed by political considerations). Encom¬

pass is used when something is set within a circle or within limits (a road that encom¬ passed the grounds of the estate', a view that en¬ compassed the harbor). Surround is a less for¬ mal word for circumscribe, but it can also

refer to an undesirable, threatening, or dan¬ gerous situation (surrounded by angry demon¬ strators', surrounded by skyscrapers). Encircle is similar to surround in meaning, but it sug¬ gests a tight or quite circular clustering around a central object (a bowl of fruit encir¬ cled by flowers) or a deliberate attempt to sur¬ round someone or something for a definite reason (to encircle the enemy camp). Envelop is the right word if something is surrounded to the point where it can barely be seen (a lonely figure enveloped in fog) or if it is sur¬ rounded by layers or folds of an amorphous material (enveloped in soft cotton to prevent breakage). Enclose is very similar to envelop, but it suggests that something has been espe¬ cially designed to fit around something else for protection or containment (a ship model enclosed in a glass case).

cir*cum*spect /sarkamspekt/ adj. wary; cau¬ tious. See synonym study at vigilant. □□ cir*cum*spec*tion /-spekshan/ n. cir' cum’specfly adv. m see cautious. cir*cum*stance /sarkamstans/ n. la fact, occurrence, or condition, esp. [in pi.] the time, place, occasion, etc., or surroundings of an act or event, b [in pi] external condi¬ tions. 2 [in pi] one’s state of financial or ma¬ terial welfare. 3 ceremony; fuss (pomp and circumstance), o in (or under) the (or these) circumstances the state of affairs being what it is. in (or under) no circum¬ stances not at all; never. □□ cir'cum* stanced adj. m 1 situation, state (of affairs); incident, ep¬ isode. 2 (circumstances) status, station, re¬ sources. 3 see ceremony 2, 3. □ in (or un¬ der) no circumstances see never. cir*cum*stan*tial /sarkamstanshal/ adj. 1 given in full detail. 2 a depending on cir¬ cumstances. b adventitious. □□ cir*cum* stan*ti*al*i*ty /-sheealitee/ n. cir*cum* stan'tiaMy adv. • 1 detailed, particular, precise. 2 b acci¬ dental, incidental, indirect, unimportant, provisional. cir*cum*vent /sarkamvent/ v.tr. evade (a dif¬ ficulty); find a way around. □□ cir*cum* ven*tion /-venshan/ n. • see evade. cir*CUS /sorkas/' n. (pi. cir*cus*es) 1 traveling show of performing animals, acrobats,

cirrhosis ~ clambake

136

clowns, etc. 2 colloq. scene of lively action; a disturbance. Cir»rhO*sis /sirosis/ n. chronic disease of the liver, a result of alcoholism, hepatitis, etc. □□ cir*rhot*ic /sirotik/ adj. Cimus /siras/ n. (pi. cir»ri /-ri/) Meteorol. white wispy cloud, esp. at high altitude. □□ cir'rose adj. cir'rous adj. ciS'tern /sistarn/ n. 1 tank or container for storing water, etc. 2 underground reservoir for rainwater. cit. abbr. 1 citation. 2 cited. 3 citizen. cit*a*del /sitad’l, -del/ n. fortress, usu. on high ground protecting or dominating a city. ■ see STRONGHOLD 1. ci*ta»tion /sitayshan/ n. 1 citing of a book or other source; passage cited. 2 mention in an official dispatch. 3 note accompanying an award, describing the reasons for it. ■ 1 see quotation 2. 2 see mention n. 1. cite /sit/ v.tr. 1 adduce as an instance. 2 quote (a passage, etc.) in support. 3 men¬ tion in an official dispatch. 4 summon to ap¬ pear in a court of law. □□ cit'a»ble adj. ■ 1,2 see quote v. 1. 3 see mention v. 1,2. 4 subpoena. cit»i*zen /sftizan/ n. member of a country, state, city, etc. □ citizen’s arrest arrest by an ordinary person without a warrant. □□ cit'i*zen*ry n. cit’i*zen*ship n. • voter; native, resident, inhabitant, dweller. cit*ric /sitrik/ adj. derived from citrus fruit. □ citric acid sharp-tasting acid found in cit¬ rus. □□ cit'rate n. cit»ron /sitran/ n. 1 shrubby tree bearing large lemonlike fruits with thick fragrant peel. 2 this fruit. cit»ro«neMa /sitranela/ n. scented oil used in insect repellent, perfume, and soap manu¬ facture. cit*rus /sitras/ n. 1 tree of a group including citron, lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit. 2 (in full citrus fruit) fruit from such a tree. □□ cit'rous adj. cit*y /sitee/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 large town. 2 US state-chartered municipal corporation occu¬ pying a definite area. □ city hall municipal offices or officers, city slicker usu. derog. 1 smart and sophisticated city dweller. 2 plausible rogue as found in cities. □□ cit' y*ward adj. & adv. cit'y*wards adv. ■ 1 metropolis, municipality, borough, con¬ urbation. □ city slicker colloq. slicker. cit*y*scape /siteeskayp/ n. 1 view of a city (actual or depicted). 2 city scenery. ■ see view n. 2a, b. civ*et /sivit/ n. 1 (in full civet cat) catlike an¬ imal of Central Africa. 2 strong musky per¬ fume obtained from it. civ*ic /sivik/ adj. 1 of a city; municipal. 2 of or proper to citizens (civic virtues). □□ civ'i* cal*ly adv. • 1 see municipal. 2 see public adj. 1. civ»ics /siviks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] the study of the rights and duties of citizenship. civ*il /sival/ adj. 1 of or belonging to citizens. 2 of ordinary citizens and their concerns, as

distinct from military or ecclesiastical mat¬ ters. 3 polite; obliging; not rude. 4 Law concerning private rights and not criminal offenses. □ civil disobedience refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes, etc., as a peaceful form of political protest, civil engineer engineer who designs or maintains roads, bridges, dams, etc. civil liberty freedom of action and speech sub¬ ject to the law. civil rights rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality, civil servant member of the civil service, civil service nonelected civilian branches of governmental administration, civil war war between citizens of the same country. □□ civ'ibly adv. ■ 2 civilian, nonmilitary; lay, secular. 3 courteous, respectful, well-mannered, cor¬ dial, genial. □ civil servant public servant, government worker. ci»vil»ian /sivilyan/ • n. person not in the armed services or the police force. • adj. of or for civilians. ci*vil»i»ty /sivilitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 politeness. 2 act of politeness. ■ 1 courtesy, respect, amiability. civ«i»li*za*tion /sivilazayshan/ n. 1 advanced stage or system of social development. 2 those peoples of the world regarded as hav¬ ing this. 3 a people or nation (esp. of the past) regarded as an element of social evolution. ■ 1 culture, refinement. 3 see people n. la, NATION.

civ*Mize /sivillz/ v. tr. 1 bring out of a less de¬ veloped stage of society. 2 refine and edu¬ cate. □□ civ'i*liz*a*ble adj. civ'i*liz»er n. ■ 2 polish, edify, acculturate, broaden, ele¬ vate. civ*vies /siveez/ n.pl. si. civilian clothes. Cl symb. Chem. chlorine, cl abbr. 1 centiliter(s). 2 class, clack /klak/ • v.intr. make a sharp sound as of boards struck together. • n. clacking sound or talk. □□ clack'er n. Clad /klad/ adj. 1 clothed. 2 provided with cladding. Clad'ding /klading/ n. covering or coating, claim /klaym/ •v.tr. 1 demand as one’s due or property. 2 a represent oneself as having or achieving (claim victory), b assert; con¬ tend (claim that one knows). 3 have as an achievement or a consequence (the fire claimed many victims). 4 (of a thing) deserve (one’s attention, etc.). • n. 1 demand or re¬ quest for something considered one’s due (lay claim to). 2 right or tide. 3 contention or assertion. 4 thing claimed. □□ claim'a# ble adj. claim'ant n. claim'er n. mv. 1 seek, call (for). 2 profess, declare, assert. 4 see deserve 1. •«. 1 petition, ap¬ plication. 3 see assertion 1, 2. clair*VOy*ance /klairvoyans/ n. supposed faculty of perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact. □□ clair*voy'ant n. & adj. clair*voy’ant*ly adv.

clam /klam/ •

n. edible bivalve mollusk. • v.intr. (clammed, clam*ming) 1 dig for clams. 2 [foil, by up] colloq. refiise to talk, clartl'bake /klambayk/ n. picnic at the sea-

shore typically featuring steamed clams, lob¬ sters, and ears of corn. clam*ber /klambor/ • v.intr. climb with hands and feet, esp. with difficulty or laboriously. • n. difficult climb. ■ v. see scramble v. 1. clam*my /klamee/ adj. (clam*mi*er, clam* mi*est) unpleasantly damp and sticky. □□ clam'mi*ly adv. clam'mi*ness n. Clam*or /klamor/ • n. 1 loud or vehement shouting or noise. 2 protest; demand. • v. intr. make a clamor. □□ clam'or*ous adj. clam'or*ous*ly adv. clam'or*ous*ness n. See synonym study at vociferous a n. 1 see noise n. 1.2 see outcry. clamp /klamp/ • n. device, esp. a brace or band of iron, etc., for strengthening other materials or holding things together. • v. tr. 1 strengthen or fasten with a clamp. 2 place or hold firmly. □ clamp down 1 be rigid in enforcing a rule, etc. 2 [foil, by on] suppress. a n. clasp, vice. • v. 1 clip (together), bracket. 2 grip, grasp. □ clamp down 2 see suppress 1. clan /klan/ n. 1 group of people with a com¬ mon ancestor. 2 group with a strong com¬ mon interest. □□ clan’nish adj. clan'nish* ly adv. clan'nish*ness n. a 1 tribe, family, dynasty. 2 fraternity, brotherhood; gang. □□ clannish see exclu¬ sive adj. 3. clandestine /klandestin/ adj. surreptitious; secret. □□ clan*des'tine*ly adv. a see secret adj. 2. Clang /klang/ • n. loud, resonant, metallic sound. • v. 1 intr. make a clang. 2 tr. cause to clang. a n. see clash n. 1. • v. see clash v. 1. clangor /klanggor/ n. 1 prolonged or repeat¬ ed clanging noise. 2 uproar or commotion. □□ clan'gor*ous adj. clan'gor*ous*ly adv. clank /klangk/ • n. sound as of heavy pieces of metal meeting or a chain rattling. • v. 1 intr. make a clanking sound. 2 tr. cause to clank. □□ clank'ing'ly adv. a n. see jangle n. • v. see jangle v. 1. clap /klap/ • v. (clapped, clap*ping) 1 intr. strike the palms of one’s hands together as a signal or repeatedly as applause. 2 tr. strike (the hands) together in this way. • n. 1 act of clapping, esp. as applause. 2 explosive sound, esp. of thunder. 3 slap; pat. ■ c. 1 applaud, cheer. • n. 2 crack, slap, re¬ port, crash, bang. 3 see slap1 2 * 4 n., pat n. 1, Clap*per /klapor/ n. tongue or striker of a bell. clap*trap /klaptrap/ n. insincere or preten¬ tious talk. ■ see nonsense. claque /klak/ n. hired applauders. clar'et /klarst/ n. 1 red wine, esp. from Bor¬ deaux. 2 deep purplish-red. clar»i»fy /klarifi/ v. (-fies, -fied) make or be¬ come clearer. □□ clar*i*fi*ca'tion n. clar'i* fiber n. ■ elucidate, simplify, make plain, clear up, explain. synonym study:

clarify

construe, elucidate, explain, explicate, in¬ terpret.

When a biology teacher gets up in

137

clamber ~ class

front of a class and tries to explain how two brown-eyed parents can produce a blue-eyed child, the purpose is to make an entire process or sequence of events understand¬ able. In a less formal sense, to explain is to make a verbal attempt to justify certain ac¬ tions or to make them understood (she tried to explain why she was so late). That same teacher might clarify a particular exam question—a word that means to make an earlier event, situation, or statement clear. Elucidate is a more formal word meaning to clarify, but where the root of the latter refers to clearness, the root of the former refers to light; to elucidate is to shed light on some¬ thing through explanation, illustration, etc. {the principal’s comments were an attempt to elucidate the school’s policy on cheating). A

teacher who explicates something discusses a complex subject in a point-by-point man¬ ner {to explicate a poem). If a personal judg¬ ment is inserted in making such an explica¬ tion, the correct word is interpret {to interpret a poem’s symbolic meanings). To con¬ strue is to make a careful interpretation of something, especially where the meaning is ambiguous. For example, when a class mis¬ behaves in front of a visitor, the teacher is likely to construe that behavior as an attempt to cause embarrassment or ridicule.

Clar*i»net /klarinet/

n. woodwind instrument with a single-reed mouthpiece. □□ clar*i* net'ist n. (also clar*i*net'tist). Clar»i*on /klareean/ n. clear, rousing sound. clar»i*ty /klaritee/ n. state or quality of being clear, esp. of sound or expression. ■ clearness, lucidity, limpidity; comprehen¬ sibility. Clash /klash/ • n. 1 loud, jarring sound as of metal objects being struck together. 2 a con¬ flict. b discord of colors, etc. • v. la intr. make a clashing sound, b tr. cause to clash. 2 intr. collide; coincide awkwardly. 3 intr. come into conflict or be discordant. □□ clash'er n. m n. 1 crash, clang, clank, clangor. 2 a fight, battle, disagreement, difference. • v. 1 smash, bang, boom. 3 disagree, differ, argue; disharmonize, jar. clasp /klasp/ • n. 1 device with interlocking 2. parts for fastening. 2 a embrace, b grasp or handshake. •v.tr.; 1 fasten with or as with a clasp. 2 a grasp; hold closely, b embrace. □□ clasp'er n. • n. 1 hook, catch, clip, pin. 2 hug, hold, grip. • v. 1 secure, close, clip, pin. 2 hug, enclose; grab, seize. class /klas/ • n. 1 any set of persons or things grouped together, or graded or differ¬ entiated from others. 2 division or order of society. 3 colloq. distinction; high quality. 4 a group of students taught together, b occasion when they meet, c their course of instruction. 5 Biol, grouping of organisms, below a division or phylum, •v.tr. assign to a class or category. □ class-conscious aware of one’s place in a system of social

classic - clear

138

class, class-consciousness this aware¬ ness. ■ n. 1 category, division, classification. 2 rank, grade, level; caste, lineage. 3 excel¬ lence, refinement, stylishness. • v. classify, group, arrange, rank, grade. clas«sic /klasik/ • adj. 1 a of the first class; of acknowledged excellence, b remarkably typ¬ ical; outstandingly important (a classic case). C having enduring worth; timeless. 2 a of ancient Greek and Latin literature, or cul¬ ture. b (of style in art, music, etc.) simple, harmonious, well-proportioned. • n. 1 clas¬ sic writer, artist, work, or example. 2 a an¬ cient Greek or Latin writer, b [in pi.] the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature and history. 3 follower of classic models. ■ adj. 1 a outstanding, first-rate, superior, b standard, leading, definitive; see also im¬ portant 1, 2. C legendary, immortal, age¬ less. 2b see simple adj. 2. •n. 1 paragon, epitome; masterpiece, masterwork. classical /klasikal/ adj. 1 a of ancient Greek or Latin literature or art. b (of lan¬ guage) having the form used by the ancient standard authors. 2 (of music) serious or conventional; following traditional princi¬ ples. 3 restrained in style. □□ clas'si*cal* ism n. clas'si*cal*ist n. clas'si*cal*ly adv. ■ 1 a Greek, Latin, Roman. 3 standard, traditional, established, authoritative, se¬ rious. clas'si'cism /klasisizam/ n. 1 the following of a classic style. 2 classical scholarship. □□ clas sicist n. clas*si*fy /klasifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 a ar¬ range in classes or categories, b assign (a thing) to a class or category. 2 designate as officially secret. □□ clas*si*fi'able adj. clas* si*fi*ca'tion n. clas*si*fi*ca*to*ry /klasifikstawree, klasifi-, klasifikaytaree/ adj. clas'si* fied adj. clas'si*fi*er n. ■ 1 see organize 1. □□ classified see con¬ fidential 1. classless /klaslis/ adj. making or showing no distinction of classes (classless society). □□ class'less*ness n. class*mate /klasmayt/ n. person in the same class at school. class*room /klasrSom, -room/ n. room in which a class of students is taught. class*y /klasee/ adj. (class*i*er, class*i*est) colloq. superior; stylish. □□ class'i*ly adv. class'iness n. m see stylish 1. Clatter /klatar/ n. 1 rattling sound as of many hard objects struck together. an. 1 see rattle n. 1. Clause /klawz/ n. 1 Gram, distinct part of a sentence, including a subject and predicate. 2 single statement in a treaty, law, bill, or contract. □□ claus'al adj. m 1 see phrase n. 1.2 see stipulation (stipu¬ late). Claus*tro*pho*bi»a /klawstrsfobees/ n. ab¬ normal fear of confined places. □□ claus* tro*phobe /-rsfob/ n. claus*tro*pho'bic adj.

claV*i*Chord /klavikawrd/ n. small keyboard instrument with a very soft tone. clav*i*cle /klavikal/ n. collarbone. □□ cla* vic*u*lar klavikyabr/ adj. claw /klaw/ • n. 1 a pointed homy nail on an animal’s foot, b foot armed with claws. 2 pincers of a shellfish. • v. scratch, maul, or pull with claws or fingernails. □□ clawed adj. [also in comb.], claw'er n. claw'less adj. an. 1 talon, nail. • v. tear, scrape, rake, clay /klay/ n. 1 stiff, sticky earth, used for making bricks, pottery, ceramics, etc. 2 poet, substance of the human body. □□ clay' ey adj. clay'ish adj. clay'like adj. a 1 see earth n. 2b. Clean /kleen/ • adj. 1 free from dirt or conta¬ minating matter; unsoiled. 2 clear; unused or unpolluted; pristine. 3 free from obscen¬ ity or indecency. 4 attentive to personal hy¬ giene. 5 complete; clear-cut. 6 streamlined; well-formed. 7 free from any record of a crime, offense, etc. • adv. 1 completely; out¬ right; simply {clean forgot). 2 in a clean man¬ ner. • v. make or become clean. □ cleancut 1 sharply outlined. 2 neatly groomed, clean out 1 clean or clear thoroughly. 2 si. empty or deprive (esp. of money), clean up 1 a clear (a mess) away, b make (things) neat. C make (oneself) clean. 2 restore or¬ der or morality to. 3 si. acquire as or make a profit, come clean colloq. confess every¬ thing. □ □ clean'a*ble adj. clean'ish adj. clean'ness n. ■ adj. 1 pure, unpolluted, unsoiled, sani¬ tary, antiseptic, sterile; washed, scrubbed; spotless. 2, 3 see pure 3, 4. 4 hygienic, cleanly. 5 clean-cut, neat, trim, tidy. 6 see streamline v. 3a, slender 1, shapely. 7 in¬ nocent; see also blameless. • adv. 1 entirely, thoroughly, fully, totally. • v. wash, sponge, mop, scrub, scour, sweep, launder, tidy, neaten. □ clean-cut 1 see clear adj. 4. clean out 2 see defraud, clean up 1 C wash, (have or take a) shower, have or take a bath, come clean acknowledge or admit guilt, own up. cleanser /kle'enor/ n. 1 person employed to clean the interior of a building. 2 [usu. in pi] commercial establishment for cleaning clothes. 3 device or substance for cleaning. □ take to the cleaners si. defraud or rob. ClearMy1 /kle’enlee/ adv. 1 in a clean way. 2 efficiently; without difficulty. ■ 1 clean. 2 see easily 1. ClearMy2 /klenlee/ adj. (clean*li*er, clean*li* est) habitually clean; with clean habits. □□ clean'li'ness n. a □□ cleanliness see purity 1. Cleanse /klenz/ v.tr. make clean or pure. □□ cleans'er /klenzar/ n. a wash, scour; see also clean v. clear /kleer/ • adj. 1 free from dirt or con¬ tamination. 2 (of weather, the sky, etc.) not dull or cloudy. 3 transparent. 4 a distinct; easily perceived by the senses, b easily un¬ derstood {make oneself clear). 5 that discerns or is able to discern readily and accurately {clear-sighted). 6 confident; convinced. 7 free from guilt. 8 without deduction {a

9 free; unhampered. • adv. 1 clearly. 2 completely (he got clear away). 3 apart; out of contact (keep clear). • v. 1 tr. 6 intr. make or become clear. 2 tr. free from prohibition or obstruction. 3 tr. show or de¬ clare (a person) to be innocent. 4 tr. approve (a person) for access to information, etc. 5 tr. pass over or by safely or without touch¬ ing. 6 tr. make (an amount of money) as a net gain. 7 tr. pass through (a customs of¬ fice, etc.), d clear the air disperse suspi¬ cion, tension, etc. clear-cut 1 sharply de¬ fined. 2 obvious, clear out 1 empty. 2 remove. 3 colloq. go away, in the clear free from suspicion or difficulty. □□ clear'a*ble adj. clear'er n. clear'ly adv. clear'ness n. • adj. 1 see clean adj. 1. 2 sunny, fair, fine. 3 limpid; translucent, pellucid. 4 a sharp, well-defined; legible, b intelligi¬ ble, lucid, comprehensible, plain, obvious, patent. 5 acute, sensitive, perspicacious; see also perceptive. 6 certain, sure, positive. 7 pure, blameless; see also innocent adj. 2. 8 net, unencumbered, free. ’adv. 1 distincdy, audibly. 2 utterly, entirely, totally. 3 see apart 3. ‘v. 1 (tr.) clarify, clean, pu¬ rify. 3 exonerate, absolve, acquit; excuse, forgive. 5 vault, hurdle, o clear-cut mani¬ fest, distinct, explicit, plain, clear out 1 see empty v. 1. 2 see remove v. 2. in the clear innocent, not guilty; exonerated, forgiven, absolved; unburdened, oo clearly distincriy, audibly, understandably; evidently, plainly, apparently, manifestly, obviously, certainly. clearance /kle'erans/ n. 1 removal of ob¬ structions, etc. 2 clear space allowed for the passing of two objects or two parts in ma¬ chinery, etc. 3 special authorization or per¬ mission. d clearance sale sale to get rid of superfluous stock. ■ 2 margin, leeway, room, allowance. 3 ap¬ proval, endorsement, license, consent, clearing /kle'ering/ n. area in a forest cleared for cultivation, a see field n. 1. clear*ing*house /kle'eringhows/ n. 1 bank¬ ers’ establishment where checks and bills are exchanged and resolved. 2 agency for col¬ lecting and distributing information, etc. cleat /kleet/ n. 1 fixed piece of metal, wood, etc., for fastening ropes to, or to strengthen woodwork, etc. 2 projecting piece to give footing or prevent slipping, cleav'age /kle'evij/ n. 1 hollow between a woman’s breasts. 2 division; splitting. cleave1 /kleev/ v. (past cleaved or cleft /klefc/ or clove /klov/; past part, cleaved or cleft or clo’ven /klOvan/) literary 1 tr. chop or break apart; split, esp. along the grain. 2 intr. come apart in this way. □□ cleav'a*ble adj. • 1 divide, cut, bisect, halve, slit. cleave2 /kleev/ v.intr. (past cleaved or clove /klov/ or clave /klayv/) [foil, by to] literary stick fast; adhere. cleav*er /kle'evor/ n. heavy tool for cutting or chopping. clef /kief/ n. Mus. symbol placed at the begin¬ ning of a staff, indicating the pitch of the notes written on it. clear $1,000).

139

clearance ~ cliff

cleft1 /kleft/ adj. split; partly divided. □ cleft lip (or palate) congenital split in the lip or the roof of the mouth. Cleft2 /kleft/ n. split; fissure. ■ see split n. 2. cle^maftis /klemstis, klamatis/ n. erect or climbing plant bearing white, pink, or purple flowers and feathery seeds. clem*ent /klemant/ adj. 1 mild (clement weather). 2 merciful. □□ clem»en*cy /-mansee/ n. See synonym study at mercy clem«en*tine /klemantln, -teen/ n. small cit¬ rus fruit, similar to a tangerine, clench /klench/ • v. tr. 1 close (teeth or fin¬ gers) tightly. 2 grasp firmly. • n. 1 clench¬ ing action. 2 clenched state. Clere*StO*ry /kleerstawree/ n. (also clear' sto»ry) (pi. -ries) upper row of windows in a cathedral or large church. cler»gy /klarjee/ n. (pi. -gies) [usu. treated as pi] [usu. prec. by the] the body of all persons ordained for religious duties. ■ see MINISTRY 2. cler*gy»man /kldrjeeman/ n. (pi. -men; fem. cler*gy*wom*an, pi. -wonven) member of the clergy. ■ ecclesiastic, churchman, cleric, divine, priest, minister, chaplain, father, pastor, par¬ son. cler»ic /klerik/ n. member of the clergy, clerical /klerikal/ adj. 1 of the clergy or clergymen. 2 of or done by a clerk or clerks. □□ cler'i*cal*ism n. cler'i*cal*ist n. cler'i* cal’ly adv. ■ 1 ecclesiastical, churchly, pastoral, priest¬ ly. 2 white-collar, office, secretarial, steno¬ graphic. clerk /kbrk/ • n. 1 person employed to keep records, accounts, etc. 2 secretary, agent, or record keeper of a municipality, court, etc. • v.intr. work as a clerk. □□ clerk'ish adj. clerk'ly adj. clerk'ship n. an. 1 see bookkeeper. 2 see scribe n. 1. clev»er /klevar/ adj. (clev*er«er, clev»er»est) skillful; talented; quick; adroit; ingenious; cunning. □□ clev'erdy adv. clev'er*ness n. m skilled, gifted, intelligent, brainy, sharp, adept, wise, sage, deft, handy; resourceful, inventive, creative, imaginative; shrewd; see also dexterous. cli»che /kleeshay/ n. (also cli*che') hack¬ neyed phrase or opinion. □□ clinched' adj. ■ stereotype, bromide, truism, platitude, click /klik/ • n. slight, sharp sound. • v. 1 intr. make a click. 2 tr. cause (one’s tongue, heels, etc.) to click. □□ click'er n. ■ n. see snap n. 1. • v. 1 see snap v. 2. cli'ent /kliont/ n. 1 person using the services of a lawyer, architect, social worker, or other professional person. 2 customer. ■ 1 patron; patient. 2 shopper; patron. Cli«en*tele kliantel, kle'eon-/ n. 1 clients col¬ lectively. 2 customers. 3 patrons of a thea¬ ter, etc. ■ 1 patrons, customers. 2 custom, busi¬ ness, trade, patronage. 3 public, audience. cliff /klif/ n. steep rock face, as at the edge of

climacteric ~ clodhopper

140

the sea. □ cliff-hanger very suspenseful story, ending, etc. □□ clifFlike adj. • precipice, bluff, escarpment, scarp. cli*mac»ter»ic /kllmaktorik, klimakterik/ n. supposed critical period in life, as meno¬ pause. clbmate /klimit/ n. 1 prevailing weather con¬ ditions. 2 region with particular weather conditions. 3 prevailing opinion or public feeling. □□ cli*mat*ic /-matik/ adj. cli'mat' i*cal adj. cli*mat'i*cal*ly adv. m 3 consensus; atmosphere; feeling, mood, milieu. Cli*max /kllmaks/ n. 1 event or point of great¬ est intensity or interest; culmination or apex. 2 sexual orgasm. □□ cli»mac*tic /-maktik/ adj. m 1 height, acme, summit, zenith, apogee,

peak.

Climb /klim/ • v. 1

tr. & intr. ascend, mount, go or come up. 2 intr. (of a plant) grow up a wall, tree, trellis, etc., by clinging or twining. 3 intr. make progress from one’s own efforts. • n. 1 ascent by climbing. 2 place, esp. a hill, climbed or to be climbed. □□ climb'a’ble adj. climb'er n. m v. 1 scale, shin (up), clamber up. 2 creep, trail, twine. 3 see progress v. 1. clime /klim/ n. literary 1 region. 2 climate, clinch /klinch/ • v. 1 tr. confirm or settle (an argument, bargain, etc.) conclusively. 2 intr. embrace. 3 tr. secure (a nail or rivet) by driving the point sideways when through. • n. 1 clinching action or state. 2 colloq. em¬ brace. ■ v. 1 secure, determine, conclude, wind up. 2 see embrace v. 1. •«. 2 hug, clasp, squeeze. clinch»er /klinchor/ n. colloq. remark or argu¬ ment that settles a matter conclusively. ■ punch line, coup de grace, si. pay off. Cling /kling/ v.intr. (past and past part, clung /klung/) 1 adhere, stick, or hold on. 2 re¬ main persistently or stubbornly faithful (to a friend, habit, idea, etc.). 3 maintain one’s grasp; keep hold; resist separation. □□ cling' er n. cling'y adj. (cling»i»er, cling*i*est). cling'ing*ly adv. cling'i*ness n. m v. 1 see stick2 4. 2 (ding to) embrace, hang on to, retain, keep, cherish. Clin*iC /klinik/ n. 1 private or specialized hos¬ pital. 2 place or occasion for giving special¬ ist medical treatment or advice. 3 instruc¬ tional session. □□ cli*ni*cian /klinishsn/ n. • 1 see INFIRMARY 1. clin*i*cal /klinikal/ adj.

1 Med. of or for the treatment of patients. 2 dispassionate; de¬ tached. □□ clin'i*cal*ly adv. ■ 2 see cold adj. 4. clink1 /klingk/ • n. sharp ringing sound. • v. 1 intr. make a clink. 2 tr. cause (glasses, etc.) to clink. ■ n. see jingle n. 1. • v. see jingle v. Clink2 /klingk/ n. si. prison (in the clink). clink'er1 /klingkar/ n. 1 mass of slag or lava. 2 stony residue from burned coal. clink*er2 /klingkar/ n. si. mistake or blunder.

clip1 /klip/ • n. 1 device for holding things together or for attachment. 2 piece of jew¬ elry fastened by a clip. 3 set of attached car¬ tridges for a firearm, •v.tr. (clipped, clip* ping) fix with a clip. ■ n. 1 clasp, fastener. • v. attach, hold; sta¬ ple. clip2/klip/ •v.tr. (clipped, clipping) 1 cut with shears or scissors, esp. cut short or trim (hair, wool, etc.). 2 trim or remove the hair or wool of. 3 colloq. hit smartly. 4 cut short or omit. 5 cut (an extract) from a news¬ paper, etc. 6 si. swindle; rob. • n. 1 act of clipping. 2 colloq. smart blow. 3 short se¬ quence from a motion picture. 4 colloq. speed, esp. rapid. □ clip joint si. club, etc., charging exorbitant prices. □□ clip'pa'ble adj. m v.

1 lop (off), crop, snip. 2 shear, fleece. 3 strike, punch, smack. 4 abbreviate, dimin¬ ish, curtail. 6 cheat, si. rook; see also swin¬ dle v. •«. 1 cut, trim. 2 cuff, punch, hit, strike, smack, box. 3 segment, section, part, excerpt. 4 pace, rate. clipboard /klipbawrd/ n. small board with a spring clip for holding papers, etc. clip'per /klipar/ n. 1 instrument for clipping hair, hedges, etc. 2 fast sailing ship. clip*ping /kliping/ n. piece clipped or cut from something, esp. from a newspaper. Clique /kleek/ n. small exclusive group of peo¬ ple. □□ cli'quey adj. (cliqu*i*er, cliqu*i* est). cli’quish adj. cli'quish*ness n. cli' quism n. m set, coterie, crowd, circle, group. Cli»tO*ris /klitaris, klf—/ n. small erectile part of the female genitals at the upper end of the vulva. □□ cli'to*ral adj. Cloak /klok/ • n. 1 outdoor overgarment, usu. sleeveless. 2 covering (cloak of snow). • v.tr. 1 cover with a cloak. 2 conceal; dis¬ guise. ■ n. 1 mantle, cape, robe. 2 mantle, screen, shroud, veil. •v. 1 see dress v. 1. 2 hide, mask; disguise. clob'ber /klobar/ v.tr. si. 1 hit; beat up. 2 de¬ feat. ■ 1 see hit v. la. cloche /klosh/ n. (in full cloche hat) woman’s close-fitting, bell-shaped hat. clock /klok/ • n. 1 instrument for measuring and showing time. 2 any measuring device resembling a clock, •v.tr. 1 colloq. attain or register (a stated time, distance, or speed, esp. in a race). 2 time (a race) with a stop¬ watch. ■ n. 1 see watch n. 1. clock*wise /klokwlz/ adj. & adv. in a curve corresponding in direction to the movement of the hands of a clock. clock-work /klokwark/ n. mechanism of or like that of a clock. □ like clockwork smoothly; regularly; automatically. Clod /klod/ n. 1 lump of earth, clay, etc. 2 si. silly or foolish person. ■ 1 mass, wad, hunk, chunk, piece. 2 idiot, fool, dolt, blockhead, colloq. imbecile, si. jerk, dope. Clod«hop*per /klodhopar/ n. [usu. pi] colloq. large heavy shoe.

clog /klawg, klog/ •

n. shoe with a thick wooden sole. • v. (clogged, clog’ging) 1 tr. obstruct; choke. 2 intr. become obstructed; choke. ■ v. 1 block, congest, jam. clois»ter /kloystsr/ • n. 1 covered walk, often open to a courtyard on one side. 2 monastic life or seclusion. 3 convent or monastery. • v.tr. seclude. □□ clois'tered adj. clois'tral adj.

■ n. 3 see monastery. • v. see isolate 1. □□ cloistered 1 see seclude 2. clomp var. of clump v. 2. clone /klon/ • n. 1 a group of organisms pro¬ duced asexually from one stock or ancestor, b one such organism. 2 person or thing re¬ garded as identical with another. • v.tr. propagate as a clone. □□ clon al adj. mn. 1b, 2 see duplicate n. 1. • v. see imi¬ tate 3. clonk /klongk, klawngk/ • n. abrupt heavy sound of impact. • v. 1 intr. make such a sound. 2 tr. colloq. hit. ■ n. see thud n. ‘v. 1 see thud v. 2 see hit v. la. Close1 /klos/ • adj. 1 situated at only a short distance or interval. 2 a having a strong or immediate relation or connection (close friend), b in intimate association (were very close), c corresponding almost exacdy (close resemblance). 3 in or almost in contact (close combat). 4 dense; compact. 5 in which com¬ petitors are almost equal (close contest). 6 rigorous (close reasoning). 7 concentrated; searching (close attention). 8 (of air, etc.) stuffy or humid. • adv. at only a short dis¬ tance or interval (they live close to us). □ close-knit tightly bound or interlocked; closely united in friendship, close shave colloq. narrow escape, close-up 1 photo¬ graph, etc., taken at close range. 2 intimate description. □□ close'ly adv. close'ness n. m adj.

1 adjacent, near. 2 a, b devoted, fa¬ miliar, inseparable, close-knit; attached, friendly. 4 tight, cramped, compressed. 5 neck and neck, tight. 6 see meticulous. 7 careful, assiduous, precise, detailed, in¬ tense, thorough. 8 oppressive, airless, sti¬ fling, suffocating. • adv. near, in the neigh¬ borhood (of), not far (from or off), adjacent (to); nearby, close by; (close to or on) nearly, almost, practically. □ close-knit see close adj. 2a, b above. close2 /kloz/ •». 1 a tr. shut, b intr. become shut. C tr. block up. 2 tr. & intr. bring or come to an end. 3 intr. end the day’s busi¬ ness. 4 tr. & intr. bring or come closer or into contact. • n. conclusion; end. □ close down discontinue business, close in 1 en¬ close. 2 come nearer, close up 1 move clos¬ er. 2 shut, esp. temporarily. 3 block up. 4 (of an aperture) grow smaller. □□ clos'a* ble adj. clos'er n. ■ ti la close up, seal; lock, secure, fasten. 2 conclude, end, finish; complete, wind up; conclude, terminate. 3 shut. • n. 1 termina¬ tion, finish, completion; culmination. □ close down shut down, go out of business, shut up shop, close in 1 see enclose 1,6.

141

clog ~ cloudy

2 see approach v. 1,2. close up 1 see ap¬ proach v. 1,2. 2 close, lock up. 3 see clog v. ClOsed-cap*tioned • adj. (of a television program) broadcast with captions visible to viewers who have selected a decoding option on their television set. Closed /klozd/ adj. 1 not giving access; shut. 2 (of a store, etc.) having ceased business. 3 not communicating with others. □ closedcircuit (of television) transmitted to a re¬ stricted set of receivers. ■ 3 withdrawn, uncommunicative, aloof, distant. clos*et /klozit/ • n. 1 small room. 2 storage area. • adj. secret; covert (closet drinker). • v. tr. (clos*et*ed, clos»et*ing) shut away. ■ n. 1 see cabinet 1. 2 see wardrobe 1. • adj. see stealthy. ClO»Sure /klOzhar/ n. 1 act or process of clos¬ ing. 2 closed condition, clot /klot/ • n. thick mass of coagulated liq¬ uid, esp. of blood. • v. (clot*ted, doming) form into clots. ■ n. see lump1 n. 1, 2. •v. see coagulate. cloth /klawth, kloth/ n. (pi. cloths /kloths, klothz/) 1 woven or felted material. 2 piece of this. 3 piece of this for a particular pur¬ pose. 4 [prec. by the] the clergy. ■ 1 fabric, textile. clothe /kloth/ v.tr. (past and past part. clothed or formal clad) 1 provide with clothes. 2 cover as with clothes. ■ 1 dress, garb, outfit, formal attire. 2 garb, robe, sheathe, formal attire. clothes /kloz, klothz/ n.pl. garments worn to cover the body and limbs. ■ clothing, wear, dress, wardrobe, colloq. togs, gear, formal attire, apparel, si. threads, duds. clothtier /klotheear/ n. seller of clothes. Clothing /klothing/ n. clothes collectively. Closure /klochsr/ • n. legislative procedure for ending debate and taking a vote. • v. tr. apply cloture. cloud /klowd/ • n. 1 visible mass of con¬ densed watery vapor floating above the ground. 2 mass of smoke or dust. 3 great number of insects, birds, etc. 4 state of gloom, trouble, or suspicion. • v. 1 tr. cover or darken with clouds or gloom or trouble. 2 intr. become overcast or gloomy. □ on cloud nine colloq. extremely happy, under a cloud out of favor, under suspicion, with one’s head in the clouds daydreaming; un¬ realistic. □□ cloud'less adj. cloud'lesstiy adv. cloud'let n. mn. 1,2 see vapor n. 1.3 see swarm n. 13. •v. 1 see shade v. 1, 2. 2 see fog v. 2. □ on cloud nine see happy 1. □□ cloudless clear, sunny, fair. cloud’burst /klowdbarst/ n. sudden violent rainstorm. ClOUd*y /klowdee/ adj. (cloud*i*er, cloudn* est) 1 (of the sky or weather) covered with clouds; overcast. 2 not transparent; unclear. □□ cloud'itiy adv. cloud'i'ness n. m 1 see dull adj. 3. 2 see opaque adj. 1,2.

clout ~ coal

142

Clout /klowt/ • n. 1 heavy blow. 2 colloq. in¬ fluence; power. • v. tr. hit hard. mn. 1 see blow2 1. 2 see influence n. • v. see hit v. la. Clove1 /klov/ n. dried flower bud of a tropical plant used as a pungent aromatic spice. clove2 /klov/ n. any of the small bulbs making up a compound bulb of garlic, shallot, etc. clove3 past of cleave1 . clo»ven /klov’n/ adj. split; partly divided. □□ clo*ven-foot*ed /—fdbtid/ adj. clo*venhoofed /-hobft/ adj. ClO*ver /klOvar/ n. fodder plant. □ in clover in ease and luxury. ■ □ in clover see opulent 1. clown /klown/ • n. 1 comic entertainer, esp. in a pantomime or circus. 2 silly, foolish, or playful person. • v. intr. behave like a clown. □□ clown'er*y n. clown'ish adj. clown ish* ly adv. clown'ish'ness n. mn. 1 jester, fool, zany, comic, comedian, comedienne. 2 buffoon, clod, fool. • v. (clown around) fool (around), play or act the fool, horse around. Cloy /kloy/ v.tr. [usu. foil, by with] satiate or sicken with an excess of sweetness, richness, etc. □□ cloy'ingtiy adv. club /klub/ • n. 1 heavy stick with a thick end, used as a weapon, etc. 2 headed stick used in golf. 3 a playing card of a suit de¬ noted by a black trefoil, b [in pi.] this suit. 4 association of persons meeting periodi¬ cally. 5 members’ organization or premises. 6 organization offering subscribers certain benefits (book club). • v.tr. (clubbed, club* bing) beat with or as with a club. □ club sandwich sandwich with two layers of filling between three slices of toast or bread, club soda = soda n. 2. □□ club'ber n. mn. 1 cudgel, bat, blackjack, bludgeon, billy. 4 society, organization, fraternity, so¬ rority, union, guild, lodge. • v. cudgel, blud¬ geon, bat, belabor, baste, thrash, trounce, colloq. lambaste. Clllbtioot /klubfdOt/ n. congenitally deformed foot. □□ club'foot*ed adj. ClllbtilOUSe /klubhows/ n. premises used by a club. cluck /kluk/ • n. guttural cry like that of a hen. • v.intr. emit a cluck or clucks. Clue /kloo/ • n. 1 fact or idea that serves as a guide, or suggests a line of inquiry, in a prob¬ lem or investigation. 2 piece of evidence. 3 verbal hint in a crossword, •v.tr. (clues, clued, clue*ing or eluting) provide a clue to. mn. 1,2 hint, indication, pointer, lead, sug¬ gestion; inkling; key, answer, indicator, cluetiess /klColis/ adj. colloq. ignorant; stu¬ pid. □□ clue'lesstiy adv. clue'less*ness n. clump /klump/ • n. cluster or mass. • v. 1 a intr. form a clump, b tr. heap or plant to¬ gether. 2 intr. (also clomp /klomp/) walk with heavy tread. □□ clump'y adj. (clump* i*er, clump*i*est). mn. 1 bunch; lump, clot, clod, glob, si. gob. •s. 1b mass, collect, gather, bunch, pile.

clum*sy /klumzee/ adj. (clum*si*er, clum* si*est) 1 awkward in movement or shape; ungainly. 2 difficult to handle or use. 3 tact¬ less. □□ clum'sitiy adv. clum'si*ness n. m 1 ungraceful, gawky, maladroit, inept, bungling, bumbling. 2 see unwieldy. 3 see TACTLESS. clung past and past part, of cling. clunk /klungk/ • n. dull sound as of thick pieces of metal meeting. • v.intr. make such a sound. ■ n. see thud n. • v. see thud v. dustier /klustar/ • n. aggregated or close group or bunch. • v. 1 tr. bring into a clus¬ ter or clusters. 2 intr. be or come into a clus¬ ter or clusters. ■ n. collection, clutch, tuft, bundle; swarm, body, band. •v. 2 collect, gather, bunch, group; throng. clutch1 /kluch/ »v. 1 tr. seize eagerly; grasp tightly. 2 intr. snatch suddenly. • n. 1 a tight grasp, b grasping. 2 [in pi] cruel or relent¬ less grasp or control. 3 a (in a vehicle) de¬ vice for connecting and disconnecting the engine to the transmission, b control oper¬ ating this. ■ v. 1 snatch, grab; hold, grip. 2 grab, grasp, pluck. • n. la hold, grip, lock. 2 (clutches) hold; embrace; domination, in¬ fluence, power. clutch2 /kluch/ n. 1 set of eggs for hatching. 2 brood of chickens. cluttier /khitar/ • n. 1 crowded and untidy collection of things. 2 untidy state, •v.tr. crowd untidily. mn. 1 mess, litter, jumble, hodgepodge. 2 confusion, tangle; see also chaos. • v. mess up, litter, strew. Cm symb. Chem. curium, cm abbr. centimeter(s). Cmdr. abbr. commander. CNS abbr. central nervous system. CO abbr. 1 Colorado (in official postal use). 2 commanding officer. 3 conscientious ob¬ jector. 4 carbon monoxide. Co symb. Chem. cobalt. Co. abbr. 1 company. 2 county, c/o abbr. care of. CO- /ko/ prefix added to: 1 nouns, with the sense ‘joint, mutual, common’ {coauthor). 2 adjectives and adverbs, with the sense ‘jointly, mutually’ {coequal, coequally). 3 verbs, with the sense ‘together with another or others’ {coauthor). coach /koch/ • n. 1 bus, usu. comfortably equipped for longer journeys. 2 railroad car. 3 horse-drawn carriage, usu. closed. 4 in¬ structor or trainer in a sport, etc. • v. tr. train or teach as a coach. m n. 4 tutor; see also teacher. • v. tutor, instruct, guide, direct, drill, prepare, prompt, colloq. cram. CO*ag*U*late /ko-agyalayt/ v. 1 change from a fluid to a solid or semisolid state. 2 clot; curdle. 3 set; solidify. □□ co*ag'u*la*ble adj. co*ag'u*lant n. co*ag*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. co*ag*u*la*tive /-laytiv, -lativ/ adj. co*ag'u*la*tor n. m congeal, gel, colloq. jell, coal /kol/ n. 1 hard black mineral used as

fuel. 2 red-hot piece of coal, wood, etc., in a fire. CO-a-lesce /kSsles/ v.intr. come together and form one whole. □□ co-a-les'cence n. co-ales'cent adj. m see merge. CO-a-li-tion /kOslishan/ n. Polit. temporary al¬ liance for combined action, esp. of political parties. □□ co-a-li'tion-ist n. • see ALLIANCE 1. coarse /kawrs/ adj. 1 rough or loose in tex¬ ture or grain; made of large particles. 2 lack¬ ing refinement; crude; obscene. □□ coarse' ly adv. coarse'ness n. • 1 uneven, scratchy, prickly; crude, roughhewn. 2 boorish, unpolished, unrefined; rude, indecent, lewd, vulgar, gross, smutty, foul. coars-en /kawrsan/ v. make or become coarse. coast /kost/ • n. border of the land near the sea; seashore, •v.intr. 1 ride or move, usu. downhill, without use of power. 2 make progress without much effort. □ the coast is clear there is no danger of being observed or caught. □□ coast'al adj. m n. seaside, shore, beach, littoral. • v. 1 glide, skim, slide, sail. 2 freewheel, coast-er /kostar/ n. small tray or mat for a bottle or glass. COasHine /kOstlin/ n. line of the seashore, coat /kot/ • n. 1 outer garment with sleeves and often extending below the hips. 2 ani¬ mal’s fur, hair, etc. 3 single covering of paint, etc. •v.tr. la provide with a layer or covering, b (as coated adj.) covered with. 2 (of paint, etc.) form a covering to. □ coat of arms heraldic bearings or shield of a per¬ son, family, or corporation. □□ coat'ed adj. [also in comb.}. ■ n. 1 overcoat, topcoat; jacket, anorak, parka. 3 coating, layer, film. • v. la cover, paint, spread, b (coated) see spread v. lb. coat-ing /koting/ n. thin layer or covering of paint, etc. coat-tail /kottayl/ n. back flap of a jacket or coat. coax /koks/ v.tr. 1 persuade (a person) grad¬ ually or by flattery. 2 obtain by coaxing. 3 manipulate (a thing) carefully or slowly, □a coax'er n. coax'ing-ly adv. ■ 1,2 wheedle, cajole, beguile, charm, in¬ veigle. CO-ax-i-al /ko-akseeal/ adj. 1 having a com¬ mon axis. 2 Electr. (of a cable or line) trans¬ mitting by means of two concentric conduc¬ tors separated by an insulator. □□ co-ax'ial-ly adv. cob /kob/ n. 1 = corn cob. 2 sturdy riding or driving horse with short legs. 3 male swan. CO-balt /kobawlt/ n. Chem. silvery-white, magnetic metallic element. |Symb.: Co. o cobalt blue 1 pigment containing a cobalt salt. 2 deep-blue color of this. COb-ble1 /kobal/ • n. (in full cob'ble-stone) small rounded stone of a size used for pav¬ ing. • v.tr. pave with cobbles, cob-ble- /kobal/ v.tr. 1 mend or patch up (esp. shoes). 2 [often foil, by together] join or assemble roughly.

143

coalesce ~ cocoa

COb-bler /koblar/ n. 1 person who mends shoes, esp. professionally. 2 deep-dish fruit pie. CO-bra /kobra/ n. venomous snake of Africa and Asia. cob-web /kobweb/ n. 1 fine network of threads spun by a spider from a liquid se¬ creted by it. 2 thread of this. □□ cob' webbed adj. co-ca /kbka/ n. 1 S. American shrub. 2 its dried leaves, chewed as a stimulant. CO-Caine /kokayn/ n. drug derived from coca or prepared synthetically, used as a local an¬ esthetic and as a stimulant. COC-Cyx /koksiks/ n. (pi. coc-cy-ges /-sijeez/) small triangular bone at the base of the spi¬ nal column in humans and some apes. □□ coc-cyg-e-al /koksijeeal/ adj. cock /kok/ • n. 1 male bird, esp. of a domes¬ tic fowl. 2 a firing lever in a gun. b cocked position of this (at full cock). 3 tap or valve controlling flow. • v. tr. 1 turn or move (the eye or ear) attentively or knowingly. 2 set aslant, or turn up the brim of (a hat). 3 raise the cock of (a gun). □ cock-and-bull story absurd or incredible account. ■ n. 3 see tap1 n. 1. COCk-a-tOO /kokatob/ n. crested parrots. COCk-er /kokar/ n. (in full cock'er span'iel) 1 small spaniel of a breed with a silky coat. 2 this breed. COCk-er-el /kokral/ n. young cock. cock-eyed /kokfd/ adj. colloq. 1 crooked; askew; not level. 2 (of a scheme, etc.) ab¬ surd; not practical. ■ 1 see lopsided. 2 see stupid adj. 2. COCk'fight /kokfit/ n. fight between cocks as sport. □□ cock'fight-ing n. COCk-le /kokal/ n. 1 bivalve edible mollusk. 2 (in full cock le-shell) its shell. □ warm the cockles of one’s heart make one con¬ tented; be satisfying. cock-ney /koknee/ n. (pi. -neys) 1 native of London, esp. of the East End. 2 dialect or accent typical of this area. □□ cock'ney-ism n.

cock-pit /kokpit/ n. 1 compartment for the pilot (or the pilot and crew) of an airplane or other craft. 2 place where cockfights are held. cock-roach /kokroch/ n. flat brown vermin¬ ous insect. cock-sure /kokshcbr/ adj. presumptuously or arrogantly confident. □□ cock'sure'ly adv. cock'sure'ness n. m see confident. cock-tail /koktayl/ n. 1 usu. alcoholic drink made by mixing various spirits, fruit juices, etc. 2 dish of mixed ingredients (fruit cock¬ tail). 3 any hybrid mixture. COCk-y /kokee/ adj. (cock-i-er, cock-i-est) 1 conceited; arrogant. 2 saucy; impudent. □□ cock'i-ly adv. cock'i-ness n. • 1 overconfident, haughty, self-important, egotistical, proud. 2 saucy; see also impu¬ dent. CO-CO /koko/ n. (pi. co-cos) coconut palm. co-coa /k6ko/ n. 1 powder made from

coconut ~ cognizance

144

crushed cacao seeds, often with other ingre¬ dients. 2 hot drink made from this. □ cocoa butter fatty substance obtained from cocoa beans. CO*CO*nut /kOkanut/ n. (also co'coa*nut) large ovate brown seed of the coco, with a hard shell and edible white fleshy lining en¬ closing a milky juice. CO'COOn /kako’on/ n. 1 silky case spun by many insect larvae for protection as pupae. 2 protective covering. COD abbr. 1 cash on delivery. 2 collect on delivery. COd /kod/ n. {pi. same) large marine fish used as food. □ cod-liver oil oil pressed from the fresh liver of cod, which is rich in vitamins D and A. CO*da /k6da/ n. 1 Mus. concluding passage of a piece or movement. 2 concluding event or series of events. COd*dle /kod’l/ v.tr. 1 treat as an invalid; pro¬ tect attentively. 2 cook (an egg) in water be¬ low boiling point. □□ cod'dler n. • 1 pamper, baby, cosset, mollycoddle, in¬ dulge. code /kod/ • n. 1 system of words, letters, figures, or symbols, used to represent others for secrecy or brevity. 2 system of laws, etc. 3 standard of moral behavior. • v. tr. put into code. m n. 1 cipher. 2 rule(s), constitution. 3 practice(s), convention(s), criteria, princi¬ ple^). •v. encode, encipher, encrypt. CO'deine /kodeen/ n. analgesic alkaloid from morphine. CO»dex /kOdeks/ n. (pi. co*di*ces /kodiseez, kod-/) ancient manuscript text in book form. COd’fish /kodfish/ n. = cod. COd»ger /kojar/ n. (usu. in old codger) colloq. person, esp. an old or strange one. COd*i*cil /kodisil/ n. addition explaining, modifying, or revoking a will or part of one. □□ cod*i*cil*la*ry /kodisilaree/ adj. COd*i*fy /kodifi, kod-/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) ar¬ range (laws, etc.) systematically. □□ cod*i* fi’ca'tion n. cod'i»fi*er n. COd’piece /kodpees/ n. hist, appendage like a small bag or flap at the front of a man’s breeches. CO*ed /ko-ed, -ed/ colloq. • n. female student at a coeducational institution. • adj. coedu¬ cational. CO*ed*U*ca*tion /koejOOkayshan/ n. educa¬ tion of pupils of both sexes together. □□ co* ed*u*ca'tion*al adj. CO*ef*fi*Cient /kOifishant/ n. 1 Math, quan¬ tity placed before and multiplying an alge¬ braic expression (e.g., 4 in 4x?). 2 Physics multiplier or factor that measures some property (coefficient of expansion). COe*len*ter»ate /seelentarayt, -tarit/ n. ma¬ rine animal with a simple tube-shaped or cup-shaped body, e.g., jellyfish. CO'erce /ko-drs/ v. tr. persuade or restrain by force (coerced you into signing). See synonym study at compel, do co*er'ci*ble adj. co* er*cion /ko-arzhan, -shan/ n. co*er'cive adj.

■ see force v. 1. □□ coercion see force n.

2. CO*e»val /ko-e'eval/ • adj. 1 having the same age or date of origin. 2 existing at the same epoch. • n. coeval person; contemporary. □ □ co*e*val*i*ty /-valitee/ n. co*e'val*ly adv.

CO*ex»ist/koigzist/ v. intr. 1 exist together (in time or place). 2 (esp. of nations) exist in mutual tolerance. □□ co*ex*ist'ence n. co* ex*is'tent adj. CO*ex*ten*sive /koikstensiv/ adj. extending over the same space or time. COf'fee /kawfee, kofee/ n. la drink made from the roasted and ground beanlike seeds of a tropical shrub, b cup of this. 2 a the shrub, b its seeds. 3 pale brown color. □ coffee break short rest from work, coffee cake type of cake or sweetened bread, often served with coffee, coffee shop small in¬ formal restaurant, coffee table small low table. COf*fee*house /kawfeehows, kof-/ n. place serving coffee and other refreshments, often with informal entertainment. CoMer /kawfar, kof-/ n. 1 large strongbox for valuables. 2 [in pi] treasury or store of funds. □□ coffered adj. • 1 see safe n. 2 (coffers) see treasury 1. COf*fer*dam /kawfardam, kof-/ n. watertight enclosure pumped dry to permit work below the waterline. cof'fin /kawfin, kof-/ n. long, narrow, usu. wooden box in which a corpse is buried or cremated. ■ casket; sarcophagus. cog /kawg, kog/ n. 1 each of a series of pro¬ jections on the edge of a wheel or bar trans¬ ferring motion by engaging with another se¬ ries. 2 unimportant worker. □□ cogged adj. ■ 1 tooth, sprocket. 2 underling, pawn, nonentity. CO*gent /kojant/ adj. (of arguments, reasons, etc.) convincing; compelling. □□ co*gen*cy /-jansee/ n. co'gent*ly adv. m see persuasive. □□ cogency see force n. 4. COg»i»tate /kojitayt/ v. ponder; meditate. □□ cog*i*ta*tion /-tayshan/ n. cog'i*ta*tive adj. cog'i*ta*tor n. m see ponder. □□ cogitative see thought¬ ful 1. COg*nac /kawnyak, kon-/ n. high-quality brandy, properly that distilled in Cognac in W. France. COg*nate /kognayt/ • adj. 1 related to or de¬ scended from a common ancestor. 2 Philol. (of a word) having the same derivation. • n. cognate word. □□ cog'nate*ly adv. m adj. 1 see like1 adj. 1. COg*ni*tion /kognishan/ n. 1 Philos, know¬ ing, perceiving, or conceiving as an act or faculty. 2 a result of this. □□ cog*ni'tion*al adj. cog*ni*tive /kognitiv/ adj. ■ 1 see KNOWLEDGE 1. COg*ni*zance kognizans/ n. knowledge or awareness; perception; sphere of one’s obser¬ vation or concern. ■ notice, consciousness, mindfulness; scope, province, domain.

COg*ni*zant /kognizant/ adj. [foil, by of] hav¬ ing knowledge or being aware of. COg*no*men /kognOmen/ n. nickname. Cog*Wheel /koghweel, -weel/ n. wheel with cogs. CO*hab»it /kohabit/ v.intr. (-it*ed, -it’ing) live together, esp. as an unmarried couple. □□ co*hab'it*ant n. co*hab*i*ta'tion n. CO*here /koheer/ v.intr. 1 (of parts or a whole) stick together; remain united. 2 (of reasoning, etc.) be logical or consistent. ■ 1 see stick2 v. 4. 2 hold, hang together. CO»her»ent /kohe'erant, -her-/ adj. 1 intelligi¬ ble and articulate. 2 (of an argument, etc.) consistent. 3 Physics (of waves) having a fixed phase relationship. □□ co*her*ence /-rans/ n. co'her'ency n. co*her'enfly adv. ■ 1,2 orderly, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible, well-ordered; lucid, clear. □□ co¬ herence see unity 1. CO*he*Sion /kohe'ezhan/ n. tendency to co¬ here. □□ co*he*sive /-he'esiv/ adj. co*he* sive*ly /-heesivlee/ adv. co*he*sive*ness /—he'esivnis/ n. CO»hort /kohawrt/ n. 1 band of warriors. 2 persons banded or grouped together, esp. in a common cause. ■ 1 troop, squad, squadron, platoon, bri¬ gade, unit. 2 company, band, group, faction, set, body, corps. COiMure /kwaafyobr/ • n. hairstyle. • v. (also coif) provide a coiffure, coil /koyl/ • n. 1 anything arranged in a joined sequence of concentric circles; rope, etc. 2 Electr. device consisting of a coiled wire for converting low voltage to high volt¬ age. 3 piece of wire, piping, etc., wound in circles or spirals. • v. 1 tr. arrange in a series of concentric loops or rings. 2 tr. & intr. twist or be twisted into a circular or spiral shape. 3 intr. move sinuously. ■ n. 1 circle, loop, twist; whorl, spiral, he¬ lix. • v. 1,2 wind, snake, wrap, spiral. 3 see wind2 v. 1. coin /koyn/ • n. 1 piece of flat, usu. round metal stamped and issued by authority as money. 2 [collect.] metal money, mv.tr. 1 make (coins) by stamping. 2 invent or de¬ vise (esp. a new word or phrase). □□ coin' age n. an. 2 specie; change, cash, silver. • v. 1 mint, stamp. 2 make up, create, conceive, originate, fabricate. □□ coinage 3 see NEOL¬ OGISM. CO*in*cide /koinsid/ v.intr. 1 occur at or dur¬ ing the same time. 2 occupy the same por¬ tion of space. 3 be in agreement. ■ 1,2 fall or come or go together, co-occur, synchronize. 3 agree, (be in) accord, colloq. jibe; correspond, match. co*in*ci*dence /ko-insidans/ n. 1 a occur¬ ring or being together, b instance of this. 2 remarkable concurrence of events or cir¬ cumstances, apparently by chance. ■ 1 simultaneity, correspondence, concur¬ rence, contemporaneity. 2 chance, fluke, ac¬ cident, luck. CO*in*ci*den»tal /ko-insident’l/ adj. in the nature of or resulting from a coincidence. □□ co*in«ci*den'taWy adv.

145 cognizant ~ cold-hearted ■ chance, fortuitous, accidental, unex¬ pected. CO*i*tUS /kO-itos, ko-e'e-/ n. Med. sexual inter¬ course. □□ co'i*tal adj. Coke1 /kok/ n. solid substance left after the gases have been extracted from coal. coke2 /kok/ n. si. cocaine. Col. abbr. 1 colonel. 2 Colossians (NewTestament). COl- /kol/ prefix assim. form of COM-before /. COLA /kola/ abbr. cost-of-living adjustment or allowance. CO»la /kola/ n. (alsoko'la) 1 small tree, native to W. Africa, bearing seeds containing caf¬ feine. 2 carbonated drink usu. flavored with these seeds. COl*an*der /kulandar, kol-/ n. perforated ves¬ sel used to strain off liquid in cookery, cold /kold/ • adj. 1 of or at a low or relatively low temperature. 2 not heated. 3 feeling cold. 4 lacking ardor, friendliness, or affec¬ tion. 5 depressing; uninteresting. 6 a dead, b colloq. unconscious. 7 (in games) far from finding what is sought. • n. la prevalence of a low temperature, esp. in the atmosphere, b cold weather or environment. 2 infection of the nose or throat, causing sneezing, sore throat, etc. • adv. completely; entirely (stopped cold). □ cold cream ointment for cleansing and softening the skin, cold cuts slices of cold cooked meats, cold feet colloq. loss of nerve, cold shoulder intentional un¬ friendliness. cold sore viral inflammation and blisters in and around the mouth, cold turkey si. abrupt withdrawal from addictive drugs, cold war state of hostility between nations without actual fighting, in cold blood without feeling or passion; deliber¬ ately. out in the cold ignored; neglected. □□ cold'ish adj. cold'ly adv. cold'ness n. ■ adj. 1 chilly, frosty, icy, freezing, frigid, ice-cold, stone-cold, bitter, raw, keen, biting, gelid, wintry, glacial. 3 freezing, frozen, stone-cold. 4 indifferent, apathetic, chilly, cool, icy, dispassionate, unsympathetic, aloof, unresponsive, clinical, spiritless, frigid, unfriendly; cold-blooded, insensitive, uncar¬ ing, unemotional, undemonstrative, re¬ served. 5 cheerless, gloomy, dispiriting, deadening. 6 a see dead adj. 1. b see dead adj. 4. 7 off the track, far away, distant. • n. 1 coldness, frigidity, iciness. 2 common cold, sniffle(s), Med. coryza,, si. bug. • adv. thoroughly, absolutely, unhesitatingly, promptly, immediately. cold-blood'ed /koldbludid/ adj. 1 having a body temperature varying with that of the environment. 2 callous; deliberately cruel. □□ cold'-blood'ed'ly adv. cold'-blood'ed* ness n. ■ 2 brutal, savage, inhuman, barbarous; thick-skinned, insensitive, heartless, un¬ caring. COld-heart*ed /kbldhaartid/ adj. lacking af¬ fection or warmth; unfriendly. □□ cold'heart'ed'ly adv. cold'-heart'ed*ness n. ■ unsympathetic, indifferent, unfeeling, un¬ caring, callous, thick-skinned, heartless.

coleslaw ~ colloquium

146

COle*Slaw /kolslaw/

n. dressed salad of sliced raw cabbage. CO*le*US /koleeas/ n. decoradve plant with variegated leaves. COl*ic /kolik/ n. severe spasmodic abdominal pain. □□ col'ick'y adj. cobi*se*um /kolise'eam/ n. large stadium. CO»li*tiS /kalitis/ n. inflammation of the lining of the colon. COMab*0*rate /kalabarayt/ v.irttr. 1 work jointly. 2 cooperate traitorously with an en¬ emy. □□ col*lab*o*ra*tion /-rayshan/ n. coblab*o*ra'tion*ist n. & adj. col*lab*o* ra*tive /-raytiv -rativ/ adj. coblab'o*ra*tor n.

a 1 cooperate, join (forces), work together, team up. coblage /kala'azh/ n. work of art in which var¬ ious materials are arranged and glued to a backing. □□ coblag'ist n. coblapse /kalaps/ • n. 1 tumbling down or falling in of a structure. 2 sudden failure. 3 physical or mental breakdown. • v. 1 a intr. undergo or experience a collapse, b tr. cause to collapse. 2 intr. colloq. lie or sit down and relax. 3 tr. & intr. fold. □□ cob lap'sbble adj. coblap*si*bil'i*ty n. an. 1 cave-in, breakdown; see also ruin n. 3. 2 downfall, ruin; bankruptcy. 3 (mental or nervous) breakdown. • v. la crumple, cave in, deflate; fail, (come to an) end, go bankrupt, go under; pass out, faint, drop. coblar /kolar/ • n. 1 part of a garment, that goes around the neck. 2 band of leather or other material put around an animal’s neck. 3 encircling part, device, etc. •v.tr. 1 seize (a person) by the collar or neck. 2 capture; apprehend. □□ collared adj. [also in comb.], col'lardess adj. coblar»bone /kolarbon/ n. either of two bones joining the breastbone and the shoul¬ der blades; the clavicle. COblate /kalayt, kolayt, k6-/ v.tr. 1 compare (texts, statements, etc.). 2 arrange in proper sequence. □□ col'la*tor n. a 1 see separate v. 4. COblat*er»al /kalataral/ • n. 1 security pledged as a guarantee for repayment of a loan. 2 person having the same descent as another but by a different line. • adj. 1 de¬ scended from the same stock but by a differ¬ ent line. 2 side by side; parallel. 3 a addi¬ tional but subordinate, b contributory. □□ col*lat'er*al*ly adv. an. 1 see security 3. • adj. 3 see extra adj. CObla»tion /kalayshan, ko-/ n. 1 collating. 2 light meal. cobleague /koleeg/ n. fellow official or work¬ er. ■ teammate, coworker; associate, comrade. COblect /kalekt/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. bring or come together; assemble; accumulate. 2 tr. systematically seek and acquire, esp. as a hobby. 3 tr. obtain (taxes, contributions, etc.). 4 a refl. regain control of oneself, b tr. concentrate (one’s thoughts, etc.), c tr. (as collected adj.) not perturbed nor distracted. See synonym study at gather. • adj. & adv.

to be paid for by the receiver (of a telephone call, parcel, etc.). □□ col*Iect'a*ble adj. col* lect'ed'ly adv. a v. 1 gather, amass, compile; convene, meet. 4 a see compose 4a. b summon (up), muster, gather (up). C (collected) calm, se¬ rene, controlled, cool; confident. COMecbbble /kalektibal/ • adj. worth col¬ lecting. • n. item sought by collectors. COWeC'tion /kalekshan/ n. 1 collecting or being collected. 2 things collected. 3 money collected, esp. in church or for a charitable cause. ■ 1 accumulation, amassment, aggregation. 2 hoard, store; anthology. 3 contribution(s), alms. COMec*tive /kalektiv/ • adj. 1 taken as a whole; aggregate. 2 of or from several or many individuals; common. • n. 1 coopera¬ tive enterprise. 2 = collective noun. □ collec¬ tive bargaining negotiation of wages, etc., by an organized body of employees, collec¬ tive noun Gram, noun that denotes a collec¬ tion or number of individuals (e.g., assembly, family, troop). □□ coblec'tive*ly adv. col* lec'tive*ness n. a adj. 1 see joint adj. 2 see common adj. 2. COl*lec*tiv*ism /kalektivizam/ n. theory and practice of the collective ownership of land and the means of production. □□ coblec' tivfist n. coblec*tiv*is'tic adj. coblec'tor /kalektar/ n. 1 person who col¬ lects things of interest as a hobby. 2 person who collects money, etc., due. a 1 gatherer, accumulator, hoarder, college /kolij/ n. 1 establishment for further or higher education, sometimes part of a uni¬ versity. 2 establishment for specialized pro¬ fessional education {naval college). 3 orga¬ nized body of persons with shared functions and privileges {college of cardinals). □□ col* le*gi*al /kale'ejal/ adj. COl*le*giate /kale'ejat/ adj. constituted as or belonging to a college; corporate. □□ coble' giate*ly adv. COblide /kalid/ v. intr. come into collision or conflict. a {collide with) crash into, smash into; run into, bump into, smack into; see conflict v. COblie /kolee/ n. longhaired dog orig. of a Scottish breed. COl*lier»y /kolyaree/ n. {pi. -ies) coal mine and its buildings. COblbsion /kalizhan/ n. 1 violent impact of a moving body with another or with a fixed ob¬ ject. 2 clashing of opposed interests or con¬ siderations. a 1 smash, crash. 2 clash, conflict; see also struggle n. 2. COMoid /koloyd/ n. 1 Chem. substance con¬ sisting of ultramicroscopic particles sus¬ pended in a liquid or other medium. □□ cob lobdal /kaloyd’l/ adj. COblo*qui*al /kalokweeal/ adj. of ordinary or familiar conversation. □□ coblo'qubabism n. coblo'qubably adv. a see vernacular adj. COblo*qui*um /kalokweeam/ n. (pi. coblo* qubums or col*lo*qui*a A-kweea/) aca¬ demic conference or seminar.

COblo»quy /kobkwee/ n. (pi. -quies) conver¬ sation; talk. See synonym study at conversa¬ tion. COMude /kalcbd/ v.intr. come to an under¬ standing or conspire together. □□ coMud' er n. col*lu*sion /kslobzhan/ n. coblu«sive /-lobsiv/ adj. coblu'sive'ly adv. ■ see plot v. 2. □□ collusion see intrigue n. 1. Colo. abbr. Colorado. CO'logne /kalOn/ n. perfumed water for the face, etc. cotion1 /k6bn/ n. punctuation mark (:), used esp. to set off something to follow. CO»lon2 /kobn/ n. Anat. lower and greater part of the large intestine. □□ co*lon»ic /kalonik/ adj. CObo*nel /ksrnal/ n. military officer, just be¬ low a brigadier general in rank, oo colo'nel* cy n. (pi. -cies). CO»lo*n*ial /kaloneeal/ • adj. 1 pertaining to a colony or colonies. 2 (esp. of architecture or furniture) built or in the style of the pe¬ riod in America before independence. • n. native or inhabitant of a colony. □□ cotio'nh ably adv. CO*IO*ni*abism /kaioneealizam/ n. policy of acquiring or maintaining colonies, esp. for economic advantage. □□ co*lo'ni*abist n. ■ neocolonialism, usu. derog. imperialism. COl*0*nize /kobniz/ v.tr. establish a colony or colonies in (a country or area). □□ col*o*ni* za'tion n. col'o*niz*er n. ■ see SETTLE 10. cobonmade /kolanayd/ n. row of columns, esp. supporting an entablature or roof. □□ cobon'nad'ed adj. ■ see portico. cobo^ny /kolanee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 group of setders or setdement in a new country fully or partly subject to the mother country. 2 people of one nationality, race, occupation, etc., forming a community. 3 Biol, collection of animals, plants, etc., connected, in con¬ tact, or living close together, on col'o*nist n.

m 1 see settlement 2. oo colonist see set¬ tler (settle).

CObo*phon /kolafon, -fan/ n. publisher’s identifying device or imprint, as on a title page, etc. color /kubr/ • n. 1 sensation produced by visible wavelengths of light. 2 one, or any mixture, of the constituents into which light can be separated as in a spectrum or rain¬ bow. 3 coloring substance, esp. paint. 4 use of colors, as in photography and television. 5 pigmentation of the skin, esp. when dark. 6 ruddiness. 7 \pl.} appearance or aspect (see things in their true colors). 8 \pl. ] flag, insigna, etc. 9 quality or mood in art, speech, etc. • v. 1 tr. apply color to. 2 tr. influence. 3 tr. misrepresent; exaggerate. 4 intr. take on color; blush. □ color-blind 1 unable to dis¬ tinguish certain colors. 2 ignoring racial prejudice, color-blindness condition of be¬ ing color-blind, show one’s true colors re¬ veal one’s true character or intentions. □□ cobor*a'tion n. an. 2 hue, tint, shade, tone, tinge, tincture.

147

colloquy ~ com-

3 pigmentation, pigment, dye. 5 coloration, coloring. 6 bloom, flush, blush. 7 (colors) identity, light. 8 (colors) ensign, standard, pennant. 9 see character n. 1. • v. 1 tint, dye, stain, paint; pigment. 2 affect, bias; see also influence v. 3 distort, falsify, taint, warp, twist. 4 redden, flush, become red¬ faced. CObor»a*tU*ra /kularatobra, -tyobr-/ n. 1 elaborate ornamentation of a vocal melody. 2 soprano skilled in this. cobored /kubrd/ adj. 1 having color(s). 2 often ojfens. wholly or partly of nonwhite descent. CObor*fast /kularfast/ adj. dyed in colors that will not fade nor be washed out. □□ col'or* fast»ness n. Cobor*ful /kubrfOOl/ adj. 1 having much or varied color; bright. 2 vivid; lively. □□ col' or*ful*ly adv. col'or*fubness n. a 1 see vivid 1. 2 see dramatic (drama). coborting /kularing/ it. 1 process of or skill in using color(s). 2 appearance as regards color, esp. complexion, cobortize /kiilanz/ v.tr. add color to (orig. black-and-white film) with computer tech¬ nology. cobortiess /kubrlis/ adj. 1 without color. 2 lacking character or interest. 3 dull or pale in hue. □□ col'ortiesstiy adv. ■ 1,3 pallid, white; wan, washed out, ashen. 2 dull, drab, lifeless, boring, tedious, bland, lackluster, uninspired. CO»los»Sal /kslosal/ adj. 1 huge; gigantic. 2 colloq. remarkable; splendid. 3 Archit. (of an order) having more than one story of columns. ■ 1 vast, enormous, giant, mammoth, mas¬ sive, gargantuan, immense. 2 spectacular, stupendous, wonderful, awe-inspiring, extra¬ ordinary, incredible, overwhelming, unbe¬ lievable, fantastic. co*los»SUS /kalosas/ n. (pi. co*los*si /—si/ or co*los"sus*es) 1 gigantic statue. 2 gigantic or important person or thing. co»los»to»my /kalostamee/ n. (pi. -mies) Surgery operation on the colon to make an artificial anus in the abdominal wall, colt /kolt/ n. young, uncastrated male horse. CObum*bine /kobmbin/ n. garden plant hav¬ ing drooping belled flowers, cobumn /kobm/ n. 1 Archit. upright, usu. cylindrical pillar. 2 column-shaped struc¬ ture or part. 3 vertical cylindrical mass of liquid or vapor. 4 vertical division of a page, etc., containing a sequence of figures or words. 5 regular newspaper feature devoted to a particular subject. 6 arrangement of troops or ships in successive lines, with a nar¬ row front. □□ co*lum*nar /lolumnar/ adj. col'umned adj. ■ 1-3 see pillar 1. 5 see editorial. CObum»nist /kobmnist, -mist/ n. journalist contributing regularly to a newspaper, com /kom/ • abbr. used by commercial orga¬ nizations in Internet addresses, com- /kom, kam, kum/ prefix (also co-, col-, con-, cor-) with; together; jointly.

coma ~ come

148

CO*ma /k6ma/ n. prolonged deep uncon¬ sciousness. ■ see stupor. Co*man*che /komanchee/ n. 1 a N. Ameri¬ can people native to the western plains, b member of this people. 2 language of this people. CO»ma»tOse /kOmatos, kom-/ adj. 1 in a coma. 2 lethargic. ■ 1 see unconscious adj. 2 see lethargic (lethargy). comb /kom/ • n. 1 toothed strip of rigid ma¬ terial for grooming hair. 2 tool having a sim¬ ilar design. 3 red, fleshy crest of esp. male fowl. •v.tr. 1 groom (hair) with a comb. 2 dress (wool or flax) with a comb. 3 search (a place) thoroughly. ■ v. 3 see search v. 1, 3. cormbat • n. /kombat, kum-/ 1 armed con¬ flict; battle. 2 struggle; contest. • v. /kombat, kombat/ 1 intr. engage in combat. 2 tr. engage in combat with. 3 tr. oppose, o combat fatigue mental disorder caused by stress in wartime combat. ■ n. 1 fight, engagement, fighting, skir¬ mish. 2 strife, controversy, dispute, quarrel, disagreement, confrontation. • v. 1 fight, (do) battle, war, clash, contend, duel, wres¬ tle, spar, grapple. 3 fight, struggle or strive against, defy. □ combat fatigue shell shock. COm*bat»ant /kambat’nt, kombat’nt/ • n. person engaged in fighting. • adj. 1 fighting. 2 for fighting. COm*bat*ive /kambativ/ adj. ready or eager to fight. ■ see pugnacious. COm*bi»na»tion /kombinayshan/ n. 1 a com¬ bining; process of being combined. 2 com¬ bined state (in combination with). 3 com¬ bined set of things or people. 4 sequence of numbers used to open a combination lock. □ combination lock lock that opens only by a specific sequence of movements. ■ 1 union, conjunction, mixture, mix, grouping, amalgamation, compound; blend. 2 conjunction, tandem; see also association 2. 3 array; association, alliance, coalition, union, federation, confederation. COm»bine • v. /kambin/ 1 tr. & intr. join to¬ gether; unite. 2 tr. possess (qualities usually , distinct) together. 3 intr. form or cause to form a chemical compound. • n. /kombln/ combination of esp. commercial interests. □ combine harvester /kombin/ machine that reaps and threshes, combining form Gram, linguistic element used with another element to form a word (e.g., bio- = life, -graphy = writing). ■ v. 1 unify, connect, relate, link, integrate, merge, pool; join forces. 2 see fuse1 v. 3 blend, synthesize, bind, bond, mingle, amalgamate, mix. COm*bo /kombo/ n. (pi. -bos) si. small jazz or dance band. COm»bus*ti»ble /kambustibal/ • adj. capable of or used for burning. • n. combustible sub¬ stance. □□ com*bus*ti*bil'i*ty n. a adj. see flammable.

com*bus»tion /kambuschan/

n. 1 burning; consumption by fire. 2 Chem. development of light and heat from the chemical combina¬ tion of a substance with oxygen. □□ com* bus*tive /-bustiv/ adj. Comdr. abbr. commander, come /kum/ v.intr. (past came /kaym/; past part, come) 1 move, be brought toward, or reach a place. 2 reach or be brought to a specified situation or result (you ’ll come to no harm, came into prominence). 3 reach or ex¬ tend to a specified point. 4 traverse or ac¬ complish (have come a long way). 5 occur; happen (how did you come to break your leg?). 6 take or occupy a specified position in space or time (it comes on the third page). 7 become perceptible or known (the news comes as a sur¬ prise). 8 be available (comes in three sizes). 9 become (the handle has come loose). 10 [foil, by from, of] a be descended from (comes from a rich family). b be the result of (that comes of complaining). 11 [in subj.] colloq. when a specified time is reached (come next month). □ come about happen; take place, come across 1 a be effective or understood, b ap¬ pear or sound in a specified way (the ideas came across clearly). 2 meet or find by chance (came across an old jacket), come along 1 make progress. 2 [as imper.] hurry up. come around 1 pay an informal visit. 2 re¬ cover consciousness. 3 be converted to an¬ other opinion, come away become detached or broken off. come back 1 return. 2 recur to one’s memory. 3 become fashionable or popular again. 4 reply; retort, come be¬ tween 1 interfere with the relationship of. 2 separate; prevent contact between, come by 1 pass; go past. 2 call on; visit. 3 acquire; obtain, come down 1 lose position or wealth. 2 reach a decision or recommenda¬ tion (the report came down against change). 3 [foil, by to] signify; be dependent on (a fac¬ tor) (it comes down to who is willing to go). 4 [foil, by on] criticize harshly. 5 [foil, by with] begin to suffer from (a disease), come in 1 take a specified position in a race, etc. (came in third). 2 a have a useful role or func¬ tion. b prove to be (came in very handy). 3 begin speaking, esp. in radio transmission, come into receive, esp. as heir, come off 1 colloq. (of an action) succeed; be accomp¬ lished. 2 fare; turn out (came off badly, came off the winner). 3 be detached or detachable (from), come off it [as imper.] colloq. expres¬ sion of disbelief or refusal to accept another’s opinion, behavior, etc. come on 1 a ad¬ vance, esp. to attack, b [foil, by to] make sex¬ ual advances. 2 be heard or seen on televi¬ sion, on the telephone, etc. 3 [as imper.] expressing encouragement, come-on n. si. lure or enticement, come out 1 a emerge; become known, b end; turn out. 2 appear or be published. 3 a declare oneself; make a de¬ cision (came out in favor of joining), b openly declare that one is a homosexual. 4 turn out in a specified way (esp. the subject of a pho¬ tograph). 5 (of a stain, etc.) be removed, come over 1 (of a feeling, etc.) overtake or affect (a person). 2 affect or influence (I don’t know what came over me), come

through 1 be successful; survive. 2 survive or overcome (a difficulty), come to 1 re¬ cover consciousness. 2 Naut. bring a vessel to a stop. 3 reach in total; amount to. 4 have as a destiny; reach (what is the world coming to?). 5 be a question of (when it comes to wine, he is an expert), come to pass happen; occur, come to rest cease moving, come up 1 (of an issue, problem, etc.) arise; present itself. 2 [foil, by with] produce (an idea, etc.), come up against be faced with or opposed by. come upon 1 meet or find by chance. 2 attack by surprise, come what may no matter what happens. ■ 1 approach, advance, (draw) near, move closer, archaic or dial, draw nigh; arrive, ap¬ pear, make or put in an appearance, turn or show up, colloq. blow in. 3 stretch or spread (out), range, go. 5 see chance1 v. 2. 9 see become 1. 10 a see spring v. 3. b see spring v. 4. □ come about occur, disp. transpire, poet, befall, come across 1 be communicat¬ ed or understandable, penetrate, sink in; go over, be received. 2 discover, encounter, ran across or into, happen or chance upon, hit or light upon, stumble (up)on. come along 1 do, progress, move along, literary fare; see also get on 1. 2 see hurry v. 1. come around 1 see visit v. 1. 2 see come to 1 be¬ low. come away see detach 1. come back 1 see return v. 1. 4 answer, respond, rejoin, remrn. come between 1 see interfere 2. 2 see separate v. 1. come by 1 move or pro¬ ceed past. 2 see call v. 4. 3 get, procure; se¬ cure, find, take or get possession of, get or lay hold of, get or lay or put (one’s) hands on; win, earn, attain, come down 3 see depend 1. 4 (come down on) punish, pounce on or upon, rebuke, revile, reprimand, bear down on. 5 (come down with) succumb to, con¬ tract, catch, be afflicted with, get, archaic be stricken with, come in 1 finish, end up, ar¬ rive. 2 b be, turn out (to be), come into see receive 1, 2. come off 1 occur, happen, come to pass, take place. 2 emerge, result as, end up; see also fare v. 3 see detach 1. come on 2 appear, come-on attraction, in¬ ducement, temptation, bait, come out 1 a be revealed, become public or common knowledge, get about or around, get or leak out. b conclude, terminate, finish. 2 be is¬ sued or produced or distributed, be shown, be in print, premiere. 3 a see decide 1. b come out of the closet. 5 go, vanish, disap¬ pear. come over 1 see overtake 2, affect la. come through 1 succeed, not fail or dis¬ appoint; get well or better. 2 recover from, recuperate from, come to 1 regain con¬ sciousness, awake(n), revive, wake up, come around. 3 add up to, total, aggregate, (be) equal (to), mount up to, tot up to, make. 5 regard, concern, relate to, involve, be rele¬ vant to, be involved, come to pass see hap¬ pen v. 1. come to rest see stop v. 3. come up 1 surface, be brought up, be broached, crop up. 2 see think up. come up against face, experience, meet (with), contend with, come into contact with, wrestle with, come upon 1 see stumble v. 4. Come»back /kumbak/ n. 1 return to a previ-

149

comeback ~ comm.

ous (esp. successful) state. 2 si. retaliation or retort. ■ 1 see revival1 1,3. 2 see retort n. CO»me*di»an /kame'edeeon/ n. humorous en¬ tertainer. ■ comic, humorist, wit, wag, funny man or woman. CO*me*di*enne /kame'edee-en/ n. female co¬ median. come-down /kumdown/ n. 1 loss of status; decline or degradation. 2 disappointment. COm*e*dy /komidee/ n. (pi. -dies) 1 a amus¬ ing or satirical play, film, etc. b dramatic genre of such works. 2 humor, esp. in a work of art, etc. □□ co*me*dic /kame'edik/ adj. ■ 2 see humor n. 1. comedy /kumlee/ adj. fcome*li*er, come*li* est) pleasant to look at; lovely. □□ come'li* ness n. CO»mes*ti»ble/kamestibol/ n. [usu. inp/.]/ormal or joc. food. com*et /komit/ n. celestial tailed object of ice, dust, and gas, orbiting the sun. ■ see star n. 1. Come*up*pance /kumupons/ n. colloq. one’s deserved fate. ■ see desert3 2. COm»fort /kumfart/ • n. 1 consolation; relief in affliction. 2 a state of physical well-being, b [usu. in pi.] things that make life easy or pleasant. 3 cause or provider of satisfaction. • v.tr. 1 console. 2 make comfortable. ■ n. 1 solace, cheer. 2 a ease, luxury, secu¬ rity. 3 pleasure, delight, joy, blessing. • v. 1 soothe, assuage, reassure, relieve, cheer, gladden. COm*fort*a*ble /kumftabal, -fartabal/ adj. 1 a such as to avoid hardship and give com¬ fort. b (of a person) relaxing to be with; con¬ genial. 2 free from discomfort. 3 colloq. free from (esp. financial) worry. 4 having an easy conscience (did not feel comfortable about re¬ fusing him). m 1 amiable, pleasant, agreeable, relaxing; see also snug1 adj. 1. 2 at ease, relaxed, un¬

troubled, undisturbed. 3 easy, secure; see also well off 1 (well). 4 see right adj. 1. COm«fort*er /kumfartor/ n. 1 person who comforts. 2 quilt. COm»fy /kumfee/ adj. (com*fi»er, com*fi* est) colloq. comfortable. □□ com'fidy adv.

com'fi*ness n. comdc /komik/ • adj. 1 of, or in the style of, comedy. 2 funny • n. 1 comedian. 2 (pi.) comic-strip section of a newspaper. □ comic book magazine of comic strips, comic strip sequence of drawings in a newspaper, etc., telling a story, do com'i*

cal

adj.

com'bcaldy

adv.

■ adj. 2 amusing, droll, comedic, humor¬ ous, hilarious, sidesplitting, jocular, witty. • n. 1 see comedian. comdng /kuming/ • attrib.adj. approaching; next (this coming Sunday). • «. arrival; ap¬ proach. comm. abbr. 1 commerce. 2 commercial. 3 commissioner. 4 commission. 5 commit¬ tee. 6 common.

comma - commission

150

COm*ma /koms/ n. 1 punctuation mark (,) indicating pause or division. 2 Mus. definite minute interval or difference of pitch. COm*mand /kamand/ • v. ir. 1 give formal or¬ der to. 2 have authority or control over. 3 a restrain; master, b gain or have the use of (skill, resources, etc.). 4 deserve and get (re¬ spect, etc.). 5 Mil. dominate (a strategic po¬ sition) from a superior height. • n. 1 author¬ itative order. 2 mastery; possession (a good command of languages). 3 exercise of author¬ ity, esp. naval or military (has command of this ship). 4 Mil. a body of troops, etc. b district under a commander. 5 Computing a instruc¬ tion causing a computer to perform a func¬ tion. b signal initiating such an operation. See synonym study at jurisdiction. □ com¬ mand performance performance given at the request of a head of state or sovereign. ■ v. 1 direct, enjoin, charge, request, re¬ quire, demand, instruct, decree. 2, 5 lead, rule, govern. 3 b enjoy, possess; summon. 4 attract, earn; exact, compel. • n. 1 direc¬ tion, instruction, mandate, charge. 2 (thor¬ ough) grasp or knowledge. 3 power, sover¬ eignty, dominion, regulation, direction, management, government, supervision, leadership, jurisdiction. COm*man*dant /komsndant, -da'ant/ n. commanding officer. ■ see leader 1. COm«man»deer /komande'er/ v.tr. 1 seize for military purposes. 2 take possession of with¬ out authority. ■ see seize 2. COm»mand*er /kamandar/ n. person who commands, esp. a naval officer next in rank below captain. □ commander in chief su¬ preme commander, esp. of a nation’s forces. ■ see master n. 1. COm»mand»ing /kamanding/ adj. 1 exalted; impressive. 2 (of a hill, etc.) giving a wide view. 3 substantial (has a commanding lead). ■ 1 see magnificent 1. 2 see panoramic (panorama). 3 see dominant adj. COm»mand*ment /kamandmant/ n. divine command. □ Ten Commandments divine rules of conduct given by God to Moses (Exod. 20:1-17). ■ see order n. 2. COm»man*do /kamando/ n. (pi. -dos) Mil. member of a unit trained for raids. C0m*mem»0»rate /kamemarayt/ v.tr. 1 pre¬ serve in memory by ceremony or celebra¬ tion. 2 be a memorial of. oo com»mem*o* ra*tive /-raytiv, -rativ/ adj. com*mem*o* ra'tion /-rayshan/ n. ■ 1 memorialize, remember, observe; re¬ vere, honor, venerate, pay tribute or homage to. Com*mence /kamens/ v. formal begin. ■ start, open, initiate, launch, inaugurate. COm*mence*ment /kamensmant/ n. formal 1 a beginning. 2 ceremony of degree confer¬ ment. COm*mend /kamend/ v.tr. 1 entrust. 2 praise. 3 recommend. See synonym study at approve. See synonym study at praise.

■ 1 see trust v. 4. 2 see praise v. 1. 3 see recommend 1, suggest 1. cormmend'a^ble /kamendabal/ adj. praise¬ worthy. Com*men»da*tion /komendayshan/ n. 1 act of commending or recommending. 2 praise, cormmeri'suvate /kamensarat, -sharat/ adj. 1 having the same size, duration, etc. 2 pro¬ portionate. ■ 1 see equal adj. 1,3. 2 see proportional adj.

Com»ment /koment/ • n. la remark, esp. critical, b criticism. 2 a explanatory note (e.g., on a written text), b written criticism. 3 (of a play, book, etc.) critical illustration (his art is a comment on society).

• v. inlr.

1 make (esp. critical) remarks. 2 write ex¬ planatory notes. ■ n. 1 opinion, view, observation. 2 a ref¬ erence, annotation, elucidation, clarification, footnote. 3 see criticism 2. • v. 1 observe, opine. 2 annotate. Com*men«tar«y /komanteree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 set of critical notes on a text, etc. 2 de¬ scriptive spoken account of an event or a performance as it happens. ■ 1 see EXPLANATION 1. COm*men*ta*tor /komantaytar/ n. person who provides commentary. □□ com'men* tate v. m see journalist (journalism). COm*merce /komars/ n. 1 large-scale busi¬ ness transactions. 2 social intercourse. ■ 1 marketing; see also trade n. 1 a, b. 2 see INTERCOURSE. COm*mer*cial /kamarshal/ • adj. 1 engaged in, or concerned with, commerce. 2 having profit as a primary aim. • n. broadcast ad¬ vertisement. □□ com»mer'cial*ism n. com*mer*cial*i*za'tion n. com«mer'cial* ize v. COm*min*gle /kaminggal/ v. literary mingle together. COm*miS»er*ate /kamizarayt/ v.intr. express or feel pity. □□ com*mis*er*a*tion /-rayshan/ n. com*mis*er*a'tive adj. com*mis' er*a*tor n. ■ see SYMPATHIZE 1. COm»mis*sar«y /komiseree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 Mil. a store for the supply of food, etc., to soldiers, b officer responsible for this. 2 a restaurant in a movie studio, etc. b food supplied. 3 deputy or delegate. COm*mis*Sion /kamishan/ • n. la authority to perform a task or certain duties, b person or group entrusted with such authority. C in¬ struction or duty given. 2 order for some¬ thing, esp. a work of art, to be produced. 3 Mil. a warrant conferring the rank of offi¬ cer. b rank so conferred. 4 a authority to act as agent for a company, etc., in trade, b percentage paid to the agent from profits obtained. 5 act of committing (a crime, sin, etc.). 6 office or department of a commis¬ sioner. *v.tr. 1 authorize by a commission. 2 a give (an artist, etc.) a commission for a piece of work, b order (a work) to be creat¬ ed. 3 Naut. a give (an officer) command of a ship, b prepare (a ship) for active service. □ out of commission not in service.

■ n. 1 b see committee. 4 b see cut n. 8. 6 see office 2. • v. 1 see authorize 2. 2 see

ORDER v. 3. □ out of commission see out of order 1 (order). COm*mis»sion»er /kamishanar/ n. leader ap¬ pointed by a commission. COm*mit /kamit/ v.tr. (com*mit*ted, com* minting) 1 entrust or consign for safekeep¬ ing, treatment, etc. 2 perpetrate, do (esp. a crime or blunder). 3 pledge or bind (esp. oneself) to a certain course. 4 (as commit¬ ted adj.) a morally dedicated; politically aligned, b obliged (to take certain action). ■ 1 transfer, assign, delegate, hand over, deliver; sentence, confine, imprison, incar¬ cerate. 2 see perpetrate. 3 promise, agree, assure, swear, give one’s word, vow, under¬ take, guarantee. 4 a (committed) see de¬ voted. COm»mit*ment /kamitmant/ n. 1 obligation that restricts freedom of action. 2 process or instance of committing oneself. 3 dedica¬ tion. ■ 1 see bond n. 2b. 2 see undertaking 2. 3 see application 4. com*mit»tal /kamit’l/ n. 1 act of committing a person to an institution, esp. prison or a mental hospital. 2 burial. COm»miMee n. 1 /kamitee/ body of persons appointed for a specific function by, and usu. out of, a larger body. 2 /komite'e/ Law per¬ son entrusted with the charge of another per¬ son or another person’s property. ■ 1 council, board, cabinet, panel, commis¬ sion. COm»mode /kamOd/ n. 1 chest of drawers. 2 = TOILET 1. com*mo*di*ous /kamOdeeas/ adj. roomy and comfortable. com’mod'bty /kamoditee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 Commerce article or raw material that can be bought and sold. 2 useful thing. ■ 1 see product 1. 2 see thing 2, 3. COm»mo*dore /komadawr/ n. 1 naval officer just above captain. 2 commander of a fleet division. 3 president of a yacht club. com*mon /koman/ • adj. 1 a occurring of¬ ten. b overused; trite, c ordinary; without special rank. 2 shared by or coming from more than one (common knowledge). 3 derog. low-class; inferior. 4 familiar. 5 Math, be¬ longing to two or more quantities (common denominator). See synonym study at mutual. See synonym study at prevalent. See syno¬ nym study at universal. • n. piece of open public land. □ common fraction fraction expressed by numerator and denominator, common ground argument accepted by both sides in a dispute, common law law derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes, common sense sound practical sense. ■ adj. 1 a frequent, usual, familiar, custom¬ ary, prevalent, b stale, hackneyed, worn-out, banal. C everyday, commonplace, prosaic, run-of-the-mill, general, normal, standard, conventional, regular, routine, stock, aver¬ age, mediocre, undistinguished, unexcep¬ tional. 2 public, general, community, com¬ munal, collective, nonprivate; well-known;

151 commissioner ~ communicative universal, joint, shared, mutual. 3 lowgrade, mean, cheap, vulgar, base, ordinary, plain, simple, plebeian, bourgeois, proletar¬ ian, unrefined. 4 see familiar 1. COm»mon»al»i*ty /komanalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 sharing of an attribute. 2 common occur¬ rence. Com»mon*er /komanar/ n. one of the com¬ mon people, as opposed to the aristocracy. ■ see plebeian n. Com*mon*place /komanplays/ • adj. lacking originality; trite. • n. la everyday saying; platitude, b ordinary topic of conversation. 2 anything usual or trite. ■ adj. see banal. • n. 1 a see truism. COm*mons /komanz/ n.pl. 1 dining hall at a university, etc. 2 New Eng. central public park or ground. com*mon*wealth /komanwelth/ n. la inde¬ pendent state or community, esp. a demo¬ cratic republic, b designation of four US states (Ky., Mass., Penn.,Va.). 2 (the Com¬ monwealth) association of the UK with na¬ tions previously part of the British Empire. 3 federation of states. Com*mo*tion /kamOshan/ n. 1 confused and noisy disturbance. 2 civil insurrection. ■ 1 see noise 1, 2. 2 see disorder n. 2. COm*mu*nal /kamyobnal, komya-/ adj. relat¬ ing to or benefiting a community; for com¬ mon use. □□ com*mu'nal*ize v. com*mu' nahly adv. ■ see common adj. 2. cormmune1 /komyoon/ n. la group of peo¬ ple sharing living accommodation, goods, etc. b communal settlement. 2 a smallest French territorial division for administrative purposes, b similar division elsewhere. Com*mune2 /kamyobn/ v.intr. 1 speak confi¬ dentially and intimately. 2 feel in close touch (with nature, etc.). com*mu*ni*ca*ble /kamyobnikabal/ adj. (esp. of disease) able to be passed on. □□ com*mu*ni*ca*bil'i*ty n. com*mu'ni* ca*bly adv. • see infectious 2. COm*mu*ni*cant /kamyobnikant/ n. person who receives Holy Communion. COm»mu»ni»cate /kamyobnikayt/ v. 1 tr. a transmit by speaking or writing, b trans¬ mit (heat, motion, etc.), c pass on (an infec¬ tious illness), d impart (feelings, etc.) non¬ verbally. 2 intr. convey information. 3 intr. share a feeling or understanding. □□ com* mu'ni*ca*tor n. ■ 1 a make known, impart, confer, transfer, hand on or down, share, pass on or along, get or put across. 2 converse, talk, correspond. 3 be of one mind, colloq. be on the same wavelength. COm*mu*ni»ca*tion /kamyobnikayshan/ n. 1 a act of imparting, esp. news, b informa¬ tion, etc., communicated. 2 social inter¬ course. 3 [in pi.] science and practice of transmitting information. ■ 1 see information lb. 3 (communications) see transmission 2. COm*mu*ni»ca*tive /kamyobnikaytiv, -kativ/

communion ~ comparison

152

open; talkative; ready to inform, on com*mu'ni*ca'tive*ly adv. m see talkative, responsive. COm»mu*nion /kamyConyan/ n. 1 sharing, esp. of thoughts, etc.; fellowship. 2 sharing in common (communion of interests'). 3 (Communion, Holy Communion) the Eucharist. 4 Christian denomination {the Methodist communion). See synonym study at CONVERSATION. COm’mumi'que /kamyoonikay/ n. official communication. COm»mu*nism /komyanizam/ n. 1 political theory advocating public ownership of prop¬ erty. 2 (usu. Communism) communistic form of society, as established in the former USSR. COm*mu*nist /komyanist/ • n. & adj. 1 per¬ son advocating communism. 2 (Commu¬ nist) member of a Communist party. • adj. relating to communism. □□ com*mu*nis' tic adj. COm*mu»ni»ty /kamyoonitee/ n. (pi. -ties) I a body of people living in one locale, b lo¬ cality, including its inhabitants. 2 body of people having religion, profession, etc., in common. 3 [prec. by the] the public. □ community college nonresidential junior college offering college courses to a local community or region, community service unpaid work performed in service to the community, esp. as part of a criminal sen¬ tence. ■ 1b see district n. 2 see brotherhood 2. 3 see public n. 1. COm*mu*ta»tive /kamyobtativ/ adj. 1 relating to or involving substitution. 2 Math, un¬ changed in result by the interchange of the order of quantities. COm*mute /kamyobt/ • v. 1 intr. travel to and from one’s daily work. 2 tr. Law change (a judicial sentence, etc.) to another less severe. 3 tr. change (one kind of payment) for an¬ other. 4 tr. a exchange; interchange (two things), b change (to another thing). »n. trip made by one who commutes. ■ v. 1 see travel v. 1. 2 see reprieve v. 3, 4 see transpose. COm»mut*er /kamyobtar/ n. person who trav¬ els some distance to work. comp. abbr. 1 companion. 2 comparative. 3 compensation. 4 compilation. 5 com¬ piled. 6 compiler. 7 complete. 8 compos¬ ite. 9 composition. 10 compositor. II comprehensive. COm*pact> • adj. /kampakt, kom-/ 1 closely or neatly packed together. 2 (of a piece of equipment, a room, etc.) well-fitted and practical though small. 3 (of style, etc.) con¬ densed; brief. 4 (esp. of the human body) small but well-proportioned, •v.tr. /kam¬ pakt/ 1 join or press firmly together. 2 con¬ dense. • n. /kompakt/ 1 small, flat case for face powder, a mirror, etc. 2 medium-sized automobile. □ compact disc /kompakt/ disc on which information or sound is recorded digitally and reproduced by laser reflection. □□ com*pact'ly adv. com*pact'ness n. adj.

m adj. 1 closely knit, consolidated, com¬ pressed; dense, solid, firm, tight, thick. 3 terse, laconic, close, pithy, succinct, con¬ cise. • v. compress. COm*pact2 /kompakt/ n. agreement; con¬ tract. com*pan*ion /kampanyan/ n. la person who accompanies or associates with another, b person employed to live with and assist an¬ other. 2 handbook on a particular subject. 3 thing that matches another. ■ 1 a fellow, comrade, colleague, colloq. pal, chum, buddy. 2 manual, guide. 3 comple¬ ment, counterpart. cormpan'iorpa^ble /kampanyanabal/ adj. friendly; sociable. □□ com*pan'ion*a*bly adv.

■ see sociable adj.

COm*pan*ion*ship /kampanyanship/

n. fel¬ lowship; friendship. ■ camaraderie, comradeship, company, am¬ ity, fraternity. com*pan*ion«way /kampanyanway/ n. ship’s stairway. COm*pa*ny /kumpanee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 a number of people assembled; crowd, b guest(s). 2 state of being a companion or fellow; companionship, esp. of a specific kind (do not care for his company). 3 commercial business. 4 troupe of entertainers. 5 Mil. subdivision of a battalion. □ be in good company discover that one’s companions, or better people, have done the same as one¬ self. ■ 1 a assemblage, party, band, group, circle, assembly, gathering, convention, throng; troop, followers, following, retinue, entou¬ rage. b visitor(s), caller(s). 2 fellowship; at¬ tendance, presence. 3 firm, house, concern, institution, establishment, enterprise; part¬ nership, corporation. 4 cast, ensemble, play¬ ers, actors and actresses, performers. COm*pa»ra»ble /komparabal/ adj. able or fit to be compared, oo com*pa*ra*biri*ty n. com'pa*ra*bly adv. Com»par»a»tive /kamparativ/ • adj. 1 per¬ ceptible by comparison; relative. 2 of or in¬ volving comparison. 3 Gram, (of an adjec¬ tive or adverb) expressing a higher degree (e.g., braver, more fiercely). »n. Gram.com¬ parative expression or word. □□ com»par'a» tive*ly adv. COm*pare /kampair/ »v. 1 tr. express simi¬ larities in; liken. 2 tr estimate the similarity of. 3 intr. bear comparison. 4 intr. be equiv¬ alent to. 5 tr Gram, form comparative and superlative degrees of (an adjective or ad¬ verb). • n. comparison (beyond compare). □ compare notes exchange ideas or opin¬ ions. ■ v. 1 associate, analogize. 2 contrast, weigh up, juxtapose, relate, correlate. 3, 4 (compare with) resemble, be on a par with, be in the same class with, correspond, match, parallel, approach; rival, be a match for. • n. see comparison 3. COm*par*i»SOn kamparisan/ n. 1 compar¬ ing. 2 simile or semantic illustration. 3 sim¬ ilarity (there’s no comparison). 4 (in full de¬ grees of comparison) Gram, positive,

comparative, and superlative forms of adjec¬ tives and adverbs. □ beyond comparison 1 totally different in quality. 2 gready supe¬ rior. ■ 1 contrast, juxtaposition, balance, weigh¬ ing, likening. 3 match, resemblance, like¬ ness, comparability, relation, relationship, commensurability, kinship. com»part* *ment /kampa'artmant/ n. 1 parti¬ tioned space within a larger space. 2 water¬ tight division of a ship. ■ 1 division, section, chamber, bay, alcove, cell, pigeonhole, locker, cubbyhole, niche, cubicle, slot. com*part*men*tal /kompaartment’l/ adj. of or divided into compartments. □□ com* part*men'tal*ly adv. com*part»men*tal*ize /kampaartment’liz, kompaart-/ v.tr. divide into compartments or categories. □□ com*part*men*tal*i*za' tion n. COm*pass /kumpas, kom-/ n. 1 instrument showing the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it. 2 [often pi.] instrument within two hinged legs for taking measure¬ ments and describing circles. 3 circumfer¬ ence or boundary. See synonym study at RANGE.

COm*pas*Sion /kampashan/ n. pity inclining one to be merciful. See synonym study at MERCY. ■ see pity n. 1.

Com*pas*sion*ate /kampashanat/ adj. sym¬ pathetic; pitying. □□ com*pas'sion*ate*ly adv. m see sympathetic adj. 1. com*pat*i*ble /kampatabal/ adj. 1 a able to coexist; mutually tolerant, b consistent. 2 (of equipment, etc.) able to be used in combination. □□ com*pat*i*bil'i*ty n. com*pat'i*bly adv. ■ 1 a well-matched, well-suited, b see con¬ sistent 1. com*pa*tri*ot /kampaytreeat, -oxJ n. fellow countryman. COm*pel /kampel/ v.tr. (com*pel*led, com* pel*ling) 1 force; constrain (compelled them to admit it). 2 (as compelling adj.) rousing strong interest, oo com*pel'ling*ly adv. m 1 see force ». 1. 2 (compelling) see in¬

teresting. synonym study: compel COERCE, CONSTRAIN, FORCE, NECESSITATE, oblige. A parent faced with a rebellious teenager may try to compel him to do his

homework by threatening to take away his al¬ lowance. Compel commonly implies the exer¬ cise of authority or force (compelled to pull over by the insistent siren behind us), but often the source of the compulsion is internal (felt compelled to explain his angry reaction). It typ¬ ically requires a personal object, although it is possible to compel a reaction or response (she compels admiration). Force, even more than compel, suggests the exertion of power, energy, physical strength, or inward drives to accomplish something or to subdue resis¬ tance (his mother forced him to confess that he’d broken the basement window). Coerce can

153

compartment ~ complacent

imply the use of force or merely the threat of force or some other unpleasantness (coerced by thugs into repaying the loan sharks', he co¬ erced his friends into seeing the avant-garde film). Constrain means compel, but by

means of restriction, confinement, or limita¬ tion (art forms constrained by classical rules', constrained by his acute shyness from speaking). Necessitate and oblige make an action nec¬

essary by imposing certain conditions that demand a response (her mother’s illness oblig¬ ed her to be more cooperative; it also necessitated giving up her social life).

COm*pen*di»OUS /kampendeeas/ adj. com¬ prehensive but brief. COm^pen'dbum /kampendeeam/ n. (pi. com*pen*di*ums or com*pen*di*a /-deea/) concise summary or abridgment. COm*pen*sate /kompansayt/ v. 1 tr. pay. 2 intr. make amends. 3 tr. counterbalance. 4 intr. offset a disability, etc., by development in another direction. □□ com*pen*sa*to*ry /-pensatawree/ adj. ■ 1 recompense, make restitution or repara¬ tion to, reimburse, requite. 2 atone; expiate; offset, make up for, redress. 3 balance, counterpoise, equalize, neutralize, even (up). com*pen*sa*tion /kompensayshan/ n. 1 a compensating, b being compensated. 2 something given as recompense. □□ com* pen*sa'tion*al adj. ■ see restitution 2. COm*pete /kampe'et/ v.intr. 1 contend; vie. 2 take part in a contest. ■ 1 struggle. COm»pe*tence /kompit’ns/ n. (also com*pe* ten*cy /-tansee/) 1 ability; being competent. 2 Law legal capacity to deal with a matter. ■ 1 see proficiency (proficient) . COm»pe*tent /kompit’nt/ adj. adequately qualified or skilled. □□ com'pe*tent*ly adv. • fit, capable; suitable, sufficient, satisfac¬ tory, acceptable. COm*pe»ti»tion /kompatishan/ n. 1 compet¬ ing. 2 event in which people compete. 3 the others competing; opposition. ■ 1 contention, striving; see also rivalry (ri¬ val). 2 contest, match, meet, game, tourna¬ ment. 3 see competitor. COm*pet*i»tive /kampetitiv/ adj. 1 of or in¬ volving competition. 2 (of prices, etc.) com¬ paring favorably. 3 driven to win. do com* pet'i*tive*ly adv. com*pet'i*tive*ness n. COm*pet*i*tor /kampetitar/ n. person who competes; rival, esp. in business. ■ opponent, adversary, antagonist; contest¬ ant, contender; (competitors) competition, opposition. corn*pile /kampfi/ v.tr. 1 collect (material) into a list, volume, etc. 2 produce (a volume, etc.) from such material. 3 accumulate (a large number of). □□ com*pi*la*tion /kompilayshan/ n. com*pil er n. ■ 1,2 assemble, collate, organize, order, systematize; anthologize, compose. 3 see AMASS.

Com*pla*cent /kamplaysant/ adj. smugly

complain ~ composition

154

self-satisfied; content. □□ com*pla'cence n. com*pla'cen*cy n. com*pla'cent*ly adv. m see smug. COm«plain /kamplayn/ v.intr. 1 express dis¬ satisfaction. 2 a say that one is suffering from (an ailment), b state a grievance. □□ com'plain'er n. com*plain'ing*ly adv. ■ 1, 2b grumble, moan, groan, wail, carp, squawk, kick, colloq. gripe, grouch, grouse, bitch, crab, bellyache. Com*plain*ant /kamplaynant/ n. Law plain¬ tiff. Com*plaint /kamplayn t/ n. 1 complaining. 2 grievance. 3 ailment. ■ 2 grumble, squawk, colloq. gripe, grouse, beef. 3 see ailment. COm»plai»sant /kamplaysant/ adj. willing to please; acquiescent. □□ com*plai'sance n. m see passive 2, accommodating. COm*ple*ment • n. /komplimant/ 1 thing that completes; counterpart. 2 full number needed, •v.tr. /kompliment/ 1 complete. 2 form a complement to. □□ com*ple*men* tal /-ment’l/ adj. m n. 1 finishing touch, consummation; companion, twin, fellow. 2 crew, team, com¬ pany, band, outfit; quota, allowance, quo¬ rum. • v. 1 perfect, round out. 2 supple¬ ment, add to; see also enhance. COm*ple«men*ta*ry /komplimentaree/ adj. 1 forming a complement. 2 (of two or more things) complementing each other, o com¬ plementary angle either of two angles making up 90°. ■ 2 see harmonious 2. COm*plete /kample'et/ • adj. 1 having all its parts; entire. 2 finished. 3 of the maximum extent (a complete surprise). • v. tr. 1 finish. 2 make whole. 3 fill in (a form, etc.). □□ com*plete'ly adv. completeness n. completion /-ple'eshan/ n. a adj. 1 intact, uncut, unbroken, undivid¬ ed, unabridged, full. 2 ended, concluded, over, done, accomplished, terminated; set¬ tled, executed, performed. 3 entire, total, thorough, absolute, utter, unqualified, pure, unmitigated. • v. 1 conclude, end, bring to an end, wrap up; accomplish, achieve, do; fi¬ nalize. 2 round out, perfect; crown, culmi¬ nate; see also make up 2. □□ completely al¬ together, in toto; lock, stock, and barrel; hook, line, and sinker; expressly, explicitly, unequivocally, truly, categorically, flatly. COITl'plex • n. /kompleks/ 1 building, series of rooms, etc., of related parts. 2 Psychol. group of usu. repressed feelings or thoughts that influence behavior. 3 preoccupation. • adj. /kampleks, kompleks/ complicated. □ complex sentence sentence containing a subordinate clause or clauses. □□ com* plex*i«ty /-pleksitee/ n. (pi. -ties) ■ n. 3 see obsession. • adj. see complicate 2. □□ complexity convolution; intricacy, in¬ volvement. Com*plex«ion /kamplekshan/ n. 1 natural appearance of skin, esp. of the face. 2 aspect; interpretation. COm*pli*ance /kamplians/ n. 1 obedience to

a request, command, etc. 2 Mech. capacity to yield. COm»pli»ant /kampliant/ adj. yielding. □□ compliantly adv. ■ see obedient. complicate /komplikayt/ v. 1 make diffi¬ cult or complex. 2 (as complicated adj.) complex. ■ 1 entangle, mix up, confuse, confound, muddle. 2 (complicated) involved, intri¬ cate. complication /komplikayshan/ n. 1 in¬ volved or confused condition; difficulty. 2 Med. condition aggravating a previous one. ■ 1 complexity, intricacy, convolution; problem, predicament, obstacle, obstruc¬ tion, snag; see also subtlety (subtle). complicity /kamplisitee/ n. partnership in wrongdoing. compliment • n. /komplimant/ 1 a polite expression of praise, b act implying praise. 2 [in pi] formal greetings or praise, •v.tr. /kompliment/ congratulate; praise. ■ n. 1 commendation, bouquet, tribute, honor. 2 (compliments) respects, regards, good or best wishes, felicitations, salutations. • v. pay homage or tribute to, commend, laud, honor; flatter. complimentary /komplimentaree/ adj. 1 expressing a compliment. 2 given free. ■ 1 laudatory, laudative, congratulatory, commendatory, flattering. 2 gratis, on the house; see also free adj. 6a. comply /kampll/ v.intr. (-plies, -plied) act in accordance (with a wish, command, etc.). ■ agree, obey, conform, consent, acquiesce, concur, submit, yield, accede. COm*po*nent /kamp6nant/ • n. part of a larger whole. • adj. being part of a larger whole. □□ compo*nen*tial /kompanenshal/ adj. m n. see part n. 1. comport /kampawrt/ v.refl. conduct oneself; behave. □ comport with suit; befit. □□ comport'ment n. ■ see behave 1. □□ comportment see be¬ havior la. compose /kampOz/ v.tr. 1 create in music or writing. 2 constitute; make up. 3 arrange artistically. 4 a [often refl.] calm, b (as composed adj.) calm; settled. 5 Printing a set (type), b set (manuscript, etc.) in type. □□ composer n. • 1 write, imagine, think up, originate, frame, formulate, make (up), devise, con¬ struct, disp. author; set to music, arrange. 2 form. 4 a setde; quiet, pacify, control one¬ self. b (composed) see collected (collect v. 4). COm«pos*ite /kampozit/ • adj. 1 made up of various parts. 2 (of a plant) having a bloom head of many flowers. • n. composite thing or plant. ■ adj. 1 compound, multiform, multifac¬ eted. COm*po*Si*tion /kompazishan/ n. la put¬ ting together; composing, b thing so com¬ posed, esp. music. 2 constitution of a substance. 3 school essay. 4 artistic ar¬ rangement. 5 compound artificial sub-

stance. □□ com*po*si'tion*al adj. com*po* si'tion*al*ly adv. ■ 1,4 formation, construction, combina¬ tion, makeup, structure, form, assembly, setup, organization, layout, arrangement, configuration, shaping; balance, harmony, proportion, placement, placing. 2 combina¬ tion, aggregate, mixture, compound, mix, formulation, composite, amalgam, alloy, melange, medley; creation, production, mak¬ ing, generation; writing; see also formation 2. 3 article, paper, story. COm»pos»i»tor /kampozitar/ n. person who sets type for printing; typesetter. COm»post /kompost/ • n. organic fertilizing mixture, »v.tr. 1 treat with compost. 2 make into compost. ■ o.l see fertilize 1. COm*po»SUre /kampOzhar/ n. tranquil man¬ ner; calmness. ■ see calm n. 1. COm*pote /kompot/ n. fruit preserved or cooked in syrup. com'pound1 • n. /kompownd/ 1 mixture of two or more things. 2 word made up of two or more existing words. 3 substance chemi¬ cally formed from two or more elements. • adj. /kompownd/ 1 made up of several in¬ gredients. 2 combined; collective. • v.tr. /kompownd/ 1 mix or combine (ingredients, elements, etc.). 2 increase or complicate (difficulties, etc.). 3 make up (a composite whole). ■ n. 1 composite, blend, synthesis, combi¬ nation, consolidation, amalgam, alloy. • adj. 1 composite, multiform, multifaceted. 2 see joint adj. • v. 1 put together, blend, merge, unite, fuse; see also combine v. 3. 2 aggra¬ vate, intensify, exacerbate, heighten, aug¬ ment, add to, worsen, enhance, multiply. 3 concoct, compose, formulate; see also make v 1. compound2 /kompownd/ n. enclosure or fenced-in space. COm*pre*hend /komprihend/ v.tr. 1 grasp mentally; understand. 2 include. □□ com* pre*hen*si*bil*i*ty /—sibilitee/ n. com*pre* hen'si’ble adj. com*pre*hen'si*bly adv. com*pre*hen'sion n. ■ 1 see, conceive, take in, apprehend, real¬ ize, fathom, perceive, discern, appreciate; see also digest v. 2. 2 take in, comprise, assimi¬ late, absorb. com*pre*hen*sive /komprihensiv/ adj. 1 in¬ cluding all or nearly all. 2 (of insurance) providing complete protection. □□ com* pre*hen'sive*ly adv. com*pre*hen'sive* ness n. ■ 1 (all-)inclusive, (all-) encompassing, thorough, extensive, full, exhaustive, com¬ plete, sweeping, all-embracing, wide, broad. COm*press • v. tr. /kampres/ 1 squeeze to¬ gether. 2 bring into a smaller space or short¬ er extent. • n. /kompres/ pad applied to a wound. □□ com*press*i*ble /kampresabal/ adj. com*press*i*bil'i*ty n. uv. 1 see squeeze v. 1. 2 see contract v.

.

1.

COm*pres*sion /kampreshan/ n. compress¬ ing.

155 ■ see

compositor ~ concatenate pressure

COm»pres*sor

n.

la, b.

n. instrument or device for compressing esp. air or other gases. COm*prise /kampriz/ v.tr. 1 include. 2 con¬ sist of. 3 make up, compose. ■ 1 see include 1. COm*pro*mise /kompramiz/ • n. 1 mutual settlement of a dispute. 2 intermediate state between conflicting opinions, actions, etc. • v. la intr. mutually settle a dispute, b tr. modify one’s opinions, demands, etc. 2 tr. bring into disrepute or danger esp. by indis¬ cretion. □□ com'pro*mis*er n. com'pro* mis*ing*ly adv. ■ n. see accommodation 2b. • v. 1 see come to terms with (term) . comptroller /kantrSlar/ n. financial officer. COm«pul«sion /kampulshan/ n. 1 constraint; obligation. 2 irresistible urge. ■ 1 see obligation 1, 3. 2 see urge n. 1. com*pul*sive /kampulsiv/ adj. 1 resulting or acting (as if) from compulsion. 2 irresistible. □ □ com*pul'sive*ly adv. com*pul'sive* ness n. ■ 1 obsessive, unshakable; see also incorri¬ gible 2. 2 compelling, gripping; see also /kampresar/

forceful 2.

COm*pul*SO*ry /kampulsaree/ adj.

1 re¬ quired by law or a rule. 2 essential. □□ com*pul'so*ri*ly adv. ■ 1 see mandatory adj. 2 see necessary adj. 1. COm*punc*tion /kampungkshan/ n. 1 prick¬ ing of the conscience. 2 slight regret; scru¬ ple. See synonym study at qualm. □□ com* punc*tious /-shas/ adj. ■ 1 remorse, contrition, uneasiness of mind. 2 second thought(s), misgiving, qualm; see also scruple n. com'pute /kampyobt/ v. 1 tr. reckon or cal¬ culate. 2 intr. use a computer. □□ com*put* a*bil'i*ty n. com*put'a*ble adj. com*pu* ta*tion /-tayshan/ n. com*pu*ta'tion*al adj. ■ 1 figure (out), work out, determine, ascer¬ tain, estimate. □□ computation see calcu¬ lation 1. COm*put*er /kampyootar/ n. electronic de¬ vice for storing and processing data. □ computer virus hidden code within a computer program intended to corrupt a system. COm*put»er»ize /kampyobtariz/ v.tr. 1 equip with a computer. 2 store or produce by computer. □□ com*put*er*i*za'tion n. com*rade /komrad, -rid/ n. 1 associate or companion. 2 fellow socialist or communist. □□ com'rade*ly adj. com'rade*ship n. ■ 1 colleague, friend, crony. con1 /kon/ si. • n. confidence trick. • v. tr. (conned, con*ning) swindle; deceive. ■ n. see swindle n. • v. see swindle v. con2 /kon/ • n. [usu. in pi.] reason against. • prep. & adv. against. con3 /kon/ n. si. convict. con- /kon, kan/ prefix assim. form of com-. COn*cat»e*nate /konkat’nayt/ *v.tr. link

concave - concierge

156

together (events, things, etc.). • adj. joined; linked. □□ con*cat*e*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. m v. see link v. 1. □□ concatenation see CHAIN n. 3. COn»cave /konkayv/ adj. curved like the inte¬ rior of a circle or sphere. □□ con«cav»i*ty /-kavitee/ n. • see hollow adj. lb. COn»ceal /kanse'el/ v. tr. 1 keep secret. 2 hide. □□ con*ceal'er n. con*ceal'ment n. • 1 keep quiet about, disguise; see also hide1 v. 3. 2 secrete, bury, squirrel away, cover (up), camouflage. COD'Cede /kanse'ed/ v.tr. 1 a admit to be true, b admit defeat in. 2 grant (a right, privilege, etc.). ■ 1 a allow, acknowledge, confess, own (up to), accept, b see give up 1.2 yield, surren¬ der, cede, give up, submit, resign, relinquish, abandon, waive. COn»ceit /kanse'et/ n. 1 personal vanity; pride. 2 literary a elaborate metaphoric comparison, b fanciful notion. See synonym study at pride. ■ 1 egotism, self-admiration, self-love, nar¬ cissism, arrogance, vainglory. 2 a trope, af¬ fectation. COn»ceit»ed /kanse'etid/ adj. vain; proud. □□ con*ceit'ed*ly adv. ■ egotistical, self-centered, egocentric, selfadmiring, narcissistic, prideful, arrogant, self-important, self-satisfied, smug, compla¬ cent, snobbish. COn*ceiv*a*ble /kanse'evabal/ adj. capable of being grasped or imagined. □□ con*ceiv'a* bly adv. ■ see plausible 1. COn*ceive /kanse'ev/ v. 1 intr. become preg¬ nant. 2 tr. become pregnant with (a child). 3 tr. imagine; formulate. ■ 3 think (up), fancy, speculate (on), per¬ ceive, understand, realize, comprehend, en¬ vision, conjure up, dream up, hypothesize, postulate, posit, suggest, suppose. COn*Cen*trate /konsantrayt/ • V. 1 intr. focus one’s attention. 2 tr. bring together to one point. 3 tr. make less dilute. • n. concentrat¬ ed substance. □□ con'cen*tra*tor n. • v. 1 think. 2 direct, center, centralize, consolidate; gather, collect, congregate. 3 condense, reduce, distill, intensify. • n. see essence 2a. COn»cen»tra*tion /konsantrayshan/ n. 1 act or instance of concentrating, esp. of mental attention. 2 something concentrated. □ concentration camp camp holding polit¬ ical prisoners. ■ 1 see thought1 3. 2 see pocket n. 3. COn*cen»tric /kansentrik/ adj. (esp. of circles) having a common center. □□ con»ccn'tri* cal-ly adv. con*cen*tric*i*ty /konsentrisitee/ n. COn»cept /konsept/ n. general notion; ab¬ stract idea. See synonym study at idea. ■ see idea 1, 2a, b. COn*Cep»tion /kansepshan/ n. 1 act or in¬ stance of conceiving. 2 idea; plan. See syno¬ nym study at idea. □□ con*cep'tion*al adj.

m 1 birth, beginning, genesis, inception, emergence, start, inauguration, initiation, launch, origin, origination, formation, for¬ mulation, formal commencement; under¬ standing, apprehension, knowledge, compre¬ hension. 2 design, scheme; see also idea 1, 2a, b, plan n. 1. COn*cep*tU»al /kansepchooal/ adj. of mental conceptions or concepts. □□ con’cep tu*al* ly adv. ■ see abstract adj. 1 a. COn*cep*tU*al*ize /kansepchooaliz/ v.tr. form a concept or idea of. □□ con»cep*tu* al*i*za'tion n. • see imagine 1. COn*cern /kansarn/ •v.tr. 1 a be relevant or important to. b relate to; be about. 2 inter¬ est or involve oneself. 3 worry; affect. • n. 1 anxiety; worry. 2 matter of interest or im¬ portance. 3 business; firm. ■ v. la affect, have (a) bearing or (an) in¬ fluence on, involve, touch; interest, be of im¬ portance or interest to. b refer to, have rela¬ tion or reference to, pertain to, be pertinent or relevant to, regard, apply to, be connected or involved with, bear on, be germane to, in¬ volve, touch (on). 2 see bother v. 2. 3 trouble, disturb, bother, perturb, unsettle, upset, distress. •«. 1 solicitude, apprehen¬ sion, distress, apprehensiveness, uneasiness, disquiet, disquietude; interest, regard, con¬ sideration, care, thought, awareness, atten¬ tion. 2 affair, problem, issue. 3 company, house, establishment, enterprise, organiza¬ tion. COn*cerned kansarnd/ adj. 1 involved; in¬ terested. 2 troubled; anxious. □□ con*cern' eddy adv. m 1 responsible. 2 vexed, worried, dis¬ tressed, uneasy, perturbed, bothered, upset, disturbed. COn*cern*ing /kansarning/ prep, about; re¬ garding. ■ relative or relating to, referring to, with or in reference to, as regards, in or with regard to, with an eye to, with respect to, respecting, apropos (of), as to or for, in the matter of, on the subject of. COn»cert /konsart/ n. la musical perfor¬ mance. b comedy, etc., stage performance. 2 agreement. 3 combination of voices or sounds. ■ 1 see performance 2. 2 see accord n. 1. COn*cert»ed kansartid/ adj. jointly arranged or planned. Con»cer*ti*na /konsarte'ena/ n. small accor¬ dionlike musical instrument. COn»cer»tO /kanchairto/ n. (pi. con*cer*ti /-tee/ or -tos) Mm. composition for solo instrument(s) and orchestra. Con*ces*Sion /kanseshan/ n. la conceding, b thing conceded. 2 right to sell goods in a particular territory. □□ con*ces'sion«ar*y adj. (also con*ces'sion*al). ■ 1 see admission 1. 2 see privilege n. 1. conch /kongk, konch/ n. (pi. conchs /kongks/ or conches /konchiz/) 1 spiral shell of vari¬ ous marine gastropod mollusks. 2 any such gastropod. con*ci*erge /konseeairzh. kawNsyairzh/ n.

1 hotel worker who arranges special services for guests. 2 porter for an apartment build¬ ing, etc. COn*cil*i*ate /kansileeayt/ v.tr. 1 make calm and amenable; pacify. 2 gain (esteem or goodwill). 3 reconcile. See synonym study at pacify. □□ con*cil*i*a*tive /- sileeativ, -aytiv/ adj. con*cil'i*a*tor n. con*cil*i*a* tory /-sileeatawree/ adj. m 1 see disarm 5. □□ conciliator see medi¬ ator (mediate). COn*cise /kansis/ adj. brief but comprehen¬ sive. See synonym study at terse. □□ con* cise'ly adv. con*cise'ness n. • terse, laconic, compact, direct, succinct, cogent, pithy, compendious, summary, con¬ densed, short; shortened, abridged, abbrevi¬ ated. COn*clave /konklayv, kong-/ n. 1 private meeting. 2 RC Ch. assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope. conclude /kanklood/ v. 1 tr. & inlr. bring or come to an end. 2 tr. infer. 3 tr. settle (a treaty, etc.). ■ 1 see end t. 1. 2 see infer 1. 3 see set¬ tle 5-7. COn*clu*sion /kanklobzhan/ n. 1 final result; end. 2 judgment reached by reasoning. 3 summing-up. 4 settling (of peace, etc.). '■1 see result n. 1.2 see thinking n. COn*clU*sive /ksnklobsiv/ adj. decisive; con¬ vincing. □□ con*clu'sive*ly adv. con*clu' sive*ness n. ■ see unquestionable. COn*COCt /kankokt/ v.tr. 1 make by mixing ingredients. 2 invent. □□ con*coc*tion /-kokshan/ n. m 2 see invent 1. COn»COm*i«tant /kankomit’nt/ • adj. going together; associated. • n. accompanying thing. □□ con*com'i*tance n. con*com'i* tant*ly adv. COn*cord /konkawrd, kong-/ n. agreement; harmony. ■ see agreement 1, 2, pact. COn*Cor*dance /kankawrd’ns/ n. 1 agree¬ ment. 2 book or book part containing an in¬ dex of important words used in a book or by an author. ■ 1 see agreement 1, 2. 2 see index n. 1. concourse /konkawrs/ n. 1 crowd; gather¬ ing. 2 large open area in a building for pub¬ lic use. concrete /konkreet, kong-, konkre'et, kong-/ • adj. 1 a existing in a material form, b spe¬ cific; definite. 2 Gram, (of a noun) denoting a material object as opposed to a quality, state, action, etc. • n. mixture of gravel, sand, cement, and water, used for building. □□ con*crete'ly adv. con*crete'ness n. u adj. 1 real, actual, literal, realistic, au¬ thentic, valid, genuine, bona fide, reliable; particular, definitive, clear-cut, physical, tan¬ gible, substantial. COn*cre*tion /kankre'eshan/ n. 1 hard, solid mass. 2 forming of this. COn*CU*bine /kongkyabln/ n. 1 mistress. 2 (in some societies) secondary wife. COn*CU»pis»cence /konkycbpisans/ n. lust. □□ con*cu'pis*cent adj.

157

conciliate - conditioner

C0n*cur /kankar/ v.intr. (con*curred, con* cur*ring) 1 coincide. 2 agree (with). ■ 1 see agree 3a. 2 see agree 1. COn»CUr»rent /kankarant, -kur-/ adj. existing or in operation at the same time or together. □□ con*cur'rent*ly adv. ■ see simultaneous. COn*CUS*sion /kankushan/ n. 1 Med. tempo¬ rary incapacity due to head injury. 2 violent shaking; shock. COn*demn /kandem/ v. tr. 1 express utter dis¬ approval of. 2 a find guilty; convict, b sen¬ tence (to). 3 pronounce (a building, etc.) unfit for use. 4 doom or assign (to some¬ thing unpleasant). □□ con*dem*na*ble /-demnabal/ adj. con*dem*na*tion /kondemnayshan/ n. con*dem*na*to*ry /-demnatawree/ adj. • 1 censure, blame, criticize, denounce, dis¬ parage, reproach, rebuke, reprove, scold, rep¬ rimand, upbraid. 4 damn, destine, ordain. COn*den*sa*tion /kondensayshan/ n. 1 con¬ densing. 2 condensed liquid. 3 abridgment. ■ 3 see abridgment (abridge). con*dense /kandens/ v. 1 tr. make denser or more concentrated. 2 tr. express in fewer words. 3 tr. & intr. reduce or be reduced to a liquid. ■ 1,3 see concentrate v. 3. 2 see abridge 1. Con*dens*er /kandensar/ n. 1 apparatus or vessel for condensing vapor. 2 Electr. = ca¬ pacitor. Con*de*SCend /kondisend/ v.intr. 1 be gra¬ cious enough (to do a thing unworthy of one). 2 behave as if one is on equal terms with (an inferior). 3 (as condescending adj.) patronizing. □□ con*de*scend'ing*ly adv. con*de*scen'sion n. m 1 stoop, deign, lower or humble or de¬ mean oneself. 3 (condescending) belit¬ tling, disdainful, contemptuous, pompous, overbearing, high-handed, imperious, snob¬ bish, haughty, supercilious, con'dign /kandin/ adj. (of punishment, etc.) severe and well-deserved. □□ con'dign'ly adv. Con*di*ment /kondimant/ n. seasoning or relish for food. con*di*tion /kandishan/ • n. 1 stipulation; term(s). 2 a state of fitness, b ailment; ab¬ normality. 3 [in pi.] circumstances, •v.tr. 1 a bring into a good or desired state, b make fit. 2 teach or accustom. ■ n. 1 proviso, demand, requirement, qual¬ ification, contingency, requisite, prerequi¬ site. 2 a shape; working order; form, fettle, health. 3 (conditions) environment, sur¬ roundings. • v. la ready, prepare, equip, outfit, adapt, modify. 2 train, educate; brain¬ wash; influence, mold; inure, acclimate. Con*di»tion»al /ksndishanal/ adj. 1 depen¬ dent; not absolute. 2 Gram, (of a clause, mood, etc.) expressing a condition. □□ con* di'tion*al*ly adv. ■ 1 see provisional adj. COn*di*tion*er /ksndishanar/ n. agent that conditions, as for the hair.

condo ~ configuration

158

COn*do /kondo/ n. (pi. -dos) colloq. condo¬ minium. COn*dO*lence /ksndSlans/ n. [often pi.] ex¬ pression of sympathy (sent my condolences). ■ see pity n. 1. con'dom /kondom/ n. prophylactic or con¬ traceptive sheath worn on the penis. Con*do*min*i*um /kondamineeom/ n. 1 building or complex containing individu¬ ally owned apartments. 2 joint sovereignty. con'done /ksndQn/' v.tr. forgive or overlook. con'dor /kondawr/ n. 1 large S. American vulture. 2 smaller vulture of California. COn«du*cive /kandobsiv, -dyofe-/ adj. con¬ tributing or helping (toward something). ■ see instrumental adj. con'd uct • n. /kondukt/ 1 behavior. 2 ac¬ tion or manner of directing or managing. • v. /kondukt/ 1 tr. direct or manage (busi¬ ness, etc.). 2 tr. be the conductor of (an or¬ chestra, etc.). 3 tr. transmit (heat, electricity, etc.). 4 refl. behave. □□ con*duct*i*ble /kanduktibal/ adj. con*duct*i*bil'i*ty n. ■ n. 1 actions, demeanor, manners, deport¬ ment, attitude, comportment. 2 guidance, supervision, leadership, administration, gov¬ ernment, running, handling, control, com¬ mand, regulation, operation. • v. 1 super¬ vise, run, control, administer, regulate, operate. 3 channel, carry, convey. 4 see be¬ have 2.

con'duc'tance /konduktons/ n. ability to conduct electricity. COn'duC'tion /kondukshon/ n. transmission of heat, electricity, etc., through a substance. □□ con*duc*tive /—tiv/ adj. con*duc*tiv'i*ty n.

COfl'd UC'tor /ksnduktar/ n. 1 person who di¬ rects an orchestra, choir, etc. 2 official in charge of passengers on a train, etc. 3 thing that conducts heat or electricity. ■ 1 maestro, leader. con'duit /kondooit, -dyooit, —dit/ n. 1 chan¬ nel or pipe conveying liquids. 2 tube pro¬ tecting electric wires. cone /kon/ n. 1 solid figure with a circular (or other curved) plane base, tapering to a point.

2 thing or holder of similar shape. 3 dry fruit of a conifer. con'fec'tion /kanfekshan/ n. sweet dish; candy. ■ see candy n. con'fec'tion'er /kanfekshanar/ n. maker or retailer of confections. □ confectioners’ sugar fine powdered sugar. con'fed'er'a'cy /kanfedarasee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 league or alliance. 2 (the Confederacy) the 11 Southern states that seceded from the US in 1860-61. ■ 1 see league1 n. 1. 2 Confederate States of America. COn'fed*er*ate • adj. /kanfedarat/ allied. • n. /kanfedarat/ 1 ally; accomplice. 2 (Confed¬ erate) supporter of the Confederacy. • v. /kanfedarayt/ 1 tr. bring into alliance. 2 intr. come into alliance. • n. 1 see accomplice. • v. see associate v. 2.

con'fed'er'a'tion

/kanfedarayshan/

n.

1 union or alliance. 2 confederating; being confederated. ■ 1 see alliance 1. con'fer /kanfar/ v. (conferred, con*fer* ring) 1 tr. grant or bestow. 2 intr. converse; consult. See synonym study at give, do con* fer'ment n. con*fer'ra*ble adj. u 1 give, present, award. 2 talk, take coun¬ sel, communicate, parley, negotiate. COtl'fer'ence /konfarans, -frans/ n. 1 con¬ sultation. 2 meeting. □ conference call tel¬ ephone call in which several people are con¬ nected. ■ 1 talk, colloquy; see also discussion (dis¬ cuss). 2 convention, symposium, congress, seminar, forum, colloquium. COn'fer'ral /kanfaral/ n. conferring of a de¬ gree, honor, etc. con'fess /kanfes/ v. 1 a tr. acknowledge or admit, b intr. admit (to). 2 tr. admit reluctandy. 3 a tr. declare (one’s sins) to a priest, b tr. (of a priest) hear the confession of. ■ 1 a own (up to), declare, confirm, con¬ cede, affirm, testify, avow, disclose, reveal, di¬ vulge. b see come clean (clean) . con'fes'sion /kanfeshan/ n. la confessing, b thing confessed. 2 declaration of one’s be¬ liefs. □□ con*fes'sion*ar*y adj. m 1 see admission 1. 2 see profession 3. cort'fes'sion'al /kanfeshanal/ • n. enclosed stall in a church in which a priest hears con¬ fessions. • adj. of confession, con'fes'sor /kanfesar/ n. priest who hears confessions. con'fet'ti /kanfetee/ n. bits of colored paper thrown during celebrations, etc. COfl'fi'dant /konfidant, -da'ant/ n. (fem. con* fi*dante) person trusted with knowledge of one’s private affairs. ■ see intimate1 n. con'fide /kanfid/ v. 1 tr. tell in confidence. 2 tr. entrust (an object, a task, etc.) to. 3 intr. [foil, by in] talk confidentially to. ■ 1 see impart 1. 3 see trust v. 1. con'fi'dence /konfidans/ n. 1 firm trust. 2 a feeling of reliance or certainty, b sense of self-reliance; boldness. 3 something told confidentially. □ confidence game swindle in which the victim is persuaded to trust the swindler, confidence man swindler in a confidence game. ■ 1 faith, belief. 2 a conviction; see also certainty 2. b assurance, self-confidence, courage, nerve, self-assurance, poise, aplomb, coolness. 3 secret, private matter or affair. con'fi'dent /konfid’nt/ adj. feeling or show¬ ing confidence. □□ con'fi*dent*ly adv. m self-assured, self-reliant, dauntless, bold, fearless, courageous; secure, sure, certain, assured, positive, convinced, trusting, satis¬ fied. cori'fi'den'tial /konfidenshal/ adj. spoken or written in confidence. □□ con*fi*den*ti*al* i*ty /-sheealitee/ n. con*fi*den'tial*ly adv. u private, secret, classified, top secret, col¬ loq. hush-hush. COn'fig'U'ra'tion /kanfigyarayshan/ n. ar¬ rangement in a particular form. ■ see form n. 1.

con'fine •v.tr. /kanfln/ 1 keep or restrict (within certain limits, etc.). 2 imprison. • n. /konfin/ [usu.pl.] limit; boundary. ■ v. 1 see restrict2. 2 see imprison. • n. see bound n. 1. COn*fine*ment /kanfinmant/ n. 1 confining; being confined. 2 time of childbirth. ■ 1 see captivity (captive). 2 see labor n. 3. confirm /kanfarm/ v.tr. 1 settle the truth or correctness of. 2 make formally valid. 3 en¬ courage (a person) in (an opinion, etc.). 4 administer the religious rite of confirma¬ tion to. □□ con*firm'active adj. con*firm' a*to*ry adj. ■ 1,2 strengthen, reinforce, uphold, back up, corroborate, substantiate, prove; ratify, sanction, authorize, endorse, sustain, ap¬ prove, verify, recognize; authenticate. 3 see support v. 4, 6. COn*fir*ma»tion /konfarmayshan/ n. 1 con¬ firming; being confirmed. 2 rite confirming a baptized person as a church member, confirmed /kanfarmd/ adj. firmly settled in some habit or condition (a confirmed bache¬ lor). m see habitual 3. con*fis*cate /konfiskayt/ v.tr. take or seize by authority. □□ con*fis*ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. con'fis*ca*tor n. '■ appropriate, impound, expropriate, com¬ mandeer. COn*fla*gra*tion /konflagrayshan/ n. great and destructive fire. ■ holocaust, inferno. COn*flate /kanflayt/ v.tr. blend or fuse to¬ gether (esp. two variant texts into one). □□ con*fla*tion /-flayshan/ n. conflict • n. /konflikt/ 1 state of opposition. 2 fight; struggle, •v.intr. /kanflikt/ clash; be incompatible. ■ n. 1 battle, combat, war; dispute, contro¬ versy, contention. 2 engagement, fray, fra¬ cas, donnybrook; argument, altercation, feud, quarrel. • v. disagree, differ, be at odds. COn*flu*ence /konfloOans/ n. 1 place where two rivers meet. 2 coming together, coniform /kanfawrm/ v. 1 intr. comply with rules or general custom. 2 tr. make similar. 3 intr. comply with; be in accordance with. ■ 1 fit (in), harmonize. 3 follow, observe, obey, respect, abide by, adapt or adjust to. COn*form*a*ble /kanfawrmabal/ adj. 1 simi¬ lar. 2 consistent. 3 adaptable. □□ con* form*a*bili*ty n. con*forma*bly adv. COn*for»ma»tion /konfawrmayshan/ n. way a thing is formed; shape. ■ see form n. 1. COn#form»ist /kanfawrmist/ • n. person who conforms to established practice. • adj. con¬ forming; conventional. □□ con*formism n. m n. see square n. 5. • adj. see conservative adj. la. COn*form»ity /kanfawrmitee/ n. 1 accord¬ ance with established practice. 2 agreement; suitability. ■ 2 see accord n. 1. Con*found /kanfownd/ v.tr. 1 perplex. 2 confuse (in one’s mind). ■ 1 see perplex 1. 2 see confuse 2.

159

confine ~ congratulate

confront /kanfrunt/ v.tr. 1 a face in hostility or defiance, b face up to and deal with. 2 present itself to. 3 bring (a person) face to face with. 4 meet or stand facing. □□ con* fron*ta*tion /konfruntayshan/ n. con*fron* ta'tion*al adj. m 1 see face v. 3. Con»fu*Cian /kanfyobshan/ adj. of or relating to Confucius, Chinese philosopher d. 479 bc, or his philosophy. □□ Con*fu'cian*ism n. Con*fu'cian*ist n. COn*fuse /kanfyobz/ v.tr. 1 perplex; bewilder. 2 mix up in the mind; mistake (one for an¬ other) . 3 make indistinct (that point confuses the issue). □□ con*fus'ed*ly adv. con*fus' ing adj. con*fus'ing*ly adv. ■ 1 disconcert, puzzle, mystify, baffle, be¬ muse, befuddle, discomfit, confound, fluster, upset, disorient. 3 disorder, muddle, entan¬ gle; blur. COn*fu*sion /kanfyobzhan/ n. confusing or be¬ ing confused. See synonym study at jumble. ■ misconception, mix-up; disorder, disar¬ ray, chaos, tumult, commotion, turmoil, pandemonium, bedlam; mess, jumble, mud¬ dle. confute /kanfyobt/ v.tr. prove to be in error. □□ con*fu*ta*tion /konfyootayshan/ n. Cong. abbr. 1 Congress. 2 Congressional. 3 Congregational. COn»ga /kongga/ n. 1 Latin American line dance. 2 tall, narrow drum beaten with the hands. COn*geal /kanje'el/ v. 1 make or become semisolid by cooling. 2 coagulate. ■ see coagulate.

COn»ge*nial /kanjeenyal/ adj. 1 pleasantly so¬ ciable. 2 suited or agreeable, oo con*ge*ni* al*i*ty /-je'eneealitee/ n. con*gen'ial*ly adv. m 1 see likable. con*gen*i*tal /kanjenital/ adj. (esp. of a dis¬ ease, defect, etc.) existing from birth. See synonym study at inherent. □□ con*gen'i* tal*ly adv. m see inborn, inherent 1.

COn*ger /konggar/ n. large marine eel. COn*ge*ries /kanje'ereez, konja-/ n. (pi. same) disorderly collection; mass or heap. Con*gest /kanjest/ v.tr. (esp. as congested adj.) affect with congestion. □□ con*ges' tive adj. m see block v.', (congested) snarled up, ob¬ structed, (over)crowded; blocked (up), stuffed (up). con*ges»tion /kanjes-chan/ n. abnormal ac¬ cumulation or obstruction. COn*glom*er»ate • adj. /kanglomarat/ gath¬ ered into a rounded mass. • n. /kanglomarat/ 1 heterogeneous mass. 2 group or corpora¬ tion. • v. /kanglomarayt/ collect into a coher¬ ent mass. □□ con*glom*er*a*tion /-rayshan/ n. See synonym study at jumble ■ n. 2 see organization 2.

con»grat*iHate /kangrachalayt, -graj-, kang-/ v.tr. express pleasure at the good for¬ tune or excellence of (a person). □□ con* grat*u*la*to*ry /-latawree/ adj. m see compliment v.

congratulation ~ conquer 160 Con*grat»U*la*tion /kangrachalayshan, -graj-, kang-/ n. 1 congratulating. 2 [usu. pi.] expression of this. ■ 2 (congratulations) felicitations, well done, good for you, nice going; many happy re¬ turns. COn*gre»gate /konggrigayt/ v. collect or gather into a crowd or mass. See synonym study at gather. ■ see gather v. 1. COn*gre*ga*tion /konggrigayshan/ n. 1 gath¬ ering of people, esp. for religious worship. 2 body of persons regularly attending a par¬ ticular church, etc. Con»gre*ga»tion*al /konggrigayshanal/ adj. 1 of a congregation. 2 (Congregational) of or adhering to Congregationalism, a Chris¬ tian denomination of churches that are large¬ ly self-governing. □□ Con*gre*ga'tion»al* ist n. congress /konggris/ n. 1 formal meeting of delegates for discussion. 2 (Congress) na¬ tional legislative body of the US. □□ con* gres*sion*al /kangreshan’l/ adj. m 1 see conference 2. 2 see parliament. COn»gress»man /konggrisman/ n. {pi. -men; fem. con*gress*wom*an, pi. -wom*en) member of the US Congress. ■ see representative n. 3. COn»gru*ent /konggrooant, kangrob-/ adj. 1 suitable; agreeing. 2 Geom. coinciding when superimposed. □□ con'gru*ence n. COn*gru*OUS /konggrooas/ adj. suitable; fit¬ ting. □□ con*gru'i*ty n. con'gru*ous*ly adv.

con’ic /konik/ adj. of a cone. □□ con’i*cal adj. con'i*cal*ly adv. CO*ni»fer /konifar, ko-/ n. any cone-bearing tree or shrub, usu. evergreen. □□ co*nif*er* ous /kanifaras/ adj. conj. abbr. conjunction. COn»jec»ture /kanjekchar/ • n. formation of an opinion on incomplete information. • v. guess. □□ con*jec'tur*al adj. u n. see guess n. • v. see guess v. 2. COn*join /kanjoyn/ v. join; combine. ■ see combine v. 1. conjoint /kanjoynt/ adj. associated; con¬ joined. □□ conjointly adv. COn*ju*gal /konjagal/ adj. pertaining to mar¬ riage. □□ con*ju*gal*i*ty /-galitee/ n. con' ju*gal*ly adv. ■ see matrimonial (matrimony). COn*ju*gate • V. /konjagayt/ 1 tr. Gram, give the different forms of (a verb). 2 intr. a unite, b become fused. • adj. /konjagat, -gayt/ joined together; fused. COn*ju*ga*tion /konjagayshan/ n. Gram, sys¬ tem of verbal inflection. □□ conjugation* al adj. conjunct /kanjungkt/ adj. joined together; associated. COn*junc*tion /kanjungkshan/ n. 1 joining; connection. 2 Gram, connective word (e.g., and, but, if). 3 combination (of events or cir¬ cumstances). ■ 1 see junction 3. con»junc*ti*va /konjungktiva, kanjungktiva/

n. (pi. con*junc*ti*vas or con*junc*ti*vae /-vee/) Anat. mucous membrane of the eye. □□ con*junc*ti'val adj. COn»junc»tive /kanjungktiv/ adj. 1 serving to join; connective. 2 Gram, of the nature of a conjunction. COn*junc*ti*vi*tis /kanjungkuvftis/ n. inflam¬ mation of the conjunctiva. COn*jure /konjar/ v. 1 tr. call upon (a spirit) to appear. 2 tr. evoke. 3 intr. perform seem¬ ingly magical tricks. □ conjure up produce as if by magic. ■ □ conjure up see evoke 2. conk /kongk/ v.tr. si. hit on the head, etc. □ conk out 1 (of a machine, etc.) break down. 2 (of a person) be exhausted and give up; faint. ■ see hit v. la. □ conk out 1 see break v. lb. Conn. abbr. Connecticut. COn*nect /kanekt/ v. 1 a tr. join (one thing with another), b intr. be joined or joinable. 2 tr. associate mentally or practically. 3 intr. (of a train, etc.) be timed such that passen¬ gers can transfer (to another train, etc.). 4 tr. put into communication. 5 intr. colloq. hit or strike effectively. □□ con*nec'tor n. u 1 link or tie (together); fasten, bind, at¬ tach, couple, secure, affix; pin, hook, staple, tack, glue, cement, fuse, seal, strap, bolt, lash. 2 affiliate, relate, tie (in). COn*nec*tion /kanekshan/ n. 1 connecting; being connected. 2 meeting point. 3 link, esp. by telephone. 4 connecting train, flight, etc. 5 [often in pi] relevant or helpful ac¬ quaintance. 6 relation of ideas. ■ 1 linking, linkage, union, bond, link; tie, relationship, association, relevance, appro¬ priateness. 2 see joint n. 1.3 see link n. 2a, b. 5 (connections) contacts, friends; influ¬ ence, pull, clout. 6 see context. COn»nec»tive /kanektiv/ adj. serving or tend¬ ing to connect, esp. of body tissue. conn*ing tow»er /koning/ n. 1 superstruc¬ ture of a submarine containing the peri¬ scope. 2 pilothouse of a warship. COn*nive /kaniv/ v.intr. 1 [foil, by at] disre¬ gard or tacitly consent to (a wrongdoing). 2 conspire. ■ 1 see abet. 2 see scheme v. con*nois*seur /konasdr/ n. expert judge in matters of taste. ■ see expert n. COn*note /kanot/ v.tr. imply in addition to the literal or primary meaning, do con*no*ta' tion n. con*no*ta*tive /konataytiv, kanbtativ/ adj. m see imply 3. COn*nu*bi*al /kanobbeeal, kanyob-/ adj. of or relating to marriage. □□ con*nu'bi*al*ly adv.

■ see matrimonial (matrimony). Con«quer /kongkar/ v.tr. 1 a overcome mili¬ tarily. b be victorious. 2 overcome (a habit, challenge, etc.) by effort. □□ con'quer'a* ble adj. con'quer*or n. ■ 1 a beat, defeat, subdue, crush, subjugate, vanquish; capture, seize, win, gain, acquire, obtain; occupy, annex. 2 triumph or prevail over, surmount, master.

COn»quest /kongkwest/ n. 1 conquering; be¬ ing conquered. 2 something won. 3 person

161

whose affection has been won. ■ 1 subjugation, domination, subjection; 0conquest of) mastery or control of, triumph over; see also defeat n. 2 see trophy 1. COn*quis»ta»dor /konkwistadawr, kongke'ests-/ n. (pi. con*quis*ta*dor*es /-dawrez/ or con*quis*ta*dors) conqueror, esp. a 16th-c. Spanish conqueror of Mexico and Peru. COn»san»guin*e*OUS /konsanggwineeas/ adj. descended from the same ancestor; akin. □□ con*san*guin'i*ty n. COn»SCience /konshsns/ n. moral sense of right and wrong. □ in all conscience by any reasonable standard. a morality, judgment, fairness, ethics, honor, standards, principles, scruples. d in all conscience in all fairness, reason¬ ably. COn»SCi*en*tious /konshee-enshas/ adj. dili¬ gent and scrupulous. □ conscientious ob¬ jector person who refrains from military service on moral grounds. □□ con*sci*en' tious’ly adv. con*sci*en'tious*ness n. • principled, fair, moral, ethical, righteous, upstanding, upright, honorable, just, respon¬ sible, incorruptible; careful, meticulous, punctilious, painstaking, particular, rigor¬ ous, thorough; prudent, sensible, attentive, serious. C0n»SCi0US /konshas/ • adj. 1 awake and aware of one’s surroundings and identity. 2 a aware; knowing, b intentional. 3 [in comb.] aware of; concerned with (appearance¬ conscious). •n. [prec. by the] the conscious mind. □□ con'scious*ly adv. con scious* ness n. m adj. 1 see awake adj. 1. 2 a see aware 1. b deliberate, willful, studied. C0n*script • v.tr. /kanskript/ summon for compulsory (esp. military) service. • n. /konskript/ conscripted person. □□ con*scrip’ tion n. ■ v. see enlist 1. • n. see RECRUIT n. 1, 2. COn*se*crate /konsikrayt/ v. tr. 1 make or de¬ clare sacred. 2 [foil, by to] devote to (a pur¬ pose). □□ con*se*cra*tion /-krayshan/ n. con'se*cra*tor n. m 1 see sanctify 1. 2 see devote. COn*sec*u*tive /kansekyativ/ adj. following continuously; in unbroken or logical order. □□ con*sec'u*tive*ly adv. con*sec'u*tive* ness n. m see successive. COn*sen*SUS /kansensas/ n. general agree¬ ment or opinion. ■ See AGREEMENT 1, 2. consent /kansent/ • v.intr. express willing¬ ness; agree. • n. voluntary agreement; per¬ mission. ■ v. comply, concur, accede, acquiesce, concede, yield, submit, cede, conform, give in; (consent to) permit, allow, approve, au¬ thorize. • n. approval, assent, sanction, au¬ thorization. cc>n*se*quence /konsikwens, -kwans/ n. 1 result or effect of an action or condition. 2 importance.

■ 1 see result n. 1.2 see importance (im¬ portant). Con»se»quent /konsikwant/ adj. following as a result or consequence. ■ see attendant adj. 1. Con*se*quen*tial /konsikwenshal/ adj. 1 fol¬ lowing as a consequence. 2 resulting indi¬ rectly. 3 significant. □□ con*se*quen'tial* ly adv. COn»se»quenWy /konsikwentlee/ adv. & conj. as a result; therefore. ■ so, accordingly, ergo, hence, thus. COn*ser*van*cy /kansarvansee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 body concerned with the preservation of natural resources. 2 official preservation (of forests, etc.). con*ser*va*tion /konsarvayshan/ n. preser¬ vation, esp. of the natural environment. □ conservation of energy Physics principle that the total quantity of energy of any sys¬ tem not subject to external action remains constant. □□ con*ser*va'tion*al adj. con* ser*va'tion*ist n. ■ protection, safekeeping, maintenance, upkeep, management, safeguarding; envi¬ ronmentalism. □□ conservationist envi¬ ronmentalist, ecologist, preservationist; see also naturalist. C0n*ser*va*tive /kansarvativ/ • adj. 1 a averse to rapid change, b moderate; avoiding extremes. 2 (of an estimate, etc.) purposely low. 3 tending to conserve. • n. conservative person. □□ con*ser'va*tism n. con*ser'va*tive*ly adv. con*ser'va*tive* ness n. n adj. 1 a unprogressive, orthodox, tradi¬ tional, conformist, conventional, fundamen¬ talist. b cautious, careful, prudent, temper¬ ate. • n. reactionary, fundamentalist; moderate, middle-of-the-roader. con*ser*va*tO*ry /kansarvatawree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 greenhouse. 2 music school. con*serve /kansarv/ »v.tr. 1 keep from harm or damage, esp. for later use. 2 Physics maintain a quantity of (heat, etc.). 3 pre¬ serve (food, esp. fruit), usu. with sugar. • n. (also /konsarv/) fresh fruit jam. ■ v. 1 preserve, store up, save, spare, re¬ serve; maintain, keep up, take care of. 3 see preserve v. 3. • n. see preserve n. 1. Con*sid*er /kansidar/ v.tr. 1 contemplate; weigh and evaluate. 2 examine the merits of. 3 give attention to. 4 take into account. 5 regard as. 6 (as considered adj.) deliber¬ ated. □ all things considered taking every¬ thing into account. ■ 1 think about or over, ponder, mull over, meditate (on or upon or over or about), re¬ flect (on or upon or about), ruminate (on or over or about). 2 see deliberate v. 2. 3 see heed v. 4 reckon with, bear in mind, ob¬ serve, make allowance for; respect, have re¬ gard for. 5 look upon; judge, take to be, be¬ lieve, gauge, rate, estimate, deem. con*sid*er*a*ble /kansidsrsbal/ adj. 1 much; a lot of. 2 notable; important. □□ con*sid'er*a*bly adv. ■ 1 sizable, substantial, great, no little,

conquest ~ considerable

considerate ~ constellation

162

appreciable, respectable, noticeable, decent, fair. 2 worthy, of consequence, of distinc¬ tion, distinguished, illustrious, noteworthy, remarkable, estimable. con#sid*er»ate /kansidarst/ adj. thoughtful toward others. □□ con*sid'er*ate*ly adv. m kind, helpful, friendly, gracious, obliging, accommodating, charitable, generous, un¬ selfish; sympathetic, compassionate, sensi¬ tive, attentive. Con*sid*er*a*tion /kansidarayshan/ n. 1 careful thought. 2 thoughtfulness. 3 fact or thing taken into account. 4 compensa¬ tion; payment or reward. ■ 1 deliberation, reflection, contemplation; study, examination. 2 regard, concern, at¬ tentiveness, solicitude, compassion, kind¬ ness, respect, care. 3 see point n. 11. 4 re¬ muneration, recompense. COn*Sid*er*ing /kansidaring/ • prep, in view of; because of. • adv. colloq. all in all (not so bad, considering). ■ prep, in light of, bearing in mind, taking

into account, looking at, inasmuch as, inso¬ much as. • adv. all things or everything con¬ sidered; see also on the whole (whole) . COn»Sign /kansin/ v.tr. 1 hand over; deliver. 2 assign; commit. 3 transmit or send (goods). □□ con*sign*ee /konslne'e/ n. con* sign'or n. a 1 see entrust. 2 dispatch, dismiss, rele¬ gate; see also downgrade v. 1. 3 see send 1 a. COn*sign*ment /kansi’nmant/ n. 1 consign¬ ing; being consigned. 2 goods consigned. 3 agreement to pay a supplier of goods after the goods are sold. a 2 see cargo lb, 2b. COn*sist /kansist/ v.intr. be composed; have as ingredients or essential features. a (consist of) contain, comprise, include, have in it. con»sis*ten*cy /kansistansee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 degree of density, viscosity, etc., esp. of liq¬ uids. 2 being consistent, a 1 texture, firmness, compactness. 2 see uniformity (uniform). COn*sis*tent /kansistant/ adj. 1 compatible or in harmony. 2 (of a person) constant. □□ con*sist'ent*ly adv. a 1 in agreement, in keeping, harmonious, accordant, in accordance, consonant, conse¬ quent. 2 dependable, regular, predictable, undeviating, steady, steadfast, unchanging, unswerving. □□ consistently steadily, often, frequently; reliably, devotedly, firmly, reso¬ lutely, faithfully, unfailingly. COn*SO*la*tion /konsalayshan/ n. 1 consol¬ ing; being consoled. 2 consoling thing, per¬ son, or circumstance, a see comfort n. 1. console1 /kansOl/ v.tr. comfort, esp. in grief or disappointment. □□ con*sol'a*ble adj. con*sol'er n. con*sol'ing*ly adv. a soothe, calm, assuage, solace, cheer (up), reassure, relieve, hearten, cheer, gladden. con^sole2 /konsol/ n. 1 panel for switches, controls, etc. 2 appliance cabinet. 3 cabinet for an organ’s keyboards, etc.

Con*Sol*i*date /kansolidayt/

v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become strong or solid. 2 tr. com¬ bine into one whole. □□ con*sol*i*da*tion /-dayshan/ n. con*soI'i*da*tor n. a 1 see strengthen. 2 see amalgamate. COn«SOm*me /konsamay/ n. clear soup from meat stock. COn»SO*nant /konsanant/ • n. 1 speech sound in which the breath is at least pardy obstructed. 2 letter(s) representing this. • adj. consistent; in agreement or harmony. a adj. see consistent 1. contort1 • n. /konsawrt/ spouse, esp. of roy¬ alty. • v.intr: /kansort/ keep company; asso¬ ciate. CO(1*SOrt2 /konsawrt/ n. Mus. group of play¬ ers, singers, etc. con*sor*tium /kansawrsheeam, -teeam/ n. (pi. -ti*a /-sheea, -teea/ or -ti*ums) associa¬ tion, esp. of several firms. COn*spiC*U*OUS /kanspikyooas/ adj. 1 clear¬ ly visible; attracting notice. 2 remarkable of its kind. See synonym study at noticeable. on con*spic'u*ous*ly adv. con*spic'u*ous* ness n. a 1 obvious, unmistakable, prominent, out¬ standing, impressive, vivid, obtrusive; strik¬ ing, loud, blatant; evident, apparent. 2 nota¬ ble, noteworthy, exceptional, eminent, unusual, marked, extraordinary. COn*spir*a*Cy /kanspirasee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 secret plan to commit a crime; a plot. 2 conspiring. See synonym study at PLOT. a 1 scheme, stratagem, cabal, intrigue, machination. 2 collusion, connivance, foul play. COn*spir*a»tOr /kanspiratar/ n. person who takes part in a conspiracy. □□ con*spir*a* to*ri*al /-tawreeal/ adj. a see accomplice. COn*spire /kanspir/ v.intr. 1 collude for an unlawful or harmful act. 2 (of events) seem to be working together, a 1 see plot v. 2. con*Sta*ble /konstabal, kun-/ n. peace offi¬ cer, esp. in a small town. con*stab*u*lar*y /kanstabyaleree/ n. (pi. -ies) constables, collectively, a see police n. con*stan*cy /konstansee/ n. dependability; faithfulness. a see loyalty (loyal), determination 1. constant /konstant/ • adj. 1 continuous. 2 occurring frequendy. 3 faithful; dependa¬ ble. See synonym study at RESOLUTE. • n. anything that does not vary. □□ con stant* ly adv. a adj. 1 continual; incessant, unceasing, ceaseless, perpetual, persistent, uninterrupt¬ ed, steady, invariable, unremitting, unvary¬ ing, relendess, unrelenting, unending, end¬ less, never-ending, nonstop. 3 unchanging, invariable, unvarying, immutable; resolute, immovable, steadfast, firm, unshakable, un¬ swerving, undeviating, persevering, unwea¬ rying, tireless, unflagging, unwavering, un¬ faltering; loyal, true, devoted. COn*SteMa*tion /konstalayshan/ n. 1 group of associated stars. 2 assemblage of persons, ideas, etc.

COn»Ster*na«tion /kbnstsrnayshsn/

n. anxi¬ ety; dismay. ■ see dismay n. 1. COn»Sti*pate /konstipayt/ v.tr. affect with constipation. COn»Sti*pa*tion /konstipayshon/ n. difficulty in emptying the bowels. COn*Stit*U*en*cy /konstichooonsee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 body of voters who elect a repre¬ sentative. 2 area so represented. COfl*Stit*U*ent /kanstichooant/ • adj. 1 com¬ posing; constituting. 2 able to make or change a constitution. 3 electing. • n. 1 member of a constituency. 2 component. ■ n. 2 see ingredient. Con»Sti»tute /konstitoot, tyoot/ v.tr. 1 be the components or essence of; make up. 2 amount to. 3 give legal or constitutional form to. □□ con'sti*tu*tor n. a 1 see form v. 3. 2 see make v. 5. COn»Sti»tu*tion /konstitobshan, -tycib-/ n. 1 act or method of constituting; composi¬ tion. 2 body of fundamental governing prin¬ ciples. 3 person’s health, strength, etc. b 1 see structure n. 2. 2 see law 1. 3 see HEALTH 2. Con*Sti*tu*tion*al /konstitooshanal, -tyoo-/ • adj. 1 pertaining to a constitution. 2 inher¬ ent. • n. walk taken regularly for health. □□ con*sti*tu*tion*al*i*ty /-alitee/ n. con* sti*tu'tion*al*ly adv. m adj. 1 see legitimate adj. 2. 2 see inher¬ ent 1. • n. see walk n. 2b. con*strain /kanstrayn/ v.tr. 1 compel. 2 a confine forcibly, b restrict severely. 3 (as constrained adj.) forced; embarrassed. See synonym study at compel. ■ 1 see force2 v. 1. 2 see bound v. 1. constraint /kanstraynt/ n. 1 constraining; being constrained. 2 restriction. 3 selfcontrol. constrict /kanstrikt/ v.tr. make narrow or tight; compress. □□ con*stric*tion /-strikshan/ n. con*stric'tive adj. ■ see contract v. 1. constrictor /kanstrikiar/ n. 1 snake that kills by compressing. 2 muscle that com¬ presses a part of the body, construct • v.tr. /kanstrukt/ make by fitting together; build. • n. /konstrukt/ thing con¬ structed, esp. by the mind. □□ con*struc' tor n. m v. erect, put together, frame, set up, put up, assemble; fabricate, devise, create, forge, invent, formulate, compose, form, shape, fashion. • n. see invention 1. construction /kanstrukshan/ n. 1 con¬ structing. 2 thing constructed. 3 interpreta¬ tion or explanation. 4 particular arrange¬ ment of words. □□ con*struc'tion*al adj. m 1, 2 see structure n. 1, 2. 3 see rendi¬ tion. constructive /kanstruktiv/ adj. 1 tending to form a basis for ideas. 2 helpful; positive. □□ con*struc'tive*ly adv. • 2 useful, practical, productive, beneficial, construe /kanstroo/ v.tr. 1 interpret. 2 ana¬ lyze the syntax of (a sentence). 3 translate word for word. See synonym study at clarify. ■ 1 see interpret 4.

163

consternation ~ contagious

Consul /konsal/

n. 1 official appointed by a government to protect its citizens and inter¬ ests in a foreign city. 2 hist, either of two chief magistrates in ancient Rome. □□ con' sul*ar adj. con'sul*ship n. consulate /konsalat/ n. 1 building officially used by a consul. 2 position of consul, consult /kansult/ v. 1 tr. seek information or advice from. 2 intr. solicit counsel. 3 intr. give counsel. 4 tr. take into account (feel¬ ings, interests, etc.). □□ con*sul*ta*tive /-sultativ/ adj. ■ 1,2 refer to, look in or at; confer (with). 4 see consider 4. consultsnt /kansult’nt/ n. person providing professional advice, etc. ■ expert, counselor. Consul*ta*tion /konsaltayshan/ n. 1 meet¬ ing arranged to consult. 2 act or instance of consulting. ■ see talk n. 1. consume /kansobm/ v.tr. 1 eat or drink. 2 destroy. 3 possess (consumed with rage). 4 use up. □□ con*sum'a*ble adj. & n. m 1 devour, swallow, put away. 2 ruin, (lay) waste, demolish, devastate. 3 overcome, overwhelm; preoccupy, obsess. 4 exhaust, deplete, drain, expend. Consum»er /kansobmar/ n. person who con¬ sumes, esp. one who uses a product or ser¬ vice. ■ see BUYER. COnsum*er»ism /konsoomorizam/ n. protec¬ tion or promotion of consumers’ interests. □□ con*sum’er*ist adj. & n. COn*Sum*mate •v.tr. /konsamayt/ 1 com¬ plete; make perfect. 2 complete (a marriage) by sexual intercourse. • adj. /kansumit, konsamit/ complete; perfect. □□ con*sum' mate*ly adv. con*sum*ma*tion /-mayshan/ n. con*sum*ma'tive adj. con'sum*ma*tor n. m v. 1 see finish v. la. adj. 1.

'adj. see complete

consumption /kansumpshan/ n. 1 con¬ suming; being consumed. 2 purchase and use of goods, etc. 3 amount consumed. 4 obs. tuberculosis. ■ 1,2 see use n. 1. cont. abbr. 1 contents. 2 continued, contact • n. /kontakt/ 1 state or condition of touching, meeting, or communicating. 2 person useful to deal with. 3 connection for electric current. 4 colloq. contact lens. • v.tr. /kontakt, kantakt/ get in touch with. □ contact lens small lens placed directly on eyeball to correct vision. • n. 1 conjunction, connection, associa¬ tion. 2 see connection 5. con»ta*gion /kantayjan/ n. la communica¬ tion of disease by bodily contact, b conta¬ gious disease. 2 moral corruption. ■ 1 b see disease 3. 2 see poison n. 2. con*ta*gious /kantayjas/ adj. 1 a (of a per¬ son) likely to transmit disease by contact, b (of a disease) transmitted in this way. 2 (of emotions, etc.) likely to spread. ■ 1 b, 2 see infectious 2, 3.

contain ~ contingent

164

contain /kantayn/

v.tr. 1 hold or be capable of holding within itself. 2 (of measures) be equal to. 3 prevent from moving or extend¬ ing. 4 control or restrain (feelings, etc.). ■ 1 comprise, lodge; bear, carry; see also in¬ clude 1. 2 consist of. 3, 4 restrict, confine, repress, hold back or in, curb, bridle, keep under control, suppress, check, stifle. Con»tain*er /kantaynar/ n. jar, box, etc., for holding things. ■ see RECEPTACLE. COn*tain*er»ize /kantaynariz/ v.tr. pack in or transport by container. □□ con*tain*er*i* za'tion n. Con*tain»ment /kantaynmant/ n. prevention of hostile incursion. COn»tam*i*nate /kantaminayt/ v.tr. 1 pol¬ lute. 2 infect. See synonym study at pol¬ lute. □□ con*tam*i*nant /-minant/ n. con* tam*i*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. con*tam'i*na* tor n. • 1 defile, poison, spoil, sully; debase, adul¬ terate. 2 stain, corrupt, soil, taint. COn*tem*plate /kontamplayt/ v. 1 tr. survey visually or mentally. 2 tr. regard (an event) as possible. 3 tr. intend. 4 intr. meditate. □ □ con*tem*pla*tion /-playshan/ n. con* tem'pla*tive adj. ■ 1 look at or (up) on, observe, regard, rumi¬ nate on or over, ponder on or over, deliberate over, reflect on, think about or over, mull over. 2 see envisage 2. 3 see intend 1, 2. 4 see meditate 1. COn*tem*po*ra*ne*OUS /kantemparayneeas/ adj. existing or occurring at the same time. □□ con*tem*po*ra'ne*ous*ly adv. ■ see simultaneous. COn*tem*po*rar*y /kantempareree/ • adj. 1 living or occurring at the same time. 2 about the same age. 3 modern in style. • n. (pi. -ies) contemporary person or thing. ■ adj. 1 coexistent, concurrent, synchro¬ nous, synchronic. 3 current, present-day, new, up-to-date, stylish, fashionable. • n. peer, coeval. contempt /kantempt/ n. 1 feeling of scorn or extreme reproach. 2 being so regarded. 3 disrespect shown to a court, etc. □ be¬ neath contempt utterly despicable, hold in contempt despise. ■ 1 disdain, disgust; loathing, abhorrence, hatred. 2 contumely. con*tempt*i»ble /kantemptibal/ adj. deser¬ ving contempt. □□ con*tempt'i*bly adv. m despicable, unworthy, shabby, shameful, low, mean, base, measly, miserable, wretched, petty, pitiable, pitiful, nasty, pa¬ thetic, loathsome, detestable. COn*temp*tu*OUS /kantempchCbas/ adj. showing contempt. □□ con*temp'tu*ous*ly adv.

■ scornful, disdainful, sneering, derisive, in¬ sulting, insolent. contend /kantend/ v. 1 intr. strive; fight. 2 intr. compete. 3 tr. assert; maintain. □□ con*tend'er n. ■ 1,2 see strive 2. 3 see maintain 3. consent1 /kantent/ • adj. 1 satisfied; ade¬

quately happy. 2 willing. • v. tr. satisfy. • n. contented state. ■ adj. 1 pleased, delighted, gratified, glad, cheerful; comfortable, fulfilled. 2 see will¬ ing adj. •v. please, gratify, soothe, cheer, gladden. • n. pleasure, satisfaction, gratifica¬ tion, happiness, contentment. consent2 /kontent/ n. 1 [usu. in pi.} what is contained, as in a vessel, book, or house. 2 amount contained. 3 substance (of a speech, etc.) as distinct from form. 4 capac¬ ity or volume. ■ 1 (contents) components, constituents; load. 3 subject matter, theme, thesis, text. Con*tent*ed /kantentid/ adj. happy; satisfied. □□ con*tent'ed*ly adv. con*tent'ed*ness n. COn*ten*tion /kantenshan/ n. 1 dispute or argument; rivalry. 2 point contended. ■ 1 see rivalry (rival). 2 see argument 2. COn*ten*tious /kantenshas/ adj. 1 quarrel¬ some. 2 likely to cause an argument. □□ con*ten'tious*ly adv. con*ten'tious* ness n. m 1 see argumentative. 2 see controver¬ sial 1. COn*tent*ment /kantentmant/ n. satisfied state; tranquil happiness. ■ ease, comfort, serenity, peace, peaceful¬ ness. congest • n. /kontest/ 1 contending; com¬ petition. 2 dispute. • v.tr. /kantest, kontest/ 1 dispute. 2 contend or compete for. □□ con*test*a*ble /kantestabal/ adj. m n. 1 match, tournament, championship, meet, game. 2 controversy, debate, alterca¬ tion, argument, ’v. 1 argue against, chal¬ lenge, oppose. con*test*ant /kantestant/ n. person taking part in a contest. ■ contender, competitor, entrant, player, participant. context /kontekst/ n. 1 parts that surround and clarify a word or passage. 2 relevant cir¬ cumstances. oo con*tex*tu*al /kantekschooal/ adj. con*tex'tu*al*ize v.tr. con*tex* tu*al*i*za'tion n. con*tex'tu*al*ly adv. • structure, circumstance(s); frame (of ref¬ erence). COn*tig*U*OUS /kantigyooas/ adj. touching; in contact, dd con*tig'u*ous*ly adv. COrWfrnent1 /kontinant/ «. any of earth’s main land masses. con»ti*nent2 /kontinant/ adj. 1 able to con¬ trol one’s bowels and bladder. 2 exercising self-restraint. □□ con'ti*nence n. See syno¬ nym study at abstinence ■ 2 see temperate 4. COn*ti*nen*tal /kontinent’l/ adj. of a conti¬ nent. □ continental breakfast light break¬ fast of coffee, rolls, etc. COn»tin*gen*cy /kantinjansee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 event that may or may not occur. 2 uncer¬ tainty; chance. ■ 1 see eventuality. Con*tin*gent /kantinjant/ • adj. 1 condi¬ tional; dependent (on an uncertain circum¬ stance). 2 that may or may not occur. See synonym study at accidental. • n. body (of troops, ships, etc.) forming part of a larger group.

■ adj. 1 see provisional. • n. see cohort 2. adj. constantly or frequently recurring. □□ con*tin'u*al*ly

COn*tin*U*al /kantinyooal/ adv.

■ incessant, perpetual, nonstop, uninter¬ rupted, unceasing, unremitting, endless, un¬ ending, continuous. COn*tin*U»ance /kantinyooans/ n. 1 continu¬ ing in existence or operation. 2 duration. 3 Law postponement. COn»tin*U*a*tion /kantinyoo-ayshan/ n. 1 continuing; being continued. 2 part that continues something else. ■ 1 see MAINTENANCE 1. 2 See SUPPLEMENT n. 1. Con»tin*ue /kantinyoo/ v. 1 tr. maintain; not stop. 2 tr. resume or prolong (a narrative, journey, etc.). 3 tr. be a sequel to. 4 intr. re¬ main. ■ 1 proceed with, pursue, sustain. 2 pick up, take up, carry on (with). 4 endure, per¬ sist. COn*ti*nu*i*ty /kontinobitee, -nyob-/ n. pi. -ties) 1 state of being continuous. 2 logical sequence. ■ see unity 2. COn*tin»U»OUS /kantinyooas/ adj. unbroken; uninterrupted. □□ con*tin'u*ous*ly adv. ■ incessant, persistent, perpetual, nonstop, unceasing, ceaseless, constant, unremitting, interminable, endless. C0n»tin»u»um /kantinyooam/ n. (pi. con*tin* ua /-yooa/ or con*tin*u*ums) thing having a continuous structure. con'tort /kantawrt/ v.tr. twist or force out of normal shape. □□ con*tor*tion /kantawrshan/ n. COn*tor»tion»ist /kantawrshanist/ n. enter¬ tainer who adopts contorted postures. COn*tOlir/kontOOr/ • n. outline. • v. tr. mark with contour lines. ■ n. see outline1 n. 4. • v. see line v. 1. contra- /kontra/ comb, form against; opposite. COn»tra»band /kontraband/ • n. smuggled goods. • adj. forbidden from import or ex¬ port. COn»tra*cep*tion /kontrasepshan/ n. preven¬ tion of pregnancy esp. by artificial means. □□ con*tra*cep'tive adj. & n. ■ birth control. contract • n. /kontrakt/ 1 written or spoken agreement, esp. one enforceable by law. 2 document recording this. • v. /kantrakt, kontrakt/ 1 tr. & intr. make or become small¬ er. 2 a intr. make a contract, b tr. arrange (work) to be done by contract. 3 tr. catch or develop (a disease). ■ n. 1 understanding, deal, arrangement, pact, compact. 2 agreement, memorandum. •v. 1 diminish, reduce, shrink, condense. 3 come down with, develop. COn*trac*tile /kantrakt’l, -til/ adj. capable of or producing contraction. □□ con*trac*til* i*ty /kontraktilitee/ n. ■ see elastic adj. 1, 2. Con»trac*tion /kantrakshan/ n. 1 contract¬ ing. 2 Med. shortening of the uterine mus¬ cles during childbirth. 3 shortened word form (e.g., it’s for it is), m 2 see labor n. 3.

165

continual ~ contrite

COn*trac*tor /kontraktar; kantraktar/ n. per¬ son who makes a contract, as to provide ser¬ vices. COn*trac»tU*al /kantrakchooal/ adj. of or in the nature of a contract. □□ con*trac'tu*al* ly adv. con*tra»dict /kontradikt/ v.tr. 1 deny (a statement). 2 deny a statement made by (a person). 3 be in opposition to or in conflict with. □□ con*tra*dic*tion /-dikshan/ n. con*tra*dic*to*ry /-tawree/ adj. See syno¬ nym study at opposite ■ 1,2 counter, dispute, rebut, reject, refute. con*tra»dis«tinc*tion /kontradistingkshan/ n. distinction made by contrast, contrail /kontrayl/ n. condensation trail, esp. from a jet. COn»tral»tO /kantralto/ n. (pi. -tos) 1 lowest female singing voice. 2 singer with this voice. COn*trap*tion /kantrapshan/ n. machine or device, esp. a strange one. ■ contrivance, gadget, doodad, si. gizmo. COn*tra*pun«tal /kontrapunt’l/ adj. Mus. of or in counterpoint. □□ con*tra*pun'tal*ly adv. con*tra*pun'tist n. COn»trar»i»wise /kantraireewiz/ adv. 1 on the other hand. 2 in the opposite way. ■ 2 see vice versa. Con*trar*y /kontreree/ • adj. 1 opposed in na¬ ture or tendency. 2 /kantrairee/ self-willed. 3 (of a wind) unfavorable. 4 opposite in posi¬ tion or direction. See synonym study at oppo¬ site. • n. pi. -ies) [prec. by the] the opposite. • adv. [foil, by to] in utter contrast. □□ con* trar'i'ly adv. con*trar'i*ness n. u adj. 1 contradictory, conflicting, antago¬ nistic. 2 perverse, hostile, unfriendly, refrac¬ tory, argumentative. 3 adverse. • n. reverse, converse, antithesis. contrast • n. /kontrast/ 1 a juxtaposition or comparison showing differences, b differ¬ ence so revealed. 2 thing or person having different qualities. 3 range of color or tone in a picture. • v. tr. /kantrast, kontrast/ set to¬ gether so as to reveal a contrast. ■ n. 1 distinction, disparity, dissimilarity. • v. juxtapose, oppose, compare, distinguish, differentiate. con*tra*vene /kontrave'en/ v.tr. 1 infringe (a law, etc.). 2 (of things) conflict with. □□ con*tra*ven'tion n. m 1 see infringe 1. con*tre*temps /kontratoN/ n. awkward or unfortunate occurrence. COn*trib*ute /kantribyoot/ v.tr. 1 give (money, help, etc.) toward a common pur¬ pose. 2 supply (an article, etc.) for publica¬ tion. □□ con*trib'u*tor n. m 1 donate, bestow, grant; promote, have a hand in. Con*tri*bu*tion /kontribyobshan/ n. 1 act of contributing. 2 thing contributed. ■ 1 see donation 1. 2 see donation 2. Con*trite /kantrft, kontrlt/ adj. penitent; feel¬ ing remorse. □□ con*trite'ly adv. con* trite'ness n. con*tri'tion n. ■ see remorseful (remorse).

contrivance ~ conversation

166

COn*triv*ance /kantri'vans/ n. 1 something contrived, esp. a mechanical device or a plan. 2 act of contriving. ■ 1 see device 1. 2 see subterfuge 1. contrive /kantriv/ v. tr. devise; plan or make resourcefully. ■ see devise v. 1. contrived /kantrivd/ adj. artificial; forced. ■ see artificial 3. control /kantrbl/ • n. 1 power of directing. 2 power of restraining, esp. self-restraint. 3 means of restraint. 4 [usu. in pi] means of regulating. 5 [usu. in pi] switches, etc., by which a machine is controlled. 6 place where something is overseen. 7 standard of comparison in an experiment. • v.tr. (con* trolled, con*trol*ling) 1 have control of; regulate. 2 hold in check. □□ con*trol'la* ble adj. con*trol*la*bil'i*ty n. con*trol'la* bly adv. m n. 1 command, authority, leadership, management, guidance, supervision. 2 mas¬ tery, dominance, domination. 3 check, curb. ■ v. 1 direct, steer, pilot, manage, conduct. 2 restrain, curb, repress, contain. COlVtroMer /kantrblar/ n. 1 person or thing that controls. 2 person in charge of expendi¬ tures. COn*tro*ver*sial /kontravdrshal/ adj. causing or subject to controversy. □□ con*tro*ver' sial*ly adv. ■ debatable, contentious, disputable, ques¬ tionable, litigious, polemic(al), provocative. COn»tro*ver»sy /kontravarsee/ n. (pi. -sies) prolonged argument or dispute. ■ debate, contention, disagreement, argu¬ ment. COn»tro*vert /kontravart/ v.tr. dispute; deny. □□ con*tro*vert'i*ble adj. COn*tU*ma*cious /kontCOmayshas, -tydb-/ adj. stubbornly or willfully disobedient. COn*tU»me»ly /kontODmalee, -tOOmlee, -tob-, -tydb-/ n. 1 insolent language or treatment. 2 disgrace. ■ 1 see derision. 2 see disgrace n. C0n*tuse /kantobz, -tyobz/ v.tr. bruise. □□ con*tu*sion /-zhan/ n. ■ see bruise v. 1. □□ contusion see bruise n.

CO*nun*drum /kanundram/ n. 1 riddle, esp. one with a pun in its answer. 2 puzzling question. See synonym study at riddle. ■ 1 see riddle1 n. COn*ur*ba*tion /konarbayshan/ n. extended urban area. COn*va*lesce /konvales/ v.intr. recover health after illness. □□ con*va*les'cence n. con* va*les'cent adj. ■ improve, get better, recuperate. COn*vec»tion /kanvekshan/ n. heat transfer by upward movement of a heated and less dense medium. Con»vene /kanveen/ v. 1 tr. summon or ar¬ range (a meeting, etc.). 2 intr. assemble. See synonym study at gather. ■ 1 see summon 3. 2 see assemble 1. COn*ven«ience /kanve'enyans/ n. 1 state of being convenient; suitability. 2 useful thing.

□ at one’s convenience at a time or place that suits one. convenience store store with basic groceries, etc., usu. having extended hours. COn*ven*ient /kanve'enyant/ adj. serving one’s comfort or interests; suitable. □□ con* ven'ient*ly adv. • useful, helpful, handy, advantageous, op¬ portune, accessible, available. con*vent /konvent, -vant/ n. 1 religious community, esp. of nuns. 2 premises for this. Con»ven*tion /kanvenshan/ n. 1 general cus¬ tom or customary practice. 2 assembly for a common purpose. 3 formal agreement, esp. between nations. ■ 1 tradition, usage, formality, rule. 2 gath¬ ering, congregation, congress, conference, symposium, seminar. COn*ven*tion*al /kanvenshanal/ adj. 1 de¬ pending on or according to convention. 2 (of a person) attentive to social conven¬ tions. 3 usual; commonplace. 4 (of weapons, etc.) nonnuclear. □□ con*ven' tion*al*ism n. con*ven'tion*al*ist n. con* ven*tion*al*i*ty /-shanalitee/ n. con*ven' tion*al*ly adv. m 1 traditional, orthodox, established. 2 formal, conservative, conformist. 3 nor¬ mal, standard, customary, ordinary. COn*verge /konvarj/ v.intr. 1 come together or toward the same point. 2 approach from different directions. □□ con*ver'gence n. con*ver'gent adj. ■ 1 meet, join, unite, merge, coincide. COn»ver*sant /kanvdrsont, konvars-/ adj. well acquainted (with). ■ see familiar adj. 2. COn*ver*sa*tion /konvarsayshan/ n. 1 infor¬ mal spoken communication. 2 instance of this. □□ con*ver*sa'tion*al adj. con*ver* sa'tion*al*ist n. m discussion, colloq. chitchat, talk, dialogue. synonym study:

conversation

CHAT, COLLOQUY, COMMUNION, DIALOGUE, PAR¬ LEY, t£te-A-tete. It is nearly impossible for most people to get through a day without having a conversation with someone, even if it’s only a chat with a neighbor. Although conversation can and does take place in all sorts of contexts, both formal and informal, the word usually implies a relaxed, casual ex¬ change. A chat is the least formal of all con¬ versations, whether it’s a father talking to his son about girls or two women having a tetea-tete (French for “head to head,” meaning a confidential conversation) about their ex¬ asperating husbands. Men, of course, often complain that women don’t understand the meaning of dialogue, which is a two-way conversation that may involve opposing points of view. Argument is even more likely to play a role in a parley, which formally is a discussion between enemies regarding the terms of a truce. A colloquy is the most for¬ mal of all conversations (a colloquy on nuclear disarmament)', it can also be used jocularly to describe a guarded exchange (a brief colloquy with the arresting officer). Communion is a

form of conversation as well—one that may take place on such a profound level that no words are necessary (communion with Nature).

converse1 /kanvors/

v.intr. talk. ■ discuss, speak, chat, parley, discourse. converse2 • adj. /kanvars, konvars/ oppo¬ site; contrary; reversed. • n. /konvars/ some¬ thing opposite or contrary. □□ con*verse'ly adv.

COn«ver»sion /kanvarzhan. -shan/

n. con¬ verting; being converted. con*vert • v. /kanvart/ 1 a tr. change in form or function, b intr. be converted. 2 tr. cause (a person) to change beliefs, etc. 3 tr. change (money, etc.). 4 tr. modify structurally. 5 tr. (in certain sports) score an extra point or points. • n. /konvart/ person converted to a different belief, etc. □□ con*ver'ter n. ■ v. 1 a, 4 alter, transform, transmute, transfigure, remodel, remake. 2 proselytize. • n. proselyte, neophyte. COn»vert»i*ble /kanvartibal/ • adj. that may be converted. • n. ear with a folding roof. □□ con*vert*i*bil'i*ty n. con*vert'i*bly adv. m adj. see changeable 2, liquid adj. 3. Con*vex /konveks, kanveks/ adj. curved like

the exterior of a circle or sphere (cf. con¬ cave). □□ con*vex'i*ty n. con*vex'ly adv. COn*vey /kanvay/ v.tr. 1 transport or carry. 2 communicate or transmit (an idea, mean¬ ing, etc.). □□ con*vey'a*ble adj. con*vey' or n. ■ 1 see transport v. 1. 2 see communicate la, TRANSMIT la. con*vey*ance /kanvayans/ n. 1 conveying; being conveyed. 2 means of transport. ■ 1 see transmission 1. 2 vehicle. COn*viCt • v.tr. /kanvikt/ 1 prove to be guilty. 2 declare guilty by legal process. • n. /konvikt/ prison inmate. ■ n. prisoner, si. jailbird, con, yardbird. Con*vic*tion /kanvikshan/ n. 1 convicting; being convicted. 2 a being convinced, b firm belief. ■ 2 a certainty, sureness, confidence, assur¬ ance, certitude, b opinion, view, persuasion, position. convince /kanvins/ v.tr. firmly persuade. □□ con'vinc'ing adj. con*vinc'ing*ly adv. m win over, bring around, sway. con»viv»bal /kanviveeal/ adj. fond of good company; sociable; lively. □□ con*viv*i*al*b ty /-veealitee/ n. con*viv'i*al*ly adv. ■ see sociable. COn*VO»ca*tion /konvakayshan/ n. 1 act of calling together. 2 large formal gathering, as for giving awards, etc. □□ con*vo*ca'tion*al adj. m 2 see assembly 1, 2a. con'voke /kanvbk/ v.tr. formal call together.

■ see summon 3. COn»VcHut»ed /konvalobtid/ adj. 1 coiled; twisted. 2 complex. □□ con'vo*lut*ed*ly adv.

■ 1 see tortuous 1. 2 see intricate. n. 1 coiling; twisting. 2 complexity.

COn*VO*IU*tion /konvalobshan/

167

converse ~ cooperate

■ 2 see complexity (complex). n. group of ships, vehicles, etc., traveling together or under escort. ■ see FLEET1. C0(l*vulse /kanvuls/ v.tr. 1 (usu. passive] af¬ fect with convulsions. 2 cause to laugh un¬ controllably. COn*VUl»sion /kanvulshan/ n. 1 [usu. pi.] vi¬ olent body spasm. 2 violent disturbance. 3 [in pi.] uncontrollable laughter, no con* vubsive /kanvulsiv/ adj. con*vul'sive*ly

COn»VOy /konvoy/

adv. • 1 see fit2 1. COO /kOo/ • n. soft murmuring sound as of a dove. • v. 1 intr. emit a coo. 2 intr. & tr. talk

or say in a soft voice.

cook /kook/

• v. 1 tr. prepare (food) by heat¬ ing it. 2 intr. (of food) undergo cooking. 3 tr. colloq. falsify (accounts, etc.). • n. per¬ son who cooks. □ cook one’s goose ruin one’s chances, cook up colloq. concoct (a story, excuse, etc.). □□ cook'ing n. • 1 see prepare 2. 3 see falsify 1. □ cook up see invent 2. cook'book /kobkbook/ n. book of recipes, etc. COOk*er»y /kobkaree/ n. art or practice of cooking. COOk«ie /kobkee/ n. (also cook'y) (pi. cook* ies) small sweet cake. □ that’s the way the cookie crumbles colloq. that is how things turn out. COOk'OUt /kobkowt/ n. gathering with an open-air cooked meal. cook*ware /kdbkwair/ n. utensils for cook¬ ing, esp. pots, etc. cool /kool/ • adj. 1 of or at a fairly low tem¬ perature. 2 calm; unexcited. 3 lacking en¬ thusiasm. 4 unfriendly. 5 calmly audacious. 6 si. excellent. • n. 1 coolness. 2 si. calm¬ ness; composure. • v. make or become cool. □ cool it si. relax; calm down. □□ cool'ly adv. cool'ness n. • adj. 1 chilly, cold; chilled; unheated. 2 serene, unemotional, undisturbed, unexcitable, unruffled, relaxed, self-controlled, unperturbed, composed; dispassionate. 3 uninterested, apathetic. 4 lukewarm, un¬ cordial, unsociable, unapproachable, stand¬ offish, unwelcoming, aloof. 5 bold, brazen, presumptuous. 6 see superb, worldly 2. • n. 1 chill, chilliness. 2 self-control, aplomb, poise, sedateness. 'v. (tr.) chill, refrigerate, ice. (intr.) diminish, lessen, moderate. □ cool it see relax 1. COObant /koblant/ n. cooling agent, esp. fluid. COOber /koobr/ n. 1 vessel in which a thing is cooled or kept cool. 2 cold drink. 3 si. prison cell. COO'lie /koolee/ n. offens. unskilled native la¬ borer in Asian countries, coon /koon/ n. raccoon, coop /koop/ • n. cage for keeping poultry. • v.tr. confine (a person, etc.). ■ n. see cage n. • v. see shut up 2. co-op /k6-op/ n. colloq. cooperative business, apartment building, etc. CO*op*er*ate /ko-oparayt/ v.intr. 1 work or

cooperative ~ cordon

168

act together; assist. 2 (of things) concur in producing an effect. □□ co*op*er*a*tion /-ayshon/ n. a 1 collaborate, interact, team up, join forces; participate, contribute, lend a hand. co*op*er*a*tive /ko-opsrotiv, -opro-/ • adj. 1 of or affording cooperation. 2 willing to cooperate. 3 (of a business) owned and run joindy by its members, with profits shared. 4 (of an apartment building) with individual units owned by tenants. • n. cooperative farm, society, or business. □□ co*op'er*a* tive'ly adv. CO-opt /ko-opt, k6-opt/ v.tr. appoint to mem¬ bership of a body by invitation. □□ co-op* tion /-opshon/ n. co-op'tive adj. CO*or*di*nate • v. /ko-awrd’nayt/ 1 tr. cause to function together effectively. 2 intr. work or act together effectively. • adj. /koawrd’nat/ equal in rank or importance. • n. /ko-awrd’not/ Math.value used to fix the position of a point, line, or plane. □□ co*or* di*na*tion /-nayshon/ n. co*or'di*na*tor n. • v.

1 harmonize, correlate, synchronize, integrate; see also UNIFY. 2 pull together; see also cooperate. • adj. equivalent, parallel, corresponding, complementary. □□ coordi¬ nation see ORGANIZATION 1. COOt /koot/ n. 1 black aquatic bird with upper mandible extended on the forehead. 2 colloq. crotchety person. COOt'ie /kobtee/ • n. si. (usu. pi. cooties) a body louse. cop /kop/ • n. police officer. • v. ir. (copped, cop*ping) 1 catch or arrest (an offender). 2 take; seize. □ cop out withdraw; renege, cop a plea si. = plea-bargain. • n. see police officer. • v. 1 see arrest v. 1. CO*pa*cet*iC /kOposetik/ adj. si. excellent; in good order. cope1 /kop/ v.intr. deal effectively or contend with; manage. ■ (cope with) withstand, handle; see also deal v. la. cope2 /kop/ n. priest’s cloaklike vestment. COp*i»er /kopeeor/ n. machine that copies (esp. documents). CO*pi*lot /kopibt/ n. second pilot in an air¬ craft. COp#ing /kOping/ n. top (usu. sloping) course of wall masonry. CO*pi*OUS /kbpeess/ adj. 1 abundant. 2 pro¬ ductive. See synonym study at prevalent, do co’pi*ous*ly adv. co'pi*ous*ness n. ■ 1 see abundant (abundance). 2 see pro¬ fuse 2. COp*per /kopsr/ • n. 1 malleable, red-brown metallic element. fSymb.: Cu. 2 bronze coin. • adj. made of or colored like copper. COp*per*head /koporhed/ n. venomous N. American or Australian snake. CO*pra /kopra/ n. dried kernels of the co¬ conut. copse /kops/ n. small dense forest. COp'ter /koptar/ n. helicopter. Cop*u*la /'kopyala/ n. {pi. cop*u*las or cop* u*lae /-lee/) Gram, connecting word, esp. a

part of the verb be connecting subject and predicate. □□ cop'u*lar adj. COp*U*late /kopyslayt/ v.intr. have sexual in¬ tercourse. □□ cop*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. m see mate1 v. 2. cop*u*la*tive /kopyalaytiv, -lativ/' adj. 1 serv¬ ing to connect. 2 Gram, a (of a word) that connects words or clauses linked in sense, b connecting a subject and predicate. 3 re¬ lating to sexual union. □□ cop'u*la*tive*ly adv.

COp*y /kopee/ • n. {pi. -ies) 1 thing made to imitate another. 2 issue of a publication. 3 matter to be printed (scandals make good copy). »v.tr. (-ies, -ied) 1 make a copy of. 2 do the same as; imitate. See synonym study at IMITATE. an. 1 reproduction, replica, facsimile, like¬ ness, duplication, duplicate, transcript, repli¬ cation. 3 text, writing, material. • v. 1 re¬ produce, duplicate, replicate, transcribe; see also imitate 3. 2 mimic, impersonate, emu¬ late, ape, echo; see also imitate 1,2. COp*y*cat /kopeekat/ n. colloq. imitator. ■ see mimic n. COp*y*right /kopeerit/ • n. exclusive legal right to print, publish, perform, film, or rec¬ ord material. • adj. (of such material) pro¬ tected by copyright, •v.tr. secure copyright for (material). COp*y*writ*er /kopeerltar/ n. person who writes or edits (esp. advertising) copy for publication. □□ cop'y*writ*ing n. CO'quette /koket/ n. woman who flirts. □ □ co*quet'tish adj. co*quet'tish*ly adv. co*quet'tish*ness n. ■ see flirt n. 1. cor- /kor/ prefix assim. form of COM-before r. corral /kawrol, kor-/ • n. 1 hard red, pink, or white calcareous substance secreted by ma¬ rine polyps. 2 any of these usu. colonial or¬ ganisms. • adj. 1 like coral, esp. in color. 2 made of coral, p coral snake brightly col¬ ored poisonous snake of the southeastern US. COr*bel /kawrbol, -bel/ • n. jutting support of stone, timber, etc. • v. [foil, by out, off] sup¬ port or project on corbels. cord /kawrd/ n. la long, thin, flexible mate¬ rial made from several twisted strands, b piece of this. 2 body structure resembling a cord {spinal cord). 3 a ribbed fabric, esp. corduroy, b [in pi] corduroy trousers. 4 unit of cut firewood (usu. 128 cu.ft.). ■ 1 line, twine, rope; see also string n. 1, 2. cor'dial /kawrjol/ • adj. heartfelt; warm, friendly. • n. a liqueur. □□ cor*di*al*i*ty /-jeealitee/ n. cor'dial'ly adv. m adj. affable, amiable, kindly, genial, gra¬ cious, welcoming, pleasant, courteous, po¬ lite. COrd»ite /kawrdit/ n. smokeless explosive. cord'less /kawrdlis/ adj. (of an electrical ap¬ pliance, etc.) not connected by wire to an ex¬ ternal source of energy, data, etc. COC’don /kawrd’n/ • n. 1 protective line or circle of police, soldiers, guards, etc. 2 orna¬ mental cord or braid. • v. tr. enclose or sepa¬ rate with a cordon of police, etc. an. 2 see braid n. 1.

Cor»du*roy /kawrdaroy/

n. 1 thick cotton fabric with velvety ribs. 2 [in pi] corduroy trousers. core /kawr/ • n. 1 central part of various fruits, containing the seeds. 2 central or most important part of anything. 3 central region of the earth, •v.tr. remove the core from. ■ n. 1 kernel, pit, stone, pip(s). 2 essence, marrow, heart, pith, quintessence, sub¬ stance, crux. CO»re*spon»dent /ko-rispondont/ n. person cited in a divorce case as having committed adultery with the respondent. COf»gi /kawrgee/ n. {pi. cor»gis) (in full Welsh corgi) short-legged dog with a fox¬ like head. CO*ri*an*der /kawreeandar/ n. 1 aromatic herb of the carrot family. 2 its seeds used for flavoring. Co*rin»thi»an /karintheean/ adj. Archit. of an ornate order characterized by flared capitals with rows of acanthus leaves, cork /kawrk/ • n. 1 buoyant light-brown bark of a S. European oak. 2 bottle stopper, esp. of cork. • adj. made of cork. • v. tr. stop up, as with a cork. ■ n. 2 see stopper n. • v. see plug v. 1. Cork»SCrew kawrkskroo/ • n. 1 spiral device fdr extracting corks from bottles. 2 thing with a spiral shape. • v. move spirally; twist, corm /kawrm/ n. Bot. underground swollen stem base of some plants, e.g., crocus. COr*mo*rant /kawrmarant, -marant/ n. div¬ ing black sea bird. com1 /kawrn/ • n. la cereal plant bearing kernels on a long ear (cob), b cobs or ker¬ nels of this plant. 2 colloq. something corny or trite, •v.tr. (as corned adj.) preserved with salt or brine {corned beef). an. 2 see sentimentality (sentimental). • v. (corned) see salt adj. corn2 /kawrn/ n. tender area of horny skin, esp. on the toe. COrn*ball /kornbawl/ • n. mawkishly senti¬ mental person. • adj. = corny 1. COrn*COb /kawrnkaab/ n. cylindrical center of a corn ear. COr»ne»a /kawrneea/ n. transparent covering of the front of the eyeball. □□ cor'ne*al adj. cor*ner /kawrnar/ • n. 1 place where sides or edges meet. 2 projecting angle, esp. where two streets meet. 3 internal space or recess formed by the meeting of two sides, esp. of a room. 4 difficult position. 5 secluded or re¬ mote place. 6 monopoly on a stock or com¬ modity. • v. 1 tr. force into a difficult or in¬ escapable position. 2 tr. establish a monopoly in. 3 intr. (esp. of or in a vehicle) go around a corner. an. 1,2 see angle1 n. 2. 3 see NOOK. 4 see hole n. 5. •v. 1 see trap v. 1, 2. 2 see mo¬ nopolize. 3 see turn v. 3b. COr*ner*Stone /kawmarston/ n. 1 founda¬ tion stone at the corner of a building. 2 in¬ dispensable part or basis. ■ 2 see keystone. COr*net /kawrnet/ n. brass instrument resem¬ bling a trumpet but shorter and wider. □□ cor*net'ist or cor*net'tist n.

169

corduroy ~ corps

COrn*flow«er /kawrnflowar/

n. plant with deep-blue flowers. Cor*nice /kawrnis/ n. ornamental molding just below the ceiling. corrwneal /kawrnmeel/ n. coarsely ground corn. COrn»row /kornro/ n. any of usu. several nar¬ row plaits of hair braided close to the scalp. COrn*Starch /kawrnstaarch/ n. fine-ground flour from corn. COr»nu*CO*pi»a /kawrnakSpeea, -ny3-1 n. 1 symbol of plenty consisting of a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, etc. 2 abun¬ dant supply. □□ cor*nu*co'pi*an adj. ■ 2 see abundance. Corn»y /kawrnee/ adj. (corn»i«er, corn*i*est) colloq. 1 feebly humorous. 2 tritely senti¬ mental. □□ corn'i*ly adv. corn'i'ness n. a 1 see banal. 2 see sentimental. CO*roMa /karola, -r6-/ n. petals forming a flower. COr*oMar*y /kawraleree, kor-/ n. {pi. -ies) 1 proposition that follows from one already proved. 2 natural consequence. CO«ro*na /karOna/ n. {pi. co*ro*nas or co*ro* nae /-nee/) 1 halo around the sun or moon. 2 rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun, seen during a total solar eclipse. ■ see halo n. 2. COr*o*nar*y /kawraneree, kor-/ • adj. Anat. resembling or encircling like a crown. • n. {pi. -ies) 1 = coronary thrombosis. 2 heart at¬ tack. □ coronary artery artery supplying blood to the heart, coronary thrombosis blockage caused by a blood clot in a coro¬ nary artery. COr*0*na»tion /kawranayshan, kor-/ n. cere¬ mony of crowning. C0r»0*ner /kawranar, kor-/ n. officer holding inquests on deaths thought to be violent or accidental. cor*o*net /kawranit, -net, kor-/ n. small crown or band worn on the head. □□ cor'o* netted adj. a see crown n. 1. Corp. abbr. 1 corporal. 2 corporation. cor»po*ra pi. of corpus. Cor*po*ral> /kawrparal, -pral/ n. noncommis¬ sioned officer ranking next below sergeant. COr»po»ral2 /kawrparal, -pral/ adj. of the hu¬ man body. □ corporal punishment physi¬ cal punishment. □□ cor'po*ral*ly adv. ■ bodily, physical. COr»po»rate /kawrparat, —prit/ adj. 1 forming a corporation. 2 forming one body of many individuals. cor»po*ra»tion /kawrparayshan/ n. group of people authorized to act as an individual, esp. in business. ■ see company n. 3. cor*po*re*al /kawrpawreeal/ adj. bodily; physical; material. See synonym study at tangible. □□ cor*po*re»al*i*ty /-reealitee/ n. cor*po're*al*ly adv. a see physical adj. 2. corps /kawr/ n. {pi. corps /kawrz/) 1 military body or subdivision with special duties. 2 body of people engaged in a special activity.

corpse ~ cos

170

■ 1 troop(s), cadre, unit, detachment, co¬ hort, battalion, brigade, platoon, squad, squadron. corpse /kawrps/ n. dead body. ■ remains, cadaver, carcass. COr*pu*lent /kawrpyalant/ adj. bulky in body; fat. □□ cor'pu*lence n. ■ see fat adj. 1. COr*puS /kawrpas/ n. (pi. cor*po*ra /kawrpara/ or corpuses) body or collection of writings, texts, etc. COr*pus*cle /kawrpusal/ n. minute body in an organism, esp. a red or white cell in the blood of vertebrates. □□ cor*pus*cu*lar /kawrpuskyalar/ adj. corr. abbr. 1 correction. 2 correspondence. COr*ral /koral/ • n. pen for catde, horses, etc. • v. tr. (cor*ralled, cor*ral*ling) 1 put or keep in a corral. 2 colloq. gather in; acquire. ■ n. see pen2 n. • v. 1 see pen2 v. correct /karekt/ • adj. 1 true; right; accu¬ rate. 2 proper; in accordance with good standards of taste, etc. • v. tr. 1 set right; amend. 2 mark errors in. 3 a admonish (a person), b punish (a person or fault). 4 counteract (a harmful quality), □□cor* rect'ly adv. cor*rect'ness n. m adj. 1 precise, exact, factual, valid. 2 dec¬ orous, decent, appropriate, (socially) accept¬ able, suitable, fitting, befitting. • v. 1 re¬ dress, rectify, remedy, repair, fix, cure. 2 revise, edit. 3 a scold, rebuke, reprimand, berate, reprove, castigate, chastise, b chas¬ ten, discipline; see also punish 1. 4 reverse, offset, counterbalance, neutralize, nullify, make up for, annul. COr*rec*tion /ksrekshan/ n. la correcting, b instance of this. 2 thing substituted for what is wrong. 3 program of punishment, esp. of convicted offenders. □□ cor*rec' tion*al adj. m 1 emendation, rectification, redress, repa¬ ration, amendment; improvement. COr*rec*tive /ksrektiv/ • adj. serving to cor¬ rect or counteract something undesired or harmful. • n. corrective measure or thing. □□ cor*rec'tive*ly adv. ■ adj. see therapeutic 1. •«. see antidote 2. COr*re*late /kawrolayt, kor-/ • v. 1 intr. have a mutual relation. 2 tr. bring into a mutual relation. • n. each of two complements. □□ cor*re*la'tion n. cor*re*la'tion*al adj. m v. see relate 3. COr*rel*a*tive /karelstiv/ • adj. 1 having a mutual relation. 2 Gram, used together (as neither and norj. • n. correlative word or thing. □□ cor*rel'a*tive*ly adv. cor*rel*a* tiv'i*ty n. • adj. 1 see reciprocal adj. 2. cor*re*spond /kawrispond, kor-/ v.intr. 1 a be analogous or similar (to), b be in agreement with. 2 exchange letters with. □□ cor*re*spond'ing*ly adv. m 1 be alike; conform, tally, comply, accord, harmonize, be congruous, coincide; (corre¬ spond to) match. 2 write (letters), communi¬ cate. cor»re*spon*dence /kawrispondans, kor-/

1 agreement, similarity, or harmony. 2 a communication by letters, b letters. n.

■ 1 see accord n. 1.2 see letter n. 2.

COr*re*spond*ent /kawrispondant, kor-/

n.

1 person who writes letters. 2 reporter or news source. □□ cor*re*spond'ent*ly adv. ■ 2 journalist, newsperson, colloq. stringer. COr*ri*dor /kawridar, -dor, kor-/ n. 1 passage giving access into rooms, compartments, etc. 2 strip of the territory of one nation passing through that of another. a 1 hallway, passageway, hall. COr*rob*0*rate /karobarayt/ v. tr. confirm or give support to (a statement or belief, etc.). □ □ cor*rob*o*ra*tion /-rayshan/ n. cor* rob*o*ra*tive /-rativ, -raytiv/ adj. cor*rob' o*ra*tor n. ■ see substantiate. COr*rode /karod/ v. la tr. wear away, esp. by chemical action, b intr. be worn away. 2 tr. destroy gradually. □□ cor*rod'i*ble adj. ■ 1 see wear v. 5. COr*ro*sion /karOzhan/ n. 1 corroding. 2 damage caused by corroding. □□ cor*ro* sive /-siv/ adj. cor*ro'sive*ly adv. cor*ro' sive*ness n. COr*ru*gate /kawragayt, kor-/ v.tr. (esp. as corrugated adj.) form into ridges and grooves. □□ cor*ru*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. COr*rupt /karupt/ • adj. 1 morally depraved; wicked. 2 influenced by or using bribery or fraudulent activity. 3 (of a text, etc.) harmed by errors or alterations. See synonym study at depraved. • v. make or become corrupt. □□ cor*rup'ter n. cor*rupt'i*ble adj. cor* rupt*i*bil'i*ty n. cor*rup'tive adj. cor* rupt'ly adv. cor*rupt'ness n. ■ adj. 1 debased, perverted, evil; see also degenerate adj. 2 dishonest, untrustworthy, dishonorable, underhand(ed), venal, colloq. crooked. • v. subvert, degrade, deprave, warp; bribe; infect, contaminate, pollute, taint, defile, spoil, poison, adulterate. COr*rup*tion /karupshan/ n. 1 moral deterio¬ ration. 2 use of corrupt practices, esp. brib¬ ery or fraud. 3 irregular alteration (of a text, language, etc.) from its original state. 4 rot; decay. ■ 1 see sin1 n. 1.2 see graft2. 3 see mis¬ use n. 4 see ROT n. 1. COr*sage /kawrsaazh/ n. small bouquet worn by a woman. COr*sair /kawrsair/ n. 1 pirate ship. 2 pirate. COr»set /kawrsit/ n. closely fitting undergar¬ ment worn for support. □□ cor'set*ed adj. COr*tex /kawrteks/ n. (pi. cor*ti*ces /-tiseez/ or cor*tex*es) outer part of an organ, esp. of the brain (cerebral cortex) or kidneys (re¬ nal cortex). □□ cor*ti*cal /kawrtikal/ adj. COr*ti*sone /kawrtison, -zon/ n. hormone used esp. against inflammation and allergy. CO*run*dum /karundam/ n. extremely hard crystallized alumina, used esp. as an abrasive or as a gemstone. Cor*US*cate /kawroskayt, kor-/ v.intr. spar¬ kle. □□ cor*us*ca*tion / -kayshsn/ n. corvette /kawrvet/ n. small naval escort ves¬ sel. COS1 /kaws, kos/ n. long-headed variety of let¬ tuce; romaine.

COS2 /kos, koz/ abbr. cosine. CO-sec /kOsek/ abbr. cosecant. CO-Se-cant /kose'ekant, -kant/ n. Math, ratio of the hypotenuse (in a right triangle) to the side opposite an acute angle, consign /k6sln/ v.tr. sign (a promissory note) jointly with another person. □□ co'sign*er n.

CO-sig-na-tO-ry /kosignatawree/ n. (pi. -ries) party signing (a treaty, etc.) jointly. CO-sine /kOsin/ n. Math, ratio of the side ad¬ jacent to an acute angle (in a right triangle) to the hypotenuse. COS-met-iC /kozmetik/ • adj. 1 enhancing; beautifying. 2 only superficially improving. 3 (of surgery or a prosthesis) imitating, restoring, or enhancing normal appearance. • n. cosmetic preparation, esp. for the face. □□ cos*met'i*cal*ly adv. ■ adj. 2 see superficial 4. COS-me-tol-O-gy /kozmatolajee/ n. the art and technique of using cosmetics. □□ cos* me*tol'o*gist n. COS-miC /kozmik/ adj. of the universe or cos¬ mos, esp. as distinct from the earth. See syn¬ onym study at universal, on cos'mi*cal adj. cos'mi*cal*ly adv. ■ see universal adj. cos*mog*o*ny /kozmoganee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 ’origin of the universe. 2 theory about this. □□ cos*mo*gon*ic /-magonik/ adj. cos*mo* gon'i*cal adj. cos*mog*o*nist /-mog-/ n. cos-mol-o-gy /kozmolajee/ n. science or the¬ ory of the universe. □□ cos*mo*log*i*cal /-malojikal/ adj. cos*mol*o*gist /-mol-/ n. COS-mo-naut /kozmanawt/ n. Russian or So¬ viet astronaut. cos-mo-pol-i-tan /kozmapolit’n/ • adj. of, from, or knowing many parts of the world. See synonym study at cosmopolitan. • n. cosmopolitan person. □□ cos*mo*pol'i* tan'ism n. cos-mos /kozmos, -mas, -mos/ n. the uni¬ verse, esp. as a well-ordered whole. ■ see universe la. Cos-sack /kosak/ n. hist. 1 member of a peo¬ ple of southern Russia. 2 member of a Cos¬ sack military unit. cost /kawst/ • v.tr. (past and past part, cost) 1 be obtainable for (a sum); have as a price. 2 involve as a loss or sacrifice (it cost me my job). • n. 1 what a thing costs; price. 2 loss or sacrifice. □ at all costs (or at any cost) no matter what, cost-benefit assessing the cost of an operation and the value of the re¬ sulting benefits, cost-effective effective or productive in relation to its cost, cost of liv¬ ing level of prices, esp. of the basic necessi¬ ties of life. ■ v. 1 sell for, get, fetch, bring in. • n. 1 payment, charge, expense, expenditure; ouday. 2 see loss 1. COSWy /kawstlee/ adj. (cost*li*er, cost*li* est) 1 costing much; expensive. 2 of great value. □□ cost'li*ness n. m 1 see expensive. 2 see precious adj. 1. COS-tume /kostoom, -tyoom/ • n. 1 style of dress, esp. of a particular place, time, or class. 2 set of clothes. 3 clothing for a par¬ ticular activity or role. • v.tr. provide with a

171

cos ~ coulomb

costume. □ costume jewelry jewelry made of artificial or inexpensive materials. an. 1,2 garb, garments, outfit, vestment; raiment, attire, apparel. • v. see dress v. la. COt1 /kot/ n. small folding or portable bed. COt2 /kot/ abbr. Math, cotangent. CO-tan-gent /kotanjant/ n. Math, ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right tri¬ angle) to the opposite side. COte /kot/ n. shelter, esp. for animals or birds. CO*te*rie /kotaree/ n. exclusive clique or cir¬ cle. CO-ter-mi-nous kotarminas/ adj. having the same boundaries or extent (in space, time, or meaning). ■ coextensive. CO-til-lion /katilyan/ n. 1 formal ball. 2 ball¬ room dance resembling a quadrille, cottage /kotij/ n. small, simple house, esp. in the country. □ cottage cheese soft white cheese made from milk curds, cottage in¬ dustry business activity carried on at home. ■ hut, cabin, bungalow, lodge, chalet, shan¬ tycotter /kotar/ n. 1 securing bolt or wedge. 2 (in full cotter pin) split pin that opens af¬ ter passing through a hole, cotton /kot’n/ • n. 1 soft, white fibrous sub¬ stance covering the seeds of certain plants. 2 such a plant, esp. one cultivated for its fiber or seeds. 3 [attrib.] made of cotton, • v.intr. [foil, by to] be attracted by. □ cotton candy fluffy mass of spun sugar, cotton gin ma¬ chine for separating cotton from its seeds, cotton-picking si. unpleasant; wretched. □□ cot'ton*y adj. COt-ton-mouth /kot’nmowth/ n. venomous pit viper of the southeastern US. cotton-tail /kot’ntayl/ n. fluffy-tailed N. American rabbit. cotton-wood /kot’nwObd/ n. N. American poplar, having seeds covered in cottony hairs. COt-y-le-don /kot’le'ed’n/ n. embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, COUCh /kowch/ • n. upholstered piece of fur¬ niture for several people; sofa. »v.tr. [foil, by in] express in words of a specified kind (couched in simple language). □ couch potato si. person who likes lazing, esp. watching tel¬ evision. ■ n. settee, divan, love-seat, davenport. • v. phrase, formulate; see also express1 1,2. COU-gar kobgar/ n. puma, cough /kawf, koff • v.intr. 1 expel air from the lungs with a sudden, sharp sound. 2 (of an engine, etc.) make a similar sound. • n. 1 act of coughing. 2 condition of the respira¬ tory organs causing coughing. □ cough drop medicated lozenge to relieve a cough, cough up si. bring out or give (money or in¬ formation) reluctandy. could past of CAN1, could-n’t /kobd’nt/ contr. could not. cou-lomb /koblom/ n. Electr. unit of electric charge, equal to the quantity of electricity conveyed in one second by a current of one ampere. IlSymb.: C.

council ~ counterpoise

172

COUn'Cil /kownsal/ n. advisory, deliberative, or administrative body. ■ board, ministry, directors, cabinet, panel, committee, directorate; assembly, conclave, congress. COun*cil*man /kownsalman/ n. (pi. -men; fem. coun*cil*wom*an, pi. -wom*en) mem¬ ber of a council. coumsel /kownsal/ • n. 1 advice, esp. for¬ mally given. 2 (pi. same) legal adviser. • v.tr. 1 advise (a person). 2 give advice on per¬ sonal problems, esp. professionally. 3 rec¬ ommend (a course of action). □□ coun'sel* ing n. an. 1 direction, opinion, guidance, in¬ struction, recommendation. 2 counselor; lawyer, attorney. • v. 1 direct, instruct; see also advise 1. 3 urge, exhort, advocate; see also suggest 1. COUn*sel»or /kownsalar, -slar/ n. 1 adviser; professional guide. 2 lawyer. ■ 2 counsel, attorney. count1 /kownt/ • v. 1 tr. determine, esp. one by one, the total number of. 2 intr. repeat numbers in order. 3 a tr. include, b intr. be included. 4 tr. consider (a thing or a person) to be (lucky, etc.). 5 intr. have value; matter (his opinion counts for a great deal).

• n.

1 a counting; reckoning, b total of a reckon¬ ing (pollen count). 2 Law each charge in an indictment. □ count one’s blessings be grateful for what one has. count one’s chickens be hasty in anticipating good for¬ tune. count down recite numbers backward to zero, count on (or upon) depend on. count out colloq. exclude from, down for the count 1 Boxing defeated by being un¬ able to rise within ten seconds. 2 a defeated or demoralized, b asleep. ■ v. 1 enumerate, calculate, add up, total, reckon, compute, tally, figure (out). 3 a con¬ sider. 4 see consider 6. 5 see matter v. □ count on (or upon) rely on or upon, be sure of, trust, bank on. count out see ex¬ clude 2 b sleeping like a baby; see also dead to the world.

Count2 /kownt/ n. noble corresponding to a British earl. COUnt*a»ble /kowntabal/ adj. that can be counted. countdown /kowntdown/ n. 1 act of count¬ ing down. 2 final moments before any sig¬ nificant event. coun»te»nance /kowntinans/ • n. la the face, b facial expression. 2 composure. • v. tr. give approval to (an act, etc.). an. la see face n. 1. b see expression 4. • v. see approve. COUnt*er> /kowntar/ n. 1 a long, flat-topped fixture in a store, etc., across which business is conducted, b similar structure used for serving food, etc. 2 a small disk used in board games, b token representing a coin. 3 apparatus used for counting. □ over the counter 1 (of stock) sold through a broker directly. 2 by ordinary retail purchase, un¬ der the counter surreptitiously, esp. sold il¬ legally.

■ 1 table, bar; desk. 2 a, b chip, piece, marker. □ under the counter see on the sly (sly), illegally (illegal). counter2 /kowntar/ • v. 1 tr. a oppose; contradict, b meet by countermove. 2 intr. a make a countermove, b make an oppos¬ ing statement. 3 intr. Boxing give a return blow. • adv. in the opposite direction or manner. • adj. 1 opposite. 2 duplicate; serving as a check. • n. 1 countermove. 2 something opposite. □ run counter to act contrary to. counter- /kowntar/ comb, form denoting: 1 retaliation, opposition, or rivalry (coun¬ terthreat). 2 opposite direction (counterclock¬ wise). 3 correspondence (counterpart). counteract /kowntarakt/ v.tr. hinder or neutralize by contrary action. □□ coun*ter» ac*tion /-akshan/ n. coun*ter*ac'tive adj. m counterbalance, annul, nullify, cancel, mitigate; see also hinder, oppose 1. counterattack • n. /kowntaratak/ attack in reply to an attack. • v. /kowntaratak/ attack in reply. ■ v. see oppose 1. counterbalance •«. /kowntarbalans/ weight or influence balancing another. • v. tr. /kowntarbalans/ act as a counterbalance to. ■ n. see offset n. • v. see balance v. 2. counterclockwise /kowntarklokwlz/ adv. & adj. circling in a direction opposite to the movement of the hands of a clock, counterculture /kowntarkulchar/ n. way of life, etc., opposed to that usually consid¬ ered normal.

counteres»pi*o*nage /kowntarespeeanaazh. -nij/ n. action taken to frustrate enemy spying, counterfeit /kowntarfit/ • adj. made in imi¬ tation; not genuine; forged. See synonym study at spurious. • n. forgery; imitation. • v.tr. imitate fraudulendy; forge. □□ coun' ter*feit«er n. ■ adj. fake, fraudulent, bogus, spurious, sham, colloq. phony; make-believe, feigned, insincere, artificial. •«. fake, reproduction. • v. falsify; reproduce; simulate. counterinteMi*gence /kowntarintelijans/ n. = counterespionage. countermand • v.tr. /kowntarmand/ re¬ voke (an order or command). • n. /kowntar¬ mand/ order revoking a previous one. ■ v. see cancel v. 1. COUn»ter»meas»ure /kowntarmezhar/ n. ac¬ tion taken to counteract a danger, threat, etc. counterpane /kowntarpayn/ n. bedspread, counterpart /kowntarpaart/ n. 1 comple¬ ment or equivalent to another. 2 duplicate, esp. of a document. ■ 1 see match1 n. 2b. counterpoint /kowntarpoynt/ • n. 1 Mus. a art or technique of combining melodies ac¬ cording to fixed rules, b melody played in conjunction with another. 2 contrasting ar¬ gument, theme, etc., used to set off the main element, •v.tr. 1 Mus. add counterpoint to. 2 set (an argument, etc.) in contrast to (a main element). Counterpoise • n. /kowntarpoyz/ 1 coun¬ terbalance. 2 state of equilibrium, •v.tr.

/kowntsrpoyz/ 1 counterbalance. 2 com¬ pensate. coun*ter»pro»duc»tive /kowntarpraduktiv/ adj. having the opposite of the desired effect. coun«ter*rev«o*lu*tion /kowntarevaldbshan/ n. revolution opposing a former one or re¬ versing its results. □□ count er’revo'lu' tion*ar»y adj. & n. (pi. -ies). COUn*ter»sign /kowntarsln/ • v.tr. add a rati¬ fying signature to (a document). • n. watch¬ word or password. □□ coun• ter• sig*na• ture /-signachar/ n. • v. see sign v. 1, endorse 2. • n. see pass¬ word. COUn*ter»Sink /kowntarsingk/ v.tr. (past and past pan. -sunk) 1 enlarge and bevel (the rim of a hole) so that a screw or bolt can be inserted flush with the surface. 2 sink (a screw, etc.) in such a hole. COUn*ter«ten*or /kowntartenar/ n. 1 highest adult male singing voice. 2 singer with this voice. COUn*ter*tOp /kowntartop/ n. horizontal, flat work surface, as in a kitchen, countervail /kowntarvayl/ v. 1 tr. counter¬ balance. 2 tr. & intr. oppose forcefully and usu. successfully. counterweight /kowntarwayt/ n. counter¬ balancing weight. Cbunt»ess /kowntis/ n. 1 wife or widow of a count or an earl. 2 woman holding the rank of count or earl. counttess /kowntlis/ adj. too many to be counted. COUntritied /kuntrifid/ adj. rustic, esp. of manners, appearance, etc. ■ see rustic adj. 2. country /kuntree/ n. (pi. -tries) 1 nation or its territory. 2 [often attrib.] rural area. 3 land of a person’s birth or citizenship. 4 region associated with a particular person, feature, etc. (Elvis country; mountain country). 5 national population, esp. as voters. □ country and western popular music originating in the southern US. country club golfing and social club, country cousin often derog. countrified person. ■ 1 state, power. 2 countryside. 3 (native) land, homeland, fatherland, motherland, mother country. 4 see territory 1, sphere n. 3. 5 see population 1. COUn»try»man /kuntreeman/ n. (pi. -men; fem. coun*trywonvan, pi. -wom*en) per¬ son of one’s own country. COun*try»Side /kuntreesid/ n. 1 rural area. 2 rural areas in general. coun*try*wide /kuntreewid/ adj. extending throughout a nation. COun*ty /kowntee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 political and administrative division of a state, as in the US. 2 administrative divisions of some countries. □ county seat administrative capital of a county. coup /koo/ n. (pi. coups /kooz/) 1 successful stroke or move. 2 = coup d’etat. ■ 1 see triumph n. lb. coup de grace /koo da gra'as/ n. finishing stroke, esp. to kill a wounded animal or per¬ son. ■ see kill n. 1.

173 counterproductive ~ court coup d’e*tat /kob dayta'a/

n. violent or illegal seizure of power. ■ see revolt n. Coupe /koop/ n. two-door car with a hard top. COU'ple /kupal/ • n. la two. b about two (a couple of hours). 2 a married or engaged pair, b pair of partners in a dance, etc. • v. 1 tr. link together. 2 tr. associate in thought or speech. 3 intr. copulate. ■ n. 1 a pair, brace, yoke, b (a couple of) a few, a handful (of), two or three. 2 duo, two¬ some. • v. 1 join, connect, fasten, yoke, lock, combine, unite. 2 see associate v. 1. 3 see make love (love). COU*plet /kuplit/ n. two successive lines of verse, usu. rhyming and of the same length, coupling /kupling/ n. link connecting ma¬ chinery parts, railroad cars, etc. ■ see junction 3. COU*pon /koopon, kyob-/ n. 1 discount voucher presented at purchase. 2 detachable ticket or form entiding holder to payment, goods, a discount, services, etc. courtage /karij, kur-/ n. ability to disregard fear; bravery. ■ valor, boldness, gallantry, dauntlessness, daring, fearlessness, heroism, nerve, pluck, colloq. grit, guts, spunk, si. moxie. COU*ra*geouS /karayjas/ adj. brave; fearless. □□ cou*ra'geous*ly adv. ■ valiant, valorous, bold, intrepid, unafraid, gallant, dauntless, undaunted, daring, he¬ roic, plucky, audacious, stalwart, colloq. spunky, gutsy. COU*ri*er /ktsbreear, kor-, kur-/ n. special messenger. ■ see messenger. course /kawrs/ • n. 1 onward movement or progression. 2 direction taken. 3 a ground on which a race, etc., takes place, b series of hurdles, etc., to be crossed in a race, etc. 4 series of lessons, etc., in a particular sub¬ ject. 5 each successive part of a meal. 6 stretch of land or water. 7 line of conduct. 8 horizontal layer of brick, stone, etc. 9 wa¬ ter channel. • v.intr. (esp. of liquid) run, esp. fast. □ in the course of during, matter of course natural or expected thing, of course naturally; as is or was to be expected, run its course (esp. of an illness) complete its natu¬ ral development. • n. 2 path, way, orbit, route, run, track,

circuit. 4 class, seminar. 9 see channel

n.

5 a. • v. see run v. 11. □ of course certainly, positively, obviously, definitely, assuredly, by all means; undoubtedly, indubitably, without (a) doubt, absolutely, that goes without say¬ ing, needless to say. court /kawrt/ • n. 1 (in full court of law) a judicial body hearing legal cases, b = courtroom. 2 quadrangular area for games. 3 = courtyard. 4 milieu or attendants of a sovereign. 5 attention paid to a person for favor. • v. tr. 1 try to win affection or favor of. 2 seek to win (applause, fame, etc.). 3 invite (misfortune) by one’s actions (court¬ ing disaster). ■ n. 1 a see tribunal 2.

4 see train n. 3. •

courteous ~ coward

174

1 woo, seek the hand of, set one’s cap at, go after, pursue; see also cultivate 3b. COUr-te-OUS /korteeas/ adj. polite; consider¬ ate. □□ cour'te*ous*ly adv. cour'te*ous* ness n. • well-mannered, well-behaved, urbane, civilized, respectful, civil. COUr-te-San /kawrtizan/ n. literary 1 prosti¬ tute, esp. for wealthy clients. 2 mistress of a wealthy man. cour-te-sy /kartisee/ n. (pi. -sies) courteous behavior or act. ■ politeness, courteousness, respect, re¬ spectfulness, good manners, civility. COUrt»house /kawrthows/ n. 1 judicial building. 2 county administrative building, cour-ti-er /kawrteear/ n. person who attends or frequents a sovereign’s court, court-ly /kawrtlee/ adj. (court*li*er, court* li*est) polished or refined in manners. □□ court'li*ness n. ■ see polished (polish v. 2). court-mar*tial /kawrt maarshal/ • n. (pi. courts-mar*tial) military judicial court. • v.tr. try by court-martial, court-room /kawrtroom, -room/ n. room in which a court of law meets, court-ship /kawrtship/ n. 1 process or pe¬ riod of courting with a view to marriage. 2 courting behavior of animals, birds, etc. court-yard /kawrtyaard/ n. area enclosed by walls or buildings. ■ see area 2. cous-cous /kobskoos/ n. N. African dish of semolina steamed over broth, often with meat or fruit added. COUS-in /kuzan/ n. 1 (also first cousin) child of one’s uncle or aunt. 2 person of kin¬ dred race or nation. □ second cousin child of one’s parent’s first cousin. COU-ture /kootobr, -tYr/ n. design and manu¬ facture of fashionable clothes. COU-tU-ri-er /kootoferee-ay, -eear/ n. (Jem. cou*tu*ri*ere /-reeair/) fashion designer, co-va-len-cy /kovaylansee/ n. Chem. 1 link¬ ing of atoms by a bond of shared electrons. 2 number of pairs of electrons an atom can share with another. □□ co*va'lent adj. cove /kov/ n. 1 small, esp. sheltered, bay or creek. 2 sheltered recess, co-ven /kuvan/ n. assembly of witches. COV-e-nant /kuvanant/ • n. 1 agreement; contract. 2 Law sealed contract, esp. a deed of covenant. 3 (Covenant) Bibl. agreement between God and the Israelites. • v. agree, esp. by legal covenant. □□ cov*e*nan*tal /-nant’l/ adj. cov'e*nan*tor n. un. 1,2 see agreement 3. • v. see under¬ take 2. COV-er /kuvar/ v. tr. 1 protect or conceal with a cloth, lid, etc. 2 a extend over the surface of. b strew thickly or thoroughly. C lie over. 3 protect; clothe. 4 include; comprise; deal with. 5 travel (a specified distance). 6 Jour¬ nalism investigate or describe as a reporter. 7 be enough to defray (expenses, etc.). 8 a re/7, protect oneself, b [absol.', foil, by for] stand in for (will you cover for me?). 9 a aim a v.

gun, etc., at. b (of a fortress, etc.) command (a territory). C protect (an exposed person, etc.) with a gun, etc. • n. 1 something that covers, esp.: a lid. b binding of a book. C envelope or wrapping (under separate cover), d [in pi] bedclothes. 2 shelter. 3 a pretense; screen, b pretended identity. C Mil. force protecting an advance party from attack. □ cover charge charge levied per head in a restaurant, nightclub, etc. cover crop crop grown for protection and enrichment of the soil, cover girl female model appearing on magazine covers, etc. cover letter explanatory letter sent with an enclosure, cover story news story in a mag¬ azine, as illustrated on the front cover, cover up conceal (circumstances, etc., esp. illi¬ citly). cover-up n. act of concealing circum¬ stances, esp. illicitly, take cover find shelter, esp. against an attack. ■ v. 1 bury, mask, shroud, obscure; en¬ close, envelop, wrap, swaddle; see also hide1 v. 4. 2 a overlie, overspread. He on, coat, blanket, b see strew1. 3 shelter, shield, screen; sheathe. 4 comprehend, take in, con¬ tain, embody, incorporate, account for, take into account. 5 traverse, complete, pass over, cross. 7 pay or compensate for; offset, make up for. 8 b deputize, take over respon¬ sibility, sit in, substitute, run things, hold the fort. 9 b guard, defend. • n. la top, cap, covering, b dust jacket, jacket, d (covers) blankets, bedding, (bed) linen, quilt, com¬ forter. 2 hiding place, hideout, retreat, ref¬ uge. 3 a cloak, disguise, front, camouflage, smokescreen. □ cover up see conceal 2, hide v. 3. cover-up see pretense 2. COV-er-age /kuvarij/ n. 1 area or amount covered. 2 amount of publicity received by a particular story, person, event, etc. cov-er-all /kuvarawl/ n. [usu. in pi] fulllength protective garment. cov-er-let /kuvarlit/ n. bedspread. co-vert /kOvart, ku-/ • adj. secret or dis¬ guised (covert glance). • n. shelter, esp. a thicket hiding game. □□ co*vert'ly adv. co' verttness n. ■ adj. see secret adj. 2. • n. see thicket. COV-et /kuvit/ v.tr. desire greatly (another’s possession, attribute, etc.). □□ cov'et*a*ble adj. m see desire v. 1.

COV-et-OUS /kuvitas/ adj. coveting; grasping. See synonym study at greedy. See synonym study at jealous. □□ cov’et*ous*ly adv. cov' et*ous*ness n. m see hungry (hunger), avaricious (avarice). n. (pi. -eys) 1 brood of par¬

COV-ey /kuvee/

tridges. 2 small group of people, etc. ■ 2 see group n. COW1 /kow/ n. 1 grown female of any bovine animal, used esp. as a source of milk and beef. 2 female of other large animals, esp. the elephant, whale, and seal. □ till the cows come home colloq. an indefinitely long time. COW2 /kow/ v. tr. intimidate; dispirit. ■ See INTIMIDATE.

COW-ard /koward/ or intimidated.

n. person easily frightened

■ n. poltroon, mouse, milksop, colloq. sissy. COW*ard*ice /kowardis/ n. lack of bravery. ■ faintheartedness, timidity, pusillanimity. COW»ard*ly /kowardlee/ adj. 1 lacking cour¬ age. 2 (of an action) done against one who cannot retaliate. □□ cow'ard*li*ness n. • 1 timid, fainthearted, timorous, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, lily-livered, craven, pusillanimous, colloq. yellow, yellow-bellied, chicken. COW*boy /kowboy/ n. 1 (Jem. cow*girl) per¬ son who tends cattle. 2 colloq. unscrupulous or reckless person in business. COW«catch*er /kowkachar/ n. peaked metal frame at the front of a locomotive for push¬ ing aside obstacles. COW*er /kowar/ v.intr. crouch or shrink in fear. See synonym study at wince. ■ see cringe v. 1. COW*hand /kowhand/ n. = cowboy 1. COW'hide /kowhid/ n. 1 cow’s hide; leather. 2 whip made from this, cowl /kowl/ n. 1 monk’s hooded habit. 2 a loose hood of a monk’s cowl, b any such hood. □□ cowled adj. (in sense 1). cowlick /kowlik/ n. projecting lock of hair. COWfring /kowling/ n. removable cover of a vehicle or aircraft engine. CO*WOrk*er /k6-warkar/ n. person who works with another. ■ see COLLEAGUE. cow*poke /kowpok/ n. = cowboy 1. COW*pox /kowpoks/ n. disease of cows, whose virus was formerly used in smallpox vaccina¬ tion. COX*COITlb /kokskom/ n. ostentatiously con¬ ceited person. cox*swain /koksan, -swayn/ n. person who steers and directs the crew, esp. in a rowing boat. coy /koy/ adj. (coy*er, coy*est) 1 modestly or affectedly shy. 2 irritatingly reticent. □□ coy'ly adv. coy'ness n. u 1 diffident, demure. 2 reluctant, evasive. coy»0»te /klyOtee, kiyot/ n. (pi. same or coy* o*tes) N. American wolflike wild dog. COZ«en /kuzan/ v. literary 1 tr. cheat; defraud. 2 tr. beguile; persuade. 3 intr. act deceitfully, □o coz'engage n. CO*zy /kbzee/ • adj. (co*zi*er, co*zi*est) comfortable and warm; snug. • n. (pi. -zies) cover to keep something hot, esp. a teapot. □ cozy up to colloq. 1 ingratiate oneself with. 2 snuggle up to. □□ co'zi'ly adv. co' zi*ness n. ■ adj. secure, relaxing, colloq. comfy. □ cozy up to 1 see ingratiate. cp. abbr. compare. CPA abbr. certified public accountant, cpd. abbr. compound. CPI abbr. consumer price index. CpI. abbr. corporal. CPR abbr. cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cps abbr. (also c.p.s.) 1 Computing charac¬ ters per second. 2 cycles per second. CPU abbr. Computing central processing unit. Cr symb. Chem. chromium. crab1/krab/ • n. 1 crustacean with four pairs of legs and two pincers. 2 (the Crab) zodi¬ acal sign or constellation Cancer. 3 (in full

175

cowardice ~ cradle

crab louse) [often in pi] parasitic louse, in¬ festing hairy parts of the body. 4 irritable person. • v. (crab'bed, crab*bing) criticize adversely; grumble. □□ crab'like adj. crab2 /krab/ n. (in full crab apple) 1 small sour, applelike fruit. 2 tree bearing this fruit. crab*bed /krabid/ adj. 1 irritable. 2 (of handwriting) hard to decipher. □□ crab' bed'ly adv. crab'bed*ness n. ■ 1 See IRRITABLE 1. crab*by /krabee/ adj. (crab*bi*er, crab'bi* est) = crabbed 1. □□ crab'bidy adv. crab' bi*ness n. crab*grass /krabgras/ n. creeping grass in¬ festing lawns. crack /krak/ • n. la sharp, explosive noise, b (in a voice) sudden change in pitch. 2 sharp blow. 3 narrow opening; break; par¬ tial fracture. 4 colloq. mischievous or mali¬ cious remark. 5 colloq. attempt (I'll have a crack at it). 6 exact moment (the crack of dawn). 7 si. potent crystalline form of co¬ caine. • v. 1 tr. & intr. break without sepa¬ rating the parts. 2 tr. & intr. make or cause to make a sharp, explosive sound. 3 tr. & intr. break or cause to break with a sharp sound. 4 tr. & intr. give way or cause to give way (under torture, etc.). 5 intr. (of the voice) become dissonant; break. 6 tr. colloq. find a solution to. 7 tr. say (a joke, etc.) in a jocular way. 8 tr. colloq. hit sharply. 9 tr. break (grain) into coarse pieces. • attrib.adj. colloq. excellent; first-rate. □ crack down on colloq. take severe measures against, crack up colloq. 1 collapse under strain. 2 laugh. 3 repute (not all it’s cracked up to be), get cracking colloq. begin promptly and vigor¬ ously. ■ n. 1 a snap, report, bang, clap, shot, slap. 2 see knock n. 3. 3 crevice, rift, rupture, breach, slit, gap, cleft, check; split, fissure, flaw; chink. 4 see gibe n. 5 see attempt n. 6 instant, time, second. • v. 1 fracture, rup¬ ture. 2 snap. 4 see give way 1 (way). 6 see solve. 8 see hit v. la. o crack up 1 see collapse v. 2 see laugh v. 1. 3 (cracked up) supposed, suggested, rumored, reported, get cracking see get a move on 2 (MOVE). crack’down /krakdown/ n. colloq. severe measures (esp. against lawbreakers, etc.). ■ see suppression (suppress). crack’er /krakar/ n. 1 thin, dry biscuit. 2 firework exploding with a sharp noise. crack*er»jack /krakarjak/ si. • adj. exception¬ ally fine or expert. • n. exceptionally fine thing or person. ■ adj. see expert adj. 1. • n. see master n. 4. crack*ers /krakarz/ predic.adj. si. crazy, crack'le /krakal/ •v.intr. make repeated slight cracking sound. • n. 1 such a sound. 2 paintwork, china, or glass decorated with a pattern of minute surface cracks. □□ crack' ly adj. m n. 1 see RATTLE n. 1. crack'pot /krakpot/ si. • n. eccentric person. • adj. mad; unworkable (crackpot scheme), m n. see weirdo. • adj. see impractical 1. cra»dle /krayd’l/ • n. la baby’s bed, esp. on

craft ~ crass

176

rockers, b place in which a thing begins or is nurtured in its infancy (cradle of democ¬ racy) . 2 supporting structure or framework. • v.tr. contain or shelter as if in a cradle. □ cradle-robber (or -snatcher) si. person amorously attached to a much younger per¬ son. ■ n. 1 a crib, cot. b see origin1 1. ‘v. see HOLD V. la, c.

craft /kraft/ • n. 1 skill, esp. in practical arts. 2 [esp. in comb.] trade or art. 3 (pi. craft)

a boat or vessel, b aircraft or spacecraft. 4 cunning; deceit, •v.tr. make in a skillful way. ■ n. 1 ability, artisanship, craftsmanship, workmanship, ingenuity, talent, dexterity, cleverness, mastery, expertness, expertise, flair, genius, technique, know-how. 2 occu¬ pation, calling, vocation, profession. 3 ship; airplane; spaceship, rocket. 4 guile, art, fraud, trickery, wiliness, foxiness, artfulness, craftiness, duplicity. mv. fashion, fabricate. Crafts-man /draftsman/ n. (pi. -men; fem. crafits-wom-an, pi. -wom-en) skilled work¬ er; artisan. □□ crafts'man-ship n. u see tradesman. □□ craftsmanship see WORKMANSHIP.

craft-y /kraftee/

adj. (craft-i-er, craft-i-est) cunning; artful; wily. □□ craft'i-ly adv. crafit'i-ness n. ■ clever, shrewd, foxy, canny, sly, scheming, calculating, designing, plotting, tricky, sneaky, deceitful, insidious, double-dealing, two-faced, duplicitous, treacherous, colloq. shifty. crag /krag/ n. steep or rugged rock. ■ cliff, bluff, tor, scarp, precipice, Geol. es¬ carpment; (ctags) palisades. crag-gy /kragee/ adj. (crag-gi-er, crag-giest) (of facial features, landscapes, etc.) rug¬ ged. □□ crag'gi-ly adv. crag'gi-ness n. cram /kram/ v. (crammed, cram-ming) 1 tr. a fill to bursting; stuff, b force (a thing) into. 2 tr. & intr. prepare for an exam by in¬ tensive study. ■ 1 pack, overstuff, overcrowd, jam. 2 burn the midnight oil. Cramp /kramp/ • n. painful involuntary mus¬ cle contraction. • v.tr. 1 affect with cramp. 2 confine narrowly. 3 restrict (energies, etc.). 4 (as cramped adj.) a (of handwrit¬ ing) small and difficult to read, b (of a room, etc.) uncomfortably crowded. ■ n. stomachache. • v. 2 see box1 v. 2. 3 see inhibit 1. 4 b (cramped) tight, in¬ commodious, uncomfortable, close. cram-pon /krampon/ n. [usu. in pi] spiked plate fixed to a boot for walking on ice, climbing, etc. cran*ber*ry /kranberee/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 N. American evergreen shrub yielding edible small, red, acid berries. 2 berry from this. Crane /krayn/ • n. 1 machine with long hoist¬ ing arm. 2 tall wading bird with long legs, long neck, and straight bill. •v.tr. [also absol.] stretch out (one’s neck) to see. an. 1 see HOIST1 n. • v. see strain v. 1. cra-ni-um /krayneeam/ n. (pi. cra-ni-ums or

cra-ni-a /-nees/) skull, esp. the part enclos¬ ing the brain. □□ cra'ni-al adj. • see head n. 1. crank /krangk/ • n. 1 part of an axle or shaft bent at right angles for interconverting recip¬ rocal and circular motion. 2 a eccentric per¬ son. b bad-tempered person. • v. tr. cause to move by means of a crank. □ crank up si. increase (speed, etc.) by intensive effort. ■ 2 a character, oddity, si. nut, nutcase. crank*case /krangk-kays/ n. case enclosing a crankshaft. crank-shaft /krangkshaft/ n. shaft driven by a crank (see crank n. 1). Crank-y /krangkee/ adj. (crank-i-er, cranki-est) ill-tempered; crotchety, or: crank'i-ly adv. crank'i-ness n. ■ testy, grouchy, crabby, short-tempered, surly, irascible, waspish, churlish, gruff, cur¬ mudgeonly, cantankerous, choleric, bilious, snappish, petulant, peevish, contentious, querulous, irritable, splenetic. □□ cranki¬ ness see eccentricity (eccentric), ill humor. cran-ny /kranee/ n. (pi. -nies) chink; crevice; crack. □□ cran’nied /-need/ adj. m fissure, fracture, break, furrow, split, cleft, crap /krap/ coarse si. • n. 1 nonsense; rub¬ bish. 2 feces. • v.intr. (crapped, crap¬ ping) defecate. □ crap out be unsuccessful. □□ crap'py adj. an. 1 see nonsense. craps /kraps/ n.pl. gambling game played with dice. crap-shoot /krapshoot/ n. si. venture marked by uncertainty. crap-U-lent /krapyatant/ adj. suffering the ef¬ fects of drunkenness. □□ crap'u-lence n. crap'u-lous adj. crash /krash/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. make or cause to make a loud smashing noise. 2 tr. & intr. throw, drive, move, or fall with a loud smash¬ ing noise. 3 tr. & intr. a collide or cause (a vehicle, etc.) to collide violently, b fall or cause (an aircraft) to fall and land violently. 4 intr. undergo financial ruin. 5 tr. colloq. en¬ ter without permission (crashed the party). 6 intr. Computing (of a system) fail suddenly. 7 intr. si. sleep, esp. in an improvised setting. • n. 1 loud and sudden smashing noise. 2 a violent collision, esp. of a vehicle, b vio¬ lent fall and landing of an aircraft. 3 ruin, esp. financial. 4 Computing sudden failure (of a system). 5 [attrib. ] done rapidly or ur¬ gently (crash course in first aid). • adv. with a crash (the window went crash). □ crash-dive 1 intr. (of an aircraft or pilot, etc.) dive and crash. 2 tr. cause to crash-dive, crash hel¬ met helmet worn esp. by a motorcyclist to protect the head, crash-land 1 intr. (of an aircraft or airman) land hurriedly with a crash. 2 tr. cause (an aircraft) to crash-land. ■ v. 1 bang, boom, clash, clang, clank. 3 a smash (into); (crash into) drive or run into. 5 gatecrash, invade, intrude. • n. 1 bang, smash, clash, explosion, blast, clan¬ gor; see also boom1 n. 2 a see collision 1. 3 disaster, collapse, failure. crass /kras/ adj. gross; grossly stupid. □□ crass'ly adv. crass'ness n. a see gross adj. 2.

-crat /krat/ comb, form member or supporter of a particular form of government or rule (au¬ tocrat, democrat). □□-cratic /kratik/ (also -cratical) comb, form (adj.) -cratically comb, form (adv.)

crate /krayt/ • n. 1 a slatted wooden case for transporting goods, b any similar case. 2 si. old airplane or other vehicle. • v.tr. pack in a crate. □□ crate'ful n. (pi. -fills). an. 1 see BOX1 n. 1, 2. • v. see BOX1 v. 1. cra*ter /kraytar/ • n. 1 mouth of a volcano. 2 bowl-shaped cavity, esp. from a shell or bomb. 3 hollow on the surface of a planet or moon. •v.tr. form a crater in. □□ cra'ter* ous adj. • n. see hollow n. 1. cra*vat /kravat/ n. 1 scarf worn inside an open-necked shirt. 2 hist, necktie. □□ era* vat'ted adj. crave /krayv/ v. long or beg for. ■ see long2, beg 2. cra*ven /krayvan/ adj. cowardly, no cra ven* ly adv. cra'ven*ness n. ■ see cowardly adj. craving /krayving/ n. strong desire or long¬ ing. ■ see longing n. craw /kraw/ n. Zool. crop of a bird or insect. □ stick in one’s craw be unacceptable, craw'fish /krawfish/ n. = crayfish. crawl /krawl/ • v.intr. 1 move slowly, esp.: a person on hands and knees;, b insect, snake, etc., with the body close to the ground. 2 walk or move slowly (the train crawled into the station). 3 colloq. behave ob¬ sequiously. 4 be covered or filled with crawl¬ ing or moving things, people, etc. • n. 1 crawling. 2 slow rate of movement. 3 high-speed overarm swimming stroke. □□ crawl'ing*ly adv. crawl'y adj. (in sense 4 of v.). m v. la creep, b worm, wriggle, squirm, slither. 2 inch; see also edge v. 1. 3 grovel, fawn, cower, colloq. suck up; lackey; see also cringe v. 4 (crawl with) see teem 2. crayfish /krayfish/ n. (pi. same) small, lob¬ sterlike freshwater crustacean. cray*on /krayon/ • n. stick or pencil of col¬ ored wax, chalk, etc. • v.tr. draw with crayons. Craze /krayz/ • v. 1 tr. (usu. as crazed adj.) make insane. 2 a tr. produce fine surface cracks on (pottery glaze, etc.), b intr. de¬ velop such cracks. • n. fad; rage. ■ v. 1 (crazed) see mad adj. 1. • n. fash¬ ion, trend, enthusiasm, mania, obsession. cra*zy /krayzee/ adj. (cra*zi*er, cra*zi*est) 1 colloq. insane; mad; foolish. 2 colloq. ex¬ tremely enthusiastic. □□ cra'zi'ly adv. era' zi*ness n. m 1 demented, deranged, unbalanced, un¬ hinged, lunatic, touched, out of one’s mind or head, si. bananas, nuts, batty, loony, screwy, flaky; inane, ridiculous, preposter¬ ous, laughable, ludicrous; (be crazy) have a screw loose. 2 avid, zealous, keen, excited; infatuated, obsessed, wild. □□ crazily see madly 1. creak /kreek/ • n. harsh scraping or squeak¬ ing sound, •v.intr. 1 make a creak.

177

-crat ~ creative

2 a move with a creaking noise, b move stiffly, c show weakness or frailty under

strain. □□ creak'ing*ly adv. creak'y adj. m □□ creaky see decrepit 2. cream /kreem/ • n. 1 fatty content of milk. 2 [usu. prec. by the] best part of something. 3 creamlike cosmetic, etc. 4 pale yellow or off-white color. • v. 1 tr. work (butter, etc.) to a creamy consistency. 2 intr. form a cream or scum. 3 tr. colloq. defeat soundly (esp. in a sporting contest). • adj. pale yellow; offwhite. □ cream of tartar crystallized potas¬ sium hydrogen tartrate, used in medicine, baking powder, etc. an. 2 see best1 n. 1, 2. 3 see lotion. • v. 1 see press v. 2b. 3 see beat v. 2a. cream*er /kre'emar/ n. small pitcher for cream. cream*er*y /kre'emaree/ n. (pi. -ies) factory or store for dairy products. cream*y /kre'emee/ adj. (cream*i*er, cream*i*est) 1 like cream. 2 rich in cream. □□ cream'imess n. a 1 see white adj. 1. 2 see rich 6. crease /krees/ • n. line caused by folding; wrinkle. • v. 1 tr. make creases in. 2 intr. be¬ come creased. ■ n. see fold1 n. 2. • v. 1 see fold1 v. 1. cre*ate /kree-ayt/ v. tr. 1 bring into existence; cause. 2 originate. ■ 1 make, produce, form, bring into being, conceive, generate, invent, imagine, think up, frame, forge, fashion, fabricate, manufac¬ ture, develop, design, contrive, devise. Cre*a*tion /kree-ayshan/ n. 1 creating; being created. 2 a (usu. the Creation) God’s cre¬ ating of the universe, b (usu. Creation) everything so created; the universe. 3 prod¬ uct of imagination, art, etc. ■ 1 generation, making; beginning, origin, start,inception, genesis; see also formation 1,2. 2 b the world, the cosmos. 3 see inven¬ tion 2. cre»a*tion»ism /kree-ayshanizam/ n. Theol. theory of the origin of life in accordance with the Bible, □□ cre*a'tion*ist n. cre*a*tive /kree-aytiv/ adj. 1 inventive; imag¬ inative. 2 able to create. □□ cre*a'tive*ly adv. cre*a'tive*ness n. cre*a*tiv*i*ty /-aytivitee, -atlv-/ n. a 1 originative, artistic, original, ingenious, resourceful. 2 see productive 2. synonym study:

creative

inventive, original, resourceful, imagina¬

Everyone likes he or she is creative, a term scribe the active, exploratory sessed by artists, writers, and

to think that used to de¬ minds pos¬ inventors (a creative approach to problem-solving). Today, however, creative has become an advertising buzzword (creative cooking, creative hair¬ styling) that simply means new or different. Original is more specific and limited in scope. Someone who is original comes up with things that no one else has thought of tive, ingenious.

(an original approach to constructing a dog¬ house), or thinks in an independent and

creator ~ Creole

178

creative way (a highly original filmmaker). Imaginative implies having an active and creative imagination, which often means that the person visualizes things quite differ¬ ently than the way they appear in the real world (imaginative illustrations for a children’s book). The practical side of imaginative is in¬ ventive; the inventive person figures out how to make things work better (an inventive solution to the problem of getting a wheelchair into a van). But where an inventive mind tends to comes up with solutions to prob¬ lems it has posed for itself, a resourceful mind deals successfully with externally im¬ posed problems or limitations using the ma¬ terials available (a resourceful child can amuse herself with simple wooden blocks). Someone who is ingenious is both inventive and re¬ sourceful, with a dose of cleverness thrown in {the ingenious idea of using recycled plastic to create a warm, fleecelike fabric). cre*a»tor /kree-aytar/ n. 1 person who cre¬ ates. 2 (the Creator) God. ■ 1 originator, author, architect, designer, framer, maker. crea'ture /kre'echar/ n. 1 any living being. 2 person of a specified kind (poor creature). □ creature comforts material comforts, creature of habit person set in an unvary¬ ing routine. ■ 1 animal, beast; organism, entity, living thing. 2 see person. creche /kresh/ n. representation of a Nativity scene. cre*dence /kre'ed’ns/ n. belief. □ give cre¬ dence to believe. ■ see BELIEF 1. cre»den»tial /kridenshal/ n. [usu. in pi.] evi¬ dence of a person’s qualifications, etc., usu. in the form of certificates, references, etc. ■ see warrant n. 2. cre*den*za /kridenza/ n. sideboard or cup¬ board. cred*i*bil*i*ty /kredibilitee/ n. 1 being credi¬ ble; believable. 2 reputation; status. credible /kredibal/ adj. believable; worthy of belief. □□ cred'i'bly adv. a see plausible 1. cred*it /kredit/ • n. 1 source of honor, pride, etc. 2 acknowledgment of merit. 3 good reputation. 4 a person’s financial standing, b power to obtain goods, etc., before pay¬ ment. 5 [usu. in pi] acknowledgment of a contribution. 6 reputation for solvency and honesty in business. 7 a entry in an account of a sum paid into it. b sum entered. • v.tr. 1 believe {cannot credit it). 2 a enter on the credit side of an account, b ascribe a good quality or achievement to. □ do credit to enhance the reputation of. on credit with an arrangement to pay later, to one’s credit in one’s praise, commendation, or defense. an. 2 praise, commendation, tribute, rec¬ ognition. 3 honor, esteem, standing, stature, repute. • v. 1 trust, accept, have faith or con¬ fidence in, rely on, depend on or upon. 2 b accredit, attribute, assign.

cred*it*a»ble /kreditabal/ adj. bringing credit or honor. □□ cred*it*a*bil'i*ty n. cred'it*a* bly adv. m see meritorious. creditor /kreditar/ n. person to whom a debt is owed. cre*dO /kre'edo, kray-/ n. {pi. -dos) creed. ■ see CREED. cred'lMous /kre jalas/ adj. too ready to be¬ lieve; gullible. See synonym study at gulli¬ ble. □□ cre*du»li*ty /kridoblitee, -dyoo-/ n. cred'u*lous*ly adv. cred'u*lous*ness n. Cree /kree/ n. (pi. same or Crees) 1 a N. American people of eastern and central Canada, b member of this people. 2 lan¬ guage of this people. creed /kreed/ n. 1 set of principles or beliefs. 2 a (the Creed or Apostles’ Creed) early statement of the Christian creed, ascribed to the Apostles, b formal summary of Chris¬ tian doctrine (Nicene Creed). □□ creed'al or cred'al adj. m 1 dogma, doctrine, credo, teaching, phi¬ losophy, maxim. Creek /kreek/ n. la confederacy of N. Amer¬ ican peoples formerly of Alabama and Geor¬ gia. b member of these peoples. 2 language of these peoples. Creek /kreek, krik/ n. stream. □ up the creek si. in difficulties. ■ brook, rivulet, rill. creel /kreel/ n. fisherman’s large wicker bas¬ ket. creep /kreep/ •v.intr: (past and past part. crept /krept/) 1 move with the body prone and close to the ground. 2 move stealthily or timidly. 3 enter or overcome slowly. 4 colloq. act obsequiously. 5 (of a plant) grow along the ground or up a wall, etc. 6 (of flesh) shiver; shudder. • n. 1 act or in¬ stance of creeping. 2 [in pi.; prec. by the] colloq. feeling of revulsion or fear. 3 si. un¬ pleasant person. ■ v. 1 crawl, slither, inch, squirm, wriggle. 2 steal, sneak; slink, skulk, tiptoe, pussyfoot, sidle. 3 make its way. 4 see crawl v. 3. • n. 2 (the creeps) see jitter n. 3 see wretch 2. creep»y /kreepee/ adj. (creep*i»er, creep*i* est) colloq. producing a feeling of horror or revulsion. □□ creep'i*ly adv. creep'i*ness n. ■ see scary. cre*mate /kreemayt, krimayt/ v.tr. consume (a corpse, etc.) by fire. □□ cre^maHion /krimayshan/ n. ere'ma*tor n. cre'ma*to* ry adj. Cre*ma*tO»ri»um /kre'ematawreeam/ n. (pi. cre*ma*to»ri*ums or cre*ma*to*ri*a /-reea/) place for cremating corpses. creme de la creme /krem da laa krem/ n. best part; elite. ■ see best n. 1, 2. cren*el*late /krenalayt/ v.tr. provide (a tower, etc.) with battlements. □□ cren*el*la*tion /-layshan/ n. Cre»ole /kre'e-ol/ • n. la descendant of Eu¬ ropean (esp. Spanish) settlers in the W. In¬ dies or Central or S. America, b white de¬ scendant of French settlers, esp. in Louisiana, c person of mixed European and

black descent. 2 language formed from a European language (esp. English, French, or Portuguese) and another (esp. African) lan¬ guage. • adj. 1 of Creoles. 2 (usu. creole) of Creole origin (creole cooking). cre»0*sote /kre'easot/ n. distillate of wood or coal tar, used as wood preservative, antisep¬ tic, etc. crepe /krayp/ n. (also crepe) 1 fine, gauze¬ like wrinkled fabric. 2 thin pancake, usu. with a filling. 3 hard-wearing wrinkled rub¬ ber used for the soles of shoes, etc. □ crepe paper thin crinkled paper. □□ crep'ey adj. (also crep'y). crept past and past part, of creep. cre*SCen«do /krishendo/ . n. (pi. -dos) 1 Mus. gradual increase in loudness. 2 a progress toward a climax, b disp. climax. • adv. & adj. increasing in loudness. • v.intr. (-does, -doed) increase gradually in loud¬ ness or intensity. ■ n. 2 see HEAD n. 14. cres»cent /kresant/ n. 1 curved sickle shape, as of the waxing or waning moon. 2 any¬ thing of this shape. ■ 2 arc, lunette. Cress /kres/ n. cruciferous plant with edible leaves. crest /krest/ • n. la comb, tuft, etc., on a bird’s or animal’s head, b plume, etc., on a helmet, etc. 2 top of a mountain, wave, roof, etc. 3 heraldic device, as on seals, etc. • v. 1 tr. reach the crest of. 2 intr. (of a wave, etc.) form into a crest. □□ crest'ed adj. [also in comb.]. an. 2 summit, pinnacle, peak, head, ridge. 3 badge, emblem, insignia, symbol. • v. 2 level out or off. crest*fall*en /krestfawlan/ adj. dejected; dispirited. ■ see dejected (deject). cre»ta*ceous /kritayshas/ » adj. 1 of or like chalk. 2 (Cretaceous) Geol. of or relating to the last period of the Mesozoic era, with evi¬ dence of extensive chalk deposits. • n. (Cre¬ taceous) Geol. this era or system. cre*tin /kre'etin/ n. 1 deformed and mentally deficient person. 2 colloq. stupid person. □□ cre'tin*ism n. cre'tinrize v.tr. cre'tin* ous adj. cre*vasse /kravas/ n. deep open crack, esp. in a glacier. ■ gorge, chasm, abyss, ravine, fissure, fur¬ row. crev*ice /krevis/ n. narrow opening or fissure, esp. in a rock. ■ crack, chink, cleft, cranny, groove, furrow, split, rift. crew/kroo/ • n. [often treated asp/.] 1 a peo¬ ple manning a ship, aircraft, train, etc. b these as distinct from the captain or offi¬ cers. C people working together; team. 2 col¬ loq. company of people; gang (a motley crew). • v. 1 tr. supply or act as a crew or crew member for. 2 intr. act as a crew or crew member, o crew cut very short haircut, crew neck close-fitting round neckline. ■ n. group, band, troupe, party, corps. crew*el /krobal/ n. thin worsted yarn for tap¬ estry and embroidery.

179

creosote ~ crinoline

crew»el«WOrk /krobalwark/ n. design in crewel. crib /krib/ • n. 1 baby’s bed with high sides. 2 rack for animal fodder. 3 colloq. furtively used study notes. • v.tr. [also absol.] (cribbed, crib*bing) 1 colloq. copy without acknowledgment. 2 confine in a small space. □ crib death = sudden infant death syndrome, an. 1 cradle, cot. • v. 1 plagiarize. 2 see RESTRICT.

crib'bage /kribij/ n. card game for up to four players. □ cribbage board board with pegs for scoring at cribbage. crick /krik/ n. sudden painful stiffness. crick^et1 /krikit/ n. team game played with ball, bats, and wickets. □ not cricket esp. Brit, colloq. underhand behavior. crick*et2 /krikit/ n. grasshopperlike chirping insect. cried past and past pan. of cry. cri*er /knar/ n. (also cry'er) 1 person who cries. 2 official making public announce¬ ments, as in a court of law. crime /krlm/ n. la offense punishable by law. b illegal acts. 2 evil or shameful act. See synonym study at sin. an. la violation, misdeed, wrong, misde¬ meanor; felony, b lawlessness. 2 see evil n. 1.

criminal /kriminal/ • n. person guilty of a crime. • adj. 1 of, involving, or concerning crime. 2 guilty of crime. 3 Law relating to or expert in criminal law. 4 colloq. scandal¬ ous; deplorable. □□ crim*i*nal*i*ty /-nalitee/ n. crim'i'naMy adv. ■ n. felon, lawbreaker, outlaw, culprit, of¬ fender, malefactor, wrongdoer, colloq. crook. •adj. 2 illegal, unlawful, illicit, lawless, dis¬ honest, colloq. crooked. 4 reprehensible; wicked, corrupt, immoral, amoral, sinful. crim*i*nol*o»gy /kriminolajee/ n. study of crime. □□ crim'hnoriogM'cal /-nalojikal/ adj. crim»i«noro*gist n. crimp /krimp/ • v.ir. 1 compress into small folds. 2 corrugate. 3 make waves in (hair). • n. crimped thing or form. □ put a crimp in si. thwart. □□ crimp'er n. crimp'y adj. crimp'bness n. a v. 1,2 see wrinkle1 v. 1. • n. see fold n. 2.

crim*son /krimzan/ • adj. of a rich, deep red. • n. this color. ■ adj. see red adj. 1.

cringe /krinj/ • v.intr. shrink in fear; cower. See synonym study at wince. See synonym study at wince. • n. act or instance of cring¬ ing. □□ cring'er n. a v. wince, flinch, quail, recoil, blench, tremble, quiver, colloq. quake or shake in one’s boots or shoes. • n. embarrassment, crin'kle /kringkal/ • n. wrinkle; crease. • v. 1 intr. form crinkles. 2 tr. form crinkles in. □ crinkle-cut (of vegetables) cut with wavy edges. □□ crin'kly adj. a n. see wrinkle n. 1,2. • v. see wrinkle v. 2. crin*0»line/krinalin/n. 1 stiffened or hooped petticoat. 2 stiff fabric of horsehair, etc., used for linings, hats, etc.

cripple ~ cropper

180

crip*ple /kripal/ •

n. usu. offens. lame person or animal, •v.tr. 1 make a cripple of. 2 dis¬ able; impair. ■ n. invalid, paralytic, paraplegic. • v. inca¬ pacitate, handicap, maim; damage, weaken, debilitate. crisis /krisis/ n. (pi. cri*ses /-seez/) 1 a de¬ cisive moment, b time of danger or great difficulty. 2 turning point. ■ 1b disaster, emergency, calamity, catas¬ trophe. crisp /krisp/ • adj. 1 hard but brittle. 2 a (of air) bracing, b (of a style or manner) lively; brisk and decisive. C (of paper) stiff and crackling. • v. make or become crisp. □□ crisp'ly adv. crisp'ness n. • adj. 1 crunchy, friable, breakable, crum¬ bly. 2 a see bracing (brace v. 3). b see live¬ ly 1, 2, EMPHATIC. crispier /krispar/ n. refrigerator compart¬ ment for produce. crisp*y /krispee/ adj. (crisp*i*er, crisp*i* est) crisp; brittle. □□ crisp'frness n. criss*cross /kriskraws, -kros/ • n. pattern of crossing lines. • adj. crossing; in cross lines. • adv. crosswise; at cross purposes. • v. 1 intr. a intersect repeatedly, b move cross¬ wise. 2 tr. mark or make with a crisscross pattern. ■ n. see network n. 2. • v. 1 see traverse v.

cri*te«ri*on /krlte'ereean/

n. (pi. cri*te*ri*a /-reea/ or cri*te«ri-ons) principle or stan¬ dard that a thing is judged by. ■ see standard n. 1. crit’ic /kritik/ n. 1 person who censures or criticizes. 2 person who reviews literary, ar¬ tistic, etc. works. ■ 2 see judge n. 3b. critical /kritikal/ adj. 1 involving adverse comments; faultfinding. 2 providing textual criticism. 3 a of or at a crisis, b decisive; crucial (of critical importance). 4 (of a nuclear reactor) maintaining a self-sustaining chain reaction. See synonym study at crucial. □ critical list list of critically ill patients. □□ crit'i*cal*ly adv. crit'i*cal*ness n. ■ 1 disparaging, deprecatory, deprecating, judgmental; adverse. 3 a risky, uncertain, perilous, dangerous, touch and go. b impor¬ tant, essential, pivotal, vital. criticism /kritisizam/ n. 1 a finding fault; censure, b critical remark, etc. 2 a work of a critic, b judgmental analysis. ■ 1 a faultfinding, disapproval, condemna¬ tion, disparagement. 2 evaluation, appraisal, assessment, estimation, valuation; critique, review, commentary. criticize /kritislz/ v.tr. [also absol.] 1 find fault with; censure. 2 discuss critically. □□ crit'i*ciz*able adj. crit'i*ciz*er n. ■ 1 carp (at), condemn, attack, cut up, de¬ nounce, impugn, colloq. pan, lambaste, put down, si. knock. 2 judge, evaluate, assess, appraise; analyze, critique. critique /krite'ek/ • n. expression of critical analysis, •v.tr. (critiques, cri'tiqued, cri* ti*quing) discuss critically.

a n. see analysis 1. • v. interpret, evaluate, review. crit'ter /kritar/ n. dial, or joc. creature. croak /krok/ • n. deep, hoarse sound, as of a frog. • v. la intr. utter a croak, b tr. utter with a croak or in a dismal manner. 2 si. a intr. die. b tr. kill. ■ v. 1 see rasp1 v. 2. 2 a see die 1. Croat /kr6-at/ • n. (also Cro*a«tian /kroayshan/) 1 a native of Croatia, b person of Croatian descent. 2 Slavic dialect of the Croats. • adj. of the Croats or their dialect. cro*chet /kroshiy/ • n. handicraft in which yarn is hooked into a patterned fabric. • v. create crochet. □□ crotchet'er n. crock1 /krok/ n. 1 earthenware pot or jar. 2 broken piece of earthenware. ■ 1 see jar1 1. crock2 /krok/ n. colloq. nonsense; exaggera¬ tion. crock*er*y /krokaree/ n. earthenware; china dishes, etc. croc*0»dile /krokadll/ n. 1 large, long-jawed tropical amphibious reptile. 2 leather from its skin. □ crocodile tears insincere grief. □□ croc*o*dil*i*an /-dileean/ adj. crO'CUS /krOkas/ n. (pi. cro*cus*es) early spring plant growing from a corm and hav¬ ing white, yellow, or purple flowers. Croe*SUS /kre'esas/ n. person of great wealth. crois'sant /krwaasa'aN, krasant/ n. crescent¬ shaped pastry. Cro-Mag*non /kromagnan, -manyan/ adj. Anthropol. of a tall, broad-faced European race of late Paleolithic times. Crone /kron/ n. withered old woman. ■ see hag 1. CrO*ny /krOnee/ n. (pi. -nies) close friend or companion. ■ see friend n. 1. crook 'krotjk/ • n. 1 hooked staff of a shep¬ herd or bishop. 2 a bend; curve; hook, b anything hooked or curved. 3 colloq. swin¬ dler; criminal. • v. bend; curve. m n. 1 see staff1 n. la, b. 2 see bend n. 3 see criminal1 n. • v. see bend v. 1. Crook»ed /krObkid adj. 1 a not straight or level; bent, b deformed. 2 colloq. not straightforward; dishonest. □□ crook'ed*ly adv. crook'ed’ness n. ■ 1 bowed, curved, askew, awry, distorted, contorted, lopsided, twisted, misshapen, dis¬ figured, warped, gnarled. 2 criminal; illegal, unlawful, illicit, perverse. croon /kroon/ v. hum or sing in a low senti¬ mental voice. □□ croon'er n. crop /krop/ • n. la produce of cultivated plants, b season’s yield of this. 2 group or amount produced or appearing at one time. 3 handle of a whip. 4 predigestive pouch in a bird’s gullet, •v.tr. (cropped, crop*ping) 1 a cut off. b bite off. 2 cut (hair, etc.) short. □ crop circle circular depression in a standing crop, crop-dusting sprinkling of insecticide or fertilizer, esp. from the air. crop out Geol. appear at the surface, crop up occur unexpectedly. ■ n. 1 see harvest n. 2. 3 see whip n. • v. see cut v. 3. a crop up see arise 3. Crop*per /kropar/ n. crop-producing plant of

specified quality (a good cropper). □ come a cropper si. fail badly. cro*quet /krokay/ n. lawn game with hoops, mallets, and wooden balls. cro*quette /kroket/ n. fried, breaded ball of mashed potato or ground meat, etc. cro*sier /krOzhar/ n. (also cro'zier) bishop’s hooked staff. cross /kraws, kros/ • n. 1 upright post with a transverse bar, as used for crucifixion. 2 a (the Cross) cross on which Christ was crucified, b representation of this. 3 thing or mark like a cross. 4 cross-shaped decora¬ tion indicating rank, etc. 5 hybrid. 6 [foil, by between) mixture or compromise of two things. 7 trial; affliction. • v. 1 tr. go across. 2 a intr. intersect; be across, b tr. cause to do this. 3 tr. draw a line or lines across, esp. to delete. 4 tr. [often refl.) make the sign of the cross on or over. 5 intr. a pass in opposite or different directions, b (of letters, etc.) be sent before receipt of the other. 6 tr. a cause to interbreed, b cross-fertilize (plants). 7 tr. si. cheat. • adj. 1 peevish; angry; contrary. 2 transverse; reaching from side to side. 3 intersecting. □ at cross purposes misun¬ derstanding; conflicting, cross-dress wear clothing typically worn by the opposite sex. cross one’s fingers (or keep one’s fingers crossed) 1 put one finger across another as a sign of hoping for good luck. 2 trust in good luck, cross one’s heart make a solemn pledge, cross one’s mind (of a thought, etc.) occur to one. cross a person’s palmbribe. cross swords encounter in opposi¬ tion. cross wires (or get one’s wires crossed) 1 become wrongly connected by telephone. 2 have a misunderstanding, on cross'ly adv. cross'ness n. • n. 1,2b crucifix, rood. 5 crossbreed, mongrel. 6 blend, combination. 7 see trial 3. • v. 1 span, traverse. 2 a meet, join. 3 (cross off or out) obliterate, strike out, cancel. 6 crossbreed. • adj. 1 irritated, annoyed, piqued, irritable, testy, irascible, grouchy, grumpy, fractious, petulant, cantankerous, short-tempered, cranky. □ cross one’s fin¬ gers 2 hope or pray for the best, cross one’s heart see swear v. la, 2. cross one’s mind see occur 3. cross swords see clash v. 3. cross»bar /krawsbaar, kros-/ n. horizontal bar, esp. on a bicycle. cross*bow /krawsbo, kros-/ n. bow fixed on a wooden stock, with a groove for an arrow. □□ cross'bow'man n. (pi. -men). cross*breed • n. /krawsbreed, kros-/ 1 hy¬ brid breed of animals or plants. 2 individual hybrid, •v.tr. /krawsbreed, kros-/ (past and past part, -bred) produce by crossing. ■ n. see hybrid n. 1. cross-check »v.tr. /kraws-chek, kros-/ check by alternative methods. • n. /krawschek, kros-/ cross-checking. cross-COUr)*try /krawskuntree, kros-/ adj. & adv. 1 across open country. 2 not keeping to main roads. cross*CUt • adj. /krawskut, kros-/ cut across the main grain or axis. • n. /krawskut, kros-/ diagonal cut, path, etc. cross-ex*am*ine /krawsigzamin, kros-/ v.tr.

181

croquet ~ crow

examine (esp. a witness in a court of law) to check or extend testimony already given. □ □ cross-ex*am*in»a'tion n. cross'-ex« am'in«er n. cross-eyed /krawsfd, kros-/ adj. having one or both eyes turned inward. cross-fer*til*ize /krawsfert’liz, kros-/ v.tr. 1 fertilize (an animal or plant) from one of a different species. 2 interchange ideas, etc. □□ cross'-fer*ti*li*za'tion n. cross'fire /krawsfir, kros-/ n. (also cross' fire) 1 firing in two crossing directions. 2 a attack or criticism from several sources, b combative exchange of views, etc. cross'ing /krawsing, kros-/ n. 1 place where things (esp. roads) cross. 2 place for crossing a street, etc. 3 journey across water, moun¬ tains, etc. ■ 1 see junction 2. 3 see passage 1, 4. crossover /krawsovar, kros-/ • n. point or place of crossing. • adj. having a crossover, cross'piece /krawspees, kros-/ n. transverse beam or other component of a structure, etc. cross-ref»er*ence /krawsrefarans, kros-/ • n. reference from one part of a book, etc., to another. • v.tr. provide with crossreferences. crossroad /krawsrod, kros-/ n. [usu. in pi.) intersection of two or more roads. □ at the crossroads at a critical point, cross seC'tion /kraws-sekshan, kros-/ n. 1 a cutting across a solid, b plane surface produced in this way. c representation of this. 2 representative sample. □□ cross'sec'tiomal adj. ■ 2 see SAMPLE n. 1. cross*walk /krawswawk, kros-/ n. pedestrian crossing. cross»wind /krawswind, kros-/ n. wind blow¬ ing across one’s direction of travel. CrOSS»wise /krawswlz, kros-/ adj. & adv. 1 in the form of a cross; intersecting. 2 transverse or transversely. cross*WOrd /krawsward, kros-/ n. (also cross'word puz'zle) grid of squares and blanks for words crossing vertically and hor¬ izontally to be filled in from clues, crotch /kroch/ n. place where something forks, esp. the legs of the human body or a garment. crotch*et*y /krochitee/ adj. peevish. □□ crotch'et*i*ness n. crouch /krowch/ • v.intr. lower the body with limbs close to the chest; be in this position. • n. crouching; crouching position. ■ v. bend (down), squat (down); scrunch down, stoop. •«. see stoop1 n. 1. croup /kroop/ n. inflammation of the larynx and trachea in children, with a hard cough. □□ croup'y adj. crou*pi*er /krobpeear, -eeay/ n. person in charge of a gaming table. crou»ton /krobton/ n. cube of toasted bread served with soup, etc. Crow /kro/ n. 1 a N. American people native to eastern Montana, b member of this peo¬ ple. 2 language of this people. crow1 /kro/ n. large black bird having a

crow ~ cruise

182

powerful black beak, o as the crow flies in a straight line, crow’s-foot (pi. -feet) [usu. in pi.] wrinkle at the outer corner of the eye. crow’s nest lookout platform at the mast¬ head of a sailing vessel, eat crow submit to humiliation. crow2 /kro/ • v.intr. 1 (of a cock) utter a loud cry. 2 express glee. • n. cry of a cock. ■ v. 2 see gloat v. crow»bar /krobaar/ n. iron bar with a flat¬ tened end, used as a lever. Crowd /krowd/ • n. 1 large gathering of peo¬ ple. 2 spectators; audience. 3 colloq. partic¬ ular set of people. • v. la intr. come to¬ gether in a crowd, b tr. cause to do this. C intr. force one’s way. 2 tr. a [foil, by into] force or compress into a confined space, b fill or make abundant with. 3 tr. come ag¬ gressively close to. □ crowd out exclude by crowding, oo crowd'ed*ness n. mn. 1 throng, multitude, horde, host, swarm, mass, press, flood, mob, flock, pack. 3 company, circle, gang, bunch, coterie, clique. • v. la herd, pour, gather, get to¬ gether, assemble, congregate. 2 a squeeze, pack, jam, stuff, cram, push, press, drive, shove, thrust, force, load. crown /krown/ • n. 1 monarch’s jeweled headdress. 2 (the Crown) a monarch, esp. as head of state, b power or authority of the monarchy. 3 a wreath worn on the head, esp. as an emblem of victory, b award or dis¬ tinction, esp. in sport. 4 crown-shaped de¬ vice or ornament. 5 top part of a thing, esp. of the head or a hat. 6 highest part. 7 a part of a tooth projecting from the gum. b artifi¬ cial replacement for this. • v.tr. 1 put a crown on. 2 invest with royal authority. 3 be a crown to; rest on top of. 4 (as crowning adj.) be or cause to be the reward or finishing touch to (the crowning glory). 5 promote (a piece in checkers) to king. 6 si. hit on the head. □ crown prince male heir to a sover¬ eign throne, crown princess 1 wife of a crown prince. 2 female heir to a sovereign throne. m n. 1 coronet, diadem, circlet, tiara. 2 a ruler, sovereign, potentate; king, queen, b government, realm. • v. 2 enthrone. 3 see top1 v. 1. 4 cap, top, surmount, culminate, climax, consummate. 6 see brain v. cro»zier var. of crosier. CRT abbr. cathode-ray tube. cru*ces pi. of crux. cru*cial /krobshal/ adj. 1 decisive; critical. 2 very important. □□ cru*ci*aln*ty /-sheealitee/ n. (pi. -ties), cru'cialtiy adv. ■ 1 pivotal, vital, momentous, essential, major; key. synonym study: crucial ACUTE, CRITICAL, DECIDING, PRESSING, URGENT.

In any emergency or crisis situation, there is usually a turning point. Such an event is called critical if it determines the outcome of a situation (a critical point in the nuclear dis¬ armament negotiations; a critical election for the Democratic Party). Crucial can also refer to a

turning point, but it emphasizes the necessi¬ ty of something happening before a result can be achieved (the battle was crucial to their victory), while critical suggests more of a bal¬ ance between positive and negative out¬ comes (a critical debate on foreign policy). Acute describes the intensification of a situ¬ ation that is rapidly approaching a climax (an acute shortage of O-negative blood), while deciding refers to something that forces a certain outcome (a deciding factor in his recov¬ ery). Pressing and urgent are milder words. A situation that is pressing may be chronic rather than acute (a pressing need for changes in the political system), while an urgent situation may be approaching a crisis without refer¬ ence to a specific turning point (an urgent meeting between the two presidents). While ur¬ gent expresses more intensity than pressing, neither adjective conveys the same sense of intensity as crucial, critical, or acute.

cru*ci*ble /krobsibal/

n. 1 melting pot for metals, etc. 2 severe test or trial. cru»cif«er*OUS /kroosifaras/ adj. of a botani¬ cal family having flowers with four petals arranged in a cross. cru*ci*fix /krobsifiks/ n. image of a cross with a figure of Christ on it. cru*ci»fix*ion /krobsifikshan/ n. 1 crucifying; being crucified. 2 (Crucifixion) crucifixion of Christ. cru*ci»form /kroosifawrm/ adj. cross-shaped. cru*ci«fy /krobsift/ v. tr. (-fies,-fied) 1 put to death by fastening to a cross. 2 persecute; torment. 3 si. defeat thoroughly. □□ cru'ci* fi*er n. a 2 see torment v. 1. 3 humiliate. Crud /krud/ n. si. 1 deposit of dirt, grease, etc. 2 unpleasant person. 3 nonsense, oo crud' dy adj. (crud»di*er, crud*di*est). ■ 1 see filth 1. □□ cruddy see filthy (filth). Crude /krood/ • adj. 1 a in the natural state; not refined, b unpolished; lacking finish. 2 a rude; blunt, b offensive; indecent. 3 in¬ exact; rough (a crude estimate). See synonym study at rude. • n. natural mineral oil. □□ crude'ly adv. crude'ness n. cru'di'ty n.

■ adj. 1 a raw, unprocessed, b rough, rudimentary, undeveloped, primitive. 2 a coarse, unsophisticated, indelicate, unre¬ fined, uncouth, crass, gross, uncivil, impo¬ lite. b obscene, vulgar, tasteless. 3 see rough adj. 7. cru*di*tes /krobditay/ n.pl. hors-d’oeuvre of mixed raw vegetables. cru*el /krobal/ adj. 1 harsh; severe. 2 causing pain or suffering, esp. deliberately. □□ cru' el«ly adv. cru'el*ness n. cru'ehty n. (pi. -ties). ■ merciless, pitiless, hard-hearted, heart¬ less, unsparing, callous, sadistic, beastly, cold-blooded, ruthless, vicious, unkind; fero¬ cious, inhuman, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, savage, fiendish. cru*et /krobit/ n. small container (esp. for oil or vinegar) for use at the table. cruise /krooz/ • v. 1 intr. make a journey by

sea, esp. for pleasure. 2 intr. travel at a mod¬ erate or steady speed. 3 intr. achieve an ob¬ jective, win a race, etc., with ease. 4 intr. & tr. si. search for a sexual partner, esp. on streets, in bars, etc. • n. cruising voyage. □ cruise control device for automatically maintaining the speed of an automobile, etc. cruise missile low-flying, self-guiding mis¬ sile. ■ v. 1 sail, coast, travel, journey. • n. boat trip. cruis»er /krobzor/ n. 1 high-speed warship. 2 police patrol car. cruis*er»weight /krobzsrwayt/ n. weight class in professional boxing between light heavyweight and heavyweight. cruMer /knilor/ n. small fried cake made of twisted dough. Crumb /krum/ n. la small fragment, esp. of bread, b small particle. 2 si. objectionable person. ■ 1 morsel, bite, scrap, shred, snippet, sli¬ ver, bit, speck, colloq. atom. 2 see wretch 2. crum'ble krumbal/ v. 1 tr. & intr. break or fall into fragments. 2 intr. (of power, reputa¬ tion, etc.) gradually disintegrate. □□ crum' bli*ness /-blee-/ n. crum'bly adj. (crum* bli*er, crum*bli*est). ■ v. 1 come to pieces. 2 see COLLAPSE v. crUmb'y /krumee/ adj. (crumb*i*er, crumb*i*est) 1 like or covered in crumbs. 2 = CRUMMY. crum*my /krumee/ adj. (crum*mi*er, crum*mi*est) colloq. squalid; worthless, on crum'mi*ly adv. crum'mi*ness n. ■ see inferior adj. 2. crum'ple /krumpal/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. a crush or become crushed into creases, b ruffle; wrinkle. 2 intr. collapse; give way. • n. crease or wrinkle. □□ crum'ply adj. m v. 1 rumple, crinkle, mangle. 2 see col¬ lapse v. • n. see wrinkle n. 1, 2. Crunch/krunch/ *v.tr. 1 crush noisily with the teeth. 2 grind under foot, wheels, etc. • n. 1 crunching; crunching sound. 2 colloq. decisive event; moment of pressure. □ □ crunch'i*ly adv. crunch'i'ness n. crunch'y adj. (crunch*i*er, crunch*i*est). ■ v. 1 chew, bite, munch, champ, chomp, scrunch. • n. 2 crisis, critical moment; crux, juncture. □□ crunchy see crisp adj. 1. cru*sade /kroosayd/ • n. 1 any of several medieval military expeditions made by Eu¬ ropeans to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims. 2 vigorous campaign in favor of a cause. • v.intr. engage in a crusade. □□ cru* sad'er n. m n. 1 holy war. 2 see campaign n. 2. • v. campaign, war, battle; lobby. crush /krush/ • v.tr. 1 compress with force or violence, so as to break, bruise, etc. 2 re¬ duce to powder by pressure. 3 crumple. 4 defeat or subdue completely. • n. 1 act of crushing. 2 crowded mass of people. 3 drink made from crushed fruit. 4 colloq. infatuation. ■ v. 1 smash, crunch; squash, mash, man¬ gle, squeeze. 2 pulverize; see also grind v. la. 3 wrinkle, crease, crinkle, rumple. 4 overcome, conquer, beat, thrash, quash,

183

cruiser ~ cryptography

quell, overwhelm, squelch, suppress, repress. • n. 2 crowd, jam, throng, crust /krust/ • n. la hard outer part of bread, b dry scrap of bread. 2 pastry cover¬ ing of a pie. 3 hard casing of a softer thing. 4 outer portion of the earth. 5 hard residue or deposit. 6 si. impudence. • v. 1 cover or become covered with a crust. 2 form into a crust. □□ crus’tal adj. (in sense 4 of n.). ■ n. 1 see heel1 n. 4. 3-5 see skin1 n. 3. 6 see gall 1. crus*ta*cean /krustayshan/ • n. hardshelled, esp. aquatic arthropod, e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp. • adj. of crustaceans. crust»y /krustee/ adj. (crust*i*er, crustri* est) 1 having a crisp crust. 2 irritable; curt. □□ crust'i*ly adv. crust'i*ness n. m 2 see irritable 1. crutch /kruch/ n. 1 support for walking used by a lame person, usu. with a crosspiece fit¬ ting under the armpit. 2 support or object of dependency. crux /kruks/ n. (pi. crux*es or cru*ces /krobseez/) decisive point at issue. ■ see nub 1. cry /kri/ • v. (cries, cried) 1 intr. make a loud or shrill sound, esp. to express pain, ap¬ peal for help, etc. 2 a intr. shed tears; weep, b tr. shed (tears). 3 tr. say or exclaim loudly or excitedly. 4 intr. (of an animal, esp. a bird) make a loud call. • n. (pi. cries) 1 loud shout of grief, pain, joy, etc. 2 loud excited utterance. 3 urgent appeal. 4 spell of weep¬ ing. 5 a public demand, b rallying call. 6 call of an animal. □ cry out for demand as a self-evident requirement or solution, far cry 1 long way. 2 very different thing, for crying out loud colloq. exclamation of sur¬ prise or annoyance. ■ v. 1 see shout v. 2 a sob, wail, bawl, whimper, snivel. • n. 1,2 scream, shriek, wail, howl, yowl, screech, yelp, whoop, yell. 3 see appeal n. 1. 5 b battle cry; slogan, watchword. 6 sound, note. □ cry out for call for. far cry 1 remote, distant, faraway, faroff. 2 (far cry from) not (at all), anything but. cry*ba*by /krfbaybee/ n. person who sheds tears or complains frequently. cry*er var. of crier. cryring /krl-ing/ attrib.adj. flagrant (a crying shame). cry*0*gen*ics /kriajeniks/ n. branch of phys¬ ics dealing with very low temperatures. □□ cry*o*gen'ic adj. crypt /kript/ n. underground vault, used usu. for burial. ■ tomb, mausoleum, sepulcher, grave, cata¬ comb. crypriic /kriptik/ adj. obscure in meaning; se¬ cret; mysterious, od cryp'ti*cal*ly adv. m unclear, nebulous, vague, inscrutable, re¬ condite, puzzling; mystical, esoteric, enig¬ matic. crypto- /kripto/ comb, form concealed; secret (crypto-Nazi). cryp*tO»gram /kriptagram/ n. text written in code. cryp*tog*ra*phy /kriptografee/ n. art of

crystal ~ cultural

184

writing or solving ciphers. □□ cryp'to'gra* pher n. cryp»to*graph*ic /-tagrafik/ adj. cryp»to*graph'i*caMy adv. crystal /krist’l/ • n. la clear transparent mineral, b piece of this. 2 a highly transpar¬ ent glass, b articles of this. 3 glass over a watch face. 4 crystalline piece of semicon¬ ductor. 5 substance with a definite internal structure and a solid form enclosed by sym¬ metrical plane faces. • adj. made of, like, or clear as crystal. ■ n. 1 b see grain n. 3. cryS*taMine /krist’lin, -llnl adj. 1 of, like, or clear as crystal. 2 having the structure and form of a crystal. □□ crys*tal*lin*i*ty /-linitee/ n. m 1 see clear adj. 3. crys»taMize /krist’llz/ v. 1 tr. & intr. form or cause to form crystals. 2 (of ideas or plans) a intr. become definite, b tr. make definite. □□ crys»tal*li*za'tion n. Cs symb. Chem. cesium. CST abbr. central standard time. CT abbr. Connecticut (in official postal use). Ct. abbr. 1 carat. 2 cent. Ctrl. abbr. 1 carton. 2 cotangent. Cu symb. Chem. copper. CU. abbr. cubic. cub /kub/ n. 1 young of a fox, bear, lion, etc. 2 (in full cub reporter) young newspaper reporter. Cub'by /kubee/ n. (pi. -bies) (in full cub*by* hole) small enclosed space, esp. for storage, etc. ■ see compartment n. 1. cube /kyOob/ • n. 1 solid of six equal square sides. 2 Math, product of a number multi¬ plied by its square. »v.tr. 1 find the cube of (a number). 2 cut (food, etc.) into small cubes. □ cube root number for which a given number is the cube. ■ n. 1 see block n. 1. CU'bic /kyoobik/ adj. 1 cube-shaped. 2 of three dimensions. 3 involving the cube (and no higher power) of a number. CU»bi*cal /kyoobikal/ adj. cube-shaped. □□ cu'bi*cal*ly adv. CU»bi*cle /kyobbikal/ n. small partitioned space; compartment. ■ see booth 2.

cub»ism /kyoobizam/

n. geometric style in art, esp. painting. □□ cub'ist n. & adj. cu*bit /kyoobit/ n. ancient measure about the length of a forearm. cuck'old /kukold/ • n. husband of an adul¬ teress. • v.tr. make a cuckold of. □□ cuck' old*ry n. cuck‘00 /kobkoo/ • n. bird with a character¬ istic cry, known to lay its eggs in the nests of other birds. • predic.adj. si. crazy; foolish. □ cuckoo in the nest unwelcome intruder. ■ adj. see crazy 1. cu*cum*ber /kyobkumbar/ n. long, green, fleshy fruit, used in salads and for pickles. Cud /kud/ n. half-digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing. CUd’dle /kud’l/ • v. 1 tr. hug; fondle. 2 intr.

nestle together; lie close and snug. • n. pro¬ longed hug. □□ cud'dle*some adj. cud'dly adj. (cud»dli*er, cud*dli*est). ■ v. 1 see caress v. 2 embrace, snuggle up. • n. see caress n. CUd*gel /kujal/ • n. short, thick stick used as a weapon. • v. tr. beat with a cudgel. an. see club n. 1. mv. see club v. 1. cue1 /kyoo/ • n. la last words of an actor’s line as a signal to another to enter or speak, b similar signal to a musician, etc. 2 a stim¬ ulus to perception, etc. b signal for action. C hint on how to behave. • v.tr. (cues, cued, cu'ing or cue*ing) 1 give a cue to. 2 put (audio equipment) in readiness. an. 1,2 prompt, reminder, sign. • v. 1 sig¬ nal, prompt. cue2 /kyoo/ n. Billiards long rod for striking the ball. □□ cue'ist n. cuff1 /kuf/ n. 1 end part of a sleeve. 2 turned-up hem on pants. 3 [in pi.] colloq. handcuffs. □ off-the-cuff colloq. im¬ promptu. □□ cuffed adj. [also in comb.]. ■ □ off-the-cuff see extemporaneous. cuff2 /kuf/ •v.tr. strike with an open hand. • n. such a blow. ■ v. see hit2 v. la. • n. see blow 1. cui«sine /kwize'en/ n. style or method of cooking. cul-de-sac /kuldasak, kobl-/ n. (pi. culs-desac pronunc. same) 1 dead-end street. 2 fu¬ tile course. CU»li*nar*y /kyoblaneree, kul-/ adj. pertaining to cooking. Cull /kul/ v.tr. 1 gather; derive. 2 pick selec¬ tively. ■ see pick1 v. 1, 2. cul»mi»nate /kulminayt/ v. 1 intr. reach its highest or final point. 2 tr. bring to its high¬ est or final point. □□ cul*mi*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. a see finish v. 2a. cudottes /koblots, kyoo-/ n.pl. skirtlike trou¬ sers. cul*pa*ble /kulpabal/ adj. deserving blame. □□ cul*pa*bil'i*ty n. a see guilty 1, 4. cul'prit /kulprit/ n. guilty person. ■ offender, criminal, malefactor, wrong¬ doer. cult /kult/ n. 1 ritualistic religious system. 2 a devotion to a person or thing (cult of aes¬ theticism). b popular fashion. 3 [attrib.] de¬ noting a fashionable person or thing (cult film). □□ cult'ism n. cult'ist n. cul*ti*vate /kiiltivayt/ v.tr. 1 prepare and use (soil, etc.) for crops or gardening. 2 a raise (crops), b culture (bacteria, etc.). 3 a (often as cultivated adj.) improve or develop (the mind, manners, etc.), b nurture (a person, friendship, etc.). □□ cuhti'va'tion n. a 1 till, plow, farm, work. 2 a grow, tend, produce. 3 a (cultivated) sophisticated, cultured, refined, civilized, polished, aristo¬ cratic, urbane, suave, cosmopolitan, b work on, promote, further, encourage, foster, ad¬ vance. □□ cultivation see culture n. lb. cul»tur»al /kulcharal/ adj. relating to artistic or intellectual matters or to a specific cul¬ ture. □□ cul'tur*al*ly adv.

culture /kulchar/ • n. la artistic and intel¬ lectual achievement, b refined appreciation of this. 2 customs, achievements, etc., of a particular civilization. 3 a cultivation of plants; rearing of bees, silkworms, etc. b cul¬ tivation of the soil. 4 quantity of microor¬ ganisms and the nutrient material support¬ ing their growth, • v.tr. maintain (bacteria, etc.) in suitable growth conditions. □ cul¬ ture shock disorientation experienced by a person suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture. □□ cul'tured adj. ■ n. 1b sophistication, urbanity, taste. 2 mores. 3 see breeding 1. Clll'Vert /kulvart/ n. channel carrying water under a road, etc. ■ see drain n. la. cum /kum/ prep. [usu. in comb.] with; com¬ bined with; also used as (a bedroom-cumstudy). cum. abbr. cumulative. Cum*ber*SOme /kumbarsam/ adj. inconven¬ ient in size, weight, or shape; unwieldy. See synonym study at heavy. ■ see UNWIELDY. cum»in /kumin, kob-, kyoo-/ n. 1 plant with aromatic seeds. 2 these seeds used as fla¬ voring. cum*mer«bund /kumarbund/ n. waist sash. CU*mu*la*tive /kyobmyalativ, -laytiv/ adj. 1 increasing progressively in amount, force, etc. 2 formed by successive additions. □□ cu'mu’la»tive*ly adv. cu'mudanive* ness n. CU*mu*lus /kyobmyalas/ n. (pi. cu‘mu*li /—ll/) cloud formation of heaped, rounded masses. □□ cu'mu*lous adj. CU*ne*i*form /kyOOne'eafawrm, kydoneea-, kyooni-/ • adj. 1 wedge-shaped. 2 of or using wedge-shaped writing, as in ancient Babylonian, etc., inscriptions. • n. cunei¬ form writing. Cun*ning /kuning/ • adj. 1 deceitful; clever; crafty. 2 ingenious. 3 attractive; quaint. • n. 1 craftiness; skill in deceit. 2 skill; ingenuity, □o cun'ning*ly adv. m adj. 1 see crafty. 2 see ingenious. • n. 1 see craft n. 4. 2 see ingenuity. cup /kup/ • n. 1 small bowl-shaped container for drinking from. 2 a its contents, b = cup¬ ful. 3 cup-shaped thing. 4 cup-shaped tro¬ phy. • v. tr. (cupped, cup«ping) 1 form (esp. one’s hands) into the shape of a cup. 2 take or hold as in a cup. □ one’s cup of tea colloq. what interests or suits one. ■ n. 1 see mug n. la. 4 see trophy 1. cup'board /'kubard/ n. recess or piece of fur¬ niture with a door and (usu.) shelves. ■ see cabinet la. cup*cake /kupkayk/ n. small cup-shaped cake. cup’ful /kupfool/ n. (pi. -fuls) amount held by a cup, esp. a half-pint (8-ounce) measure. Cu*pid /kycbpid/ n. 1 Roman god of love, represented as a naked winged archer. 2 (also cupid) representation of Cupid. CU*pid*i*ty /'kyoopiditee/ n. greed for gain; avarice. Cu*po*la /kyobpala/ n. dome forming or adorning a roof.

185

culture ~ curious

CU*pric /ksbprik, kyob-/ adj. of copper. CU*pr0US /kobpras, kyob-/ adj. of copper. Cur /kar/ n. 1 mongrel. 2 colloq. contemptible person. ■ 1 see mongrel n. 2 see wretch 2. CUr. abbr. 1 currency. 2 current. cur*a»ble /kyCforabal/ adj. that can be cured. on cur*a*bil i*ty n. m see benign 3. CU*ra»pao /kyObrasb, -sow/ n. orangeflavored liqueur. CU*ra*re /kyOOraaree, kOt>—/ n. bitter, poison¬ ous extract of various S. American plants. CU*rate /kyobrat/ n. assistant to a parish priest. CU*ra*tive /kyObrativ/ • adj. tending or able to cure. • n. curative agent. ■ adj. see therapeutic 1. CU*ra»tor /kyOOraytar, kydbra-/ n. keeper or custodian of a museum, etc. □□ cu*ra*to*ri* al /kyobratawreeal/ adj. cu*ra'tor*ship n. curb /karb/ • n. 1 check; restraint. 2 street edge or sidewalk border. 3 strap, etc., to re¬ strain a horse. 4 enclosing border. • v.tr. re¬ strain. ■ n. 1 control; see also check n. 2c. • v. check, bridle, control, contain, repress, sub¬ due, suppress; see also restrain 1. curd /kard/ n. [often pi] coagulated milk product, often made into cheese. cur*dle /kard’l/ v. make into or become curds; (of milk) turn sour; congeal. □ make one’s blood curdle fill one with horror. □□ cur'dler n. a see turn v. 10, coagulate. cure /kyOOr/ »v.tr. 1 restore to health. 2 eliminate (disease, evil, etc.). 3 preserve (meat, fruit, etc.) by salting, drying, etc. • n. 1 restoration to health. 2 thing that effects a cure. 3 course of treatment. □ cure-all panacea. a v. 1 heal, make better. 2 see eliminate la. 3 smoke, pickle, corn, marinate. • n. 1 healing. 2, 3 therapy, remedy, medication. CU*rette /kydbret/ n. surgeon’s scraping in¬ strument. cur*few /kbrfydo/ n. regulation requiring peo¬ ple to remain indoors between specified hours, usu. at night. CU»ri*a /kydbreea/ n. (also Curia) (pi. cu*ri* ae /-ree-ee/) the papal court; government departments of the Vatican, qd Cu'rhal adj. CU*rie /kydbree/ n. unit of radioactivity. CU»ri*0 /kydbreeo/ n. (pi. -os) rare or unusual object. ■ see rarity 2. cu*ri*os»i»ty /kydbreeositee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 eager desire to know; inquisitiveness. 2 strange, rare, or interesting thing. ■ 1 interest, colloq. nosiness. 2 strangeness, peculiarity; oddity, rarity. CU*ri*OUS /kyObreess/ adj. 1 eager to learn; inquisitive. 2 strange; surprising; odd. □□ cu'ri*ous*ly adv. cu'ri*ous*ness n. ■ 1 interested, inquiring, prying, investiga¬ tive, colloq. nosy, snoopy. 2 peculiar, eccen¬ tric, queer, unusual, outrageous, offbeat, weird, bizarre, unconventional, irregular.

curium ~ cushy CU*ri»um /kytJbreeam/

186

n. artificial radioactive metallic element. ^|Symb.: Cm. Clirl /karl/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. bend or coil into a spiral; form or cause to form curls. 2 intr. move in a spiral form. • n. 1 lock of curled hair. 2 anything spiral or curved inward. 3 a curling movement, b being curled, o make a person’s hair curl colloq. shock or horrify a person. ■ v. 1,2 see wind2 v. 4. • n. 1 see lock2 1. 2 see spiral n. curl*er /karlar/ n. pin or roller, etc., for curl¬ ing the hair. CUMew /karlob, -lyc5S/ n. wading bird, usu. with long, slender, bill. cur*li*cue karlikyoo/ n. decorative curl or twist. curbing /karling/ n. game played on ice in which round, flat stones are slid across the surface toward a mark. curl*y /karlee/ adj. (curl*i*er, curl*i*est) 1 having or arranged in curls. 2 moving in curves, pd curl'hness n. m 1 see kinky 3. CUr*mud*geon /karmujan/ n. bad-tempered person. □□ cur*mud'geon*ly adj. m □□ curmudgeonly see irritable 1. cur»rant /karant, kur-/ n. 1 small seedless dried grape. 2 a any of various shrubs pro¬ ducing red, white, or black berries, b such a berry. cur»ren*cy /karansee, kur-/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 a money in use in a country, b other com¬ modity used as money. 2 being current; prevalence. ■ 1 see money 1. current /karant, kur-/ • adj. belonging to the present time; happening now. • n. 1 narrow body of water, air, etc., moving in a definite direction. 2 a ordered movement of electri¬ cally charged particles, b quantity repre¬ senting the intensity of this. ■ adj. contemporary, ongoing, contempora¬ neous, latest, up-to-date. ‘n. 1 stream, flow, undercurrent, tide. cur*rent*ly /karantlee, kur-/ adv. at the pre¬ sent time; now. cur*ric*u*lum /karikyalam/ n. (pi. cur*ric*u* la /-la/ or cur*ric*u*lums) subjects in a course of study. □□ cur-ric'udar adj. • see program n. 4. cur»ric*u»lum vi*tae /karikyalam vitee, veeti/ n. (pi. cur*ric*u*la vi*tae) brief account of one’s education, qualifications, etc. ■ see resume. cur«ry1 /karee, kuree/ • n. (pi. -ries) dish prepared with curry powder. • v. tr. (-ries, -ried) flavor with curry powder. □ curry powder usu. hot-tasting preparation of vari¬ ous spices. cur*ry2 /karee, kuree/ v.tr. (-ries, -ried) 1 groom (a horse) with a currycomb. 2 treat (tanned leather) to improve it. 3 thrash. □ curry favor ingratiate oneself. ■ 1 see groom v. 1. □ curry favor see in¬ gratiate. Cur»ry*comb /kareekom, kuree-/ n. metal serrated device for grooming horses.

curse /kars/ »n. 1 solemn invocation of su¬ pernatural wrath. 2 evil supposedly result¬ ing from a curse. 3 violent exclamation of anger; profane oath. 4 thing that causes evil or harm. • v. 1 tr. a utter a curse against, b [in imper.] may God curse. 2 tr. afflict (with). 3 intr. utter expletive curses. ■ n. 1 malediction, imprecation, denuncia¬ tion, execration, anathema. 3 profanity, ex¬ pletive, blasphemy, obscenity. 4 bane, mis¬ fortune, affliction, torment, scourge, blight, cross to bear. ‘v. la damn, execrate, de¬ nounce. b damn, confound, colloq. drat. 2 burden, saddle, handicap. 3 swear. cursed /karsid, karst/ adj. damnable; abomi¬ nable. □□ curs'ed*ly adv. curs'ed'ness n. m see damnable.

cur*sive/karsiv/ • adj. (of writing) done with joined characters. • n. cursive writing, □o cur'siveriy adv. CUr*SOf /karsar/ n. Computing positional indi¬ cator on a screen. cur*so*ry /karsaree/ adj. hasty; hurried (cur¬ sory glance). See synonym study at superfi¬ cial. □□ cur'so'ri'ly adv. cur'so*ri*ness n. m superficial, passing, quick, slapdash, per¬ functory. curt /kart/ adj. rudely brief. See synonym study at brusque. □□ curt'ly adv. curt'ness n. m abrupt, short, terse, laconic; blunt, gruff, brusque. Cur*tail /kartayl/ v.tr cut short; reduce. □□ cur*tail'ment n. m shorten, abbreviate, abridge; diminish, cut back or down; terminate. cur»tain /kartan/ • n. 1 piece of cloth, etc., hung as a screen, esp. at a window. 2 a rise or fall of a stage curtain, b = curtain call. 3 partition or cover. 4 [in pi] si. the end. • v.tr. [foil, by off] shut off with curtains. □ curtain call audience’s summons to actor(s) to take a bow. curt*sy /kartsee/ (also curt'sey) • n. (pi. -sies or -seys) woman’s or girl’s formal greeting or salutation made by bending the knees and lowering the body. • v. intr. (-sies, -sied or -seys, -seyed) make a curtsy. Cur*va*ceous /karvayshas/ adj. colloq. (esp. of a woman) having a shapely figure. ■ see SHAPELY.

cur»va*ture /'karvachar/ n. curving or degree of curve. ■ see bend1 n. curve /karv/ • n. 1 line or surface of which no part is straight or flat. 2 curved form or thing. • v. bend or shape to form a curve. □□ curved adj. cur'vi'ness n. curv'y adj. (curvber, curvbest). an. see bend1 n. •v. see bend1 v. 1. □□ curvy see serpentine adj. cushion /kobshan/ • n. 1 bag stuffed with soft material, for sitting or leaning on, etc. 2 protection against shock, •v.tr. 1 provide or protect with a cushion or cushions. 2 mitigate the adverse effects of. □□ cush'ion»y adj. ■ n. 1 pillow, bolster, pad. 2 see defense 2. • v. 2 soften, absorb, buffer, dampen, lessen. cush*y /kobshee/ adj. (cush*i*er, cush*i*est) colloq. easy and pleasant. □□ cush'hness n.

■ see

easy

adj. 1.

cusp /kusp/ n.

1 point or pointed end.

2 point at which two arcs meet.

CUS'tard /kustard/ n. pudding or sweet sauce made with milk, eggs, and flavored corn¬ starch. CUS»to*di*an /kustodeean/ n. caretaker, esp. of a public building, etc. □□ cus*to'di*an* ship n. a see guard n. 2. □□ custodianship see care n. 4. CUS*tO»dy /kustadee/ n. 1 guardianship; pro¬ tective care. 2 imprisonment. □ take into custody arrest. □□ cus*to*di*al /kustodeeal/ adj. a 1 custodianship, safekeeping, protection, charge, keeping. 2 detention, incarceration, confinement. custom /kustam/ n. la usual behavior, b particular established way of behaving. 2 Law established usage having the force of law. 3 [in pi; also treated as sing.] a duty on imports and exports, b officials or area ad¬ ministering this. ■ 1 a practice, habit, usage, fashion, tradi¬ tion, routine, b (customs) traditions, conven¬ tions, mores. 3 (customs) a impost, tax, ex¬ cise, levy, dues, tariff. CUS*tom*ar*y /kustameree/ adj. usual; in ac¬ cordance with custom. □□ cus*tom*ar'i*ly adv. a normal, conventional, routine, common¬ place, ordinary, traditional. CUS*tom»er /kustamar/ n. 1 person who buys goods or services. 2 person one has to deal with (tough customer). a 1 client, patron, purchaser; consumer. 2 character. CUS*tom*ize /kustamlz/ v. tr. make or modify according to individual requirements. CUt /kut/ • v. (cutting; past and past part. cut) 1 tr. penetrate or wound with a sharpedged instrument. 2 tr. & intr. divide or be divided with a knife, etc. 3 tr. reduce the length of or detach by cutting. 4 tr. reduce (wages, prices, time, etc.) or cease (services, etc.). 5 tr. a make (a coat, gem, key, record, etc.) by cutting, b make (a path, tunnel, etc.) by removing material. 6 tr. perform; make (cut a deal). 7 tr. cross; intersect. 8 intr. traverse, esp. as a shorter way. 9 tr. refuse to recognize (a person). 10 tr. delib¬ erately miss (a class, etc.). 11 Cards divide (a deck) into two parts. 12 tr. switch off (an engine, etc.). 13 tr. dilute. •«. 1 cutting. 2 division or wound made by cutting. 3 stroke with a knife, etc. 4 reduction or ex¬ cision. 5 wounding remark or act. 6 style in which a garment, the hair, etc., is cut. 7 piece of butchered meat. 8 colloq. com¬ mission; share of profits. □ a cut above col¬ loq. noticeably superior to. be cut out be suited (was not cut out to be a teacher), cutand-dried completely decided; inflexible, cut corners do a task, etc., perfunctorily, esp. to save time, cut a person down to size colloq. deflate a person’s pretensions, cut in 1 interrupt. 2 pull in closely in front of another vehicle. 3 give a share of profits, etc., to. 4 interrupt a dancing couple to take

187

cusp ~ cutthroat

over from one partner, cut into interfere with and reduce (cuts into my jree time), cut it out [usu. in imper.] si. stop doing that, cut loose begin to act freely, cut the mustard si. reach the required standard, cut short terminate prematurely (cut short his visit). cut one’s teeth on acquire initial practice or experience from (something), cut a tooth have it appear through the gum. cut up 1 criticize severely. 2 behave in a comi¬ cal or unruly manner. ■ v. 1 gash, slash; see also sut1 v. 2 slice, carve. 3 trim, snip, lop, clip, crop, shorten, shear, chop off; mow; dock; abbreviate, con¬ dense, abridge, edit. 4 slash, diminish, de¬ crease, curtail; discount, mark down; lower. 5 a see shape v. 1. b dig, burrow, hollow out. 6 present, exhibit, display; execute, do; con¬ clude, settle. 7 meet. 8 pass; take a short cut. 9 see ignore 1. 10 avoid, fail to attend, colloq. skip; eschew. 12 turn off. 13 thin, wa¬ ter (down), weaken; degrade, adulterate. • n. 2 gash, slash, incision, nick, wound. 3 colloq. swipe. 4 cutback, curtailment, decrease; de¬ letion, omission. 5 affront, insult, offense, slight, snub, dig, slap in the face, colloq. jibe. 6 see style «. 1, 4. 8 portion, percentage, dividend. □ a cut above better than, cut and dried clear-cut, settled, arranged; pre¬ determined. cut in 1 interrupt, butt in. cut it out see pack it in (pack) . cut the mustard see make it 2. cut short interrupt; abbrevi¬ ate, condense, abridge, edit, cut up 1 see criticize 1. 2 misbehave. CU»ta»ne*OUS /kyOotayneeas/ adj. of the skin. CUt*a»way /kutaway/ adj. 1 (of a diagram, etc.) with parts of the interior exposed. 2 (of a coat) with the front below the waist cut away. cutback /kutbak/ n. cutting back, esp. a re¬ duction in expenditure, a see DECREASE n. cute /kydot/ adj. colloq. 1 a attractive; quaint, b affectedly attractive. 2 clever; ingenious. □□ cute'ly adv. cute'ness n. ala pretty, adorable, dainty, lovely, beauti¬ ful; cunning. 2 shrewd, adroit, crafty, cun¬ ning. CU»ti*cle /kycbtikal/ n. dead skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail. CUt'lass /kutlas/ n. short sword with a slight¬ ly curved blade. CUt*ler*y /kutlaree/ n. 1 knives, etc., for kitchen use. 2 knives, forks, and spoons for use at table, a 2 flatware. CuHet /kutlit/ n. 1 small piece of veal, etc., for frying. 2 flat cake of ground meat, etc. CUt'Off /kutawf/ n. 1 point at which some¬ thing is cut off. 2 device for stopping a flow. 3 shortcut. 4 (pi.) shorts made from jeans, etc. CuMhroat /kut-throt/ • n. murderer. • adj. ruthless and intense. a n. pirate, killer, assassin. • adj. merciless, unmerciful, brutal, cold-blooded, coldhearted; murderous, barbaric, cruel, savage, inhuman, brutal, vicious.

cutting ~ dab

188

CUt'ting /kuting/ • n. piece cut from a plant for propagation. • adj. hostile; wounding. □ cutting edge forefront; vanguard, no cut' ting'ly adv. • n. scion, slip; clipping. • adj. sarcastic, sardonic, scornful, sneering, harsh, caustic, contemptuous; malicious, vicious, venom¬ ous; severe, biting. cut*tle*fish /kut’lfish/ n. mollusk with ten arms that ejects a black fluid when threat¬ ened. CUt»Worm /kutwarm/ n. caterpillar that eats through stems at ground level. C.V. abbr. curriculum vitae. CWt. abbr. hundredweight. cy*an /sian/ • adj. of a greenish-blue. • n. greenish-blue color. cy»a*nide /sisnld/ n. highly poisonous sub¬ stance used in mineral extraction. cy*a*no*sis /sianOsis/ n. bluish discoloration of the skin due to oxygen-deficient blood. □□ cya*not*ic /-notik/ adj. cy*ber»ca»fe /sibarkafay/ • n. cafe with com¬ puters from which patrons may access the Internet. cy*ber»net*ics /sfbarnetiks/ n.pl. [usu. treat¬ ed as sing. ] science of communications and control systems in machines and living things. □□ cy*ber*net'ic adj. cy*ber*net*i* cist /—tisist/ n. Cy*borg /sibawrg/ n. (in science fiction) hu¬ man being whose biological functions are bionically enhanced. cy*cla*men /siklaman, sik—/ n. plant with pink, red, or white flowers. cy*cle /sikal/ • n. la recurrent round or pe¬ riod (of events, phenomena, etc.), b time needed for this. 2 Electr. = hertz. 3 series of related songs, poems, etc. 4 bicycle, tricycle, etc. •v.intr. 1 ride a bicycle, etc. 2 move in cycles. mn. la rotation, circle, course; run, suc¬ cession, pattern. 4 colloq. bike. • v. 2 recur, rotate, circle. cy»clic /siklik, sik-/ adj. (also cy*cli*cal) /siklikal, sik-/ 1 a recurring in cycles, b belong¬ ing to a chronological cycle. 2 Chem. with constituent atoms forming a ring. □□ cy'cli* cal'ly adv. • 1 see periodic. cy*clist /siklist/ n. rider of a bicycle, etc. cyclo- /stklo/ comb, form circle, cycle, or cy¬ clic.

cy*clone /si'klon/ n. violent, low-pressure hurricane of limited diameter, no cy*clon* ic /-klonik/ adj. cy*clon'i*cal*ly adv. • see HURRICANE 1, 2. cy«clo»tron /sfklatron/ n. apparatus for accel¬ eration of charged atomic and subatomic particles revolving in a magnetic field, cygmet /slgnit/ n. young swan. cyl*in»der /silindar/ n. 1 uniform solid or hollow body with straight sides and a circu¬ lar cross section. 2 thing of this shape. □□ cy*lin*dri*cal /silindrikal/ adj. cyclin' dri*cal*ly adv. m 1 see roll n. 5. cym*bal /simbal/ n. brass or bronze plate struck to make a ringing sound. □□ cym' bal'ist n. cyn*ic /sinik/ n. person with little faith in hu¬ man nature. □□ cyn'i*cal adj. cyn'i’cism /-nisizam/ n. a see skeptic n. □□ cynical skeptical; see also sardonic 1. cy*no»sure /sinashoor, sin-/ n. 1 center of attraction or admiration. 2 guiding star. cy*preSS /sfpras/ n. conifer with hard wood and dark foliage. CyriMic /sirilik' • adj. of the alphabet used by the Slavic peoples of the Orthodox Church; now used esp. for Russian and Bul¬ garian. • n. this alphabet, cyst /sist/ n. sac formed in the body, contain¬ ing liquid or semiliquid. cys*tic /sistik/ adj. 1 of the bladder. 2 like a cyst. cyto- /sfto/ comb, form Biol, cells or a cell. cy*tol»0*gy /sltolajee/ n. study of cells, □a cy*to*log*i*cal /sftalojikal/ adj. cy»to* log'i»cal*ly adv. cy*tol'o*gist n. cy*tO*plasm /sitaplazam/ n. protoplasmic content of a cell apart from its nucleus. □□ cy*to*plas*mic /-plazmik/ adj. czar /zaar/ n. (also tsar; fern, cza'ri na, tsa* ri'na) 1 hist, title of the former emperor of Russia. 2 person with great authority. □□ czar'dom n. czar'ism n. czar'ist n. Czech /chek/ • n. 1 native or national of the Czech Republic. 2 language of the Czech people. • adj. of the Czechs or their lan¬ guage. Czech»o*slo»vak /chekaslovak, -vaak/ (also Czech*o*slo*va*ki*an /-slavaakeesn/) • n. native or national of Czechoslovakia, a for¬ mer nation in central Europe. • adj. of or relating to Czechoslovaks or Czechoslova¬ kia.

Dd D1 /dee/ n. (also d) (pi. Ds or D’s; d’s) 1 fourth letter of the alphabet. 2 Mus. sec¬ ond note of the diatonic scale of C major. 3 (as a Roman numeral) 500. D2 symb. Chem. deuterium. D3 abbr. 1 (also D.) Democrat. 2 dimension (3-D).

d. abbr. 1 died. 2 departs. 3 delete. 4 daughter. 5 depth. ’d v. colloq. (usu. after pronouns) had; would (I’d, he’d). DA abbr. district attorney. dab /dab/ • v. (dabbed, dab*bing) 1 tr. press (a surface) briefly with a cloth, etc.,

without rubbing. 2 tr. [foil, by on] apply (a substance). • n. 1 brief application of a cloth, etc,, to a surface. 2 small amount ap¬ plied in this way. □□ dab'ber n. ■ v. 2 daub, touch; see also apply 4. • n. 1 touch. 2 drop, trace, bit, hint, suggestion, pinch, dash, colloq. smidgen. dab'ble / dabal/ v. intr. 1 take a casual interest (in an activity, etc.). 2 move the feet, hands, etc., in liquid. □□ dab'bler n. ■ 1 tinker, trifle, dally; experiment. □□ dabbler see dilettante n. da*cha /da'acho/ n. country house or cottage in Russia. dachs*hund /da'aks-hoont, da'aksant/ n. dog of a short-legged, long-bodied breed. Da*cron /daykron/ n. propr. synthetic polyes¬ ter fiber used in textiles. dac*tyl /daktil/ n. metrical foot ( ) consist¬ ing of one long (or stressed) syllable followed by two short (or unstressed). □□ dactyl'ic adj. dad /dad/ n. colloq. father. ■ see father n. 1. dad*dy /dadee/ n. (pi. -dies) colloq. father. □ daddy longlegs harvestman arachnid. da*do /daydo/ n. (pi. -dos) 1 lower part of the wall of a room, visually distinct from the upper part. 2 plinth of a column. daf»fo*dil /dafsdil/ n. 1 bulbous plant with a yellow trumpet-shaped flower. 2 pale-yellow color. daf'fy /dafee/ adj. (daf*fi*er, daf*fi*est) si. — daft. □□ daffbness n. daft /daft/ adj. colloq. silly; foolish; crazy. □□ daft ly adv. daft'ness n. ■ giddy, senseless, ridiculous, nonsensical, imbecilic, dim-witted, widess, simpleminded, brainless, featherbrained, harebrained, slowwitted, addlebrained, colloq. dumb, dopey, moronic, si. daffy; see also crazy 1. dag*ger /dagor/ n. 1 short pointed knife for stabbing. 2 Printing = obelus. ■ 1 short sword, stiletto, dirk, literary pon¬ iard, poet, blade. da*go /daygo/ n. (pi. -gos or -goes) si. offens. person of Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese an¬ cestry. da*guerre»o»type /dogerstip/ n. photograph taken by an early process using a silvered plate and mercury vapor, dahbia /dalya, da'al-, dayl-/ n. composite gar¬ den plant of Mexican origin, cultivated for its many-colored flowers, dai'ly /daylee/ • adj. done or occurring every day. • adv. every day. • n. (pi. -lies) colloq. daily newspaper. □ daily bread necessary food, daily dozen colloq. regular exercises. ■ adj. constant, continual, everyday, rou¬ tine, common. • adv. day after day, always, habitually, routinely, continuously. □ daily bread see sustenance la. dain*ty /dayntee/ • adj. (dain»ti*er, dain*ti* est) 1 delicately pretty. 2 delicate. 3 (of food) choice. 4 fastidious. • n. (pi. -ties) choice morsel; delicacy. □□ dain'tidy adv. dain'ti'ness n. m adj. 1, 2 graceful, elegant, exquisite. 3 delicious, tasty, appetizing; see also choice adj. 4 sensitive, finicky. • n. treat, tidbit.

189

dabble ~ damn

dai»qui*ri /dakaree, di—/ n. cocktail of rum, lime juice, etc. dair*y /dairee/ • n. (pi. -ies) 1 place for the storage, processing, and distribution of milk and its products. 2 store where milk and milk products are sold. • adj. pertaining to milk and its products (and sometimes eggs). da»is /dayis, di—/ n. low platform, usu. at the front of a hall, used to support a table, lec¬ tern, etc. dai«sy /dayzee/ n. (pi. -sies) small composite plant bearing white-petaled flowers. □ daisy wheel disk of spokes extending radially from a hub, each ending in a character, used as a printer in word processors and typewriters, pushing up daisies si. dead and buried. Da*kO*ta /dakota/ n. 1 N. American people native to the northern Mississippi valley. 2 language of this people (Also called Lakota or Sioux). □□ Da*ko'tan adj. DaHai La*rna /da'all la'ama/ n. spiritual head ofTibetan Buddhism, formerly also the chief ruler ofTibet (see lama). dale /dayl/ n. valley. dal*li»ance /daleeans, -yans/ n. 1 leisurely or frivolous passing of time. 2 act or instance of lighthearted flirting. ■ 1 see sport n. 2. daMy /dalee/ v.intr. (-lies, -lied) 1 delay; waste time. 2 flirt; treat frivolously. See syn¬ onym study at loiter. ■ 1 see delay v. 3. 2 see flirt v. 1. Dal*ma*tian /dalmayshan/ n. dog of a large, white, short-haired breed with dark spots. dam1 /dam/ »n. barrier constructed to hold back water, forming a reservoir or preventing flooding. • v.tr. (dammed, dam*ming) 1 furnish or confine with a dam. 2 block up; obstruct. ■ v. 2 see plug v. 1. dam2 /dam/ n. mother, esp. of a four-footed animal. dam*age /damij/ • n. 1 harm or injury. 2 [in pi] Law financial compensation for a loss or injury. 3 [prec. by the] si. cost. • v. tr. inflict damage on. □□ dam'ag*ing*ly adv. u n. 1 hurt, impairment, mutilation, de¬ struction, devastation. 2 (damages) repara¬ tion, indemnity. 3 expense, price. • v. harm, hurt, injure, impair, mar, deface. dam*ask /damask/ • n. la woven fabric (esp. silk or linen) with a pattern visible on both sides, b twilled table linen. 2 table¬ cloth made of this material. • adj. 1 made of or resembling damask. 2 colored like a dam¬ ask rose, velvety pink or vivid red. tv.tr. weave with figured designs. □ damask rose sweet-scented variety of rose with very soft petals. dame /daym/ n. 1 (Dame) (in the UK) hon¬ orific title given to a woman. 2 si. a woman. dam*mit /damit/ int. damn it. damn /dam/ tv.tr. 1 curse (a person or thing). 2 doom to hell. 3 condemn; censure. 4 (often as damning adj.) (of evidence, etc.) show or prove to be guilty. • n. 1 uttered curse. 2 si negligible amount (not worth a damn). • adj. & adv. colloq. — damned.

damnable ~ daring

190

□ damn with faint praise commend so un¬ enthusiastically as to imply disapproval. □□ damn'ingdy adv. n v. 1 see curse v. 1. 2 condemn, sen¬ tence. 3 criticize, berate, reprimand, de¬ nounce. • n. 1 see curse n. 1.2 si. hoot, two hoots (in hell). dam*na*ble /damnobal/ adj. hateful; annoy¬ ing. □□ dam'na'bly adv. ■ terrible, horrible, atrocious, abominable, dreadful, cursed, wicked, colloq. awful, damned; see also irksome. dam*na*tion /damnayshan/ n. eternal pun¬ ishment in hell. ■ see PERDITION. damned /damd/ colloq. • adj. damnable. • adv. extremely (damned lovely). □ do one’s damnedest do one’s utmost. ■ adj. see infernal 1. damp /damp/ • adj. slightly wet. • n. mois¬ ture, esp. inconvenient or dangerous, •v.tr. 1 make damp; moisten. 2 a take the force or vigor out of. b make (a fire) burn less strongly by reducing the flow of air. □□ damp'ly adv. damp’ness n. m adj. moist; humid, steamy, clammy, muggy. • n. dampness, humidity. • v. 1 see dampen 1.2a see dampen 2. □□ dampness see damp n. above. damp*en /dampan/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become damp. 2 tr. make less forceful or vigorous; choke. □□ damp’en*er n. • 1 moisten, see also wet v. 2 stifle, dead¬ en, check, cool, restrain, lessen, diminish, re¬ duce, suppress, temper. damp»er /dampar/ n. 1 person or thing that discourages. 2 metal plate in a flue to con¬ trol the draft, and so the rate of combustion. □ put a damper on take the enjoyment out of. dam*sel /damzal/ n. literary young unmarried woman. ■ see maid 2. dam*sel*fly /damzalfll/ n. (pi. -flies) any of various insects like a dragonfly but with its wings folded when resting. dance /dans/ • v. 1 intr. move about rhyth¬ mically, usu. to music, for pleasure or as en¬ tertainment. 2 intr. move in a lively way; skip or jump about. 3 tr. a perform (a specified dance), b perform (a specified role) in a bal¬ let, etc. 4 intr. move up and down. • n. 1 piece of dancing; sequence of steps in dancing. 2 social gathering for dancing. 3 piece of music for dancing. 4 lively mo¬ tion. □□ dance’a*ble adj. danc'er n. m v. 1 colloq. bop, si. boogie, hoof it. 2 gam¬ bol, caper, frolic. 4 see wag1 v. • n. 2 ball, social, colloq. hop, prom. dan»de*lion /dand’lian/ n. composite plant with jagged leaves and a yellow flower, then a head of seeds with downy tufts. dan*der2 /dandar/ • n. skin flakes in an ani¬ mal’s fur or hair. dan'der1 /dandar/ n. colloq. temper; anger; indignation. dan»dle /dand’l/ v.tr. dance (a child) on one’s knees.

dan*druff /dandruf n. dead skin in small scales among the hair. dan*dy /dandee/ • n. (pi. -dies) 1 man un¬ duly devoted to style and fashion. 2 colloq. excellent thing. • adj. (dan*di*er, dan*di* est) colloq. splendid; first-rate. □□ dan’dy* ish adj. dan dy'ism n. un. 1 fop, coxcomb, beau, colloq. swell, clotheshorse, si. dude. • adj. see splendid 3. Dane /dayn/ n. native or national of Den¬ mark. □ Great Dane dog of a very large, short-haired breed. dan*ger /daynjar/ n. 1 liability or exposure to harm. 2 thing that causes or may cause harm. □ in danger of likely to incur or to suffer from. ■ peril, risk, threat, jeopardy, hazard; (in danger) in jeopardy, at risk, under threat. □ in danger of likely to. dan*ger»OUS /daynjaras/ adj. involving or causing danger. □□ dan ger*ous*ly adv. dan ger*ous*ness n. u risky, perilous, treacherous, hazardous, unsafe, precarious, chancy; threatening, menacing, harmful. □□ dangerously reck¬ lessly; ominously, alarmingly. dan*gle /danggal/ v. 1 intr. be loosely sus¬ pended, so as to be able to sway. 2 tr. hold or carry loosely suspended. 3 tr. hold out (hope, temptation, etc.) enticingly. □□ dan’ gler n. m 1 hang down, droop, swing. 3 flaunt, brandish, wave, flourish. Dan*ish /daynish/ • adj. of or relating to Denmark or the Danes. • n. 1 Danish lan¬ guage. 2 [prec. by the; treated as pi.] the Danish people. □ Danish blue soft, salty white cheese with blue veins. Danish pastry sweetened yeast pastry topped with icing, fruit, nuts, etc. dank /dangk/ adj. disagreeably damp and cold. □□ dank’ly adv. dank’ness n. m see damp adj. dap*per /dapar/ adj. 1 neat and precise, esp. in dress or movement. 2 sprightly. □□ dap’ pe*rly adv. dap per*ness n. ■ 1 smart, trim, swanky, colloq. nifty, swell, classy, sharp, ritzy, swank, si. snazzy, spiffy. 2 see sprightly. dap*ple /dapal/ • v. 1 tr. mark with spots. 2 intr. be marked in this way. • n. 1 dappled effect. 2 dappled horse. ■ v. 1 spot, mottle, stipple. • n. 2 piebald, pinto. dare /dair/ •v.tr. 1 have the courage or im¬ pudence (to) (I dare not speak, I do not dare to jump). 2 defy or challenge (a person). • n. 1 act of daring. 2 challenge, esp. to prove courage. □ I daresay it is probable. ■ v. 1 venture, risk, hazard. • n. 2 provoca¬ tion, taunt. dare*dev*il /dairdeval/ • n. recklessly daring person. • adj. recklessly daring. □□ dare’ dev’il*ry n. m n. adventurer, hero, heroine. • adj. rash, impulsive, wild, foolhardy, madcap; auda¬ cious, bold, fearless, intrepid. dar»ing /dairing/ • n. adventurous courage. • adj. adventurous; bold; prepared to take risks. □□ dar’ing*ly adv.

■ n. bravery, valor, pluck, spirit, mettle, nerve, colloq. guts, grit, spunk. • adj. auda¬ cious, intrepid, colloq. nervy; rash, reckless. dark /daark/ • adj. 1 with little or no light. 2 of deep or somber color. 3 (of a person) with dark coloring. 4 gloomy; depressing; dismal. 5 evil; sinister. 6 sullen; angry. 7 se¬ cret; mysterious. • n. 1 absence of light. 2 nightfall. □ dark chocolate chocolate without milk, the Dark Continent Africa, esp. when little known to Europeans, dark horse little-known person who is unexpect¬ edly prominent, in the dark lacking infor¬ mation. □□ dark'ly adv. dark'ness n. • adj. 1 unlit, unlighted, poorly-lit; dim, murky, shady; black. 2 inky, sooty; dreary. 3 brunette; black, swarthy; (sun)tanned. 4 bleak, cheerless, somber, grim. 5 wicked, vile, foul, nefarious. 6 see sullen adj. 1. 7 remote, hidden, puzzling. • n. 1 gloomi¬ ness, murkiness; see gloom n. 1.2 night, nighttime, dusk, twilight. □ in the dark see ignorant (ignorance). □□ darkness see dark n. 1 above. dark*en /daarkan/ v. 1 tr. make dark or dark¬ er. 2 intr. become dark or darker. ■ 1 see shade v. 3. 2 see dim v. darkvoom /da'arkroom, -room/ n. room for photographic work, with normal light ex¬ cluded. daMing /da'arling/ • n. 1 beloved or lovable person or thing. 2 favorite. • adj. 1 beloved; lovable. 2 favorite. 3 colloq. charming or pretty. ■ n. 1 sweetheart, love, dear. 2 pet, colloq. golden boy or girl. • adj. 1 cherished, adored, dear. 2 see favorite adj. 3 pleasing, adorable, enchanting. darn1 /daarn/ • v.tr. mend (esp. knitted mate¬ rial) by filling a hole with stitching. • n. darned area in material. □ darning needle 1 long needle with a large eye. 2 dragonfly. ■ v. see patch v. 1, 2. darn2 /daarn/ v.tr., int., adj., & adv. colloq. = damn (in imprecatory senses). dart /daart/ • n. 1 small pointed missile used as a weapon or in a game. 2 [in pi.', usu. treated as sing.] indoor game of throwing these at a target to score points. 3 sudden rapid movement. 4 tapering tuck stitched in a garment. • v. 1 intr. move or go suddenly or rapidly. 2 tr. direct suddenly (a glance, etc.). ■ n. 1 see bolt n. 5. 3 see dash n. 1. • v. 1 see dash v. 1. dart*board /da'artbawrd/ n. circular target in darts. dash /dash/ • v. 1 intr. rush. 2 tr. strike or fling with force, esp. to shatter. 3 tr. frus¬ trate; daunt; dispirit. 4 tr. colloq. (esp. dash it all) = damn v. 1. • n. 1 rush; sudden ad¬ vance. 2 horizontal stroke in writing or printing to mark a pause, break in sense, etc. 3 impetuous vigor. 4 showy appearance or behavior. 5 sprinting race. 6 slight admix¬ ture. 7 = dashboard. 8 longer signal of the two in Morse code (cf. dot n. 2). o dash off depart or write hurriedly. ■ v. 1 run, race; hasten, fly. 2 hurl, toss, colloq. chuck. 3 destroy, ruin, spoil. • n.

191

dark ~ daub

1 bolt, run; sprint. 3 energy, vivacity, zest. 4 see ostentation. 6 pinch, soup?on, colloq.

smidgen, tad. □ dash off scribble, rush off. instrument panel of a vehicle. dashting /dashing/ adj. 1 spirited; lively. 2 stylish. □□ dash'ing'ly adv. m 1 energetic, vigorous, colloq. peppy; see also lively 1. 2 fashionable, chic. das*tard* ly /dastardlee/ adj. cowardly; despi¬ cable. □□ das'tard*li*ness n. DAT abbr. digital audiotape. da*ta /dayta, data, da'a-/ n.pl. [also treated as sing., although the singular form is strictly datum] 1 known facts used as a basis for conclusions. 2 quantities or characters oper¬ ated on by a computer, etc. □ data capture entering data into a computer, data pro¬ cessing series of operations on data, esp. by a computer, data processor machine, esp. a computer, that carries out data processing. ■ 1 information, statistics, figures, details, observations. da»ta*base /daytabays, data-/ n. structured set of data held in a computer. date1 /dayt/ • n. 1 day of the month, esp. as a number. 2 particular day or year. 3 state¬ ment in a document, etc., of the time of composition or publication. 4 period to which a work of art, etc., belongs. 5 colloq. a appointment, esp. social, b person with whom one has a social engagement. • v. 1 tr. mark with a date. 2 tr. assign a date to (an object, etc.). 3 intr. have its origins at a par¬ ticular time. 4 intr. be recognizable as from the past. 5 tr. indicate as out of date. 6 col¬ loq. a tr. arrange with (a person) to meet so¬ cially. b intr. meet socially by agreement. □ date rape sexual assault involving two people who have met socially, out of date (attfib. out-of-date) old-fashioned; obso¬ lete. to date until now. up to date (attrib. up-to-date) fashionable; current. an. 4 time, age, era. 5 a engagement, ren¬ dezvous. b escort; sweetheart. • v. 3 (date from or back to) belong to, come from. 4 show one’s or its age. 6 have a relationship (with), colloq. go steady (with); go out. □ date rape acquaintance rape, out of date old, ancient, passe, colloq. old hat, prehis¬ toric. up to date modern, latest, contempo¬ rary, colloq. often derog. trendy. date2 /dayt/ n. 1 oval, single-stoned fruit. 2 (in full date palm) tall tree native to W. Asia and N. Africa, bearing this fruit. dat*ed /daytid/ adj. 1 showing or having a date (dated letter). 2 old-fashioned; out-ofdate. date*line /daytlln/ n. line at the head of a newspaper article showing the date and place of writing. daffive /daytiv/ Gram. • n. case of nouns and pronouns indicating an indirect object or re¬ cipient. • adj. of or in the dative. da*tum /daytam, datam, da'atam/ n. (pi. da* ta: see data as main entry) 1 piece of infor¬ mation. 2 thing known or granted. daub /dawb/ •o.tr. 1 spread (paint, etc.)

dash'board /dashbawrd/ n.

daughter ~ dead

192

crudely or roughly. 2 coat (a surface) with paint, etc. 3 [also absol.] paint crudely or unskillfully. • n. paint, etc., daubed on a sur¬ face. a v. see smear v. 1. daughter /dawtor/ n. 1 girl or woman in re¬ lation to her parents. 2 female descendant. 3 [foil, by of] female member of a family, nation, etc. □ daughter-in-law (pi. daughters-in-law) wife of one’s son. □□ daugh'ter*ly adj. daunt /dawnt/ v.tr. discourage; intimidate. □□ daunt'ing adj. daunt'ing'ly adv. m dishearten, dispirit, upset, awe, threaten, frighten. daunHess /dawndis/ adj. intrepid; persever¬ ing. □□ daunt'less'ly adv. daunt'less'ness n.

■ fearless, unflinching, stalwart, brave, cou¬ rageous, bold, audacious, valorous, daring. dau*phin /dawfin, dofaN/ n. hist, eldest son of the king of France. dav»en*port /davsnpawrt/ n. large, heavily upholstered sofa. daw*dle /dawd’l/ • V. 1 intr. a walk slowly and idly, b delay; waste time. 2 tr. [foil, by away] waste (time). See synonym study at loiter. • n. act or instance of dawdling. m v. 1 linger, straggle, procrastinate, lounge, colloq. dillydally. dawn /dawn/ • n. 1 daybreak. 2 beginning or incipient appearance of something. • v.intr. 1 (of a day) begin; grow light. 2 be¬ gin to appear or develop. an. 1 sunrise, crack of dawn, first light, cockcrow. 2 start, awakening, inception, ar¬ rival. • v. 1 break; brighten. 2 originate, arise, emerge, unfold. dawn* ing /dawning/ n. 1 daybreak. 2 be¬ ginning of something. day /day/ n. 1 time between sunrise and sun¬ set. 2 a 24 hours as a unit of time, b corre¬ sponding period on other planets. 3 daylight (clear as day). 4 time in a day during which work is normally done. 5 a [also pi.] period of the past or present (the old days). b [prec. by the] present time (issues of the day). 6 prime of a person’s life (in my day). 7 a point of time (will do it one day). 8 day of a particular event. 9 a day’s endeavor, esp. as bringing success (win the day). □ all in a day’s work part of normal routine, call it a day end a period of activity, day after day without respite, day and night all the time, day by day gradually, day care supervision and care, esp. of young children, during the day. day in, day out routinely; constantly, day laborer unskilled laborer hired by the day. day of rest Sabbath, day-to-day mun¬ dane; routine, day trader one who trades stocks (usu. over the Internet) attempting to profit by short-term changes in the value of stocks, not one’s day day of successive mis¬ fortunes for a person, one of these days be¬ fore very long, one of those days day when things go badly, that will be the day colloq. that will never happen. ■ 3 daytime, broad daylight. 5 a age, era;

date, b see present1 n. 6 time, lifetime; hour, heyday. □ day by day see gradually (gradual), day in, day out see all the time 2 (time), day-to-day see routine adj. 1. one of these days see soon 1. day*break /daybrayk/ n. first appearance of morning light. ■ see dawn n. 1. day*dream /daydreem/ • n. pleasant fantasy or reverie, •v.intr. indulge in this. □□ day' dream*er n. ■ n. fancy, musing, pipedream. • v. fanta¬ size; (daydream about) imagine, fancy, envis¬ age, envision, no daydreamer see dreamer. day*light /dayllt/ n. 1 light of day. 2 dawn. 3 visible gap or interval. 4 [usu. in pi] si. one’s life or consciousness, esp. as represent¬ ing vulnerability to fear, etc. (scared the day¬ lights out of me). □ daylight saving achiev¬ ing longer evening daylight, esp. in summer, by setting the time an hour ahead of stan¬ dard time, see daylight begin to under¬ stand. ■ 1 sunlight, sun, sunshine. 2 see dawn n. 1. □ see daylight see catch on 2. day*time /daytlm/ n. part of the day when there is natural light. ■ see day 3. daze /dayz/ • v.tr. stupefy; bewilder. • n. state of bewilderment (in a daze). □□ daz*ed*ly /-zidlee/ adv. a v. stun, blind, shock, stagger, overcome, si. knock out; confuse, baffle. • n. (in a daze) confused; perplexed, disoriented; starded, stunned, colloq. flabbergasted, floored. daz*zle/dazsl/ • v.tr. 1 blind or confuse tem¬ porarily by an excess of light. 2 impress or overpower with knowledge, ability, etc. • n. bright confusing light. □□ daz'zling adj. dazzlingdy adv. ■ v. 1 stun, stupefy, overpower. 2 bewitch, enchant, charm. □□ dazzling brilliant, radi¬ ant, splendid. dB abbr. decibel(s). DBMS abbr. Computing database manage¬ ment system. DC abbr. 1 (also d.c.) direct current. 2 Dis¬ trict of Columbia. DD abbr. doctor of divinity. D.D.S. abbr. 1 doctor of dental science. 2 doctor of dental surgery. DDT abbr. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a colorless chlorinated hydrocarbon used as an insecticide. DE abbr. Delaware (in official postal use), de- /dee, di/ prefix 1 forming verbs and their derivatives: a down; away (descend), b com¬ pletely (denude). 2 added to form verbs and nouns implying removal or reversal (decen¬ tralize). dea*COn /deeksn/ n. assistant to a priest, min¬ ister, etc. de*ac*ti*vate /deeaktivayt/ v.tr. make inactive or less reactive. □□ de«ac*ti*va*tion /-vayshsn/ n. de*ac'ti*va*tor n. a see stop v. la. dead /ded/ • adj. 1 no longer alive. 2 colloq. extremely tired or unwell. 3 benumbed (my fingers are dead). 4 [foil, by to] insensitive to. 5 no longer effective or in use; extinct.

6 inanimate. 7 a lacking force or vigor, b (of sound) not resonant. 8 a quiet; lacking ac¬ tivity. b motionless; idle. 9 a (of a micro¬ phone, etc.) not transmitting sound, esp. be¬ cause of a fault, b (of a circuit, etc.) carrying no current; not connected to a source of electricity. 10 (of the ball in a game) out of play. 11 abrupt; complete; exact (come to a dead stop, dead certainty). • adv. 1 abso¬ lutely; exactly (dead on target). 2 colloq. very; extremely (dead easy). • n. [prec. by the] 1 [treated as pi] those who have died. 2 time of silence or inactivity (dead of night). □ dead end 1 closed end of a road, passage, etc. 2 [often (with hyphen) attrib.] situation offering no prospects of progress or advance¬ ment. dead heat 1 race in which two or more competitors finish in a tie. 2 result of such a race, dead letter 1 law or practice no longer observed or recognized. 2 letter that is undeliverable and unreturnable, esp. one with an incorrect address, dead reckoning Naur, calculation of a ship’s position from the log, compass, etc. dead to the world colloq. fast asleep; unconscious. ■ adj. 1 extinct, gone, departed, lifeless,/ormal deceased. 2 exhausted, worn out, fa¬ tigued, colloq. all in, done in, bushed, pooped, si. beat. 3 insensible, numb, unfeel¬ ing, senseless. 4 unconscious; indifferent, uninterested; hardened. 5 obsolete, per¬ ished, outmoded, expired. 6 lifeless, inert, inorganic. 7 a dull, lusterless, flat, vapid, empty, bland, colorless, gray; boring, tedi¬ ous, monotonous, b dull, muffled, dead¬ ened. 8 b stagnant, still, standing, static, in¬ ert, inactive, quiet, calm. 11 entire, total, absolute, downright, thorough, utter; cate¬ gorical, outright; profound, deep; sudden; precise. • adv. 1 completely, totally, utterly, categorically, thoroughly, unconditionally, unqualifiedly; precisely. 2 see very adv. □ dead heat tie, stalemate, draw, deadlock, dead to the world out, colloq. (out) cold. dead'beat /dedbeet/ n. 1 colloq. penniless person. 2 si. person constantly in debt. dead*en Ided’nJ v. 1 tr. & intr. deprive of or lose vitality, force, brightness, sound, feeling, etc. 2 tr. [foil, by to] make insensitive. ■ 1 weaken, tire (out), diminish, reduce; drain, tax, exhaust, dull, break, dispirit; mod¬ erate, soothe, soften, blunt; languish, falter, slump, fall off, sink, lag, colloq. let up. 2 numb, paralyze, anesthetize, deadline /dedlin/ n. time limit, deadlock /dedlok/ • n. situation, esp. one involving opposing parties, in which no progress can be made. • v. bring or come to a standstill. ■ n. impasse, stalemate, draw, standoff. • v. stall, stop. dead'ly /dedlee/ • adj. (dead*li*er, dead'li* est) 1 causing or able to cause fatal injury or serious damage. 2 intense; extreme. 3 (of aim, etc.) extremely accurate or effec¬ tive. 4 deathlike. 5 colloq. dreary; dull. • adv. 1 as if dead. 2 extremely; intensely (ideadly serious). □ deadly nightshade = BELLADONNA.

■ adj. 1 lethal; dangerous, poisonous. 2 see

193

deadbeat ~ dear

intense 1, 3. 3 exact, precise. 4 pallid, ghostly. 5 boring, tiresome, humdrum, lack¬ luster. dead'pan /dedpan/ adj. & adv. lacking ex¬ pression or emotion. dead'WOOd /dedwOOd/ n. 1 dead trees or branches. 2 colloq. useless people or things, deaf /def7 adj. 1 wholly or partly without hearing. 2 [foil, by to] refusing to listen or comply. □ fall on deaf ears be ignored, turn a deaf ear be unresponsive. □□ deaf ness n. u 1 hard of hearing, stone-deaf. 2 impervi¬ ous, indifferent, oblivious, unresponsive. □ turn a deaf ear see ignore 2. deal /deel/ • v. (past and past part, dealt /delt/) 1 intr. a [foil, by with] take measures concerning (a problem, etc.), esp. to resolve, b [foil, by with] do business with; associate with. C [foil, by with] discuss or treat (a sub¬ ject). d behave in a specified way (dealt hon¬ orably by them). 2 intr. [foil, by in] to sell or be concerned with commercially. 3 tr. [often foil, by out] distribute to several people, etc. 4 tr. [also absol.] distribute (cards) to players. 5 tr. administer (deal a heavy blow). • n. 1 (usu. a good or great deal) colloq. large amount. 2 colloq. business arrangement. 3 specified treatment (gave them a bad deal). 4 a distribution of cards by dealing, b play¬ er’s turn to do this. C set of hands dealt to players. ■ v. 1 a (deal with) treat, handle, b see as¬ sociate v. 5. C (deal with) see treat v. 4. d act, conduct oneself. 2 (deal in) handle, trade in. 3, 4 dole out, allot, apportion; dis¬ pense. • n. 1 (a good or great deal) see lot n. 1.2 transaction, contract. 3 see treat¬ ment 1. deal*er /de'efrr/ n. 1 person or business deal¬ ing in (esp. retail) goods. 2 player dealing in a card game. 3 person who sells illegal drugs. □□ deal'er*ship n. (in sense 1). ■ 1,3 businessman, businesswoman, mer¬ chant, retailer, vendor; wholesaler, distribu¬ tor, jobber, broker, agent. dealings /de'elingz/ n.pl. contacts or transac¬ tions, esp. in business. □ have dealings with associate with. ■ commerce, trade, negotiations; relation¬ ships, affairs. □ have dealings with see as¬ sociate v. 5. dealt past and past part, of deal. dean /deen/ n. la college or university offi¬ cial. b head of a university faculty or depart¬ ment or of a medical school. 2 head of a ca¬ thedral or collegiate church, dear /deer/ • adj. 1 beloved or esteemed. 2 as a formula of address, esp. beginning a letter (Dear Sir). 3 precious; cherished. 4 [usu. in superl.] earnest; deeply felt. 5 high-priced. • n. (esp. as a form of address) dear person. • adv. at great cost. • int. ex¬ pressing surprise, dismay, pity, etc. (oh dear!). □ for dear life see LIFE. □□ dear'ly adv. (esp. in sense 3 of adj.). m adj. 1 adored, favored, admired. 3 prized, valued. 4 see earnest adj. 5 ex-

dearth - deca-

194

pensive, costly, colloq. pricey. • n. darling, sweetheart, pet, colloq. sweetie, si. baby. • adv. at a high or excessive price. □□ dearly greatly, indeed; lovingly, tenderly; expen¬ sively, punitively. dearth /darth/ n. scarcity or lack, esp. of food. See synonym study at lack. ■ want, need, deficiency, sparseness, insuf¬ ficiency, inadequacy, shortage, paucity, exi¬ guity, poverty; absence. death /deth/ n. 1 irreversible ending of life. 2 event that terminates life. 3 a being killed or killing, b being dead. 4 a destruction or permanent cessation (the death of our hopes). b colloq. something terrible or appalling. 5 (usu. Death) personification of death, usu. a skeleton. □ at death’s door close to death, be the death of 1 cause the death of. 2 be very harmful to. death trap colloq. danger¬ ous or unhealthy building, vehicle, etc. fate worse than death colloq. disastrous misfor¬ tune or experience. □□ death'less adj. death'like adj. ■ 1 demise, dying, exit, euphem. passing (away). 4 a end, termination; extinction, ex¬ termination, liquidation; ruin, downfall, □a deathless eternal, immortal, permanent, unending, timeless. death'bed /dethbed/ n. bed where a person dies or has died. death'blow /dethblo/ n. 1 blow or other ac¬ tion that causes death. 2 event, etc., that ends an activity, enterprise, etc. ■ see kill n. 1. deathdy /dethlee/ • adj. (death*li*er, death* li*est) suggestive of death (deathly silence). • adv. in a deathly way (deathly pale). u adj. see deadly adj. 4. deb /deb/ n. colloq. debutante. de*ba*cle /dayba'akal, -bakel, da-/ n. (also de*ba'cle) utter defeat, failure, or collapse. ■ ruin n. 2. de*bar /deeba'ar/ v.tr. (de*barred, de*bar* ring) exclude; prohibit. □□ de*bar'ment n. m see ban v. de*bark /diba'ark/ v. land from a ship. □□ de* bar*ka*tion /-kayshan/ n. m see land v. 1, 3. de*base /dibays/ v. tr. lower in quality, value, or character. See synonym study at humble. □n de*based adj. de*base'ment n. de*bas' er n. See synonym study at depraved ■ degrade, devalue, depreciate, depress, de¬ mote, belittle. de«bat*a*ble /dibaytabal/ adj. 1 question¬ able; subject to dispute. 2 capable of being debated. □□ de*bat'a*bly adv. ■ 1 controversial, arguable, doubtful, dubi¬ ous, problematic, open to doubt or question, polemic; uncertain, undecided. de'bate /dibayt/ • v. 1 tr. [also absol.] discuss or dispute, esp. formally. 2 a tr. consider (a matter), b intr. consider different sides of a question. • n. 1 formal discussion, esp. in a legislature, etc. 2 discussion. □□ de'bat'er n. u v. 1 argue about, contest; question. 2 a deliberate, reflect on, ponder (over).

weigh, think through. • n. 1 argument, dis¬ pute, polemic. 2 argument, dispute, conten¬ tion. de*bauch /dibawch/ • v. tr. 1 corrupt; per¬ vert. 2 make intemperate or sensually indul¬ gent. • n. bout of sensual indulgence. ■ n. see orgy 1. deb*au*chee /dibawche'e, -she'e, deb-/ n. person addicted to excessive sensual indul¬ gence. de*bauch*er*y /dibawcharee/ n. excessive sensual indulgence. ■ see dissipation 1. de*ben*ture /dibenchar/ n. (in full de*ben' ture bond) fixed-interest bond of a com¬ pany or corporation, backed by general cred¬ it rather than specified assets. de*bil*i*tate /dibilitayt/ v.tr. enfeeble; ener¬ vate. □ □ de*bil*i*tat*ed adj. de*bil*i*ta* tion /-tayshan/ n. See synonym study at weak de»bil»i*ty /dibilitee/ n. feebleness, esp. of health. ■ see infirmity (infirm). deb*it /debit/ • n. 1 entry in an account re¬ cording a sum owed. 2 sum recorded. 3 to¬ tal of such sums. 4 debit side of an account. • v. tr. enter on the debit side of an account. ■ n. see charge n. lb. • v. bill, charge, in¬ voice. deb*0*nair /debanair/ adj. 1 carefree; selfassured. 2 having pleasant manners. ■ 1 insouciant, nonchalant, dashing, charming. 2 elegant, urbane, refined, gen¬ teel. de*brief /deebre'ef/ v.tr. colloq. interrogate (a diplomat, pilot, etc.) about a mission or un¬ dertaking. □□ de*brief ing n. de'bris /dabre'e, day-, debree/ n. scattered fragments, esp. of something wrecked or de¬ stroyed. ■ see wreckage 1, 2, waste n. 2. debt /det/ n. 1 something owed, esp. money. 2 state of owing (in debt). m 2 obligation; liability, responsibility, ac¬ countability; (in debt) owing, beholden; in ar¬ rears, in the red, colloq. in hock. debt*or /detar/ n. person who owes a debt, esp. money. de*bug /deebug/ v.tr. (de*bugged, de*bug* ging) 1 colloq. remove concealed listening devices from (a room, etc.). 2 colloq. identify and remove defects from (a computer pro¬ gram, etc.). de*bunk /deebungk/ v.tr. colloq. expose the falseness of (a claim, etc.). □□ de*bunk'er n. de*but /daybyeb, dayby /diat/ • n. 1 kinds of food that a person or animal habitually eats. 2 food to which a person is restricted, esp. for medical reasons or to control weight. • v. 1 intr. restrict one¬ self to small amounts or special kinds of food, esp. to control weight. 2 tr. restrict (a person or animal) to a special diet. □□ di*e* ta*ry /diateree/ adj. di'et'er n. • n. 1 intake, consumption; fare, nourish¬ ment, sustenance, victuals. 2 regime, Med.

regimen. • v. 1 fast, starve (oneself); be on a diet. di»et2 /dfat/ n. legislative assembly in certain countries. ■ council, congress, parliament, senate, leg¬ islature, house, chamber, assembly. di*e*tet»ic /dl'atetik/ adj. of or relating to diet. □□ di*e*tet'i"cal*ly adv. di*e»tet*ics /dbtetiks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] the scientific study of diet and nutri¬ tion. di»e»ti»tian /distishan/ n. (also di*e*ti*cian) expert in dietetics. dif- /dif/ prefix assim. form of Dis-before/. dif-fer /difar/ v.intr. 1 be unlike or distin¬ guishable. 2 disagree; be at variance (with a person). ■ 1 diverge, deviate, contrast; depart. 2 conflict, take issue, part company, fall out, quarrel, argue. dif*fer*ence /difrans/ n. 1 being different or unlike. 2 distinction. 3 quantity by which amounts differ; deficit {will have to make up the difference). 4 a disagreement, quarrel, or dispute, b grounds of disagreement (put aside their differences).

■ 1 dissimilarity, discrepancy, disagree¬ ment, diversity, variation, inequality, con¬ trast. 2 contrast, disparity. 3 see deficit. 4 argument, conflict; see also quarrel n. 1. diMer*ent /difront/ adj. 1 unlike, fDifferent from is generally regarded as most accepta¬ ble; than is established in use, esp. when fol¬ lowed by a clause, e.g., I am a different person than I was a year ago. 2 distinct; separate. 3 colloq. unusual (wanted to do something dif¬ ferent). 4 of various kinds; assorted; several; miscellaneous (available in different colors). □□ dif fer*ent*ly adv. ■ 1,2 dissimilar, conflicting; opposite, con¬ trary, distinguishable. 3 unique, singular, distinctive, individual, alternative; original. 4 numerous, abundant, many. dif»fer*en»tial /difarenshal/ • adj. 1 of, ex¬ hibiting, or depending on a difference. 2 varying according to circumstances. • n. 1 difference between individuals or examples of the same kind. 2 (in full differential gear) gear allowing a vehicle’s driven wheels to revolve at different speeds when in a turn. □ differential calculus Math, method of calculating rates of change, maximum or minimum values, etc. (cf. integral). □□ dif* fer*en'tial*ly adv. dif*fer*en*ti*ate /difarensheeayt/ v. 1 tr. con¬ stitute a difference between or in. 2 tr. & intr. find differences (between); discriminate. 3 tr. & intr. make or become different while growing or developing (species, word forms, etc.). See synonym study at distinguish. □□ dif*fer*en*ti*a*tion /-sheeayshan/ n. a 2 distinguish, separate, contrast, tell apart. 3 modify, specialize, change, trans¬ form, adapt, adjust. dif»fi*cult /difikult, -kalt/ adj. 1 a needing much effort or skill, b troublesome; perplex¬ ing. 2 (of a person): a not easy to please, b uncooperative; troublesome. 3 character¬ ized by hardships or problems (a difficult pe¬ riod in his life).

215

diet ~ digest

■ 1 a hard, tough, burdensome, b puz¬ zling, baffling, complex, thorny; colloq. sticky. 2 intractable, obstructive, stubborn, unman¬ ageable, si. feisty; ill-behaved; fussy, demand¬ ing. 3 troubled, trying, hard. dif*fi*cul»ty /difikultee, —kal—/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 being difficult. 2 a difficult thing; prob¬ lem; hindrance, b [often in pi] distress or hardship (in financial difficulties). • 1 strain, hardship; toughness; awkward¬ ness, complexity. 2 a obstacle, pitfall, pre¬ dicament. b (difficulties) embarrassment, plight, problems, colloq. hot water, pickle, fix. dif*fi*dent /difidant/ adj. shy; lacking selfconfidence. □□ dif*fi*dence /-dsns/ n. dif fi*dent*ly adv. ■ see shy adj. 1. diMuse • adj. /difyoos/ 1 (of light, inflam¬ mation, etc.) spread out; not concentrated. 2 (of prose, speech, etc.) not concise; longwinded; verbose. • v. /difyobz/ 1 disperse or be dispersed. 2 spread or be spread widely; reach a large area. See synonym study at scatter. □□ dif*fuse*ly /difyooslee/ adv. dif*fuse'ness n. dif*fus*i*ble /difyoozibal/ adj. diffusion /difyobzhan/ n. dififu'sive adj. a adj.

1 scattered, dispersed, widespread. 2 wordy, loquacious, rambling, meandering. • v. circulate, distribute, dispense, dispel, scatter, sow. dig /dig/ • v. (dig'ging; past and past part. dug /dug/) 1 intr. break up and remove or turn over soil, etc. 2 tr. break up the soil of. 3 tr. make (a hole, grave, tunnel, etc.) by dig¬ ging. 4 tr. a obtain or remove by digging, b find or discover after searching. 5 tr. si. like, appreciate, or understand. 6 tr. & intr. thrust or poke into or down into. 7 intr. [usu. foil, by into] investigate or study close¬ ly; probe. • n. 1 piece of digging. 2 thrust or poke (a digin the ribs). 3 colloq. [often foil, by at] pointed or critical remark. 4 archaeolog¬ ical excavation. 5 [in pi] colloq. living quar¬ ters. □ dig one’s feet (or heels or toes) in be obstinate, dig in colloq. begin eating, dig oneself in 1 prepare a defensive trench or pit. 2 establish one’s position, □□dig'gerw. ■ v. 1 see excavate2 1, burrow v. 1, 2. 2 (dig up) work; see plow v. 1. 3 dig out, ex¬ cavate. 4 (dig out or up) unearth, exhume, bring to light, expose. 5 enjoy, go for, colloq. be into; see also like v. 1. 6 jab, prod, nudge. 7 (dig into) inquire into, explore, re¬ search. • n. 2 jab, stab, elbow. 3 insult, in¬ sinuation, slur, colloq. crack. 5 (digs) see ac¬ commodation 1. □ dig in help oneself, set to, colloq. dive in. digest • v.tr. /dijest, dl—/ 1 assimilate (food) in the stomach and bowels. 2 understand and assimilate mentally. 3 reduce to a sys¬ tematic or convenient form; classify; summa¬ rize. • n. /dijest/ 1 compendium or sum¬ mary of information; resume. 2 periodical synopsis of current literature or news. □□ di* gest i*ble adj. di*gest*i*bil'i*ty n. ■ v. 2 take in, swallow; comprehend, grasp. 3 abbreviate, condense, abridge, shorten.

digestion ~ dimension

216

• n. 1 condensation, abridgment, abbrevia¬ tion. 2 survey, outline; see also summary n. □□ digestible palatable, easy to understand; see also intelligible. di*ges*tion /dijes-chsn, dl—/ n. 1 process of digesting. 2 capacity to digest food. □□ di» ges*tive /dijestiv, dl—/ adj. & n. di*git /dijit/ n. 1 any numeral from 0 to 9. 2 Anat. & Zool. finger, thumb, or toe. ■ 1 see figure n. 4a. dig'i'tal /dijit’l/ adj. 1 of or using a digit or digits. 2 (of a clock, watch, etc.) that gives a reading by displayed digits. 3 (of a com¬ puter) operating on data represented by dig¬ its. 4 (of a recording) with sound electroni¬ cally represented by digits. □ digital video disc disc on which video images (such as a movie) are digitally stored for playback by la¬ ser reflection. □□ dig'it'ahly adv. dig*i*taWs /dijitalis/ n. drug prepared from the foxglove, used to stimulate the heart muscle. dig*i*tize /dijitiz/ v.tr. convert (data, etc.) into digital form, esp. for a computer. □□ dig'i* tbza'tion n. dig*ni*fied /dignifid/ adj. having or express¬ ing dignity; noble or stately in appearance or manner. ■ majestic, solemn, distinguished, honor¬ able, elegant; regal. dig»ni»fy /dignifl/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 give dignity or distinction to. 2 ennoble. 3 give the appearance of dignity to (dignified the house with the name of mansion). ■ distinguish, exalt, glorify, uplift, enhance. dig*ni»tar*y /digniteree/ n. (pi. -ies) person of high rank or office. ■ official, notable, magnate, VIP, colloq. big¬ wig, big shot, si. big cheese, Mr. Big; celeb¬ rity, lion, luminary. dig»ni*ty /dignitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 composed and serious manner or style. 2 worthiness; excellence. 3 high or honorable rank or po¬ sition. 4 high regard. 5 self-respect. □ be¬ neath one’s dignity not considered worthy enough for one to do. ■ 1 stateliness, formality, nobility, compo¬ sure, control. 2 worth, nobility, honor, re¬ spectability, importance. 3 standing, station, status. 5 self-regard, pride. digraph /digrafl n. two letters representing one sound, as in ph and ey. □□ di*graph*ic /-grafik/ adj. dbgress /digres/ v.intr. depart from the main subject in speech or writing. □□ dbgres* sion /-greshon/ n. m go off the track, get sidetracked, ramble, drift. □□ digression aside, deviation, de¬ tour. dike /dik/ (also dyke) • n. 1 embankment built to prevent flooding. 2 ditch. 3 cause¬ way. 4 barrier or obstacle; defense. • v. tr. provide or defend with a dike or dikes. di«lap*i*dat«ed /dilapidaytid/ adj. in disrepair or ruin. ■ broken-down, wrecked, destroyed, falling apart, decrepit, derelict, battered, ram¬ shackle, crumbling, colloq. beat-up.

dil*a»ta*tion /dibtayshon, df—/ n. widening or expansion of a hollow organ or cavity. □ dil¬ atation and curettage operation in which the cervix is expanded and the womb lining scraped off with a curette, dictate /dilayt, dfiayt/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become wider or larger (dilated pupils'). 2 intr. [often foil, by on, upon] speak or write at length. □□ di*la*tion /—layshon/ n. ■ see expand 1. dil»a»tO*ry /dibtawree/ adj. given to or caus¬ ing delay. □□ dil a*to#ri*ly adv. dil'a*to*ri* ness n. • see TARDY 1. dMerrrma /dilems/ n. situation in which a choice has to be made between two equally undesirable alternatives. ■ double bind, predicament, quandary, im¬ passe, deadlock; colloq. catch-22, fix, jam, pickle. dil*et*tante /dilitaant/ • n. (pi. dil'eftantes or dihet'tan'ti /-tee/) 1 person who studies a subject or area of knowledge superficially. 2 person who enjoys the arts. • adj. not thor¬ ough; amateurish. □□ dil*et• tan'tish adj. dibet'tan'tism n. m n. 1 dabbler, trifler, amateur, tinkerer. 2 see aesthete. • adj. see superficial 1, 4, AMATEUR adj. dibbgent /dilijont/ adj. 1 hardworking. 2 showing care and effort. See synonym study at busy. □□ dibbgence /dilijans/ n. dil'bgentdy adv. m industrious, attentive, conscientious, painstaking, careful, thorough, scrupulous, meticulous. dill /dil/ n. herb with aromatic seeds and leaves, used for flavoring and medicinal pur¬ poses. □ dill pickle pickled cucumber, etc., flavored with dill. dil*ly*dably /dileedalee/ v.intr. (-lies, -lied) colloq. 1 dawdle; loiter. 2 vacillate. ■ 1 see delay v. 3. dblute /diloot, dl-/ •v.tr. 1 reduce the strength of (a fluid) by adding water, etc. 2 weaken or reduce in effect. • adj. also /dl-/ (esp. of a fluid) diluted; weakened. □□ di* lut'er n. dblu*tion /-lobshan/ n. m v. lessen, diminish, decrease, colloq. split. • adj. weak, watered down, thinned out. dim /dim/ • adj. (dim*mer, dim»mest) 1 a faintly luminous or visible; not bright, b obscure; ill-defined. 2 not clearly per¬ ceived or remembered. 3 colloq. stupid; slow to understand. • v. (dimmed, dim*ming) tr. & intr. make or become dim. □ dim-witted colloq. stupid, take a dim view of colloq. disapprove of. □□ dim'ly adv. dim'mish adj. dim'ness n. • adj. 1 a weak, imperceptible; dark, shad¬ owy. b vague, fuzzy, foggy, clouded. 3 ob¬ tuse, doltish, dull, colloq. thick, dense; see also stupid adj. 1,3. • v. obscure, dull; dark¬ en; weaken. dime /dim/ n. US & Can. ten-cent coin. □ a dime a dozen very cheap or commonplace, dime novel cheap popular novel, turn on a dime colloq. make a sharp turn in a vehicle. di»men»sion /dimenshon, dl—/ n. 1 measura¬ ble extent, as length, breadth, etc. 2 [inp/.]

size; scope; extent. 3 aspect or facet of a sit¬ uation, etc. □□ di*men'sion«al adj. [also in comb.]. di*men'sion»less adj. u n. 1 see measurement 2. di*min*ish /diminish/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller or less. 2 tr. lessen the repu¬ tation or influence of (a person). □ law of diminishing returns Ecou. fact that the in¬ crease of expenditure, investment, taxation, etc., beyond a certain point ceases to pro¬ duce a proportionate yield. □□ di'min'ish* a*ble adj. ■ 1 decrease, decline, abate; reduce, lower, curtail; wane, fade, dwindle. 2 belittle, dis¬ parage, degrade, discredit. di*min*u*en*do /diminyoo-endo/ Mus. • adv. gradual decrease in loudness. • n. (pL -dos) passage played in this way. dim*i*nu»tion /diminobshan, -nydb-/ n. 1 act or instance of diminishing. 2 amount by which something diminishes. ■ 1 see decrease n. di*min»U*tive /diminyativ/ • adj. 1 remark¬ ably small; tiny. 2 Gram, (of a word or suf¬ fix) implying smallness or affection (e.g., -ilet, -kins). See synonym study at small. • n. Gram, diminutive word or suffix. ■ adj. 1 little, miniature, petite, minute, mi¬ nuscule, mini-, compact, colloq. teeny. dim*ple /dimpal/ • n. small hollow, esp. in the cheeks or chin. • v. 1 intr. produce or show dimples. 2 tr. produce dimples in (a cheek, etc.). □□ dim'ply adj. u n. depression, indentation, dim sum /dim sum/ n. (also dim sim /sim/) meal or course of savory Cantonese-style snacks, esp. steamed or fried filled dumplings. dim»wit /dimwit/ n. colloq. stupid person. ■ see fool n. din /din/ n. prolonged loud and distracting noise. ■ clamor, uproar, shouting, babel, commo¬ tion, racket, hullabaloo, colloq. row. dine /din/ V. 1 intr. eat dinner. 2 tr. give din¬ ner to. □ dine out dine away from home, dining room room in which meals are eaten. ■ 1 have dinner, banquet, feast, colloq. feed, dinner /dinar/ n. 1 person who dines, esp. in a restaurant. 2 railroad dining car. 3 small restaurant. ■ 3 see cafe 1. di'nette /dinet/ n. 1 small room or part of a room used for eating meals. 2 (in full di¬ nette set) table and chairs designed for such a room. ding1 /ding/ • v.intr. make a ringing sound. • n. ringing sound. ding2 /ding/ • V.tr. cause surface damage; dent. • n. nick; minor surface damage; dent. din»ghy /dingee, dinggee/ n. (pi. -ghies) small boat for rowing or sailing. din«gO /dinggo/ n. (pi. -goes) wild Australian dog. din*gy /dinjee/ adj. (din»gi»er, din*gi*est) dirty-looking; drab; dull-colored. □□ din'gi* ly adv. din'gimess n. m dark, gloomy, dim, lackluster, faded, dis¬ colored; grimy.

217

diminish ~ diplodocus

din»ky /dingkee/

adj. (din»ki*er, din»ki*est)

colloq. small.

din»ner /dinar/

n. 1 main meal of the day, ei¬ ther at midday or in the evening. 2 formal evening meal or banquet. □ dinner dance formal dinner followed by dancing, dinner jacket man’s, usu. black, formal jacket for evening wear, dinner service set of usu. matching dishes, etc., for serving a meal. ■ 1 see meal1. 2 see banquet n. din*ner»ware /dinarwair/ n. tableware, as plates, glassware, etc. di»no*saur /dinasawr/ n. 1 extinct reptile of the Mesozoic era, often of enormous size. 2 large, unwieldy system or organization. □□ di*no*sau ri*an adj. & n. dint /dint/ n. □ by dint of by force or means of. di*0*cese /diasis, -sees, -seez/ n. district ad¬ ministered by a bishop. □□ di*oc»e*san /dlosisan/ adj. di*ode /diod/ n. Electronics semiconductor al¬ lowing current flow in one direction only and having two terminals. di*0»ram*a /diarama, -raama/ n. threedimensional scenic display with a painted backdrop, viewed through a window, etc. □□ di*o*ram*ic /-ramik/ adj. di*OX*ide /dioksld/ n. Chem. oxide containing two atoms of oxygen which are not linked to¬ gether (carbon dioxide). DIP /dip/ n. Computing form of integrated cir¬ cuit. □ DIP switch arrangement of minia¬ ture switches on an electronic device for se¬ lecting various modes of operation. dip /dip/ • v. (dipped, dip*ping) 1 tr. put or let down briefly into liquid, etc.; immerse. 2 intr. a go below a surface or level, b (of a level of income, activity, etc.) decline slightly. 3 intr. extend or slope downward. 4 intr. [foil, by into] a read briefly from (a book, etc.), b take a cursory interest in (a subject). 5 [foil, by into] a intr. put a hand, ladle, etc., into a container to take something out. b tr. put (a hand, etc.) into a container to do this. 6 tr. & intr. lower or be lowered, esp. in sa¬ lute. • n. 1 dipping or being dipped. 2 liq¬ uid or sauce into which something is dipped. 3 brief swim. 4 brief downward slope in a road, skyline, etc. 5 si. pickpocket. mv. 1 plunge. 2 b drop, fall. 4 (dip into) a skim (through), scan, b dabble in. 6 let down, drop; be put down, be dropped. • n. 1 lowering, fall. 3 plunge. 4 see slope n. 1-3. diph*the»ri*a /diftheereea, dip-/ n. acute in¬ fectious bacterial disease with inflammation, esp. of the throat. □□ diph*the'ri*al adj. diph*the*rit*ic /—thoritik/ adj. diph'the* roid /diftharoyd, dip-/ adj. diph»thong /difthawng, -thong, dip-/ n. speech sound in one syllable in which the ar¬ ticulation begins as for one vowel and moves as for another (as in coin, loud, and side). □□ diph*thon*gal /-thawnggal, -thong-/ adj.

dip»lod»0»CUS /diplodakas, di—/

n. giant plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and tail.

diploma ~ dirty

218

di*plO*ma /diploma/ n. (pi. di*plo»mas) cer¬ tificate of qualification awarded by a college, etc. □□ di*plo*maed /-mad/ adj. dbplo^ma^cy /diplOmasee/ n. 1 manage¬ ment of international relations. 2 adroitness in personal relations; tact. ■ 1 foreign affairs, statesmanship, negotia¬ tion. 2 discretion, delicacy, discernment. dip*lo*mat /diplomat/ n. 1 official represent¬ ing a country abroad; member of a diplo¬ matic service. 2 tactful person. □□ dip*lo* mat*ic /diplamatik/ adj. • 1 see ambassador. 2 see peacemaker. di'pole /dlpol/ n. 1 Physics two equal and op¬ positely charged or magnetized poles sepa¬ rated by a distance. 2 Chem. molecule charged in this way. 3 aerial consisting of a horizontal metal rod with a connecting wire at its center. dip*SO»ma»ni*a /dipsomaynees/ n. alcohol¬ ism. □□ dip*so*ma*ni*ac /-mayneeak/ n. dip*Stick /dipstik/ n. rod for measuring the depth of a liquid, esp. in a vehicle’s engine. dip*tych /diptik/ n. 1 painting, esp. an altarpiece, on two hinged, usu. wooden panels which may be closed like a book. 2 ancient writing tablet consisting of two hinged leaves with waxed inner sides, dire /dir/ adj. 1 a calamitous; dreadful, b ominous. 2 urgent. □□ dire'ly adv. dire' ness n. ■ 1 a see calamitous (calamity), b see fear¬ ful 2. 2 see sore adj. 4. dined /direkt, dl—/ • adj. 1 extending or moving in a straight line or by the shortest route. 2 a straightforward, b frank. 3 with¬ out intermediaries (direct rule). 4 (of de¬ scent) lineal; not collateral. 5 exact; com¬ plete; greatest possible (esp. where contrast is implied) (the direct opposite). • adv. in a di¬ rect way or manner (dealt with them direct). • v.tr. 1 control; guide; govern the move¬ ments of. 2 order or command. 3 tell or show (a person) the way to. 4 [foil, by at, to, toward] a point, aim, or cause (a blow or missile) to move in a certain direction, b point or address (one’s attention, a remark, etc.). 5 a [also absol. ] supervise the perform¬ ing, staging, etc., of (a movie, play, etc.), b supervise the performance of (an actor, etc.). □ direct access facility of retrieving data immediately from any part of a com¬ puter file, direct current electric current flowing in one direction only. |Abbr.: DC, d.c. direct object Gram.primary object of the action of a transitive verb. □□ di*rect' ness n. m adj. 1 unswerving, undeviating. 2 hon¬ est, uninhibited; tactless; clear, to the point; see also blunt adj. 2. 3 without interference, unobstructed; straight. 4 unbroken. 5 po¬ lar, diametrical. • v. 1 manage, handle, steer. 2 rule, require, dictate. 3 guide, lead, point (the way); usher, escort. 4 focus, level, target; address. di»rec»tion /direkshan, dl—/ n. 1 directing; supervision. 2 [usu. inp/.] order or instruc¬ tion. 3 course or line of movement, sight,

etc. 4 tendency or scope of a theme, subject, or inquiry. □□ di*rec'tion*al adj. di’rec* tion»al*i*ty /-alitee/ n. di*rec'tion*al*ly adv. di*rec'tion*less adj. m 1 guidance, management, administration, leadership. 2 (directions) information, guide¬ lines. 3 bearing, route, avenue; see also course n. 2, way n. 1,2. di«rec*tive /direktiv, dl-/ • n. instruction from an authority. • adj. serving to direct. ■ n. see instruction 1. di*recWy /direktlee, dl-/ adv. 1 a at once; without delay, b presently; shortly. 2 ex¬ actly; immediately (directly opposite, directly after lunch). 3 in a direct manner. ■ 1 a immediately, promptly, instantly, b soon, in a (little) while. 2 precisely, com¬ pletely; diametrically. 3 straight; frankly, openly, bluntly; tactlessly. di*rec*tor /direktar, dl-/ n. 1 person who di¬ rects or controls something, esp. a member of the board of a corporation. 2 person who directs a movie, play, etc. □□ di*rec*to»ri*al /-tawreeal/ adj. di*rec'tor*ship n. m 1 guide, leader; pilot, commander; execu¬ tive, administrator, official, head, chief, man¬ ager, supervisor, colloq. top dog, si. big cheese, honcho; see also boss1 n. di*rec*tor»ate direktarat, dl-/ n. 1 board of directors. 2 office of director. di*rec*tO*ry /direktaree, dl-/ n. (pi. -ries) al¬ phabetical or thematic listing of a particular group of individuals (e.g., telephone sub¬ scribers) or organizations. ■ see index n. 1. dirge /darj/ n. lament for the dead. □□ dirge' fill adj. m see lament n. 2. dir»i»gi»ble /dirijibal, dirij—/ n. rigid-frame airship. dirk /dark/ n. long dagger. dirn*dl /darnd’l/ n. 1 Alpine dress with closefitting bodice, tight waistband, and full skirt. 2 skirt of this kind. dirt /dart/ n. 1 unclean matter that soils. 2 earth; soil. 3 a foul or malicious words or talk, b scurrilous information; scandal; gos¬ sip; the lowdown. 4 person or thing consid¬ ered worthless. □ dirt bike motorcycle de¬ signed for use on unpaved roads and tracks, dirt cheap colloq. extremely cheap, dirt poor extremely poor, dirt track course made of rolled cinders, soil, etc., for motor¬ cycle racing or flat racing, treat like dirt treat (a person) contemptuously; abuse. ■ 1 mud, grime, dust, filth, colloq. muck. 2 loam, ground, clay. 3 indecency, obscen¬ ity, smut; rumor, colloq. dope, scuttlebutt. 4 trash; colloq. scum. dirt*y /dartee/ • adj. (dirt*i«er, dirt*i*e st) 1 soiled; unclean. 2 causing dirtiness (a dirty job). 3 sordid; lewd; morally illicit or ques¬ tionable (dirty joke). 4 unpleasant; nasty. 5 dishonest; dishonorable; unfair (dirty play). 6 (of weather) rough; stormy. 7 (of a color) not pure nor clear; dingy. • v. (-ies, -ied) make or become dirty. □ dirty dog colloq. scoundrel; despicable person, dirty linen (or laundry) colloq. intimate secrets, esp. of a scandalous nature, dirty look colloq. look

of disapproval, anger, or disgust, dirty trick 1 dishonorable and deceitful act. 2 [in pi] underhand political activity, dirty word 1 offensive or indecent word. 2 word for something that is disapproved of (profit is a dirty word), dirty work 1 unpleasant tasks. 2 dishonorable or illegal activity, esp. done clandestinely. □□ dirt'i*ly adv. dirt'i'ness n. m adj. 1 foul, muddy, filthy, polluted, im¬ pure, unsanitary, si. grotty, grungy. 3 smut¬ ty, indecent, obscene, coarse. 4 horrible; bit¬ ter, malicious, angry; sordid, mean. 5 unscrupulous, underhanded, unsports¬ manlike. 6 bad, foul, nasty. • v. stain, soil, pollute, smear, dis /dis/ v.tr. si. var. of diss. dis- /dis/ prefix forming nouns, adjectives, and verbs indicating: 1 negation (dishonest). 2 reversal or absence of an action or state 0disengage, disbelieve). 3 removal of a thing or quality (dismember, disable). 4 separation 0distinguish, dispose). 5 completeness or in¬ tensification (disembowel, disgruntled). 6 ex¬ pulsion from (disbar). dis*a*bil*i*ty /disabilitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 physical or mental incapacity. 2 lack of some asset, quality, or attribute, preventing action. ’■ 1 handicap, impairment. 2 inability, inca¬ pacity. dis*a*ble /disaybal/ v.tr. render unable to function; deprive of an ability. □□ dis*a'ble* ment n. ■ (disabled) handicapped, incapacitated, crippled, lame. dis*a*buse /disabyooz/ v.tr. 1 [foil, by of] free from a mistaken idea. 2 disillusion; un¬ deceive. ■ see disillusion v. dis*ad*van*tage /disadvantij/ • n. unfavor¬ able circumstance or condition. • v.tr. cause disadvantage to. □ at a disadvantage in an unfavorable position or aspect, on dis* ad*van*ta*geous /disadvantayjas, disad-/ adj. m n. setback, liability, handicap; problem. dis»ad»van»taged /disadvantijd/ adj. placed

in unfavorable circumstances (esp. of a per¬ son lacking normal opportunities). ■ see deprived (deprive 2). dis*af*fect*ed /disafektid/ adj. 1 disloyal, esp. to one’s superiors. 2 estranged; no longer friendly; discontented, on dis*af* fect'ed*ly adv. dis*af*fec*tion /disafekshan/ n.

dis*a*gree /disagree/

v.intr. (-a*grees, -a* greed, -a*gree*ing) 1 hold a different opinion. 2 quarrel. 3 (of factors or circum¬ stances) not correspond. 4 have an adverse effect upon (a person’s health, digestion, etc.). □□ dis*a*gree'ment n. m 1 dissent, diverge; see also differ 2. 2 dispute, argue. □□ disagreement differ¬ ence, discrepancy; dissent, opposition; quar¬ rel, debate, si. rhubarb. dis*a*gree*a*ble /disagre'eabal/ adj. 1 un¬ pleasant. 2 rude or bad-tempered. □□ dis* a*gree'a*ble*ness n. dis*a*gree'a*bly adv. ■ 1 offensive, distasteful, disgusting, repul-

219

dis ~ disavow

sive, objectionable, odious. 2 quarrelsome, uncooperative, unfriendly, curt, discourte¬ ous, colloq. grouchy. dis»aMow /disalow/ v.tr. refuse to allow or accept as valid; prohibit. See synonym study at prohibit. □□ dis*al*low'ance n. m see prohibit 1. dis*ap*pear /disape'er/ v.intr. 1 cease to be visible. 2 cease to exist or be in circulation or use. □□ dis*ap*pear'ance n. m 1 vanish, evaporate, vaporize. 2 die (out or off). dis*ap*point /disapoynt/ v.tr. 1 [also absol.] fail to fulfill a desire or expectation of. 2 frustrate (hopes, plans, etc.). □ be disap¬ pointed fail to have one’s expectation, etc., fulfilled (was disappointed in you, am disap¬ pointed to be last). □□ dis*ap*point'ed adj. dis'ap*point'ing adj. dis*ap*point'ingly adv. dis*ap*point'ment n. u 1 let down, dissatisfy. 2 foil, thwart; see also frustrate v. 2. □□ disappointed frus¬ trated, discouraged; saddened, unhappy, disappointing discouraging, unsatisfactory; colloq. pathetic, disappointment setback, letdown, colloq. washout; frustration, vexa¬ tion, discouragement, distress, regret. dis*ap*pro*ba«tion /disaprabayshan/ n. strong disapproval. dis*ap*prove /disaprobv/ v. 1 intr. have or express an unfavorable opinion. 2 tr. be dis¬ pleased with. □□ dis*ap*prov'al n. dis*ap* prov'ing adj. dis*ap*prov'ingly adv. a 1 (disapprove of) condemn, criticize, belit¬ tle, si. knock; see also criticize 1. □□ disap¬ proval condemnation, censure, criticism, disapproving see critical 1. diS'arm /disa'arm/ v. 1 tr. take weapons away from (a person, nation, etc.). 2 intr. (of a na¬ tion, etc.) disband or reduce its armed forces. 3 tr. remove the fuse from (a bomb, etc.). 4 tr. render harmless. 5 tr. charm; mollify; placate. □□ dis*arm'ing adj. (esp. in sense 5). dis*arm'ing*ly adv. ■ 3, 4 deactivate, defuse, incapacitate. 5 win over, appease. □□ disarming concili¬ atory; see also enchanting (enchant) . dis*ar»ma*ment /disaarmamant/ n. reduc¬ tion by a nation of its military forces and weapons. dis*ar»range /disaraynj/ v.tr. bring into dis¬ order. □□ dis*ar*range'ment n. dis*ar*ray /disa ray/ • n. [often prec. by in, into] disorder; confusion (esp. among peo¬ ple). • v.tr. throw into disorder. See syno¬ nym study at jumble. ■ n. see disorder n. 1. • v. see disorder v. dis*as*so*ci*ate /disasosheeayt, -seeayt/ v. = dissociate. □□ dis*as*so*ci*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. dis*as*ter /dizastar/ n. 1 great or sudden misfortune. 2 complete failure. □□ dis*as' trous adj. dis*as'trous*ly adv. m 1 catastrophe, calamity, accident. 2 deba¬ cle, collapse, colloq. washout, dead loss. □□ disastrous cataclysmic, tragic, devastat¬ ing, colloq. awful; unlucky. dis»a*VOW /disavow/ v.tr. disclaim knowledge

disband ~ disconcert

220

of, responsibility for, or belief in. □□ dis*a* vow'al n. a see deny 2. dis*band /disband/ v. 1 intr. (of an organized group, etc.) cease to work or act together. 2 tr cause (such a group) to disband. □□ dis*band'ment n. a disperse, scatter, break up, dissolve, re¬ tire; demobilize. dis'bar /disba'ar/ v.tr. (dis'barred, dis*bar* ring) deprive (an attorney) of the right to practice. □□ dis*bar'ment n. dis*be*lieve /disbile'ev/ v. 1 tr. be unable or unwilling to believe (a person or statement). 2 intr. have no faith. □□ dis*be*lief/-le'ef/ n. dis*be*liev'ing adj. dis*be*liev'ing*ly adv. a 1 see distrust v. dis’burse /disbars/ v. 1 tr. expend (money). 2 intr. pay money. □□ dis*burs'al n. dis* burse'ment n. ■ 1 see spend 1. disc var. of disk. dis*card • v.tr. /diskaard/ 1 reject as unwant¬ ed. 2 [also absol.] Cards remove (a card) from one’s hand. • n. /diskaard/ [often in pi.} discarded item, esp. a card in a card game. ■ v. 1 get rid of, dispense with, colloq. trash, si. ditch. • n. reject; (discards) scraps. dis«cern /diso rn/ v.tr. perceive clearly with the mind or the senses. See synonym study at DISTINGUISH. □□ dis*cerni*ble adj. dis* cern'i*bly adv. a see perceive. □□ discernible visible, ap¬ parent, clear, conspicuous, recognizable, tangible. dis*cern*ing /disorning/ adj. having or show¬ ing good judgment or insight. □□ dis*cern' ing*ly adv. dis*cern*ment /disarnmant/ n. a see judicious. discharge • v. /discha'arj/ 1 tr. release, esp. from a duty, commitment, or confinement. 2 tr. dismiss from office, employment, etc. 3 tr. a fire (a gun, etc.), b (of a gun, etc.) fire (a bullet, etc.). 4 a tr. [also absol.] pour out or cause to pour out (pus, liquid, etc.) (the wound was discharging), b intr. [foil, by into] (of a river, etc.) flow into (esp. the sea). 5 tr. a carry out; perform (a duty), b relieve one¬ self of (a financial commitment) (discharged his debt). 6 tr. Physics release an electrical charge from. • n. /dischaarj, discha'arj/ 1 dis¬ charging or being discharged. 2 dismissal, esp. from the armed services. 3 written cer¬ tificate of release, etc. 4 an act of firing a gun, etc. 5 matter (pus, liquid, etc.) dis¬ charged. 6 Physics release of an electric charge. □□ dis*charge'a*ble adj. dis* charg'er n. (in sense 6 of v.). a v. 1 let out, dismiss; liberate; see also re¬ lease ii 1. 2 expel, oust, colloq. sack, si. fire; see also dismiss 2. 3 shoot; detonate, ex¬ plode. 4 a emit, exude; ooze. 5 a fulfill, ac¬ complish. b pay, settle. • n. 2 expulsion. 3 acquittal, exoneration; see also exemption (exempt), release n. 1. 4 shooting, salvo; burst. 5 emission, seepage; ooze. dis*ci*ple /disipal/ n. 1 follower of a leader, teacher, philosophy, etc. (a disciple of Zen

Buddhism). 2 early believer in Christ, esp. one of the twelve Apostles. ■ 1 apprentice, student, proselyte; adher¬ ent, devotee. dis^cftplftnar^ftan /disiplinaireeon/ n. per¬ son who upholds or practices firm discipline. ■ (hard) taskmaster, slave driver; tyrant, despot, dictator. dis*ci*pline /disiplin/ •«. la control or or¬ der exercised over people or animals, esp. children, prisoners, military personnel, church members, etc. b rules used to main¬ tain this control. C behavior of groups sub¬ jected to such rules (poor discipline in the ranks). 2 mental, moral, or physical training. 3 branch of learning. 4 punishment. • v.tr. 1 punish. 2 train in obedience; drill. □□ dis' ci*plin*a*ble adj. dis'ci*pli*nal /disiplin’l, disiplin’l/ adj. dis*ci*plin*ar*y /disiplineree/ adj. an. la direction, rule, authority, b see code 2. C conduct, attitude. 2 drilling, exer¬ cise, practice. 3 subject, course, specialty. 4 chastisement; see also punishment 1,2. • v. 1 chastise, correct; see also castigate. 2 break in, exercise, coach; check, curb. diS'Claim /disklaym/ v.tr. 1 deny or disown. 2 [often absol.] Law renounce legal claim to (property, etc.). ■ see deny 1, 2.

dis»claim»er /disklaymor/ n. renunciation or disavowal, esp. of responsibility. ■ see denial 1. dis*close /disklez/«. tr. 1 make known. 2 ex¬ pose to view. □□ dis*clos'er n. dis*clo*sure /disklOzhor/ n. a 1 reveal, divulge, release, report, betray. 2 bare, reveal. dis*co /disko/ colloq. • n. (pi. -cos) = disco¬ theque. • v. intr (-coes, -coed) 1 attend a discotheque. 2 dance to disco music (discoed the night away). □ disco music popular dance music characterized by a heavy bass rhythm. dis*COg*ra*phy /diskogrsfee/ n. (pi. -phies) 1 descriptive catalog of recordings, esp. of a particular performer or composer. 2 the study of recordings. □□ dis*cog’ra*pher n. dis*COlor /diskulor/ v. spoil or cause to spoil the color of; stain; tarnish. □□ dis*col*or*a' tion n. a see stain v. 1. dis»COm*fit /diskumfit/ v.tr. 1 disconcert or baffle. 2 thwart. □□ dis*com'fi*ture n. ■ 1 embarrass, disturb, fluster, colloq. rattle; confuse. 2 frustrate, foil, outdo, colloq. trump; see also thwart v. dis*com*fort /diskumfart/ • n. 1 lack of ease; slight pain. 2 lack of comfort, •v.tr. make uneasy. an. 1 soreness, irritation; bother. • v. see discomfit 1.

diS»COm»mode /diskamSd/ v.tr. inconven¬ ience (a person, etc.). □□ dis*com*mo'di* ous adj. dis*Com*pose /disksmpSz/ v.tr. disturb the composure of; agitate; disturb. □□ dis*com* po*sure /-pOzhsr/ n. a see upset v. 2. dis*COn*cert /diskansbrt/ v.tr 1 (often as

disconcerted adj.) discompose; agitate; fluster. 2 spoil or upset (plans, etc.). □□ dis* con*cert'ing adj. m 1 see agitate. 2 see upset v. 3. □□ dis¬ concerting awkward, upsetting; confusing, bewildering, perplexing. dis*COn*nect /diskanekt/ v.tr. [often foil, by from] break the connection or fiinctioning of (things, ideas, etc.). □□ dis*con*nec*tion /diskanekshon/ n. m separate, uncouple, detach, part, divide, sever; turn off, switch off, stop, deactivate. dis*Con*nect*ed /diskanektid/ adj. 1 sepa¬ rated, not functioning. 2 (of speech, writing, etc.) incoherent and illogical. ■ 1 apart, detached, unattached; split. 2 unconnected, confused, garbled, rambling. diS»COn*SO»late /diskonsalat/ adj. 1 forlorn. 2 unhappy or disappointed. □□ dis*con'so* late'ly adv. dis*COn*tent /diskantent/ • n. lack of con¬ tentment; restlessness, dissatisfaction. • adj. dissatisfied, •v.tr. (esp. as discontented adj.) dissatisfy. □□ dis*con«tent'ment n. n n. displeasure, uneasiness; malaise. • adj. see discontented. • v. (discontented) dis¬ pleased, annoyed, fed up. diS*COn*tin*ue /diskantinyoo/ v. 1 intr. & tr. come or bring to an end. 2 tr. give up; cease from. □□ dis*con*tin'u«ance n. dis*con* tin*u*a'tion n. ■ 1 stop, put an end to; interrupt; see also stop v. lc. dis*COn*tin*u*OUS/diskantinyooas/ adj. lack¬ ing continuity in space or time; intermit¬ tent. □□ dis*con*ti*nu»i*ty /-kontinob-itee, -nyoo-/ n. dis*con»tin'u*ous*ly adv. ■ see intermittent. dis»Cord • n. /diskawrd/ 1 disagreement; strife. 2 harsh noise. 3 Mus. lack of har¬ mony. • v.intr. /diskawrd/ 1 [usu. foil, by with] disagree; clash. □□ dis*cord'ance n. dis»cor'dan*cy n. dis*cord*ant /diskawrd’nt/ adj. dis*cord'anfly adv. m n. 1 dissension, conflict, disharmony. 2 see noise n. 1. • v. grate, jar, disharmonize; see also disagree. dis*CO*theque /diskatek/ n. club, etc., for dancing to recorded popular music, discount • n. /diskownt/ amount deducted from a customary price. • v.tr. /diskownt/ 1 disregard as unreliable or unimportant {discounted his story). 2 detract from; lessen; deduct (esp. an amount from a bill, etc.), o at a discount 1 below the nominal or usual price (cf. premium). 2 not in de¬ mand; depreciated, discount rate mini¬ mum lending rate, discount storestore, etc., that sells goods at less than the normal retail price. □□ dis'count*a*ble adj. dis' counter n. • n. reduction, markdown; rebate, allow¬ ance. • v. 1 omit, dismiss, ignore. 2 lower, knock down; diminish. diS»COUn»te»nance /diskowntinans/ v.tr. 1 [esp. in passive] disconcert {was discounte¬ nanced by his abruptness). 2 refuse to counte¬ nance; show disapproval of. ■ 1 see discomfit 1. 2 see frown v. 2. dis»COUr»age /diskarij, -kur-/ v.tr. 1 deprive

221

disconnect ~ discrete

of courage, confidence, or energy. 2 dis¬ suade {discouraged her from going). 3 show disapproval of; oppose {smoking is discour¬ aged). □□ dis»cour'age*ment n. dis*cour' agnng'ly adv. ■ 1 dispirit, dishearten; see also demoral¬ ize. 2 deter; put off, advise against. 3 in¬ hibit, hinder; see also oppose 1. discourse • n. /diskawrs/ literary 1 conver¬ sation; talk. 2 dissertation or treatise on an academic subject. 3 lecture or sermon. • v.intr. /diskors/ 1 talk; converse. 2 intr. speak or write learnedly or at length (on a subject). ■ n. 1 see conversation1. 2,3 see lecture n. 1. »v. 1 see converse. 2 see lecture v. 1. diS*COUr»te*OUS /diskarteeas/ adj. impolite; rude. □□ dis*cour te*ous*ly adv. dis«cour' te*ous*ness «. dis*cour*te*sy /diskartasee/ n. m uncivil, unmannerly, disrespectful, boor¬

ish, abrupt, curt. dis*COV«er /diskuvar/ v.tr. 1 find out or be¬ come aware of {discovered a new entrance). 2 be the first to find or find out {who discov¬ ered America?). 3 devise or pioneer {discover new techniques). □□ dis*cov'er*a*ble adj. dis*cov'er*er n. ■ 1,2 locate, unearth, uncover; determine, detect; realize, notice, perceive. 3 originate, conceive (of), design. □□ discoverer ex¬ plorer, voyager; see also pioneer n. 2. dis*COV*er*y /diskuvaree/ n. {pi. -ies) 1 dis¬ covering or being discovered. 2 person or thing discovered. ■ 1 finding, uncovering; disclosure, identifi¬ cation, revelation; realization. 2 find, catch; see also invention 2. dis*cred*it /diskredit/ • n. 1 harm to reputa¬ tion. 2 person or thing causing this {he is a discredit to his family). 3 doubt; disbelief. • v.tr. 1 harm the good reputation of. 2 cause to be disbelieved. 3 refuse to be¬ lieve. ■ n. 1 dishonor, degradation, shame, scan¬ dal, defamation; damage, blot, tarnish. 3 suspicion, skepticism, incredulity. • v. 1 disparage, defame, dishonor, disgrace, de¬ value; slander, sully, malign, libel, slur. 2 colloq. debunk; see also explode 4. 3 deny, dis¬ pute, doubt, reject; ridicule. dis*cred*it*a*ble /diskreditabal/ adj. bring¬ ing discredit; shameful. □□ dis*cred'it*a* bly adv. ■ see shameful (shame). dis*creet /diskre'et/ adj. (dis*creet*er, dis* creefest) 1 a circumspect in speech or ac¬ tion. b tactful; trustworthy. 2 unobtrusive. □□ dis'creef ly adv. dis*creet'ness n. ■ 1 careful, cautious, prudent; judicious. 2 see unobtrusive. dis»crep*an*cy /diskrepansee/ n. {pi. -cies) difference; failure to correspond; inconsist¬ ency. □□ dis'crep'ant adj. • disparity, dissimilarity, deviation, incom¬ patibility, conflict, discordance, contradic¬ tion; gap. dis*crete /diskre'et/ adj. individually distinct;

discretion ~ disguise

222

separate; discontinuous. □□ dis*crete'ly adv. dis*crete'ness n. • disconnected, unattached; see also dis¬ tinct 1 a. dis*cre*tion /diskreshsn/ n. 1 being discreet. 2 freedom to act and think as one wishes, usu. within legal limits (it is vjithin his discre¬ tion to leave). □□ dis*cre'tion*ary adj. ■ 1 tact, diplomacy, delicacy, sound judg¬ ment, good sense. 2 choice, judgment, voli¬ tion, wish, will, inclination. dis*crim*i»nate /diskriminayt/ v.intr. 1 make or see a distinction. 2 treat unfavorably, esp. on the basis of race, color, or sex. 3 (esp. as discriminating adj.) observe distinction carefully; have good judgment. See synonym study at distinguish. □□ dis*crim*i*nate*ly /-notlee/ adv. dis*crim*i*na'tion n. dis* crim*i*na*to*ry /-notawree/ adj. ■ 1 distinguish, separate, discern. 2 show favor or prejudice. 3 be thoughtful, show di¬ plomacy; (discriminating) see discrimi¬ nating. □□ discrimination (in sense 2 of discriminate) bigotry, prejudice, bias, intol¬ erance, unfairness. dis»crim*i»nat»ing /diskriminayting/ adj. 1 able to discern, esp. distinctions. 2 having good taste. ■ perceptive, keen, particular, refined, culti¬ vated. dis«cur«sive /diskorsiv/ adj. rambling or di¬ gressive. □□ dis*cur'sive*ly adv. dis*cur' sive*ness n. • extensive, long, lengthy, wandering, cir¬ cuitous, colloq. windy. diS*CUS /diskas/ n. (pi. dis cusses) heavy disk thrown in competition. diS'CUSS /diskus/ v.tr. talk or write about; debate. □□ dis*cuss'a*ble adj. dis*cus'sant n. dis’cuss'er n. dis*cus*sion /diskushan/ n.

■ converse about, deliberate (over), review, colloq. kick around; argue; see also debate v.

□□ discussion conversation, talk, chat, dia¬ logue, colloquy; debate, argument. dis'dain /disdayn/ • n. scorn; contempt. • v. tr. 1 regard with disdain. 2 think oneself superior to; reject (disdained to enter, dis¬ dained answering). □□ dis'dain'ful adj. • n. see contempt 1. • v. see despise. dis*ease /dize'ez/ n. 1 unhealthy condition of the body or the mind; illness; sickness. 2 corresponding condition of plants. 3 par¬ ticular kind of illness. ■ 1 affliction, ailment, malady, complaint, disorder. 2 blight, infestation. 3 cancer, vi¬ rus, plague; infection. dis*em»bark /disimbaark/ v. put or go ashore or land from a ship or an aircraft. □□ dis* em*bar*ka'tion n. ■ alight, leave; debark, detrain, deplane. dis«em*bOW«el /disimbowal/ v.tr. remove the bowels or entrails of. □□ dis*em*bow'el* ment n. dis*en*chant /disinchant/ v.tr. disillusion. □□ dis*en*chant'ing*ly adv. dis*en*chant' ment n. ■ see disillusion v.

dis*en»cum*ber /disinkumbar/

v.tr. free from encumbrance. dis*en*fran*chise var. of disfranchise. dis*en*gage /disingayj/ n. 1 a tr. detach, free, loosen, or separate (parts, etc.) (disen¬ gaged the clutch), b refl. detach oneself; get loose (disengaged ourselves from their com¬ pany). 2 tr. Mil. remove (troops) from battle. 3 intr. become detached. 4 intr. (as disen¬ gaged adj.) a unoccupied; free; vacant, b uncommitted, esp. politically. □□ dis*en* gage'ment n. m v. 1 unfasten, release, disconnect, un¬ lock, untie; (set) free, liberate; divide, part; throw off, cut loose; (disengage oneself) get out, get away. 3 separate, part, divide. 4 (disengaged) a see free adj. 3. b see neutral adj. 1. dis»en*tan*gle /disintanggal/ V. 1 tr. a un¬ ravel; untwist, b free from complications; extricate. 2 intr. become disentangled. □□ dis*en*tan'gle*ment n. ■ see straighten, extricate. diS»fa»vor /disfayvar/ n. 1 disapproval or dis¬ like. 2 being disliked (fell into disfavor). m 1 displeasure, dissatisfaction. 2 low es¬ teem or regard, dishonor; see also discredit n. 1. dis*fig*ure /disfigyar/ v.tr. spoil the appear¬ ance of; deform; deface. □□ dis*fig'ure* ment n. m mar, damage, scar, mutilate, impair, dis¬ tort, ruin. disfranchise /disfranchiz/ v.tr. (also dis* en*fran*chise /disinfranchiz/) deprive of the right to vote, be represented, etc. □□ dis* fran'chise*ment n. dis*gorge /disgawrj/ v.tr. 1 vomit. 2 pour forth; discharge (contents, ill-gotten gains, etc.). □□ dis*gorge'ment n. • 1 see regurgitate 1. dis*grace /disgrays/ • n. 1 shame; ignominy. 2 dishonorable, inefficient, or shameful per¬ son, thing, state of affairs, etc. •v.tr. bring shame or discredit on. □ in disgrace having lost respect or reputation; out of favor. □□ dis*grace'ful adj. dis*grace'ful*ly adv. u n. 1 humiliation, embarrassment, dis¬ honor. • v. humiliate, embarrass; degrade, defame, scandalize. □ in disgrace si. in the doghouse; see also unpopular. □□ dis¬ graceful shameful, humiliating, embarrass¬ ing, dishonorable, degrading, scandalous, improper, unseemly. dis»grun*tled /disgnint’ldy adj. discontent¬ ed; moody; sulky. □□ dis*grun'tle*ment n. ■ displeased, unhappy, dissatisfied, irritat¬ ed, vexed, sullen, crotchety, colloq. fed up, peeved, grouchy. dis*guise/disgl'z/ •v.tr. alter the appearance, sound, smell, etc., of, so as to conceal the identity; make unrecognizable (disguised her¬ self as a police officer, disguised the taste by adding sugar). • n. 1 costume, makeup, ac¬

tion, etc., used to conceal or deceive. 2 act or practice of disguising; concealment of re¬ ality. □ in disguise 1 wearing a concealing costume, etc. 2 appearing to be the opposite (a blessing in disguise). ■ v. camouflage, cover up; misrepresent,

falsify. • n. 1 false identity, camouflage. 2 pretense, deception; cover-up, facade; see also DECEIT 1, MASQUERADE n. 1. dis*gust /disgust/ • n. [usu. foil, by at, for] strong aversion; repugnance. • v.ir. cause disgust in {their behavior disgusts me). □ in disgust as a result of disgust {left in disgust). □□ dis*gust'ed*ly adv. dis*gust'ing adj. • n. loathing, contempt, hatred; outrage, in¬ dignation. • v. sicken, offend, nauseate, re¬ pel, si. gross out; outrage. dish /dish/ • n. la shallow, flat-bottomed container for cooking or serving food, b food served in a dish {all the dishes were de¬ licious). 2 [in pi] plates, cooking pots, etc., used for a meal. 3 a dish-shaped receptacle, object, or cavity, b = satellite dish. 4 si. sexu¬ ally attractive person. • v.tr. put (food) into a dish for serving. □ dish out si. distribute, esp. carelessly or indiscriminately, dish up 1 serve or prepare to serve (food). 2 colloq. seek to present (facts, argument, etc.) attrac¬ tively. □□ dish'ful n. (pi. -fuls). dish*like adj. m n.

1 a see plate.n. la. b see plate n. lb. dis*har»mo*ny /dis-haarmanee/ n. lack of

harmony; discord. □□ dis*har*mo*ni*ous /-moneeas/ adj. • see discord n. 1. dis*heart*en /dis-haart’n/ v.tr. cause to lose courage or confidence. □□ dis*heart'en* ing*ly adv. ■ See DISCOURAGE 1. di*shev*eled /dishevald/ adj. (of the hair, a person, etc.) untidy; ruffled; disordered. □□ di*shev’el v. di’shev'el*ment «. a see untidy. dis*hon*est /disonist/ adj. fraudulent or in¬ sincere. □□ dis'hon'estdy adv. dis*hon*es* ty /disonistee/ n. a untrustworthy, underhanded, shady, de¬ ceptive, deceitful, unprincipled, colloq. crooked, two-faced, hypocritical. dis*hon*or /disonar/ • n. 1 shame or dis¬ grace; discredit. 2 something that causes dishonor (a dishonor to her profession). • v.tr. 1 treat without honor or respect. 2 disgrace. a n. 1 disrespect, indignity, loss of face. 2 disgrace, insult. • v. 1 insult, abuse. 2 de¬ grade, shame, see also disgrace v. 1. dis»hon*or»a*ble /disonarabal/ adj. 1 caus¬ ing disgrace. 2 unprincipled. □□ dis*hon' or*a*ble»ness n. dis*hon'or«a*bly adv. a 1 degrading, ignominious, shameful. 2 unscrupulous, untrustworthy, treacherous, traitorous, disloyal. dish*pan /dishpan/ n. large, deep pan for washing dishes. dish»wash»er /dishwoshar, -wawshar/ n. 1 machine for automatically washing dishes. 2 person employed to wash dishes. diS*il*IU*sion /disilobzhan/ • n. freedom from illusions; disenchantment. • v. tr. rid of illusions; disenchant. □□ disnMu'sion* ment n. a n. disappointment. • v. disabuse, disap¬ point, enlighten, set straight, put right. dis*in*cline /disinklfn/ v.tr. 1 make reluc¬ tant. 2 (as disinclined adj.) unwilling; averse.

223

disgust ~ dislike

a 2 (disinclined) reluctant, hesitant, loath, opposed. dis*in«fect /disinfekt/ v.tr. cleanse (a wound, a room, clothes, etc.) of infection. □□ dis* in*fect*ant /disinfektant/ n. & adj. dis*in* fec*tion /-fekshan/». a clean, purify, sanitize, fumigate, decon¬ taminate, sterilize. dis»in*for»ma*tion /disinfarmayshan/ n. false information, intended to mislead. a see ue2 n. dis»in«gen»U»OUS /disinjenyooas/ adj. having secret motives; insincere. □□ dis*in*gen'u* ous*ly adv. dis»in*gen'u»ous*ness n. a false, dishonest, tricky, devious, deceitful, underhanded, calculating, colloq. shifty. dis*in*her*it /disinherit/ v.tr. reject as one’s heir; deprive of the right of inheritance. □□ dis*in*her'i*tance n. a disown, cut off, reject. dis*in»te*grate /disintigrayt/ v. 1 separate into component parts or fragments. 2 lose or cause to lose cohesion. □□ dis*in*te*gra' tion n. dis*in'te*gra»tor n. a 1 break up or apart, shatter, crumble. dis»in*ter /disinter/ v.tr. (dis*in*terred, dis* in*ter*ring) remove (esp. a corpse) from the ground; unearth; exhume. □□ dis*in*ter' ment n. dis»in*ter*est»ed /disintristid, -intari-/ adj. 1 not influenced by one’s own advantage; impartial. 2 disp. uninterested. □□ discin' tersest n. dis*in'ter*est*ed*ly adv. discin' ter*est*ed*ness n. a 1 unbiased, objective, fair, open-minded, detached, impersonal. 2 see indifferent 1, 2. disjoint /disjoynt/ • v.tr. 1 take apart at the joints. 2 (as disjointed adj.) (esp. of conver¬ sation) incoherent; desultory. • adj. (of two or'more sets) having no elements in com¬ mon. □□ dis*joint'ed*ly adv. dis*joint'ed" ness n. a v. 1 separate, disconnect, divide. 2 (dis¬ jointed) loose, confused, aimless, rambling, disorganized, unsystematic, disk /disk/ n. (also disc) 1 a flat thin circular object, b round, flat or apparently flat sur¬ face (the sun’s disk). 2 layer of cartilage be¬ tween vertebrae. 3 a phonograph record, b = compact disc. 4 a (in full magnetic disk) round, flat computer storage device, b (in full optical disk) smooth nonmagnetic disk with large storage capacity for data recorded and read by laser. □ disk (often disc) brake brake employing the friction of pads against a disk, disk drive Computing mechanism for reading or writing data from a disk on which it is stored digitally, disk (also disc) jockey presenter of a selection of phonograph records, compact discs, etc., of popular mu¬ sic, esp. in a broadcast. ■ 1 a see counter1 2a, b. 3 see record n. 3. diskette /disket/ n. Computing = floppy disk. dis*like /dislik/ • v.tr. have an aversion to; not like. • n. 1 feeling of repugnance or not lik¬ ing. 2 object of dislike. □□ dis*lik'a*ble adj. (also dis*like'a*ble).

dislocate ~ dispatch

224

■ v. mind, turn from; loathe, detest, colloq. hate. • n. 1 aversion; animosity; disgust; hostility. 2 see aversion 2. diS*IO*cate /dislbkayt, dislO-/ -v.tr. 1 disturb the normal connection of (esp. a joint in the body). 2 disrupt; put out of order. 3 dis¬ place. □□ dis*lo*ca*tion /dislokayshan/ n. a 1 see disjoint v. 1. 2,3 see disrupt 1, dis¬ place. diS'lodge /disloj/ v.tr. disturb or move. □□ dis'lodg'ment n. (also dis*lodge' ment). ■ see expel 2. diS*loy*al /disloyal/ adj. not loyal; unfaithful. □□ dis*loyal*ist n. disdoy'aMy adv. dis* loy'al*ty n. m faithless, untrue, false, untrustworthy; treasonable, treacherous, unpatriotic, sub¬ versive; renegade. dis*mal /dizmal/ adj. 1 gloomy; miserable. 2 dreary or somber (dismal brown walls). 3 colloq. feeble or inept (a dismal perfor¬ mance). □□ dis'mal’ly adv. ■ 1,2 depressing, cheerless, melancholy; lugubrious, mournful, forlorn. 3 see feeble 2. dis»man*tle /dismant’l/ v.tr. take to pieces; pull down. ■ see demolish la. diS'may /dismay/ •v.tr. discourage or de¬ press; reduce to despair. • n. 1 anxiety. 2 depression or despair. ■ v. alarm, frighten, disconcert, unsettle. • n. 1 consternation, agitation, fear. 2 see de¬ pression lb, despair n. dis»mem*ber /dismembar/ v.tr. 1 remove the limbs from. 2 partition or divide up. □□ dis* mem'ber*ment n. m 1 see mutilate 1. 2 see partition v. 1. dis*miss /dismis/ o. 1 a tr. send away; cause to leave one’s presence, b intr. (of an assem¬ bly, etc.) disperse; break ranks. 2 tr. dis¬ charge from employment, etc., esp. dishon¬ orably. 3 tr. put out of one’s thoughts. 4 tr. treat (a subject) summarily (dismissed his ap¬ plication) . 5 tr. Law refuse further hearing to (a case). See synonym study at eject. □□ dis*mis'sal n. m 1 disband; release, discharge, let go. 2 oust, release, give notice, lay off, boot (out), colloq. sack, si. fire. 4 reject, discount, scorn; belittle, pooh-pooh. □□ dismissal discharge, expulsion, colloq. walking papers, si. the (old) heave-ho, release. dis«mis*sive /dismisiv/ adj. disdainful. □□ dis*mis'sive*ly adv. dis*mis'sive*ness n.

dis*mount /dismownt/ v. 1 intr. alight from a horse, bicycle, etc. 2 tr. [usu. in passive] throw from a horse; unseat. • n. /dismownt, dis-/ dismounting. dis»0«be*di*ent /disabe'edeesnt/ adj. dis¬ obeying; rebellious. □□ dis*o*be*di*ence /-deeans/ n. dis*o*be'di*ent*ly adv. m insubordinate, unruly, naughty, mischie¬ vous, bad, obstreperous, unmanageable, wayward, defiant. dis*Q*bey disabay/ v.tr. [also absol.] fail or

refuse to obey; disregard (orders) (disobeyed his mother). □□ dis*o*bey'er n. m defy, flout, ignore, resist, oppose, violate; mutiny, rebel, revolt. dis*0*blige /disablfj/ v.tr. 1 refuse to con¬ sider the convenience or wishes of. 2 (as disobliging adj.) uncooperative. dis*or*der /disawrdar/ • n. 1 lack of order; confusion. 2 riot; commotion. 3 Med. ail¬ ment or disease. • v.tr. throw into confusion; disarrange. m n. 1 disarray, chaos, untidiness; mess, clutter, colloq. shambles. 2 tumult, disturb¬ ance, pandemonium. 3 illness, sickness, complaint. • v. upset, muddle, confuse. dis*or*der*ly /disawrdarlee/ adj. 1 untidy; confused. 2 irregular; unruly; riotous. □□ dis*or'der*li*ness n. m 1 chaotic, scrambled, messy, disorgan¬ ized, cluttered, haphazard. 2 uncontrolled, undisciplined, rebellious, violent, rowdy, un¬ governable. dis*or*gan*ize /disawrgamz/ v.tr. 1 destroy the system or order of; throw into confusion. 2 (as disorganized adj.) lacking organiza¬ tion or system. □□ dis*or*gan*i*za'tion n. m 1 see jumble v. 1. dis*0*ri*ent /disawreesnt/ v.tr. 1 confuse (a person) as to his or her bearings. 2 (often as disoriented adj.) confuse (a person). ■ (disoriented) bewildered, lost, adrift. diS'OWn /disOn/ v.tr. 1 repudiate; disclaim. 2 renounce one’s connection with or alle¬ giance to. ■ see repudiate la. dis*par*age /disparij/ v.tr. 1 criticize; belit¬ tle. 2 bring discredit on. □□ dis*par’age* ment n. dis*par'ag*ing*ly adv. a 1 diminish, depreciate, cheapen, run down, speak ill of. 2 slander, libel, dishonor, defame, malign, vilify, insult. dis*pa*rate /disparat, dispar-/ • adj. essen¬ tially different; without comparison or rela¬ tion. • n. [in pi.] things so unlike that there is no basis for their comparison. □□ dis'pa* rate*ly adv. dis'pa*rate*ness n. dis*par*i*ty /disparitee/ n. (pi. -ties) inequal¬ ity; difference; incongruity. ■ discrepancy, gap, unevenness, imbalance, dissimilarity. dis*pas*sion»ate /dispashanat/ adj. free from passion; calm; impartial. □□ dis*pas' sion*ate*ly adv. dis*pas'sion*ate*ness n. m cool, composed, self-possessed, unemo¬ tional, unmoved, serene, colloq. unflappable; fair, neutral, evenhanded. dis*patch /dispach/ (also des*patch') •v.tr. 1 send off to a destination or for a purpose. 2 perform (business, a task, etc.) promptly; finish off. 3 kill; execute. See synonym study at kill. • n. 1 sending (a messenger, letter, etc.). 2 killing; execution. 3 also /dispach/ a official message on state or esp. military af¬ fairs. b news report. 4 promptness; effi¬ ciency (done with dispatch). □□ dis*patch'er n. • v.

1 mail, transmit, forward, ship. 2 get done, complete, colloq. knock off. 3 murder, dispose of, eliminate, colloq. polish off, si. bump off; see also kill v. la. • n. 1 see

transmission 1. 2 murder, assassination. 3 b communique, bulletin, story. 4 haste, speed, quickness. dis*pel /dispel/ v.tr. (dis*pelled, dis*pel* ling) dissipate; disperse; scatter. See syno¬ nym study at scatter. □□ dis*pel'ler re. ■ shed. dis»pen*sa*ble /dispensabal/ adj. 1 able to be done without; unnecessary. 2 that can be given out. □□ dis*pen*sa*biri*ty re. ■ 1 disposable, nonessential, unneeded, ex¬ pendable. dis»pen»sa»ry /dispensaree/ re. (pi. -ries) place where medicines, etc., are dispensed. ■ see PHARMACY 2, INFIRMARY. dis*pen»sa«tion /dispensayshan/ re. 1 a dis¬ pensing or distributing, b [foil, by with] the state of doing without (a thing), c some¬ thing distributed. 2 exemption from a pen¬ alty or duty. 3 the ordering or management of the world by providence. □□ dis*pen*sa' tion*al adj. ■ 1 a see administration1 4. c see SHARE re. I. 2 see exemption (exempt). dispense /dispens/ v. 1 tr. distribute; deal out. 2 tr. administer (a sacrament, justice, etc.). 3 tr. make up and give out (medicine, etc.). 4 intr. [foil, by with] a do without; ren¬ der needless, b give exemption from (a rtile). □□ dis*pens er re. ■ 1 give out, supply, provide, issue, appor¬ tion, allocate, si. dish out. 2 discharge, apply, implement, enforce. 4 a {dispense with) forgo, give up, relinquish, waive, forswear; do away with, get rid of, eliminate. disperse dispars/ v. 1 intr. & tr. go, send, drive, or distribute in different directions or widely. 2 a intr. (of people at a meeting, etc.) leave and go their various ways, b tr. cause to do this. 3 tr. put in circulation; dissemi¬ nate. See synonym study at scatter, an dis* persa*ble adj. dis*pers'al re. dis*pers'er re. dis*pers'i*ble adj. dis’per'sion re. dis* per'sive adj. ■ 1 spread, scatter; diffuse, break up. 2 a disband, scatter, b dismiss, rout. 3 broadcast, send; see also circulate 2. dis*pir*it /dispirit/ v.tr. 1 (esp. as dispiriting adj.) make despondent; discourage. 2 (as dispirited adj.) dejected; discouraged. □□ dis*pir'it*ed*ly adv. dis*pir'it*ed*ness re. dis*pirit*ing*ly adv. m 1 see demoralize. 2 (dispirited) see mis¬ erable 1. diS'place /displays/ v.tr. 1 shift from its ac¬ customed place. 2 remove from office. 3 take the place of; oust. See synonym study at replace. □ displaced person refugee be¬ cause of war, persecution, etc. ■ 1 move, transfer; disturb, unsettle. 2 ex¬ pel, unseat, eject, colloq. kick out, sack, si. fire; see also dismiss 2. 3 supplant, replace, succeed, d displaced person see refugee. dis*place*ment /displaysmant/ re. 1 displac¬ ing; being displaced. 2 Physics amount of a fluid displaced by a solid floating or im¬ mersed in it {ship with a displacement of II, 000 tons).

dis*play /display/ • v. tr. 1 expose to view; ex¬ hibit; show. 2 show ostentatiously. 3 allow

225 dispel ~ disproportionate to appear; reveal; betray. • re. 1 displaying. 2 exhibition or show. 3 ostentation; flashi¬ ness. 4 mating rituals of some birds, fish, etc. 5 a presentation of signals or data on a visual display unit, etc. b information so presented. □□ dis*play'er re. ■ v. 1 air, present; advertise, publicize. 2 flaunt, parade, flourish, colloq. flash. 3 un¬ veil, disclose, demonstrate. • re. 1 show, demonstration, exposition. 2 presentation, array, spectacle, parade. 3 showiness, cere¬ mony, pageantry. dis*please /disple'ez/ v.tr. make indignant or angry; offend; annoy. □□ dis*plea*sure /displezhar/ re. ■ put out, dissatisfy, ruffle, colloq. miff, si. bug; see also irk. dis*port /dispawrt/ v. frolic; gambol; enjoy oneself {disported on the beach, disported them¬ selves in the ocean). m see play v. 1.

dis*pos*a*ble /dispozabal/ • adj. 1 intended to be used once, then thrown away. 2 that can be disposed of. • re. thing designed to be thrown away after one use. □ disposable income income after taxes, etc., available for spending. ■ adj. 1 throwaway, nonreturnable; paper, plastic. 2 usable. dis*pos*al /dispbzal/ re. 1 disposing of some¬ thing. 2 arrangement, disposition, or placing of something. □ at one’s disposal 1 availa¬ ble. 2 subject to one’s orders or decisions. ■ 2 see disposition 2b. dis*pose /'dispOz/ v. 1 tr. a make willing; in¬ cline {was disposed to release them), b give a tendency to {the wheel was disposed to buckle). 2 tr. (as disposed adj.) have a specified men¬ tal inclination (usu. in comb.: ill-disposed). 3 intr. determine the course of events {man proposes, God disposes). □ dispose of 1 a deal with, b get rid of. c finish, d kill, e distribute; dispense; bestow. 2 sell. ■ 1 influence, persuade, induce, {be dis¬ posed) be inclined; tend, be willing, o dis¬ pose of 1 a, C settle, sort out, conclude, complete, b discard, dump, scrap, junk, col¬ loq. trash, d see kill v. la. e give out, deal out, apportion, transfer. 2 see sell v. 1. dis*po*si*tion /dispazishan/ re. la natural tendency; inclination, b temperament or at¬ titude. 2 a setting in order, b arrangement. ■ 1 a predisposition, susceptibility, prefer¬ ence. b character, attitude, nature. 2 b or¬ ganization, placement, disposal, grouping. dis*pos*sess /dispazes/ v.tr. 1 dislodge; oust (a person). 2 [usu. foil, by of] deprive. □□ dis*pos*ses*sion /-zeshan/ re. ■ 1 evict, expel, boot out. 2 deny, disallow; see also divest 2. dis»pro»por»tion /disprapawrshan/ re. lack of proportion. □□ dis*pro*por'tion*al adj. dis*pro*por'tion*al*ly adv. • inequality, unevenness, imbalance, asym¬ metry. dis*pro*por*tion»ate /disprapawrshanat/ adj. 1 lacking proportion. 2 relatively too large or small, long or short, etc. □□ dis*

disprove ~ dissident

226

pro*por'tion*ate*ly adv. dis*pro*por'tion* ate*ness n. m unbalanced, asymmetrical, irregular; in¬ consistent; unfair, unequal, uneven. dis'prove /disprobv/ v.tr. prove false; refute. ■ invalidate, contradict, negate, rebut, dis¬ credit. dis»put*a*ble /dispyobtabal/ adj. open to question; uncertain. □□ dis*put'a*bly adv. ■ debatable, moot, doubtful, dubious, con¬ troversial. diS*pu*ta«tion /dispyatayshan/ n. 1 a disput¬ ing; debating, b argument; controversy. 2 formal debate. dis*pu*ta*tious /dispyatayshas/ adj. argu¬ mentative. ■ see ARGUMENTATIVE 1. dis*pute /dispyobt/ • v. 1 intr. a debate; ar¬ gue. b quarrel. 2 tr. discuss, esp. heatedly. 3 tr. question the truth or correctness or va¬ lidity of (a statement, alleged fact, etc.). 4 tr. contend for; strive to win (disputed the crown). • n. 1 controversy; debate. 2 quar¬ rel. See synonym study at quarrel. □ be¬ yond (or past or without) dispute 1 cer¬ tainly; indisputably. 2 certain; indisputable, in dispute 1 being argued about. 2 (of a workforce) involved in industrial action. □□ dis*pu*tant /-spyoot’nt/' n. dis'put'er n. • v. 1 see argue 1. 2 argue about, debate, wrangle over; see also discuss. 3 challenge, impugn, deny. 4 see aim v. 1, 4. • n. argu¬ ment, disagreement, difference (of opinion), conflict. dis*qual*i*fy /diskwolifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 debar or pronounce ineligible (disqualified from the race for taking drugs). 2 make or pro¬ nounce ineligible or unsuitable (his age dis¬ qualifies him for the job). 3 pronounce un¬ qualified (disqualified from practicing as a doctor). □□ dis*qual*i*fi*ca*tion /diskwolifikayshan/ n. ■ reject, exclude, bar, rule out, oudaw. dis*qui*et /diskwiat/ • v.tr. deprive of peace; worry. • n. anxiety; unrest. □□ dis*qui'et* ing adj. dis*qui'et*ing*ly adv. • v. see perturb 2. • n. see anxiety 1, 2. dis*qui»si*tion /diskwizishan/ n. long or elaborate treatise or discourse on a subject. ■ see lecture n. 1. dis*re*gard /disriga'ard/ •v.tr. 1 pay no at¬ tention to; ignore. 2 treat as of no impor¬ tance. See synonym study at neglect. • n. indifference; neglect. □□ dis*re*gard'ful adj. dis*re*gard'ful"ly adv. ■ v. 1 overlook, pay no heed to, pass over. 2 make light of, underrate, dismiss. • n. inat¬ tention, nonobservance; disrespect, con¬ tempt, disdain. dis*re*pair /disripair/ n. poor condition due to neglect. ■ decay, ruin, collapse, deterioration, ruina¬ tion. dis*rep»u*ta*ble /disrepyatabal/ adj. 1 of bad reputation. 2 not respectable in appear¬ ance; dirty; untidy. □□ dis*rep'u*ta*bly adv. • 1 low, base, abject, unworthy, discredita¬

ble. 2 disheveled, unkempt, slovenly, shab¬ by, disordered. dis»re*pute /disripyobt/ n. lack of good repu¬ tation or respectability; discredit (esp fall into disrepute).

dis»re*spect /disrispekt/

n. lack of respect; discourtesy, op dis*re*spectful adj. dis* re*spect'ful*ly adv. • rudeness, impoliteness; irreverence; see also impertinence (impertinent). □□ disre¬ spectful unmannerly, impudent, colloq. fresh; see also impertinent. dis*robe /disrOb/ v.tr. & re/7, [also absol.] di¬ vest (oneself or another) of a garment; un¬ dress. ■ bare oneself; see also strip1 v. 1,2. dis*rupt /disrupt/ v.tr. 1 interrupt the flow or continuity of (a meeting, speech, etc.). 2 separate forcibly; shatter, oo dis*rup*tion /—rupshan/ n. dis*rup'tive adj. dis*rup' tive*ly adv. m 1 disorder, upset; break in on. 2 see sever 2, shatter 1, 2. □□ disruptive see unruly. diss /dis/ v.tr. si. put (a person) down ver¬ bally; bad-mouth. dis*sat*is»fy /disatisfr/ v.tr. (-fies,-fied) (of¬ ten as dissatisfied adj.) make discontented; fail to satisfy. oo dis*sat*is*fac*tion /-fakshan/ n. m see displease; (dissatisfied) unsatisfied, disgruntled, oo dissatisfaction discontent, nonfulfillment, annoyance. dis*sect /disekt, dx—/ v.tr. 1 cut up, esp. a plant or animal, to examine its parts, struc¬ ture, etc., or a corpse for a post mortem. 2 analyze; criticize in detail, oo dis*sec*tion /-sekshan/ n. m see analyze 1, 2b. dis»sem*ble /disembal/ v. 1 intr. conceal one’s motives; talk or act hypocritically. 2 tr. a disguise or conceal (a feeling, intention, act, etc.), b simulate (dissembled grief in pub¬ lic).

dis»sem*i*nate /diseminayt/

v.tr. scatter about; spread (esp. ideas) widely. See syno¬ nym study at scatter, oo dis*sem*i*na* tion /-nayshan/ n. diS*sen*Sion /disenshan/ n. disagreement. ■ dissent, discord, contention, strife, con¬ flict. dis*sent /disent/ •v.intr. 1 disagree. 2 dif¬ fer, esp. from established or official opinion. • n. 1 difference of opinion. 2 refusal to ac¬ cept established opinion; nonconformity. □□ dis*sent'er n. dis*sent’ing adj. dis* sent'ing*ly adv. m v. 1 see differ 2. • n. 1 see dissension. dis»ser»ta*tion /disartayshan/ n. detailed dis¬ course, esp. one submitted toward a degree or diploma. ■ see essay n. 1. dis*serv»ice /dis-sarvis/ n. ill turn; injury. ■ wrong, unkindness, disfavor, injustice; harm, damage. dis*si*dent /disid’nt/ • adj. disagreeing, esp. with an established government, system, etc. • n. dissident person. □□ dis’si*dence n. m adj. dissenting, conflicting, unorthodox; see also rebellious 1. • n. dissenter, pro¬ tester, rebel; revolutionary, insurgent.

dis*sim*Mar /disimitar/ adj. unlike; not simi¬

lar. □□ dis*sim»i»laru*ty /-laritee/ n. (pi. -ties). ■ different, distinct, contrasting. □□ dis¬ similarity disparity, distinction; discrep¬ ancy. dis»si»pate /disipayt/ v. la tr. cause (a cloud, vapor, fear, darkness, etc.) to disap¬ pear or disperse, b intr. disperse; scatter; dis¬ appear. 2 tr. squander (money, energy, etc.). See synonym study at scatter. ■ 1 a scatter, dispel; shed, b spread out, be dispelled; evaporate, vanish. 2 waste, fritter away. diS*si*pa*tion /disipayshan/ n. 1 intemper¬ ate, dissolute, or debauched living. 2 waste¬ ful expenditure (dissipation of resources). a 1 intemperance, dissoluteness, disso¬ lution, self-indulgence, overindulgence, he¬ donism, dolce vita, excess (es). 2 waste, wastefulness, profligacy, recklessness, extrav¬ agance, prodigality. dis»so*ci»ate /disosheeayt, -seeayt/ v. dis¬ connect or become disconnected; separate (dissociated her from their guilt). □ dissociate oneself from 1 declare oneself uncon¬ nected with. 2 decline to support or agree with (a proposal, etc.). □□ dis*so*ci*a»tive /-sheeativ, -seeativ/ adj. a cut off, sever, disjoin, disengage, detach, isolate. dis«so*lute /disaloot/ adj. lax in morals; li¬ centious. a debauched, corrupt, degenerate; see also immoral 3. dis*SO*lu»tion /disalooshan/ n. 1 disintegra¬ tion; decomposition. 2 undoing or relaxing of a bond, esp.: a marriage, b partnership. C alliance. 3 dismissal or dispersal of an as¬ sembly, esp. of a parliament. 4 death. 5 bringing or coming to an end; fading away; disappearance. a 1 separation, breakup; decay, ruin. 2 an¬ nulment, rescission; divorce. 3 adjourn¬ ment, dissolving. 4 see death 4a. 5 termi¬ nation, conclusion; recess. dissolve /dizolv/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or be¬ come liquid, esp. by dispersion in a liquid. 2 intr. & tr. disappear or cause to disappear gradually. 3 a tr. dismiss (an assembly, esp. parliament), b intr. (of an assembly) be dis¬ solved (cf. dissolution 3). 4 tr. annul or put an end to (a partnership, marriage, etc.). 5 intr. (of a person) become enfeebled or emotionally overcome (dissolved into tears). □□ dis*solv a*ble adj. a 1 melt, disperse. 2 vanish, fade (away); see also erode. 3 a break up, disperse, b adjourn, disband. 4 see cancel v. 5 col¬ lapse. dis*SO*nant /disanant/ adj. 1 Mus. harshtoned; inharmonious. 2 incongruous; clash¬ ing. □□ dis*so*nance /-nans/ n. B see INCONGRUOUS. diS'Suade /diswayd/ v.tr. discourage (a per¬ son); persuade against (was dissuaded from his belief). □□ dis*sua*sion /-swayzhan/ n. dis* sua'sive adj. • see DISCOURAGE 2. distiaff /distaf/ n. 1 stick holding wool or flax

227

dissimilar ~ distinction

for spinning by hand. 2 corresponding part of a spinning wheel. distance /distans/ • n. 1 being far off; re¬ moteness. 2 space or interval between two things. 3 distant point or place (came from a distance). 4 avoidance of familiarity; aloof¬ ness; reserve (there was a certain distance be¬ tween them). • v.tr. [often refl.] 1 place far off (distanced the painful memory). 2 leave far be¬ hind in a race or competition. □ go the dis¬ tance 1 Boxing complete a fight without be¬ ing knocked out. 2 complete, esp. a hard task; endure an ordeal, keep one’s distance maintain one’s reserve. b n. 2 gap, mileage, footage. 4 detach¬ ment, coolness, haughtiness. • v. 1 separate, detach, set apart. distant /distant/ adj. 1 a far away in space or time, b [usu. predic.] at a specified distance (three miles distant from them). 2 remote in position, time, resemblance, etc. (a distant prospect, a distant relation, a distant likeness). 3 not intimate; reserved; cool (a distant nod). 4 remote; abstracted (a distant stare). □□ dis' tanttiy adv.

ala far-off, remote, outlying, b away, off. 3 aloof, detached, cold. 4 distracted, absent, detached. dis*taste /distayst/ n. dislike; repugnance; aversion, esp. slight (a distaste for polite com¬ pany). □□ dis*taste'ful adj. dis*taste*ful*ly adv. dis*taste'ful*ness n. a disfavor, antipathy; dissatisfaction, dis¬ pleasure. □□ distasteful nasty, disagreeable; disgusting, revolting. dis»tem*per /distempar/ n. disease of some animals, esp. dogs, causing fever, coughing, and catarrh. dis'tend /distend/ v. swell out by pressure from within (distended stomach). □□ dis*ten* siori /-tenshan/ n. a see swell v. 3, inflate 1, 2. diS'till /distil/ v. 1 tr. Chem. purify (a liquid) by vaporizing it and condensing it. 2 tr. a Chem. extract the essence of (a plant, etc.) usu. by heating, b extract the essential meaning or implications of (an idea, etc.). 3 tr. make (whiskey, essence, etc.) by distill¬ ing raw materials. 4 tr. Chem. drive (the vol¬ atile constituent) off or out by heat. 5 tr. & intr. come as or give forth in drops; exude. 6 intr. undergo distillation. □□ dis*til*late /distilit, -ayt/ n. dis*tiMa*tion /distilayshan/ n. dis*till'er n. a 2 b see extract v. 5. dis»till*er«y /distilaree/ n. (pi. -ies) place where alcoholic liquor is distilled. dis*tinct /distingkt/ adj. 1 not identical; sep¬ arate; different. 2 clearly perceptible; defin¬ ite. 3 unmistakable, decided (had a distinct impression of being watched). no dis*tinct'ly adv. b 1 discrete, distinguishable, unique; dis¬

similar, contrasting. 2 plain, vivid, evident, apparent, explicit. 3 see definite 2. diS*tinc*tion /distingkshan/ ». 1 a discrimi¬ nating or distinguishing, b difference made by distinguishing. 2 thing that differentiates.

distinctive ~ district

228

3 honor, award, tide, etc. 4 distinguished character; excellence; eminence {a film of dis¬

tinction) . a 1 a differentiation, separation, b see con¬ trast n. 2 distinctiveness; uniqueness, indi¬ viduality. 3 see honor n. 1, prestige. 4 prominence, superiority, greatness, quality.

dis»tinc»tive /distingktiv/ adj. distinguishing; characteristic. □□ dis*tinc'tive*ly adv. dis* tinc'tive*ness n. a unique, singular, individual, personal, pe¬ culiar. dis*tin*guish /distinggwish/ v. 1 tr. see or draw distinctions between; differentiate. 2 tr. be a mark or property of; characterize (distin¬ guished by her greed). 3 tr. discern (could dis¬ tinguish two voices). 4 tr. make prominent or noteworthy (distinguished himself by winning). 5 intr. make or point out a difference be¬ tween. □□ dis'tin'guish*a*ble adj. a 1 tell apart, separate; single out. 2 indi¬ vidualize, identify; define, designate. 3 sense, perceive, detect. 4 (distinguish one¬ self) see stand out 1. 5 differentiate, judge, decide. synonym study: distinguish DESCRY, DIFFERENTIATE, DISCERN, DISCRIMI¬ NATE. What we discern we see apart from

all other objects (to discern the lighthouse beaming on the far shore). Descry puts even more emphasis on the distant or unclear na¬ ture of what we’re seeing (the lookout was

barely able to descry a man approaching in the dusk).To discriminate is to perceive the dif¬ ferences between or among things that are very similar; it may suggest that some aes¬ thetic evaluation is involved (to discriminate between two painters’ styles). Distinguish re¬ quires making even finer distinctions be¬ tween or among things that resemble each other (unable to distinguish the difference be¬ tween the two shades of pink), although distin¬ guish can also mean recognizing by some special mark or outward sign (the sheriff could be distinguished by his silver badge). Differen¬ tiate, on the other hand, suggests the ability to perceive real, though often subtle, differ¬ ences between things (only constant practice

enables the radar watcher to differentiate the dif¬ ferent blips on the screen). Differentiate is also widely used in medical contexts (bone biopsies are necessary to differentiate osteoporosis from osteomalacia). If you have trouble differ¬ entiating among these closely related verbs, you’re not alone.

dis*tin*guished /distinggwisht/ adj. 1 emi¬ nent; famous. 2 dignified, elegant. □ Dis¬ tinguished Flying Cross US military deco¬ ration for heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight. Distinguished Service Cross US Army decoration for ex¬ traordinary heroism in combat. Distin¬ guished Service Medal US military deco¬ ration for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility. ■ 1 celebrated, illustrious, noted. 2 noble, grand, stately.

distort /distawrt/ v.tr. 1 put out of shape. 2 misrepresent (motives, facts, statements, etc.). □□ distortion n. m 1 twist, warp, deform; alter. 2 slant, color, misstate. distr. abbr. 1 distribution. 2 distributor. 3 district. distiract /distrakt/ v.tr. 1 draw away the at¬ tention of (a person, the mind, etc.). 2 be¬ wilder; perplex. 3 amuse, esp. to take at¬ tention from pain or worry. □□ dis*tract' ed adj. dis*tract'ed*ly adv. dis*tract'ing adj. • 1 divert, deflect, sidetrack, (be distracted) lose concentration. 2 confuse, confound, puzzle. 3 divert, occupy. dis*trac»tion /distrakshan/ n. la distracting, esp. the mind, b thing that distracts; inter¬ ruption. 2 relaxation; amusement. 3 confu¬ sion; madness. □ to distraction almost to a state of madness. ■ 1b see interruption (interrupt). 2 diver¬ sion, entertainment, pastime, colloq. breather. 3 perplexity, bewilderment; disor¬ der; see also madness (mad), frenzy n. 1. dis*trait /distray/ adj. (feni. dis*traite /-strayt/) not paying attention; absentminded; distraught. distraught /distrawt/ adj. extremely agitat¬ ed. ■ distracted, upset, at wit’s end; mad, in¬ sane, berserk. distress /distres/ • n. 1 severe pain, sorrow, anguish, etc. 2 poverty. • v.tr. 1 subject to distress; exhaust; afflict. 2 cause anxiety to; make unhappy; vex. □ distress signal sig¬ nal from a ship, aircraft, etc., in danger, in distress 1 suffering or in danger. 2 (of a ship, aircraft, etc.) in danger or damaged. □□ dis*tress'ful adj. • n. 1 anxiety, misery, suffering; desolation. 2 misfortune, difficulty. • v. bother, tor¬ ment; see also tire1 1. distressed /distrest/ adj. 1 suffering from distress. 2 (of furniture, leather, etc.) aged, damaged, etc., artificially, o distressed area 1 region needful of food, shelter, gov¬ ernment aid, etc., due to flood, earthquake, hurricane, etc. ■ 1 see worry v. 4. distribute /distribyCbt/ v.tr. 1 give shares of; deal out. 2 spread about; scatter (distrib¬ uted the seeds evenly over the garden). 3 divide into parts; arrange; classify. □□ dis*tri*bu* tion /distribyobshan/ n. ■ 1 dispense, apportion, issue, si. dish out.

2 disperse, strew, disseminate. 3 sort, class; see also divide v. 3c.

distributor /distribyatar/ n. 1 person or thing that distributes, esp. from a manufac¬ turer to retailers. 2 Electr. device in an inter¬ nal combustion engine for passing current to spark plugs. district /distrikt/ • n. 1 [often attrib.] terri¬ tory marked off for special administrative purposes. 2 area that has common charac¬ teristics; region (wine-growing district). • v.tr. divide into districts. □ district attorney prosecuting officer of a district, district court 1 (in several US states) court of gen-

eral jurisdiction. 2 federal trial court in each federal judicial district. ■ n. locality; section, precinct, community, ward. dis*trust /distrust/ • n. lack of trust; doubt; suspicion. • v. tr. have no trust in. □□ dis* trust'ful adj. dis*trust'furily adv. m n. doubtfulness, uncertainty, skepticism. • v. doubt, question, be skeptical of, suspect. □ □ distrustful incredulous, skeptical, doubtful. disturb /disturb/ v.tr. 1 break the rest, calm, or quiet of. 2 a agitate; worry, b irritate. 3 move from a settled position. □□ dis'turb' ing adj. ■ 1 agitate, unsettle, upset; interrupt; in¬ convenience. 2 a trouble, disconcert, alarm, b irk, bother, pester, colloq. hassle. 3 disor¬ der, disarrange, confuse. □□ disturbing up¬ setting, troubling, worrying, distressing. dis*turb»ance /distarbans/ n. 1 disturbing; being disturbed. 2 tumult; uproar. 3 agita¬ tion; worry. ■ 1 disruption, upset, disorder; upheaval, interruption; turbulence, trouble. 2 commo¬ tion, outburst, hubbub, fracas, colloq. rum¬ pus. 3 see anxiety 1, 2. dis'use • n. /disyoos/ 1 lack of use or prac¬ tice; discontinuance. 2 disused state. *v.tr. /disyobz/ (esp. as disused adj.) cease to use. □ fall into disuse cease to be used. ■ v. (disused) neglected; see also aban¬ doned 1. ditch /dich/ • n. 1 long, narrow excavated channel, esp. for drainage. 2 watercourse, stream, etc. • v. 1 intr. make or repair ditch¬ es. 2 tr. provide with ditches; drain. 3 tr. si. leave in the lurch; abandon. □ last ditch see LAST1.

■ n. see channel1 5a. • v. 3 see desert 2. dith*er/dithor/ • v.intr. 1 hesitate; be indeci¬ sive. 2 dial, tremble; quiver. • n. colloq. 1 state of agitation or apprehension. 2 state of hesitation; indecisiveness. □□ dith'er-er n. m v. 1 see hesitate 1. 2 see flutter v. 4. dit*sy /ditsee/ adj. (also difzy; dit*si*er, dit* sriest; difzrier, dit*zi*est) colloq. silly; scat¬ terbrained. □□ ditz n. dit*tO /dito/ • n. (pi. -tos) 1 (in accounts, in¬ ventories, lists, etc.) aforesaid; same. 2 col¬ loq. (replacing a word or phrase to avoid rep¬ etition) the same (came in late last night and ditto the night before), •v.tr. (-toes, -toed) repeat (another’s action or words). □ ditto marks quotation marks representing ‘ditto.’ dirity /ditee/ n. (pi. -ties) short simple song. ■ see song. di»U*ret*ic /diaretik/ • adj. causing increased output of urine. • n. diuretic drug. di*ur*nal /di-arnal/ adj. 1 of or during the day; not nocturnal. 2 daily; of each day. □□ driur'narily adv. div. abbr. division. driva /de'eva/ n. (pi. drivas or drive /-vay/) woman opera singer; prima donna. ■ see star n. 6. drivan /divan, dl—/ n. long, low, backless sofa, often used as a bed. ■ see couch n.

229

distrust ~ diverticulum

dive /div/ • v. (dived or dove /dov/) 1 intr. plunge head first into water. 2 intr. a Aeron. (of an aircraft) plunge steeply downward, Naut. (of a submarine) submerge. C (of a person) plunge downward. 3 intr. [foil, by into] colloq. occupy oneself suddenly and en¬ thusiastically with (a subject, meal, etc.). 4 tr. [foil, by into] plunge (a hand, etc.) into. • n. 1 diving; plunge. 2 a submerging of a submarine, b steep descent of an aircraft. 3 sudden darting movement. 4 colloq. dis¬ reputable nightclub, bar, etc. □ dive-bomb bomb (a target) while diving in an aircraft, diving bell open-bottomed box or bell, supplied with air, in which a person can descend into deep water, diving board ele¬ vated board used for diving from. □□ div'er n. m v. 1,2 jump, leap, plummet; go under, sink. 3 plunge; immerse oneself. • n. 1, 2 nosedive. 3 see dash n. 1.4 saloon, night¬ spot, colloq. honky-tonk, si. joint. driverge /divarj/ v. 1 intr. a spread out from a point (diverging rays), b take a different course. 2 intr. a depart from a set course (diverged from his parents’ wishes), b differ. 3 tr. cause to diverge; deflect. □□ driver' gence n. di*ver'gen*cy n. driver'gent adj. driver'gent*ly adv. ■ 1 a divide, fork, split, b see part v. 1. 2 a deviate, wander, digress. drivers /divarz/ adj. more than one; sundry; several. ■ various; miscellaneous, varied, assorted. driverse /divars, di—/ adj. unlike; varied. □□ driverse'ly adv. m divergent, miscellaneous, assorted; dis¬ tinctive, different. driver*srify /divarsifi, di—/ v. (-fies, -fied) 1 tr. make diverse; vary. 2 tr. Commerce spread (investment) over several enterprises or products, esp. to reduce risk. 3 intr. esp. Commerce (of a firm, etc.) expand the range of products handled. □□ di*ver*si*fi*ca* tion /-fikayshan/ n. m 1 variegate, change, mix. 3 extend, branch out. di*ver*sion /divarzhan. di-/ n. 1 diverting; deviation. 2 a diverting of attention deliber¬ ately. b stratagem for this purpose (created a diversion to secure their escape). 3 recreation or pastime. □□ driver'sion*ar*y adj. m 1 redirection, deflection; modification. 2 b distraction, interruption. 3 amusement, distraction, game; relaxation. di*ver*si*ty /divorsitee, di—/ n. (pi. -ties) va¬ riety. ■ diverseness; difference, disparity; individ¬ uality. drivert /divart, di—/ v.tr. 1 a turn aside; de¬ flect. b distract (attention). 2 (often as di¬ verting adj.) entertain; amuse. ■ 1 a switch, redirect, sidetrack. 2 distract, occupy, absorb. di*ver*tic*u*lritis /divertikyalitis/ n. Med. in¬ flammation of a diverticulum. driver»tic*lHum /divertikyalam/ n. (pi. di* ver*tic*u*la /-la/) Anal, blind tube forming b

divest ~ do

230

at weak points in a cavity or passage, esp. of the alimentary tract. di*vest /divest, dl—/ v.tr. 1 unclodie; strip (di¬ vested' himself of his jacket). 2 deprive; dispos¬ sess; free; rid (cannot divest herself of the idea). □□ di*vest'i*ture n. di*vest'ment n. m 1 (divest oneself of) take or put off, remove. 2 strip, relieve, disencumber. divide /divi'd/ «o.1 tr. & intr. separate or be separated into parts; break up; split (the road divides, divided them into three groups). 2 tr. & intr. distribute; deal; share. 3 tr. a cut off; separate (divide the sheep from the goats). b mark into parts {ruler divided into inches). C specify different kinds of; classify {people can be divided into two types). 4 tr. cause to disagree {religion divided them). 5 Math, a tr. find how many times (a number) contains another {divide 20 by 4). b intr. (of a num¬ ber) be contained in (a number) without a remainder {4 divides into 20). • n. 1 dividing or boundary line. 2 watershed, o divided against itself formed into factions, the Great Divide 1 vast continental watershed between two drainage systems, esp. the Rocky Mountains of N. America. 2 bound¬ ary between life and death. ■ v. 1,3a partition, segregate; disconnect, detach. 2 parcel out, allocate, dispense. 3 C categorize, sort, group. 4 alienate, set at odds, estrange. • n. 1 see boundary. dividend /dividend/ n. 1 money to be di¬ vided among a number of persons, esp. that

2 Math. {their long

paid by a company to shareholders. number to be divided.

3

benefit

training paid dividends). m 1 see cut n. 8. div»i«na*tion /divmayshan/ n. supposed su¬ pernatural insight into the future. ■ see prophecy 2.

di'Vine /divin/ • adj. (di*vin*er, di*vin*est) 1 a of, from, or like God or a god. b sacred. 2 a more than humanly excellent, b colloq. excellent; delightful, v. 1 tr. discover by guessing, intuition. 2 tr. predict. 3 intr. practice divination. See synonym study at predict. • n. 1 theologian or clergyman. 2 (the Divine) God. □ divine right of kings doctrine that kings derive their au¬ thority from God. divining rod see dowse. □□ di'vine'ly adv. a adj. 1 a godly, holy; heavenly, b sancti¬ fied. 2 a superhuman, saintly, b marvelous, colloq. great, super, si. awesome. • v. 1, 2 imagine, conjecture, foretell, foresee. • n. 1 priest, minister. 2 the Creator. di*vin*i*ty /divinitee/ n. {pi. -ties) 1 being di¬ vine. 2 a god; divine being, b (as the Di¬ vinity) God. 3 theology. ■ 1 see sanctity. 2 a see god n. la. di*vis*i*ble /divizibal/ adj. capable of being divided, physically or mentally. □□ di*vis*i* bil*i*ty /—bilitee/ n. a see separable. di*vi*sion /divizhan/ n. 1 dividing; being di¬ vided. 2 Math, dividing one number by an¬ other (see also long division (see long1), short division). 3 disagreement or discord {division

of opinion). 4 a one of two or more parts into which a thing is divided, b point at which a thing is divided. 5 unit of administration or organization. □ division sign sign (-r) indi¬ cating that one quantity is to be divided by another. □□ di*vi'sion*al adj. m 1 splitting, separation, segmentation. 3 conflict, argument, strife. 4 a section, compartment, partition; chamber, cell, b border, frontier. 5 branch, department. di»vi*sive /divfsiv/ adj. tending to divide, esp. in opinion; causing disagreement. □□ di*vi' sive*ly adv. di*vi'sive*ness n. di*vi*SOr /divizar/ n. Math, number by which another is divided. di*VOrce /divawrs/ • n. 1 legal dissolution of a marriage. 2 severance or separation {di¬ vorce between thought and feeling). • v.

1 a

tr.

legally dissolve the marriage of. b intr. sepa¬ rate by divorce. C tr. end one’s marriage with. 2 tr. detach; separate {divorced from re¬ ality) . wn. 1 separation, breakup, split; see also

2 see separation. • v. 2 cut off, break off, divide, part. di»VOr*ce /divawrsay/ n. divorced man. di*Vor*cee /divawrsay/ n. divorced woman. div»Ot /divot/ n. piece of turf cut out by a golf stroke. di*vulge /divulj, dr-/ v.tr. disclose; reveal (a secret, etc.). □□ di'vul'gence n. m see disclose 1. div»vy /divee/ v.tr. colloq. (-vies, -vied) share out; divide up. Dixtie /diksee/ n. southern states of the US. Dix»ie»land /dikseeland/ n. 1 = Dixie. 2 jazz with a strong, two-beat rhythm and collec¬ tive improvisation. diz«zy /dizee/ • adj. (diz*zi*er, diz*zi*est) 1 a giddy, b confused. 2 causing giddiness {dizzy heights, dizzy speed). •v.tr.: 1 make dizzy. 2 bewilder. □□ diz'zidy adv. diz'zi* ness n. ■ adj. 1 a unsteady, faint, colloq. woozy, b silly, scatterbrained; see also in a daze (daze n.). • v. 2 see bewilder, disorder v. DJ abbr. 1 disk jockey. 2 district judge. djeMa*ba /jalaaba/ n. (also djehla'bah, jel* la'ba) loose, hooded, usu. woolen cloak worn or as worn by Arab men. DM abbr. (also D-mark) deutsche mark. D.M.D. abbr. doctor of dental medicine. DNA abbr. deoxyribonucleic acid, the mate¬ rial that carries genetic information in chro¬ mosomes. □ DNA fingerprinting identifi¬ cation, esp. in a legal case, by analysis of DNA from body tissue, hair, blood, etc. do1/doo/ • v. {3rd sing, present does /duz/; past did /did/; past part, done /dun/) 1 tr. per¬ form; carry out; complete (work, etc.) {did his homework, there’s a lot to do). 2 tr. a produce; make {I did a translation). b provide {do you do lunches?). 3 tr. bestow; grant {do me a fa¬ vor). 4 intr. act; behave; proceed {do as I do). 5 tr. work at; study {what does your father do?). 6 a intr. be suitable or acceptable; suffice {this dress won’t do for a wedding), b tr. satisfy; be suitable for {that hotel will do me nicely). 7 tr. deal with; put in order {the barber will do you next). 8 intr. a fare {the patients were doing dissolution 2.

b perform (could do better). 9 tr. a solve; work out (we did the puzzle), b [prec. by can or be able to] be competent at (can you do cartwheels?). 10 tr. a traverse (a certain distance) (we did fifty miles today), b travel at a specified speed (he overtook us doing about eighty). 11 tr. colloq. act or behave like (did a Houdini). 12 intr. a colloq. finish (I’m done in the bathroom), b (as done adj.) be over (the day is done). 13 tr. produce or give a perfor¬ mance of (we’ve never done Pygmalion). 14 tr. colloq. visit; see the sights of (we did all the art galleries). 15 tr. colloq. a (often as done adj.)', [often foil, by in] exhaust; tire out (the climb has completely done me in), b beat up; defeat; kill. C ruin (now you’ve done it). 16 tr. si. undergo (a specified term of impris¬ onment) (he did two years for fraud). 17 tr. si. take (a drug). • v. aux. 1 [except with be, can, may, ought, shall, will] in questions and nega¬ tive statements or commands (do you under¬ stand?, I don’t smoke, don't be silly). 2 ellipt. or in place of verb (you know her better than I do). 3 forming emphasis (I do want to, they did go). • n. (pi. dos or do’s) colloq. elaborate event, party, or operation. □ do away with colloq. 1 abolish. 2 kill, do in 1 si. a kill, bruin;do injury to. 2 colloq. exhaust; tire out. do-ityourself adj. (of work, esp. building, paint¬ ing, decorating, etc.) done or to be done by an amateur at home. n. such work, do over colloq. redecorate, refurbish, dos and don’ts rules of behavior, do up 1 fasten; secure. 2 colloq. a refurbish; renovate, b adorn; dress up. do with [prec. by could] would be glad to have; would profit by (I could do with a rest), do without manage without; forgo (also absol.: we shall just have to do without). □□ do'a*ble adj. do2 /do/ n. (also doh) Mus. (in tonic sol-fa) the first and eighth notes of a major scale. DOA abbr. dead on arrival (at a hospital, etc.). DOB abbr. date of birth. Do*ber»man /dObarman/ n. (in full Do'ber* man pin*scher /pinshar/) large dog of a smooth-coated German breed, doc /dok/ n. colloq. doctor. do*cent /dOsant/ n. well-informed guide, as in a museum. doc»ile /dosal/ adj. submissive, easily man¬ aged. □□ doc'iledy adv. do*ciln»ty /—silitee/ well),

n.

m

see submissive.

dock1 /dok/ • n. 1 waterway for loading, un¬ loading, and repair of ships. 2 [in pi] docks with wharves and offices; dockyard. 3 ship’s berth, wharf. 4 = dry dock. • v. 1 tr. & intr. bring or come into a dock. 2 a tr. join (spacecraft) together in space, b intr. (of spacecraft) be joined. ■ n. 2, 3 pier, jetty, quay; (docks) harbor. • v. 1 (drop) anchor, berth, moor. dock2 /dok/ n. enclosure in a criminal court for the accused. □ in the dock on trial. dock3 /dok/ • v. tr. 1 cut short (an animal’s tail). 2 deduct (a part) from wages, supplies, etc. • n. solid, bony part of an animal’s tail. dock*et /dokit/ n. 1 schedule of cases in a court of law. 2 list of things to be done. dock*hand /dokhand/ n. longshoreman.

231 dock*side /doksld/

do ~ dodge n. area adjacent to a

dock.

dockyard /dokyaard/

n. area with docks and equipment for building and repairing ships. dOC*tor /doktar/ • n. 1 a qualified practition¬ er of medicine; physician, b qualified dentist or veterinarian. 2 person who holds a doc¬ torate. • v. colloq. 1 a tr. treat medically, b intr. (esp. as doctoring n.) practice as a physician. 2 tr. fix up (machinery, etc.); mend. 3 tr. adulterate. 4 tr. tamper with; fal¬ sify. □ Doctor of Philosophy doctorate in a discipline other than education, law, medi¬ cine, or sometimes theology. ■ n. la MD, general practitioner, GP, col¬ loq. medic, si. sawbones. • v. 1 attend; cure, heal. 2 repair, patch (up). 3 dilute; spike, drug, poison. 4 meddle with, disguise, change. doc*tor*al /doktaral/ adj. of or for a degree of doctor. doc*tor*ate /doktarat/ n. highest university degree, often honorary. dOC»tri*naire /doktrinair/ • adj. applying the¬ ory or doctrine dogmatically; theoretical and impractical. • n. pedantic theorist. ■ adj. see pedantic (pedant) . dOC'trine /doktrin/ n. 1 what is taught; body of instruction. 2 a religious or political, etc., belief, b such principles; dogma. □□ doc' tri*nal adj. dOC*U*dra»ma /dokyoodraama, -drama/ n. television movie based on real events. dOC*U*ment • n. /dokyamant/ written evi¬ dence of events, agreement, ownership, etc. • v.tr. /dokyament/ 1 prove by or support with documents. 2 record in a document. ■ n. paper, certificate, instrument. • v. chronicle, detail, describe; verify, certify, substantiate. doc»U*men»ta»ry /dokyamentaree/ • adj. 1 consisting of documents (documentary evi¬ dence). 2 providing a factual record or re¬ port. • n. (pi. -ries) documentary film, etc. dOC*U*men*ta*tion /dokyamentayshan/ n. 1 accumulation, classification, and dissemi¬ nation of information. 2 material collected or disseminated. 3 collection of documents relating to a process or event, as instructions accompanying a computer program. DOD abbr. Department of Defense. dod*der /dodar/ v. intr. tremble or totter, esp. from age. □□ dod'der'ing adj. • see totter v. □□ doddering feeble, shaky. dO*deC*a*gon /dodekagon/ n. plane figure with twelve sides. do»dec*a*hed*ron /dodekahe'edran/ n. solid figure with twelve faces. □□ do*dec*a*he' dral adj. dodge /doj/ • V. 1 intr. move quickly to elude a pursuer, blow, etc. (dodged behind the chair). 2 tr. evade by cunning or trickery. • n. 1 quick movement to avoid something. 2 clever trick or expedient. □□ dodg'er n. m v. 1 dart, sidestep, duck. 2 elude, escape from. • n. 2 subterfuge, scheme, ruse, colloq. ploy.

dodo ~ -dom do*do /dodo/ n.

232

(pi. -does or -dos) 1 extinct flightless bird. 2 old-fashioned, stupid, or inactive person. □ as dead as a dodo 1 completely or unmistakably dead. 2 en¬ tirely obsolete. DOE abbr. Department of Energy, doe /do/ n. female deer, reindeer, hare, or rabbit. dO*er /dobar/ n. 1 person who does some¬ thing. 2 one who acts rather than merely talking or thinking, does 3rd sing, present of do1 . does*n’t /duzant/ contr. does not. dog /dawg, dog/ • n. 1 four-legged, flesh¬ eating animal of many breeds domesticated and wild, kept as pets or for work or sport. 2 a colloq. despicable person, b colloq. per¬ son or fellow of a specified kind (lucky dog). C si. derog. unattractive or slovenly woman. 3 mechanical device for gripping. • v.tr. (dogged, dog'ging) 1 follow closely and persistently; pursue; track. 2 Mech. grip with a dog. □ dog days hottest period of the year, dog-eared (of a book, etc.) with the corners worn or battered with use. dog-eatdog colloq. ruthlessly competitive, dog paddle elementary swimming stroke like that of a dog. Dog Star chief star of the constellation Canis Major or Minor, esp. Sirius, dog tag 1 usu. metal plate attached to a dog’s collar, giving owner’s address, etc. 2 identification tag, esp. as worn by a mem¬ ber of the military, go to the dogs si. deteri¬ orate, be ruined, hair of the dog further al¬ coholic drink to cure hangover from that drink, put on the dog colloq. behave preten¬ tiously. ■ n. 2 a see villain. • v. 1 see pursue 1. dog*catch*er /dawgkachar, dog-/ n. official who rounds up and impounds stray dogs in a community. dog'fight /dawgfit, dog-/ n. 1 close combat between fighter aircraft. 2 uproar; rough fight dog*fish /dawgfish, dog-/ n. (pi. same or dog*fish*es) kind of small shark. dog*ged /dawgid, dog-/ adj. tenacious; grim¬ ly persistent. See synonym study at stub¬ born. □□ dog'geddy adv. dog'ged'ness n. dog*ger*el /dawgaral, dog-/ n. poor or trivial verse. dog*gy /dawgee, dogee/ • adj. of or like a dog. • n. (also dog*gie) (pi. -gies) pet name for a dog. □ doggy (or doggie) bag bag for putting leftovers in to take home. □□ dog' gi*ness n. dog*hOUSe /dawghows, dog-/ n. dog’s shel¬ ter. □ in the doghouse si. in disgrace or dis¬ favor. dO*gie /dbgee/ n. motherless or neglected calf. dog*ma /dawgma, dog-/ n. 1 principle, tenet, or creed, esp. of a church or political party. 2 arrogant declaration of opinion. ■ 1 see principle 1, code n. 3. dog*mat*ic /dawgmatik, dog-/ adj. 1 a (of a person) asserting or imposing opinions; ar¬ rogant. b intolerantly authoritative. 2 of or

in the nature of dogma; doctrinal. □□ dog* mat'i*cal*ly adv. m 1 arbitrary, dictatorial, pontifical, imperi¬ ous, colloq. pushy. dog*ma*tism /dawgmatizam, dog-/ n. ten¬ dency to be dogmatic. □□ dog'ma*tist n. » see intolerance (intolerant). do-good*er /dobgdbdar/ n. well-meaning but unrealistic philanthropist or reformer. dog*wood /dawgwCOd, dog-/ n. type of flow¬ ering tree or shrub. doi*ly /doylee/ n. (also doyley) (pi. -lies or -leys) small ornamental mat of paper, lace, etc., on a plate for cakes, etc. doling /dobing/ n. 1 [usu. in pi.] action; per¬ formance of a deed (it was my doing). 2 ac¬ tivity; effort (it takes a lot of doing). Dofrby /dolbee/ n. propr. electronic noisereduction system used esp. in tape recording to reduce hiss. dol'drums /dbldramz/ n.pl. [usu. prec. by the] 1 low spirits. 2 period of inactivity. 3 equatorial ocean region of calms, sudden storms, and light winds. ■ 1 see gloom n. 2. dole /dol/ • n. 1 [usu. prec. by the] unem¬ ployment benefits. 2 charitable distribution. • v.tr. [usu. foil, by out] deal out sparingly. □ on the dole colloq. receiving welfare, etc., payments from the government. an. 2 apportionment, allocation, dispensa¬ tion. • v. distribute, hand out, dispense, si. dish out. dole*fui /dolfool/ adj. 1 mournful; sad. 2 dreary; dismal. See synonym study at glum. □□ dole'ful*ly adv. dole'ful*ness n. m

2

1

sorrowful,

melancholy,

gloomy.

cheerless, joyless, somber; see also dismal

1,2.

doll /dol/ • n. 1 small model of a human fig¬ ure, as a child’s toy. 2 si. young woman, esp. an attractive one. • v. [foil, by up-, often refl.] dress up smartly. doMar /dolor/ n. chief monetary unit in the US, Canada, and Australia, etc. □ dollar sign sign ($) used to indicate currency in dollars. dolhhouse /dolhows/ n. miniature toy house for dolls. doMop /dolap/ • n. shapeless lump of food, etc. •v.tr. [usu. foil, by out] serve in large, shapeless quantities. doMy /dolee/ • n. (pi. -lies) 1 child’s name for a doll. 2 movable platform for a movie camera. 3 small cart for freight. • v. (-lies, -lied) intr. move a motion-picture or televi¬ sion camera about while shooting, dobmen /dolman/ n. megalithic tomb with a large, flat stone laid on upright ones. do*lo*mite /dblamlt, dol-/ n. mineral or rock of calcium magnesium carbonate, dohphin /dolfin/ n. porpoiselike sea mammal having a slender, beaklike snout, dolt /dolt/ n. stupid person. □□ dolt'ish adj. m fool, ass, blockhead, colloq. moron, imbe¬ cile, si. jerk, dope, dumbbell. -dom /dam/ suffix forming nouns denoting: 1 state or condition (freedom). 2 rank or sta¬ tus (earldom). 3 domain (kingdom). 4 class of people (or their attitudes, etc.) (officialdom).

do»main /domayn/ n. 1 area under one rule; realm. 2 sphere of control or influence. ■ 1 dominion, territory, kingdom, empire. 2 province, field, specialty. dome /dom/ • n. 1 rounded vault as a roof; large cupola. 2 natural vault or canopy (of the sky, trees, etc.). 3 Geol. dome-shaped structure. 4 si. the head. • v. tr. (usu. as domed adj.) cover with or shape as a dome. □□ dome'like adj. m n. 4 see head n. 1. do«mes* tic /dames tik/ • adj. 1 of the home, household, or family affairs. 2 a of one’s own country, b homegrown or homemade. 3 (of an animal) tamed. • n. household servant. □ domestic partner person who is living with another in a close personal and sexual relationship. □□ do’mes'ti*cal*ly adv. ■ adj. 1 private, residential. 2 a native, in¬ digenous. 3 tame, housebroken, trained. • n. housekeeper, cleaner. do*mes«ti»cate /damestikayt/ v.tr. 1 tame (an animal) to live with humans. 2 accustom to home life and management. □□ do*mes* ti*ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. m 1 see tame v. 1. dO*mes*tic*i*ty /dOmastisitee/ n. 1 being do¬ mestic. 2 domestic or home life. dom*i*cile /domisil, —sil, do-/ (also dom*i* cil /-sil/) • n. dwelling place; one’s home; residence, •v.tr. (usu. as domiciled adj.) es¬ tablish or settle in a place. ■ n. abode, house, (living) quarters, colloq. pad, digs. • v. house, locate, lodge; (domi¬ ciled) see resident adj. 1. dominant /dominant/ • adj. dominating; prevailing; most influential. • n. Mus. fifth note of the diatonic scale of any key. □□ dominance n. dom'i*nant*ly adv. ■ adj. commanding, authoritative; control¬ ling, predominant, chief, principal. dominate /dominayt/ v. 1 tr. & intr. com¬ mand; control (fear dominated them, domi¬ nates over his friends). 2 intr. (of a person, sound, feature of a scene, etc.) be the most influential or conspicuous. 3 tr. & intr. (of a building, etc.) have a commanding position over; overlook. □□ dom*i*na'tion n. dom'i* na*tor n. ■ 1 govern, rule, direct; colloq. run the show. 2 preponderate, stand out, stick out. 3 rise above, overshadow. □□ domination author¬ ity, control, rule, power, influence, suprem¬ acy, ascendancy, hegemony; subjection, sup¬ pression, enslavement. dorn*i*neer /domine'er/ v.intr. (often as domineering adj.) behave in an arrogant and overbearing way. do dom»i*neer'ing*ly adv.

■ tyrannize over; (domineering) arrogant, autocratic, authoritarian, colloq. bossy, pushy. do*min*ion /damlnyan/ n. 1 sovereignty; control. 2 territory of a sovereign or govern¬ ment; domain. See synonym study at juris¬ diction.

■ 1 rule, authority, dominance. 2 region, area, country. dom*i*no /domino/ n. (pi. -noes or -nos) 1 a small oblong piece marked with 0-6 dots

233

domain ~ door

in each half, b [in pi, usu. treated as sing.] game played with these. 2 mask for the eyes, o domino theory theory that one event will cause similar events, like a row of falling dominoes. don1 /don/ n. 1 university teacher, esp. a se¬ nior member of a college at Oxford or Cam¬ bridge. 2 (Don) Spanish title of respect. don2 /don/ v.tr. (donned, don*ning) put on (clothing). ■ see put on 1 (put1). do»nate /donayt, donayt/ v.tr. give (money, etc.), esp. voluntarily to charity. See synonym study at give. □□ do'na*tor n. ■ provide, contribute, pledge, bestow, be¬ queath. dO»na*tion /donayshan/ n. 1 donating. 2 thing, esp. money, donated. ■ 1 giving, contribution. 2 gift, contribu¬ tion, bequest. done /dun/ past pan. of do1, adj. 1 complet¬ ed. 2 cooked. 3 colloq. socially acceptable (the done thing). 4 [often with in, up] colloq. tired out. □ be done with be finished with, done for colloq. in serious trouble. Don Juan /don wa'an, hwa'an, joban/ n. se¬ ducer of women. don*key /dongkee, dung-, dawng-/ n. (pi. -keys) 1 domestic ass. 2 colloq. stupid or foolish person. don*ny»brook /doneebrOOk/ n. uproar; wild fight. do*nor /dOnar/ n. 1 person who gives or do¬ nates something (e.g., to a charity). 2 one who provides blood for a transfusion, semen for insemination, or an organ or tissue for transplantation. ■ 1 supplier, benefactor, contributor, sup¬ porter, patron. don’t /dont/ • contr. do not. • n. prohibition (dos and don’ts).

do*nut var. of doughnut. doo*dad /dobdad/ n. 1 fancy article or orna¬ ment. 2 gadget. doo*dle /dobd’l/ •v.intr. scribble or draw, esp. absentmindedly. • n. scrawl or drawing made. □□ doo'dler n. doom /doom/ • n. la grim fate or destiny, b death or ruin. 2 condemnation; judgment or sentence, •v.tr. 1 [usu. foil, by to] con¬ demn or destine (city doomed to destruction). 2 (esp. as doomed adj.) consign to misfor¬ tune or destruction. an. 1 fortune, lot; downfall, destruction. 2 see sentence n. • v. 1 see destine. 2 (doomed) fated, cursed, damned; illfated, bewitched. dooms^day /dobmzday/ n. day of the Last Judgment. door /dawr/ n. la movable barrier for clos¬ ing and opening an entrance to a building, room, cupboard, etc. b this as representing a house, etc. (lives two doors away). 2 a en¬ trance or exit; doorway, b means of access. □ door prize prize awarded usu. by lottery at a dance, charity event, etc. door-to-door (of selling, etc.) done at each house in turn. □□ doored adj. [also in comb.].

doorbell ~ double

234

■ 1 a, 2 see entry 3. door»bell /dawrbel/ n. bell in a house, etc., rung by visitors outside to signal their ar¬ rival. door»knob /dawrnob/ n. knob turned to open a door. dOOr*man /dawrman, -man/ n. (pi. -men) person on duty at the door to a large building. door»mat /dawrmat/ n. 1 mat at an entrance for wiping shoes. 2 submissive person. door*Step /dawrstep/ n. step leading up to the outer door of a house, etc. □ on one’s (or the) doorstep very close. ■ see THRESHOLD 1. dOOr*Stop /dawrstop/ n. device for keeping a door open or to prevent it from striking a wall, etc., when opened. door*way /dawrway/ n. opening filled by a door. doo»zy /dobzee/ n. (pi. doo*zies) (also doo' zie) colloq. one that is outstanding of its kind (a mistake that was a doozy).

dope /dop/ • n. 1 varnish. 2 thick liquid used as a lubricant, etc. 3 substance added to gasoline, etc., to increase its effectiveness. 4 a si. narcotic; stupefying drug, b drug, etc., given to a horse, athlete, etc., to affect performance. 5 si. stupid person. 6 si. infor¬ mation. • v. 1 tr. administer dope to; drug. 2 tr. smear; daub; apply dope to. 3 intr. take addictive drugs. ■ n. 4 a opiate, hallucinogen, si. upper, downer. 5 see dolt. 6 data, news, colloq. lowdown. • v. 2 see smear v. 1. dope«y /dOpee/ adj. (also dop'y) (dop»i*er, dop*i*est) colloq. 1 a half asleep, b stupe¬ fied by or as if by a drug. 2 stupid; silly. □□ dop'i'ly adv. dop'i'ness n. • 1 b see groggy. 2 see stupid adj. 1. Dop*pler ra'dar /doplor/ n. radar system to determine velocity and location, as of storm clouds, etc. Dor'ic /dawrik, dor-/ Archit. adj. of the old¬ est, sturdiest, and simplest of the Greek architectural styles. • n. Doric order or style. dork /dawrk/ n. si. dull, slow-witted, or oafish person. □□ dork'y adj. dormant /dawrmant/ adj. 1 inactive; sleep¬ ing. 2 a (of a volcano, etc.) temporarily inac¬ tive. b (of faculties, etc.) in abeyance. 3 (of plants) alive but not growing. See synonym study at latent. □□ dor'mamcy n. ■ 1 resting, quiet, still, motionless, hiber¬ nating. 2 b latent, potential, hidden; see also ABEYANCE.

dor»mer /dawrmar/

n. (in full dor'mer win' dow) projecting upright window in a sloping roof. dor»mi*tO*ry /dawrmitawree/ n. (pi. -ries) group sleeping area or building, esp. in a school or institution. dor*mouse /dawrmows/ n. (pi. dor*mice) small, mouselike hibernating rodent having a long, bushy tail. dor*sal /dawrsal/ adj. Anat., Zool. & Bot.of, on, or near the back (cf. ventral). □□ dor' saMy adv.

dO*ry /dawree/ n. (pi. -ries) flat-bottomed fishing boat with high bow and flaring sides. DOS /dos, daws/ n. Computing software oper¬ ating system for personal computers. dos«age /dOsij/ n. 1 giving of a dose. 2 size of a dose. dose /dos/ • n. 1 single portion of medicine. 2 quantity of something experienced (e.g., work, praise, punishment, etc.). 3 amount of radiation received. 4 si. venereal infection. • v.tr. 1 treat (a person or animal) with doses of medicine. 2 give a dose or doses to. ■ n. 2 portion, amount, measure. • v. 1 see treat v. 3. dos*si*er /dosee-ay, daw-/ n. file of specific information about a person, event, or sub¬ ject. DOT abbr. Department ofTransportation. dot /dot/ • n. la small spot, speck, or mark, b such a mark as part of an i or j, as a diacrit¬ ical mark, as one of a series of marks to sig¬ nify omission, or as a period. C decimal point. 2 shorter signal of the two in Morse code (cf. dash n. 8). 3 tiny or apparently tiny object (a dot on the horizon). • v.tr. (dot*ted, dotting) 1 a mark with a dot or dots, b place a dot over (a letter). 2 partly cover as with dots (an ocean dotted with ships'). □ dot the i’s and cross the t’s colloq. 1 be min¬ utely accurate. 2 add final touches to a task, exercise, etc. dot-matrix printer Comput¬ ing printer with characters formed from dots, dotted line line of dots on a docu¬ ment, esp. to show a place for a signature, on the dot exacdy on time. ■ n. 3 spot, speck, fleck. • v. 1 a, 2 spot, speckle. dOt*age dotij/ n. feeble-minded senility (in his dotage).

dO'tard /dotard/ n. senile person, dot-com /dotkom / • n. company whose pri¬ mary business is conducted over the Internet (with reference to the “.com” at the end of many Internet addresses). • adj. of or relat¬ ing to such a company, dote /dot/ v. intr. be excessively fond of. □□ dot'ing*ly adv. ■ love, idolize, adore; pamper, spoil, dou'ble /dubal/ • adj. 1 consisting of two parts, things, levels, etc. 2 twice as much or many. 3 twice the usual size, quantity, strength, etc. 4 designed for two people (double bed). • adv. 1 at or to twice the amount, etc. 2 two together. • n. 1 double quantity. 2 counterpart; person who looks exactly like another. 3 [/>/.] game between two pairs of players. • v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become double; multiply by two. 2 tr. amount to twice as much as. 3 a tr. fold or bend (paper, cloth, etc.) over on itself, b intr. become folded. 4 intr. play a twofold role. □ double agent one who spies simul¬ taneously for two rival countries, etc. double back turn back in the opposite direction, double-blind (of a test or experiment) in which neither the tester nor the subject has knowledge of identities, etc., that might lead to bias, double-cross deceive or betray (a person one is supposedly helping), double cross act of double-crossing, double-

dealer deceiver, double-dealing n. deceit, esp. in business, adj. deceitful; practicing de¬ ceit. double-decker colloq. anything consist¬ ing of two layers, double Dutch synchro¬ nized jump-rope game using two ropes, double eagle Golf score of three strokes un¬ der par at any hole, double play Baseball putting out two runners, double standard rule or principle applied more strictly to some people than to others (or to oneself), double take delayed reaction to a situation, etc., immediately after one’s first reaction, double-talk verbal expression that is (usu. deliberately) ambiguous or misleading, dou¬ ble up 1 be overcome with pain or laughter. 2 share or assign to a room, quarters, etc., with another or others, on the double run¬ ning; hurrying. □□ dou'bler n. dou'bly adv. m adj. 1 paired, coupled, duplicate(d), dou¬ bled; twofold; dual. • n. 2 twin, duplicate, copy, replica, facsimile, clone, look-alike, col¬ loq. spitting image. dou*ble en*ten*dre /dubal aantaandro, dobblaan taaNdrs/ n. 1 word or phrase open to two interpretations, one usu. risque or in¬ decent. 2 humor using such. dOU'blet /dublit/ n. 1 one of a pair of similar things. 2 hist, man’s short, close-fitting jack¬ et. dOU*blOon /dubldW n. hist. Spanish gold coin. doubt /dowt/ • n. 1 uncertainty; undecided state of mind. 2 inclination to disbelieve. 3 uncertain state of things. 4 lack of full proof. • v. 1 tr. feel uncertain or undecided about. 2 tr. hesitate to believe or trust. 3 intr. feel uncertain or undecided. 4 tr. call in question. □ doubting Thomas skeptical person (after John 20:24-29). no doubt cer¬ tainly; probably, without doubt (or a doubt) certainly. □□ doub'ter n. doubt' ing*ly adv. u n. 1 hesitation, misgiving, reservation(s), qualm(s), anxiety, worry, apprehension, dis¬ quiet, fear; indecision. 2 distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity, skepticism. • v. 2 dis¬ believe, discredit, mistrust, distrust, have misgivings about, question, suspect. 3 hesi¬ tate, have reservations. □ no doubt see un¬ doubtedly (undoubted), probably (probable). without doubt see undoubtedly (un¬ doubted). doubtful /dowtftsol/ adj. 1 feeling doubt. 2 causing doubt. 3 unreliable. □□ doubt' ful'ly adv. ■ 1 skeptical, unconvinced, distrustful, sus¬ picious, uncertain, unsure. 2 in doubt, dubi¬ ous, questionable, debatable; unsettled, un¬ resolved; indefinite, unclear, anybody’s guess, up in the air. 3 see unreliable. synonym study:

doubtful

ambiguous, dubious, enigmatic, equivocal, problematic, questionable. If you are doubtful about the outcome of a situation, you might be understandably dubious about getting involved in it. While all of these adjectives express suspicion, indecision, or a lack of clarity, doubtful carries such strong connotations of uncertainty that the thing

235

double entendre ~ dour

being described is as good as worthless, un¬ sound, invalid, unlikely, or doomed to fail {it was doubtful that the plane could land safely). Dubious is not quite as strong, suggesting suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation {a dubious reputation). It can also mean inclined to doubt or full of hesitation. If you’re doubtful about the outcome of a particular situation, it means that you are fairly certain it will not turn out well. If you’re dubious, on the other hand, it means that you’re wavering or hesi¬ tating in your opinion. Questionable may merely imply the existence of doubt (a ques¬ tionable excuse), but like dubious, it also has connotations of dishonesty and immorality {a place where questionable activities were going on). Problematic, in contrast to both dubi¬ ous and questionable, is free from any sugges¬

tion of moral judgment or suspicion. It is ap¬ plied to things that are genuinely uncertain, and to outcomes that are as likely to be pos¬ itive as negative {getting everyone in the family to agree could be problematic). Ambiguous and equivocal refer to lack of clarity. But while ambiguous can refer to either an inten¬ tional or unintentional lack of clarity {her ambiguous replies to our questions), equivocal

suggests an intentional wish to remain un¬ clear {his equivocal responses indicated that he wasn’t keen to cooperate). It can also mean ca¬ pable of different interpretations {an equivo¬ cal statement that could be taken to mean oppo¬ site things). Something that is enigmatic is likely to be intentionally unclear as well {an enigmatic statement designed to provoke contro¬ versy), although enigmatic can also mean per¬

plexing or mysterious.

doubtfess /dowtlis/

adv. 1 certainly; no doubt. 2 probably. □□ doubt'less*ly adv. ■ 1 undoubtedly, indubitably, indisputably, unquestionably, surely, for certain, naturally, without (a) doubt, beyond or without (a shadow of) a doubt. 2 most or very likely, in all probability or likelihood, douche/doosh/ • n. 1 jet of liquid applied to a body part for cleansing or medicinal pur¬ poses. 2 device for producing this. • v. 1 tr. treat with a douche. 2 intr. use a douche, dough /do/ n. 1 thick mixture of flour, etc., and liquid for baking. 2 si. money. □□ dough'y adj. m 2 see money 1. dough'boy /doboy/ n. United States infan¬ tryman, esp. in World War I. dough*nut /donut/ n. (also do'nut) small fried cake of sweetened dough, usu. ringshaped. dOugh*ty /dowtee/ adj. (dough*ti*er, dough*ti*est) literary valiant; stouthearted. □□ dough'ti'ly adv. dough'ti'ness n. Dougdas fir /dugbs/ n. large N. American conifer. dour /dOOr,dowr/ adj. severe, stern, or sul¬ lenly obstinate in manner or appearance. See synonym study at GLUM. □□ dour'ly adv. dour'ness n. m sour, unfriendly, forbidding, obstinate,

douse ~ downstream

236

stubborn; colloq. hard-nosed; gloomy, mo¬ rose, grim. douse /dows/ v.tr. 1 a throw water over. b plunge into water. 2 extinguish (a light). dove1 /duv/ n. 1 bird with short legs, small head, and large breast. 2 gentle person; ad¬ vocate of peace. dove2 past and past part, of dive. dove-tail /duvtayl/ • n. mortise and tenon joint shaped like a dove’s spread tail. • v. 1 tr. join by means of a dovetail. 2 tr. & intr. fit readily together; combine neatly. ■ v. 2 see combine1 v. 1, fit v. la. dow-a-ger /dowajar/ n. 1 widow with a title or property from her late husband. 2 digni¬ fied elderly woman. dow-dy /dowdee/ adj. (dow-di-er, dow-diest) 1 (of clothes) unattractively dull. 2 dressed dowdily. □□ dow'di-ly adv. dow' di-ness n. m 1 drab, unbecoming, colloq. tacky; oldfashioned. 2 frowzy, frumpy, frumpish, dow-el /dowal/ • n. headless peg for holding together components, hanging clothes on, etc. • v.tr. fasten with a dowel, dow-er /dowar/ n. 1 widow’s share for life of her husband’s estate. 2 dowry. down1 /down/ • adv. (superl. down-most) 1 into or toward a lower place, esp. to the ground. 2 in a lower place or position (blinds were down). 3 to or in a place regarded as lower, esp. southward. 4 in or into a low or weaker position, mood, or condition (many down with colds). 5 (of a computer system) not operating. 6 from an earlier to a later time (customs handed down). 7 to a finer or thinner consistency or a smaller amount or size. 8 lower in price or value. 9 into a more settled state. 10 in or into recorded or listed form (copy it down). 11 (of part of a larger whole) paid. • prep. 1 downward along, through, or into. 2 from top to bottom of. 3 along {cut down the middle). • adj. {superl. down-most) 1 directed downward. 2 col¬ loq. unhappy; depressed, •v.tr. 1 knock or bring down. 2 swallow. • n. 1 act of putting down. 2 reverse of fortune. 3 Football one of a series of plays. □ be down on colloq. disap¬ prove. down-and-out destitute, down-atthe-heels shabby; slovenly, down in the mouth colloq. looking unhappy, down on one’s luck colloq. dispirited by misfortune, down payment partial payment at time of purchase, down-to-earth practical; realis¬ tic Down Under Australia, down with int. expressing rejection. ■ adv. 1 see downward adv. 8 cheaper, re¬ duced. • adj. 2 see miserable 1. • v. 1 see knock down 1 (knock). • n. 2 nadir, low point; {downs) bad times, hard times; misfor¬ tunes; see also depression lb. □ down-andout indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, penni¬ less, impoverished, colloq. on the skids, on skid row; see also broke. down2 /down/ n. 1 fine, soft feathers or hair. 2 fluffy substance. □□ down'y adj. (down-ier, down-i-est). ■ see fluff n. 1.

down3 /down/ n. open rolling land, down-beat /downbeet/ • n. Mus. accented beat, usu. the first of the bar. • adj. pessimis¬ tic; gloomy. ■ n. see rhythm 2. down-cast /downkast/ adj. 1 (of eyes) look¬ ing downward. 2 dejected. ■ 2 see dejected (deject). downier /downar/ n. si. 1 depressant or tranquilizing drug. 2 depressing person or expe¬ rience; failure. ■ 1 see TRANQUHJZER. downfall /downfawl/ n. 1 fall from prosper¬ ity or power. 2 cause of this. ■ collapse; ruin, undoing, debacle, break¬ down. down-grade •v.tr. /downgrayd/ 1 reduce in rank or status. 2 speak disparagingly of. • n. /downgrayd/ 1 descending slope. 2 deterio¬ ration. ■ v. 1 demote, dethrone, humble, lower, displace, depose, dispossess, colloq. bring or take down a peg (or two). 2 belittle, mini¬ mize, play down; see also disparage 1. • n. 1 descent, decline, gradient. 2 see decline n. 2. down-heart-ed /downhaartid/ adj. dejected; in low spirits. □□ down'heart'ed-ly adv. ■ see sad 1. down-hill • adv. /downhil/ toward the bot¬ tom of an incline. • adj. /downhil/ sloping down; descending. □ go downhill colloq. de¬ cline; deteriorate (in health, state of repair, moral state, etc.). ■ □ go downhill see deteriorate. down-load /downlsd/ v.tr. Computing trans¬ fer (data) from one storage device or system to another. down-play /downplay/ v.tr. minimize the im¬ portance of. ■ see minimize 2. down-pour /downpawr/ n. heavy fall of rain. ■ rainstorm, deluge, inundation, torrent, down-right/downrit/ • adj. 1 plain; straight¬ forward; blunt. 2 utter; complete (a down¬ right lie). • adv. thoroughly. ■ adj. 1 direct, explicit, outspoken, un¬ abashed, bold. 2 out-and-out, outright, ab¬ solute; see also complete adj. 3. • adv. com¬ pletely, totally, certainly, (most) assuredly, positively, definitely, absolutely, unequivo¬ cally; see also profoundly (profound). down-shift /downshift/ v. shift (a vehicle) into a lower gear. down-size /downslz/ v.tr. (down-sized, down-siz-ing) (esp. of personnel) reduce in size. Down’s syn-drome /downz/ n. Med. (also Down' syn'drome) congenital disorder with mental retardation and physical abnor¬ malities. down-stairs • adv. /downstairz/ 1 down a flight of stairs. 2 to or on a lower floor. • adj. /downstairz/ situated downstairs. • n. /down¬ stairz/ a lower floor. ■ adv. see below adv. 2a. down-state /downstayt/ • adj. of or in a southern part of a state. • n. downstate area. • adv. in a downstate area, down-stream /downstre'em/ • adv. in the di-

rection of the flow of a stream, etc. • adj. moving downstream. downtime /downtim/ n. time during which a machine, esp. a computer, is out of action or unavailable for use. down'town /downtown/ • adj. of esp. the central part of a town or city. • n. downtown area. • adv. in or into a downtown area. down»trod»den /downtrod’n/ adj. oppressed; badly treated. ■ subjugated, burdened, afflicted, exploit¬ ed, overwhelmed, beaten, abused, mis¬ treated. downturn /downtarn/ n. decline, esp. eco¬ nomic. ■ see decline n. 1, 2. downward /downward/ • adv. (also down' wards) toward what is lower, inferior, etc. • adj. moving, extending, or leading down¬ ward. □□ downwardly adv. • adv. below, lower. • adj. declining, de¬ scending. downwind /downwind/ adj. & adv. in the di¬ rection in which the wind is blowing. dow*ry /dowree/ n. (pi. -ries) property or money brought by a bride to her husband. ■ dot; dower. dowse /dowz/ v.intr. search for underground water, etc., using a rod that dips when over the right spot. □□ dows'er n. dox*ol*0*gy /doksobjee/ n. (pi. -gies) litur¬ gical formula of praise to God. □□ dox»o* log*i*cal /-salojikal/ adj. dOZ. abbr. dozen. doze /doz/ • v.intr. sleep lightly; be half asleep. • n. short, light sleep, a doze off fall lightly asleep. □□ doz'er n. u v. (take or have a) nap, catnap, drowse, colloq. snooze. • n. lie-down, forty winks, shut-eye. □ doze off drop or nod off; see also NOD V. 2. doz*en /duzan/ n. 1 (pi. doz'en) twelve, re¬ garded collectively (two dozen eggs). 2 set of twelve. 3 [in pi ) colloq. very many (made dozens of mistakes). □ by the dozen in large quantities. DP abbr. 1 data processing. 2 displaced per¬ son. DPT abbr. (vaccination for) diphtheria, per¬ tussis, and tetanus. Dr. abbr. 1 Doctor. 2 Drive. 3 debtor, drab /drab/ adj. (drab'ber, drab'best) 1 dull; uninteresting. 2 of a dull brownish color. □□ drab'ly adv. drab'ness n. n 1 dreary, lackluster, dismal. drach*ma /drakma/ n. (pi. drach*mas or drach'mai /-mil or drach'mae /-mee/) 1 chief monetary unit of Greece. 2 silver coin of ancient Greece. dra»CO»ni»an /drakOneean, dray-/ adj. (also dra*con*ic /-konik/) very harsh or severe (esp. of laws and their application), draft /draft/ • n. 1 preliminary written ver¬ sion of a speech, document, etc. 2 a written order for payment by a bank, b drawing of money by means of this. 3 military conscrip¬ tion. 4 current of air. 5 pulling; traction. 6 depth of water needed to float a ship. 7 drawing of liquor from a cask, etc. 8 a sin¬ gle act of drinking, b amount thus drunk.

237

downtime ~ drain

C a dose of liquid medicine. 9 a drawing in of a fishing net. b the fish taken at one draw¬ ing. • v.tr. 1 prepare a draft of (a document, etc.). 2 select for a special duty or purpose. 3 conscript for military service, d draft horse horse used for pulling heavy loads. □□ draft’ee /-tee/ n. drafit'er n. • n. 1 plan, sketch, drawing, diagram. 2 a check, money order. 3 call-up. 4 breeze, breath (of air), (light) wind. 8 swallow, sip, gulp, colloq. swig. • v. 1 sketch (out), out¬ line, design, plan, frame, draw (up). 2 see appoint 1. 3 recruit, call up, induct. drafts*man /draftsman/ n. (pi. -men) person who makes drawings, plans, or sketches. □□ drafts'man»ship n. draffry /draftee/ adj. (-i*er, -i*est) (of a room, etc.) letting in sharp currents of air. □□ draft'idy adv. draft'i*ness n. m see breezy 1. drag /drag/ • v. (dragged, drag*ging) 1 tr. pull along with effort. 2 a tr. allow to trail along the ground, b intr. trail along the ground. C intr. (of time, etc.) pass slowly or tediously. 3 a intr. use a grapnel or drag (to find a drowned person or lost object), b tr. search the bottom of (a river, etc.) with grap¬ nels, nets, or drags. 4 tr. colloq. take (an un¬ willing person to a place, etc.). 5 intr. draw on (a cigarette, etc.). • n. 1 obstruction to progress. 2 colloq. tiresome person, duty, performance, etc. 3 inhalation. 4 si. women’s clothes worn by men. 5 si. (in full (drag race) acceleration race between cars usu. for a short distance. 6 si. street or road (the main drag). □ drag out protract, drag queen si. male transvestite, drag strip straight stretch of road for drag racing, drag up colloq. deliberately mention (an unwel¬ come subject). ■ v. 1 haul, tow, tug, trail, lug. • n. 2 bore, nuisance, annoyance, aggravation; see also bother n. 1. drag*net /dragnet/ n 1 net drawn through water or across land to trap fish or game. 2 systematic hunt for criminals, etc. drag«on /dragon/ n. mythical monster, usu. depicted as a fire-breathing, winged reptile. drag*on*fly /draganfli/ n. (pi. -flies) insect with a long body and two pairs of transpar¬ ent wings. dra*goon /dragoon/ • n. 1 cavalryman. 2 rough, fierce fellow. • v. tr. [foil, by into] co¬ erce; bully. drain /drayn/ • v. 1 tr. draw off liquid from. 2 tr. draw off (liquid). 3 intr. flow or trickle away. 4 intr. become dry as liquid flows away. 5 tr. exhaust. 6 tr. drink all of; empty. • n. la channel or pipe carrying off liquid, b tube for drawing off discharge, etc. 2 con¬ stant outflow or expenditure. □ down the drain colloq. lost; wasted. □□ drain'er n. m v. 2 tap, extract, remove, take away, with¬ draw, pump off or out. 3 seep, drip, ebb, leach (away). 5 sap, deplete; weaken, debili¬ tate, impair; see also deprive 1. • n. 1 a ditch, trench, culvert, conduit; sewer. 2 depletion, reduction; withdrawal.

drainage ~ dream

238

drain*age /draynij/ n. 1 draining. 2 system of drains. 3 what is drained off. drain*pipe /draynpip/ n. pipe for carrying off water, etc. drake /drayk/ n. male duck, dram /dram/ n. 1 small drink of liquor. 2 measure of weight (apothecaries’ oneeighth ounce; avoirdupois one-sixteenth ounce). dra*ma /drama, dra'ama/ n. 1 play for stage or broadcasting. 2 art of writing and pre¬ senting plays. 3 exciting or emotional event, circumstances, etc. 4 dramatic quality. □□ dra*mat'ic adj. m 1 (theatrical) piece, (stage) production. 2 dramatics, theater, dramatic art(s). 4 histrionics, theatrics. □□ dramatic theat¬ rical; sensational; flamboyant, melodramatic, colorful, stirring; see also exciting. dra*mat*iCS /dromatiks/ n.pl. [often treated as sing.] 1 performance of plays. 2 exagger¬ ated behavior. ■ 1 see theater 2. 2 see drama 4. dram*a*tist /dramatist, draama-/ n. writer of dramas. ■ playwright, screenwriter, scriptwriter. dram»a«tize /dramatiz, dra'ama-/ v.tr. 1 adapt (a novel, etc.) to a stage play. 2 make a dramatic scene of. 3 express or react to in a dramatic way. □□ dram*a*ti*za'tion n. ■ 3 exaggerate, overplay, colloq. make a (big) thing (out) of, make a song and dance about; make a mountain out of a molehill. drank past of drink. drape/drayp/ •v.tr. 1 hang, cover loosely, or adorn with cloth, etc. 2 arrange in folds. • n. [inpi] curtains. ■ v. 1 festoon, swathe, deck, array, bedeck. • n. drapery. dra*per*y /drayporee/ n. (pi. -ies) clothing or hangings (esp. curtains) arranged in folds. dras*tic /drastik/ adj. having a far-reaching effect; severe. □□ dras'ti*cal*ly adv. ■ serious, violent, extreme, sweeping, rad¬ ical. draught /draft/ esp. Brit. = draft. draw/draw/ • v. (past drew /drCO/; past part. drawn /drawn/) 1 tr. pull or cause to move toward or after one. 2 tr. pull (a thing) up, over, or across. 3 tr. pull (curtains, etc.) open or shut. 4 tr. attract; bring; take in (drew a deep breath). 5 intr. suck smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.). 6 rr. take out; re¬ move. 7 tr. obtain or take from a soprce (draw a salary). 8 tr. produce (a picture) by tracing lines and marks. 9 tr. [also absol.] finish (a contest or game) with equal scores. 10 tr. infer (a conclusion). 11 rr. elicit; evoke. 12 tr. bring out or extract (liquid). 13 intr. (of a chimney, etc.) promote or allow a draft. 14 intr. [foil, by on] call on (a person, a person’s skill, etc.). 15 tr. write out or compose (a check, document, etc.). 16 tr. formulate or perceive (a comparison or dis¬ tinction). • n. 1 act of drawing. 2 attrac¬ tion. 3 raffle, lottery, etc. 4 game ending in a tie. 5 act of removing a gun from its holster in order to shoot (quick on the draw). a draw

the line set a limit (of tolerance, etc.), draw out 1 prolong. 2 elicit, draw up 1 draft (a document, etc.). 2 come to a halt. ■ v. 1 tug, tow, drag, haul, lug. 4 allure, lure; bring out or forth, elicit. 5 take in, in¬ hale. 6 extract; unsheathe. 7 draw out, with¬ draw; receive, secure, procure. 8 sketch, paint; depict, portray, delineate, design. 10 (draw the conclusion) see infer 1. 11 see elicit. 14 (draw on) employ, use, make use of, exploit. 15 see draw up 1 below. 16 see perceive 2. • n. 1 pull, tug, drag. 2 magnet¬ ism, lure, enticement, colloq. pull. 4 stale¬ mate, dead heat, deadlock. □ draw out 1 extend, drag out, lengthen. 2 see elicit. draw up 1 prepare, compile, formulate, de¬ vise. 2 stop, pull up or over. drawback /drawbak/ n. disadvantage. ■ hindrance, stumbling block, obstacle, im¬ pediment, hurdle, problem, difficulty, hitch, catch. draw*bridge /drawbrij/ n. bridge that may be raised or moved aside. draw*er n. 1 /drawsr/ person or thing that draws. 2 /drawr/ lidless, boxlike storage compartment, sliding in and out of a desk, table, etc. 3 [in pi] /drawrz/ underpants. □□ draw*er'ful n. (pi. -fuls). drawing /drawing/ n. 1 the art of represent¬ ing by line with pencils, crayons, etc. 2 pic¬ ture produced in this way. o back to the drawing board colloq. back to begin afresh (after earlier failure). ■ 2 depiction, representation, sketch, out¬ line, design. drawling room /drawingroom, -room/ n. 1 room for receiving guests in a private house. 2 private compartment in a train, drawl /drawl/ • v. 1 intr. speak with drawnout vowel sounds. 2 tr. utter in this way. • n. drawling utterance. drawn /drawn/past part, of draw. adj. 1 look¬ ing strained and tense. 2 (of butter) melted. ■ 1 haggard, worn out, tired, fatigued, ex¬ hausted. draw»string /drawstring/ n. string that can be pulled to tighten the mouth of a bag, the waist of a garment, etc. dray /dray/ n. low cart without sides for heavy loads. dread /dred/ • v.tr. 1 fear gready. 2 look for¬ ward to with great apprehension. • n. great fear; apprehension. • adj. dreaded. ■ v. 2 flinch from, shrink or recoil from, cringe at. • n. fright, fearfulness, trepidation, awe, uneasiness, dismay, anxiety, distress; ter¬ ror, panic. • adj. feared, terrifying, terrible. dread'ful /dredfool/ adj. 1 terrible; inspiring fear or awe. 2 colloq. very bad. □□ dread’ fuWy adv. ■ 1 grievous, dire, horrible, horrendous, ap¬ palling, hideous, ghastly. 2 colloq. lousy, si. rotten; see also awful la, b, troublesome. □□ dreadfully see awfully. dread'locks /dredloks/ n.pl. hair twisted into right braids hanging down on all sides, dream /dreem/ • n. 1 pictures or events in the mind of a sleeping person. 2 daydream or fantasy. 3 ideal; aspiration. 4 beautiful or ideal person or thing. • v. (past and past part.

dreamed or dreamt /dremt/) 1 intr. experi¬ ence a dream. 2 tr. imagine as in a dream. 3 [usu. with neg.] a intr. contemplate the possibility of (would not dream of it), b tr. think of as a possibility (never dreamed that he would come), o dream up imagine; invent, like a dream colloq. easily; effortlessly. □□ dream like adj. • n. 2 reverie, delusion, fantasy. 3 ambi¬ tion, vision; see also aspiration. • v. 1, 2 fancy, conjure up, hallucinate. 3 a (dream of) entertain the thought of. □ dream up see think up. like a dream like a charm; wonderfully, perfectly, successfully. □□ dreamlike unreal, fantastic, unbelieva¬ ble, phantasmagorical, surreal, iilusional, fanciful. dream*er /dre'emor/ n. romantic or unpracti¬ cal person. ■ fantasizer, idealist, romantic, Utopian. dream*land /dreemland/ n. ideal or imagi¬ nary land. dream*y /dre'emee/ adj. (dream*i*er, dream*i*est) 1 given to daydreaming; fan¬ ciful. 2 dreamlike; vague. 3 colloq. delight¬ ful; marvelous. □□ dream'i*ly adv. dream' i'ness n. m 1 absentminded, faraway, thoughtful; musing, occupied; see also idealistic (ideal¬ ism). 2 indistinct, misty, shadowy, faint. 3 See DELIGHTFUL. drear»y /dre'eree/ adj. (drear*i*er, drear*i* est) dismal; dull; gloomy. □□ drear'i*ly adv. drear'i*ness n. a joyless, cheerless, bleak, somber, doleful, depressing, melancholy, miserable; boring, lifeless, colorless, drab, prosaic, tedious, tire¬ some, wearisome, banal. dredge1 /drej/ • v. 1 tr. a bring up (lost or hidden material) as if with a dredge, b bring up (mud, etc.) from a river, harbor, etc., with a dredge. 2 intr. use a dredge. • n. apparatus used to scoop from a riverbed or seabed. dredge2 /drej/ v.tr. sprinkle with flour, sugar, etc. a powder, dust, flour. dregs /dregz/ n.pl. 1 sediment; grounds. 2 worthless part. a 1 lees, deposit, draff, residue, remains; precipitate. 2 outcasts, pariahs, losers; riffraff, scum. drench /drench/ v.tr. wet thoroughly; soak. a saturate, inundate, immerse, drown. dress /dres/ • v. la tr. clothe; array, b intr. wear clothes, esp. in a specified way (dresses well). 2 intr. a put on clothes, b put on for¬ mal clothes. 3 tr. decorate or adorn. 4 tr. Med. treat (a wound) with ointment, etc. 5 tr. a clean and prepare (poultry, etc.) for cooking or eating, b add a dressing to (salad, etc.). 6 tr. finish the surface of (fab¬ ric, building stone, etc.). 7 tr. curry (leather, etc.). 8 Mil. a tr. align (troops, etc.), b intr. (of troops) come into alignment. • n. 1 woman’s garment of a bodice and skirt. 2 clothing, esp. a whole outfit. □ dress code set of rules for acceptable dress, as at a school, restaurant, etc. dress down colloq. 1 reprimand or scold. 2 dress casually, dress out attire conspicuously, dress re-

239

dreamer ~ drill

hearsal final rehearsal of a play, etc., wear¬ ing costume, dress up 1 dress in fancy dress. 2 disguise (unwelcome facts) by em¬ bellishment. ■ v. 1 a robe, outfit, fit out. 2 get dressed. 4 medicate, colloq. doctor; bandage. • n. 1 frock, gown. 2 costume, garb, garments, vestments, attire, apparel. □ dress down 1 berate, rebuke, reprove, upbraid, chew out; see also castigate. dres*sage /drisa'azh, dre-/ n. training of a horse in obedience and deportment, dressier /dresar/ n. 1 chest of drawers. 2 person who assists actors to dress. 3 per¬ son who dresses in a specified way (a snappy dresser).

■ 1 see bureau 1. dressing /dresing/ n. 1 in senses of dress v. 2 a sauce for salads, b stuffing, esp. for poul¬ try. 3 bandage or ointment for a wound. 4 stiffening used to finish fabrics. ■ 3 see salve n. 1. dress»y /dresee/ adj. (dress*i*er, dress*i* est) (of clothes or a person) stylish; elabo¬ rate. □□ dress'i»ness n. ■ formal, dressed-up; elegant, smart, chic, fashionable, colloq. ritzy. drew past of draw. drib'ble /dribal/ • v. 1 intr. allow saliva to flow from the mouth. 2 intr. & tr. flow or al¬ low to flow in drops. 3 tr. Sports move (a ball, etc.) with slight touches or taps. • n. 1 act of dribbling. 2 trickling flow. □□ drib' bier n. drib'bly adj. ■ v. 1 see slaver2 v. 2 see trickle2 v. • n. 1 see slaver n. 1.2 see trickle n. dribs and drabs /dribz and drabz/ n.pl. col¬ loq. small scattered amounts (did the zuork in dribs and drabs).

dried past and past part, of dry. driver1 compar. of dry. driver2 /drfar/ n. (also dry'er) machine for drying hair, laundry, etc. dri*est superl. of dry. drift /drift/ • n. la slow movement or varia¬ tion. b such movement caused by a current. 2 intention, meaning, etc., of what is said, etc. 3 mass of windblown snow, etc. 4 devi¬ ation of a ship, aircraft, etc., from its course. • v. 1 intr. be carried by or as if by a current. 2 intr. progress passively or aimlessly (drifted into teaching). 3 tr. & intr. pile or be piled into drifts. □ drift net large fishing net al¬ lowed to drift with the tide. □□ drift age n. ■ n. 1 see current n. 2 trend, tendency, direction, course, current, bias, inclination, flow; essence, gist, purpose; tenor, tone, spir¬ it, color. 3 accumulation, pile, heap, mass, bank, mound. 4 see turn n. 2. • v. 1, 2 coast, float, waft, bob; wander, roam, me¬ ander, stray, rove, ramble, si. mosey. drift*er /driftar/ n. aimless or roodess person. ■ rambler, wanderer, itinerant, rover, va¬ grant, tramp, vagabond, hobo. drift»wood /driftwood/ n. wood afloat or washed ashore. drill1 /dril/ • n. 1 tool or machine for boring holes. 2 a military marching, b rigorous

drill ~ droop

240

discipline or methodical instruction, c rou¬ tine procedure in an emergency (fire drill). • v. 1 tr. [also absol.] a make a hole with a drill through or into, b make (a hole) with a drill. 2 tr. ism n. e»piS»CO»pate /ipiskspat/ n. 1 office or ten¬ ure of a bishop. 2 [prec. by the] bishops col¬ lectively. e*pi*si»Ot*0*my /ipe'ezeeotamee/ n. (pi. -mies) incision made at the opening of the vagina to ease childbirth. ep*i*SOde /episod/ n. 1 event or period as part of a sequence. 2 dramatic installment. 3 incident or set of incidents in a narrative. □□ ep*i*sod'ic /-sodik/ adj. ep"i*sod'i*cal» ly adv. ■ 1, 3 occurrence, happening, circum¬ stance, occasion, affair, matter. 2 part, chap¬ ter. □□ episodic see occasional 1. e*pis*tle /ipisal/ n. 1 formal or joc. letter, esp. a long one on a serious subject. 2 (Episde) any of the letters of the apostles in the New Testament. e*pis*to*lar*y /ipistaleree/ adj. in the style or form of a letter or letters. ep»i*taph /epitaf/ n. words written in memory of a person who has died, esp. as a tomb in¬ scription. ep»i*the»li*um /epithe'eleeom/ n. (pi. ep*i* the*li*a /-lees/ or epdnhedimms) tissue forming the outer layer of the body and lin¬ ing many hollow structures. □□ epdnhe'li* al adj. ep*i*thet /epithet/ n. 1 characterizing adjec¬ tive, etc. 2 such a word as a term of abuse. □□ ep’i'thet'ic adj. ep»i*thet'i*cal adj. ep* i*thet'i*cal*ly adv. • 1 see title n. 5.2 see expletive n. 1. e*pit*0*me /ipitamee/ n. 1 person or thing embodying a quality, etc. 2 thing represent¬ ing another in miniature. ■ 1 embodiment, personification, essence, standard. e*pit»0*mize /ipitomlz/ v.tr. perfectly exem¬ plify. □□ e»pit*o*mi*za'tion n. ep*OCh /epak, e'epok/ n. 1 notable period of history. 2 beginning of an era. □□ ep'och*al adj.

ep*0*nym /epanim/ n. 1 person after whom a discovery, place, etc., is named. 2 the name given. ep*ox*y /ipoksee/ adj. designating a resin used in adhesives, insulation, coatings, etc. ep*si*lon /epsilon/ n. fifth letter of the Greek alphabet (E, e). Ep*som salts /epsam/ n. magnesium sulfate used as a purgative, etc. eq*ua*ble /ekwabal/ adj. even; not varying; uniform. □□ eq*ua*bil'i"ty n. eq'ua*bly adv.

■ stable,

steady,

regular,

unchanging,

equal ~ -er

266

constant, invariable, consistent; eventempered, easygoing, calm, levelheaded. e*qual /e'ekwal/ • adj. 1 the same in quantity, quality, size, degree, level, etc. 2 evenly bal¬ anced. 3 having the same rights or status. See synonym study at same. • n. person or thing equal to another, mv.tr. 1 be equal to. 2 achieve something that is equal to. □ equal opportunity [often in pi.] opportu¬ nity to be employed, paid, etc., without dis¬ crimination on grounds of sex, race, etc. equal (or equals) sign the symbol =. □□ e* qual'i'ty /ikwolitee/ n. e'quahly adv. m adj. 1, 3 identical, mirror-image, fiftyfifty, on a par; equivalent. 2 corresponding, symmetrical; even, proportionate; tied. • n. peer, match, fellow. • v. 1 see amount v. 1. 2 rival, challenge, compare with, parallel, be in the same league or class as or with; hold a candle to. □□ equality parity, sameness, uniformity, similarity; impartiality, fairness, justice, equally see alike adv. e*qual*ize /e'ekwallz/ v. make or become equal. □□ e«qual»i»za'tion n. ■ counterbalance, offset; even up, match (up); catch up. e*qua*nim*ity /e'ekwanimitee, ekwa-/ n. mental composure; evenness of temper. ■ see temper n. 4. e*quate /ikwaytj v. 1 tr. regard as equal or equivalent. 2 intr. be equal or equivalent to. □□ e*quat'a*ble adj. ■ 1 see identify 3. 2 see parallel v. 1. e*qua*tion /ikwavzhan/ n. 1 equating or making equal; being equal. 2 statement that two mathematical expressions are equal. □□ e*qua'tion*al adj. e*qua*tor /ikwaytar/ n. imaginary line around the earth or other body, equidistant from the poles. □□ e*qua*to'ri*al adj. e*ques*tri*an /ikwestreesn/ • adj. 1 of hors¬ es and horseback riding. 2 on horseback. • n. (Jem. e-ques*tri*enne /-tree-en/) rider or performer on horseback. □□ e*ques'tri* an*ism n. equi- /e'ekwee, ekwi/ comb, form equal. e«qui*dis*tant /e'ekwidistant, ekwi-/ adj. at equal distances. □□ e*qui*dis'tant*ly adv. e*qui*lat»er*al /eekwilataral, ekwi-/ adj. hav¬ ing all sides equal in length. e*qui*lib*ri*um /e'ekwilibreeam, ekwi-/ n. (pi. e*qui*lib*ri*ums or e*qui*lib"ri*a /-reea/) 1 state of physical balance. 2 state of compo¬ sure. ■ 1 see balance n. 3. e*quine /eekwin, ekwin/ adj. of or like a horse. e*qui*nox /e'ekwinoks, ekwi-/ n. time or date (about March 20 (vernal equinox) and Sep¬ tember 22 (autumnal equinox) each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length. □□ e*qui*noc*tial /e'ekwinokshal, ekwi-/ adj. & n.

e*quip /ikwip/

v.tr. (e*quipped, e*quip* ping) supply with what is needed. □□ e* quip'per n. • furnish, provide, stock (up), outfit.

e*quip»ment /ikwipmant/ n. 1 necessary ar¬ ticles, clothing, etc., for a purpose. 2 equip¬ ping or being equipped. ■ 1 gear, apparatus, paraphernalia, kit, out¬ fit, rig; baggage, luggage. e*qui*poise /e'ekwipoyz, ekwi-/ n. 1 equilib¬ rium. 2 counterbalancing thing. eq*ui*ta*ble /ekwitabal/ adj. fair; just. □□ eq' ui*ta*bly adv. m right, square, decent, good, correct, im¬ partial, objective, unbiased, nonpartisan; ju¬ dicious, ethical, moral, honest, honorable; on the up and up. eq*ui*ta*tion /ekwitayshan/ n. horsemanship. eq»ui»ty /ekwitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 fairness. 2 net value of property after the deduction of any debts. 3 ownership, as in shares of stock, etc. ■ 1 justice, rightfulness, fair play, objectiv¬ ity, impartiality, judiciousness. e«quiv*a*lent /ikwivalant/ • adj. 1 equal in value, amount, importance, etc. 2 corre¬ sponding. See synonym study at same. • n. equivalent thing, amount, word, etc. □□ e* quiv'a*lence n. e*quiv'a*len*cy n. e*quiv' adenfly adv. m adj. 1 one and the same, identical, com¬ parable, analogous, similar, parallel; alike; tantamount. 2 see coordinate adj. • n. match, counterpart, coordinate, twin; equal, peer. e*quiv»0»cal /ikwivskal/ adj. 1 of double or doubtful meaning. 2 uncertain; questiona¬ ble. See synonym study at doubtful. □□ e* quivo*cal"i*ty /-kalitee/ n. e*quiv'o*cal*ly adv. m dubious; ambiguous, vague, obscure, un¬ certain; mysterious, cryptic; see suspect adj. e«quiv»0*cate /ikwivakayt/ v.intr. use ambi¬ guity to conceal the truth, no e*quiv'o*ca* cy n. e*quiv*o*ca*tion /-kayshsn/ n. e* quiv'o*ca*tor n. e*quiv'o»ca»to*ry adj. ■ prevaricate, quibble, hedge, double-talk. □□ equivocacy, equivocation see ambiguity (ambiguous).

ER abbr. 1 emergency room. 2 Elizabeth Regina (Queen Elizabeth).

Er symb. Chem. erbium. -er1 /or/ suffix forming nouns from nouns, ad¬ jectives, and many verbs, denoting: 1 per¬ son, animal, or thing that performs a speci¬ fied action or activity (cobbler, lover, computer). 2 person or thing that has a spec¬ ified attribute or form (foreigner). 3 person concerned with a specified thing or subject (geographer). 4 person belonging to a speci¬ fied place or group (villager). -er2 /or/ suffix forming the comparative of ad¬ jectives (wider) and adverbs (faster). -er3 /or/ suffix used in slang formations usu. distorting the root word (rugger, soccer). -er4 /ar/ suffix forming iterative and frequenta¬ tive verbs (blunder, glimmer, twitter). -er5 /ar/ suffix 1 forming nouns and adjectives through OF or AF, corresponding to: a L -aris (sampler) (cf. -ar1). b L -arius, -arium (butler, carpenter, danger). C (through OF -eiire) L -atura or (through OF -eor) L -atorium. 2 = -or1, -or2.

-er6 /ar/ suffix esp.

Law forming nouns denot¬ ing verbal action or a document effecting this (idisclaimer, misnomer). IfThe same ending oc¬ curs in dinner and supper. ERA abbr. 1 Baseball earned run average. 2 Equal Rights Amendment. e*ra /e'era, era/ n. 1 period reckoning from a noteworthy event (the Christian era). 2 large distinct period of time, esp. regarded histori¬ cally {the pre-Roman era). ■ age, epoch; eon. e*rad»i«cate /iradikayt/ v.tr. root out; destroy completely. See synonym study at destroy. □ □ e»rad'i»ca»ble adj. e*rad*i»ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. e*rad'i»ca*tor n. a see remove v. 2. ©•ras© /irays/ v. tr. 1 rub out; obliterate. 2 re¬ move recorded material from (a magnetic tape or medium), oo e*ras'a*ble adj. e*ra' sure n. a 1 wipe out, delete, cancel, scratch out, cross or rule out, strike out or off, expunge; eradicate, eliminate, get rid of. e*ras*er /iraysar/ n. thing that erases, esp. a piece of rubber or plastic used for removing pencil and ink marks. er*bi»um /arbeeam/ n. soft, silvery, metallic element of the lanthanide series. IjSymb.: Er. ere /air/ prep. & conj. poet, before (of time) {ere noon).

e*rect /irekt/ • adj. 1 upright; vertical. 2 en¬ larged and rigid. • v.tr. 1 raise; set upright. 2 build. □□ e*rect'a*ble adj. e*rec'tion n. e*rect'ly adv. e'rect'ness n. e*rec'tor n. a adj. 1 standing (up), upstanding, straight. 2 swollen, stiff, hard. • v. assemble, put together, fabricate, manufacture, frame, make, construct; establish, found. e«rec*tile /irekt’l, -til/ adj. that can be erected or become erect. erg /arg/ n. Physics unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one dyne when its point of application moves one centimeter in the direction of the force. er*go /argo, er-/ adv. therefore. er*go*nom*ics /arganomiks/ n. study of the efficiency of persons in their working envi¬ ronment. □□ er*go*nom'ic adj. er*gon*o* mist /ergonamist/ n. er»got /argat, -got/ n. fungal disease of rye and other cereals. Er*in /erin/ n. poet. Ireland. er*mine /armin/ n. {pi. same or er'mines) 1 stoat, esp. when in its white winter fur. 2 its white fur. erne /era/ n. (also ern) poet, sea eagle. e*rode /irod/ V. wear away; destroy or be de¬ stroyed gradually. □□ e*rod'i*ble adj. m eat away (at), consume, devour, corrode; diminish. e*rog*e*nouS /irojinas/ adj. (of a part of the body) sensitive to sexual stimulation. e*ro*sion /irOzhan/ n. 1 wearing away of the earth’s surface by the action of water, wind, etc. 2 eroding; process of being eroded. □□ e*ro'sive adj. ■ eating away, corrosion, washing away, abrasion, wear (and tear), damage, weather¬ ing.

267

-er - erupt

e*rot*ic /irotik/

adj. of or causing sexual de¬ sire or excitement. □□ e*rot'i*cal*ly adv. • sensual, suggestive, titillating, risque, se¬ ductive, lustful, sexy; sexual, erogenous, car¬ nal, arousing, libidinous, prurient, lascivi¬ ous, lewd, salacious, obscene, indecent, pornographic, dirty, filthy, blue. e*rot*i*ca /irotika/ n.pl. erotic literature or art. e*rot*i*Cism /irotisizam/ n. 1 erotic nature or character. 2 use of or reponse to erotic im¬ ages or stimulation. err 1st, er/ v.intr. 1 be mistaken or incorrect. 2 do wrong; sin. □ err on the right side act in favor of the least harmful possibility, err on the side of act with a specified bias {errs on the side of generosity).

■ 1 be wrong, be in error, be inaccurate, be in the wrong, go astray, make a mistake, mis¬ calculate, (make a) blunder, colloq. slip (up). 2 misbehave, lapse, fall. er»rand /erand/ n. short outing for a specific purpose. ■ see journey n. er*rant /erant/ adj. 1 deviating from an ac¬ cepted standard. 2 literary traveling in search of adventure {knight errant), oo er* ran»cy /-ansee/ n. (in sense 1). er'rant*ry n. (in sense 2). er»rat*ic /iratik/ adj. 1 inconsistent in con¬ duct, opinions, etc.; unpredictable; eccentric. 2 uncertain in movement. □□ er*rat'i*cal*ly adv. • 1 variable, irregular, random, haphazard,

unreliable, unstable; peculiar, abnormal, odd, strange, unusual, weird, unconven¬ tional. 2 wandering, meandering, aimless. er»ra»tum /ira'atam, irat-/ n. (pi. er*ra*ta /—ta/) error in printing or writing. er»ro»ne*OUS /ironeeas/ adj. incorrect; arising from error, oo er*ro'ne*ous*ly adv. er*ro' ne*ous*ness n. m wrong, mistaken, false, untrue, faulty, misleading, inaccurate. er*ror /eror/ n. 1 mistake. 2 moral transgres¬ sion. oo er'ror*less adj. m 1 inaccuracy, fault, flaw, slip, blunder, gaffe, goof. 2 sin, indiscretion, wrongdoing, misconduct, iniquity. er*satz /erzaats, -saats, erzahts, -sa'ats/ adj. substitute; imitation. See synonym study at SPURIOUS.

■ see

imitation

adj.

Erse /ors/ • adj. Gaelic. • n. the Gaelic lan¬ guage.

ersfrwhile /arst-hwll, -wil/

adj. former; pre¬

vious.

e*ruc*ta*tion /iruktayshon, e'eruk-/

n. belch¬ ing. er*U*dite /eryodit, era-/ adj. 1 learned. 2 showing great learning, oo er'u*dite*ly adv. er*u*di*tion /-dishan/ n. See synonym study at knowledge e*rupt /irupt/ v.intr. 1 break out suddenly or dramatically. 2 (of a volcano) become active and eject lava, etc. 3 (of a rash, boil, etc.) ap¬ pear on the skin, oo e*rup*tion /-rupshan/ n. e»rup tive adj. • 2 spout, gush, explode, blow up, vomit,

-ery ~ essay

268

spit. 3 come out, appear, flare up. □□ erup¬ tion outbreak, outburst, discharge, emis¬ sion, explosion, spouting. -ery /aree/ suffix forming nouns denoting: 1 class or kind {greenery, machinery). 2 em¬ ployment; state or condition {dentistry, slav¬ ery). 3 place of work or cultivation or breed¬ ing {brewery, rookery). 4 behavior {mockery). 5 often derog. all that has to do with {knav¬ ery).

e*ryth»ro»cyte /irithrasit/ n. red blood cell. Es symb. Chem. einsteinium. es*ca*late /eskalayt/ v. 1 intr. & tr. increase or develop (usu. rapidly) by stages. 2 tr. cause to become more intense. □□ es*ca*la* tion /-layshan/ n. m see INTENSIFY. es*ca*la*tor /eskalaytar/ n. moving staircase consisting of a circulating belt forming steps. es»ca*pade /eskapayd/ n. daring or reckless caper. ■ see adventure n. 2. es*cape /iskayp/ • v. 1 intr. get free of re¬ striction, control, a person, etc. 2 intr. (of a gas, liquid, etc.) leak. 3 intr. succeed in avoiding danger, punishment, etc. 4 tr. avoid. 5 tr. (of words, etc.) issue unawares from (a person, a person’s lips). • n. 1 act or instance of escaping. 2 temporary relief from reality or worry. □□ es*cap'er n. u v. 1 get away, break out or free or loose, bolt, flee, fly, run away or off, slip away, take off, scram. 2 seep, discharge, emanate. 4 elude, evade, dodge. • n. 1 getaway, flight, departure, break, breakout. 2 distraction, diversion, recreation. es*cap*ee /iskaype'e/ n. person who has es¬ caped. ■ see runaway 1. es*cape*ment /iskaypmant/ n. part of a clock, etc., that connects and regulates the motive power. es*cap*ism /iskaypizam/ n. tendency to seek distraction and relief from reality, esp. in the arts or through fantasy. □□ es*cap'ist n. & adj.

es*car*got /eskaargb/

n. snail, esp. as pre¬

pared for food.

es*carp*ment /iska'arpmant/

n. (also es* carp') Geol. long, steep slope at the edge of a plateau, etc. -esce /es/ suffix forming verbs, usu. initiating action {effervesce, fluoresce). -escent /esant/ suffix forming adjectives de¬ noting the beginning of a state or action {ef¬ fervescent, fluorescent). □□ -escence suffix forming nouns es*cheat /ische'et/ • n. reversion of property to the state on the owner’s dying without le¬ gal heirs. • v. 1 tr. hand over (property) as an escheat. 2 intr. revert by escheat. es*chew /eschob/' v.tr. avoid; abstain from. □□ es*chew'al n. es^cort • n. /eskawrt/ 1 one or more per¬ sons, vehicles, etc., accompanying a person, vehicle, etc., for protection or as a mark of status. 2 person accompanying a person of

the opposite sex socially. • v. tr. /iskawrt/ act as an escort to. • n. 1 guard, bodyguard, convoy; chap¬ eron, retinue, entourage. 2 companion, boy¬ friend, partner, date. • v. accompany, usher, conduct, guide, attend; guard, watch over. es*cri*toire /eskritwaar/ n. writing desk with drawers, etc. es*crOW /eskro/ n. Law 1 money, property, or written bond, kept in the custody of a third party until a specified condition has been ftilfilled. 2 status of this {in escrow). es»CUtCh*eon /iskuchan/ n. 1 shield or em¬ blem bearing a coat of arms. 2 protective plate around a keyhole or door handle. □□ es'cutch'eoned adj. ESL abbr. English as a second language. e*Soph*a*gus /isofagas, ee-/ n. {pi. e*soph* a*gi /-gl, -jif) passage for food from the mouth to the stomach; gullet. □□ e*soph*a* ge*al /isofaje'eal, eesafajeeal/ adj. es*0*ter*ic /esaterik/ adj. intelligible only to those with special knowledge. □□ es*o*ter'i» cal adj. es-o-ter'i-cably adv. es*o*ter*i* cism /-rasizam/ n. es*o*ter'i*cist n. a see occult adj. 2. ESP abbr. extrasensory perception. es*pa*drille /espadril/ n. light canvas shoe with a braided fiber sole. es*pal*ier /ispalyar, -yay/ n. 1 latticework for training branches of a tree or shrub. 2 tree or shrub so trained. es*pe*cial /ispeshal/ adj. notable; excep¬ tional. es*pec*ial*ly /ispeshalee, espesh-/ adv. chiefly; much more than in other cases. a mainly, predominantly, primarily, princi¬ pally, first, first and foremost; particularly, notably. Es*pe*ran*tO /esparanto, -ra'an-/ n. artificial universal language intended for international use. es*pi*0*nage /espeeanaazh/ n. spying or use of spies. es«pla*nade /esplana'ad, -nayd/ n. long, open level area for walking, a see PROMENADE n. 2. es*pous*al /ispowzal, -sal/ n. 1 espousing of a cause, etc. 2 archaic marriage; betrothal, a 1 see promotion (promote) . es*pouse /ispowz/ v.tr. 1 adopt or support (a cause, doctrine, etc.). 2 archaic (usu. of a man) marry. □□ es*pous'er n. es»pres»SO /espreso/ n. (also ex*pres*so /ekspreso/) (pi. -sos) strong black coffee made under steam pressure. es«prit /espre'e/ n. sprightliness; wit. o esprit de corps /da kawr/ devotion to and pride in one’s group. es*py /ispi/ v.tr. (-pies, -pied) literary catch sight of; perceive. Esq. abbr. esquire. -esque /esk/ suffix forming adjectives mean¬ ing ‘in the style of’ or ‘resembling’ (Schumannesque, statuesque).

es*quire /eskwlr, iskwir/

n. 1 title appended to a man’s surname, esp. as a form of address for letters. 2 title placed after the name of an attorney. es*say • n. /esay/ 1 short piece of writing on

a given subject. 2 formal attempt. • v.tr. /esay/ formal attempt. □□ es'say'ist n. mn. 1 composition, article, paper, theme. 2 effort, endeavor, venture. • v. try, under¬ take, tackle, take a stab at. essence /esans/ n. 1 fundamental nature, inherent characteristics. 2 a extract ob¬ tained by distillation, etc. b perfume. □ in essence fundamentally, of the essence in¬ dispensable; vital. ■ 1 quintessence, substance, core, heart, soul, colloq. bottom line. 2 a concentrate, elixir, b see perfume n. 2. □ in essence es¬ sentially, basically, in the final analysis, of the essence essential, critical, crucial, requi¬ site, important. es* *sen*tial /isenshal/ • adj. 1 necessary; in¬ dispensable. 2 of or constituting the essence of a person or thing. See synonym study at inherent. See synonym study at necessary. • n. [esp. in pi.] basic or indispensable ele¬ ment or thing. □ essential oil volatile oil of a plant, etc., with its characteristic odor. □□ es"sen*ti*al*i*ty /-sheealitee/ n. es*sen' tiahly adv. es*sen'tial*ness u. m adj. 1 imperative, vital, requisite, re¬ quired, important, material. 2 see intrinsic. • n. see necessity la. EST abbr. 1 eastern standard time. 2 electro¬ shock treatment. est. abbr. 1 established. 2 estimate. 3 esti¬ mated. -est /ist/ suffix forming the superlative of ad¬ jectives (widest, nicest, happiest) and adverbs (.soonest). es*tab*lish /istablish/ v.tr. 1 set up on a per¬ manent basis. 2 achieve permanent accept¬ ance for (a custom, belief, etc.). 3 validate; place beyond dispute. ■ 1 found, create, form, inaugurate; consti¬ tute; introduce. 3 prove, verify, certify, con¬ firm, affirm, demonstrate, show, substanti¬ ate, support, back up. es*tab»lish»ment /istablishmant/ n. 1 estab¬ lishing; being established. 2 a business or¬ ganization or public institution, b site of such. 3 (the Establishment) social group or authority exerting influence and resisting change. ■ 1 foundation, founding, formation, con¬ struction, inauguration, creation. 2 a con¬ cern, firm, company, enterprise, b office, workplace, premises, shop, store, market. 3 (the Establishment) the government, the authorities, the ruling class, the powers that be. es*tate /istayt/ n. 1 property consisting of much land usu. with a large house. 2 per¬ son’s assets and liabilities, esp. at death. ■ 1 domain, manor. 2 property, holding(s), resources, wealth, fortune; belongings, pos¬ sessions. es*teem /iste'em/ • v.tr. 1 have a high regard for. 2 formal consider. • n. high regard; re¬ spect; favor. ■ v. 1 respect, value, treasure, prize, cher¬ ish, hold dear, appreciate, admire, look up to, venerate, revere, honor. 2 view as, judge, regard as, deem. • n. (high) opinion; admira¬ tion; approval.

269 synonym study:

essence ~ estuary esteem

ADMIRE, APPRECIATE, PRIZE, REGARD, RESPECT.

If you’re a classical music aficionado, you might appreciate a good symphony orches¬ tra, admire someone who plays the oboe, and esteem the works of Beethoven above all other classical composers. All three of these verbs are concerned with recognizing the worth of something, but in order to ap¬ preciate it, you have to understand it well enough to judge it critically. If you admire something, you appreciate its superiority, athough not necessarily with any degree of understanding being implied (to admire the view from the balcony; admire her ability to do calculus). Esteem goes one step further, im¬ plying that your admiration is of the highest degree (a musician esteemed throughout the music world).You prize what you value high¬ ly or cherish, especially if it is a possession (she prized her Stradivarius violin), while re¬ gard is a more neutral term meaning to look at or to have a certain mental view of some¬ thing, either favorable or unfavorable (to re¬ gard him as a great musician; to regard her as a ruthless competitor). To respect is to have a deferential regard for someone or something because of its worth or value (to respect the conductor’s interpretation of the music).

es*ter /estar/ n. chemical produced by replac¬ ing the hydrogen of an acid by an organic radical. es*ti*ma»ble /estimabal/ adj. worthy of es¬ teem. □□ es'ti*ma*bly adv. m esteemed, respected, admired, valued, worthy, honored, excellent, good; respecta¬ ble, admirable, valuable, honorable, praise¬ worthy, commendable. es»ti»mate • n. /estimat/ 1 approximate judgment, esp. of cost, value, size, etc. 2 statement of approximate charge for work to be undertaken. »v.tr. /estimayt/ 1 form an estimate or opinion of. 2 make a rough calculation. □□ es*ti*ma*tion /-mayshan/ n. n. • n. reckoning, calculation; guess, ballpark figure; evaluation, assessment, appraisal. • v. es'ti*ma*tor

1 consider, think, believe, judge. 2 guess, calculate, reckon; determine; assess, ap¬ praise, value, evaluate. □□ estimation ap¬ proximation; judgment; see also view n. 4. Es*tO*ni#an /estOneean/ • n. la native of Estonia, b person of Estonian descent. 2 language of Estonia. • adj. of Estonia, its people, or language. es'trange /istraynj/ v.tr. cause (a person or group) to turn away; alienate. □□ es'trange' n. m (estranged) separated, driven apart; see

ment

also ALIENATE.

es'tro'gen /estrajan/

n. female sex hormone controlling estrus, etc. es*trus /estras/ n. recurring period of sexual receptivity in many female mammals; heat.

□□ es'trous adj. es*tu*ar*y /es-chv. 1 tr. a bend or close (a flexi¬ ble thing) over upon itself, b [foil, by back, over, down] bend a part of (a flexible thing) in the manner specified (fold down the flap). 2 intr. become or be able to be folded. 3 tr. [foil, by away, up] make compact by folding. 4 intr. colloq. a collapse; disintegrate, b (of an enterprise) fail; go bankrupt. 5 tr. poet. embrace. 6 tr. clasp (the arms); wrap; en¬ velop. • n. 1 line made by or for folding. 2 folded part. □□ fold'a'ble adj. • v. 1 double (over or up), crease, pleat, gather. 4 a see give way 2 (way), b go out of

business, go under, close down. 5, 6 hug; gather, enfold, enclose. • n. 2 crease, pleat, gather, crimp. fold2 /fold/ • n. 1 = sheepfold. 2 body of be¬ lievers or members of a church. »v.tr. en¬ close (sheep) in a fold. -fold /fold/ suffix forming adjectives and ad¬ verbs from cardinal numbers, meaning: 1 in an amount multiplied by (repaid tenfold). 2 consisting of so many parts (threefold bless¬ ing). fold»er /foldar/ n. 1 foiding cover or holder for loose papers. 2 folded leaflet. fo*li*age /foleeij/ n. leaves; leafage. foMic ac*id /folik, fol-/ n. vitamin of the B complex, found in leafy green vegetables, liver, and kidney. fo*li*0 /fOleeO/ n. (pi. -os) 1 leaf of paper, etc., esp. one numbered only on the front. 2 a leaf number of a book, b page number of a book. 3 sheet of paper folded once, mak¬ ing two leaves of a book. 4 book made of such sheets. folk /fok/ n. (pi. folk or folks) 1 [treated as pi.] people in general or of a specified class (rich and poor folks alike). 2 [in pi.] (usu. folks) one’s parents or relatives. 3 [treated as sing.] a people. 4 [attrib.] of popular ori¬ gin; traditional (folk art). □ folk dance ■dance of traditional origin, folk singer singer of folk songs, folk song song of popu¬ lar or traditional origin or style, folk tale popular or traditional story. ■ 1 society, the nation, the public, the pop¬ ulace. 2 (folks) see family 1. 3 tribe, (eth¬ nic) group, clan, race. folMore /foklawr/ n. traditional beliefs and stories of a people; the study of these. □□ folk'lornc adj. folk'lor*ist n. folk*lor* is'tic adj. folk»Sy /foksee/ adj. (folk*si*er, folk*si*est) 1 friendly; informal. 2 of or like folk art, cul¬ ture, etc. □□ folk'si*ness n. • 1 See INFORMAL. foMi«cle /foliksl/ n. 1 small sac or vesicle. 2 small sac-shaped secretory gland or cavity. □ □ fol*lic«u*lar /folikyabr/ adj. fol*lic*u* late /folikyabt, -layt/ adj. foMow /folo/ v. 1 tr. & intr. go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead). 2 tr. go along (a route, path, etc.). 3 tr. & intr. come after in order or time (dessert followed the main course). 4 tr. take as a guide or leader. 5 tr. conform to. 6 tr. practice (a trade or profession). 7 tr. undertake (a course of study, etc.). 8 tr. understand. 9 tr. maintain awareness of the current state or progress of (events, etc., in a particular sphere). 10 tr. provide with a sequel or suc¬ cessor. 11 intr. a be necessarily true as a re¬ sult of something else, b be a result of. □ follow through 1 continue (an action, etc.) to its conclusion. 2 Sports continue the movement of a stroke after the ball has been struck, follow-through n. action of follow¬ ing through, follow up 1 [foil, by with] pur¬ sue; develop; supplement. 2 make further investigation of. follow-up n. subsequent or continued action. ■ 1 go or walk or tread or move behind; go or

311

fold ~ fool

come next. 2 trace, keep to, pursue. 5 ad¬ here to, comply with, obey, be guided by. 7 see undertake 1. 8 fathom, comprehend, grasp, see. 9 keep up with, keep abreast of, take an interest in. 11b (follow from) be a consequence of, result or develop from. □ follow through 1 persist or persevere with, conclude, pursue, carry out. followthrough see execution (execute), follow up 1 reinforce, consolidate, support, buttress. 2 pursue, investigate, check (out), check up, inquire about, follow-up reinforcement, support, backup, consolidation. fol*IOW*er /foloar/ n. 1 adherent or devotee. 2 person or thing that follows. ■ 1 disciple, student, pupil; supporter, fan. foMow«ing /foloing/ • prep, after in time; as a sequel to. • n. adherents or devotees. • adj. that follows or comes after. ■ prep, see subsequent. • n. see retinue. • adj. see attendant adj 1. foMy /folee/ n. (pi. -lies) 1 foolishness; lack of good sense. 2 foolish act, behavior, idea, etc. ■ 1 nonsense, absurdity, silliness, preposter¬ ousness, colloq. dumbness, si. nuttiness. 2 absurdity, blunder, gaffe, si. goof. fO*ment /foment/ v.tr. instigate or stir up (trouble, sedition, etc.). See synonym study at incite. □□ fo*men*ta*tion /fomentayshan/ n. fo'ment'er n. m whip up, provoke, incite, initiate, prompt, start, inspire, work up, inflame, fan the flames of, kindle. fond /fond/ adj. 1 [foil, by of] having affection or a liking for. 2 affectionate; loving; doting. 3 (of beliefs, etc.) foolishly optimistic or credulous; naive. □□ fond'ly adv. fond'ness n.

m 1 partial to, affectionate toward, attached to.- 2 tender, warm, adoring. 3 foolish, see also naive. □□ fondly affectionately, lov¬ ingly; foolishly, credulously. fon»dle /fond’l/ v.tr. caress. □□ fon'dler n. m stroke, pet, pat, touch, feel, cuddle. fon*due /fondob, -dyob/ n. dish of flavored melted cheese. font1 /font/ n. 1 receptacle in a church for baptismal water. 2 reservoir for oil in a lamp. □□ font'al adj. (in sense 1). font2 /font/ Printing set of type of one face or size. fon*ta*nel /fontanel/ n. (also fon*ta*nelle') membranous space in an infant’s skull at the angles of the parietal bones. food /food/ n. 1 nutritious substance, esp. solid in form, ingested to maintain life and growth. 2 mental stimulus. □ food chain Ecol. series of organisms each dependent on the next for food, food processor machine for chopping and mixing food. ■ 1 nourishment, nutriment, sustenance; foodstuffs, edibles, eatables. 2 ideas; inspira¬ tion, stimulation. food'Stuff /fOodstuf/ n. any substance suita¬ ble as food. fool /fool/ • n. 1 person who acts unwisely or imprudently; stupid person. 2 hist, jester;

foolhardy ~ forage

312

clown. 3 dupe. • v. 1 tr. deceive. 2 tr. trick; dupe. 3 intr. act in a joking or teasing way. 4 intr. behave in a playful or silly way. an. 1 simpleton, ninny, nincompoop, ass, jackass, dunce, dolt, halfwit, colloq. pinhead, silly, loon, goose, idiot, si. twerp, sap, dope. 2 comic, comedian, comedienne, enter¬ tainer, zany, buffoon. 3 butt, gull, victim, col¬ loq. stooge, si. sucker. • v. 1,2 take in, hoax, hoodwink, bluff, gull, humbug, make a fool of; delude, mislead, colloq. kid, si. con. 3 joke, jest, banter, tease, colloq. kid. 4 play around or about, mess around or about, frol¬ ic, cavort. fool-har-dy /foolhaardee/ adj. (fool*har*di* er, fool-har-di-est) rashly or foolishly bold; reckless. □□ fool'har-di*ly adv. fool’har* dimess n. See synonym study at temerity ■ rash, imprudent, impetuous, brash, ven¬ turesome, daring, audacious, adventurous, daredevil. fool-ish /foblish/ adj. lacking good sense or judgment; unwise. See synonym study at absurd. □□ fool'ish-ly adv. fool'ish-ness n.

■ senseless, incautious, imprudent, impoli¬ tic, indiscreet, unwise, absurd, preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, rash, brash, reckless, stupid, asinine, colloq. dumb, si. boneheaded, balmy, nuts. fool-proof /foolproof/ adj. (of a procedure, mechanism, etc.) incapable of misuse or mis¬ take. ■ safe, certain, sure, trustworthy, dependa¬ ble, reliable. foot /foot/ • n. (pi. feet /feet/) 1 a lower ex¬ tremity of the leg below the ankle, b part of a sock, etc., covering the foot. 2 lowest or endmost part. 3 step, pace, or tread (fleet of foot). 4 (pi. feet or foot) unit of linear meas¬ ure equal to 12 inches (30.48 cm). 5 Prosody a group of syllables (one usu. stressed) con¬ stituting a metrical unit, b similar unit of speech, etc. • v.tr. pay (a bill). □ foot-andmouth disease contagious viral disease of catde, etc. have one’s (or both) feet on the ground be practical, my foot! int. express¬ ing strong contradiction, on foot walking; not riding, etc. put one’s foot down colloq. 1 be firmly insistent or repressive. 2 acceler¬ ate a motor vehicle. □□ foot'ed adj. [also in comb.], foot'less adj. foot-age /fobtij/ n. 1 length or distance in feet. 2 amount of film made for showing, broadcasting, etc. foot-ball /fobtbawl/ n. 1 team game played with an inflated oval ball. 2 ball used in this. □□ foot'ball-er n. foot-bridge /fcbtbrij/ n. bridge for use by pedestrians. foot-fall /fobtfawl/' n. sound of a footstep. ■ step, footstep, tread. foot-hill /fobt-hil/ n. [often in pi.] any of the low hills around the base of a mountain, foot-hold /fobt-hold/ n. 1 place, esp. in climbing, where a foot can be supported se¬ curely. 2 secure initial position. ■ 1 footing, toehold. 2 see opening n. 2.

foot-ing /fobting/

n. 1 foothold; secure posi¬ tion (lost his footing). 2 basis on which an en¬ terprise is established or operates; relative position or status. ■ 1 toehold. 2 foundation, base; level, posi¬ tion; terms. foot-lights /fobtllts/ n.pl. row of lights along the front of a stage at the level of the actors’ feet. foot-lock-er /fdblokar/ n. small trunk usu. kept at the foot of a soldier’s or camper’s bunk. foot-loose /fobtioos/ adj. free to act as one pleases. foot-note /fcbtnot/ n. note printed at the foot of a page. foot-path /fobtpath/ n. trail or path for pedes¬ trians. foot-print /footprint/ n. 1 impression left by a foot or shoe. 2 Computing area of desk space, etc., occupied by a computer or other piece of hardware. foot-race /fobt-rays/ n. race run by people on foot. foot-step /fobtstep/ n. 1 step taken in walk¬ ing. 2 sound of this. □ follow (or tread) in a person’s footsteps do as another person did before. ■ 1 tread, pace, stride. 2 footfall, step, tread. □ follow (or tread) in a person’s footsteps follow a person’s example or way of life or tradition. foot-stool /footstool/ n. stool for resting the feet on when sitting. foot-wear /fobtwair/ n. shoes, socks, etc. foot-work /fObtwork/ n. use of the feet, esp. skillfully, in sports, dancing, etc. fop /fop/ n. affectedly elegant or fashionable man; dandy. □□ fop’per-y n. fop'pish adj. fop'pish-ly adv. fop'pish-ness n. for /fawr, far/ • prep. 1 in the interest or to the benefit of; intended to go to. 2 in defense, support, or favor of. 3 suitable or appropri¬ ate to. 4 regarding. 5 representing or in place of. 6 in exchange against. 7 at the price of. 8 as a consequence of. 9 a with a view to; in the hope or quest of. b on ac¬ count of. 10 to reach; toward (ran for home). 11 through or over (a distance or period). 12 as being (for the last time). 13 in spite of. 14 considering or making due allowance in respect of. • conj. because; since. ■ prep. 1 for the sake of, on or in behalf of. 2 on the side of, pro, on behalf of. 3 suited to, proper for; for the treatment of. 4 in re¬ spect of, respecting, concerning. 5 instead of, as a replacement for, on or in behalf of. 9 a in search or pursuit of, seeking, looking for. b because of, by reason of, owing to. 10 in the direction of, to, into; to go to. 11 for the duration of, during, in the course of. 13 despite, allowing for. • conj. as, inas¬ much as, seeing that. for- /fawr, far/ prefix forming verbs and their derivatives meaning: 1 away; off; (forget). 2 prohibition (forbid). 3 abstention or ne¬ glect (forgo). 4 excess or intensity (forlorn). for-age /fawrij, for-/ • n. 1 food for horses and cattle. 2 act or an instance of searching for food. • v. 1 intr. go searching; rummage

(esp. for food). 2 tr. obtain food from; plun¬ der. □□ for'ag*er n. ■ n. 1 see FEED n. 1. • v. 1 see look v. 2a, 3a. for»ay /fawray, for-/ • n. sudden attack; raid or incursion. • v.intr. make or go on a foray. ■ n. see inroad 2. for*bade (also for*bad) past of forbid. forebear1 /fawrbair/ v. (past for*bore 1-bawrl; past part, for*borne /-bawrn/) liter¬ ary abstain or desist (from) (forbore to men¬ tion it).

forebear2 var. of forebear. for»bear*ance /fawrbairans/

n. patient selfcontrol; tolerance. See synonym study at ab¬ stinence. for*bid /farbid, fawr-/ v.tr. (for*bid*ding; past for*bade /-bad, -bayd/ or for*bad /-bad/; past part. for*bid*den /-bid’n/) 1 [foil, by to + infin.] order not (I forbid you to go). 2 refuse to allow. See synonym study at prohibit. □□ for*bid*dance /-dans/ n. ■ 1 (forbid to) prohibit or ban or debar from, hinder or stop or prevent from. 2 prohibit, ban, outlaw, interdict. for»bid*ding /farbiding, fawr-/ adj. uninvit¬ ing; repellent; stern. □□ for*bid'ding*ly adv. m repulsive,

odious; hostile, unfriendly,

harsh.

for»bore past of forbear1. for»borne past part, of forbear1. force /fawrs/ • n. 1 power; exerted strength or impetus; intense effort. 2 coercion; com¬ pulsion. 3 a military strength, b organized body of soldiers, police, etc. 4 binding power; validity. 5 effect; precise significance. 6 mental or moral strength; efficacy. 7 Phys¬ ics influence tending to cause the motion of a body. 8 person or thing regarded as exerting influence. • v.tr. 1 compel or coerce (a per¬ son). 2 break open or into by force. 3 drive or propel violently or against resistance. 4 impose or press (on a person). 5 cause, produce, or attain by effort (forced a smile). 6 strain or increase to the utmost; overstrain. See synonym study at compel. □ in force 1 valid; effective. 2 in great strength or num¬ bers. □□ force'a*ble adj. forc'er n. m n. 1 might, energy, potency; strain, exer¬ tion. 2 pressure, constraint, duress, colloq. arm-twisting. 4 weight, persuasiveness, co¬ gency. 5 meaning, import; see also signifi¬ cance (significant). 6 influence; see also STRENGTH 1. 8 See INFLUENCE n. • V. 1 make, oblige, require, constrain. 2 pry or wrench open, jimmy. 3 push, thrust. 4 see thrust v. la. 5 see wrench v. 3, insist on. 6 see stretch v. 6. □ in force 1 in effect, in operation, operative, binding, current. forced /fawrst/ adj. 1 obtained or imposed by force (forced entry). 2 (of a gesture, etc.) af¬ fected; unnatural. ■ 2 artificial, contrived, stilted, labored, strained. force'ful /fawrsfool/ adj. 1 vigorous; power¬ ful. 2 (of speech) compelling; impressive. □□ force'fuWy adv. force'fubness n. m 1 energetic, dynamic, aggressive, potent. 2 effective, efficacious, cogent, telling, con¬ vincing.

313

foray ~ foregone

for*ceps /fawrseps/ n.

(pi. same) surgical pin¬

cers.

for*Ci»ble /fawrsibal/

adj. done by or involv¬ ing force; forceful, oo for'ci*ble*ness n. forcibly adv. m drastic, coercive, severe, ford /fawrd/ • n. shallow water crossing, as in a river, •v.tr. cross (water) at a ford. □□ ford'a*ble adj. ford'less adj. m v. see wade v. 4. fore /fawr/ • adj. situated in front. • n. front part, esp. of a ship; bow. • int. Golf warning to a person in the path of a ball. □ foreand-aft adj. (of a sail or rigging) set length¬ wise, not on the yards. ■ n. see front n. 1. fore- /fawr/ prefix forming: 1 verbs meaning: a in front (foreshorten). b beforehand (fore¬ warn). 2 nouns meaning: a situated in front of (forecourt). b front part of (forehead). fore*arm /fawraarm/ n. part of the arm from the elbow to the wrist or the fingertips. fore*bear /fawrbair/ n. (also for'bear) [usu. inp/.] ancestor. fore*bode /fawrbed/ v.tr. 1 betoken; be an advance warning of. 2 have a presentiment of (usu. evil). fore*bod*ing /fawrboding/ n. expectation of trouble or evil; presage or omen. □□ fore* bod'ing*ly adv. ■ premonition, presentiment; omen, sign; apprehension, apprehensiveness, misgiving. fore»cast/fawrkast/ •v.tr. (past and past part. -cast or -cast*ed) predict. See synonym study at predict. • n. calculation or estimate of something future, esp. coming weather. □□ fore'cast*er n. ■ v. foretell, prophesy, prognosticate, fore¬ see. • n. estimate, prediction, prophecy, prognosis. fore*cas*tle /foksal/ n. (also fo’c’s’le) Naut. forward part of a ship where the crew has quarters. fore*close /fawrkloz/ v.tr. 1 repossess mort¬ gaged property when a loan is not duly re¬ paid. 2 exclude. □□ fore*clo*sure /-kl6zhar/ n. fore*fa*ther /fawrfaathar/ n. [usu. in pi] an¬ cestor. fore»fin*ger /fawrfinggar/ n. finger next to the thumb. fore*foot /fawrfoot/ n. (pi. -feet) front foot of an animal. fore*front /fawrfrunt/ n. 1 foremost part. 2 leading position. ■ 2 see front n. 6. fore'go1 /fawrgd/ (-goes; past -went /-went/; past part, -gone /-gon/) precede in place or time. fore*go2 var. of forgo. fore*go*ing /fawrgOing/ adj. preceding; pre¬ viously mentioned. ■ former, previous, precedent; above, afore¬ mentioned, aforesaid. foregone /fawrgawn, -gon/ past part, of forego1. • attrib.adj. previous; preceding; completed. □ foregone conclusion easily foreseen or predictable result.

foreground ~ forget foreground /fawrgrownd/

314

n. 1 part of a view that is nearest the observer. 2 most conspicuous position. fore*hand /fawrhand/ n. Tennis, etc. 1 stroke played with the palm of the hand facing the opponent. 2 [attrib.] (also fore'hand’ed) of or made with a forehand. fore*head /fawrid, hed, for-/ n. part of the face above the eyebrows. foreign /fawrin, for-/ adj. 1 of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or a language other than one’s own. 2 dealing with other countries (foreign service). 3 unfamiliar; strange. 4 coming from outside (foreign body). □□ for'eignmess n. m 1 alien, imported, nonnative; overseas. 2 external, international, overseas. 3 out¬ landish, peculiar, odd, uncharacteristic. 4 see external adj. lb. for»eign»er /fawrinar, for-/ n. person born in or coming from a foreign country or place. ■ alien, nonnative, immigrant, outsider, outlander. fore*leg /fawrleg/ n. each of the front legs of a quadruped. forelock /fawrlok/ n. lock of hair just above the forehead. fore*man /fawrman/ n. (pi. -men) 1 worker supervising others. 2 presiding juror in a le¬ gal trial. ■ 1 superintendent, supervisor, overseer, colloq. boss. fore*mast /fawrmast, -mast/ n. forward mast of a ship. fore*most /fawrmost/ • adj. 1 chief or most notable. 2 first; front. • adv. most impor¬ tantly (first and foremost). m adj. first, primary, prime, leading, preem¬ inent. • adv. first, firstly, primarily, in the first place. fo»ren»sic ,/farensik, -zik! adj. 1 of or used in courts of law. 2 disp. of or involving forensic science. □□ fo*ren'si*cal*ly adv. fore»play /fawrplay/ n. stimulation preceding sexual intercourse. fore»run»ner /fawr-runar/ n. 1 predecessor. 2 herald. ■ 1 precursor, foregoer, ancestor, progeni¬ tor. 2 harbinger, envoy; see also messenger. fore*see/fawrse'e/ v.tr. (past -saw /-saw/; past part, -seen /-se'en/) see or be aware of be¬ forehand. □□ fore*see'a*ble adj. fore*se*er /-se'ear/ n. ■ presage, foretell, envisage, forecast, pre¬ dict, prophesy. fore*Shad*OW /fawrshado/ v.tr. be a warning or indication of (a future event). See syno¬ nym study at predict. ■ presage, foretoken, portend, augur, indi¬ cate, bode. fore»short*en /fawrshawrt’n/ v.tr. show or portray (an object) with the apparent short¬ ening due to visual perspective. fore'Sight /fawrslt/ n. 1 regard or provision for the future. 2 process of foreseeing. □□ fore*sight*ed /—sftid/ adj. fore'sighted* ly adv. fore'sight-ed’ness n. m 1 providence. 2 prevision, foreknowledge.

fore*Skin /fawrskin/

n. fold of skin covering the end of the penis. (Also called prepuce). for*est /fawrist, for-/ • n. large area of trees and undergrowth. • v.tr. 1 plant with trees. 2 convert into a forest. □□ for'est*er n. m n. see wood 2. forestall /fawrstawl/ v.tr. 1 act in advance of in order to prevent. 2 anticipate. □□ fore* stall'er n. forestall'ment n. n 1 anticipate, obstruct, hinder, thwart, frustrate, avert, ward off. 2 see anticipate 3. for*est*ry /fawristree, for-/ n. 1 science or management of forests. 2 wooded country; forests. fore'taste • n. /fawrtayst/ partial enjoyment or suffering in advance, •v.tr. /fawrtayst/ taste beforehand. ■ n. earnest, token; anticipation, fore'tell /fawrtel/ v.tr. (past and past part. -told /-told/) 1 predict; prophesy. 2 pres¬ age. See synonym study at predict. □□ fore* tell'er n. forethought /fawrthawt/ n. 1 care or provi¬ sion for the future. 2 previous thinking or devising. 3 deliberate intention. ■ 1 farsightedness, longsightedness; prepa¬ ration, planning, organization. 2 premedita¬ tion, preplanning. for*ev*er /farevar, fawr-/ adv. continually; persistendy. ■ constandy, continuously, always, all the time. fore*warn /fawrwawrn/ v.tr. warn before¬ hand. □□ fore*warn'er n. fore*went past of forego1, forego2. fore*WOm*an /fawrwCOman/ n. (pi. -worn* en) 1 female worker supervising others. 2 jury spokeswoman. fore»WOrd /fawrward/ n. introductory re¬ marks at the beginning of a book, often by a person other than the author. ■ preface, prologue, preamble, proem, in¬ troduction. forfeit /fawrfit/ • n. 1 penalty. 2 something surrendered as a penalty. • adj. lost or sur¬ rendered as a penalty. • v.tr. lose the right to; have to pay as a penalty. □□ for'feit*a*ble adj. for'feit*er n. for*fei*ture /-fichar/ n. m n. 1 fine, fee, charge, damages. • v. yield, give up or over, relinquish, concede, surren¬ der, cede. for*gath*er /fawrgathar/ v.intr. (also fore* gath'er) assemble; meet together; associate. for*gave past of forgive. forge1 /fawrj/ •v.tr. 1 make or write in fraudulent imitation. 2 shape (esp. metal) by heating in a fire and hammering. • n. 1 fur¬ nace or workshop for melting or refining metal. □□ forge'a*ble adj. forg'er n. m v. 1 falsify, fake, fabricate. 2 make, con¬ struct, fashion, fabricate, manufacture, beat. forge2 /fawrj/ v.intr. move forward gradually or steadily. □ forge ahead 1 take the lead. 2 strive and progress. forg*er*y /fawrj aree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 act or an instance of forging. 2 forged or spurious document, signature, etc. ■ 1 falsification, counterfeiting. 2 counter¬ feit, fake, fraud. for*get /Target/ v. (for*get*ting; past for*got

/-got/; past pan. for*got*ten /-got’n/ or for* got) 1 tr. & intr. lose the remembrance of. 2 tr. overlook; neglect. 3 tr. [also absol.] cease to think of {forgive and forget). □ forget-me-not plant with small yellow¬ eyed bright blue flowers. □□ for*get'ta*ble adj. for*get'ter n. • 1 fail to remember or recall, fail to think of, lose sight of. 2 omit, fail (in); leave (be¬ hind); miss, fail to notice. 3 ignore, disre¬ gard; put out of one’s mind. for»get»ful /fargetfOOl/ adj. 1 apt to forget; absent-minded. 2 forgetting; neglectful. □□ for*get'ful*ly adj. for*get'ful*ness n. ■ 1 distrait, thoughtless, inattentive, lax; amnesic. 2 negligent, heedless, remiss, care¬ less, thoughtless. for*give/fargiv/ v. tr. (past for*gave; past part. for*giv*en) cease to feel angry or resentful toward; pardon. See synonym study at ab¬ solve. □□ for*giv'a*ble adj. for*giv'a*bly adv. for'give'ness n. for*giv'er n. ■ excuse; overlook, condone, clear, acquit, absolve. □□ forgiveness pardon, absolu¬ tion, exoneration; reprieve, remission, ac¬ quittal, vindication, indulgence, allowance, archaic shrift; mercy, clemency; formal excul¬ pation. for*giv*ing /forgiving/ adj. inclined readily to forgive. □□ for*giv'ing*ly adv. ■ tolerant, lenient, forbearing, charitable, merciful. for»go /fawrgo/ v.tr. (also fore*go') (-goes; past -went /-went/; past part, -gone /-gawn, -gon/) go without; relinquish. ■ abstain from, sacrifice, cede, waive, de¬ cline, yield. for«got past of forget. for«goWen past part, of forget. fork /fawrk/ • n. 1 instrument with two or more prongs used in eating or cooking. 2 similar much larger instrument used for digging, lifting, etc. 3 a divergence of any¬ thing, e.g., a stick, road, or river, into two parts, b place where this occurs. C either of the two parts. • v. 1 intr. diverge into two parts. 2 tr. dig or lift, etc., with a fork. □ fork out (or over or up) si. hand over or pay, usu. reluctantly. forked /fawrkt/ adj. 1 having a fork or fork¬ like end or branches. 2 divergent; cleft. 3 [in comb.] having so many prongs (three¬ forked). fork»lift /fawrklift/ n. vehicle with a horizontal fork in front for lifting and carrying loads. fortiorn /fawrlawrn/ adj. 1 sad and aban¬ doned or lonely. 2 in a pitiful state, do for* lorn'ly adv. for*lorn'ness n. m 1 lonesome, forsaken, deserted; desolate, inconsolable, despairing, woeful, cheerless, joyless. 2 miserable, wretched, pitiable, pa¬ thetic. form /fawrm/ • n. 1 shape; arrangement of parts. 2 person or animal as visible or tangi¬ ble. 3 mode in which a thing exists or mani¬ fests itself. 4 species, kind, or variety. 5 doc¬ ument to be filled in. 6 correct procedure. 7 (of an athlete, horse, etc.) condition of health and training. 8 general state or dispo¬ sition (in great form). 9 Gram, one of the

315

forgetful ~ formal

ways in which a word may be spelled or pro¬ nounced or inflected. 10 arrangement; style. • o.l tr. make or fashion. 2 intr. take a cer¬ tain shape; be formed. 3 tr. make up or con¬ stitute. 4 tr. train or instruct. 5 tr. develop or establish. 6 tr. embody; organize. □□ form' less adj. form'less*ly adv. • n. 1 figure; configuration, conformation; structure, build. 2 silhouette, figure, shape, image. 3 style, character, manner, fashion; aspect, look. 4 type, version, sort, breed, make, class. 6 protocol, practice, routine; see also procedure 1-3. 7 state, order, shape, trim, fettle, health. 8 condition, shape, health; mood, temper. • v. 1 fabri¬ cate, forge, shape, mold. 2 develop, grow, arise, appear, materialize. 3 serve as, func¬ tion as, act as. 4 see instruct 1. 5 create, originate, generate, devise, invent, design. 6 arrange, assemble. □□ formless see shape¬ less (shape), chaotic (chaos). /fawrm/ comb, form (usu. as -iform)

-form

forming adjectives meaning having the form of (cruciform, cuneiform). for»mal /fawrmal/ • adj. 1 in accordance with rules, convention, or ceremony. 2 pre¬ cise or symmetrical (formal garden). 3 prim; stiff in manner. 4 explicit or official (formal agreement). • n. 1 evening dress. 2 occasion on which evening dress is worn. □□ for' mal*ly adv. ■ adj. 1 correct, proper, set, prescribed, conventional, customary; stately, courtly, dignified. 2 orderly. 3 rigid, exact, punctili¬ ous; impersonal, reserved. 4 formalized, au¬ thorized, valid; express, definite, exact, spe¬ cific. synonym study; formal ceremonial, ceremonious, pompous, proper,

Formal suggests a suit-andtie approach to certain situations—reserved, conventional, obeying all the rules (an en¬

punctilious.

graved invitation to a formal dinner requiring black tie or evening gown). Proper, in this re¬

gard, implies scrupulously correct behavior that observes rules of etiquette (the proper way to serve a guest; the proper spoon for dessert). Punctilious behavior observes all the proper formalities (a “punctilio” is a de¬ tail or fine point), but may verge on the an¬ noying (her punctilious attention to the correct placement of silverware made setting the table an ordeal). Someone (usually a man) who likes to show off self-importantly just how formal and proper he can be runs the risk of becom¬

ing the most dreaded dinner guest of all: the pompous ass. Pompous individuals may de¬ rive more than the normal amount of plea¬ sure from participating in ceremonial acts or events, which are those performed ac¬ cording to set rules, and in which one demonstrates ceremonious behavior (the Japanese woman could not have been more cere¬ monious than when she was carrying out the cer¬ emonial serving of tea). Ceremonial is also

used to describe items used in formal cere¬ monies (ceremonial robes).

formaldehyde ~ fortress form*al*de*hyde /fawrmaldihid/

316

n. colorless

pungent gas used as a disinfectant and preservative. ^Chem. formula: CH2O. (Also called methanal). for*mal*ism /fawrmalizam/ n. 1 excessive adherence to prescribed forms. 2 derog. an artist’s concentration on form at the expense of content. □□ for'maHst n. for-malns'tic adj.

for*mal»i»ty /fawrmalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 a formal, esp. meaningless, procedure or custom, b thing done simply to comply with a rule. 2 rigid observance of rules or conven¬ tion. ■ 1 form, convention, practice, observance, ritual. 2 formalness, stricmess, punctilio, ex¬ actness. for»mal*ize /fawrmaliz/ v.tr. 1 give definite shape or legal formality to. 2 make formal. □□ for*mal*i*za*tion /-lizayshan/ n. for*mat /fawrmat/ • n. 1 shape and size of a book, periodical, etc. 2 style or arrange¬ ment. • v.tr. (for»mat*ted, for»mafting) arrange or put into a format. ■ n. 1 form, dimension(s), appearance, look, design, style. 2 structure, method, plan, organization, composition, makeup. • v. see structure v. for*ma*tion /fawrmayshan/ n. 1 forming. 2 thing formed. 3 particular arrangement, e.g., of troops. □□ for*ma'tion*al adj. ■ 1,2 foundation, development, appear¬ ance, production, establishment, institution, founding. 3 configuration, pattern, display, array. form*a»tive /fawrmstiv/ adj. serving to form or fashion; of formation. □□ form'a*tive*ly adv.

for*mer /fawrmor/

attrib.adj. 1 of the past; earlier; previous. 2 [prec. by the] the first or first mentioned of two. ■ 1 old, past, prior; ex-, one-time. for*mer*ly /fawrmarlce/ adv. in the past; in former times. ■ once, before, previously, long ago, at one time. for*mi*da»ble /fawrmidabal, disp. formidabal/ adj. 1 inspiring fear or dread. 2 inspir¬ ing respect or awe. 3 hard to overcome or deal with. □□ for’mi*da*ble*ness n. for' mi*da*bly adv. u 1 dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightful, daunting. 2 impressive, awesome, awe¬ inspiring; breathtaking, amazing. 3 arduous, difficult, daunting. for*miHa /fawrmyala/ n. (pi. for*mu*las or (esp. in senses 1, 2) for«mu*lae /-lee/) 1 Chem. chemical symbols showing the con¬ stituents of a substance. 2 Math, mathemat¬ ical rule expressed in symbols. 3 fixed form, esp. of words used on social or ceremonial occasions. 4 a list of ingredients, b infant’s liquid food preparation. □□ fornnudauc /—layik/ adj. for*mu*lar*ize /-brlz/ v.tr. for' mu*lize v.tr. m 3 liturgy, rubric; rite; rule, protocol, con¬ vention; plan, routine, pattern, system. 4 a recipe, prescription.

for*mu»late /fawrmyalayt/ v.tr. 1 express in a formula. 2 express clearly and precisely. □□ for*mu*la*tion /-layshan/ n. u 1 program, systematize, codify, shape, draft, develop. 2 define, specify, particular¬ ize, articulate, vocalize. for*ni*cate /fawrnikayt/ v.intr. (of people not married or not married to each other) have sexual intercourse voluntarily. □□ for*ni*ca* tion /-kayshan/ n. for'ni*ca*tor n. for*sake /farsayk, fawr-/ v.tr. (past for*sook /-sdbk/; past part. for«sak*en /-saykan/) 1 give up; break off from; renounce. 2 desert; abandon. □□ for*sak'en*ness n. for*sak'er n. m 1 abstain from, relinquish, yield, forgo; reject; abandon. 2 leave, maroon, jilt, reject, rebuff, snub. for'SOOth /farsobth, fawr-/ adv. archaic or joc. truly; in truth. foreswear /fawrswair/ v.tr. (past foreswore /-swawr/; past part, foresworn /-swawrn/) 1 renounce. 2 commit perjury. for»Syth»i«a /fawrsitheeo/ n. ornamental shrub bearing bright yellow flowers in early spring. fort /fawrt/ «. fortified building or position. forte1 /fawrt, fawrtay/ n. person’s strong point; a thing in which a person excels. ■ strength, metier, specialty; talent, gift. for*te2 /fortay/ Mus. • adj. performed loudly. • adv. loudly. forth /fawrth/ adv. archaic except in set phras¬ es and after certain verbs, esp. bring, come, go, and set. 1 forward; into view. 2 [often in comb.] onward in time (henceforth). forth*COm*ing /fawrthkuming/ aurib. adj. 1 coming or available soon. 2 (often in comb.) produced when wanted. 3 (of a per¬ son) informative; responsive. ■ 1 impending, approaching, coming, im¬ minent; likely, probable, possible, in the cards. 3 outgoing, open, frank. forthright /fawrthrit/ adj. direct and outspo¬ ken; straightforward. □□ forthright'ly adv. forth'right*ness n. m straight, blunt, candid; unreserved, forthwith /fawrthwith, -with/ adv. without delay. for»ti*fy /fawrtifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 pro¬ vide or equip with military defense. 2 strengthen or invigorate physically, men¬ tally, or morally. 3 strengthen (wine) with al¬ cohol. 4 increase the nutritive value of (food, esp. with vitamins). □□ for'ti"fi*a*ble adj. for’ti'fi'ca'tion n. for'ti*fi*er n. • 1 arm, make ready; defend, secure, pro¬ tect. 2 brace, stimulate, animate; steel, hard¬ en, support. 3, 4 supplement, enhance, en¬ rich, augment, lace. for'tis^si'mo /fawrtisimo/ Mus. • adj. per¬ formed very loudly. • adv. very loudly. for*ti«tude /fawrtitood, -tyood/ n. courage in pain or adversity. ■ bravery, daring, valor, boldness, intrepid¬ ity, pluck. fortnight /fawrtnit/ n. period of fourteen days; two weeks. □□ fort'nighfly adj. & adv. fortress /fawrtris/ n. fortified building or town.

■ See STRONGHOLD 1.

for«tu»i*tOUS /fawrtdbitas, -tyob-/ adj. due to or characterized by chance; accidental; cas¬ ual. See synonym study at accidental. □□ for*tu'i*tous*ly adv. for*tu'i*tous*ness n. for*tu'i*ty n. for*tu*nate /fawrchanat/ adj. 1 favored by fortune; lucky; prosperous. 2 auspicious; fa¬ vorable. □□ for'tu*nate*ly adv. ■ 1 blessed, charmed. 2 advantageous, promising, propitious. □□ fortunately see happily (happy). fortune /fawrchan/ n. la chance or luck as a force in human affairs, b person’s destiny. 2 [in sing, or pi] good or bad luck that befalls a person or an enterprise. 3 good luck. 4 prosperity; riches. □ fortune-teller per¬ son who claims to predict future events in a person’s life, fortune-telling practice of this. ■ 1 a fate, destiny, hazard, b lot, fate, por¬ tion. 2 circumstance (s), experience (s). 3 fluke, stroke of luck, colloq. break. 4 wealth, money, affluence, opulence. □ fortune-teller clairvoyant, soothsayer, psychic, oracle. for*ty /fawrtee/ • n. (pi. -ties) 1 product of four and ten. 2 symbol for this (40, xl, XL). 3 [in pi] numbers from 40 to 49, esp. as years. • adj. that amount to forty. □□ for'd* eth adj. & n. adj. & adv. fO*rum /fawram/ n. 1 place, agency, or meet¬ ing for public discussion. 2 hist, public square in an ancient Roman city. for*ward /fawrward/ • adj. 1 lying in one’s line of motion. 2 onward or toward the front. 3 precocious; bold in manner; pre¬ sumptuous. 4 Commerce relating to the fu¬ ture (forward contract). • n. attacking player positioned near the front of a team in foot¬ ball, hockey, etc. • adv. 1 to the front; into prominence. 2 in advance; ahead (sent them forward). 3 onward. 4 (also for'wards) a toward the front in the direction one is fac¬ ing. b in the normal direction of motion. • v.tr. 1 send (a letter, etc.) on to a further destination. 2 help to advance; promote. □□ for'ward*er n. for'ward*ly adv. for' ward»ness n. (esp. in sense 3 of adj.). m adj. 1 (up) ahead, in front, colloq. up front. 2 advance, front, head, fore; foremost. 3 presuming, familiar, confident. • adv. 1 ahead, in front, frontward(s), to the fore, up. 2 in front, in the lead or vanguard, be¬ fore, to the fore. 3, 4 along, onward(s), ahead; in front. • v. 2 further, back, cham¬ pion, favor, foster, support; propose, move, submit. forewent past of forgo. fos*sil /fosal/ • n. 1 remains or impression of a (usu. prehistoric) plant or animal hardened in rock. 2 colloq. antiquated or unchanging person or thing. • adj. 1 of or like a fossil. 2 antiquated; out of date. □ fossil fuel natu¬ ral fuel such as coal or gas. □□ fos'silnze v. fos*sil*i*za'tion n. an. 2 see fogy. • adj. 2 see ancient adj. 2. fOS*ter /fawstar, fos-/ • v.tr. la promote the growth or development of. b encourage or harbor (a feeling). 2 (of circumstances) be

317

fortuitous ~ foundation

favorable to. 3 bring up (a child that is not one’s own by birth). See synonym study at encourage. • adj. 1 having a family connec¬ tion by fostering (foster child). 2 concerned with fostering a child (foster care). □□ fos' ter*age n. (esp. in sense 3 of v.). fos'ter'er n. • v. la encourage, stimulate, favor, fur¬ ther. b nurture; stimulate, arouse, awaken. 2 create, produce, generate, cultivate. 3 rear, raise, take care of. fought past and past part, of fight. foul /fowl/ • adj. 1 offensive; loathsome; stinking. 2 dirty; soiled; filthy. 3 colloq. re¬ volting; disgusting. 4 noxious. 5 disgusting¬ ly abusive or offensive. 6 against the rules. 7 rough; stormy. • n. Sports unfair or invalid stroke or action. • adv. unfairly. • v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become foul or dirty. 2 a tr. Sports commit a foul against (a player), b intr. commit a foul. 3 a tr. cause to become entangled or blocked, b intr. become entan¬ gled. 4 tr. bungle. □ foul mouth person who uses offensive language, foul play 1 unfair play in games. 2 treacherous or vio¬ lent activity, esp. murder, foul-up muddle or bungle. □□ foul'ly adv. foul'ness n. ■ adj. 1 vile, obnoxious, revolting, repul¬ sive; stinking, fetid, rancid. 2 grimy, un¬ clean, squalid, sordid, si. yucky. 3 detesta¬ ble, hateful, abominable, hideous, horrid, si. gross. 4 tainted, adulterated, contaminated, polluted, poisonous. 5 vile, bad, base, de¬ praved, reprobate, corrupt; dirty, obscene, filthy, scatological, coarse, crude. 6 dirty, dishonest, fraudulent, two-faced, dishonora¬ ble, unfair; illegal, forbidden. 7 wet, nasty, violent; adverse. • n. violation, breach, in¬ fringement, infraction. • adv. foully, meanly, dishonestly, fraudulently; in violation. • v. 1 dirty, defile, soil, besmirch, pollute, con¬ taminate. 3 tangle, entangle, catch (up), snare, snarl (up); jam, block, impede, ob¬ struct. 4 spoil, ruin, mismanage, mishandle, botch (up). □ foul play 1 cheating, unfair¬ ness, dirty tricks, dirty work. 2 trickery, per¬ fidy, guile; conspiracy, foul-up see blunder n. found1 past and past part, of find. found2 /fownd/ v. 1 tr. establish; originate; initiate. 2 a tr. construct or base (a story, theory, rule, etc.) on. b intr. have a basis in. □□ found'er n. found'er*ship n. m 1 constitute, set up, institute, launch, or¬ ganize. 2 a ground, build; rest; see also base1 v. 1. no founder originator, creator, pro¬ genitor, author, framer, father. found3 /fownd/ v.tr. 1 a melt and mold (metal), b fuse (materials for glass). 2 make by founding. □□ found'er n. foun*da*tion /fowndayshan/ n. la solid ground or base on which a building rests, b [usu. in pi] lowest load-bearing part of a building. 2 material base. 3 basis or under¬ lying principle. 4 a establishment (esp. of an endowed institution), b such an institution, e.g., a college or hospital. □□ foun»da'tion* al adj.

founder ~ fragment

318

■ 1 substructure. 2 background, body, ground. 3 base, starting point, fundamen¬ tals), grounds, rationale. 4 founding, insti¬ tuting, creation, origination. found*er /fowndar/ v. 1 a intr. (of a ship) fill with water and sink, b tr. cause (a ship) to founder. 2 intr. (of a plan, etc.) fail. 3 intr. (of a horse or its rider) fall to the ground, fall from lameness, stick fast in mud, etc. ■ 1 a go down or under; be wrecked or de¬ stroyed. 2 miscarry, collapse, fall through, abort, break down. 3 trip, stumble, lurch, topple, collapse; go lame. founcHing /fowndling/ n. abandoned infant of unknown parentage, foundry /fowndree/ n. (pi. -ries) workshop for or a business of casting metal, fount /fownt/ n. poet, spring or fountain; source. fountain /fowntin/ a la jet or jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or for drinking, b structure provided for this. 2 natural spring of water. 3 source. □ foun¬ tain pen pen with a reservoir or cartridge holding ink. □□ foun'tained adj. [also in comb.]. ■ 1,2 spring, spout, spray. 3 see spring n. 6, origin 1. four /fawr/ • n. 1 one more than three. 2 symbol for this (4, iv, IV, iiii, IIII). • adj. that amount to four. □ four-letter word any of several short words referring to sexual or excretory functions, regarded as coarse or offensive, four-wheel drive drive powering all four wheels of a vehicle, on all fours on hands and knees. fourfold /fawrfold/ adj. & adv. 1 four times as much or as many. 2 consisting of four parts. 3 amounting to four. 401 (k) »n. retirement plan in which employ¬ ees invest before-tax income and earn taxdeferred interest (named for the relevant section of the Internal Revenue Code), foursome /fawrsam/ n. group of four per¬ sons. foursquare /fawrskwair/ • adj. 1 solidly based. 2 steady; resolute. 3 square shaped. • adv. steadily; resolutely. fourteen /fawrteen/ • n. 1 one more than thirteen. 2 symbol for this (14, xiv, XTV). • adj. that amount to fourteen. □□ four' teenth' adj. & n. fourth /fawrth/ • n. 1 next after third. 2 each of four equal parts of a thing; a quarter. 3 (Fourth) the Fourth of July. • adj. that is the fourth. □ fourth dimension 1 postu¬ lated dimension additional to those deter¬ mining area and volume. 2 time regarded as equivalent to linear dimensions, fourth es¬ tate the press; journalism. □□ fourth'ly adv. fowl /fowl/ n. (pi. same or fowls) 1 domestic birds, esp. chickens, kept for eggs and flesh. 2 flesh of these birds as food. 3 [in comb, or collect.] bird (guineafowl). □□ fowl'er n. FOX /foks/ n. 1 a N. American people native to the northeastern US. b member of this people. 2 language of this people.

fox /foks/ • n. 1 a canine animal with a bushy tail and red or gray fur. b fur of a fox. 2 cun¬ ning or sly person. 3 si. an attractive young woman or man. • v. la intr. act craftily b tr. deceive; trick. 2 tr. (usu. as foxed adj.) discolor (the leaves of a book, engraving, etc.) with brownish marks. □ fox terrier kind of short-haired terrier. □□ fox'ing n. (in sense 2 of v.). fox'like adj. mn. 2 see devil n. 3b. • v. 1 b see FLUMMOX. fox^glove /foksgluv/ n. tall plant with erect spikes of purple or white flowers like glove fingers. fox»hole /foks-hol/ n. Mil. hole in the ground used as a shelter against enemy fire or as a firing point. fOX'hound /foks-hownd/ n. hound bred and trained to hunt foxes. fox*trOt /fokstrot/ • n. 1 ballroom dance with slow and quick steps. 2 music for this. • v.intr. (fox*trot*ted, fox*trot"ting) per¬ form this dance. fox»y /foksee/ adj. (fox*i«er, fox*i*est) 1 fox¬ like; sly; cunning. 2 si. sexually attractive. □□ fox'i*ly adv. fox'imess n. m 1 vulpine; clever, wily, crafty, tricky, guile¬ ful. 2 attractive, alluring, seductive, vampish, sexy. foy*er /foyor, foyay, fwa'ayay/ n. entrance hall or other large area in a hotel, theater, etc. FPO abbr. 1 field post office. 2 fleet post of¬ fice. fps abbr. (also f.p.s.) 1 feet per second. 2 foot-pound-second. Fr symb. Chem. francium. Fr. abbr. (also Fr) 1 Father. 2 French. fr. abbr. franc(s). fra*cas /fraykos/ n. (pi. same, pronunc. /-kaaz/) noisy disturbance or quarrel. ■ commotion, fuss, hubbub, hullabaloo, uproar; argument, disagreement, dispute, discord, wrangle. fraction /frakshon/ n. 1 numerical quantity that is not a whole number (e.g., 0.5, ty^. 2 small part, piece, or amount. See synonym study at fragment. □□ frac'tion*al adj. frac'tion*ar*y adj. frac'tiontize v.tr. m 2 see section n. 2. □□ fractional see lit¬ tle adj. 1, 2. frac'tious /frakshas/ adj. 1 irritable; peevish. 2 unruly. □□ frac'tiousdy adv. frac'tious* ness n. frac'ture /frakchar/ • n. breakage, esp. of a bone. • v. Med. undergo or cause to undergo a fracture. ■ n. break, breaking, separation, division. • v. break, rupture, crack, split, breach, sepa¬ rate, literary cleave. fragile /frajil, -jll/ adj. 1 easily broken; weak. 2 delicate; not strong. □□ frag'ile'ly adv. fra*gil*i»ty /frajilitee/ n. ■ 1 breakable, brittle, rickety, frail; tenuous, shaky. 2 dainty, thin, slight; frail, weak; see also FEEBLE 1. frag»ment • n. /fragmant/ 1 part broken off; a detached piece. 2 isolated or incomplete part (of a book, etc.). • v. /fragment/ break or separate into fragments. □□ frag*men* tal /-ment’l/ adj. frag»men*ta'tion n. frag' mentnze v.tr.

an. 1,2 portion, chip, shard, splinter, sliv¬ er, scrap, bit, speck, snippet. • v. split (up), shatter, splinter; come apart. □□ fragmen¬ tation see SEPARATION. synonym study: fragment FRACTION, PART, PIECE, PORTION, SECTION, SEG¬ MENT. The whole is equal to the sum of its parts—part being a general term for any of the components of a whole. But how did the whole come apart? Fragment suggests that breakage has occurred {fragments of pottery) and often refers to a brittle substance such as glass or pottery, though it is also used to refer to words or thoughts {a fragment of a poem-, she remembered only a fragment of the dream). Segment suggests that the whole has been separated along natural or pre-existing lines of division (a segment of an orange), and sec¬ tion suggests a substantial and clearly sepa¬ rate part that fits closely with other parts to form the whole (a section of a bookcase). Fraction usually suggests a less substantial but still clearly delineated part {a fraction of her income), and a portion is a part that has been allotted or assigned to someone (her portion of the program). Finally, the very fre¬ quently used piece is any part that is sepa¬ rate from the whole.

frag»men*tar*y /fragmonteree/ adj.

1 con¬ sisting of fragments. 2 disconnected. □□ frag'men*tar*i*ly adv. ■ 1 piecemeal, incomplete, sketchy, bitty. 2 disconnected, scattered, disjointed; see also INCOHERENT 2. fra*grance /fraygrans/ n. 1 sweetness of smell. 2 sweet scent. See synonym study at smell. □□ fra'gran*cy n. fra'grant adj. fra'grant'ly adv. ■ 1 redolence, perfume. 2 aroma, perfume; bouquet. □□ fragrant aromatic, redolent, perfumed, odoriferous, ambrosial. frail /frayl/ adj. 1 fragile; delicate. 2 in weak health. 3 morally weak. See synonym study at weak. □□ frail'ly adv. frail'ness n. ■ 1 see fragile 1. 2 ailing, unwell, ill, sick, sickly. 3 susceptible, weak, venal, corrupti¬ ble; bribable. frail*ty /frayltee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 condition of being frail. 2 liability to err or yield to temp¬ tation. 3 weakness; foible. ■ 1 frailness, weakness, infirmity, feeble¬ ness. 2 susceptibility, impressionability, vul¬ nerability; fallibility. 3 flaw, fault, defect, im¬ perfection. frame /fraym/ • n. 1 case or border enclosing a picture, window, door, etc. 2 basic rigid supporting structure of anything, e.g., of a building, motor vehicle, or aircraft. 3 [in pi] structure of spectacles holding the lenses. 4 human or animal body structure. 5 a es¬ tablished order, plan, or system, b construc¬ tion; structure. 6 single image on film, tape, etc. 7 round of play in bowling, etc. •v.tr; 1 a set in a frame, b serve as a frame for. 2 construct; devise. 3 adapt; fit. 4 colloq. concoct a false charge or evidence against; devise a plot with regard to. 5 articulate (words). □ frame-up colloq. conspiracy, esp. to make an innocent person appear guilty.

319

fragmentary ~ fraternity

□□ fram’a«ble adj. (also frame'a*ble).). frame'less adj. fram'er n. an. 1 casing, mount, edge; setting. 2 framework, framing, body, fabric, shell; chassis; fuselage. 4 physique, build, body, skeleton, figure. 5 a form, pattern, scheme, schema, b build, arrangement, blueprint. • v. 1 enclose, box (in). 2 build, put together, erect; make, fashion, form, mold, carve out, forge. 3 see adapt 1. □ frame-up see con¬ spiracy 1. frame'WOrk /fraymwark/ n. 1 essential sup¬ porting structure. 2 basic system. ■ 1 see structure n. lb. 2 see format n. 2. franc /frangk/ n. chief monetary unit of France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and several other countries, franchise /ffanchlz/ • n. 1 right to vote in elections; citizenship. 2 authorization grant¬ ed by a company to sell its goods or services in a particular way. • v.tr. grant a franchise to. □□ fran*chi*see /-zee/ n. fran'chis'er n. (also fran'chbsor). an. 1 see suffrage. 2 see license 1. • v. see charter v. 1. fran*ci*um /ffanseeam/ n. Chem. radioactive metallic element. fSymb.: Fr. Franco- /ffangko/ comb, form French. fran*gi*ble /franjibal/ adj. breakable; fragile. Frank /frangk/ n. member of the Germanic nation or coalition that conquered Gaul in the 6th c. □□ Frank'ish adj. frank /frangk/ • adj. 1 candid; outspoken (frank opinion). 2 undisguised; avowed. • v. tr. stamp (a letter) with an official mark to record the payment of postage. • n. franking signature or mark. □□ frank'a*ble adj. frank'er n. frank'ly adv. frank'ness n. ■ adj. 1 direct, blunt, forthright, colloq. up¬ front; explicit, truthful. 2 open, free, unre¬ served, uninhibited. Frank*en»stein /frangkanstln/ n. (in full Frank'en*stein’s mon'ster) thing that be¬ comes terrifying to its maker; monster. frank*furt*er /frangkfartar/ n. seasoned smoked sausage. frank*in»cense /frangkinsens/ n. aromatic gum resin used for burning as incense. Fran Min stove /frangklin/ n. often free¬ standing cast-iron stove having the general shape of an open fireplace. fran*tic /frantik/ adj. 1 wildly excited. 2 hur¬ ried or anxious; desperate. □□ fran'ti*cal*ly adv. fran’tic'ly adv. a 1 frenzied, frenetic, hectic, hysterical, wild. 2 violent; upset, agitated, perturbed; overwrought. frappe /frapay/ n. drink made with shaved ice. frat /frat/ n. colloq. student fraternity. fra*ter»nal /fraternal/ adj. 1 of a brother or brothers. 2 brotherly. 3 (of twins) devel¬ oped from separate ova and not necessarily closely similar. □□ fra*ter'nal*ism n. fra* ter'nably adv. a 2 friendly, comradely; see also brotherly (brother). fra*ter»ni»ty /ffatimitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 male

fraternize ~ freebooter

320

students’ society. 2 group or company with common interests, or of the same profes¬ sional class. 3 being fraternal; brotherliness. ■ 2 community, brotherhood, crowd, set, clique, coterie, circle, society. 3 fellowship, camaraderie, comradeship, friendship, com¬ panionship. frat*er*nize /fratsmlz/ v.intr. 1 associate with. 2 (of troops) enter into friendly rela¬ tions with enemy troops or the inhabitants of an occupied country. □□ frat*er*ni*za'tion n.

■ 1 consort, hobnob, mingle, socialize with, go around with, spend time with, si. hang out (with). frat*ri*cide /fratrisld/ n. 1 killing of one’s brother or sister. 2 person who does this. □□ frat*ri*cid*al /-sld’l/ adj. Frau /frow/ n. (pi. Frau*en /frowan/) (often as a title) married or widowed German woman. fraud /frawd/ n. 1 criminal deception. 2 dis¬ honest artifice or trick. 3 impostor. ■ 1 trickery, cheating, subterfuge, deceit, swindling, duplicity. 2 hoax, swindle, scam, deception, cheat, wile. 3 deceiver, trickster, cheat(er), swindler, charlatan. fraud*u*lent /frawjsbnt/ adj. of, involving, or guilty of fraud. □□ fraud'u*lence n. fraud' u*lent*ly adv. m fake, counterfeit, forged, false, falsified, spurious; deceitful, dishonest, deceptive, tricky, artful, crafty. fraught /frawt/ adj. 1 filled or attended with. 2 colloq. causing or affected by great anxiety or distress. ■ 1 charged with, packed with, loaded with. 2 tense, taut, stressed, strained, fretful, anx¬ ious; stressful, trying. Frau*lein /froylln, frow-/ n. (often as a title or form of address) unmarried (esp. young) German woman. fray1 /fray/ v. 1 tr. & intr. wear through or be¬ come worn, esp. (of woven material) un¬ weave at the edges. 2 intr. (of nerves, tem¬ per, etc.) become strained; deteriorate. ■ 1 shred, wear thin, become threadbare, rub, unravel. fray2 /fray/ n. brawl. ■ conflict, fight, fighting; see also fracas. fraz*zle /frazol/ colloq. • n. worn or exhausted state. • v.tr. (usu. as frazzled adj.) wear out; exhaust. freak /freek/ • n. 1 (also freak of nature) monstrosity; abnormally developed individ¬ ual or thing. 2 colloq. a unconventional per¬ son. b fanatic (health freak). • v. [often foil, by out] colloq. 1 intr. & tr. become or make very angry. 2 intr. & tr. undergo or cause to undergo hallucinations or a strong emotional experience, esp. from use of narcotics. 3 intr. adopt a wildly unconventional lifestyle, □o freak'ish adj. freak’ish*ly adv. freak' ish*ness n. • n. 1 mutant, see also monster 3, 4. 2 b enthusiast, fan, devotee, aficionado. • v. 1 see rage v., anger v. □□ freakish see GRO¬ TESQUE adj. 1, BIZARRE. freak»y /freekee/ adj. (freak*i*er, freak*i»

est) 1 of or like a freak. 2 bizarre; uncon¬ ventional. on freak'i'ly adv. freak'i’ness n.

freck'le/frekal/ »n. [often in pi] light brown spot on the skin. • v. 1 tr. (usu. as freckled adj.) spot with freckles. 2 intr. be spotted with freckles. □□ freck'ly /freklee/ adj. free /free/ • adj. (fre*er /fre'ear/; fre*est /ffe'eist/) 1 not under the control of another; at liberty. 2 autonomous; democratic. 3 a unrestricted; not restrained or fixed, b not imprisoned. C released from duties, etc. d independent. 4 [foil, by of, from] a exempt from, b not containing (free of preservatives). 5 permitted to (free to choose). 6 a costing nothing, b not subject to tax, duty, etc. 7 not occupied or in use (the bath¬ room is free). 8 lavish. 9 frank; unreserved. 10 (of literary style) not observing the strict laws of form. 11 (of a translation) not literal. • adv. 1 in a free manner. 2 without cost or payment, •v.tr. 1 make free; liberate. 2 re¬ lieve. 3 disengage; disentangle, o free en¬ terprise system of private business operat¬ ing free from government control, free fall 1 part of a parachute descent before the par¬ achute opens. 2 movement of a spacecraft in space without thrust from the engines, freefor-all chaotic fight, unrestricted discus¬ sion, etc. free hand freedom to act at one’s own discretion (see also freehand), free¬ handed generous, free-handedly gener¬ ously. free-handedness generosity, free market market with unrestricted competi¬ tion. free speech right to express opinions freely, free-standing not supported by an¬ other structure, free trade international trade without import or export restrictions, free verse verse without a fixed metrical pattern, free will power of acting at one’s own discretion. □□ free'ly adv. free'ness n. u adj. 1 freeborn. 2 independent, selfgoverning, self-ruling, sovereign. 3 a unim¬ peded, untrammeled, unconstrained, b at liberty, at large, loose, out, unconfined. C liberated, set free, let go, let off, emanci¬ pated. d unattached, unconstrained, loose. 4 (free of or from) rid of, relieved of, safe from, immune from. 5 able, allowed, within one’s rights. 6 cost-free, free of charge, com¬ plimentary, gratis, on the house. 7 vacant, empty, spare, extra; uninhabited, untenant¬ ed. 8 generous, open, liberal, munificent. 9 candid, plain, open, direct. • adv. 1 freely, openly, at will. 2 gratis, free of charge. • v. 1 set at liberty, release, let go, liberate; un¬ loose, unchain. 2 rid, unburden; rescue, re¬ deem. 3 untie, unbind, unfasten, undo. □ free hand see carte blanche, free¬ handed see generous 1. free will see voli¬ tion. □□ freelyunrestrainedly, unrestricted¬ ly; easily, smoothly; willingly, spontaneously, readily; liberally, lavishly, unreservedly, gen¬ erously. -free /free/ comb, form free of or from (duty¬ free, trouble-free).

free»bie /freebee/ n. colloq. thing provided free of charge. free*boot»er /lfe'ebootar/ n. pirate. □□ free’ boot v. intr.

free*bom /fre'ebawrn/

adj. inheriting a citi¬ zen’s rights and liberty. freed*man /fre'edmsn/ n. (pi. -men) emanci¬ pated slave. free*dom /ffeeds ml n. 1 condition of being free or unrestricted. 2 personal or civic lib¬ erty; absence of slave status. 3 power of selfdetermination; quality of not being con¬ trolled by fate or necessity. 4 state of being free to act. 5 condition of being exempt from. 6 unrestricted use of (facilities, etc.). See synonym study at liberty. ■ 1,2 freeness; release, deliverance, libera¬ tion, emancipation, independence. 3 inde¬ pendence. 4 ability, facility, license, permis¬ sion, right, privilege. 5 exemption, immunity, deliverance, liberation, relief. 6 range, latitude, scope, play, run. free*hand /fre'ehand/ • adj. (of a drawing, etc.) done by hand without special instru¬ ments. • adv. in a freehand manner, freehold /fre'ehold/ n. 1 complete owner¬ ship of property for life. 2 such land or prop¬ erty. □□ free'hold*er n. free-lance /fre'elans/ • n. (also free'lanc*er) person, usu. self-employed, offering services on a temporary basis, esp. to several busi¬ nesses, etc., for particular assignments. • v.intr. act as a freelance. • adv. as a free¬ lance. free*load*er /fre'elodar/ n. si. person who eats, drinks, or lives at others’ expense; sponger. □□ free*load /-lod/ v. intr. ■ see PARASITE. free-style /freest!]/ adj. (of a race or contest) in which all styles are allowed, esp.: 1 Swim¬ ming in which any stroke may be used. 2 Wrestling with few restrictions on the holds permitted. free-think-er /fre'ethingksr/ n. person who rejects dogma or authority, esp. in religious belief. □□ free'think'ing n. & adj. free-way /fre'eway/ n. 1 express highway, esp. with controlled access. 2 toll-free highway, freeze /freez/ • v. (past froze /froz/; past pan. fro-zen /frozan/) 1 tr. & intr. a turn or be turned into ice or another solid by cold, b make or become rigid from the cold. 2 intr. be or feel very cold. 3 tr. & intr. cover or become covered with ice. 4 tr. preserve (food) by refrigeration below the freezing point. 5 tr. & intr. make or become motion¬ less or powerless through fear, surprise, etc. 6 tr. make (credits, assets, etc.) temporarily or permanently unrealizable. 7 tr. fix or sta¬ bilize (prices, wages, etc.) at a certain level. 8 tr. arrest (a movement in a movie, video, etc.), -re. 1 period or state of frost. 2 fixing or stabilization of prices, wages, etc. 3 film shot in which movement is arrested by the repetition of a frame. □ freeze-dry (-dries, -dried) freeze and dry by the sublimation of ice in a high vacuum, freezing point tem¬ perature at which a liquid, esp. water, freezes. □□ freez'a-ble adj. fro'zen-ly adv. ■ o.l ice; solidify, congeal, harden, stiffen. 2 be icy or freezing or frozen or chilled to the bone. 5 fix, immobilize, paralyze, stop (dead), pin. • n. 1 freeze-up. 2 immobiliza¬ tion.

321 freez-er /fre'ezsr/

freeborn ~ fresco

n. refrigerated compart¬ ment, cabinet, or room for freezing and pre¬ serving food. freight /frayt/ • n. 1 transport of goods. 2 goods transported; cargo. 3 charge for transportation of goods, •v.tr. 1 transport (goods) as freight. 2 load with freight. an. 1 transportation, carriage, conveyance, shipping. 2 load, shipload, truckload, con¬ signment. 3 tonnage. • v. 1 see transport v. 1. 2 see load v. 1. freight-er /fraytsr/ n. ship designed to carry freight. French /french/ • adj. 1 of France or its peo¬ ple or language. 2 having the characteristics attributed to the French people. • n. 1 lan¬ guage of France. 2 [prec. by the; treated as pi] the people of France. □ French bread white bread in a long crisp loaf. French Canadian n. Canadian whose principal lan¬ guage is French, adj. of French-speaking Canadians. French cuff double cuff formed by turning back a long cuff and fastening it. French door door with glass panes throughout its length. French dressing 1 creamy orange salad dressing. 2 salad dressing of vinegar and oil, usu. seasoned. French fries (also French fried potatoes) strips of potato, deep fried. French horn coiled brass wind instrument with a wide bell. French kiss openmouthed kiss. French window pair of casement windows extending to the floor in an outside wall, serving as both window and door. □□ French'man n. (pi. -men). French' wom-an n. (pi. -wom*en) French'ness n. fre-net-ic /fronetik/ adj. 1 frantic; frenzied. 2 fanatic. □□ fre-net'i-cal-ly adv. m 1 see hectic adj. 1. 2 see fanatical (fa¬ natic). fren-zy /frenzee/ • n. (pi. -zies) wild or delir¬ ious excitement, agitation, or fury. • v. tr. (-zies, -zied) (usu. as frenzied adj.) drive to frenzy; infuriate. □□ fren'zied-ly adv. ■ n. fever, passion, turmoil, distraction; par¬ oxysm, outburst, furor. • v. (frenzied) see feverish 2. fre-quen-cy /fre'ekwansee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 commonness of occurrence. 2 frequent occurrence. 3 Physics rate of recurrence of a vibration, etc. □ frequency modulation Electronics modulation in which the fre¬ quency of the carrier wave is varied. IjAbbr.: FM. fre-quent /fre'ekwant/ • adj. 1 occurring of¬ ten or in close succession. 2 habitual; con¬ stant. • v.tr. /also frikwent/ attend or go to habitually. □□ fre-quen-ta'tion n. fre* quent-er /frikwentar/ n. fre-quent-ly /fre'ekwsntlee/ adv. • adj. 1 reiterative, continual. 2 continual, continuing, recurrent, recurring, regular; persistent. • v. haunt, patronize, go to or at¬ tend regularly, si. hang out at. □□ fre¬ quently often, regularly, continually, repeat¬ edly, over and over (again); habitually, customarily, regularly. fres*CO /fresko/ n. (pi. -cos or -coes) paint-

fresh ~ frigid

322

ing done in watercolor on wet plaster. □□ fres'coed adj. fresh /fresh/ • adj. 1 newly made or ob¬ tained. 2 a other; different; new (start afresh page), b additional (fresh supplies). 3 lately arrived. 4 not stale or musty or faded (fresh flowers). 5 (of food) not preserved. 6 not salty (fresh water). 7 pure; untainted; refresh¬ ing. 8 (of the wind) brisk. 9 colloq. impu¬ dent. 10 inexperienced. • adv. newly; recendy (esp. in comb.', fresh-cut). □□ fresh'ly adv. fresh'ness n. m adj. 1 new, today’s, most recent, latest. 2 a modern, up-to-date; novel, original, unu¬ sual. b further, renewed, extra. 4 new, re¬ cent. 7 clean, clear, invigorating, unpollut¬ ed; wholesome. 8 fair, strong; see also brisk 2. 9 bold, impertinent, brazen, brassy, for¬ ward, disrespectful; see also naughty 1. 10 young, raw, green, naive, callow, imma¬ ture. □□ freshly newly, recendy, just now. fresh*en /freshan/ v. 1 make or become fresh. 2 [foil, by up] wash, change clothes, etc. ■ 1 ventilate, air out, deodorize, purify. fresh*man /freshman/ n. (pi. -men) firstyear student at a high school, college, or uni¬ versity. fresh*wa*ter /freshwawtar, -wotar/ adj. not of the sea. fret1 /fret/ v. (frefted, fret*ting) 1 intr. be worried or distressed. 2 tr. a cause anxiety or distress to. b irritate; annoy. 3 tr. wear or consume by gnawing or rubbing. ■ 1 worry, agonize, grieve, brood, be con¬ cerned, be upset. 2 a worry, concern; see also distress v. b vex, torment, provoke, rankle. 3 see wear v. 5. fret2 /fret/ n. ornamental pattern made of straight lines joined usu. at right angles. fret3 /fret/ n. each of a sequence of bars or ridges on the fingerboard of a guitar, etc. □□ fret'less adj. fret'flll /fretfOOl/ adj. visibly anxious, dis¬ tressed, or irritated. □□ fret'fuhly adv. fret' fuhness n. m nervous, on edge, edgy, troubled, both¬ ered, vexed. fret'work /fretwork/ n. ornamental work of interlacing lines. Freud'i'an /froydeean/ Psychol. • adj. of or relating to Sigmund Freud or his methods of psychoanalysis. • n. follower of Freud or his methods. □ Freudian slip unintentional er¬ ror regarded as revealing subconscious feel¬ ings. □□ Freud'i*annsm n. F.R.G. abbr. Federal Republic of Germany. Fri. abbr. Friday. fri*a*ble /friabal/ adj. easily crumbled. □□ fri*a*bil'i*ty n. fri*ar /friar/ n. member of any of certain reli¬ gious orders of men, esp. the four mendicant orders. □□ fri'ardy adj. u see monk. fric*as*see /frikasee/ • n. dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat served in a thick white sauce, •v.tr. (fric*as*sees, fric*as*seed) make a fricassee of.

fric»a*tive /frikativ/

Phonet. • adj. made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening. • n. consonant made in this way, e.g., / and th.

fric*tion /frikshan/ n. 1 rubbing of one object against another. 2 the resistance encoun¬ tered in moving an object. 3 clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions. □□ fric'tiomal adj. fric'tion*less adj. m 1 scraping, grating, chafing; abrasion. 3 discord, conflict, contention, argument, dispute. Fri*day /friday, -dee/ n. day of the week fol¬ lowing Thursday. fridge /frij/ n. colloq. = refrigerator. friend /frelnd/ n. 1 person with whom one enjoys mutual affection and regard. 2 sym¬ pathizer, helper. □□ friendless adj. m 1 companion, partner, comrade, crony, familiar, confidant, confidante, friend'ly /frendlee/ • adj. (friend-li*er, friend*li*est) 1 well-disposed; kindly; cor¬ dial. 2 on amicable terms. • adv. in a friend¬ ly manner. □□ friend'li*ness n. ■ adj. 1 kind, kindhearted, warmhearted, warm, affectionate, amiable, amicable, gen¬ ial, sociable. 2 congenial, companionable, comradely, convivial, familiar, close, on good terms. friendship /frendship/ n. 1 being friends; relationship between friends. 2 friendly dis¬ position felt or shown. ■ 1 amity, harmony, alliance, companionability, comradeship, fellowship. 2 friendli¬ ness, amiability, amicability, congeniality, conviviality, sociability. fri*er var. of fryer. frieze /freez/ n. horizontal decorative or sculpted band, esp. along a wall near the ceil¬ ing. frig*ate /frigit/ n. naval vessel between a de¬ stroyer and a cruiser in size, fright /frit/ n. la sudden or extreme fear, b instance of this (gave me a fright). 2 person or thing looking grotesque or ridiculous. ■ 1 a alarm, terror, horror, panic, trepida¬ tion. b scare, shock, surprise, start. 2 eye¬ sore, mess, disaster. fright*en /fritan/ V. 1 tr. fill with fright. 2 tr. drive or force by fright. □□ fright'en*ing adj. fright’en*ing*ly adv. m 1 terrify, scare, alarm, intimidate, panic, petrify. 2 scare, terrify; see also intimidate. □□ frightening terrifying, alarming, star¬ tling, shocking, petrifying. frighWul /fritfdOl/ adj. 1 a dreadful; shock¬ ing; revolting, b ugly; hideous. 2 colloq. col¬ loq. extreme. □□ fright'fuhly adv. • 1 awful, dreadful, terrible, disagreeable, atrocious, abhorrent, loathsome, grisly, ghastly. □□ frightfully very, extremely, col¬ loq. awfully; amazingly, surprisingly. frig*id /frijid/ adj. 1 a lacking friendliness or enthusiasm, b chilling. 2 cold. 3 sexually unresponsive. □□ fri*gid*i*ty /—jiditee/ n. frig'id'ly adv. frig'id'ness n. ■ 1 a cold, cool, cold-hearted, forbidding, austere, unemotional; apathetic, unenthusiastic; forced. 2 frosty, frozen, glacial, icy, freezing, wintry.

frbjo*les /freeholays/

n.pl. beans, esp. in Mexican-style cooking, frill /fril/ n. 1 strip of material with one side gathered or pleated, used as an ornamental edging. 2 [in pi.] unnecessary embellish¬ ments. □□ frilled adj. frill'er*y /—lsree/ n. frill'bness n. frill'y adj. (frilbber, frilbb est) ■ 1 trimming, edging, ruffle, decoration. 2 extras, additions, trimmings; ornamenta¬ tion. fringe /ffinj/ • n. 1 ornamental bordering of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists. 2 outer edge or margin; outer limit of an area, population, etc. (often attrib.: fringe theater). 3 thing, part, or area of secondary or minor importance. • v. tr. adorn with or serve as a fringe. □ fringe benefit employee benefit supplementing a money wage or sal¬ ary. □□ fringe'less adj. fring'y adj. • n. 1 trimming, edge, edging, border, frill, flounce. 2 border, perimeter, boundary, pe¬ riphery, bounds. • v. 1 bind, purfle, trim, edge, border; surround, ring. frip»per»y friparee/ n. (pi. -ies) showy, taw¬ dry, or unnecessary finery or ornament, esp. in dress. ■ see FINERY, ORNAMENT n. 1. Fris*bee /frizbee/ n. propr. molded plastic disk for sailing through the air as an outdoor game. frisk /frisk/ v.tr. si. feel over or search (a per¬ son) for a weapon, etc. (usu. rapidly). □□ frisk'er n. m inspect, check, examine, go over, check out. frisk»y /friskee/ adj. (frisk*i*er, frisk'best) lively; playful. □□ frisk'bly adv. frisk'i* ness n. a frolicsome, rollicking, active, animated, spirited. frit-ter1 /fritar/ v.tr. waste (money, time, etc.) triflingly. ■ squander, trifle away, idle away. frifrter2 fritar/' «. piece of fruit, meat, etc., coated in batter and deep-fried (apple fritter). friV'O'IOUS /frivalas/ adj. 1 paltry; trifling; trumpery. 2 lacking seriousness; given to tri¬ fling; silly. □□ frbvobbty /-volitee/ n. (pi. -ties) friv'o*lous*ly adv. friv'o*lous*ness n.

■ 1 inconsequential, unimportant, trivial, nugatory, insignificant. 2 scatterbrained, featherbrained, irresponsible, flighty, giddy, puerile, flippant. frizz /friz/ • v.tr. form (hair, etc.) into a mass of small curls. • n. 1 a frizzed hair, b row of curls. 2 frizzed state. □□ ffiz'zbness n. friz'zy adj. (friz*zber, friz*zi*est) friz»zle' /frizal/ v. 1 fry, toast, or grill, with a sputtering noise. 2 [often foil, by up] burn or shrivel. friz»zle2 /frizal/ • v. 1 tr. form (hair) into tight curls. 2 intr. [often foil, by up] (of hair, etc.) curl tightly. • n. frizzled hair, fro /fro/ adv. back (now only in to and fro: see TO). frock /frok/ n. 1 woman’s or girl’s dress. 2 monk’s or priest’s long gown with loose sleeves. 3 smock.

323 frog1 /frawg, frog/

frijoles ~ front

n. small amphibian having a tailless smooth-skinned body with legs de¬ veloped for jumping. □ frog in the (or one’s) throat colloq. hoarseness. frog2 /frawg, frog/ n. ornamental coat fasten¬ ing of a spindle-shaped button and loop. □□ frogged adj. frog'ging n. frog*man /frawgman, frog-, -man/ n. (pi. -men) person equipped with a rubber suit, flippers, and an oxygen supply for underwa¬ ter swimming. frobic /frolik/ • v. intr. (frobicked, frobick* ing) play cheerfully. • n. 1 cheerful play. 2 merriment. □□ frol'ick*er n. • v. frisk, caper, skylark, gambol, rollick, romp, play, skip, sport. • n. 1 horseplay, sky¬ larking. 2 merrymaking, gaiety, sport, fun (and games). frobic*SOme /froliksam/ adj. merry; playful. □□ frol'ic*some*ly adv. ■ frisky, sportive, gay, lively, sprightly, ani¬ mated. from /frum, from, fram/ prep, expressing sep¬ aration or origin, followed by: 1 person, place, time, etc., that is the starting point (rain comes from the clouds). 2 place, object, etc., whose distance or remoteness is reck¬ oned or stated (ten miles from Los Angeles). 3 a source (dig gravel from a pit). b giver or sender (presents from their parents). 4 person or thing avoided, deprived, etc. (took his gun from him). 5 reason, cause, or motive (died from fatigue). 6 thing distinguished or unlike (know black from white). 7 lower limit (saw from 10 to 20 boats). 8 state changed for an¬ other (raised the penalty from a fine to impris¬ onment). 9 adverb or preposition of time or place (from long ago, from under the bed). frond /frond/ n. Bot. foliage leaf in various flowerless plants, esp. ferns and palms. □□ frond'age n. fron'dose adj. front /ffunt/ • n. 1 side or part normally nearer or toward the spectator or the direc¬ tion of motion. 2 any face of a building, esp. that of the main entrance. 3 Mil. a foremost line or part of an army, etc. b line of battle. 4 sector of activity regarded as resembling a military front. 5 demeanor; bearing (show a bold front). 6 forward or conspicuous posi¬ tion (come to the front). 7 a bluff, b pretext. 8 person, etc., serving to cover subversive or illegal activities. 9 Meteorol. forward edge of an advancing mass of cold or warm air. • at¬ trib. adj. 1 of the front. 2 situated in front. • v. 1 intr. have the front facing or directed toward. 2 intr. si. act as a front or cover for. 3 tr. furnish with a front (fronted with stone). □ front office 1 executives or executive branch of an organization. 2 main office, front runner contestant most likely to suc¬ ceed. front-wheel drive automobile drive system in which power is transmitted to the front wheels, in front of 1 ahead of; in ad¬ vance of. 2 in the presence of; confronting. □□ front'less adj. front'ward adj. & adv. front’wards adv. an. 1 face, forepart, fore; obverse. 2 front¬ age, facade. 3 vanguard, van, Mil. front line.

frontage ~ frustrate

324

5 air, face, expression, countenance. 6 head, forefront, fore. 7 disguise, guise, cover, show. 8 cover. • attrib. adj. 2 first, advance, leading, head. • v. 1 overlook, face, look out on or over. 2 act for, represent; cover for, re¬ place. frontpage /fruntij/ n. 1 front of a building. 2 land abutting on a street or on water, fron-tal /frunt’l/ adj. 1 of, at, or on the front (frontal attack). 2 of the forehead, □□front' al-ly adv. frontier /frunte'er/ n. la the border between two countries, b district on each side of this. 2 limits of attainment or knowledge in a sub¬ ject. 3 borders between settled and unset¬ tled country. □□ fron-tier'less adj. ■ 1 boundary, bound(s), pale. 2 bound(s), extreme (s). fron-tiers-man /ffunte'erzman/ n. (pi. -men) person living in the region of a frontier. ■ see pioneer n. 2. fron-tis-piece /fruntispees/ n. illustration facing the title page of a book or of one of its divisions. frost /frawst, frost/ • n. 1 white frozen dew. 2 consistent temperature below freezing point causing frost to form. • v. 1 intr. be¬ come covered with frost. 2 tr. a cover with or as if with frost, powder, etc. b give a roughened or finely granulated surface to (glass, metal). 3 tr. decorate (a cake, etc.) with icing. □□ frost'less adj. u n. 2 see freeze n. 1. frost-bite /ffawstblt, frost-/ n. injury to skin due to freezing and often resulting in gan¬ grene. frost-ing /frawsting, frost-/ n. icing, frost-y /frawstee, frostee/ adj. (frost*i*er, frost-i-est) 1 cold with frost. 2 covered with or as with hoarfrost. 3 unfriendly in manner. □□ frost'i-ly adv. frost'i-ness n. ■ 1 see cold adj. 1. 3 see cold adj. 4. froth /frawth, froth/ • n. 1 foam. 2 a idle talk or ideas, b anything unsubstantial or of little worth. • v.intr. emit or gather froth. □□ froth'i'ly adv. froth’i-ness n. froth'y adj. (froth*i*er, froth*i*est). * n. 1 spume, suds, lather, bubbles; head. 2 trivia, rubbish, nonsense, twaddle, babble, gibberish. • v. foam, spume, bubble, fizz, ef¬ fervesce; lather. frown /frown/ • v. intr. 1 wrinkle one’s brows, esp. in displeasure or deep thought. 2 ex¬ press disapproval. • n. look expressing sever¬ ity, disapproval, or deep thought. □□ frown' er n. frown'ing*ly adv. a v. 1 scowl, glower, glare, knit one’s brows. 2 disapprove of, disfavor, discounte¬ nance, look askance at. • n. scowl, glower, glare, grimace. frow-zy /frowzee/ adj. (also frow'sy) (-zi*er, -zi*est) slatternly; unkempt; dingy. □□ frow'zi-ness n. froze past of FREEZE, fro-zen past part, of freeze. fruc-ti-fy /fruktifi, frObk-/ v. (-lies, -fled) 1 intr. bear fruit. 2 tr. make fruitful; impreg¬ nate.

fruc-tose /fniktos, frObk-/

n. Chem. simple sugar found in honey and fruits. (Also called levulose, fruit sugar), fru-gal /froogal/ adj. 1 sparing; thrifty. 2 meager; slight; costing little. See synonym study at economical. □□ fru-galn-ty /—galitee/ n. fru gally adv. fru'gal-ness n. m 1 economical, careful, prudent; abstemi¬ ous. 2 paltry, poor, skimpy, scanty, scant, small. fruit /froot/ • n. 1 a usu. sweet and fleshy ed¬ ible product of a plant or tree, containing seed, b [in sing.] these in quantity (eats fruit). 2 seed of a plant or tree with its cover¬ ing, e.g., an acorn, pea pod, cherry, etc. 3 [usu. in pi] vegetables, grains, etc., used for food (fruits of the earth). 4 [usu. in pi] the result of action, etc., esp. as financial reward. • v. bear or cause to bear fruit. □□ fruit'ed adj. [also in comb.]. an. 4 product(s), revenue(s), outcome, consequence(s), return(s), advantage(s), benefit(s). fruit-cake /frobtkayk/ n. cake containing dried fruit. fruit-ful /ffobtfool/ adj. 1 producing much fruit; abundant. 2 successful; remunerative. See synonym study at fertile. □□ fruit'ful* ly adv. fruit'fubness n. a 1 fertile, plentiful, abundant, fecund, co¬ pious. 2 effective, profitable, remunerative, productive. fru-i-tion /froo-ishan/ n. la bearing of fruit, b production of results. 2 realization of aims or hopes. 3 enjoyment. ■ 1b, 2 completion; achievement, success, attainment, accomplishment. 3 see enjoy¬ ment (enjoy). fruit-less /frootlis/ adj. 1 not bearing fruit. 2 useless; unsuccessful; unprofitable. □□ fruit'less-ly adv. fruit'less-ness n. ■ 1 barren, unfruitful, 'unproductive, sterile, infertile. 2 worthless, futile, pointless, vain, unavailing. fruit-y /frobtee/ adj. (fruit-i-er, fruit-i-est) 1 of fruit. 2 tasting or smelling like fruit, esp. (of wine) tasting of the grape. □□ fruit'i-ly adv. fruit'i-ness n. ■ 2 see robust 2. frump /frump/ n. dowdy, unattractive, oldfashioned woman. □□ frump’ish adj. frump 'ish*ly adv. frump-y /frumpee/ adj. (frumpver, frumpi-est) dowdy; unattractive. □□ frump'i-ly adv. frump'i-ness n. a see dowdy adj. 2. frus-trate /frustrayt/ V. tr. 1 make (efforts) in¬ effective. 2 prevent (a person) from achiev¬ ing a purpose. 3 (as frustrated adj.) a dis¬ contented because unable to achieve one’s desire, b sexually unfulfilled. 4 disappoint (a hope). See synonym study at thwart. □□ frus-trat-ed-ly /-straytidlee/ adv. frus' trat-er n. frus'trat-ing adj. frus'trat-ingly adv. frus-tra-tion /-trayshan/ n. ■ 1 counteract, neutralize, nullify, negate. 2 defeat, forestall, stop, halt, cripple, hinder. 3 (frustrated) a see discontented (discon¬ tent). b dissatisfied. 4 discourage, foil, thwart, defeat, balk.

fry* /fn/ • v. (fries, fried) cook or be cooked in hot fat. • n. (pi. fries) 1 a French fried potato. 2 social gathering serving fried food. fry2 Ifni ti.pl. 1 young or newly hatched fish¬ es. 2 young of other creatures produced in large numbers, e.g., bees or frogs. □ small fry people of little importance; children. fry*er /friar/ n. (also fri'er) 1 person who fries. 2 vessel for frying, esp. deep frying. 3 young chicken for frying. FSLIC abbr. Federal Savings and Loan Insur¬ ance Corporation, ft. abbr. foot, feet. FTC abbr. Federal Trade Commission, fuch'sia /fyobsha/ n. shrub with drooping red, purple, pink, or white flowers, fud'dle /fud’l/ •v.tr.; confuse or stupefy, esp. with alcoholic liquor. • n. 1 confusion. 2 in¬ toxication. fud»dy-dud*dy /fudeedudee/ si. • adj. oldfashioned or quaintly fussy. • n. (pi. -dies) fuddy-duddy person. ■ adj. see squeamish 2, stuffy 3. • n. see FOGY. fudge /fuj/ • n. soft toffee-like candy made with milk, sugar, butter, etc. • v. 1 tr. put to¬ gether in a makeshift or dishonest way; fake. 2 tr. deal with incompetently. 3 intr. practice such methods, fuehver var. of fuhrer. fu*el /fyobal/ • n. 1 material burned or used as a source of heat or power. 2 food as a source of energy. 3 anything that sustains or inflames emotion or passion. • v. (Fueled, fu*el*ing) 1 tr. supply with fuel. 2 intr. take in or get fuel. □ fuel injection direct intro¬ duction of fuel into the combustion units of an internal combustion engine, fuel oil oil used as fuel in an engine or furnace. ■ n. 2 nourishment, sustenance, nutri¬ ment, nutrition. 3 incitement, stimulus, stimulation, provocation; see also spur n. 2. fu*gi*tive /fyobjitiv/ • adj. 1 fleeing. 2 tran¬ sient; fleeting; of short duration. • n. person who flees, esp. from justice, an enemy, dan¬ ger, or a master. □□ fu'gi*tive*ly adv. • adj. 1 escaped, running away, runaway. 2 passing, short-lived, transitory, transient, ephemeral, evanescent. fugue /fyoog/ n. 1 Mus. contrapuntal compo¬ sition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up and developed by others. 2 Psychol. loss of awareness of one’s identity, often cou¬ pled with flight from one’s usual environ¬ ment. □□ fu'gal adj. flih»rer /fycbrar/ n. (also fueh'rer) tyrannical leader. -ful /fool/ comb, form forming: 1 adjectives from nouns, meaning: a full of (beautiful). b having the qualities of (masterful). 2 adjec¬ tives from adjectives or Latin stems (direful). 3 adjectives from verbs, meaning ‘apt to,’ (forgetful). 4 nouns (pi. -fuls) meaning ‘the amount needed to fill’ (handful). ful*crum /foblkram, ful-/ n. (pi. ful'cra l-nl or fubcrums) point against which a lever is placed to get a purchase or on which it turns or is supported. ■ see pivot n. 1.

325

fry ~ fulminate

fulfill /fOOlfil/ v.tr. (fulfilled, ful*fill*ing) 1 carry out (a prophecy or promise). 2 sat¬ isfy (a desire or prayer). 3 perform; carry out (a task). 4 bring to an end; finish; complete. □□ ful*fiH'a"ble adj. fuFfill'er n. ful'fUT ment n. m 1 bring about, consummate; see also re¬ alize 4, keep v. 7. 2 live up to; see also achieve 2. 3 do, bring or carry off, see to, ac¬ complish, effect, effectuate; implement. 4 discharge, carry through, bring or carry to completion. □□ fulfillment completion, re¬ alization, implementation, execution; perfor¬ mance, achievement. full1 /f(50l/ • adj. 1 holding all its limits will allow (full of water). 2 having eaten to one’s limits or satisfaction. 3 abundant; copious; satisfying; sufficient. 4 having or holding an abundance of. 5 complete (full daylight). 6 (of tone or color) deep and clear. 7 plump; rounded; protuberant (full figure). 8 (of clothes) made of much material arranged in folds or gathers. • adv. 1 very (you know full well). 2 quite; fully (full six miles). □ fullblooded 1 vigorous; hearty; sensual. 2 not hybrid, full-blown fully cieveloped; com¬ plete. full-fledged 1 fully developed. 2 of full rank or standing, full house 1 maxi¬ mum or large attendance at a theater, etc. 2 Poker hand with three of a kind and a pair, full moon moon with its whole disk illumi¬ nated. full-scale not reduced in size; com¬ plete. full-time adj. occupying or using the whole of the available working time, in full 1 without abridgment. 2 to or for the full amount (paid in full), in full swing at the height of activity, in full view entirely visi¬ ble. □□ full'ness n. m adj. 1 filled, replete, brimming, brimful, chock-full, packed, loaded. 2 gorged, sated, satiated, stuffed, replete. 3 complete, thor¬ ough, detailed, broad, extensive, comprehen¬ sive, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, exhaus¬ tive, plenary. 4 see teem 2. 5 maximum, top, unrestricted; entire, whole, uncondi¬ tional, unqualified; greatest, highest, utmost; perfect. 6 bright, vivid, shining, brilliant, in¬ tense. 7 well-rounded, ample, shapely, bu¬ xom, busty, voluptuous, well-built, robust, colloq. curvaceous. 8 wide, ample, generous; see also loose adj. 2. • adv. 1 exceedingly, extremely, perfectly, quite, colloq. damned. 2 completely, entirely, wholly, thoroughly, al¬ together, quite. □ full-blooded 1 see vigor¬ ous (vigor) . 2 pedigree, thoroughbred, pure¬ bred. in full 1 see unabridged. 2 completely, fully, entirely, wholly, thor¬ oughly, in its entirety, totally, in toto. in full swing in (full) operation, under way, in progress, in business, animated, lively, on the move. □□ fullness see body n. 3, entirety 1. full2 /fool/ v.tr. cleanse and thicken (cloth), full'back /foblbak/ n. 1 offensive player in the backfield in football. 2 defensive player, or a position near the goal, in soccer, field hockey, etc. ful*mi*nate /fulminayt, fobl-/ v.intr. 1 ex¬ press censure loudly and forcefully. 2 ex-

fulsome ~ funnel

326

plode violently; flash like lightning (fulminat¬ ing mercury). □□ ful*mi*na*tion /—nayshsn/ n. ful*mi*na*to»ry /-natawree/ adj. ■ 1 see rail2. fulsome /foblsam/ adj. excessive; cloying. □□ ful'some*ly adv. ful'some*ness n. m see excessive (excess) . fum'ble /fumbal/ »v. 1 intr. use the hands awkwardly; grope about. 2 tr. handle or deal with clumsily or nervously. • n. act of fum¬ bling. □□ fum'bler n. fum'bling'ly adv. m v. 1 feel (about); search for, feel for, fish for. 2 mishandle, muff, bungle, botch, colloq. flub. • n. grope, feel. fume /fyoom/ • n. [usu. in pi.] exuded gas or smoke or vapor, esp. when harmful or un¬ pleasant. • ». 1 a intr. emit fumes, b tr. give off as fumes. 2 intr. be affected by (esp. sup¬ pressed) anger (was fuming at their ineffi¬ ciency). □□ fume'less adj. fum'ing'ly adv. ■ n. odor; exhalation, exhaust, pollution, smog. • v. 1 smoke, reek, steam. 2 seethe, smolder, chafe, rage. fu»mi*gate /fyoomigayt/ v.ir. 1 disinfect or purify with fumes. 2 apply fumes to. □□ fu* mi'gant /-gant/ n. fu*mi*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. fu'mi*ga*tor n. m 1 sanitize, sterilize, usu. formal cleanse; fume. fun /fun/ • n. 1 amusement, esp. lively or playful. 2 source of this. 3 (in full fun and games) exciting or amusing goings-on. • adj. disp. colloq. amusing; entertaining; en¬ joyable (a fun thing to do). □ make fun of tease; ridicule. ■ n. 1 enjoyment, merriment, colloq. whoopee; joy, pleasure, gaiety, glee, jollity, playfulness, mirth, cheer, delight. 2 joy, pleasure, delight. 3 sport, recreation, enter¬ tainment; festivity, frolic, diversion, pastime. □ make fun of poke fun at, deride, scoff at, lampoon, parody, satirize, colloq. kid, rib. fu*nam*bu*list /fyOOnambyalist/ n. tightrope walker. function /fungkshan/ • n. la activity prop¬ er to a person or institution, b mode of ac¬ tion or activity by which a thing fulfills its purpose. C official or professional duty. 2 public or social occasion. 3 Math, quantity whose value depends on the varying values of others. • v.intr. fulfill a function; operate; be in working order. □□ func'tion*less adj. mn. 1 a, b task, chore, assignment; pur¬ pose, aim. c job, occupation, work, employ¬ ment; responsibility, mission, charge. 2 re¬ ception, gathering, party, gala, ceremony. • v. serve, act; perform, behave, work. func*tion*al /fungkshanal/ adj. 1 of or serv¬ ing a function. 2 practical rather than attrac¬ tive; utilitarian. 3 Physiol, (esp. of disease) of or affecting only the functions of an organ, etc., not structural or organic. □□ func* tion*al*i*ty /-nalitee/ n. func'tion*al*ly adv.

■ 1 working, functioning, operating, run¬ ning, going; operational. 2 useful, servicea¬ ble, usable. func»tion»ar»y /fungkshaneree/ n. (pi. -ies)

person who has to perform official functions or duties; an official. ■ commissioner, bureaucrat, officeholder, officer. fund /fund/ • n. 1 permanently available supply. 2 stock of money, esp. for a specific purpose. 3 [in pi.] money resources, •v.tr. 1 provide with money. 2 make (a debt) per¬ manent at fixed interest. □ fund-raiser 1 person who seeks financial support for a cause, enterprise, etc. 2 activity, event, etc., to raise money, as for charity, etc. fund¬ raising seeking of financial support. ■ ft. 1 stock, reserve, store, pool, reservoir. 2 nest egg, endowment; see also cache n. 2. 3 assets, means, wealth, resources, capital, savings; money, (hard) cash. • v. 1 finance, pay for, support, endow, subsidize, back. fun»da*men*tal /fundament’l/ • adj. of, af¬ fecting, or serving as a base or foundation; essential; primary. • ft. [usu. in plf principle. □□ fun*da*men'tal*ly adv. ■ adj. inherent, intrinsic, rudimentary, ele¬

mentary; main, prime. • ft. 1 axiom, essen¬ tial, law, rule. fun»da»men*tal«ism /fundamentalizam/ n. (also Fun*da*men'tal*ism) strict mainte¬ nance of traditional religious beliefs. □□ fun*da*men'tal*ist n.

fu»ner*al /fyobnaral/ ft. burial or cremation of a dead person with its ceremonies. □ fu¬ neral director undertaker, funeral parlor (also home) establishment where the dead are prepared for burial or cremation. □□ fu' ner*ar*y adj.

■ interment, entombment, inhumation; ob¬ sequies. fu*ne»re»al /fyooneereeal/ adj. 1 of or appro¬ priate to a funeral. 2 gloomy; dismal; dark. □□ fu*ne're*al*ly adv.

■ 2 morose, somber, lugubrious, mournful, doleful, sorrowful, grave, solemn, sad, mel¬ ancholy. fun*gi»cide /funjisld, funggi-/ n. fungusdestroying substance. □□ fun*gi*cid*al /—sid’l/ adj. fun»gus /funggas/ ft. (pi. fun*gi /—gi, — jl/ or fun*gus*es) any of a group of nonphotosyn¬ thetic organisms feeding on organic matter, which include molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools. □□ fun*gal /funggal/ adj. fun*gi* form /funjifawrm, funggi-/ adj. fun*giv*or* ous /funjivaras, funggiv-/ adj. fun'gous adj. ■ see mold2. fu»nic«lHar /fyCOnikyalar, fa-/ • adj. (of a railway, esp. on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced. • n. funicular railway. funk1 /fungk/ ft. fear; panic, o in a funk de¬ jected. funk2 /fungk/ «. si. 1 funky music. 2 strong smell. funk*y /fungkee/ adj. (funk*i*er, funk*i*est) si. 1 (esp. of jazz or rock music) earthy, bluesy, with a heavy rhythmical beat. 2 fash¬ ionable. 3 odd; unconventional. 4 having a strong smell. □□ funk'idy adv. funk'imess «.

fun*nel /funal/ • n. 1 narrow tube or pipe widening at the top, for pouring liquid, pow-

der, etc., into a small opening. 2 metal chimney on a steam engine or ship. • v. (fun*neled, fun*nel*ing; fun*nelled, fun* nel*ling) guide or move through or as through a funnel. □□ fun'nel*like adj. fun»ny /funee/ adj. (fun*ni*er, fun*ni*est) 1 amusing; comical. 2 strange; perplexing; hard to account for. o funny bone part of the elbow over which the ulnar nerve passes, funny money colloq. 1 counterfeit money. 2 foreign currency. 3 inflated currency, □o fun'ni*ness n. ■ 1 humorous, jocular, jocose, comic, droll; entertaining, diverting, sidesplitting, hilari¬ ous. 2 peculiar, odd, queer, weird, bizarre, curious. fur /for/ n. la short fine soft hair of certain animals, b skin of such an animal with the fur on it; pelt. 2 coat of certain animals as material for making, trimming, or lining clothes. □ make the fur fly colloq. cause a disturbance; stir up trouble. □□ fur'less adj. ■ n. 1b, 2 see pelt2. fur»be»low /forbilo/ n. 1 gathered strip or pleated border of a skirt or petticoat. 2 [in pi.] derog. showy ornaments. fur*bish /farbish/ v.tr. 1 remove rust from; polish. 2 give a new look to; renovate. □□ fur'bish*er n. ■’1 see polish v. 1. 2 see decorate 2. fu*ri*OUS /fycbreeas/ adj. 1 extremely angry. 2 full of fury. 3 raging; violent; intense. □□ fu'ri*ous*ly adv. ■ 1,2 cross, irate, mad, enraged, infuriated, incensed, maddened, provoked, fuming, be¬ side oneself. 3 fierce, wild, savage; unre¬ strained. furl /farl/ v. 1 tr. roll up and secure (a sail, umbrella, flag, etc.). 2 intr. become furled. □□ furl'a*ble adj. ■ fold or wind up; see also wind2 v. 4. fuMong /farlawng, -long/ n. unit of measure¬ ment equal to an eighth of a mile or 220 yards. fuMough /farlo/ • n. leave of absence, esp. granted to a member of the armed services. • v.tr. grant furlough to. ■ v. see free v. 1. furn. abbr. 1 furnished. 2 furniture. fur*nace /fornis/ n. enclosed structure for in¬ tense heating. fur*nish /famish/ v.tr. 1 provide with furni¬ ture. 2 [foil, by with] cause to have posses¬ sion or use of. 3 provide; afford; yield. □□ fur'nished adj. • 1 see equip. 2 equip, rig (out or up); out¬ fit, provision. 3 give, supply. fur*nish*ings /fornishingz/ n.pl. furniture and utensils, etc., in a house, room, etc. ■ see FURNITURE.

fur*ni*ture /farnichar/

n. movable equipment of a house, room, etc., e.g., tables, chairs, and beds. □ part of the furniture colloq. person or thing taken for granted. ■ furnishings; goods, movables, chattels, ef¬ fects. funor /fyobrawr, -or/ n. 1 uproar; outbreak of fury. 2 wave of enthusiastic admiration; craze. ■ 1 outburst, commotion, to-do, hubbub,

327

funny ~ fusible

stir, fuss; tumult, turmoil. 2 rage, mania, vogue, fad. fur»ri»er /fareear/ n. dealer in or dresser of furs. fur»row /faro, fur-/ • n. 1 narrow trench made in the ground by a plow. 2 rut, groove, or deep wrinkle. 3 ship’s track, •v.tr. 1 plow. 2 a make furrows, grooves, etc., in. b mark with wrinkles. □□ fur'row*less adj. fur'row*y adj. m n. 2 channel, trench, track, ditch, gutter; crinkle, crease. • v. 1 harrow, till, cultivate, rib. 2 a groove, channel, flute, score, b wrinkle, crease, corrugate. fur»ry /'faree, furee/ adj. (fur*ri*er, fur*ri* est) 1 of or like fur. 2 covered with or wear¬ ing fur. □□ fur'ri*ness n. m 1 see soft adj. 2, woolly adj. 1. further /farthar/ • adv. 1 = farther. 2 to a greater extent; more. 3 in addition. • adj. 1 = farther. 2 more; additional (threats of further punishment). • v. tr. promote; favor (a scheme, etc.). □□ fur'ther*er n. fur'ther* most adj. m adv. 3 furthermore, besides, moreover, too, also, additionally. • adj. 2 other, new, supplemental, extra, spare. • v. advance, for¬ ward, foster, help. fur*ther*ance /fartharans/ n. furthering or being furthered. ■ promotion, advancement, championship, advocacy, patronage, backing, fostering, championing. fur*ther*more /fartharmawr/ adv. in addi¬ tion; besides. ■ see in addition (addition). furthest var. of farthest. fur»tive /fartiv/ adj. 1 done by stealth. 2 sly; stealthy. □□ fur'tive*ly adv. fur'tive*ness n. m 1 secret, secretive, clandestine, conspira¬

torial. 2 foxy, cunning, crafty, wily, shifty, skulking. fu*ry /fyobree/ n. {pi. -ries) 1 a wild and pas¬ sionate anger; rage, b fit of rage {in a blind fury), c impetuosity in battle, etc. 2 vio¬ lence of a storm, disease, etc. 3 (Fury) [usu. in pi] Gk. mythol. each of three avenging goddesses. ■ 1 a literary ire, wrath; see also ANGER n. b see temper n. 2. c vehemence; see also vi¬ olence 1. 2 ferocity, savagery, fierceness, tempestuousness. fuse1 /fyOoz/ • v. 1 melt with intense heat. 2 blend or amalgamate into one whole by or as by melting. • n. device or component for protecting an electric circuit when an exces¬ sive current passes through. ■ v. 2 merge, unite, combine, mix, mingle; compound. fuse2 /fyooz/ n. (also fuze) device of combus¬ tible matter for igniting an explosive. □□ fuse'less adj. fu*se*lage /fyobsala'azh, -lij, —za—/ n. the body of an airplane. ■ see body n. 3a. fus*i*ble /fydbzibal/ adj. that can be easily fused or melted. □□ fu*si*bil'i*ty n.

fusilier ~ gad

328

fu*sil*ier /fyobzile'er/ n. (also fu*si*leer') hist.

soldier armed with a light musket. fu*siMade /fyoosilayd, -la'ad, —zi—/ n. 1 con¬

tinuous discharge of firearms. 2 wholesale execution by this means. fu*sion /fvobzhan/ n. 1 act or instance of fus¬ ing or melting. 2 fused mass. 3 blending of different things into one. 4 coalition.

5 Physics - nuclear fusion. □□ fusion*al adj. ■ 1—4 see amalgamation (amalgamate). fuss /fus/ • n. 1 excited commotion; bustle.

2 excessive concern about a trivial thing. 3 sustained protest or dispute, • v.intr. 1 make a fuss. 2 busy oneself restiessly with trivial things. □ make a fuss complain vig¬ orously. make a fuss over treat (a person or animal) with great or excessive attention.

□□ fuss'er n. ■ n. 1,2 bother, fluster, flurry, to-do, furor, stir. • v. 1 kick up a fuss; see also complain 1, 2b. □ make a fuss see complain 1, 2b. fuss*budg«et /fusbujit/ n. person who habit¬

ually frets over minor matters. fuss*y /fusee/ adj. (fuss*i*er, fuss*i*est) 1 inclined to fuss. 2 full of unnecessary de¬ tail or decoration. 3 fastidious. □□ fuss'My adv. fuss'imess n.

■ 1 see choosy. 2 fancy, elaborate, overdecorated, rococo, ornate. 3 particular, finicky, finical, dainty, colloq. picky, choosy, persnickety, nitpicking. fus*ty /fustee/ adj. (fus*ti*er, fus*ti*est) 1 musty; moldy. 2 stuffy; close. 3 anti¬ quated. □□ fus'ti*ly adv. fus'ti*ness n. ■ 1 see musty1 1, 2. 2 see close adj. 8. fu*tile /fyoot’l, -til/ adj. 1 useless; ineffectual, vain. 2 frivolous; trifling. □□ fu'tile*ly adv. fu*til*i*ty /—tilitee/ n. ■ 1 unavailing, unsuccessful, unprofitable, abortive, profitless. 2 see worthless. fu»ton /fobton/ n. Japanese quilted mattress rolled out on the floor for use as a bed.

fu»ture /fyoochar/ • adj. 1 going or expected to happen or be or become. 2 a of time to come (future years). b Gram, (of a tense or participle) describing an event yet to hap¬ pen. • n. 1 time to come. 2 what will hap¬ pen in the future. 3 future condition of a person, country, etc. 4 prospect of success, etc. (there’s no future in it). 5 Gram, future tense. □ future perfect Gram, tense giving the sense ‘will have done’, future shock in¬ ability to cope with rapid progress. □□ fu' ture'less adj. u adj. 1 see prospective. 2 a tomorrow’s,

coming; subsequent; to be, to come; see also prospective. • n. 1 days to come; tomor¬ row; futurity. 3 see prospect n. la. fu*tur*ist /fyoocharist/ n. [often attrih. ] 1 be¬ liever in human progress. 2 student of the future. fu*tur*is*tic /fydbchsristik/ adj. suitable for the future; ultramodern. □□ fu*tur*is'ti* cal*ly adv.

fu*tu*ri‘ty fyootobritee, -tyobr-, chcsbr—/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 future time. 2 [in sing, or pi.] future events. fuze var. of FUSE2. fuzz /fuz/ n. 1 fluff. 2 fluffy or frizzled hair. 3 si. the police. ■ 1 see fluff n. 1.3 see police n., police of¬ ficer.

fuzz*y /fuzee/ adj. (fuzz*i»er, fuzz*i*est) 1 like fuzz; fluffy. 2 blurred; indistinct. □□ fuzz'hly adv. fuzz'i’ness n.

m 1 woolly, furry, downy, flocculent, linty; see also hairy 1. 2 dim, faint, hazy, foggy, misty, blurry, unclear. FY abbr. fiscal year. -fy /ft/ suffix forming: 1 verbs from nouns, meaning: a make; produce (pacify), b make into (deify). 2 verbs from adjectives, mean¬ ing ‘bring or come into such a state’ (solid¬ ify). 3 verbs in causative sense (horrify). FYl abbr. for your information.

Gg G1 /jeel n. (also g) (pi. Gs or G’s; g’s) 1 sev¬ enth letter of the alphabet. 2 Mus. fifth note

in the diatonic scale of C major. G2 abbr. (also G.) 1 gauss. 2 giga- 3 gravi¬ tational constant. g abbr. (also g.) 1 gelding. 2 gram(s). 3 gravity. GA abbr. Georgia (in official postal use). Ga symb. Chem. gallium. Ga. abbr. Georgia (US). gab /gab/ colloq. • n. talk; chatter. • v.intr. talk incessantly, trivially, or indiscreetly; chatter. □□ gab'ber n. gab'by adj. (gab* bi*er, gab*bi»est). ■ n. prattle, jabber, blather, gossip, colloq. chitchat; cackle, drivel, twaddle, colloq. hogwash, si. poppycock, bunk, eyewash, v.

jabber, gabble, chatter, gibber, blather, prate. gab*ar»dine /gabarde'en/ n. (also gab'er* dine) smooth durable twilled cloth, esp. of worsted or cotton. gab*ble/gabsl/ •v.intr. talk inarticulately or too fast. • n. fast unintelligible talk. □□ gab'bler n. • v. see prattle v. . n. see prattle n.. ga*ble /gaybal/ n. triangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof. □□ ga'bled adj. [also in comb.]. gad /gad/ v.intr. (gad*ded, gad'ding) [foil, by about] go about idly or in search of plea¬

sure. ■ run around, flit; see also idle lander.

v.

2, phi¬

gad*a*bout /gadsbowt/ n. person who gads about.

gad*fly /gadfli/ n. (pi. -flies) 1 cattle-biting fly. 2 irritating or harassing person. ■ 2 See TROUBLEMAKER.

gadg*et /gajit/ n. mechanical or electronic

device or tool. □□ gadg*e*teer /-teer/ n. gadg’efry n. gadg'et*y adj. ■ contrivance, appliance, apparatus, mech¬ anism, machine, instrument, implement, utensil, colloq. thingamajig, thingy, doohick¬ ey. □□ gadgetry see apparatus. gad»0*lin*i»um /gad’lineeam/ n. Chem. soft silvery metallic element of the lanthanide se¬ ries. fSymb.: Gd. Gael'ic /gaylik, galik/ • n. any of the Celtic languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. • adj. of or relating to the Celts or the Celtic languages. gaff /gaf/ n. 1 stick with an iron hook for landing large fish. 2 spar to which the head of a fore-and-aft sail is bent. gaffe /gaf/ n. blunder; indiscreet act or re¬ mark. ■ see blunder n. gaf'fer /gafsr/ n. 1 old fellow; elderly rustic. 2 colloq. chief electrician in a movie or televi¬ sion production unit. gag /gag/ • n. 1 piece of cloth, etc., thrust into or held over the mouth to prevent speak¬ ing. 2 a joke. 3 thing or circumstance re¬ stricting free speech. • v. (gagged, gag* ging) 1 tr. apply a gag to. 2 tr. silence; de¬ prive of free speech. 3 a intr. choke or retch, b tr. cause to do this. an. 1 muzzle. 2 witticism, jest, quip, pun; hoax, prank, trick; scream, hoot, laugh. 3 re¬ striction, ban, proscription; embargo, boy¬ cott. • v. 2 curb, put a lid on, suppress, re¬ press, check. ga*ga /gaagaa/ adj. si. 1 infatuated; overly fond. 2 fatuous; slightly crazy. gage1 /gayj/ n. 1 pledge; thing deposited as security. 2 a a challenge to fight, b symbol of this, esp. a glove thrown down. ■ 1 see pledge n. 2. 2 see challenge n. 1. gage2 var. of gauge. gag*gle/gagsl/ • «. 1 flock of geese. 2 colloq. disorderly group of people. • v.intr. (of geese) cackle. gai»e*ty /gaystee/ n. (also gay'e*ty) 1 state of being lighthearted or merry. 2 merrymak¬ ing. 3 bright appearance. ■ 1 lightheartedness, cheerfulness, cheeri¬ ness, happiness, elation, glee, felicity, delight, pleasure, joy, joyfulness. 2 amusement, fes¬ tivity, celebration, revelry. 3 brightness, bril¬ liance; see also splendor 2. gai»ly /gaylee/ adv. in a gay or lighthearted manner. ■ lightheartedly, happily, cheerfully, cheer¬ ily, gleefully. gain /gayn/ • v. 1 tr. obtain or secure. 2 tr. acquire; earn. 3 tr. obtain as an increment or addition. 4 intr. [foil, by in] make a specified advance or improvement. 5 intr. & tr. (of a clock, etc.) display a later time. 6 intr. come closer to. 7 tr. reach or arrive at (a desired place). See synonym study at get. • n. 1 something gained, achieved, etc. 2 in-

329

gadabout ~ gallant

crease of possessions, etc.; profit, advance, or improvement. 3 acquisition of wealth. 4 in¬ crease in amount, oo gain'a*ble adj. gain' er n. gain'ings n.pl. • v. A get, acquire, procure, attain, achieve, earn, win. 2 make, get, realize, clear; see also earn 1. 3 gather, acquire, pick up; put on. 4 improve, progress, advance, increase. 6 gain ground, narrow the gap; get nearer to, close in on. 7 get to, come to; see also reach v. 4. • n. 1 achievement, attainment, acqui¬ sition; see also accomplishment 3, advan¬ tage n. 1,3. 2 yield, return, dividend; pro¬ ceeds, revenue. 4 increment, rise, addition, advance; progress. gain'ful /gaynfool/ adj. 1 (of employment) paid. 2 lucrative; remunerative. □□ gain' fuWy adv. gain'fiil*ness n. ■ 2 moneymaking, profitable, fruitful. gain*say /gaynsay/ v.tr. (past and past part. gain*said /-sed/) deny; contradict. □□ gain' say*er n. gait /gayt/ n. manner of running or walking. ■ see walk n. 1. gai*ter /gaytor/ n. covering of cloth, leather, etc., for the leg below the knee. □□ gait' ered adj. gal /gal/ n. si. girl. ■ see girl 1. gal. abbr. gallon(s). ga*la /gayb, ga'ab, gala/ n. [often attrib.] fes¬ tive or special occasion (a gala performance). ■ fete, festival, festivity, feast, celebration, holiday. ga*lac*tic /golaktik/ adj. of or relating to a galaxy or galaxies. gal»ax*y /gabksee/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 any of many independent systems of stars, gas, dust, etc., held together by gravitational at¬ traction. 2 (often the Galaxy) the Milky Way. gale /gayl/ n. 1 very strong wind. 2 Naut. storm. 3 outburst, esp. of laughter. ■ 2 see storm n. 1. 3 burst, explosion, eruption; peal, roar, scream, shout, howl, shriek, hoot. gall’ /gawl/ n. 1 si. impudence. 2 asperity; rancor. 3 bitterness; anything bitter (gall and wormwood). 4 bile. See synonym study at te¬ merity. ■ 1 insolence, impertinence, audacity, brashness, brazenness, colloq. brass, nerve, guts. 2, 3 acerbity, causticity, harshness; see also bitterness (BITTER). gall2 /gawl/ • n. sore made by chafing. • v.tr. 1 rub sore. 2 vex; annoy; humiliate. □□ gall' ing*ly adv. m n. 1 abrasion, scrape, graze, scratch, chafe. • v. 1 irritate, chafe, abrade, fret, scrape, scratch. 2 bother, irritate, irk; anger, enrage, inflame. gall3 /gawl/ n. growth produced by insects or fungus, etc., on plants and trees, esp. on oak. gaMant • adj. /gabnt/ 1 brave; chivalrous. 2 grand; fine; stately. 3 /gabnt; gslant, -la'ant/ markedly attentive to women. • n. /gabnt, gslant, -laant/ ladies’ man. □□ gal* lant*ly /gabntlee/ adv.

gallantry ~ gamekeeper

330

■ adj. 1 courageous, bold, valiant, daring, dauntless, intrepid, plucky; chivalrous, gra¬ cious, honorable. 2 elegant, imposing, no¬ ble, dignified, glorious, splendid. • n. lover, Romeo, seducer, sweetheart, beloved, boy¬ friend. gaMant*ry /gabntree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 brav¬ ery; dashing courage. 2 courtliness; devo¬ tion to women. 3 polite act or speech. ■ 1 see bravery (brave). 2 see chivalry 2. gall*blad*der /gawlbladar/ n. (also gall' blad'der) A rial, organ that stores bile. gaMe*on /galeean/ n. hist. 1 ship of war (usu. Spanish). 2 large Spanish merchant ship. gaMer»i*a /gabreea / n. collection of small shops under a single roof; arcade. gaMer*y /gabree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 room or building for showing works of art. 2 balcony, esp. in a church, hall, etc. 3 a highest bal¬ cony in a theater, b its occupants. 4 portico or colonnade. 5 long narrow room, passage, or corridor. 6 group of spectators. □ play to the gallery seek to win approval by appeal¬ ing to popular taste. □□ gal'ler*ied adj. • 4 see portico. gal'ley /galee/ n. (pi. -leys) 1 hist, low flat single-decked vessel using sails and oars, and usu. rowed by slaves or criminals. 2 ship’s or aircraft’s kitchen. 3 Printing (in full galley proof) typeset copy before division into pages. □ galley slave 1 hist, person con¬ demned to row in a galley. 2 drudge. GaMic /galik/ adj. 1 French or typically French. 2 of the Gauls; Gaulish. □□ Gal*li* cize /—lislz/ v. gal*li*um /galeesm/ n. Chem. soft bluish white metallic element. IJSymb.: Ga. gaMi*vant /galivant/ v.intr. colloq. 1 gad about. 2 flirt. ■ 1 see journey v. 2 see philander. gaMon /gabn/ n. 1 measure of capacity equivalent to four quarts (3.785 liters), used for liquids. 2 [usu. in pi.) colloq. large amount. □□ gal'lon*age n. gaMop /galop/ • n. fastest pace of a horse or other quadruped, with all the feet off the ground together in each stride, •v.intr. (gal* loped, gablopnng) 1 (of a horse, etc., or its rider) go at the pace of a gallop. 2 move, talk, etc., very rapidly. □□ gal'lop*er n. m v. see run v. 1, 3. gaMows /galoz/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.) structure, usu. of two uprights and a cross¬ piece, for the hanging of criminals. □ gal¬ lows humor grim and ironic humor. ■ gibbet, hist, scaffold. galbstone /gawlston/ n. small hard mass forming in the gallbladder, ga'lore /golawr/ adv. in abundance (decorated with flowers galore). ■ aplenty, in large quantity or quantities or number(s) or amounts, in profusion; every¬ where, all over. ga'losh /golosh/ n. [usu. in pi.) high, water¬ proof overshoe, usu. of rubber. ga*lumph /galumf/ v.intr. colloq. move noisily or clumsily.

gal»van»ic /galvanik/ adj. 1 a sudden and re¬ markable (had a galvanic effect). b stimulat¬ ing. 2 of or producing an electric current by chemical action. □□ gal*van'i*cal*ly adv. gal»va*nize /galvoniz/ v.tr. 1 rouse forcefully, esp. by shock or excitement. 2 coat (iron) with zinc as a protection against rust. □□ gal'va’ni-za'tion n. gal va*niz*er n. • 1 see rouse 2a. gal*va*nom*e*ter /galvonomitor/ n. instru¬ ment for detecting and measuring small electric currents. □□ gal*va*no*met*ric /-nometrik/ adj. gam*bit /gambit/ n. 1 chess opening in which a player sacrifices a piece or pawn to secure an advantage. 2 opening move in a discus¬ sion, etc. 3 trick or device. ■ 3 see device 2. gam*ble /gambol/ • v. 1 intr. play games of chance for money, esp. for high stakes. 2 tr. bet (a sum of money). 3 intr. take great risks in the hope of substantial gain. 4 intr. act in the hope or expectation of (gambled on fine weather). • n. risky undertaking or attempt. □□ gam'bler n. » v. 1,3 game, wager, bet. 2 risk, venture, hazard, wager; place. 4 take a chance on, count on, bargain on, rely on. • n. risk, ven¬ ture, chance; uncertainty, speculation. gam'bol /gambol/ •v.intr. (gam*boled, gam*bol*ing; gam*bolled, gam*bol*ling) skip or frolic playfully. • n. playful frolic. gam*brel /gambrol/ n. (in full gam'brel roof) gabled roof with each face having two slopes, the lower one steeper. game1 /gaym/ • n. la form or spell of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played ac¬ cording to rules, b specific instance of play¬ ing such a game; a match. 2 single portion of play forming a scoring unit in some contests. 3 [in pi] meeting for athletic, etc., contests (Olympic Games). 4 a fun; jest, b [in pi.] jokes; tricks (none of your games!). 5 scheme. 6 a policy or line of action, b occupation or profession. 7 [collect.] a wild animals or birds hunted for sport or food, b flesh of these. • adj. spirited; eager and willing. • v.intr. play at games of chance for money; gamble. □ the game is up the scheme is re¬ vealed or foiled, game plan 1 winning strat¬ egy worked out in advance. 2 plan of cam¬ paign, esp. in politics. □□ game'ly adv. game'ster n. • n. la amusement, pastime, diversion, distraction; recreation. 2 round, bout; see also heat1 n. 6. 3 (games) contest, competi¬ tion, meeting, meet, tournament, tourney. 4 a see prank, b dodges, ruses, ploys; mis¬ chief, horseplay. 5 undertaking, plan, plot, design, stratagem. 6 a approach, b line (of work), field, business, trade, colloq. racket. • adj. adventurous, plucky, daring, brave, bold. □ game plan 2 see policy 1. game2 /gaym/ adj. (of a leg, arm, etc.) lame; crippled. game*COck /gaymkok/ n. (also game*fowl /-fowl/) cock bred and trained for cockfighting. game*keep*er /gaymkeepor/ n. person em¬ ployed to care for and protect game.

games*man*ship /gaymzmsnshlp/

n. art or practice of gaining a psychological advantage over an opponent. ga*mete /gameet, gameet/ n. Biol, mature germ cell able to unite with another in sexual reproduction. □□ ga'metnc /gometik/ adj. gam*in /gamin/ n. 1 street tirchin. 2 impu¬ dent boy. ■ 1 see guttersnipe. 2 see devil n. 3b. ga»mine /gameen/ n. 1 girl gamin. 2 girl with mischievous or boyish charm. gam«ma /gama/ n. third letter of the Greek alphabet (F, y). □ gamma radiation (or rays) electromagnetic radiation of very short wavelength. gam*ut /gamat/ n. whole series or range or scope of anything (the whole gamut of crime). See synonym study at range. ■ scale, spectrum, compass, spread, sweep, field. gam*y /gaymee/ adj. (gam*i*er, gam*i*est) 1 having the flavor or scent of game. 2 scan¬ dalous; sensational. □□ gam'i*ly adv. gam' i*ness n. gan*der /gandar/ n. 1 male goose. 2 si. a look; a glance. ■ 2 see glance n. 1. gang /gang/ n. 1 a band of persons associat•ing, esp. for criminal purposes, b colloq. such a band pursuing antisocial purposes. 2 set of workers, slaves, or prisoners. □ gang up colloq. 1 act in concert. 2 combine against. ■ 1 group, pack, mob; crowd, set. □ gang up 1 join together, join forces, unite. 2 con¬ spire or plot against, unite or unify against, join forces against. gang*land /gangland, -land/ n. the world of organized crime. gan«gling /ganggling/ adj. (of a person) loosely built; lanky. ■ see LANKY.

gan*gli*on /'ganggleean/

n. (pi. gan*gli*a /-lees/ or gan»gli»ons) structure containing an assemblage of nerve cells. □□ gan*gli*ar /-gleear/ adj. gan*gli*on*ic /-leeonik/ adj. gan*gly /gangglee/ adj. (gan»gli*er, gan*gli* est) = gangling. gang*plank /gangplangk/ n. movable plank usu. with cleats nailed on it for boarding or disembarking from a ship, etc. gan»grene /ganggreen/ n. Med. death and decomposition of a part of the body tissue, usu. resulting from obstructed circulation. □□ gan*gre*nous /ganggrinas/ adj. gang*Ster /gangstar/ n. member of a gang of violent criminals. □□ gang'ster*ism n. m Mafioso, racketeer, si. mobster, goon, hood, gunsel; see also criminal n. gangway /gangway/ n. 1 opening in a ship’s bulwarks. 2 bridge laid from ship to shore. gan*net /ganit/ n. sea bird that catches fish by plunge-diving. ganWet var. of gauntlet2. gan*try /gantree/ n. (pi. -tries) 1 overhead structure supporting a traveling crane, or railroad or road signals. 2 structure support¬ ing a space rocket prior to launching. GAO abbr. General Accounting Office, gap /gap/ n. 1 unfilled space or interval;

331 gamesmanship ~ garland blank; break in continuity. 2 breach in a hedge, fence, or wall. 3 wide divergence in views, etc. □ fill (or close, etc.) a gap make up a deficiency. □□ gapped adj. gap'py adj. m 1 void, gulf; lull, pause; stop, disruption. 2 opening, space, aperture, hole, cavity, crev¬ ice. 3 difference, distinction, disparity, dis¬ crepancy, division. gape /gayp/ •v.intr. 1 a open one’s mouth wide, b be or become wide open. 2 [foil, by at] gaze curiously or wonderingly. 3 split. • n. 1 openmouthed stare. 2 yawn. 3 open mouth or beak. 4 a rent or opening. □□ gap'ing'ly adv. m v. 1 b yawn, open (wide). 2 stare, goggle, colloq. gawk, rubberneck. 3 see split ». la. • n. 1 goggle, gaze. 4 see split n. 2. ga*rage /gara'azh, -ra'aj/ • n. 1 building or shed for the storage of motor vehicles. 2 es¬ tablishment selling gasoline, etc., or repair¬ ing and selling motor vehicles. • v.tr. put or keep (a motor vehicle) in a garage. garb /gaarb/ • n. clothing, esp. of a distinctive kind. •v.tr. 1 put (esp. distinctive) clothes on (a person). 2 attire. ■ n. see dress n. 2. • v. see clothe 1, 2. garbage /gaarbij/ n. la refuse; filth, b do¬ mestic waste, esp. food wastes. 2 foul or in¬ ferior literature, etc. 3 nonsense. ■ 1 a dross, rubbish, junk, litter, debris, waste. 2 rubbish, trash, colloq. tripe. 3 see nonsense.

gar’ble /gaarbal/ v.tr. unintentionally distort or confuse (facts, messages, etc.). □□ gar' bier n. ■ mix up, misconstrue, misunderstand, misread, jumble (up). gar*den /ga'ard’n/ •n. 1 piece of ground used for growing esp. flowers or vegetables. 2 {esp. in pi] ornamental grounds laid out for public enjoyment (botanical gardens). • v.intr. cultivate or work in a garden. □□ gar'den»er n. gar'den»ing n. gar*de*nia /gaarde'enya/ n. tree or shrub with large white or yellow flowers and usu. a fra¬ grant scent. gar»gan»tu»an /gaarganchooan/ adj. enor¬ mous; gigantic. ■ see gigantic.

gar»gle /ga'argal/ •v.tr. wash (one’s mouth and throat), esp. for medicinal purposes, with a liquid kept in motion by breathing through it. • n. liquid used for gargling. gar*goyle /ga'argoyl/ n. grotesque carved hu¬ man or animal face or figure, esp. as a spout from the gutter on a building. gar'ish /gairish/ adj. 1 obtrusively bright; showy. 2 gaudy; over-decorated. □□ gar' ish'ly adv. gar'ish*ness n. m 1 florid, flashy, harsh, loud, obtrusive. 2 tawdry, raffish, meretricious, brummagem, si. glitzy. gaMand /ga'arbnd/ • n. wreath of flowers, leaves, etc. •v.tr. 1 adorn with garlands. 2 crown with a garland. ■ n. crown, chaplet, circlet; festoon. • v. wreathe, festoon, decorate; encircle, ring, circle.

garlic ~ gather

332

gar*lic /ga'arlik/ n. plant of the onion family with pungent bulb, used as a flavoring in cooking. □□ gar'lick*y adj. garment /ga'armant/ n. article of dress. ■ item or piece of clothing. gar«ner /gaarnar/ v.tr. 1 collect. 2 store; de¬ posit. ■ 1 gather, assemble, amass, accumulate, heap up, pile up. 2 stock (up), lay in or up or down, put away, put by, stow (away), cache. gar*net /ga'arnit/ n. vitreous silicate mineral, esp. a transparent deep red kind used as a gem. gar*nish/ga'arnish/ • v. tr. 1 decorate or em¬ bellish (esp. food). 2 Law serve notice on (a person) for the purpose of legally seizing money belonging to a debtor or defendant. • n. (also gar nisheing) decoration or em¬ bellishment, esp. to food. □□ gar'nish* ment n. (in sense 2). ■ v. 1 see decorate 1,3. • n. see decora¬ tion 2. gar*nish*ee /ga'arnishe'e/ Law n. a person garnished. •D.tr. (gar*nish*ees, gar*nish* eed) 1 garnish (a person). 2 attach (money, etc.) by way of garnishment. ga*rotte var. of garrote. gar»ret /garit/ n. 1 top floor or attic room. 2 attic. gar«ri*Son /garisan/ • n. 1 troops stationed in a fortress, town, etc., to defend it. 2 the building occupied by them. • v. tr. provide (a place) with or occupy as a garrison. ■ n. 2 see stronghold 1. • v. see occupy 4. gar*rote /garot/ (also ga*rotte'; gar*rotte') • v. tr. execute or kill by strangulation, esp. with an iron or wire collar, etc. • n. appa¬ ratus used for this. gar*ru*lous /garalas, garya- 7 adj. 1 talkative, esp. on trivial matters. 2 loquacious; wordy. □□ gar*ru*li*ty /garoolitee/ n. gar'ru'lous* ly adv. gar'ru*lous*ness n. ■ see TALKATIVE. gar*ter /gahrtar/ n. band worn to keep a sock or stocking or shirt sleeve up. gas /gas/ • n. (pi. gashes) 1 any airlike sub¬ stance which moves freely to fill any space available, irrespective of its quantity. 2 such a substance used as fuel (also attrib.: gas stove). 3 nitrous oxide or another gas used as an anesthetic. 4 poisonous gas. 5 colloq. a gasoline, b motor vehicle’s accelerator. 6 enjoyable, attractive, or amusing thing or person. • v. (gas*es, gassed, gas'sing) 1 tr. expose to gas, esp. to kill or make uncon¬ scious. 2 tr. colloq. fill (the tank of a motor vehicle) with gasoline, a gas chamber room for execution by gas. gas mask respi¬ rator used as a defense against poison gas. ■ n. 1 see fume n. gas»e*ous /gaseeas, gashas/ adj. of or like gas. □□ gas'e*ous*ness n. gash /gash/ • n. long and deep slash, cut, or wound. • v.tr. make a gash in; cut. ■ n. incision, laceration. • v. slash, lacerate, wound; score, incise, slit, groove, split, liter¬ ary cleave. gas*ket /gaskit/ n. sheet or ring of rubber,

etc., shaped to seal the junction of metal sur¬ faces. gas*0«line /gasale'en/ n. volatile flammable liquid made from petroleum and used as a fuel. gasp /gasp/ • v. 1 intr. catch one’s breath with an open mouth as in exhaustion or as¬ tonishment. 2 intr. [foil, by for] strain to ob¬ tain by gasping {gasped for air). 3 tr. utter with gasps. • n. convulsive catching of breath. □ at one’s last gasp 1 at the point of death. 2 exhausted. ■ v. 1 pant, puff, huff, heave, wheeze. 2 gulp for, fight for, strain for. • n. snort, puff, gulp, huff, heave, wheeze. □ at one’s last gasp 1 at death’s door, on one’s deathbed, with one foot in the grave, on one’s last legs, in extremis. 2 see exhausted (exhaust v. 2). gas*sy /gasee/ adj. (gas*si*er, gas*si*est) 1 of or like gas. 2 full of gas. □□ gas'simess n. gas»tric /gastrik/ adj. of the stomach. gas»tri*tis /gastritis/ n. inflammation of the stomach. gastro- /gastro/ comb, form (also gastr- be¬ fore a vowel) stomach. gas*tron*o*my /gastronamee/ n. the prac¬ tice, study, or art of eating and drinking well. □□ gas*tro*nom*ic /gastranomik/ adj. gas* tro*nom'i*cal adj. gas*tro*nom'i*cal*ly adv.

gas*tro*pod /gastropod/ n. mollusk that moves along by means of a large muscular foot, e.g., a snail, slug, etc. gate /gayt/ • n. 1 barrier, usu. hinged, used to close an entrance through a wall, fence, etc. 2 gateway. 3 means of entrance or exit. 4 numbered place of access to aircraft at an airport. 5 device regulating the passage of water in a lock, etc. 6 a number of people entering by payment at the gates of a sports stadium, etc. b (in full gate money) pro¬ ceeds taken for admission. • v. tr. (as gated adj.) (of a road) having a gate or gates to control the movement of traffic or animals. ■ n. 2,3 opening, access; see also mouth n. 2a, b. 6 a admission(s), attendance, crowd, audience, assemblage, b see take n. -gate /gayt/ suffix forming nouns denoting an actual or alleged scandal comparable in some way to the Watergate scandal of 1972 (Irangate). gate*crash*er /gaytkrashar/ n. uninvited guest at a party, etc. □□ gate'crash v. gate*fold /gaytfold/ n. page in a book or mag¬ azine, etc., that folds out to be larger than the page format. gate*house /gayt-hows/ n. house standing by a gateway, esp. to a large house or park. gate'way /gaytway/ n. 1 entrance with or opening for a gate. 2 entrance or exit. gath*er /gathar/ • V. 1 tr. & intr. bring or come together; assemble; accumulate. 2 tr. acquire by gradually collecting; amass. 3 tr. harvest. 4 tr. infer or understand. 5 tr. in¬ crease {gather speed). 6 tr. [often foil, by up] summon up (one’s thoughts, energy, etc.) for a purpose. 7 tr. gain or recover (one’s breath). 8 tr. draw (material, or one’s brow) together in folds or wrinkles. »n. [in pi] part

of a garment that is gathered or drawn in. on gath'er*er n. ■ v. 1 collect, muster, convene, meet, con¬ gregate, group; heap or pile (up), stockpile, stock, amass. 2 collect, accumulate, garner, glean. 3 collect, reap, glean. 4 deduce, con¬ clude, be led to believe, take it; hear. 5 gain, acquire, accumulate, pick up. 8 pull to¬ gether, contract, pleat, tuck, fold; see also wrinkle v. 1. • n. {gathers) pleats, folds, ruf¬ fles, tucks. synonym study: gather ASSEMBLE, COLLECT, CONGREGATE, CONVENE, marshal, muster. Gather is the most gen¬ eral of these terms meaning to come or bring together. It implies bringing widely scattered things or people to one place but with no particular arrangement (to gather shells at the beach', to gather the family in the living room). Collect, on the other hand, implies both se¬ lectivity {to collect evidence for the trial) and organization {to collect butterflies as a hobby). To gather one’s thoughts means to bring them together because they have been previ¬ ously scattered; to collect one’s thoughts is to organize them. Assemble pertains to objects or people who are brought together for a .purpose {to assemble data for a report', to as¬ semble Congress so that the bill could be debat¬ ed), while congregate is more spontaneous, describing a gathering as a result of free choice {people congregated in front of the palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the queen). Convene is a formal word meaning to as¬ semble or meet in a body {to convene an inter¬ national conference on the subject of global tvarming). Marshal and muster are usually thought of as military terms. Muster implies bringing together the parts or units of a force {troops mustered for inspection), and marshal suggests a very orderly and purposeful ar¬ rangement {to marshal the allied forces along the battle front).

gath*er»ing /gatharing/ n. assembly or meet¬ ing. ■ convocation, convention, congress, as¬ semblage, rally, conclave, meet, conference, colloq. get-together. ga»tor /gaytar/ n. (also ga'ter) colloq. alli¬ gator. GATT /gat/ abbr. (also Gatt) General Agree¬ ment on Tariffs and Trade. gauche /gosh/ adj. 1 lacking ease or grace; socially awkward. 2 tactless, do gauche’ly adv. gauche ness n. m 1 see awkward 2. 2 see tactless. gau*che»rie /gosharee/ n. gauche manners or action. gau*ChO /gowcho/ n. (pi. -chos) cowboy from the S. American pampas. gaud»y /gawdee/ adj. (gaud*i«er, gaud»i* est) tastelessly or extravagantly bright or showy. □□ gaudidy adv. gaud'bness n. m garish, flashy, loud, ostentatious, tawdry, si. glitzy. gauge /gayj/ (also gage) • n. 1 standard measure to which certain things must con¬ form, esp.: a measure of the capacity or con¬ tents of a barrel, b fineness of a textile, c di-

333

gathering ~ gazebo

ameter of a bullet, d thickness of sheet metal. 2 instrument for measuring. 3 dis¬ tance between a pair of rails or the wheels on one axle. 4 means of estimating; criterion or test. •v.tr. 1 measure exactly. 2 estimate or form a judgment of (a person, temperament, situation, etc.), on gauge'a'ble adj. gaug' er n. • n. 1 yardstick, benchmark, rule, pattern, guide. 4 standard, yardstick, measure, touchstone, model, guideline, guide, rule, norm, example. • v. 1 calculate, compute, figure, reckon, determine, weigh. 2 judge, evaluate, appraise, assess, rate; guess. Gaul /gawl/ n. native or inhabitant of ancient Gaul. Gaulish /gawlish/ • adj. of or relating to the ancient Gauls. • n. their language, gaunt /gawnt/ adj. 1 lean; haggard. 2 grim or desolate in appearance. See synonym study at thin. □□ gaunt'ly adv. gaunt'ness n. m 1 thin, scrawny, skinny, scraggy, rawboned, bony. 2 dreary, dismal, bleak, desert¬ ed, forlorn, bare. gaunHet1 /gawntlit/ n. 1 stout glove with a long loose wrist. 2 hist, armored glove. 3 the part of a glove covering the wrist. 4 challenge (esp. in throw down the gauntlet). gaunWet2 /gawntlit/ n. (also ganflet /gant/) □ run the gauntlet 1 be subjected to harsh criticism. 2 pass between two rows of people and receive punishing blows, gauze /gawz/ n. thin transparent fabric of silk, cotton, etc. gauz*y /gawzee/ adj. (gauz*i*er, gauz*i*est) 1 like gauze. 2 flimsy; delicate. □□ gauz'idy adv. gauz'i*ness n. • see filmy 1. gave past of give. gav»el /gaval/ n. small hammer used by an auctioneer, or for calling a meeting, court¬ room, etc., to order. ga*votte /gavot/ n. 1 old French dance. 2 music for this. gawk /gawk/ v.intr. colloq. stare stupidly, □o gawk'ish adj. ■ goggle, gape, colloq. rubberneck. gawk»y /gawkee/ adj. (gawk*i»er, gawk*i* est) awkward or ungainly. □□ gawk'i'ly adv. gawk'i*ness n. gay /gay/ • adj. 1 lighthearted and carefree; mirthful. 2 characterized by cheerfulness or pleasure. 3 a homosexual, b intended for or used by homosexuals (gay bar). 4 brightly colored. • n. homosexual, esp. male. □□ gay'ness n. m adj. 1 happy, jovial, debonair, cheerful, gleeful, bright, joyful, jubilant, high-spirited. 2 see pleasant. 4 colorful, showy, bright, brilliant, vivid. gay*e*ty var. of gaiety. gaze /gayz/ •v.intr.: look fixedly. • n. intent look. □□ gaz'er n. m v. gape; contemplate, regard, scrutinize, observe; see also stare v. • n. stare, goggle, fixed or blank look. ga*ze*bo /gazeebo/ n. (pi. -bos or -boes)

gazelle ~ general

334

open-sided structure designed to give a wide view. ga*zelle /gszel/ n. any of various graceful soft-eyed antelopes of Asia or Africa, ga'zette /gazet/ n. 1 newspaper, esp. the offi¬ cial one of an organization or institution (University Gazette). 2 hist, news sheet; peri¬ odical publication giving current events. ■ see journal 1. gaz*et*teer /gazite'er/ n. geographical index or dictionary. gaz*pa*chO /gaspa'acho/ n. (pi. -chos) Span¬ ish soup made with tomatoes, oil, garlic, onions, etc., and served cold. GB abbr. Great Britain. Gd symb. Chem. element gadolinium. GDP abbr. gross domestic product. Ge symb. Chem. germanium, gear/geer/ •«. 1 [often in pi] set of toothed wheels that work together, as in a vehicle. 2 particular setting of these (low gear). 3 equipment or tackle for a special purpose. 4 colloq. a clothing, esp. when modern or fashionable, b possessions in general. • v. 1 tr. adjust or adapt to. 2 tr. [foil, by up] make ready or prepared. □ be geared (or all geared) up colloq. be ready or enthusiastic. m n. 1 (gears) cogwheels. 3 apparatus, mechanism, outfit, appliance; machinery, material. 4 a clothes, garments, colloq. togs, formal apparel, attire, b belongings, things, effects, chattels, goods. • v. 1 tailor, fit, ac¬ commodate, suit, alter. 2 ready, get ready, set, equip, colloq. psych up; see also prepare 3a. □ be geared (or all geared) up see READY adj. 1,2. gearshift /ge'ershift/ n. lever used to engage or change gear. gear*wheel /geerhweel, -weel/ n. 1 toothed wheel in a set of gears. 2 (in a bicycle) cog¬ wheel driven directly by the chain. geck‘0 /geko/ n. (pi. -os or -oes) tropical lizard. gee /jee/ int. (also gee whiz /wiz/) colloq. mild expression of surprise, discovery, etc. geek /geek/ n. si. 1 socially inept person. 2 carnival performer of sensational but dis¬ gusting acts. geese pi. of goose. gee*zer /ge'ezar/ n. si. person, esp. an old man. Gei»ger counter /gigar/ n. device for meas¬ uring radioactivity by detecting and count¬ ing ionizing particles. gei*sha /gaysha, gee-/ n. (pi. same or gei* shas) Japanese hostess trained in entertain¬ ing men with dance and song, gel /jel/ • n. 1 semisolid colloidal suspension or jelly. 2 gelatinous hairstyling preparation. • v.intr. (gelled, gelding) form a gel. □□ ge* la'tion n. m v. see set1 v. 6, 7. gel*a*tin /jelatin/ n. (also gel*a*tine /-teen/) transparent water-soluble protein derived from collagen and used in food preparation, photography, etc. □□ ge*lat*i*nize /jilat’niz/ v. ge*lat'i*ni*za*tion n. ge*lat*i*nous /jilat’nas/ adj. 1 of or like gela¬

tin. 2 of a jelly-like consistency. □□ ge*lat'i* nous*ly adv. ■ 2 see thick adj. 5a. geld /geld/ v.tr. castrate or spay. geld*ing /gelding/ n. gelded animal, esp. a male horse. gem /jem/ n. 1 precious stone, esp. when cut and polished. 2 object or person of great beauty or worth. □□ gem'like adj. gem'my adj.

■ 1 gemstone, jewel, si. rock. 2 pearl, mar¬ vel, treasure; nonpareil, ideal, prize, master¬ piece. Gem*i*ni /jemini, -nee/ n. 1 constellation and third sign of the zodiac (the Twins). 2 person born when the sun is in this sign. gem*Stone /jemston/ n. precious stone used as a gem. Gen. abbr. 1 General. 2 Genesis (Old Testa¬ ment). -gen /jan/ comb, form 1 Chem. that which pro¬ duces (hydrogen, antigen). 2 Bot. growth (endogen, exogen, acrogen).

gen»darme /zhondaarm/ n. police officer, esp. in France. gen*der /jendar/ n, la grammatical classifi¬ cation corresponding to the two sexes and sexlessness, b each of these classes of nouns. 2 colloq. a person’s sex. gene /jeen/ n. unit of heredity composed of DNA or RNA and forming part of a chro¬ mosome, etc., that determines a particular characteristic of an individual. ge*ne*al*0*gy /je'eneealajee/ n. (pi. -gies) 1 descent traced continuously from an an¬ cestor. 2 study of family descent. □□ ge*ne* a*log*i*cal /je'eneealojikal/ adj. ge*ne*a*log' i*cal*ly adv. ge*ne*al'o*gist n. • 1 see LINEAGE. gen*er*al /jenaral/ • adj. 1 a completely or almost universal, b including or affecting all or nearly all parts or cases of things. 2 prev¬ alent; widespread; usual. 3 not partial, par¬ ticular, local, or sectional. 4 not limited in application; relating to whole classes or all cases. 5 not restricted, specialized, or de¬ tailed (a general idea). See synonym study at universal. • n. la army officer ranking next above lieutenant general, b = brigadier general,

lieutenant general,

major general.

2 commander of an army. 3 tactician or strategist of specified merit (a great general). □ general practitioner nonspecialist doc¬ tor working in the community, in general 1 as a normal rule; usually. 2 for the most part. □□ gen*er*al*ist /jenaralist/ n. gen’er* al*ness n. n adj. 1 extensive, comprehensive, world¬ wide, global, ubiquitous; accepted, public, popular, shared; see also universal adj. 2 common, normal, regular, prevailing, cus¬ tomary, habitual. 3 mixed, assorted, hetero¬ geneous; see also miscellaneous. 4 inclu¬ sive, all-inclusive, nonexclusive, unrestricted; overall, across-the-board. 5 unspecialized, nonspecialized, encyclopedic, broad, com¬ prehensive, catholic; sweeping, panoramic; vague, indefinite. □ general practitioner see doctor n. la. in general see usually (usual).

gen»er*a*lis*si»mo /jenaralisimo/ n. (pi. -mos) commander of combined military forces in some countries. gen*er*al*i*ty /jenaralitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 statement or principle, etc., having general validity or force. 2 applicability to a whole class of instances. 3 vagueness; lack of de¬ tail. 4 [foil, by of] the main body or majority. ■ 1 law; generalization. 2 see prevalence (prevalent). 4 (the generality of) the great majority of, the vast majority of, the greater part of, most of. gen*er«al«ize /jenaraliz/ v. 1 intr. speak in general or indefinite terms. 2 tr. reduce to a general statement. 3 tr. infer (a law or con¬ clusion) by induction. □□ gen*er»al*i»za' tion n. gen'er*al*iz*er n. gen*er*al*ly /jenaralee/ adv. 1 usually; in most cases. 2 in a general sense; without re¬ gard to particulars or exceptions. a 1 commonly, ordinarily, customarily, ha¬ bitually; on average, as a rule, by and large, in general. 2 roughly, broadly, loosely, approx¬ imately. gen*er*ate /jenarayt/ v.tr. 1 bring into exis¬ tence; produce; evolve. 2 produce (electric¬ ity). □□ gen‘er*a*ble /-rabal/ adj. • 1 create, originate, initiate, invent, de¬ vise, coin; develop, form; give rise to, bring about. gen*er*a*tion /jenarayshan/ n. 1 all the peo¬ ple born at a particular time, regarded col¬ lectively (my generation). 2 single step in descent or pedigree. 3 stage in (esp. techno¬ logical) development (fourth-generation com¬ puters). 4 average time for a new human gen¬ eration (about 30 years). 5 production, as of electricity or heat. 6 procreation. □ Gener¬ ation X term used for people born from about 1965 to 1975. □□ gen*er*a'tion*al adj.

■ 1 age (group), cohort; contemporaries, peers. 6 propagation, production, reproduc¬ tion; breeding. gen*er*a*tive /jenarativ, -raytiv/ adj. 1 of or concerning procreation. 2 able to produce; productive. ■ 2 see fertile 3. gen*er»a«tor /jenaraytar/ n. 1 machine for converting mechanical into electrical energy. 2 apparatus for producing gas, steam, etc. 3 person who generates an idea, etc. ge*ner*ic /jinerik/ adj. 1 characteristic of or relating to a class; general, not specific or special. 2 Biol, characteristic of or belonging to a genus. 3 (of goods, esp. a drug) having no trade or brand name. See synonym study at universal. □□ ge"ner'i*cal*ly adv. gen*er»ous /jenaras/ adj. 1 giving or given freely. 2 magnanimous; noble-minded; un¬ prejudiced. 3 ample; abundant. □□ gen*er* os*i*ty /-rositee/ n. gen'er*ous»ly adv. m 1 bountiful, charitable, lavish, openhanded, free, liberal, unstinting. 2 benevo¬ lent, charitable, unselfish, forgiving, hu¬ manitarian, philanthropic; disinterested, unbiased, broad-minded, tolerant. 3 copi¬ ous, plentiful, full, lavish; large, substantial, sizable. gen*e*sis /jenisis/ n. 1 origin, or mode of

335

generalissimo ~ genre

formation or generation, of a thing. 2 (Gen¬ esis) first book of the Old Testament. ■ 1 see origin 1. gene-splic*ing /je'en splising/ • n. method of using enzymes to split genes and recombine them. ge*net*ic /jinetik/ adj. 1 of genetics or genes. 2 of or in origin. □ genetic code Biochem. ar¬ rangement of genetic information in chro¬ mosomes. genetic engineering manipula¬ tion of DNA to modify hereditary features, genetic fingerprinting (or profiling) identifying individuals by DNA patterns from tissue samples. □□ ge*net'i*cal"ly adv. ■ 1 see HEREDITARY 1. ge*net»ics /jinetiks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics. □□ ge»net*i»cist /—isist/ n. gen*i*al /je'eneeal/ adj. 1 jovial; sociable; kindly; cheerful. 2 (of climate) mild and warm; conducive to growth. 3 cheering; en¬ livening. □□ ge*ni*aM*ty /-neealitee/ n. ge' niafrly adv. m 1 good-humored, cheery, convivial, affa¬ ble, amiable, cordial. 2 see mild 3. 3 good, heartening, reassuring, uplifting, comfort¬ ing. _ -genic /jenik/ comb, form forming adjectives meaning: 1 producing (carcinogenic, patho¬ genic). 2 well suited to (photogenic, radio¬ genic) . 3 produced by (iatrogenic). □□ -genically suffix forming adverbs. ge*nie /je'enee/ n. (pi. usu. ge*ni*i /je'enee-i/) jinni, goblin, or familiar spirit of Arabian folklore. gen»i*tal /jenit’l/ • adj. of or relating to ani¬ mal reproduction. • n. [in pi.] external re¬ productive organs. ■ adj. see sexual. • n. (genitals) genitalia, sex organs, private parts, colloq. privates. gen»i«ta*li*a /jenitayleea/ n.pl. genitals. gen»i»tive /jenitiv/ Gram. • n. case indicating possession or close association. • adj. of or in the genitive. □□ gen*i*ti*val /-dval/ adj. gen*i*ti'val*ly adv. ge*nius /jeenyas/ n. (pi. gen*ius*es or ge*ni* 1 /-nee-i/) 1 (pi. gen*ius*es) a exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natu¬ ral ability or tendency, b person having this. 2 the tutelary spirit of a person, place, insti¬ tution, etc. ■ 1 a intellect, intelligence, brilliance; inge¬ nuity, wit, brain(s); talent, gift, knack, flair; faculty, capacity, b mastermind, master, great; virtuoso, maestro; colloq. brain, whiz, whiz kid, Einstein, maven. genl- abbr. general. gen*0»cide /jenasid/ n. deliberate extermina¬ tion of a people or nation. □□ gen*o*ci'dal /-sid’l/ adj. -genous /jenas/ comb, form forming adjectives meaning ‘produced’ (endogenous). gen»re /zhonra/ n. 1 kind or style of art, etc. 2 (in full gen're paint'ing) painting of scenes from ordinary life. ■ 1 genus, sort, type, class, category, vari¬ ety, brand.

gent ~ geometry

336

gent /jent/ n. colloq. (often /oc. )gentleman. gen*teel /jente'el/ adj. 1 affectedly or ostenta¬ tiously refined or stylish. 2 well-bred; re¬ fined; upper-class. See synonym study at ur¬ bane. □□ gen-teelly adv. gen*teel'ness n. • 1 overpolite, overrefined, pretentious, af¬ fected, pompous, snobbish, colloq. posh, ladi-da, snooty. 2 high-class, aristocratic, pa¬ trician, gracious, polished, cultivated, elegant; courtly, polite, civil, well-mannered, proper, respectable. gen*tian /jenshon/ n. mountain plant usu. with vivid blue flowers. Gen*tile /jentll/ • adj. not Jewish; heathen. • n. person who is not Jewish. gen*til*i*ty /jentilitee/ n. 1 social superiority. 2 good manners; habits associated with the upper class. ■ 2 see propriety 2. gen»tle /jent’l/ adj. (gemtler, gen*tlest) 1 not rough; mild or kind, esp. in tempera¬ ment. 2 moderate; not severe or drastic {gen¬ tle rebuke). 3 (of birth, pursuits, etc.) honor¬ able; refined. □□ gen'tle*ness n. gen'tly adv. m 1 kindly, tender, thoughtful, patient, in¬

dulgent, benign, gracious, compassionate, humane; quiet, calm, still, temperate. 2 soft, light; balmy. 3 noble, high. gen*tle*man /jent’lmon/ n. (pi. -men) 1 man (in polite or formal use). 2 chivalrous or well-bred man. 3 man of good social po¬ sition. 4 [in pi] form of address to men in an audience. □□ gen'tle*man«li*ness n. gen'tle*man*ly adj. • 1 see man n. 1.3 see noble n. gen»tri*fi*ca«tion /jentrifikayshan/ n. social advancement of an urban area by the refur¬ bishing of buildings and arrival of affluent residents who displace poorer inhabitants. □□ gen*tri*fy /—fi/ v. tr. (-fies, -fied). gen*try /jentree/ n.pl. 1 (in aristocratic soci¬ eties) people next below the nobility in posi¬ tion and birth. 2 people, esp. a specific group of people (these gentry). • 1 landowners, squirearchy. 2 see people n. 2.

gen»U*flect /jenyaflekt/ v.intr. bend the knee, esp. in worship. □□ gen*u*flec*tion /-flekshan/ n. gen'u*flec*tor n. gen*U*ine jenyoo-in/' adj. 1 really coming from its stated, advertised, or reputed source. 2 properly so called; not sham. 3 sincere. □□ gen'u»ine*ly adv. gen'u'ine* ness n. ■ 1,2 authentic, veritable, real, bona fide, legitimate. 3 candid, frank, open, honest; decent, honorable. synonym study:

genuine

ACTUAL, AUTHENTIC, BONA FIDE, LEGITIMATE, veritable. A car salesperson might claim that the seats of that pricey sedan you’re con¬ sidering are made from genuine leather, a word that applies to anything that is really what it is claimed or represented to be. If you’re in the market for a Model T Ford, however, you’ll want to make sure that the

car is authentic, which emphasizes formal proof or documentation that an object is what it is claimed to be. Use bona fide when sincerity is involved (a bona fide offer), and legitimate when you mean lawful or in ac¬ cordance with established rules, principles, and standards (a legitimate business). Verita¬ ble implies correspondence with the truth but not necessarily a literal or strict corre¬ spondence with reality (a veritable supermar¬ ket for car-buyers). How will it feel to drive that Mercedes out of the showroom? You won’t know until you’re the actual owner of the car—a word that means existing in fact rather than in the imagination. ge*nus /jeenas/ n. (pi. gen*er*a /jenara/) 1 Biol, taxonomic grouping of organisms, usu. of several species, with common struc¬ tural characteristics. 2 kind; class. ■ see sort n. 1. geo- /je'e-o/ comb, form earth. ge*0*cen*tric /je'eosentrik/ adj. 1 considered as viewed from the center of the earth. 2 having or representing the earth as the cen¬ ter; not heliocentric. □□ ge*o*cen'tri*cal*ly adv.

ge*ode /je'e-od/ n. 1 small cavity lined with crystals. 2 rock containing such a cavity, □n ge*o*dic /jee-odik/ adj. ge*o*de*sic /je'eade'ezik, -desik/ adj. (also ge* o-det-ic /-detik/) of or relating to geodesy. □ geodesic dome dome constructed as a framework of interlocked polygons. ge*Od*e*sy /jeeodisee/ n. branch of mathe¬ matics dealing with the shape and area of the earth. □□ ge*od'e*sist n. ge*0*graph»ic /je'eagrafik/ adj. (also gem* graphical /-grafikal/) of or relating to ge¬ ography. □ geographic information system(s) computerized system utilizing pre¬ cise locational data for mapping, navigation, etc. Abbr.: GIS. oo ge*o*graph'i*cal*ly adv.

ge»o»graph»i»cal var. of geographic. ge*og»ra»phy /jeeografee/ n. 1 the study of the earth’s physical features, resources, and climate, and the physical aspects of its popu¬ lation. 2 main physical features of an area. □□ ge*og'ra*pher n. geol. abbr. 1 geologic. 2 geological. 3 geolo¬ gist. 4 geology. ge*ol»o*gy /jeeolajee/ n. science of the earth, including the composition, structure, and or¬ igin of its rocks. □□ ge*o*log*ic /je'ealojik/ adj. ge*o*log'i*cal adj. ge*o*log'i*cal*ly adv. ge*ol*o*gist /—objist/' n. geom. abbr. 1 geometric. 2 geometrical. 3 geometry. ge*o*met*ric /jeeometrik/ adj. (also ge*o* met'ri*cal) 1 of, according to, or like geom¬ etry. 2 (of a design, architectural feature, etc.) characterized by or decorated with reg¬ ular lines and shapes, o geometric pro¬ gression progression of numbers with a constant ratio between each number and the one before (as 1, 3,9, 27, 81). □□ ge*o*met' ri'cafrly adv. ge*orn*e*try /jeeomitree/ n. the study of the properties and relations of points, lines, sur-

faces, and solids. □□ ge*om*e*tri*cian /jeeamitrishsn/ n. ge*0*phys*ics /je'e-ofiziks/ n. die physics of the earth. □□ ge*o*phys'i*cal adj. ge*o* phys*i»cist /—zisist/ n. Georgian1 /jawrjan/ • adj. of or relating to the state of Georgia. • n. native of Georgia. Georgian2 /jawrjan/ • adj. of or relating to Georgia in the Caucasus. • n. 1 native of Georgia; person of Georgian descent. 2 lan¬ guage of Georgia. ge*0*syn*chro*nouS /je'e-osingkrsnss/ adj. (of an artificial satellite of the earth) moving in an orbit equal to the earth’s period of ro¬ tation such as to remain in a fixed position above a point on the earth’s surface. (Also called geostationary). ge»ra*ni»um /jorayneeam/ n. 1 herb or shrub bearing fruit shaped like the bill of a crane. 2 (in general use) widely cultivated garden plant with red, white, or pink flowers, ger'bil /jarbil/ n. mouselike desert rodent with long hind legs. ger*i«at*ric /jereeatrik/ adj. 1 of old people. 2 colloq. old. ger*i»at*rics /jereeatriks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] branch of medicine or social science dealing with the health and care of old peo¬ ple. □□ ger*i*a*tri*cian /-atrishan/ n. germ /jarm/ n. 1 microorganism, esp. one that causes disease. 2 seed. 3 original idea, etc., from which something may develop; el¬ ementary principle. □□ germ'y adj. ■ 1 microbe, bacterium, virus, si. bug. 3 embryo, seed, source, root, origin, start, base, basis, rudiments. Ger*man /jarman/ • n. 1 native or inhabitant of Germany; person of German descent. 2 language of Germany. • adj. of Germany or its people or language. □ German mea¬ sles contagious disease, rubella, with symp¬ toms like mild measles. German shepherd breed of large dog bred from the wolfhound. ger*mane /jarmayn/ adj. [usu. foil, by to] rel¬ evant (to a subject under consideration). □□ ger*mane'ly adv. ger*mane'ness n. ■ See RELEVANT. Ger*man*ic /jarmanik/ • adj. 1 having Ger¬ man characteristics. 2 hist, of the Germans. 3 of the Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons, or Germans. 4 of the languages or language group called Germanic. • n. 1 branch of Indo-European languages including English, German, Dutch, and the Scandinavian lan¬ guages. 2 the (unrecorded) early language from which other Germanic languages de¬ veloped. ger»ma*ni»um /jarmayneeam/ n. Chem. lus¬ trous brittle semimetallic element. TJSymb.: Ge. ger*mi»cide /jarmisid/ n. substance destroy¬ ing germs, esp. those causing disease. □□ ger*mi*cid*al /—sid’l/ adj. ger*mi*nal /jarminal/ adj. 1 relating to or of the nature of a germ or germs. 2 in the ear¬ liest stage of development. 3 productive of new ideas. □□ ger'mbnaMy adv. m 2 see primary adj. 2. ger*mi*nate /jorminayt/ I), la intr. sprout, bud, or put forth shoots, b tr. cause to

337

geophysics ~ get

sprout or shoot. 2 tr. cause (ideas, etc.) to originate or develop, oo ger*mi*na*tion /-nayshan/ n. ger'mi*na»tor n. ■ 1 a see sprout v. 2. ger*on»tol*0*gy /jarontolajee/ n. the study of old age and aging. □□ ge»ron*to*log*i*cal /-talojikal/ adj. ger*on*tol'o*gist n. ger*ry»man*der /jerimandar/ • v.tr. manipu¬ late the boundaries of (a constituency, etc.) for political advantage. • n. this practice. □□ ger*ry*man' der*er n. ger»und /jerand/ n. Gram, verbal noun, in English ending in -ing (e.g., do you mind my asking you?, swimming is my favorite exercise). n. German se¬

Ge*Sta*po /gestaapo, -shta'a-/ cret police under Nazi rule.

ges*tate /jestayt/ v.tr. 1 carry (a fetus) in ges¬ tation. 2 develop (an idea, etc.).

ges»ta*tion /jestayshan/

n. la process of carrying or being carried in the womb be¬ tween conception and birth, b this period. 2 private development of a plan, idea, etc. ges»tic*u»late /jestikyalayt/ v. 1 intr. use ges¬ tures instead of or in addition to speech. 2 tr. express with gestures. □□ ges*tic*u*la* tion /-layshan/ n. ges*tic'u*la*tive adj. ges* tic'u*la*tor n. ges*tic*u*la*tory /-latawree/ adj.

■ see signal v. 1, 2a.

gesture /jes-char/ • n. 1 significant move¬ ment of a limb or the body. 2 use of such movements, esp. to convey feeling or as a rhetorical device. 3 action to evoke a re¬ sponse or convey intention, usu. friendly. • v. gesticulate. □□ ges'tur«al adj. ges'tur* er n. • n. 1 motion, gesticulation, action, move. 2 gesturing, gesticulation, body language. 3 token, signal, indication; gambit, device. • v. motion, signal, sign, indicate. ge»sund»heit /gazobnt-hlt/ int. expressing a wish of good health, esp. to a person who has sneezed. get /get/ • v. (get'ting; past got /got/; past part, got or [and in comb.] got*ten /got’n/) 1 tr. come into the possession of; receive or earn. 2 tr. a fetch; procure, b get hold of (a person). 3 tr. go to catch (a bus, train, etc.). 4 tr. prepare (a meal, etc.). 5 intr. & tr. reach or cause to reach a certain state; become or cause to become {get rich, got them ready). 6 tr. contract (a disease, etc.). 7 tr. establish contact by telephone or radio. 8 tr. experi¬ ence or suffer; have inflicted on one (got four years in prison). 9 a tr. succeed in bringing, placing, etc. (get it onto the agenda). b intr. & tr. succeed or cause to succeed in coming or going (getyou there somehow). 10 tr [prec. by have] a possess, b [foil, by to + infin.] be bound or obliged (have got to see you). 11 tr induce; prevail upon (got them to help me). 12 tr colloq. understand (a person or an ar¬ gument) (have you got that?). 13 tr colloq. punish; retaliate (I’ll get you for that). 14 tr colloq. a annoy, b affect emotionally. C at¬ tract. 15 tr develop an inclination (getting to like it). 16 intr. begin (get going). 17 tr con¬ ceive (an idea, etc.). • n. 1 a act of begetting

getaway ~ ghost

338

(of animals), b an offspring (of animals). □ get about (or around) 1 travel exten¬ sively or fast. 2 manage to walk, etc. (esp. af¬ ter illness). 3 (of news) be circulated, esp. orally, get at 1 reach; get hold of. 2 colloq. imply, get away with 1 escape blame or punishment for. 2 steal, get back at colloq. retaliate against, get by colloq. just manage, get off 1 colloq. be acquitted; escape with lit¬ tle or no punishment. 2 leave. 3 alight from (a bus, etc.), get on 1 make progress. 2 en¬ ter (a bus, etc.), get out 1 leave or escape. 2 manage to go outdoors. 3 alight from a ve¬ hicle. 4 become known, get out of avoid or escape (a duty, etc.). get over recover from (an illness, upset, etc.), get through 1 pass or assist in passing (an examination, etc.). 2 manage; survive. 3 make contact. 4 [foil, by to] succeed in making (a person) listen or understand, get-together n. colloq. social gathering, get-up n. colloq. style or arrange¬ ment of dress, etc., esp. an elaborate one. □□ get'ta'ble adj. mv. 1 obtain, secure, acquire; make, gross, clear, net. 2 a obtain; go and get, pick up; re¬ trieve; buy. b capture, seize, arrest. 3 take, make, come or go by. 5 fall, turn, grow; put, place, manipulate; manage; contrive. 6 catch, have, come down with. 7 reach, get in touch with, communicate with. 8 receive; endure, go through. 9 b transport, carry, bring, move; reach. 10 a have, own, be pro¬ vided with, b (have got to) have to, must, need to. 11 persuade, coax, influence, ca¬ jole. 12 appreciate, see, grasp, apprehend. 13 get even with, revenge oneself on, take vengeance on, pay back. 14 a get at, irritate, vex, irk, netde, provoke, anger, exasperate, b stir, move, touch. C see attract 1, obsess. 15 start, begin, come. 16 see begin 2, 4. □ get about (or around) 1 be active; gad about. 3 spread, leak (out), get at 1 gain ac¬ cess to, access, get to. 2 intend, mean, sug¬ gest. get back at see get v. 13 above, get by 1 make ends meet, keep the wolf from the door, make do; see also manage v. 2,3,4. get off 1 be set free or released, escape, get away. 2 depart, set out or off, make a start. 3 dis¬ embark, dismount, descend (from); climb off, get down from, get on 1 manage, cope, survive; proceed, get out 1 depart, go away, retire; be released. 4 see transpire 1. get out of evade, sidestep, shirk, get over recu¬ perate from, get better from, convalesce from, get through 1 succeed in, complete. 3 (get through to) reach, get in touch with. 4 (get through to) make oneself clear to. gettogether see party n. 1. get-up see outfit n. 1. synonym study:

get

ACQUIRE, ATTAIN, GAIN, OBTAIN, PROCURE, SE¬ CURE. Get is a very broad term meaning to come into possession of. You can get some¬ thing by fetching it (get some groceries), by re¬ ceiving it (get a birthday gift), by earning it (get interest on a bank loan), or by any of a dozen other familiar means. It is such a

common, overused word that many writers try to substitute obtain for it whenever pos¬ sible, perhaps because it sounds less collo¬ quial. But it can also sound pretentious (all employees were required to obtain an annual physical exam) and should be reserved for

contexts where the emphasis is on seeking something out (to obtain blood samples). Ac¬ quire often suggests a continued, sustained, or cumulative acquisition (to acquire poise as one matures), but it can also hint at devious¬ ness (to acquire the keys to the safe). Use pro¬ cure if you want to emphasize the effort in¬ volved in bringing something to pass (procure a mediated divorce settlement) or if you want to imply maneuvering to possess something (procure a reserved parking space). But beware: procure is so often used to de¬ scribe the act of obtaining partners to grati¬ fy the lust of others (to procure a prostitute) that it has acquired somewhat unsavory overtones. Gain also implies effort, usually in getting something advantageous or prof¬ itable (gain entry, gain victory). In a similar vein, secure underscores the difficulty in¬ volved in bringing something to pass and the desire to place it beyond danger (secure a permanent peace', secure a lifeline). Attain should be reserved for achieving a high goal or desirable result (if she attains the summit of Mt. Everest, she will secure for herself a place in mountaineering history).

get*a*way /getaway/ n. escape, esp. after a crime. ■ flight, retreat; see also escape n. 1. gew*gaw /gyobgaw, gob-/ n. gaudy plaything or ornament. ■ bauble, gimcrack, trifle, bagatelle, kick¬ shaw, trinket. geyser /gizar/ n. intermittently gushing hot spring. ■ see stream n. 2. Gha*na*ian/ga'aneesn/ • adj. of Ghana in W. Africa. • n. native or inhabitant of Ghana; person of Ghanaian descent. ghasWy /gastlee/ adj. (ghasflher, ghast*li* est) 1 horrible; frightful. 2 colloq. objection¬ able; unpleasant. 3 deathlike; pallid. □□ ghast'li'ness n. m 1 horrendous, horrid, horrifying, shock¬ ing, appalling. 2 si. gross; see also awful la, b. 3 livid, ashen, wan, pale, pasty (-faced), ill, sick. ghee /gee/ n. clarified butter, esp. from the milk of a buffalo or cow. gher*kin /gorkm/ n. small variety of cucum¬ ber, or a young green cucumber, used for pickling. ghet'tO /geto/ n. (pi. -tos) 1 part of a city, esp. a slum area, occupied by a minority group or groups. 2 hist. Jewish quarter in a city. 3 segregated group or area, ghost /gost/ • n. 1 supposed apparition of a dead person or animal; disembodied spirit. 2 shadow or mere semblance. 3 secondary or duplicated image produced by defective television reception or by a telescope. • v. 1 intr. act as ghost writer. 2 tr. act as ghost writer of (a work). □ ghost town deserted

town with few or no remaining inhabitants, □o ghost'like adj. ■ n. 1 phantom, specter, phantasm, wraith, doubleganger, doppelganger, ghoul, colloq. spook. 2 suggestion, hint, trace, scintilla, glimmer. ghost-ly /gosriee/ adj. (ghost-li-er, ghost-liest) like a ghost; spectral. □□ ghost'li-ness n.

■ wraithlike, phantasmal; eerie, unearthly,

ghost-write /gOstrit/ v. write on behalf of the

credited author of a work. □□ ghost writer n.

ghoul /gdoV

n. 1 person morbidly interested in death, etc. 2 evil spirit in Muslim folklore preying on corpses. □□ ghoul'ish adj. ghoul'ish-ly adv. ghoul'ish-ness n. ■ ghoulish devilish, demonic, Satanic, diabolic(al), fiendish, morbid, macabre, grisly. Gl /je'e-i/ n. soldier in the US armed forces, esp. the army. ■ see soldier n. gi-ant/jfont/ »n. 1 imaginary or mythical be¬ ing of human form but superhuman size. 2 abnormally tall or large person, animal, or plant. 3 person of exceptional ability, integ¬ rity, courage, etc. • attrib.adj. very large. bp giant-ism n. giant'like adj. an. 1 superhuman, colossus, ogre, Go¬ liath; amazon. 2 leviathan, monster; see also jumbo n. • attrib.adj. see gigantic. gib-ber /jibar/ v.intr. speak fast and inarticu¬ lately. B see PRATTLE V. gib-ber-ish /jibarish/ n. unintelligible or meaningless speech; nonsense. a gibber, gabble, jabber, blather, babble; drivel, rubbish, twaddle, colloq. gobbledegook. gib-bet /jibit/ n. hist. 1 gallows. 2 post with an arm on which the bodies of executed criminals were hung up. gib-bon /gfban/ n. small ape native to SE Asia, having a slender body and long arms, gib-bous /gibas/ adj. 1 convex. 2 (of a moon or planet) appearing greater than a semicir¬ cle and less than a circle. □□ gib-bos-i-ty /-bositee/ n. gib'bous-ly adv. gib'bousness n. gibe /jib/ (also jibe) • v.intr. [often foil, by at] jeer; mock. • n. instance of gibing; taunt. □□ gib'er n. a v. scoff, sneer, make fun, poke fun; tease, ridicule, taunt. • n. jeer, sneer, scoff, colloq. dig, crack. gib-lets /jiblits/ n.pl. liver, gizzard, neck, etc., of a bird. gid*dy /gidee/ adj. (gid-di-er, gid-di-est) 1 having a sensation of whirling and a ten¬ dency to fall, stagger, or spin around. 2 a mentally intoxicated, b excitable; frivo¬ lous. 3 tending to make one giddy. □□ gid' di-ly adv. gid'di-ness n. a 1 dizzy, reeling, lightheaded, vertiginous, unsteady, colloq. woozy. 2 a see over¬ wrought 1. b volatile, impulsive, capri¬ cious, whimsical; silly, scatterbrained, gift /gift/ n. 1 thing given; a present. 2 natu¬ ral ability or talent. 3 act or instance of giv-

339

ghostly ~ gimcrack

ing. □ gift wrap (wrapped, wrap-ping) wrap attractively as a gift. a 1 donation, benefaction, offering; pre¬ mium, bonus, handout. 2 aptitude, facility, capability, capacity, flair, gift-ed /giftid/ adj. exceptionally talented or intelligent. □□ gift'ed-ly adv. gifit'ed-ness n. a capable, able, skilled, skillful; outstand¬ ing, masterful, virtuoso, first-class, first-rate, topflight. gig1 /gig/ n. 1 light two-wheeled one-horse carriage. 2 light ship’s boat for rowing or sailing. gig2 /gig/ n. colloq. engagement to play music, etc. a see performance 2. giga- /gigs, jigs/ comb, form denoting a factor of 10». gig-a-bit /gigabit, jigs-/ n. Computing unit of information equal to one billion (109) bits, gig-a-byte /gigsblt, jigs-/ n. Computing unit of information equal to one billion (109) bytes. gi-gan-tic /jigantik/ adj. 1 enormous. 2 like or suited to a giant. □□ gi-gan-tesque /-tesk/ adj. gi-gan'ti-cal-ly adv. a 1 huge, massive, immense, towering, vast, giant, colossal, mammoth, titanic, gargan¬ tuan. gig-gle / gigsl/ • v.intr. laugh in halfsuppressed spasms, esp. in an affected or silly manner. • n. such a laugh. □□ gig'gler n. gig gly adj. (gig-gli-er, gig-gli-est). gig' gli-ness n. a v. chuckle, titter, cackle, snicker, snigger, colloq. chortle. • n. chuckle, chortle, titter, snicker, snigger. GIGO /gigo/ n. Computing abbr. for garbage in, garbage out, an informal rule stating that the quality of the data input determines the quality of the results. gig-O-lo /jigalo, zhig-/ n. (pi. -los) young man paid by an older woman to be her escort or lover. b see PARAMOUR. gild /gild/ v.tr. (pastpart, gild-ed or as adj. in sense 1 gilt) 1 cover thinly with gold. 2 give a specious or false brilliance to. do gild'er n. gild'ing n. a 1 see embellish 1. □□ gilding see embel¬ lishment (embellish) . gill1 /gil/ n. [usu. in pi] respiratory organ in fishes and other aquatic animals. □□ gilled adj. [also in comb.]. gill2 /jil/ n. unit of liquid measure, equal to a quarter of a pint. gilt /gilt/ • adj. 1 covered thinly with gold. 2 gold-colored. • n. gilding. □ gilt-edged (of securities, stocks, etc.) very reliable, a adj. see GOLDEN la. gim-bals /gimbalz, jim-/ n.pl. contrivance, usu. of rings and pivots, for keeping a stove or instruments such as a compass and chro¬ nometer horizontal at sea, in the air, etc. gim-crack /jimkrak/ • adj. showy but flimsy and worthless. • n. cheap showy ornament; knickknack. □□ gim'crack-er-y. n. gim' crack-y adj.

gimlet ~ give

340

girrMet /gimlit/

n. 1 small tool with a screw tip for boring holes. 2 cocktail, usu. of gin and lime juice. gim»mick /gimik/ n. colloq. trick or device, esp. to attract attention or publicity. □□ gim'mick*ry n. gim'mick*y adj. a stratagem, ruse, wile, dodge; contrivance, gadget, colloq. ploy; see also gadget, trick n. 1. gin1 /jin/ n. distilled alcoholic spirit flavored with juniper berries. □ gin rummy form of the card game rummy. gin2 /jin/ • n. 1 machine for separating cot¬ ton from its seeds. 2 snare or trap. 3 kind of crane and windlass. • v.tr. (ginned, gin* ning) treat (cotton) in a gin. □□ gin'ner n. m n. 2 see trap n. 1. gin*ger /jinjar/ »n. 1 a hot spicy root used as a spice or flavoring, b plant having this root. 2 light reddish yellow color. 3 spirit; mettle. • adj. of a ginger color. □ ginger ale carbon¬ ated nonalcoholic clear drink flavored with ginger extract, ginger beer carbonated sometimes mildly alcoholic cloudy drink, made from ginger and syrup. □□ gin'ger*y adj.

gin*ger*bread /jinjarbred/

n. 1 cake made with molasses or syrup and flavored with ginger. 2 [often attrib. ] gaudy, lavish, or su¬ perfluous decoration or ornament. gin*ger»ly /jinjarlee/ • adv. in a careful or cautious manner. • adj. showing great care or caution. □□ gin ger*li*ness n. m adv. cautiously, carefully, charily, tenta¬ tively, warily. • adj. careful, cautious, wary, chary, tentative, timid. ging*ham /ging-am/ n. plain-woven cotton cloth, esp. striped or checked. gin«gi«va /jinjfva, jinjiva/ n. (pi. gin*gi*vae /-vee/) the gum. □□ gin*gi*val /-jival, -jival/ adj.

gin»gi*vi*tis /jinjivitis/

n. inflammation of the

gums.

gink*go /gingkgo/

n. (also ging'ko) (pi. -gos or -goes) tree with fan-shaped leaves and yellow flowers. giri*seng /jinseng/ n. 1 medicinal plant found in E. Asia and N. America. 2 root of this. Gip*sy var. of Gypsy. gi»raffe /jiraf/ n. (pi. same or gbraffes) rumi¬ nant African mammal, with a long neck and forelegs. gird/gard/w.rr. (past and past part. gird*ed or girt) 1 encircle or secure with a belt or band. 2 enclose or encircle. ■ 1 see band1 v. 1. 2 see encircle 1. gird»er /gbrdar/ n. large iron or steel support beam. ■ see beam n. 1. gir*dle /gard’l/ • n. 1 belt or cord worn around the waist. 2 woman’s corset. 3 thing that surrounds, •v.tr. surround with a gir¬ dle. ■ n. 1 see belt n. 1. girl /girl/ n. 1 female child or youth. 2 col¬ loq. young (esp. unmarried) woman. 3 col¬ loq. girlfriend or sweetheart. 4 derog. female

servant. □ Girl Scout member of an orga¬ nization of girls, esp. the Girl Scouts of America, that promotes character, skills, etc. □□ girl'hood n. girl'ish adj. girl ish* ly adv. girl'ish*ness n. girlish see YOUNG adj. 3. girlfriend /garlfrend/ n. 1 regular female companion or lover. 2 female friend. girt past part, of GIRD. girth /garth/ rt. 1 distance around a thing. 2 band around the body of a horse to secure the saddle, etc. ■ 1 circumference, ambit, periphery, cir¬ cuit. 2 belt, girdle, cinch, literary cincture. GIS abbr. geographic information system(s). gist /jist/ n. substance or essence of a matter. ■ pith, meat, marrow, core, heart; import; drift. give /giv/ »v. (past gave /gayv/; past part, giv* en /givan/) 1 tr. transfer the possession of freely; hand over as a present. 2 tr. a be¬ queath. b transfer temporarily; provide with. C administer (medicine), d deliver (a message). 3 tr. a pay (gave him $30for the bi¬ cycle). b sell (gave him the bicycle for $30). 4 tr. a confer; grant, b bestow. C award, d pledge (gave his word). 5 tr. a perform; ex¬ ecute. b utter (gave a shriek). 6 tr. yield as a product or result. 7 intr. a yield to pressure, b collapse (the roof gave under the pressure). 8 tr. devote; dedicate. 9 tr. offer; show. 10 tr. impart; be a source of. • n. capacity to yield; elasticity. □ give and take v.tr. exchange (words, blows, or concessions), n. exchange of words, etc.; compromise, give away 1 transfer as a gift. 2 hand over (a bride) cer¬ emonially to a bridegroom. 3 betray or ex¬ pose to ridicule or detection, give in cease fighting; yield, give off emit (vapor, etc.), give or take colloq. more or less, give out 1 announce; emit. 2 break down from ex¬ haustion, etc. 3 run short, give rise to cause, give up 1 resign; surrender. 2 part with. 3 deliver (a wanted person, etc.). 4 re¬ nounce hope of. 5 renounce or cease (an ac¬ tivity). give way see way. □□ giv'a*ble, give'a*ble adj. giv'er n. ■ v. 1,2a provide, supply, present; make over, contribute, donate; see also bequeath1 . 2 b supply with, furnish with; transfer, hand over, d impart, pass on, transmit. 3 b ex¬ change, trade, barter. 4 accord, offer. 5 bemit, give out. 6 produce, make, furnish, provide. 7 b give way, fail, buckle. 8 sacri¬ fice, yield (up), surrender. 9 see show v. 3. 10 cause, lead, induce; allow, provide with; lend. • n. flexibility, stretch, play, leeway. □ give and take (n.) interaction, reciprocity, cooperation, give away 3 inform on; reveal, let out; (give it away) let the cat out of the bag, give the game or show away, give in submit, give ground; give up, capitulate, sur¬ render. give off give out, exude, discharge; exhale, give out 1 publish, make public, broadcast; impart, reveal; disseminate; distri¬ bute, hand out. 2 become exhausted, fail, collapse; see also flag v. 1 a. 3 become de¬ pleted; see also run out 1. give rise to start, engender, generate, begin, produce; see also CAUSE v. 1. give up 1 capitulate, yield, cede.

concede. 5 abandon, stop, quit; forgo, for¬ sake. synonym study:

give

AFFORD, AWARD, BESTOW, CONFER, DONATE, grant. You give a birthday present, grant a favor, bestow charity, and confer an honor. While all of these verbs mean to convey something or transfer it from one’s own pos¬ session to that of another, the circumstances surrounding that transfer dictate which word is the best one. Give is the most gener¬ al, meaning to pass over, deliver, or transmit something {give him encouragement). Grant implies that a request or desire has been ex¬ pressed, and that the receiver is dependent on the giver’s discretion {grant permission for the trip). Award suggests that die giver is in some sense a judge, and that the thing given is deserved {award, a scholarship), while be¬ stow implies that something is given as a gift and may imply condescension on the part of the giver {bestow a large sum of money on a needy charily).To confer is to give an honor, a privilege, or a favor; it implies that the giver is a superior {confer a knighthood; confer a col¬ lege degree). Donate implies that the giving is to a public cause or charity {donate a painting to the local art museum), and to af¬ ford is to give or bestow as a natural conse¬ quence {the window afforded a fine view of the mountains).

giv*en /givan/ • adj. assumed; granted; speci¬ fied {a given number of people). • n. known fact or situation. ■ adj. understood, acknowledged; stated, delineated, set, confirmed. • n. assumption, donnee; certainty, reality, actuality. giz'mo /gizmo/ n. (also gis'mo) {pi. -mos) si. gadget. ■ see GADGET. gizazard /gizard/ n. second part of a bird’s stomach, for grinding food usu. with grit. gla*ce /glasay/ adj. 1 (of fruit, esp. cherries) candied. 2 (of cloth, leather, etc.) smooth; polished. gla*cial /glayshal/ adj. 1 of ice; icy. 2 Geol. characterized or produced by ice. 3 colloq. exceptionally slow. □ glacial epoch period when ice-sheets were exceptionally exten¬ sive. □□ gla'ciahly adv. m 1 see icy 1, 2. gla*cier /glayshar/ n. mass of land ice formed by the accumulation of snow on high ground. glad /glad/ adj. (glad*der, glad’dest) 1 [predic.] pleased; willing {he’ll be glad to come). 2 a marked by, filled with, or ex¬ pressing, joy {a glad expression), b (of news, events, etc.) giving joy (glad tidings). □ gladhand v.tr. greet cordially or welcome, esp. insincerely, glad rags colloq. best clothes; evening dress. □□ glad'ly adv. glad'ness n. ■ 1 ready, eager; thrilled, tickled; see also happy 1. 2 a contented, gratified; delighted, b satisfying, cheering. □□ gladly cheerfully, readily; see willingly (wrung). glad'den /glad’n/ v. make or become glad. ■ cheer (up), delight, hearten, exhilarate, elate.

341

given ~ glass

glade /glayd/ n. open space in a wood or for¬ est.

glad*i*a*tor /gladee-aytar/

n. hist, trained fighter at ancient Roman shows. □□ glad*i* a*tor*i*al /-deeatawreesl/ adj. gla*di»0*lus /gladeeobs/ n. {pi. gla*di*o*li /—11/ or gla*di*o*lus*es) plant of the lily fam¬ ily with sword-shaped leaves and flower spikes. Gladstone bag /gladston, -stsn/ n. suitcase that opens flat into two equal compartments. glam*or*ize /glamarlz/ v.tr. (also glam'our* ize) make glamorous or attractive. □□ glam*or*i*za'tion n. glam*OUr /glamor/ (also glam'or) n. 1 phys¬ ical or cosmetic attractiveness. 2 excite¬ ment; adventure (the glamour of New York). □ glamour girl (or boy) attractive young woman (or man), esp. a model, etc. □□ glam'or*ous adj. glam'or*ous*ly adv. ■ 1 see elegance (elegant), beauty 1. 2 al¬ lure, fascination, charm, charisma, enchant¬ ment, magic. □ glamour girl (or boy) sex symbol, si. dish. □□ glamorous alluring, fascinating; chic, smart, glance /glans/ • v.intr. 1 cast a momentary look. 2 (esp. of a weapon) glide or bounce (off an object). 3 (of talk or a talker) pass quickly over a subject(s) {glanced over the bill). 4 (of a bright object or light) flash, dart, or gleam; reflect (the sun glanced off the knife). »n. 1 brief look (took a glance at the paper). 2 a flash or gleam (a glance of sun¬ light). b sudden movement producing this. □ at a glance immediately upon looking. □□ glanc'ing*ly adv. m v. 1 peek, look briefly; see peep* 1 v. 1. 2 ricochet, rebound. 3 see pass over 1 (pass1). 4 glint, sparkle, flicker. • n. 1 peek, peep, si. gander. 2 a glint, twinkle, glitter, gland /gland/ n. 1 organ in an animal that se¬ cretes substances. 2 Bot. secreting cells on the surface of a plant. glan*diHar /glanjolor/ adj. of a gland or glands. glare /glair/ »v. 1 intr. look fiercely or fix¬ edly. 2 intr. shine dazzlingly. 3 tr. express (hate, defiance, etc.) by a look. 4 intr. be overly conspicuous. • n. la strong fierce light, b oppressive public attention (the glare of fame). 2 fierce or fixed look (a glare of de¬ fiance). □□ glar'y adj. m v. 1 frown, scowl, stare. 2 dazzle, be blinding. 4 look out of place, stick out like a sore thumb. • n. la brilliance, brightness, radiance. 2 stare, frown, glower, glaring /glairing/ adj. 1 obvious; conspicu¬ ous (a glaring error). 2 shining oppressively. □□ glar'ing*ly adv. m 1 obtrusive, prominent, blatant. 2 daz¬ zling, brilliant. glas*nost /glaasnast, -nawst/ n. (in the for¬ mer Soviet Union) policy of more open gov¬ ernment. glass/glas/ • n. 1 [often attrib.] hard, brittle, usu. transparent substance, made by fusing sand with soda and lime, etc. 2 [often col¬ lect.] object made from glass, esp. a drinking

glassware ~ globe

342

vessel. 3 [mpl] a eyeglasses, b binoculars; opera glasses. 4 liquid in a glass; a drink (he likes a glass). • v.tr. (usu. as glassed adj.) fit with glass; glaze. • adj. of or made from glass. □ glass case exhibition display case made mostly from glass, glass ceiling bar¬ rier hindering promotion, esp. of women and minorities, to executive positions, glass cut¬ ter 1 worker who cuts glass. 2 tool used for cutting glass. □□ glass'ful n. (pi. -fuls). glass'like adj. an. 2 glassware; tumbler, flute, goblet. 3 (glasses) a spectacles, colloq. specs, goggles. 4 see drink n. 1, 2b. glass*ware /glaswair/ n. articles made from glass, esp. drinking glasses, tableware, etc. glass*y /glasee/ • adj. (glas*si*er, glas*si* est) 1 of or resembling glass. 2 (of the eye, expression, etc.) abstracted; dull; fixed (fixed her with a glassy stare). • n. (also glas'sie) glass playing marble. □□ glass'i»ly adv. glass'frness n. ■ adj. 1 smooth, shining, slippery; icy. 2 staring, vacant, dazed, lifeless. glau*CO*ma /glawkOma, glou-/ n. eye condi¬ tion with increased pressure in the eyeball, causing gradual loss of sight. glaze /glayz/ • v. 1 tr. a fit (a window, pic¬ ture, etc.) with glass, b provide (a building) with windows. 2 tr. cover (pottery, etc.) with a clear, shiny finish. 3 tr. cover (pastry, meat, etc.) with a glaze. 4 intr. (of the eyes) be¬ come fixed or glassy (his eyes glazed over). • n. 1 vitreous substance used to glaze pot¬ tery. 2 shiny coating. □□ glaz'er n. glaz'y adj. ■ v.

4 see mist v. • n. 2 covering; polish, shine, gloss, luster. gla*zier /glavzhar/ n. person whose trade is glazing windows, etc. □□ gla'zier*y n. gleam /gleem/ • n. faint or brief light or show (a gleam of sunlight, not a gleam of hope). • v.intr. 1 emit gleams. 2 shine. ■ n. glimmer, glow, glint; beam, ray, shaft; hint, indication, trace. • v. 2 glint, shimmer, twinkle, glitter, glisten. glean /gleenJ v.tr. 1 collect (news, facts, gos¬ sip, etc.) in small quantities. 2 [also absol.] gather (grain, etc.) after the harvest. □□ glean'er n. glean'ings n. a 1 see extract v. 4. 2 see harvest v. 1. glee /glee/ n. mirth; delight (watched the en¬ emy’s defeat with glee). □ glee club group that sings choral compositions. ■ merriment, gaiety, high spirits, cheerful¬ ness, exuberance, exhilaration, elation, exul¬ tation, joy, jubilation. glee'ful /gle'efool/ adj. joyful. □□ glee'fufrly adv. glee'fuhness n. a delighted, merry, mirthful, exuberant, cheerful. glen /glen/ n. narrow valley. ■ see VALLEY. glide /gild/ • v. 1 intr. (of a stream, snake, skater, etc.) move with a smooth continuous motion. 2 intr. (of an aircraft, esp. a glider) fly without engine power. 3 intr. pass gently and imperceptibly (night glided into day).

4 intr. move quietly or stealthily. 5 tr. cause to glide. • n. 1 gliding. 2 Phonet. gradually changing sound made in passing from one position of the speech organs to another. 3 gliding dance. 4 flight in a glider. □□ glid' ing'ly adv. a v. 1 slide, flow, coast. 3 slide by, disap¬ pear. 4 see SLITHER V. glid'er /glidor/ n. 1 aircraft that flies without an engine. 2 porch swing with a gliding mo¬ tion. glim*mer /glimor/ • v.intr. shine faintly or in¬ termittently. • n. 1 feeble or wavering light. 2 faint gleam (of hope, understanding, etc.). □□ glim'mernngdy adv. a v. see flicker v. 1. • n. 1 see flicker n. 2 see gleam n. glimpse /glimps/ • n. 1 momentary or par¬ tial view. 2 faint transient appearance (glimpses of the truth). • v. 1 tr. see faintly or partly (glimpsed his face in the crowd). 2 intr. cast a passing glance. an. 1 see sight n. lb. • v. 1 see sight v. glint /glint/ • v. flash or cause to flash; glitter; sparkle; reflect (eyes glinted with amusement). • n. flash; sparkle. ■ v. see sparkle v. la. • n. see flash n. 1. glis*san*dO /glisa'ando/ n. (pi. glis*san*di /-dee/ or -dos) Mus. continuous slide of ad¬ jacent notes upward or downward. glis«ten /glison/ • v.intr. shine, esp. like a wet object, snow, etc.; glitter. • n. glitter; sparkle. ■ v. gleam, glint; see also shine v. 1. • n. see gleam n. glitch /glich/ n. colloq. sudden irregularity or malfunction. ■ see bug n. 4. glit'ter /glitar/ • v.intr. 1 shine, esp. with a bright reflected light; sparkle. 2 be showy or ostentatious. • n. 1 gleam; sparkle. 2 show¬ iness; splendor. 3 sparkling material as dec¬ oration. □□ glit'ter*y adj. a v. 1 see glisten v. • n. 1 see gleam n. 2 flashiness, brilliance, colloq. razzmatazz, glitz /glits/ n. si. showy glamour. □□ glitz'y adj. (glitz'frer, glitz*i*est). ■ see glitter n. 2. gloamdng /glOming/ n. poet, twilight; dusk, gloat /glot/ • v.intr. consider with lust, greed, malice, triumph, etc. • n. 1 gloating. 2 ex¬ pression of satisfaction. □□ gloat'ing'ly adv. a v. (gloat over) exult in, glory in, relish, revel in, crow over, glob /glob/ n. soft mass or lump. glob*al /global/ adj. 1 worldwide (global con¬ flict). 2 all-embracing; total. □ global warming increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere caused by the green¬ house effect. □□ glob'ably adv. a 1 universal, international. 2 broad, wideranging, far-reaching, see also extensive 2. globe /glob/ n. la [prec. by the\ the earth, b planet, star, or sun. c spherical body. 2 spherical representation of earth with a map on the surface. □ globe-trotter person who travels widely, globe-trotting such travel. □□ globe'like adj. ■ 1 a world, mother earth, b see star n. 1. c sphere, orb.

glob*U*lar

/globyalar/ adj. 1 globe-shaped; spherical. 2 composed of globules. See syn¬ onym study at round. □□ glob'u*lar*ly adv. • 1 see spherical (sphere). glob'Ule /globyool/ n. small round particle; drop. ■ see drop n. la. glOCk*en*spiel /gloksnspeel, -shpeel/ n. mu¬ sical instrument with metal bars, tubes, or bells, played with hammers, gloom /gloom/ • n. 1 darkness; obscurity. 2 melancholy; despondency. • v. 1 intr. be melancholy; frown. 2 intr. (of the sky, etc.) be dull or threatening. 3 tr. make dark or dismal. ■ n. 1 dusk, shadow(s), murkiness. 2 sad¬ ness, despair; blues, colloq. dumps. • v. 2 darken, menace, lower. gloom*y /gloomee/ adj. (gloom*i*er, gloom* i*est) 1 dark; unlighted. 2 depressed; sul¬ len. 3 dismal; depressing. □□ gloom'i*ly adv. gloom'i*ness n. • 1 black, shadowy, shaded, obscure; dull, overcast. 2 dejected, morose, glum, joy¬ less, dispirited, despairing. 3 cheerless, dreary. glO*ri*fy /glawnfi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 exalt; make glorious. 2 transform into something more splendid. 3 extol; praise. 4 (as glori¬ fied adj.) seeming or pretending to be better than in reality (just a glorified office boy). □□ glo*ri*fi*ca'tion n. m 2 elevate, enhance, dignify. 3 applaud, commend, hail. 4 (glorified) exalted, highflown, high-sounding. glo*ri*OUS /glawreeas/ adj. 1 possessing glory; illustrious. 2 conferring glory; honor¬ able. 3 colloq. splendid; magnificent; de¬ lightful (a glorious day). □□ glo'ri*ous*ly adv. m 1 famous, distinguished, excellent. 2 out¬

standing, admirable. 3 superb, marvelous, wonderful, fine, excellent, colloq. heavenly, great, fabulous; see also brilliant adj. 2. glo»ry /glawree/ • n. (pi. -ries) 1 renown or fame; honor. 2 adoring praise and thanks¬ giving (glory to the Lord). 3 resplendent maj¬ esty, beauty, etc. (the glory of Versailles). 4 thing that brings renown or praise; distinc¬ tion. 5 heavenly bliss and splendor. • v.intr. pride oneself; exult (glory in their skill). □ glory be! 1 a devout ejaculation. 2 colloq. an exclamation of surprise or delight, go to glory si. die; be destroyed. ■ n. 1 dignity, prestige, celebrity. 2 wor¬ ship, gratitude. 3 magnificence, excellence, splendor. 4 merit, quality, credit; see also accomplishment 3. • v. revel, relish, rejoice. □ glory be! 2 see indeed ini. gloss1 /glaws, glos/ • n. 1 surface shine or luster. 2 deceptively attractive appearance. 3 (in full gloss paint) paint formulated to give a hard glossy finish. • v.tr. make glossy. □ gloss over 1 seek to conceal beneath a false appearance. 2 conceal or evade by mentioning briefly or misleadingly. ■ n. 1 sheen, gleam; glaze, polish, bright¬ ness. 2 fapade, mask, veneer. • v. glaze, pol¬ ish, burnish. □ gloss over veil, cover up, ex¬ plain away, whitewash.

343

globular ~ glue

gloss2 /glaws, glos/ • n. 1 explanatory com¬ ment inserted between the lines or in the margin of a text. 2 comment, explanation, interpretation, or paraphrase. 3 glossary. • v. 1 tr. add a gloss to (a text, word, etc.). 2 intr. make (esp. unfavorable) comments. m n. 1 footnote; annotation, analysis; expla¬ nation, interpretation. • v. 1 explain, inter¬ pret, comment on, annotate, criticize, ana¬ lyze; translate. glOS*sa*ry /glawsaree, -glos/ n. (pi. -ries) (also gloss) alphabetical list of terms relating to a specific subject or text; brief dictionary. ■ word list, wordbook. glos*SO*la*li*a /glawsolayleea, glos-/ n. = gift of tongues (see tongue) . gloss*y /glawsee, glos-/ • adj. (gloss*i*er, gloss*i*est) 1 shiny; smooth. 2 printed on such paper; expensive and attractive, but sometimes lacking in content. • n. (pi. -ies) colloq. glossy magazine or photograph. □□ gloss'i*ly adv. gloss'i*ness n. m adj. 1 lustrous, glistening; polished. 2 showy, si. glitzy. glot'tal /glot’l/ adj. of the glottis. □ glottal stop sound produced by the sudden opening or shutting of the glottis, glot'tis /glotis/ n. space between the vocal cords, affecting voice modulation through expansion or contraction, glove /gluv/ • n. 1 hand covering, worn esp. for protection against cold or dirt, usu. with separate fingers. 2 padded protective glove, esp.: a boxing glove, b Baseball fielder’s glove. • v.tr. cover or provide with a glove(s). □ glove compartment recess or cabinet for small articles in the dashboard of a motor ve¬ hicle. throw down (or take up) the glove issue (or accept) a challenge, with the gloves off mercilessly; unfairly, glow /glo/ • v.intr. 1 emit light and heat with¬ out flame; be incandescent. 2 a (of the body) be heated; sweat, b express or feel strong emotion (glowed with pride). 3 show a warm color (the painting glows with warmth). 4 (as glowing adj.) expressing pride or satis¬ faction (a glowing report). • n. 1 glowing state. 2 bright warm color. 3 feeling of sat¬ isfaction or well-being. □□ glow'ing'ly adv. mv. 1 shine, gleam, radiate. 4 (glowing) complimentary, enthusiastic, favorable. • n. 1 luminosity, luster, radiance. 2 flush, blush; radiance, bloom. 3 (good) health. glOW*er /glowar/ • v.intr. stare or scowl, esp. angrily. • n. glowering look. □□ glow'er* ing*ly adv. m v. see scowl v. • n. see glare n. 2. glow*worm /glOwarm/ n. beetle whose wing¬ less female emits light from the end of the abdomen. glu*COSe /glookos/ n. 1 simple sugar found in blood, fruit juice, etc. (see dextrose). fChem. formula: CgH^Og. 2 syrup con¬ taining glucose sugars. glue /gloo/ • n. adhesive substance. »v.tr. (glues, glued, gluring or glue*ing) 1 fasten or join with glue. 2 keep or put very close (an eye glued to the keyhole). □□ glue'like adj.

glum ~ go

344

glue'y /gloo-ee/ adj. (glu«i»er, glu»i*est). glu'ey*ness n. ■ n. paste, cement. • v. 1 paste, affix; see stick2 4. glum /glum/ adj. (glum*mer, glum*mest) dejected; sullen; displeased. □□ glum'ly adv. glum'ness n. m gloomy, dispirited, miserable, crestfallen; see also sad 1. synonym study:

glum

DOLEFUL, DOUR, LUGUBRIOUS, MELANCHOLY, saturnine, sullen. All happy people are alike, to paraphrase Tolstoy, but each unhap¬ py person is unhappy in his or her own way. A sullen person is gloomy, untalkative, and ill-humored by nature; a glum person is usually silent because of low spirits or de¬ pressing circumstances (to be glum in the face of a plummeting stock market). Melancholy suggests a more or less chronic sadness (her melancholy was the result of an unhappy child¬ hood), while a person who is saturnine has a forbiddingly gloomy and taciturn nature (his request was met with a saturnine and scornful si¬ lence). Dour refers to a grim and bitter out¬ look or disposition (a dour old woman who never smiled), and doleful implies a mournful sadness (the child’s doleful expression as his parents left). Someone or something de¬

scribed as lugubrious is mournful or gloomy in an affected or exaggerated way (,lugubrious songs about lost love)._

glut/glut/

•v.tr. (glufted, glutting) 1 feed (a person, one’s stomach, etc.) or indulge (an appetite, a desire, etc.) to the full; satiate. 2 fill to excess. • n. 1 Econ. supply exceed¬ ing demand (a glut in the market). 2 full in¬ dulgence. mv. 1 gorge, stuff, cram; sicken, cloy. 2 overload, overstock; flood, saturate; clog, choke up. • n. 1 surplus, excess, surfeit, glu'ten /globtan/ n. mixture of proteins in ce¬ real grains. glu*te*us /globteeas/ n. (pi. glu*te*i /-teel/) any of the three muscles in each buttock. □□ glu'te*al adj. glu*ti*nous /globt’nas/ adj. sticky; like glue. □□ glu'ti*nous*ly adv. glu'ti»nous*ness n. m see sticky adj. 2. gluMon /glut’n/ n. 1 greedy eater. 2 colloq. insatiably eager person (a glutton for work). □ glutton for punishment person eager to take on hard or unpleasant tasks. □□ glut' ton*ous adj. glut 'ton*ous*ly adv. See syno¬ nym study at greedy ■ 1 gourmand, overeater, colloq. hog, pig. 2 see addict n. 2. □ glutton for punish¬ ment see sucker n. 1. □□ gluttonous vora¬ cious, colloq. piggish, hoggish. glut»ton*y /glut’nee/ n. habitual greed or ex¬ cess in eating. ■ gourmandism, voracity, insatiability, col¬ loq. pigginess. glyc»er»in /glisorin/ n. (also glyc*er*ol /glisarawl, -rol/, glyc'er-ine) colorless sweet viscous liquid used as medicine, ointment, etc., and in explosives, etc.

gly*co«gen /glikajan/

n. polysaccharide sub¬ stance in animal tissues that is converted to glucose for energy. □□ gly*co*gen*ic /-jenik/ adj. GM abbr. 1 General Motors. 2 general man¬ ager. gm abbr. gram(s). G-man /je'eman/ n. (pi. G-men) US colloq. federal officer, esp. an FBI agent. ■ government man, fed. GMT abbr. Greenwich Mean Time, gnarled /naarld/ adj. (also gnarl'y /na'arlee/) (of a tree, hands, etc.) knobbly; twisted; rugged. ■ knotty, knotted, lumpy, bumpy, bent, crooked. gnash /nash/ v. 1 tr. grind (the teeth). 2 intr. (of the teeth) strike together; grind. ■ see grind v. 2b. gnat /nat/ n. 1 small two-winged biting fly. 2 insignificant annoyance. ■ 2 see pest 1. gnaw /naw/ v. (past part, gnawed or gnawn) 1 air. bite persistendy; wear away by biting, b intr. bite; nibble. 2 a intr. (of pain, fear, etc.) corrode; waste away; consume; torture, b tr. corrode, consume, torture, etc., with pain, fear, etc. (was gnawed by doubt). □□ gnaw'ing adj. gnaw'ing*ly adv. m 1 chew, nibble, munch. 2 a (gnaw at) worry, haunt, trouble, distress, plague, tor¬ ment. gneiss /nls/ n. usu. coarse-grained metamorphic rock. gnoc*chi /nyawkee/ n.pl. small Italian dumplings. gnome /nom/ n. dwarfish legendary creature or goblin, living under ground, a see goblin. gnom*ic /nomik/ adj. of, consisting of, or using aphorisms; sententious. GNP abbr. gross national product, gnu /noo, nyoo/ n. antelope, native to S. Africa, with brown stripes on the neck and shoulders. (Also called wildebeest). go1 /go/ • v.intr. (3rd sing, present goes Igozl; past went /went/; past part, gone Igonl) 1 a start moving or be moving; travel; pro¬ ceed. b colloq. expressing annoyance (they’ve gone and broken it). 2 make a special trip for; participate in; proceed to do (went skiing, of¬ ten goes running). 3 lie or extend to; lead to (the road goes to the shore, where does that door go?). 4 a leave; depart (they had to go), b col¬ loq. disappear (my bag is gone). 5 move, act, work, etc. (the clock doesn’t go). 6 a make a specified movement (go like this with your foot), b make a sound (the gun went bang). C colloq. say (so he goes to me “Why didn’t you like it?”). 7 be in a specified state (go hun¬ gry). 8 a pass into a specified condition (•went mad), b colloq. die. c proceed or es¬ cape in a specified condition (the crime went unnoticed). 9 (of time or distance) pass; elapse; be traversed (ten days to go). 10 a (of

a document, verse, song, etc.) have a speci¬ fied content or wording; run (the tune goes like this). b be suitable; fit; match (the shoes don’t go with the hat). C be regularly kept or put (the forks go here), d find room; fit (it goes

in the cupboard) .11a turn out; proceed in a certain way (things went well). b be success¬ ful (make the party go). C progress (a long way to go). 12 a be sold (went cheap), b (of money) be spent {$200 went for a new jacket).

13 a be relinquished, dismissed, or abolished {the car will have to go), b fail; decline; give way; collapse {his sight is going). 14 be ac¬ ceptable or permitted; be accepted without question {what I say goes). 15 be guided by; judge or act on or in harmony with {have nothing to go on, a good rule to go by). 16 at¬ tend regularly {goes to church). 17 colloq. pro¬ ceed (often foolishly) to do {don’t go making him angry). 18 act or proceed to a certain point {will go so far and no further). 19 (of a number) be capable of being contained in another (6 goes into 12 twice). 20 be allotted or awarded; pass (first prize went to her). 21 be known or called (goes by the same name). 22 apply to; have relevance for {that goes for me, too). • «. {pi. goes) 1 act or in¬ stance of going. 2 mettle; spirit; dash; ani¬ mation (she has a lot of go in her). 3 vigorous activity {it’s all go). 4 colloq. success {made a go of it). 5 colloq. turn; attempt (I’ll have a go at it). 6 permission; approval; go-ahead (gave us a go on the new project). • adj. colloq.

functioning properly (all systems are go). o go about 1 busy oneself with; set to work at. 2 make a habit of doing (goes about telling lies). 3 Naut. change to an opposite tack, go ahead proceed without hesitation, goahead n. permission to proceed, adj. enter¬ prising. go along with agree to. go back on fail to keep (one’s word, promise, etc.), gobetween intermediary, go down 1 a (of an amount) become less (your weight has gone down). b subside (the flood went down). c de¬ crease in price; lose value. 2 a (of a ship) sink, b (of the sun) set. 3 [usu. foil, by to] be continued to a specified point. 4 deteriorate; fail; (of a computer, etc.) cease to function. 5 be recorded in writing. 6 be swallowed. 7 [often foil, by with] be received (in a speci¬ fied way), go for 1 go to fetch. 2 be ac¬ counted as or achieve (went for nothing). 3 prefer; choose (that’s the one I go for). 4 col¬ loq. strive to attain (go for it!). 5 colloq. attack (the dog went for him), go in for take as one’s object, style, pursuit, principle, etc. go into 1 enter (a profession, etc.). 2 take part in; be a part of. 3 investigate, go off 1 explode. 2 a leave the stage, b leave; depart. 3 sound, as an alarm, siren, etc. go on 1 continue; persevere (decided to go on with it). 2 colloq. a talk at great length, b admonish (went on and on at him). 3 proceed (went on to become a star), go out 1 leave a room, house, etc. 2 be broadcast. 3 be extinguished. 4 be courting. 5 cease to be fashionable. 6 (of workers) strike, go over 1 inspect; rehearse; retouch. 2 [often foil, by to] change one’s al¬ legiance or religion. 3 (of a play, etc.) be re¬ ceived in a specified way (went over well in Dallas), go through 1 be dealt with or com¬ pleted. 2 discuss in detail; scrutinize in se¬ quence. 3 perform (a ceremony, a recitation, etc.). 4 undergo. 5 colloq. use up; spend (money, etc.). 6 make holes in. go under

345

go ~ goad

sink; fail; succumb, on the go colloq. 1 in constant motion. 2 constantly working. ■ v. 1 a advance, pass, voyage, set off, start off. 3 open to, give access to, run. 4 a with¬ draw, retreat, take off; see also leave1 v. lb. b see disappear1 1. 5 function, operate, run. 6 c say, utter. 7 live, continue, survive. 8 a become, turn, grow, get, fall, b see die 1. c pass, continue. 9 slip or tick away, fly, glide by. 10b agree or conform, harmonize, blend, be appropriate, complement each other; (go with) set off. C belong, live. 11b swing, colloq. be a hit. c see progress1 v. 1. 13 a be disposed of or discarded or thrown away, be given up, be cast or set or put aside, be done with, b fade, weaken, de¬ teriorate, worsen, wear out; fall or go to pieces, break, disintegrate, crack. 15 see JUDGE V. 2, BEHAVE 1. 16 (go to) See ATTEND la, 2a, visit v. 1. 22 see apply 2. • n. 2 see energy 1. 3 action; change; see also stir n. 2. 4 see triumph1 n. lb. 5 chance, opportu¬ nity, try, colloq. crack, whirl, shot, stab. □ go about 1 approach, tackle, undertake, begin, start, go ahead continue, move forward, ad¬ vance, progress, go-ahead (n.) approval, au¬ thorization, say-so, colloq. OK, green light, nod.(adj.) ambitious, progressive, resource¬ ful, colloq. go. go along with concur with, acquiesce to or in, assent to. go back on re¬ nege (on), break, retract, fail to keep, gobetween middleman, mediator, negotiator, agent; messenger, go down 1 decrease, de¬ cline, drop, sink. 2 a go under, founder, be¬ come submerged, dive. 4 crash; see also de¬ teriorate, fail v. 1,2a. 5 be remembered or memorialized or recalled. 7 (go down well) find favor or acceptance or approval, be ac¬ cepted. go for 1 get, run for, go after. 3 fancy, favor, like, admire. 4 target, try for, set one’s sights on. 5 assault, assail, set upon, go in for pursue, take up, embrace, undertake, follow, adopt; like, fancy, favor, go into 3 delve into, examine, analyze, probe; discuss, mention, talk about, go off 1 blow up, detonate, erupt; fire, be dis¬ charged. 2 a exit, walk off. b go (away), set out, exit, quit, go on 1 proceed, keep (on), carry on; persist, last, endure. 2 a chatter, drone on, colloq. natter; see also chatter v. 1. b (go on at) see criticize 1. go out 1 de¬ part, exit, go off; see also leave v. lb. 3 fade or die (out), expire, cease functioning. 4 go together, see (one another), colloq. date. 6 see STRIKE v. 16. go over 1 review, skim (through or over), scan, read, study; exam¬ ine, scrutinize, investigate; repeat, reiterate; redo. 2 convert, switch; (go over to) become, turn into, go through 1 be accepted or ap¬ proved, pass (muster). 2 see go over 1 above. 4 experience, suffer, bear, tolerate, put up with, endure. 5 see use up. go under col¬ lapse, subside, go bankrupt, go to the wall, colloq. fold, go belly up. go2 /go/ n. Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture. goad /god/ • n. 1 spiked stick used for urging cattle forward. 2 anything that incites, •v.tr.

goal ~ gold

346

1 urge on with a goad. 2 irritate; stimulate (goaded him into retaliating). m n. 2 see spur n. 2. • v. 2 see spur v. goal /gol/ n. 1 object of a person’s ambition or effort; destination; aim {fame is his goal, Washington was our goal). 2 a Sports receiving

structure or area at which the ball, puck, etc., is directed for a score, b point(s) won (scored 3 goals).

■ 1 purpose, end, objective, target; ideal, as¬ piration. goal*keep»er /gSlkeepar/ n. player defending the goal in various sports. □□ goal'ie n. goat /got/ n. 1 hardy, agile short-haired do¬ mesticated mammal, having horns and (in the male) a beard, and kept for its milk and meat. 2 lecherous man. 3 (the Goat) zodia¬ cal sign or constellation Capricorn. 4 scape¬ goat. □ get a person’s goat colloq. irritate a person. goa»tee /gote'e/ n. small pointed beard like that of a goat. goat'herd /gOt-hard/ n. person who tends goats. goat'Skin /gotskin/ n. 1 skin of a goat. 2 gar¬ ment or bottle made of goatskin. gob /gob/ si. n. 1 lump or clot of slimy mat¬ ter. 2 [in pi.] large amounts (gobs of cash). n 1 blob, morsel, chunk, piece, fragment. gob'ble1 /gobal/ v. eat hurriedly and noisily. □□ gob'bler n. gob*ble2 /gobal/ v.intr. 1 (of a male turkey) make a characteristic swallowing sound in the throat. 2 make such a sound when speaking, esp. when excited, angry, etc. gob*ble*dy*gook /gobaldeegOOW n. (also gob'ble*de*gook) colloq. pompous or unin¬ telligible jargon. ■ mumbo jumbo, humbug, nonsense, gibberish, colloq. hogwash, si. bull, poppy¬ cock. gob'let /goblit/ n. drinking vessel with a foot and a stem, usu. of glass. ■ see glass n. 2a. gob*lin / goblin/ n. mischievous, ugly, dwarflike creature of folklore. ■ elf, gnome, hobgoblin, imp, leprechaun, demon. god /god/ n. la (in many religions) superhu¬ man being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature, human fortunes, etc.; de¬ ity. b image, idol, animal, or other object worshiped as divine or symbolizing a god. 2 (God) (in Christian and other monotheis¬ tic religions) creator and ruler of the uni¬ verse; supreme being. 3 a adored, admired, or influential person, b something wor¬ shiped like a god (makes a god of success). □□ god'less adj. god'less*ness n. god like adj.

■ 1 a demigod, divinity, power; (gods) im¬ mortals. b see idol 1. 2 (God) the Deity, the Godhead; Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh. 3 a see idol 2. □□ godless wicked, sinful; profane; atheistic, agnostic, unbelieving, godlike divine; sainted; holy, godly. god'Child /godchild/ n. person in relation to a godparent.

god*daugh‘ter /goddawtar/

n. female god¬

child.

god'dess /godis/ n. 1 female deity. 2 adored woman.

god*fa*ther /godfaathar/ n. 1 male godpar¬ ent. 2 person directing an illegal organiza¬ tion, esp. the Mafia. god«for»sak»en /godfarsaykan/ adj. (also God'for*sak*en) devoid of all merit; dismal; dreary. ■ see dismal 1, 2, bleak. god'head /godhed/ n. (also God'head) 1 a state of being God or a god. b divine na¬ ture. 2 deity. 3 (the Godhead) God. ■ 1 a divinity. 3 (the Godhead) see god n. 2. god*ly /godlee/ adj. religious; pious; devout. □□ god'lbness n. ■ God-fearing, holy, saintly, faithful, right¬ eous, good. god*mo*ther /godmuthar/ n. female god¬ parent. god»par»ent /godpairant/ n. person who sponsors a child at baptism. god*send /godsend/ n. unexpected but wel¬ come event or acquisition. ■ gift, blessing, boon, windfall, bonanza, piece of luck. god*SOn /godsun/ n. male godchild. go»fer /gOfar/ n. si. person who runs errands, esp. on a movie set or in an office. gog*gle/gogal/ »v. 1 intr. a look with wideopen eyes, b (of the eyes) be rolled about; protrude. 2 tr. turn (the eyes) sideways or from side to side. • adj. [usu. attrib.] (of the eyes) protuberant or rolling. • n. [in pi.] eye¬ glasses for protecting the eyes from glare, dust, water, etc. ■ v. la see gape v. 2. b see protrude. • adj. see protuberant. • n. (goggles) colloq. specs, shades. go*ing /going/ • n. la act or process of go¬ ing. b instance of this; departure. 2 a condi¬ tion of the ground for walking, riding, etc. b progress affected by this (found the going hard). • adj. 1 in or into action (set the clock going). 2 current; prevalent (the going rate). o get going start steadily talking, working, etc. (can’t stop him when he gets going), going concern thriving business, going on fif¬ teen, etc., approaching one’s fifteenth, etc., birthday, going to intending or intended to; about to; likely to (it’s going to sink!). • n. 1 leaving; see also retreat n. la. • adj. 2 present, accepted, prevailing, usual. □ go¬ ing concern booming business; growth in¬ dustry. gold /gold/ • n. 1 yellow, malleable, ductile, high density metallic element resistant to chemical reaction, occurring naturally in quartz veins and gravel, and precious as a monetary medium, in jewelry, etc. USymb.: Au. 2 color of gold. 3 a coins or articles made of gold, b wealth. • adj. 1 made whol¬ ly or chiefly of gold. 2 colored like gold. □ gold leaf gold beaten into a very thin sheet, gold medal medal of gold, usu. awarded as first prize, gold mine 1 place where gold is mined. 2 colloq. source of wealth, gold standard system valuing cur-

rency in terms of gold, for which the cur¬ rency may be exchanged. gold»en /gOldsn/ adj. 1 a made or consisting of gold (golden coin), b yielding gold. 2 col¬ ored or shining like gold {golden hair). 3 pre¬ cious; valuable; excellent; important (a gold¬ en memory, a golden opportunity). □ golden age 1 supposed past age when people were happy and innocent. 2 period of a nation’s greatest prosperity, literary merit, etc. gold¬ en goose continuing source of wealth or profit, golden handshake colloq. payment given on layoff or early retirement, golden jubilee fiftieth anniversary, golden mean principle of moderation, as opposed to ex¬ cess. golden parachute executive’s contract that provides substantial severance pay, etc., upon termination, golden retriever re¬ triever with a thick, golden-colored coat, golden rule basic principle of action, esp. “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” golden wedding fiftieth anniver¬ sary of a wedding. ■ 1 a gilded, gilt. 2 blond, yellow, flaxen; bright, gleaming, lustrous. 3 outstanding; happy, blissful; flourishing, prosperous; ad¬ vantageous, promising, rosy. □ golden age 2 see prime1 n. 1. golden rule see motto. gald*en»rod /goldsnrod/ n. plant with a rod¬ like stem and small, bright yellow flower heads. gold'finch /goldfinch/ n. songbird with a yel¬ low band across each wing, gold'fish /goldfish/ n. small reddish golden Chinese carp kept for ornament. □ goldfish bowl 1 globular glass container for goldfish. 2 situation lacking privacy. gold*smith /goldsmith/ n. worker in gold. go»lem /gOlom/ n. clay figure supposedly brought to life in Jewish legend, golf /golf, gawlf/ • n. game played on a course set in open country, in which a small hard ball is driven with clubs into a series of 18 or 9 holes with the fewest possible strokes. • v.intr. play golf. □ golf club 1 club used in golf. 2 premises used by a golf club, □o golf er n. goMy /golee/ int. expressing surprise. go*nad /gOnad/ n. animal organ producing gametes, e.g., the testis or ovary. □□ go*nad* al /-nad’l/ adj. gon»do*la /gondola, gondola/ n. 1 flatbottomed boat used on Venetian canals, with a high point at each end, worked by one oar at the stern. 2 car suspended from an air¬ ship, balloon, or cable. gorrdcHier /gondale'er/ n. oarsman on a gon¬ dola. gone /gawn, gon/ adj. 1 departed; left. 2 a lost; hopeless, b dead. 3 si. completely enthralled or entranced, esp. by rhythmic music, drugs, etc. ■ 2b see dead adj. 1. gon*er /gawnar, gon-/ n. si. person or thing that is doomed, ended, irrevocably lost, etc.; dead person. gong /gawng, gong/ • n. 1 metal disk giving a resonant note when struck. 2 saucer¬ shaped bell. • v.tr. summon with a gong. gon*or»rhea /gonare'ea/ n. venereal disease

347

golden ~ good-natured

with inflammatory discharge. □□ gon*or* rhe'al adj. goo /goo/ n. 1 sticky or viscous substance. 2 sickening sentiment. good /good/ • adj. (bet*ter, best) 1 having the right or desired qualities; satisfactory; adequate. 2 a (of a person) efficient; compe¬ tent (a good driver), b (of a thing) reliable; efficient (good brakes), c (of health, etc.) strong (good eyesight). 3 a kind; benevolent (good of you to come), b morally excellent; virtuous (a good deed). C charitable (good works), d well-behaved. 4 enjoyable, agreea¬ ble (a good party). 5 thorough; considerable (gave it a good wash). 6 not less than (waited a good hour). 7 valid; sound (a good reason). • n. 1 [only in sing.] that which is good; what is beneficial or morally right (only good can come of it, did it for your own good). 2 [in pi] a movable property or merchandise, b [prec. by the] colloq. what one has under¬ taken to supply (esp.deliver the goods). 3 proof, esp. of guilt. • adv. colloq. well (doing pretty good). □ as good as practically (he as good as told me), for good (and all) finally; permanently, good for 1 beneficial to; hav¬ ing a good effect on. 2 able to perform; in¬ clined for (good for a ten-mile walk). 3 able to be trusted to pay (is good for $100). to the good having as profit or benefit. ■ adj. 1 commendable, acceptable, fair; see also satisfactory2. 2 a capable, accomp¬ lished, proficient, skilled, talented, b safe, secure, sound; see also reliable, c see sound adj. 1, healthy 1. 3 a gracious, gen¬ tle, nice, considerate, friendly, b righteous, noble, honorable, ethical, upstanding, wor¬ thy; esteemed, respected, d obedient, wellmannered; angelic. 4 fine, choice, si. neat; welcome, favorable. 5 complete; penetrat¬ ing, careful; see also thorough 2. 7 genu¬ ine, legitimate, authentic, sensible, wellfounded; credible, compelling; reliable, secure. • n. 1 virtue, merit, worth; advan¬ tage, profit, use; avail; see also benefit n. 1. 2 (goods) a commodities, wares, assets; stock, produce. □ for good (and all) see fi¬ nally (final), good for 1 wholesome; see beneficial. good-bye /gOOdbi/ (also good'bye', goodby' or good'by') • int. expressing good wishes on parting, ending a telephone con¬ versation, etc., or said with reference to a thing gotten rid of or irrevocably lost. • n. (pi. good-byes) parting; farewell. ■ int. farewell, adios, adieu, au revoir, colloq. ciao, see you (later), bye, bye-bye. • n. see farewell. good-hu'mored /gObdhyOomard/ adj. genial; cheerful; amiable. □□ good'-hu'mored*ly adv.

good*ly /gObdlee/

adj. (good*li»er, good'li* est) 1 comely; handsome. 2 of imposing size, etc. □□ good'li*ness n. • 1 see comely. 2 considerable, sizable, substantial. good-na*tured /gObdnaychard/ adj. kind; pa¬ tient; easygoing. □□ good'-na'tured*ly adv.

goodness ~ gorilla

348

■ kindhearted, charitable, tolerant, gener¬ ous, agreeable, pleasant, mellow, consider¬ ate, nice, courteous, warm. good*ness /gobdnis/ ♦ n. 1 virtue; excel¬ lence, esp. moral. 2 kindness (had the good¬ ness to wait). 3 what is beneficial in a thing {the goodness of fresh air). • int. expressing surprise, anger, etc. {goodness me!), mn. 1 see virtue 1. 2 see kindness 1. int. see indeed int.

synonym study; goodness MORALITY, PROBITY, RECTITUDE, VIRTUE. Of all these words denoting moral excellence, goodness is the broadest in meaning. It de¬ scribes an excellence so well established that it is thought of as inherent or innate and is associated with kindness, generosity, helpful¬ ness, and sincerity {she has more goodness in her little finger than most people have in their whole body). Morality, on the other hand, is

moral excellence based on a code of ethical conduct or religious teaching {his behavior was kept in line by fear of punishment rather than morality). Although it is often used as a synonym for goodness, virtue suggests moral

excellence that is acquired rather than innate and that is consciously or steadfastly main¬ tained, often in spite of temptations or evil influences {her virtue was as unassailable as her noble character). Rectitude is used to de¬ scribe strict adherence to the rules of just or right behavior and carries strong connota¬ tions of sternness and self-discipline {he had a reputation for rectitude and insisted on ab¬ solute truthfulness). Probity describes an

honesty or integrity that has been tried and proved {as mayor, she displayed a probity that was rare in a politician ).

goodwill /gobdwil/ n. 1 kindly feeling. 2 es¬ tablished reputation of a business, etc., as enhancing its value. ■ 1 see affection 1. good*y /gobdee/ • n. (also good'ie) (pi. -ies) 1 [usu. in pi] something good or attractive, esp. to eat. 2 = goody-goody n. • int. express¬ ing childish delight, o goody-goody n. smug or obtrusively virtuous person, adj. ob¬ trusively or smugly virtuous. ■ □ goody-goody n. see prig, Pharisee. • adj. sanctimonious, self-righteous, colloq. holier-than-thou. goo*ey /gob-ee/ adj. (goo*i*er, goo*i*est) si. 1 viscous; sticky. 2 sentimental. □□ goo'ey* ness n. (also goo'i*ness). ■ 1 tacky, gummy. 2 sweet, sugary, mushy; maudlin. goof /goof/ si. • n. 1 foolish or stupid person. 2 mistake. • v. 1 tr. bungle; mess up. 2 intr. blunder; make a mistake. 3 intr. [often foil, by off] idle; waste time. mn. 1 see silly n. 2 see mistake n. • v. 1, 2 see foul v. 4. 3 see idle v. 2. goof'ball /gobfbawl/ n. si. 1 pill containing a barbiturate or tranquilizer. 2 silly, ridicu¬ lous, or inept person. gOOf»y /gobfee/ adj. (goof*i*er, goof*i*est) si. stupid; silly. □□ goof i»ness n.

m see crazy 1. n. si.

goon /goon/

1 stupid or playful person. 2 person hired by racketeers, etc. ■ 1 see fool n. 1.2 see thug. goose /goos/ • n. {pi. geese /gees/) 1 a large water bird with short legs, webbed feet, and a broad bill, b female of this (opp. gander). C flesh of a goose as food. 2 colloq. simple¬ ton. • ti.tr. si. poke (a person) between the buttocks. □ goose bumps (also goose flesh or pimples or skin) bristling state of the skin produced by cold or fright, goose egg zero score in a game, goose step military march¬ ing step in which the knees are kept stiff. mn. 2 see FOOL n. 1. goose*ber»ry /gobsberee, -baree, gobz-/ n. {pi. -ries) 1 edible yellowish green berry with thin skin enclosing seeds in a juicy flesh. 2 thorny shrub bearing this fruit. GOP abbr. Grand Old Party (Republican Party). go»pher gOfar/ n. (in full pock'et go*pher) burrowing rodent, native to N. America, hav¬ ing external cheek pouches and sharp front teeth; ground squirrel. Gor*di*an knot /gawrdeean/ n. 1 intricate knot. 2 difficult problem or task. □ cut the Gordian knot solve a problem by force or by evasion. gore* 1 /gawr/ n. 1 blood shed and clotted. 2 slaughter. ■ 2 carnage, butchery, bloodshed, killing, murder, violence. gore2 /gawr/ v.tr. pierce with a horn, tusk, etc. ■ stab, poke, penetrate, puncture, spear, gouge, impale. gore3 /gawr/ • n. wedge-shaped piece in a garment, umbrella, etc. •v.tr. shape with a gore. gorge/gawrj/ • n. 1 narrow opening between hills or a rocky ravine. 2 act of gorging; feast. 3 contents of the stomach. • v. 1 intr. feed greedily. 2 tr. & [often refl.] satiate; glut, b swallow; devour greedily. mn. 1 canyon,defile,pass,chasm. 3vomit, si. puke, upchuck. • v. 1 overindulge, gob¬ ble, eat one’s fill, si. nosh. 2 a fill, stuff, over¬ feed; (gorge oneself) gluttonize, colloq. make a hog of oneself; see also overeat, b gulp (down), gobble (down or up). gor*geoilS /gawrjas/ adj. 1 richly colored; sumptuous; magnificent. 2 colloq. very pleasant; splendid {gorgeous weather). 3 col¬ loq. strikingly beautiful. □□ gor'geous*ly adv. m 1 dazzling, brilliant, splendid, glorious,

exquisite. 2 wonderful, marvelous, glorious, colloq. great, terrific, fantastic. 3 see beauti¬ ful 1. gor»gon /gawrgan/ n. 1 Gk. mythol. each of three snake-haired sisters (esp. Medusa) with the power to turn anyone who looked at them to stone. 2 frightening or repulsive woman. □□ gor*go*ni*an /gawrgSneean/ adj. m 2 see HAG 2.

Gor*gon*zo*la /gawrganzob/

n. rich cheese with bluish veins. go*ril*la garila/ n. largest anthropoid ape, na¬ tive to Central Africa.

gorse /gawrs/ «. spiny yellow-flowered shrub native to Europe. gor*y /gawree/ adj. (gor»i*er, gor*i*est) 1 in¬ volving bloodshed; bloodthirsty (a gory film). 2 covered in gore. □□ gor'bly adv. gor'i* ness n. ■ 1 bloody; gruesome, grisly. 2 bloody, blood-soaked. gosh /gosh/ int. expressing surprise. gOS’ling /gozling/ n. young goose. gos*pel /gospal/ n. 1 teaching of Christ. 2 (Gospel) a record of Christ’s life in the first four books of the New Testament, b each of these books, c portion from one of them read at a service. 3 thing regarded as absolutely true (take my word as gospel). 4 (in full gos'pel mu*sic) African-American evangelical religious singing. □ gospel truth something considered to be unques¬ tionably true. ■ 3 fact, certainty, reality. gos*sa*mer /gosamar/ • n. 1 filmy sub¬ stance of small spiders’ webs. 2 delicate filmy material. • adj. light and flimsy. ■ adj. see flimsy 3. gos*Sip /gosip/ • n. la unconstrained talk or writing, esp. about persons or social inci¬ dents. b idle talk; groundless rumor. 2 per¬ son who indulges in gossip, •v.intr. (gos* siped, gos*sip*ing) talk or write gossip. □□ gos'sip*mon*ger n. gos'sip'y adj. mn. 1 small talk, prattle, colloq. chitchat; see also chatter n. 2 rumormonger, scan¬ dalmonger, busybody, tattletale, colloq. bigmouth, colloq. Nosy Parker. • v. tatde, blab, tell tales, colloq. name names; see also spill the beans (spill), babble v. la, b. □□ gossipy see INDISCREET 1. got past and past part, of GET. Goth /goth/ n. 1 member of a Germanic tribe that invaded the Roman Empire in the 3rd5th c. 2 uncivilized or ignorant person. Goth'ic /gothik/ • adj. 1 of the Goths. 2 in the style of architecture prevalent in W. Eu¬ rope in the 12th-16th c., characterized by pointed arches. 3 (of a novel, etc.) with su¬ pernatural or horrifying events. 4 barbarous; uncouth. • n. 1 Gothic language. 2 Gothic architecture. got'ten past part, of GET. gouache /gwaash, goo-a'ash/ n. 1 painting in opaque pigments ground in water and thick¬ ened with a glue. 2 these pigments. 3 pic¬ ture painted this way. Gou*da /gobda, gow-/ n. mild Dutch cheese, gouge /gowj/ • n. la chisel with a concave blade, used in woodworking, sculpture, and surgery, b indentation made with or as with this. 2 colloq. swindle. • v.tr. 1 cut with or as with a gouge. 2 brutally scoop out. 3 colloq. swindle; extort money from. mn. 1b groove, scratch, gash. 2 see swin¬ dle n. • v. 1 chisel, gash, groove; hollow out. 3 defraud, blackmail, cheat, squeeze, fleece, si. skin, bilk. gouHash /goblaash, -lash/ n. highly seasoned Hungarian dish of meat and vegetables, usu. flavored with paprika. gourd /gCOrd/ n. la fleshy usu. large fruit with a hard skin, often used as containers,

349

gorse ~ grab

ornaments, etc. b climbing or trailing plant bearing this fruit. 2 hollow gourd shell used as a drinking vessel, etc. □□ gourd'ful n. (pi. -fills). gour*mand /gobrmaand/ • n. glutton. • adj. gluttonous; fond of eating, esp. to excess. □□ gour'mand*ism n. m n. see GLUTTON 1. gour»met /gdbrmay/ n. connoisseur of good or delicate food. ■ epicure, gastronome, bon vivant. gout /gowt/ n. inflammation of the smaller joints, esp. the big toe. □□ gout'y adj. gov*ern /guvarn/ s. la tr. rule or control (a nation, subject, etc.) with authority; conduct the affairs of. b intr. be in government. 2 a tr. influence or determine (a person or a course of action), b intr. be the predominat¬ ing influence. 3 tr. be a standard or principle for; constitute a law for; serve to decide (a case). 4 tr. check or control (esp. passions and machinery). □□ gov'ern«a*ble adj. ■ 1 a direct, manage, run, lead, command, b wield power, be in charge, colloq. run the show; reign, sit on the throne. 2 a see influ¬ ence v., determine 3. b dominate, hold sway. 3 see determine 3. 4 curb, master, subdue, restrain. gov*er*nance /guvarnans/ n. act or manner of governing. ■ see management 1. gov*er*ness /guvarnis/ n. woman employed to teach children in a private household. ■ see TEACHER. gov*ern»ment /guvarnmant/ n. 1 act, man¬ ner, or system of governing. 2 body of per¬ sons governing a nation. □□ gov^ermment* al /-ment’l/ adj. • rule, governance, command, regulation, control, management, administration, lead¬ ership, regime. gov*er»nor /guvarnar/ n. 1 person who gov¬ erns; ruler. 2 executive head of each state of the US. 3 Mech. automatic regulator con¬ trolling the speed of an engine, etc. □□ gov' er*nor*ship n. ■ 1,2 see LEADER 1. govt. abbr. government. gown /gown/ • n. 1 loose flowing garment, esp. a woman’s long dress or nightgown. 2 official or academic robe. 3 members of a university as distinct from the permanent residents of the university town. • v.tr. (usu. as gowned adj.) attire in a gown. goy /goy/ n. (pi. goynm /goyim/ or goys) si. somtimes derog. Jewish name for a non-Jew. □□ goy'ish adj. (also goy'isch). GP abbr. 1 general practitioner. 2 Grand Prix. GPO abbr. 1 General Post Office. 2 Govern¬ ment Printing Office. grab /grab/ • v. (grabbed, grab'bing) 1 tr. a seize suddenly, b capture; arrest. 2 tr. take greedily or unfairly. 3 tr. si. attract the atten¬ tion of; impress. 4 intr. snatch at. • n. sud¬ den clutch or attempt to seize. □ grab bag 1 container from which one removes a mys¬ tery gift, as at a party. 2 miscellaneous items.

grace ~ Grail

350

up for grabs si. easily obtainable. □□ grab' ber n. m v. 1 a snatch, grasp, catch, snag, b seize, catch, collar, apprehend, si. nab, pinch. 2 appropriate, seize, commandeer; usurp. 3 see impress v. la. 4 {grab at) make a grab for, colloq. go for. • n. 1 snatch; grasp, grip. □ up for grabs see on sale (sale) . grace /grays/ • n. 1 attractiveness in propor¬ tion, manner, movement; elegance. 2 cour¬ teous good will (had the grace to apologize). 3 attractive feature; accomplishment (social graces). 4 a (in Christian belief) favor of God; divine saving and strengthening influ¬ ence. b state of receiving this. 5 goodwill; favor (fall from grace). 6 delay granted as a favor (a year’s grace). 7 short thanksgiving before or after a meal. 8 (Grace) [prec. by His, Her, Your] forms of description or ad¬ dress for a duke, duchess, or archbishop. • v. tr. 1 lend or add grace to; enhance or em¬ bellish. 2 confer honor or dignity on (graced us with his presence). mn. 1 gracefulness, finesse, polish, poise;

culture, etiquette. 2 (good) manners, de¬ cency, tact; kindness, generosity. 3 skill, tal¬ ent, gift, ability. 4 a forgiveness, mercy, compassion, charity. 7 prayer; blessing. • v. 1 adorn, decorate, beautify. 2 enhance, dis¬ tinguish, honor. graceful /graysfOOl/ adj. having or showing grace or elegance. □□ grace'fuMy adv. grace'ful*ness n. m fluid, flowing, lissome, agile; elegant, pol¬ ished, suave. grace'less /grayslis/ adj. lacking grace or ele¬ gance or charm. gra*CiOUS /grayshss/ • adj. 1 kind; indulgent and beneficent to others. 2 (of God) merci¬ ful; benign. 3 elegant; luxurious. • int. ex¬ pressing surprise. □□ gra'cious*ly adv. gra' cious*ness n. m adj. 1 benevolent, warmhearted, cordial, amiable, affable, considerate; courteous, po¬ lite, tactful. 2 see merciful, int. (upon) my word, by Jove, well I (do) declare, (my) goodness, (good) Lord, good heavens, colloq. my stars; see also god int. gra«date /graydayt/ v. 1 intr. & tr. pass or cause to pass by gradations from one shade to another. 2 tr. arrange in steps or grades of size, etc. ■ 1 see blend v. 3a. gra*da»tion /graydayshan/ n. [usu. in pi] 1 stage of transition or advance. 2 a certain degree in rank, intensity, merit, divergence, etc. b arrangement in such degrees. 3 (of paint, etc.) gradual passing from one shade, tone, etc., to another. □□ gra*da'tion*al adj.

■ 1,2 see grade n. la.

grade /grayd/ • n. 1 a certain degree in rank, merit, proficiency, quality, etc. b class of persons or things of the same grade. 2 mark indicating the quality of a student’s work. 3 class in school, concerned with a particular year’s work and usu. numbered from the first upward. 4 a gradient or slope, b rate of as¬

cent or descent. • v. 1 tr. arrange in or allo¬ cate to grades; class; sort. 2 intr. [foil, by up, down, off, into, etc.] pass gradually between grades, or into a grade. 3 tr. give a grade to (a student). 4 tr. reduce (a road, etc.) to easy gradients. □ grade crossing crossing of a roadway, etc., with a railroad track at the same level, grade point average scholastic average obtained by dividing the number of earned grade points by the number of credits taken. mn. la position, stage; status, b see cate¬ gory. 2 rating, score; result. 4 a rise, in¬ cline, decline. • v. 1 classify, organize, group. 3 mark, evaluate, assess; rank. gra*di*ent /graydeeant/ n. 1 stretch of road, railroad, etc., that slopes. 2 amount of such a slope. grad*U*al /grajooal/ adj. 1 progressing by de¬ grees. 2 not rapid, steep, or abrupt. □□ grad'u*al*ly adv. m 1 piecemeal, steady; see slow adj. 2. 2 easy, even. □□ gradually slowly, evenly, step by step; cautiously, carefully. grad*U*al*ism /grajooalizam/ n. policy of gradual reform. □□ grad'u*a»list n. grad* u'al’is'dc adj. grad*u«ate • n. /grajooat/ 1 person who has been awarded an academic degree (also attrib.\ graduate student). 2 person who has completed a course of study. • v. /grajoo-ayt/ 1 a intr. take an academic degree, b tr. grant an academic degree or certificate of comple¬ tion of school studies. 2 intr. a [foil, by from] be a graduate of a specified university, b be a graduate in a specified subject. 3 intr. a [foil, by to] move up to (a higher status, etc.), b [foil, by as, in] gain specified qualifi¬ cations. 4 tr. mark out in degrees or parts. 5 tr. arrange in gradations; apportion (e.g., tax) according to a scale. □ graduate school division of a university for advanced work by graduates. □□ grad*u*a«tion /-ayshan/ n. u v. 3 a see advance v. 1,2. b qualify, get a degree. 4 see calibrate 1, 2. 5 scale, appor¬ tion; see also grade v. 1. graf»fi*ti /grafe'etee/ n.pl. (sing. graf*fi*to) writing or drawing scribbled, scratched, or sprayed on a surface. graft1 /graft/ • n. 1 Bot. shoot or scion in¬ serted into a slit of stock, from which it re¬ ceives sap. 2 Surgery tissue, organ, etc., transplanted surgically. • v. 1 tr. insert (a scion) as a graft. 2 intr. insert a graft. 3 tr. Surgery transplant (tissue). 4 tr. insert or fix (a thing) permanently to another. mn. 1 bud; see shoot n. 2 implant. • v. 1 implant, splice, join. 4 affix, join, fasten; see also attach 1. graft2 /graft/ colloq. • n. practices, esp. brib¬ ery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business, •v.intr. seek or make such gains. ■ n. corruption, payola; colloq. kickback; see blackmail n. 1. gra*ham crack*er /gram, gravam/ n. crisp, slightly sweet whole-wheat cracker. Grail /grayl/ n. (in full Ho'ly Grail') (in me¬ dieval legend) cup or platter used by Christ at the Last Supper.

grain /grayn/ • n. 1 fruit or seed of a cereal. 2 a [collect.] wheat or related grass used as food, b [collect.] their fruit, c any cereal crop. 3 small hard particle of salt, sand, etc. 4 smallest unit of weight in the troy system (equivalent to V480 of an ounce) and in the avoirdupois system (equivalent to V437 5 of an ounce). 5 smallest possible quantity (not a grain of truth in it). 6 a roughness of sur¬ face. b Photog. granular appearance on a photograph or negative. 7 texture. 8 pattern of lines of fiber in wood or paper, • v.tr. 1 paint in imitation of the grain of wood or marble. 2 give a granular surface to. □ against the grain contrary to one’s natu¬ ral inclination or feeling. □□ grain'y adj. m n. 1 kernel; see also seed n. la. 2 cereal, grist; wheat, barley, rice, oats. 3 bit, frag¬ ment, crumb. 5 iota, scrap, trace, colloq. smidgen. 6 graininess; see also inequality 3. 7 pattern, fiber, weave, nap. □ against the grain see aijen adj. 1 a. gram /gram/ n. metric unit of mass equal to one-thousandth of a kilogram. -gram /gram/ comb, form forming nouns de¬ noting a thing written or recorded (often in a certain way) (monogram, telegram). □o -grammatic /gramatik/ comb, form form¬ ing adjectives. gram*mar /gramar/ n. 1 study or rules of a language’s inflections, forms, etc. 2 observ¬ ance or application of such rules (bad gram¬ mar). 3 book on grammar. □ grammar school elementary school. □□ gram»mar'i* an n. grani'mat'bcal adj. gram»mat'i* cal*ly adv. gram«o»phone /gramafon/ n. = phono¬ graph. gran»a»ry /granaree, gray-/ n. (pi. -ries) storehouse for threshed grain, grand /grand/ • adj. 1 a magnificent; impos¬ ing; dignified, b noble. 2 main; of chief im¬ portance (grand staircase, grand entrance). 3 (Grand) of the highest rank (Grand Cross, Grand Inquisitor). 4 colloq. excellent; enjoya¬ ble (had a grand time). 5 belonging to high society; wealthy (the grand folk at the manor). 6 [in comb.] in names of family relationships, denoting the second degree of ascent or de¬ scent (granddaughter). • n. 1 = grand piano. 2 (pi. same) si. thousand dollars. □ grand jury Lawjury selected to examine the valid¬ ity of an accusation prior to trial, grand master 1 chess player of the highest class. 2 head of a military order of knighthood, of Freemasons, etc. grand piano large fulltoned piano standing on three legs, with hor¬ izontal strings, grand slam 1 Sports win¬ ning of all of a group of major championships. 2 Bridge winning of all 13 tricks. 3 Baseball home run with bases loaded. □□ grand'ly adv. grand'ness n. ■ adj. 1 a splendid, impressive, majestic, stately, lavish, colloq. posh; respected, emi¬ nent. b solemn, lofty; see also noble adj. 3,4. 2 principal, leading, foremost. 4 marvelous, wonderfitl, colloq. great, smashing, terrific; see also superb. 5 see posh adj. 2, rich 1. grandchild /granchild, grand-/ n. (pi. -chil* dren) child of one’s son or daughter.

351

grain ~ grant

grand'dad'dy

/grandadee/ n. (also gran' daddy) (pi. -dies) 1 colloq. grandfather. 2 original and usu. most venerated of its kind (the granddaddy of symphony orchestras). /grandawtar/ n. female

grand*daugh*ter grandchild.

grandee /grande'e/

n. 1 highest Spanish or Portuguese nobleman. 2 person of high rank or eminence. grandeur /granjar, -jOOr/ n. 1 majesty; splendor. 2 nobility of character. ■ 1 magnificence, pomp; see also splendor 2. 2 see nobility 1. grand*fa*ther /granfaathar, grand-/ n. male grandparent. □ grandfather clock floorstanding pendulum clock in a tall wooden case. □□ grand'fa*ther*ly adj. gran*dil*0*quent /grandilakwant/ adj. pom¬ pous or inflated in language. □□ grandiho* quence /-kwans/ n. grandil'o*quent*ly adv. m see POMPOUS 2.

grandiose /grandeeos/

adj. 1 producing or meant to produce an imposing effect. 2 am¬ bitious in scale. □□ gran'di*ose*ly adv. gran*di*os*i*ty /-deeositee/ n. m 1 grand, monumental; see impressive. 2 lofty, flamboyant, showy, extravagant, col¬ loq. highfalutin, flash. grand*mo*ther /granmuthar, grand-/ n. fe¬ male grandparent. □□ grand'moth*er*ly adj.

grand*pa*rent

/granpairant, grand-/ n. par¬ ent of one’s father or mother. grand*SOn /gransun, grand-/ n. male grand¬ child. grand'Stand /granstand, grand-/ n. main stand for spectators at a racecourse, etc. grange /graynj/ n. 1 country house with farm buildings. 2 (Grange) farmer’s social organization. grande /granit/ n. granular crystalline igne¬ ous rock of quartz, mica, etc., used for build¬ ing. gran»ny /granee/ n. (also gran'nie) (pi. -nies) colloq. grandmother. Gran*ny Smith /granee smith/ n. green vari¬ ety of apple. gra*no*la /granola/ n. breakfast or snack food consisting of a mixture of rolled oats, nuts, dried fruits, etc. grant /grant/ •v.tr. la consent to fulfill (a request, wish, etc.) (granted all he asked). b allow (a person) to have (a thing) (granted me my freedom). 2 give (rights, property, etc.) formally; transfer legally. 3 admit as true; concede, esp. as a basis for argument. See synonym study at give. • n. 1 process of granting or thing granted. 2 sum of money officially given, esp. to finance education. d take for granted 1 assume something to be true or valid. 2 cease to appreciate through familiarity. □□ gran*tee /-te'e/ n. (esp. in sense 2 of v.). grant'er n. gran'tor /-tor/ n. (esp. in sense 2 of v.). ■ v. 1 a agree to, concur with, admit, allow, b permit; give, award, offer; donate, assign. 2 see make over 1. 3 see concede la. • n. 1,

granular ~ gratify

352

gift, endowment, donation, contribution; subsidy. gran»U»lar /granyslar/ adj. of or like grains or granules. □□ gran*u*lar"i*ty /-laritee/ n. m grainy, granulated, sandy, gritty. gran*U*late /granyalayt/ v. form into grains {granulated sugar). □□ gran*u*la-tion /-layshan/ n. gran*ule /granydol/ n. small grain. ■ see grain n. 3. grape /grayp/ n. 1 berry (usu. green, purple, or black) growing in clusters on a vine, used as fruit and in making wine. 2 [prec. by the] colloq. wine. □ grape hyacinth liliaceous plant with clusters of usu. blue flowers. grape*fruit /graypffoot/ n. (pi. same) 1 large round yellow citrus fruit. 2 tree bearing this fruit. grape*Vine /graypvin/ n. 1 vine. 2 colloq. means of transmission of rumor (heard it 2

grap*ple /grapal/ • v. 1

intr. fight at close quarters or in close combat. 2 intr. try to manage a difficult problem, etc. 3 tr. a grip with the hands, b seize with or as with a grapnel; grasp. • n. la hold or grip in or as in wrestling, b contest at close quarters. 2 clutching instrument; grapnel. □ grap¬ pling iron (or hook) = grapnel. • v. 1 wrestle, tussle; see fight v. la. 2 (grapple with) struggle with, tackle, take on. 3 hold, clasp; grab. • n. la grasp, clutch, b see bout 2a. grasp /grasp/ • v. 1 tr. a clutch at; seize greedily, b hold firmly; grip. 2 intr. [foil, by at] try to seize. 3 tr. understand or realize (a fact or meaning). • n. 1 firm hold; grip. 2 a mastery or control (a grasp of the situa¬ tion). b mental hold or understanding (a grasp of the facts). 3 mental agility (a quick

through the grapevine). ■ 2 si. network. graph /graf/ • n. 1 diagram showing the rela¬

grasp). • v. la grab, snatch, b clutch, clasp. 2 (grasp at) grab at, reach for; see jump at. 3 comprehend, catch, follow, colloq. get, si. dig; see. • n. 1 clasp, lock; clutches. 2 a (grasp of) possession of, power over,

tion between variable quantities, usu. along two axes. 2 Math, collection of points whose coordinates satisfy a given relation. • v. tr. plot or trace on a graph. □ graph paper pa¬ per printed with a network of lines as a basis for drawing graphs. ■ n. 1 see chart n. 2. -graph /graf7 comb, form forming nouns and verbs meaning: 1 thing written, drawn, etc., in a specified way (autograph). 2 instrument that records (seismograph, telegraph). graphic /grafik/ • adj. 1 of or relating to the visual or descriptive arts, esp. writing and drawing. 2 vividly descriptive; conveying all (esp. unwelcome or unpleasant) details; une¬ quivocal. • n. product of the graphic arts (cf. graphics). □ graphic arts visual and tech¬ nical arts involving design, writing, drawing, printing, etc. □□ graph'i*cal*ly adv. u adj. 1 representational, pictorial. 2 life¬ like, explicit, realistic, photographic; precise; clear, unambiguous. -graphic /grafik/ comb, form (also -graphical /grafikal/) forming adjectives corresponding to nouns in -graphy. □□ -graphically /grafiklee/ comb, form forming adverbs graphics /grafiks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] 1 products of the graphic arts. 2 use of dia¬ grams in calculation and design. 3 (in full com-puter graph'ics) Computing mode of processing and output in which information is in pictorial form. graphite /grafit/ n. crystalline allotropic form of carbon used as a lubricant, in pencils, etc. gra*phol»0*gy /grafolajee/ n. the study of handwriting, esp. as a supposed guide to character. □□ graph*ol'o*gist n. -graphy /grafee/ comb, form forming nouns denoting: 1 descriptive science (geography). 2 technique of producing images (photogra¬ phy). 3 style or method of writing, drawing, etc. (calligraphy). grap*nel /grapnal/ n. 1 device with iron claws, for dragging or grasping. 2 small an¬ chor with several flukes.

b comprehension, awareness. 3 see intelli¬ gence lb. grasping /grasping/ adj. avaricious; greedy. ■ acquisitive, rapacious. grass /gras/ • n. la small plants with green blades that are eaten by cattle, horses, sheep, etc. b plant that includes cereals, reeds, and bamboos. 2 pasture land. 3 lawn (keep off the grass). 4 si. marijuana. •v.tr: 1 cover with turf. 2 provide with pasture. □ grass roots 1 fundamental level or source. 2 ordi¬ nary people, esp. as voters; rank and file of an organization, esp. a political party, no grass' y adj. (gras*si*er, gras*si*est). mn. 2 see pasture1 n. 3 see lawn. 4 can¬ nabis, hemp, colloq. hash, si. pot, green, dope. □ grass roots 1 see bottom n. 4. 2 see peo¬ ple n. 2. grass*hop»per /gras-hoppar/ n. jumping and chirping plant-eating insect. grass'land /grasland/ n. large open area cov¬ ered with grass, esp. used for grazing. ■ see plain1 n. grate1 /grayt/ v. 1 tr. reduce to small particles by rubbing on a serrated surface. 2 intr. rub with a harsh scraping sound. 3 tr. utter in a harsh tone. 4 intr. a sound harshly or dis¬ cordantly. b have an irritating effect. □□ grat'er n. • 1 shred, rasp, scrape. 2 rasp, grind, scratch. 3 croak, rasp, growl; see also bawl2 1. 4 a see jar v. 1,2. b jar, colloq. get on a person’s nerves; (grate on) annoy, irk, irritate. grate2 /grayt/ n. metal frame confining fuel in a fireplace. grate«ful /graytfool/ adj. 1 thankful; feeling or showing gratitude (am grateful to you for helping). 2 pleasant, acceptable. □□ grate' fuMy adv. grate fulness n. ■ 1 appreciative; see also indebted. 2 see pleasant. grat»i*fy /gratify v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 a please; delight, b please by compliance. 2 indulge in or yield to (a feeling or desire). □□ grat*i»fi*ca'tion n.

■ 1 a cheer, gladden; see also please 1. 1b, 2 see satisfy 2, 3. □□ gratification satisfac¬

353

tion, fulfillment; reward.

gravity /gravitee/». 1 a force that attracts a body to the center of the earth or other celes¬ tial body, b degree of this measured by ac¬ celeration. 2 property of having weight. 3 a importance; seriousness, b solemnity; serious demeanor. ■ 1 gravitation; attraction. 2 see weight n. 2, 3. 3 a significance, magnitude, urgency, b dignity, sobriety. gra*vy /grayvee/ n. (pi. -vies) 1 a juices ex¬ uding from meat during and after cooking, b sauce for food, made from these. 2 si. un¬ earned or unexpected gains, esp. money. □ gravy boat vessel for serving gravy, gravy train si. source of easy financial benefit. gray /gray/ (also grey) • adj. 1 of a color in¬ termediate between black and white. 2 a (of the weather, etc.) dull; dismal; overcast, b bleak; (of a person) depressed. 3 a (of hair) turning white with age, etc. b (of a person) having gray hair. 4 anonymous; unidentifiable. • n. la gray color or pig¬ ment. b gray clothes or material (dressed in gray). 2 gray or white horse. • v. make or become gray. □ gray area situation or topic not clearly defined, gray matter 1 darker tissues of the brain and spinal cord. 2 colloq. intelligence. □□ gray'ish adj. gray'ness n. m adj. 1 pearly, smoky, grizzly. 2 dark, foggy, cloudy; cheerless, gloomy; glum; see also miserable 3. 4 colorless; see nonde¬ script adj. o gray matter 2 see brain n. 3. graze1 /grayz/ v. 1 intr. (of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat growing grass. 2 tr. feed (cattle, etc.) on growing grass. ■ 1 see feed v. 3. graze2 /grayz/ • v. 1 tr. rub or scrape (part of the body, esp. the skin). 2 a tr. touch lightly in passing, b intr. move with a light passing contact. • n. abrasion. ■ v. 1 see scrape v. 3b. 2 a see kiss v. 3. • n. see scrape n. 2. grease /grees/ • n. 1 oily or fatty matter esp. as a lubricant. 2 melted animal fat. 3 oily matter in unprocessed wool. •v.tr. also /greez/ smear or lubricate with grease. □ grease the palm of colloq. bribe, a n. see oil n. • v. see oil v. grease*paint /greespaynt/ n. stage makeup for actors. greas*y /gre'esee, gre'ezee/ adj. (greas»i*er, greas»i*est) la of or like grease, b smeared or covered with grease, c having too much grease. 2 a slippery, b (of a per¬ son or manner) unctuous; smooth, c objec¬ tionable. □□ greas'i*ly adv. greas'i*ness n. m 1 oily, fatty, buttery. 2 a see slippery 1,2. b oily, fawning, slick, toadying, sycophantic, obsequious, colloq. smarmy. great /grayt/ • adj. 1 a of a size, amount, ex¬ tent, or intensity considerably above the nor¬ mal or average (made a great hole, take great care), b reinforcing other words denoting size, quantity, etc. (a great big hole, a great many). 2 important; preeminent; worthy. 3 grand; imposing (a great occasion, the great hall). 4 a (esp. of a public or historic figure) distinguished; prominent, b (the Great) as

grafting1 /grayting/ adj. 1 sounding harsh or discordant (a grating laugh). 2 irritating. □□ grat'ing'ly adv. ■ 1 jarring, raucous, shrill; screeching, croaking. 2 offensive, irksome. grafting2 /grayting/ n. 1 framework of paral¬ lel or crossed metal bars. 2 Optics set of par¬ allel wires, lines ruled on glass, etc., for pro¬ ducing spectra by diffraction. ■ 1 grate, grid, grille. 2 reticulation. grat»is /gratis, graa-/ adv. & adj. free; without charge. ■ see free adj. 6.

grat»i»tude /gratitood, -tyOod/ n. being thankful; appreciation. a acknowledgment, recognition, thanks¬ giving^ gra»tU*i*tOUS /gratobitas, tyob-/ adj. 1 given or done free of charge. 2 uncalled-for (a gra¬ tuitous insult). □□ gra*tu'i*tous*ly adv. gra* tu'i*tous*ness n. a 1 see free adj. 6. 2 unprovoked, unsolic¬ ited, baseless. gra»tu*i»ty /gratobitee, -tyob-/ n. (pi. -ties) money given for service; tip. . a see tip3 n. 1. grave1 /grayv/ n. la trench for the burial of a corpse, b mound or memorial stone placed over this. 2 [prec. by the] death, esp. as indicating mortal finality. 3 something compared to or regarded as a grave. alb crypt, sepulcher, tomb, vault, mauso¬ leum; gravestone, headstone. 2 (the grave) see death 1. grave2 /grayv/ • adj. 1 a serious; weighty; important (a grave matter), b solemn; som¬ ber (a grave look). 2 critical or threatening (grave danger). • n. /graav/ = grave accent. □ grave accent /graav, grayv/ mark (') placed over a vowel to denote pronunciation, length, etc. □□ grave'ly adv. a adj. 1 a critical; see also serious 2, 3. b dignified, earnest, gloomy. 2 vital, urgent; perilous, dangerous. grav*el /graval/ • n. mixture of coarse sand and small stones, used for paths, roads, etc. • v.tr. lay or strew with gravel. grav*el*ly /gravalee/ adj. 1 of or like gravel. 2 (of a voice) deep and rough sounding, a 1 see gritty (grit). 2 see strident. grave*Stone /grayvston/ n. stone marking a grave. a see monument 1. grave»yard /grayvyaard/ n. burial ground, esp. by a church. □ graveyard shift work shift beginning late at night. a churchyard, cemetery, potter’s field, si. boneyard. grav«i*tate /gravitayt/ v. 1 intr. move or be attracted to. 2 tr. & intr. move or tend by force of gravity toward, a see lean1 v. gravi«ta*tion /gravitayshan/ n. Physics 1 force of attraction between particles of matter in the universe. 2 effect of this, esp. the falling of bodies to the earth. □□ grav*i* ta'tion*al adj.

grating ~ great

grebe ~ greenback

354

a title denoting the most important of the name (Alexander the Great). 5 a (of a per¬ son) remarkable in ability, character, achievement, etc. (a great thinker), b (of a thing) outstanding of its kind {the Great De¬ pression). 6 [foil, by at] competent; skilled; well-informed. 7 colloq. a very enjoyable or satisfactory; attractive; fine {had. a great time). b (as an exclam.) fine; very good. 8 [in comb.] (in names of family relationships) de¬ noting one degree further removed upward or downward {great-uncle, great-greatgrandmother) . • n. great or outstanding per¬ son or thing. □ Great Britain England, Wales, and Scotland, great circle see cir¬ cle. Great Dane see Dane. □□ great'ly adv. great'ness n. m adj. 1 a big, large, huge, immense, ex¬ treme, considerable; marked, extraordinary, colloq. terrific; significant, profound. 2 criti¬ cal, crucial, vital, major. 3 fine, lofty, exalt¬ ed, momentous, significant. 4 a important, celebrated, famous, notable, influential. 5 a gifted, talented, accomplished, skilled, remarkable, exceptional, b extraordinary. 6 (great at or on) expert at or in; talented at. 7 outstanding, first-class, superior, wonder¬ ful, colloq. super(-duper), smashing, Al, fan¬ tastic, terrific, A-OK, si. cracking, ace, groovy, awesome, bad; see also superb.

grebe /greeb/ n. diving bird with a long neck, lobed toes, and almost no tail. Gre»cian /gre'eshan/ adj. (of architecture or facial outline) following Greek models or ideals. Gre*CO-Ro*man /gre'eko-roman, greko-/ adj. 1 of or relating to the Greeks and Romans. 2 Wrestling denoting a style attacking only the upper part of the body. greed /greed/ n. excessive desire, esp. for food or wealth. ■ greediness, avarice; gluttony, piggishness, voracity. greed*y /greedee/ adj. (greed*i*er, greed'i* est) 1 having or showing an excessive appe¬ tite for food or drink. 2 wanting wealth or pleasure to excess. 3 very keen or eager {greedy for

affection,

greedy

to

learn).

□□ greed'i'ly adv. greed'i*ness n. ■ 1 voracious, gluttonous, colloq. piggish. 2 avaricious, covetous; materialistic, merce¬ nary. 3 see EAGER. synonym study: greedy ACQUISITIVE, COVETOUS, AVARICIOUS, RAPA¬ CIOUS, gluttonous. The desire for money

and the things it can buy is often associated with Americans. But not all Americans are greedy, which implies an insatiable desire to possess or acquire something, beyond what one needs or deserves {greedy for prof¬ its). Someone who is greedy for food might be called gluttonous, which emphasizes consumption as well as desire {a gluttonous appetite for sweets), but greedy is a derogatory term only when the object of longing is itself evil or when it cannot be possessed without harm to oneself or others (a reporter greedy

for information). A greedy child may grow up

to be an avaricious adult, which implies a fanatical greediness for money or other valu¬ ables. Rapacious is an even stronger term, with an emphasis on taking things by force {so rapacious in his desire for land that he forced dozens of families from their homes). Acquisi¬

tive, on the other hand, is a more neutral word suggesting a willingness to exert effort in acquiring things {an acquisitive woman who filled her house with antiques and artwork), and not necessarily material things {a prob¬ ing, acquisitive mind). Covetous, in contrast to acquisitive, implies an intense desire for

something as opposed to the act of acquiring or possessing it. It is often associated with the Ten Commandments {Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife) and suggests a long¬ ing for something that rightfully belongs to another. Greek/greek/ • n. 1 a native or inhabitant of Greece; person of Greek descent, b native or citizen of any of the ancient nation-states of Greece. 2 language of Greece. • adj. of Greece or its people or language; Hellenic. green /green/ • adj. 1 of the color between blue and yellow in the spectrum; colored like grass, emeralds, etc. 2 covered with leaves or grass. 3 (of fruit, etc., or wood) unripe or unseasoned. 4 not dried, smoked, or tanned. 5 inexperienced; naive; gullible. 6 a (of the complexion) pale; sickly-hued. b jealous; envious. 7 young; flourishing. 8 vegetable {green salad). 9 (also Green) concerned with or supporting protection of the environment. • n. 1 green color or pig¬ ment. 2 green clothes or material {dressed in green). 3 a piece of public or common grassy land {village green), b grassy area used for a special purpose {putting green, bowling green). 4 [in pi] green vegetables. • v. make or be¬ come green. □ green (or string) bean the green pods of a young kidney bean, eaten as a vegetable, green belt area of open land around a city, designated for preservation. Green Beret .Vf;7. member of the US Army Special Forces, green card work and resi¬ dence permit issued to permanent resident aliens in the US. green-eyed jealous, green-eyed monster jealousy, green light 1 signal to proceed on a road, railroad, etc. 2 colloq. permission to go ahead with a proj¬ ect. green pepper unripe bell or sweet pep¬ per, eaten green as a vegetable, green thumb skill in growing plants. □□ green' ish adj. green'ly adv. green'ness n. m adj. 1 emerald, jade, lime. 2 verdant, fresh; rural, pastoral; see also leafy (leaf* 1 2 3). 3 immature, unready. 5 callow, untested, new, raw, colloq. wet behind the ears; ama¬ teur, unskilled. 6 a see pale adj. 1. b see en¬ vious1. 7 youthful, blooming, thriving. 9 (also Green) environmental, conservational, ecological. • n. 3 a common, grassland; lawn(s). b lawn, turf. □ green-eyed see en¬ vious. green-eyed monster see envy n. green light 2 see go-ahead n. (go). greenback /greenbak/ n. bill of US paper

currency.

green*er»y /gre'enaree/

n. green foliage or

growing plants.

green*gro*cer /gre'engrbsor/ n. retailer of fruit and vegetables. green*horn /gre'enhawrn/ n. inexperienced person. ■ beginner, novice, tenderfoot, (new) re¬ cruit, si. rookie. greenhouse /gre'enhows/ n. structure with sides and roof mainly of glass, for growing plants. □ greenhouse effect trapping of the sun’s warmth in the earth’s lower atmo¬ sphere caused by an increase in carbon di¬ oxide. green»room /greenroom/ n. room in a thea¬ ter for actors and actresses who are off stage. greens*keep*er /gre'enzke'epsr/ n. keeper of a golf course. green»sward /gre'enswawrd/ n. archaic or lit¬ erary expanse of grassy turf. Green*wich Mean Time /grenich, grinij/ n. (also Green'wich Time) local time on the meridian of Greenwich, England, used as an international basis for reckoning time. green»y /gre'enee/ adj. greenish {greenyyellow) .

greet /greet/ v.tr. 1 address politely or welcomingly on meeting or arrival. 2 receive or acknowledge in a specified way (was greeted with derision). 3 (of a sight, sound, etc.) be¬ come apparent to or noticed by. □□ greet'er n.

■ 1,2 welcome, hail, salute, meet, n. 1 act or instance of welcoming or addressing politely. 2 words, gestures, etc., used to greet a person. 3 [of¬ ten in pi] expression of goodwill. ■ 1 salutation, reception. 3 (greetings) re¬ gards, respects. gre*gar*i*ous /grigaireeos/ adj. 1 fond of company. 2 living in flocks or communities. do gre*gar'i*ous*ly adv. gre*gar'i*ous» ness n.

greeting /grefeting/

m 1 see sociable. Gre*go»ri»an cal»en»dar /grigawreean/

n.

calendar now in use, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, as a correction of the Ju¬ lian calendar. Gre*go*ri*an chant /grigawreean/ n. plainsong ritual music. gremHin /gremlin/ n. colloq. imaginary mis¬ chievous sprite regarded as responsible for mechanical faults, esp. in aircraft. gre«nade /grinayd/ n. small bomb thrown by hand (hand' gre*nade') or shot from a rifle, grew past of grow. grey var. of gray. greyhound /grayhownd/ n. dog of a tall slender breed that is capable of high speed, used in racing and coursing, grid /grid/ n. 1 framework of spaced parallel bars; grating. 2 system of squares printed on a map for reference. 3 network of lines, elec¬ trical power connections, gas supply lines, etc. 4 wire network between the filament and the anode of a vacuum tube, etc. 5 ar¬ rangement of city streets in a rectangular pattern. □□ grid'ded adj. m 1 see grating2 1. 3 see network n. 2. grid'dle /grid’l/ n. circular iron plate placed

355

greenery ~ grime

over a fire or otherwise heated for baking, toasting, etc. gridhron /gridiarn/ n. 1 cooking utensil of metal bars for broiling or grilling. 2 football field (with parallel lines marking the area of play). 3 = grid 5. grid'lock /gridlok/ n. 1 traffic jam in which vehicular movement is blocked by stoppage of cross traffic. 2 complete standstill in ac¬ tion or progress. □□ grid'locked adj. grief /greef/ n. 1 deep or intense sorrow or mourning. 2 cause of this, o come to grief meet with disaster. ■ 1 anguish, suffering, agony, misery, dis¬ tress. 2 ordeal, affliction, calamity, adversity, o come to grief fail, miscarry, fall apart or to pieces, colloq. come unstuck. grievance /gre'evans/ n. cause for complaint. ■ objection, charge, allegation, grudge, col¬ loq. gripe, si. beef; injustice, disservice, in¬ jury, insult; wrong, ill, damage. grieve /greev/ v. 1 tr. cause grief or great dis¬ tress to. 2 intr. suffer grief, esp. at another’s death. ■ 1 see distress v. 2 mourn, sorrow; weep, cry, moan, keen; (grieve over) bemoan, la¬ ment, deplore, regret, rue. griev*OUS /gre'evas/ adj. 1 (of pain, etc.) se¬ vere. 2 causing grief. 3 flagrant; heinous. □□ griev'ous*ly adv. u 1 grave, serious; see acute adj. la. 2 dis¬ tressing, hurtful; injurious, damaging. 3 egregious, outrageous, atrocious, colloq. awful, appalling, terrible, shocking, dreadful, grifhn /grifin/ n. (also gryph'on, griffon) mythical creature with an eagle’s head and wings and a lion’s body, grill /gril/ • n. 1 = gridiron 1. 2 food cooked on a grill. 3 (in full grill' room) restaurant serving grilled food. • v. 1 tr. & intr. cook or be cooked under a broiler or on a gridiron. 2 tr. & intr. subject or be subjected to ex¬ treme heat, esp. from the sun. 3 tr. subject to severe questioning or interrogation. □□ grill'ing n. (in sense 3 oft/.). ■ v. 1 see broil 1. 3 see question v. 1. grille /gril/ n. (also grill) 1 grating or latticed screen. 2 metal grid protecting the radiator of a motor vehicle. ■ 1 see grating2 1. grilfrwork /grilwark/ n. metal fashioned to form a grille. grim /grim/ adj. (grim»mer, grim*mest) 1 of stern or forbidding appearance. 2 a harsh; merciless; severe, b resolute (grim determination). 3 joyless; sinister (has a grim truth in it). 4 unpleasant; unattractive. □□ grim'ly adv. grim'ness n. u 1 see forbidding. 2 a unrelenting, stony, formidable, b unyielding, adamant, deter¬ mined, stubborn. 3 dreadful, frightful, hide¬ ous, horrible. 4 see awful la, b. grim*ace /grimas, grimays/ • n. distortion of the face made in disgust, etc., or to amuse. • v.intr. make a grimace. ■ n. see frown n. • v. see frown v. 1. grime /grim/ • n. soot or dirt ingrained in a surface. •v.tr. blacken with grime; befoul.

grin ~ groove

356

■ n. filth, colloq. muck; see dirt 1. • v. dirty, soil, besmirch. grin /grin/ • v. (grin*ned, grin*ning) 1 intr. smile broadly, showing the teeth. 2 tr. ex¬ press by grinning {grinned, his satisfaction). • n. act of grinning. □ grin and bear it take pain or misfortune stoically. grind/grind/ • v. {past and past part, ground /grownd/) 1 a tr. reduce to particles or pow¬ der by crushing, b intr. (of a mill, machine, etc.) move with a crushing action. 2 a tr. re¬ duce, sharpen, or smooth by friction, b tr. & intr. rub or rub together gratingly {grind one’s teeth). 3 tr. oppress. 4 intr. a work or study hard, b produce with effort {grinding out verses). C (of a sound) continue gratingly. • n. 1 act or instance of grinding. 2 colloq. hard dull work (the daily grind). 3 size of ground particles. See synonym study at la¬ bor.

■ v. la pound, pulverize, mill. 2 a whet; file, polish, b gnash, grate. 3 {grind down) crush, wear down, persecute. 4 a labor, toil, slave; burn the midnight oil, cram, b {grind out) generate, crank out. • n. 2 toil, labor, drudgery; chores. grind*er /grindar/ n. 1 person or thing that grinds, esp. a machine. 2 molar tooth. 3 US dial, submarine sandwich. ■ 1 see mill1 n. lb, 2. grind'Stone /grfndston/ n. 1 thick revolving disk used for grinding, sharpening, and pol¬ ishing. 2 kind of stone used for this. □ keep one’s nose to the grindstone work hard and continuously. grip /grip/ • v. (gripped, gripping) 1 a tr. grasp tightly, b intr. take a firm hold. 2 tr. (of a feeling or emotion) deeply affect (a per¬ son) {was gripped by fear). 3 tr. compel the attention of {a gripping story). • n. 1 firm hold; tight grasp. 2 power of holding atten¬ tion. 3 a intellectual control, b control of a situation or one’s behavior, etc. {lose one’s grip). 4 a part of a machine that grips, b handle. 5 traveling bag. □ come to grips with approach purposefully; begin to deal with. ■ v. la clutch, clasp, hold, b hold, stay; see stick2 6. 2 see seize 4, possess 3. 3 en¬ gross, fascinate, entrance, spellbind. • n. 1 clutch, handgrip. 2 control, mastery; au¬ thority, influence. 3 a grasp, comprehen¬ sion, awareness, b see self-control. 5 val¬ ise, carryall; see also suitcase. □ come to grips with tackle, confront, handle, address. gripe /grip/ • v. 1 intr. colloq. complain. 2 tr. affect with gastric pain. • n. 1 [usu. in pi] colic. 2 colloq. a complaint, b act of grip¬ ing. ■ v. 1 grumble, whine, colloq. grouse, bitch, si. beef, bellyache. • «. 1 stomachache, cramp. 2 grievance, objection, si. beef; carp¬ ing, grousing, colloq. bitching. gris*ly /grizlee/ adj. (gris*li*er, gris*li*est) causing horror, disgust, or fear. □□ gris'li* ness n. ■ gruesome, grim, abhorrent, hideous, dreadful, repulsive.

grist /grist/ n. grain to grind. gris*tle /grisal/ n. tough flexible animal tis¬ sue; cartilage. □□ gris'tly /grislee/ adj.

grit /grit/ • n. 1 particles of stone or sand, esp. as irritating or hindering. 2 coarse sand¬ stone. 3 colloq. pluck endurance. • v. (grit* ted, grifting) 1 tr. clench (the teeth). 2 intr. make or move with a grating sound. □□ grit'ty adj. (grit*ti*er, grit*ti*est). grit' ti*ness n. m n. 3 courage, valor, fortitude, spirit, col¬ loq. guts, gutsiness, spunk, si. moxie. □□ gritty sandy, grainy; rough, abrasive; courageous, resolute, tough, game, deter¬ mined, colloq. gutsy, spunky, grits /grits/ n.pl. coarsely ground hulled grain, esp. hominy griZ'Zled /grizald/ adj. having, or streaked with, gray hair. griz*zly /grizlee/ • adj. (griz*zli*er, griz*zli* est) gray; grayish; gray-haired. • n. (pi. -zlies) (in full griz'zly bear) variety of large brown bear found in N. America, groan /gron/ *s. la intr. make a deep sound expressing pain, grief, or disapproval, b tr. utter with groans. 2 intr. complain inarticu¬ lately. 3 intr. [usu. foil, by under, beneath, with] be loaded or oppressed. • n. sound made in groaning. □□ groan'er n. groan' ing*ly adv. m v. 1 moan, sigh, wail. 2 grumble, moan, colloq. gripe, grouse, si. beef. 3 be weighed down, be overloaded; be burdened or pres¬ sured, be overwhelmed. • n. moan, sigh. gro*cer /grOsar/ n. dealer in food and house¬ hold provisions. gro*cer*y /grSsaree/ n. {pi. -ies) 1 grocer’s trade or store. 2 [in pi.} provisions, esp. food, sold by a grocer. ■ 2 see provision n. 2. grog /grog/ n. drink of liquor (orig. rum) and water. grog*gy /grogee/ adj. (grog*gi*er, grog*gi* est) unsteady; dazed. □□ grog'gi*ly adv. grog'gimess n. • shaky, weak, dizzy, confused, colloq. dopey, woozy. groin /groyn/ • n. 1 depression between the belly and the thigh. 2 Archit. a edge formed by intersecting vaults, b arch supporting a vault. • v.tr. Arete, build with groins. grom»met /gromit/ n. (also grum'met /grumit/) metal, plastic, or rubber eyelet placed in a hole to protect or insulate a rope or cable, etc., passed through it. groom /groom/ • n. 1 = bridegroom. 2 caretaker of horses, •v.tr. la curry or tend (a horse), b give a neat appearance to (a person, etc.). 2 (of an ape, etc.) clean and comb the fur of (its fellow). 3 prepare or train (a person) for a particular purpose {was groomed for the top job).

■ n. 2 stableboy, stable girl, stableman, sta¬ ble lad. • v. 1 spruce up, dress, preen. 2 see clean v. 1. 3 fit, coach, tutor. groove /groov/ • n. 1 channel or hollow. 2 established routine or habit. • v. 1 tr. make a groove or grooves in. 2 intr. si. a en¬ joy oneself, b [often foil, by with] get on well.

■ n. 1 slot, cut, track, channel, furrow. 2 rut, grind, treadmill. • v. 1 furrow, flute; see SCORE v. 3. 2 a see enjoy oneself. groov*y /grobvee/ adj. (groov*i*er, groov*i* est) si. or joc. fashionable and exciting; en¬ joyable; excellent. □□ groov'imess n. ■ see marvelous 2. grope /'grop/ • v. 1 intr. feel about or search blindly or uncertainly with the hands. 2 intr. [foil, by for, after] search mentally (was grop¬ ing for the answer). 3 tr. feel (one’s way) to¬ ward something. • n. process or instance of groping. • tt 1 fumble; [grope for) feel for, fish for. 2 [grope for) seek, look for, pursue. • n. feel, fumble; searching. gros*grain /grSgrayn/ n. corded fabric of silk, rayon, etc. gross /gros/ • adj. 1 overfed; bloated; repul¬ sively fat. 2 (of a person, manners, or morals) coarse, unrefined, or indecent. 3 flagrant (gross negligence). 4 total; without deductions; not net [gross tonnage). 5 si. re¬ pulsive; disgusting. • v.tr. produce or earn as gross profit or income. • n. [pi. same) amount equal to twelve dozen things. □ gross domestic product total value of goods produced and services provided in a country in one year, gross national prod¬ uct gross domestic product plus the total of net income from abroad, gross out si. dis¬ gust, esp. by repulsive or obscene behavior. □□ gross'ly adv. gross'ness n. ■ adj. 1 overweight, bulky; see also obese. 2 vulgar, inappropriate, rude, obscene. 3 outrageous, blatant, obvious. 4 entire, overall; pretax. 5 revolting, nauseating, si. yucky. • v. bring in, make; see also EARN 1. □ gross out see disgust v. grotesque /grotesk/ • adj. 1 comically or repulsively distorted. 2 incongruous; ab¬ surd. • n. decorative form interweaving hu¬ man and animal features. □□ gro*tesque'ly adv. gro’tesque'ness n. • adj. 1 deformed, unnatural, monstrous. 2 ludicrous, bizarre, outlandish, colloq. crazy, insane. • n. gargoyle; cartoon. grot*tO /groto/ n. (pi. -toes or-tos) 1 small, esp. picturesque cave. 2 artificial ornamen¬ tal cave. ■ see cave n. 1. grouch /growch/ colloq. •v.intr. grumble. • n. discontented person. □□ grouch'y adj. • v. see complain 1, 2b. • n. see killjoy. ground1 /grownd/ • n. la surface of the earth, b part of this specified in some way [low ground). 2 substance of the earth’s sur¬ face; soil; earth [stony ground, dug deep into the ground). 3 a position, area, or distance on the earth’s surface, b extent of activity, etc., achieved or of a subject dealt with [the book covers a lot of ground). 4 [often in pi. ] founda¬ tion, motive, or reason [there is ground for con¬ cern). 5 designated area (often in comb.-, fishing-grounds). 6 [inp/.] land attached to a house, etc. 7 area or basis for consideration, agreement, etc. [common ground). 8 [in pi] solid particles, esp. of coffee, forming a resi¬ due. 9 Electr. connection to the ground that completes an electrical circuit. • v. 1 tr.

357

groovy ~ group

a refuse authority for (a pilot or an aircraft) to fly. b restrict (esp. a child) from certain activities, places, etc., esp. as a form of pun¬ ishment. 2 a tr. run (a ship) aground; strand, b intr. (of a ship) run aground. 3 tr. instruct thoroughly (in a subject). 4 tr. (often as grounded adj.) base (a principle, conclu¬ sion, etc.) on. 5 tr. Electr. connect to the ground. □ break new (or fresh) ground treat a subject previously not dealt with, get off the ground colloq. make a successful start, ground control personnel directing the landing, etc., of aircraft or spacecraft, ground cover plants covering the surface of the soil, esp. low-growing spreading plants that inhibit the growth of weeds, ground floor floor of a building at ground level, ground speed aircraft’s speed relative to the ground, ground swell 1 heavy sea caused by a storm or earthquake. 2 = groundswell. hold one’s ground not retreat or give way. on the grounds of because of. m n. la (dry) land, solid ground, terra firms, b land, terrain, country, territory. 2 sod, loam, clay, dirt. 3 range, scope, terri¬ tory. 4 justification, rationale, argument, cause, excuse. 7 foundation, footing, posi¬ tion. 8 [grounds) dregs, settlings; sediment, deposit. • v. 3 teach, train, coach, prepare. 4 establish, found, organize; see also base1 v. 1. □ get off the ground see start v. 1, 2. hold one’s ground stand firm, stand pat, colloq. stick to one’s guns; see also persevere. ground2 past and past pan. of grind. ground*break*ing /growndbrayking/ adj. in¬ novative in character; pioneering [ground¬ breaking techniques in communication). groundling /grownding/ n. basic training or instruction. ■ see background 3. groundless /growndlis/ adj. without motive or foundation. ■ baseless, unsupported; hypothetical, imaginary; unsound, unjustified, unreason¬ able. grounds»keep»er /growndzkeepor, grownz-/ n. person who maintains the grounds of a property, as a golf course or park. ground'SWell /growndswel/ n. surge of feel¬ ing or support. ground*water /growndwawtar, -wotar/ n. water found in soil or in pores, crevices, etc., in rock. ground'WOrk /growndwark/ n. 1 prelimi¬ nary or basic work. 2 foundation or basis. ■ 1 spadework, preparation(s). 2 underpin¬ ning^), cornerstone; see also foundation 3, basis 1, 2. group /groop/ • n. persons or things located close together, or considered or classed to¬ gether. • v. 1 tr. & intr. form or be formed into a group. 2 tr. place in a group or groups. 3 tr. classify, o group therapy therapy in which patients with a similar condition are brought together to assist one another psy¬ chologically. □□ group'ing n. ■ n. batch, set, collection, assortment; assembly, gathering, congregation, crowd,

groupie ~ Guarani

358

colloq. bunch. • v. 1, 2 collect, assemble, gather; arrange, organize, bring together. 3 class, sort, rank, categorize, catalog. grOup*ie /grobpee/ n. si. ardent follower of touring pop- or rock-music groups, celebri¬ ties, or activities. grouse1 /grows/ n. (pi. same) game bird with a plump body and feathered legs. grouse2 /grows/ colloq. • v.intr. grumble or complain pettily. • n. complaint. ■ v. see complain 1, 2b. • n. see complaint 2. grout /growt/ • n. thin mortar for filling gaps in tiling, etc. • v.tr. provide or fill with grout. □o grout'er n. grove /grov/ n. small wood or group of trees. ■ see THICKET. grov»el /groval/ v.intr. (grov'eled, grovel* mg; grovelled, grovel«ling) 1 behave ob¬ sequiously. 2 lie prone in abject humility. □□ grov'el*er n. grov'el*ing adj. • 1 see truckle v. 2 see prostrate v. 2. □□ groveling fawning, submissive, cringing, sniveling, colloq. bootlicking. grow /gro/ v. (past grew /groo/; past part. grown /gron/) 1 intr. increase in size, height, quantity, degree, etc. 2 intr. a develop or ex¬ ist as a living plant or natural product, b de¬ velop in a specific way or direction (began to grow sideways). C germinate; sprout; spring up. 3 intr. be produced; come naturally into existence; arise. 4 intr. [foil, by on] become gradually more favored by. 5 tr. a produce (plants, fruit, wood, etc.) by cultivation, b bring forth. C cause (a beard, etc.) to de¬ velop. 6 tr. [in passive; foil, by over, up] be covered with a growth. □ grown-up adj. adult, n. adult person, grow up 1 mature. 2 [esp. in imper.] begin to behave sensibly. □□ grow'er n. ■ 1 develop, enlarge, expand, extend, spread, lengthen, multiply, intensify. 2 a, b live, c see spring v. 4. 3 develop, evolve, spring (up), begin; see also OCCUR 1. 4 (grow on) become accepted by, become more pleasing to. 5 a plant, sow; breed, raise, propagate. 6 (be grown over) be overgrown. □ grown-up (adj.) see mature adj. 1. growl /growl/ • v. 1 intr. a (esp. of a dog) make a low guttural sound, usu. of anger, b murmur angrily. 2 intr. rumble. 3 tr. [of¬ ten foil, by out] utter with a growl. • n. 1 growling sound. 2 angry murmur; com¬ plaint. 3 rumble. ■ v. 1,3 see roar v. growth /groth/ n. 1 act or process of grow¬ ing. 2 increase in size or value. 3 something that has grown or is growing. 4 Med. abnor¬ mal mass of tissue, as a tumor, wart, etc. ■ 1 development, evolution; increase, ex¬ pansion, proliferation, flowering. 2 advance, appreciation, improvement. 3 vegetation; see also spread n. 1.4 lump, swelling. grub /grub/ • n. 1 larva of an insect. 2 colloq. food. • v. (grubbed, grub'bing) 1 tr. & intr. dig superficially. 2 tr. extract (informa¬ tion, etc.) by searching in books, etc. ■ n. 2 see food 1.

grub'by /gnibee/ adj. (grub"bi*er, grub'bi*

est) dirty. □□ grub'bidy adv. grub'bi'ness n. grub*stake /grubstayk/ • n. material or pro¬ visions supplied to an enterprise in return for a share in the profits (orig. in prospecting for ore). • v.tr. provide with a grubstake, grudge /gruj/ • n. persistent feeling of ill will or resentment (bears a grudge against me). • v. tr. be resentfully unwilling to give, grant, or allow (a thing). □□ grudg'ing adj. m n. bitterness, rancor, hard feelings, ani¬ mosity, malice; grievance, aversion. • v. see BEGRUDGE 1, 2, MIND V. 1. gru*el /grooal/ n. liquid food of oatmeal, etc., chiefly for invalids. gruehing /grobaling/ adj. extremely demand¬ ing, severe, or tiring. □□ gruel'ing'ly adv. m see arduous.

grue»some /grobsam/ adj. horrible; grisly; disgusting, oo grue'somedy adv. grue' some*ness n. m ghastly, repugnant, hideous, revolting, re¬ pulsive, grotesque, shocking, terrible, colloq. awful. gruff /gruf/ adj. 1 a (of a voice) low and harsh, b (of a person) having a gruff voice. 2 surly. See synonym study at brusque. □□ gruffly adv. gruff ness n. ■ 1 a throaty, hoarse, husky. 2 grumpy, cantankerous, rude, irritable, cross, abrupt, short-tempered, colloq. grouchy. grum*ble grumbal/ • v. 1 intr. complain peevishly; be discontented. 2 intr. a mur¬ mur; growl faintly, b rumble. 3 tr. [often foil, by out] utter complainingly. • n. 1 com¬ plaint. 2 rumble. □□ grum'bler n. grum' bling adj. grum'blingdy adv. m v. 1, 3 see complain 1, 2b. • n. 1 see complaint 2.

grump»y

/grumpee/ adj. (grump*i*er, grump*i*est) morosely irritable; surly. □□ grump'i*ly adv. grump'i*ness n. • see surly. grunge /grunj/ n. si. 1 grime; dirt. 2 aggres¬ sive style of rock music characterized by a raucous guitar sound. 3 style of youthful clothing and appearance marked by studied dishevelment. oo grun'gy adj. grunt /grunt/ • n. 1 low guttural sound made by a pig. 2 similar sound. • v. 1 intr. (of a pig) make a grunt or grunts. 2 intr. (of a per¬ son) make a low inarticulate sound resem¬ bling this, esp. to express discontent, dissent, fatigue, etc. 3 tr. utter with a grunt. Gru*yere /groo-yair, gree-/ n. firm pale cheese made from cow’s milk, gr. Wt. abbr. gross weight. Gt. Brit. abbr. Great Britain. gua*ca*mo»le /gwaakamblee/ n. dip or gar¬ nish of mashed avocado mixed with chopped onion, tomatoes, chili peppers, and sea¬ soning. gua«no /gwaano/ (pi. -nos) n. excrement of sea birds, bats, etc., used as fertilizer. ■ see dung n. Gua»ra*ni /gwa’a ranee/ n. 1 a member of a S. American Indian people, b language of this people. 2 (guarani) monetary unit of Paraguay.

guar-an-tee /garante'e/

. n. la formal promise or assurance, esp. of quality or per¬ formance. b document assuring this. 2 = guaranty. • v. tr. (guar-an-tees, guar-anteed) 1 a give or serve as a guarantee for. b assure the permanence, etc., of. C provide with a guarantee. 2 give a promise or assur¬ ance. ■ n. pledge; warranty, bond, security. • v. 1 vouch for, stand behind; ensure, certify. 2 pledge, swear, attest. guar-an-tor /garantawr, -tar/ n. person who gives a guarantee or guaranty, guar-an-ty /garantee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 written or other undertaking to answer for the pay¬ ment of a debt or for the performance of an obligation by another person liable in the first instance. 2 thing serving as security for a guaranty. guard /gaard/ • v. 1 tr. watch over and de¬ fend or protect. 2 tr. supervise (prisoners, etc.) and prevent from escaping. 3 tr. keep (thoughts or speech) in check. 4 tr. provide with safeguards. 5 intr. take precautions. • n. 1 state of vigilance. 2 person who pro¬ tects or keeps watch. 3 soldiers, etc., pro¬ tecting a place or person; escort. 4 part of an army detached for some purpose (advance guard). 5 thing that protects or defends. 6 in some sports: a protective or defensive play¬ er. b defensive posture or motion. ■ v. 1 shield; safeguard, supervise. 2 see supervise. 3 see control v. 2. 5 see prepare 1. • n. 1 watch, alert, lookout. 2 sentry, se¬ curity guard; guardian; bodyguard. 3 con¬ voy, patrol; see also escort n. 1.4 see squad. 5 shield, screen, cover. 6 a back, defender; collect, defense; see also back n. 4. guard-ed /gaardid/ adj. (of a remark, etc.) cautious; avoiding commitment. □□ guard' eddy adv. • careful, prudent, wary; colloq. cagey, guard-i-an /ga'ardeean/ n. 1 defender, pro¬ tector, or keeper. 2 person having legal cus¬ tody of another, esp. a minor. □□ guard'ian-ship n. ■ preserver, custodian, ward; trustee, on guardianship see care n. 4. guard-rail /ga'ardrayl/ n. rail, e.g., a handrail, fitted as a support or to prevent an accident, gua-va /gwa'ava/ n. 1 small tropical Ameri¬ can tree bearing an edible pale yellow fruit with pink juicy flesh. 2 this fruit, gu-ber-na-to-ri-al /goobarnatawreeal, gyob/ adj. of or relating to a governor, guer-ril-la /garila/ n. (also gue-ril'la) mem¬ ber of a small, independent (usu. political) group taking part in irregular fighting. ■ partisan, freedom fighter, resistance or underground fighter; insurgent, revolution¬ ary, saboteur, terrorist. guess /ges/ »v. 1 tr. [often absol.] estimate without calculation or measurement, or on the basis of inadequate data. 2 tr. form a hy¬ pothesis or opinion about; conjecture; think likely (cannot guess how you did it). 3 tr. con¬ jecture or estimate correctly (you have to guess the weight). 4 intr. make a conjecture about. • n. estimate or conjecture. ■ v. 1,4 colloq. make a stab (at). 2 surmise,

359

guarantee ~ guillotine

infer, deduce, conclude; believe, reckon, feel, speculate. • n. assumption, supposition, shot in the dark, colloq. guesstimate. guess-work geswark/ n. process of or results got by guessing. guest /gest/ • n. 1 person invited to visit, have a meal, etc., at the expense of the inviter. 2 person lodging at a hotel, boarding¬ house, etc. 3 a outside performer invited to take part with regular performers, b person who takes part by invitation in a radio or tel¬ evision program (often attrib.: guest artist). •v.intr.: be a guest on a radio or television show or in a theatrical performance, etc. ■ n. 1 caller; (guests) company. 2 patron, customer, roomer. 3b (attrib.) visiting; out¬ side, external. guff /guf7 n. si. empty talk; nonsense. guf-faw /gufaw/ • n. loud or boisterous laugh. • v. 1 intr. utter a guffaw. 2 tr. say with a guffaw. ■ n. see laugh n. 1. • v. see laugh v. 1. guid-ance /gid’ns/ «. 1 a advice or helpful direction, b leadership or direction. 2 guid¬ ing or being guided. ■ 1 a information, counsel, instruction, b management, control. 2 counseling, prep¬ aration; see INSTRUCTION 2. guide /gld/ • n. 1 person who leads or shows the way. 2 person who conducts tours, etc. 3 adviser. 4 directing principle (one’s feelings are a bad guide). 5 book with essential infor¬ mation on a subject, esp. = guidebook. 6 thing marking a position, •v.tr. 1 act as guide to. 2 be the principle, motive, or ground of (an action, judgment, etc.). 3 di¬ rect the affairs of (a government, etc.). □ guided missile missile directed to its tar¬ get by remote control or by equipment with¬ in itself, guide dog dog trained to guide a blind person. m n. 1—2 leader, conductor, director. 3 mentor, counselor, teacher. 4 standard, model, criterion, ideal. 5 handbook, man¬ ual. 6 beacon, guiding light, signal, sign, landmark, signpost. • v. 1,3 lead, conduct, steer; instruct, train, counsel; supervise, oversee, manage. 2 steer, influence; see also MOTIVATE.

guide-book /gidbCOk/ n. book of information about a place for visitors, tourists, etc.

guide-line /gidlin/ n. principle directing ac¬ tion. ■ see STANDARD n. 1. guild /gild/ n. 1 association of people for mu¬ tual aid or the pursuit of a common goal. 2 medieval association of craftsmen or mer¬ chants. ■ see association 1. guild-er /gildar/ n. chief monetary unit of the Netherlands. guile /gll/ n. deceit; cunning or sly behavior. □□ guile'ful adj. guile'less adj. m see deceit 1. guil-lo-tine /gilate'en, ge'ea-/ • n. machine with a heavy knife blade that drops vertically, used for beheading. • v. tr. use a guillotine on.

guilt ~ gun

360

guilt /gilt/ n. 1 fact of having committed a specified or implied offense. 2 a culpability, b feeling of this. □□ guilt'less adj. m 1 sinfulness, wrongdoing, misconduct.

2 a blame; responsibility, b remorse, regret, contrition, shame.

guilt'y /giltee/ adj. (guilfi* *er, guilt*i*est) 1 responsible for a wrong. 2 affected by guilt (a guilty conscience). 3 concerning guilt (a guilty secret). 4 having committed a (speci¬ fied) offense. □□ guilt'bly adv. guiltiness n. ■ 1,4 culpable, blameworthy; answerable; at fault. 2 shamefaced, red-faced; remorse¬ ful, sorry. 3 see sordid 2. guin*ea /ginee/ n. former British gold coin worth 21 shillings, first coined for the Afri¬ can trade. □ guinea fowl African fowl with slate-colored, white-spotted plumage, guinea pig 1 domesticated S. American ro¬ dent, kept as a pet or for research in biology, etc. 2 subject used in an experiment. guise /giz/ n. 1 assumed appearance; pre¬ tense {in the guise of, under the guise of). 2 garb. ■ 1 disguise, pretense; see mask n. 3. 2 see dress n. 2. gui*tar /gitaar/ n. usu. six-stringed musical instrument played with the fingers or a plec¬ trum. □□ guitar'ist n. Gu*ja*ra*ti /gobjaraatee/ • n. (pi. Gu*ja*ra* tis) 1 language of Gujarat in W. India. 2 na¬ tive of Gujarat. • adj. of or relating to Gu¬ jarat or its language. gulch /gulch/ n. ravine, esp. one in which a torrent flows. ■ see RAVINE.

gulf /gulf/ • n. 1 deep ocean inlet with a nar¬ row mouth. 2 (the Gulf) a Gulf of Mexico, b Persian Gulf. 3 deep hollow; chasm or abyss. 4 wide difference of feelings, opinion, etc. • v. tr. engulf; swallow up. □ Gulf Stream warm ocean current flowing from the Gulf of Mexico toward Europe. an. 1 cove, firth, fiord; bay. 3 depths; rift, gap; void, breach. 4 rift, gap; difference, conflict. »v. see swallow1 v. 5. gull1 /gul/ n. long-winged, web-footed sea bird usu. having white plumage with a man¬ tle varying from pearly gray to black, and a bright bill. gull2 /gul/ v.tr. [usu. in passive; foil, by into] dupe; fool. ■ see dupe n. guMet /gulit/ n. 1 esophagus. 2 throat. guMi'ble /gulibal/ adj. easily persuaded or deceived; credulous. □□ guMhbil'frty n. gul'lib’ly adv. ■ unsuspecting, unwary; innocent, green, unsophisticated. synonym study: CALLOW,

gullible

CREDULOUS,

INGENUOUS,

NAIVE,

Some people will believe anything. Those who are truly gullible are the easiest to deceive, which is why they so often make fools of themselves. Those who are merely credulous might be a

trusting, unsophisticated.

little too quick to believe something, but they usually aren’t stupid enough to act on it. Trusting suggests the same willingness to believe (a trusting child), but it isn’t necessar¬ ily a bad way to be (a person so trusting he completely disarmed his enemies). No one likes to be called naive because it implies a lack of street smarts (she’s so naive, she’d accept a ride from a stranger), but when applied to things other than people, it can describe a simplici¬ ty and absence of artificiality that is quite charming (the naive style in which 19th-century American portraits were often painted). Most people would rather be thought of as ingen¬ uous, meaning straightforward and sincere (an ingenuous confession of the truth), because it implies the simplicity of a child without the negative overtones. Callow, however, comes down a little more heavily on the side of im¬ maturity and almost always goes hand-inhand with youth. Whether young or old, someone who is unsophisticated suffers because of lack of experience.

guliy /gulee/ • n. (pi. -ies) 1 waterworn ra¬ vine. 2 deep artificial channel; gutter or drain, •ti.tr. (-ies,-ied) 1 form (channels) by water action. 2 make gullies in. ■ n. 1 channel, gorge, canyon, gulch. 2 see drain n. la. • v. see furrow v. 2a. gulp/gulp/ • v. 1 tr. swallow hastily or greed¬ ily. 2 intr. swallow with difficulty. 3 tr. [foil, by down, back] stifle; suppress (esp. tears). • n. 1 act of gulping (drained it at one gulp). 2 large mouthful of a drink. ■ v. 1 gobble, wolf, devour. 2 choke, gasp (for breath). 3 see stifle 1. •«. 1 slurp, sip, colloq. swig. 2 swallow. gum1 /gum/ • n. la viscous secretion of some trees and shrubs that hardens on dry¬ ing but is soluble in water (cf. resin), b ad¬ hesive substance. 2 chewing gum. • v.tr. (gummed, gum*ming) 1 smear or cover with gum. 2 fasten with gum. □ gum arabic gum exuded by some kinds of acacia and used as glue and in incense, gum up 1 (of a mechanism, etc.) become clogged or ob¬ structed with stickiness. 2 colloq. interfere with the smooth running of (gum up the works). □□ gum'my adj. (gum*mi*er, gum*mhest). an. 1b see glue n. • v. 2 see GLUE v. gum2 /gum/ n. [usu. in pi] firm flesh around the roots of the teeth. gum*bo /gumbo/ n. (pi. -bos) soup thick¬ ened with okra pods. gunrdrop /gumdrop/ n. soft, flavored candy made with gelatin or gum arabic. gump»tion /gumpshan/ n. colloq. 1 resource¬ fulness; initiative. 2 common sense. ■ 1 enterprise, backbone, courage, nerve, spirit, colloq. grit, spunk, guts. 2 shrewdness, cleverness, colloq. horse sense. gurmshoe /gumshOB/ n. si. detective. gun /gun/ • n. 1 weapon consisting of a metal tube and with a grip at one end, from which bullets, etc., are propelled with explo¬ sive force. 2 device imitative of this, e.g., a starting pistol. 3 device for discharging in¬ secticide, grease, electrons, etc. 4 gunman.

• v. (gunned, gun*ning) 1 tr. a shoot (a person) with a gun. b shoot at with a gun. 2 tr. colloq. accelerate (an engine or vehicle). 3 intr. [foil, by for] seek out determinedly to attack or rebuke. □ go great guns colloq. proceed vigorously or successfully, stick to one’s guns colloq. maintain one’s position under attack. an. 1 see revolver. 4 si. hit man, gun¬ slinger. • v. 2 speed up; {gun it) colloq. step on it, step on the gas. o stick to one’s guns see PERSEVERE. gun*boat /gunbot/ n. small vessel with heavy guns. gun*fight /gunfit/ n. fight with firearms. □□ gun'fight'er n. gun*fire /gunftr/ n. 1 firing of a gun or guns. 2 the noise from this. gung-ho /gunghs/ adj. enthusiastic; eager, gunk /gungk/ n. si. viscous or liquid material. ■ see muck n. 1, 2. gun*man /gunman/ n. {pi. -men) man armed with a gun, esp. in committing a crime. gun*met»al /gunmetal/ n. 1 dull bluish gray color. 2 alloy of copper and tin or zinc (for¬ merly used for guns). gun»nel var. of gunwale. gun»ner /gunar/ n. 1 artillery soldier. 2 Naut. warrant officer in charge of a battery, magazine, etc. 3 member of an aircraft crew who operates a gun. gun»ner»y /gunoree/ n. 1 construction and management of large guns. 2 firing of guns. gun*ny /gunee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 coarse sack¬ ing, usu. of jute fiber. 2 sack made of this. gun*pow*der /gunpowder/ n. explosive made of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, used in cartridges, fireworks, etc. gun»run»ner /gunrunar/ n. person engaged in smuggling firearms. □□ gun'run*ning n. gun*shot /gunshot/ n. 1 shot fired from a gun. 2 range of a gun (within gunshot). gun*smith /gunsmith/ n. person who makes, sells, and repairs small firearms. gun*wale /gunal/ n. (also gun'nel) upper edge of the side of a boat or ship. gup*py /gupee/ n. {pi. -pies) freshwater fish of the W. Indies and S. America, frequently kept in aquariums, and giving birth to live young. gur*gle /gargal/ • v. 1 intr. make a bubbling sound as of water. 2 tr. utter with such a sound. • n. gurgling sound. ■ v. 1 babble, ripple, splash. • n. burble, bubble, glug. gu*ru /gdbroo/ n. 1 Hindu spiritual teacher or head of a religious sect. 2 a influential teacher, b revered mentor. ■ see TEACHER. gush /gush/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. emit or flow in a sudden and copious stream. 2 intr. speak or behave effusively. • n. 1 sudden or copious stream. 2 effusive or sentimental manner. □□ gush'ing adj. gush'y adj. a v. 1 cascade, rush, flood. 2 effervesce, bubble over, colloq. enthuse. • n. 1 rush, flood, flow; outburst. 2 animation; see exu¬ berance (exuberant). gush*er /gushar/ n. 1 oil well from which oil

361

gunboat ~ guzzle

flows without being pumped. 2 effusive per¬ son. gus*set /gusit/ n. piece inserted into a gar¬ ment, etc., to strengthen or enlarge it. □□ gus'set*ed adj. gust /gust/ • n. 1 sudden strong rush of wind. 2 burst of rain, fire, smoke, or sound. 3 passionate outburst. • v. intr. blow in gusts. □□ gust'y adj. an. 1 blast, blow; see also breeze n. 1. 2 spurt, wave; see also outburst. 3 see out¬ burst. • v. puff, waft, blast. gus»tO /gusto/ n. (pi. -toes) zest; enjoyment or vigor. ■ zeal, eagerness, delight, satisfaction; rel¬ ish, appetite, liking. gut/gut/ •«. 1 intestine. 2 [in pi] the bowel or entrails. 3 [in pi] colloq. personal cour¬ age. 4 colloq. stomach; belly. 5 [in pi.] a contents, b essence, e.g., of an issue or problem. 6 a material for violin or racket strings or surgical use. b material for fishing lines. 7 [attrib.] a instinctive (gut reaction). b fundamental (a gut issue), •v.tr. (gut'ted, gufting) 1 remove or destroy the interior of (a house, etc.). 2 take out the guts of (a fish, etc.). 3 extract the essence of (a book, etc.). an. 1,2 alimentary canal; (guts) viscera, vi¬ tals, colloq. innards. 3 (guts) backbone, brav¬ ery, spirit, colloq. grit, spunk. 4 (guts) abdo¬ men, beer belly, colloq. tummy; see also stomach n. 2. 5 (guts) see substance 1. 7 (attrib.) a basic, heartfelt, intuitive, b see fundamental adj. • v. 1 devastate, ravage; strip, empty, si. clean out. 2 disembowel, dress, clean. 3 see digest v. 3. gutfiess /gutlis/ adj. colloq. lacking courage. ■ see spineless 2. gut*sy /gutsee/ adj. (gut*si»er, gut*si*est) colloq. courageous. □□ gut'si»ness n. ■ s'ee brave adj. 1. gut*ter /gutar/ • n. 1 shallow trough along the eaves of a house, or channel at the side of a street, to carry off rainwater. 2 [prec. by the] poor or degraded background or envi¬ ronment. • v. 1 intr. flow in streams. 2 tr. furrow; channel. 3 intr. (of a candle) melt away rapidly. an. 1 see drain n. la. gut*ter»snipe /gutarsnlp/ n. street urchin. ■ waif, ragamuffin, gamin. guMufal /gutaral/ • adj. 1 throaty; harsh sounding. 2 a Phonet. (of a consonant) pro¬ duced in the throat or by the back of the tongue and palate, b of the throat. • n. Phonet.guttural consonant (e.g., k, g). □□ gut'tur*al*ly adv. ■ adj. 1 see gruff la. guy1 /gi/ n. 1 colloq. man; fellow. 2 [usu. in pi.] person of either sex. ■ 1 colloq. chap, dude, si. geezer. 2 individ¬ ual, human (being), (guys) people, folk(s). guy2 /gi/ • n. rope or chain to secure a tent or steady a load, etc. • v. tr. secure with a guy or guys. guz*zle /guzal/ v. eat or drink greedily. □□ guz'zler n. a see SCOFF2 v.

gybe ~ hack

362

gybe /jib/ var. of jibe2. gym /jim/ n. colloq. 1 gymnasium. 2 physical education.

gym*na»si»um /jimnayzeeom/

n. (pi. gym* na*si*ums or gym*na*si*a /-zees/) room or building equipped for indoor sports or train¬ ing. gym*nas*tics /jimnastiks/ n.pl. [also treated as sing.] 1 exercises developing or displaying physical agility and coordination, usu. in competition. 2 other forms of physical or mental agility. □□ gym'nast n. gym*nas'tic adj. gym*nas'ti*cal*ly adv. ■ 1 see exercise n. 3. gym»no*sperm /jimnaspbrm/ n. plants hav¬ ing seeds unprotected by an ovary, including conifers, ginkgos, etc. (opp. angiosperm). gyn. abbr. (also gynecol.) 1 gynecological. 2 gynecologist. 3 gynecology. gy*ne*COl*0*gy /ginikobjee, jins-/ n. the sci¬ ence and medical specialty of the physiologi¬ cal functions and diseases of women and girls, esp. those affecting the reproductive system. □□ gy*ne*co*log'i*cal adj. gy*ne* col'o*gist n.

gyp /jip/ si.

• v.tr. (gypped, gyp*ping) cheat; swindle. • n. act of cheating; swindle. gyp*sum /jipsam/ n. form of calcium sulfate used to make plaster of Paris and in the building industry. Gyp*sy /jipsee/ n. (also Gip'sy) (pi. -sies) 1 member of a nomadic people of Hindu or¬ igin with dark skin and hair. 2 (gypsy) per¬ son resembling or living like a Gypsy. □ gypsy moth tussock moth of which the larvae are very destructive to foliage. ■ 1 Romany. 2 (gypsy) see migrant n. gy*rate /jfrayt/ v.intr. (also /jlrayt/) go in a cir¬ cle or spiral; revolve; whirl. □□ gy*ra*tion /-rayshsn/ n. gy'ra*tor n. gy*ra*to*ry /-ratawree/ adj. • rotate, spin, twirl, pirouette; swivel, turn. gy*ro /jfro/ n. (pi. -ros) 1 Greek-style roast¬ ed lamb served in pita bread. 2 colloq. = gy¬ roscope. gyro- /jfro/ comb, form rotation. gy*ro*SCOpe /jiraskop/ n. rotating wheel whose axis is free to turn but maintains a fixed direction despite change of position, esp. used for stabilization or with the com¬ pass in an aircraft, ship, etc. □□ gy*ro*scop* ic /-skopik/ adj. gy*ro*scop'i*cal*ly adv.

Hh H1 /aych/ n. (also h) (pi. Hs or H’s; h’s) 1 eighth letter of the alphabet (see attch). 2 anything having the form of an H (esp. in comb. :H-girder). H2 symb. Chem. hydrogen, h. abbr. 1 hecto-. 2 height. 3 horse. 4 hot. 5 hour(s). 6 husband. 7 Planck’s constant. 8 Baseball hit; hits. Ha symb. Chem. hahnium. ha /haa/ int. (also hah) expressing surprise, suspicion, triumph, etc. (cf. ha ha). ha»be*as C0r*pus /haybeess kawrpas/ n. writ requiring a person to be brought before a court, esp. to investigate the lawfulness of the detention. hab*er*dash*er /habardashar/ n. dealer in men’s clothing. □□ hab'er*dash*er*y n. (pi. -ies). ha*bil*i*ment /habilimant/ n. [usu. in pi.] clothes. hab'it /habit/ n. 1 settled or regular tendency or practice (has a habit of ignoring me). 2 practice that is hard to give up. 3 mental constitution or attitude. 4 colloq. addiction. 5 a dress, esp. of a religious order, b (in full rid'ing hab*it) woman’s riding dress. □ habit-forming addictive. ■ 1 disposition, inclination, bent; custom, routine, ritual; way, mannerism. 2, 4 com¬ pulsion, obsession, vice; dependence. 3 see attitude 1. 5 a costume, uniform, livery; colloq. gear, getup; clothes, garments. □ habit-forming compulsive, (of a drug) hard; see obsessive (obsess).

hab*it*a*ble /habitabal/ adj. suitable for liv¬

ing in. □□ hab*it*a*bil'i*ty n. m livable, inhabitable. hab*i*tat /habitat/ n. natural home of an or¬ ganism. ■ domain, range, environment; habitation; see ABODE1. hab*i»ta»tion /habitayshan/ n. 1 inhabiting. 2 house or home. ■ 2 see home n. 1. ha*bit»U*al /habichooal/ adj. 1 done con¬ stantly or as a habit. 2 regular; usual. 3 given to a (specified) habit. □□ ha*bit'u* al*ly adv. ■ 1 persistent, continual; automatic, obses¬ sive. 2 settled, ingrained, routine. 3 inveter¬ ate, confirmed, compulsive. ha*bit*u»ate /habichoo-ayt/ v.tr. accustom; make used to something. □□ ha*bit*u*a* tion /-ayshan/ n. ha»bit*u*e /habichoo-ay/ n. habitual visitor or resident. ■ frequent visitor, patron, colloq. regular; resident. ha*cek /ha'achek/ n. (also ha*cek) diacritic (”) placed over letters to modify the sound in Slavic and Baltic languages. ha*ci»en*da /ha'asee-enda/ n. in Spanish¬ speaking countries, an estate, or specifically the main house of an estate. hack1 /hak/ »v. 1 tr. cut or chop roughly. 2 intr. deliver cutting blows. 3 tr. cut (one’s way) through foliage, etc. 4 tr. colloq. gain unauthorized access to (data in a computer).

5 tr. si. a manage, b tolerate, c (as hacked off adj.) annoy; disconcert. • n. gash or wound, esp. from a kick, o hacking cough short dry frequent cough. ■ v. 1 carve; butcher; (hack off) sever. 2 (hack at) stab (at); cut. 3 chop, hew. 5 b see tolerate 2, 3. c (hacked off) see discontented (discontent v.). d hacking cough bark. hack2 /hak/ •(!. 1 a horse for ordinary riding, b horse let out for hire. 2 person hired to do dull routine work, esp. writing. 3 taxi. • attrib.adj. 1 used as a hack. 2 typical of a hack. • s la intr. ride on horseback on a road at an ordinary pace, b tr. ride (a horse) in this way. 2 tr. make common. 3 drive a taxi. ■ n. 1 mount, hackney, colloq. nag. 2 drudge, plodder, slave; see writer. 3 see taxi n. • attrib. adj. 2 commonplace, hack¬ neyed, trite; colloq. old hat. • v. 2 see prosti¬ tute v. 2. hack’er /haksr/ n. 1 person or thing that hacks or cuts roughly. 2 colloq. a person adept at working with computers, b person who gains unauthorized access to computer data. 3 golfer who plays poorly, hackde /hakal/ n. 1 feather(s) on the neck of a domestic fowl, etc. 2 [in pi] erectile hairs on an animal’s back, which rise when it is an¬ gry or alarmed. □ raise one’s hackles cause a person to be angry or indignant. hack*ney /haknee/ n. (pi. -neys) 1 horse for ordinary riding. 2 [attrib.] designating any of various vehicles kept for hire. hack*neyed /hakneed/ adj. (of a phrase, etc.) made commonplace or trite by overuse. ■ see stale 2. hack«saw /haksaw/ n. saw with a narrow blade set in a frame, for cutting metal, had past and past part, of have. had*dock hadsk' n. (pi. same) N. Adantic marine fish used as food. Ha*des /haydeez/ n. Gk. mythol. the under¬ world; abode of the spirits of the dead. □□ Ha»de*an /-deean/ adj. haf»ni»um /hafneeam/ n. Chem. silvery lus¬ trous metallic element, used in tungsten al¬ loys for filaments, etc. DSymb.: Hf. haft /haft/ • n. handle of a dagger, knife, etc. • v. tr. provide with a haft. hag /hag/ n. 1 ugly old woman. 2 witch. ■ 1 crone, shrew, si. derog. (old) bag. 2 fury, harpy, sorceress. Hag*ga*dah /hagaada, -gawda, haagaada'a/ n. 1 legend, etc., used to illustrate a point of the Law in the Talmud. 2 book recited at the Passover Seder service. hag*gard /hagard/ adj. looking exhausted and distraught, esp. from fatigue, worry, pri¬ vation, etc. □□ hag'gard*ness n. m gaunt, drawn, pinched, run-down, weary (-looking), spent, worn out; see also emaciat¬ ed (emaciate). hag*gis /hagis/ n. Scottish dish of a sheep’s or calf’s offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, etc., and boiled in a bag made from the animal’s stomach or in an artificial bag. hag*gle/hagai/ •v.intr. [often foil, by about, over] dispute or bargain persistently. • n. dis¬ pute or wrangle. □□ hag'gler n.

363

hack ~ hairdresser

■ v. wrangle, bicker; negotiate, barter. • n. see argument 1. hagio- /hageeo, hayjeeo/ comb, form of saints or holiness. hah var. of ha. ha ha /ha'aha'a/ int. words representing laugh¬ ter. hah*ni»um /ha'aniam/ n. Chem. artificially produced radioactive element. ^Symb.: Ha. hai'ku /hikoo/ n. (pi. same) Japanese threeline poem of usu. 17 syllables. hail1 /hayl/ • n. 1 pellets of frozen rain. 2 [foil, by of] barrage or onslaught (of mis¬ siles, curses, etc.). • v. 1 intr. [prec. by it as subject] shower down hail (it is hailing, if it hails). 2 a tr. pour down (blows, words, etc.). b intr. come down forcefully. ■ n. 1 sleet. 2 volley, storm. • v. 1 sleet. 2 rain, shower; pelt. hail2 /hayl/ • v. 1 tr. greet enthusiastically. 2 tr. signal to or attract the attention of (hailed a taxi). 3 tr. acclaim (hailed him king, was hailed as a prodigy). 4 intr. originate or come (she hails from Mexico). • n. greeting or act of hailing. ■ v. 1 salute; welcome, receive. 2 call, flag down, stop. 3 acknowledge; cheer, applaud. 4 (hail from) be from, be a native of. • n. sal¬ utation; welcome, reception. haiPstone /haylston/ n. pellet of hail. hailstorm /haylstorm/ n. period of heavy hail. ■ see storm n. 1. hair /hair/ n. la fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of mammals, esp. from the human head, b these collectively (his hair is falling out). 2 anything resem¬ bling a hair. 3 elongated cell growing from a plant. 4 very small extent (also attrib.: a hair crack). □ get in a person’s hair colloq. an¬ noy'a person, hair-raising alarming; terri¬ fying. hair’s breadth very small amount or margin, let one’s hair down colloq. aban¬ don restraint; behave freely or wildly, make a person’s hair stand on end alarm or horrify a person. □□ hair'less adj. hair'like adj.

■ 1b tresses, locks, head of hair, mop, col¬ loq. mane. 2 fiber, thread, strand. 4 trifle, fraction, colloq. whisker; hair’s breadth. □ get in a person’s hair see annoy 1. hairraising see terrifying (terrify), hair’s breadth see hair 4 above, let one’s hair down see revel v. 1, enjoy oneself, make a person’s hair stand on end see scare v. 1. □□ hairless bald, bald-headed, see also smooth adj. 2.

hair*ball /hairbawl/ n. (also hair' ball) ball of hair that accumulates in the stomach of a cat, etc., that grooms itself by licking its fur. hairbrush /hairbrush/ n. brush for arranging the hair. hair*CUt /hairkut/ n. style or act of cutting the hair. hair*dO /hairdoo/ n. (pi. -dos) colloq. style or act of styling hair. ■ hairstyle, haircut, coiffure, hair, cut. hair*dress»er /hairdresar/ n. person who cuts

hairline ~ hallucination

364

and styles hair, esp. professionally. □□ hair' dressing n. haiMine /hairlln/ n. 1 edge of a person’s hair, esp. on the forehead. 2 very thin line or crack, etc. hair*net /hairnet/ n. piece of netting for con¬ fining the hair. hair»piece /hairpees/ n. quantity or switch of detached hair used to augment a person’s natural hair. hair*pin /hairpin/ n. U-shaped pin for fasten¬ ing the hair. □ hairpin turn sharp Ushaped bend in a road. hair*split*ting /hairspliting/ adj. & n. quib¬ bling. ■ fussy, hypercritical, petty, finicky, colloq. nitpicking. hairstyle /hairs til/ n. particular way of ar¬ ranging or dressing the hair. □□ hair'styl* ing n. hair'styMst n. hair*y /hairee/ adj. (hair*i*er, hair*i*est) 1 made of or covered with hair. 2 having the feel of hair. 3 si. alarmingly unpleasant or difficult. □□ hair'i*ness n. m 1 hirsute, shaggy, woolly; whiskered, un¬ shaven. 2 downy, fluffy; rough, bristly. 3 dangerous, risky, uncertain, frightening, colloq. scary; tricky, knotty. hajj /haj/ n. Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. hake /hayk/ n. marine food fish resembling a cod. hal'berd /halbard/ n. (also hal'bert /-bart/) hist, combined spear and battle-ax. hal»cy*on /halseean/ adj. 1 calm; peaceful (.halcyon days). 2 (of a period) happy; pros¬ perous. See synonym study at calm. ■ 1 see calm adj. 1. hale /hayl/ adj. strong and healthy (esp. in hale and hearty). ■ hearty, fit, sound, hardy, robust, colloq. in the pink. half /haf/ • n. (pi. halves /havz/) 1 either of two equal or corresponding parts or groups into which a thing is or might be divided. 2 Sports either of two equal periods of play. • adj. 1 of an amount or quantity equal to a half, or loosely to a part thought of as a half (take half the men, spent half the time reading, half a pint, a half pint, half-price). 2 forming a half (a half share). • adv. 1 [often in comb.] to, the extent of half; partly (only half cooked, half-frozen). 2 to a certain extent; somewhat (esp. in idiomatic phrases: half dead, am half inclined to agree). 3 (in reckoning time) by the amount of half (an hour, etc.) (half past two). □ half-and-half being half one thing

and half another, esp. a liquid of half cream and half milk, half-baked 1 incompletely considered or planned. 2 (of enthusiasm, etc.) only partly committed. 3 foolish, half breed often offens. person of mixed race, half brother brother with only one parent in common, half-life Physics & Biochem., etc.,time taken for the radioactivity or some other property of a substance to fall to half its original value, half-mast position of a flag halfway down the mast, as a mark of re¬ spect for a person who has died, half sister

sister with only one parent in common, half¬ time n. 1 time at which half of a game or contest is completed. 2 short interval at this time. adj. working half the usual hours, halftruth statement that (esp. deliberately) con¬ veys only part of the truth, not half 1 not nearly (not half long enough). 2 colloq. not at all (not half bad). half-back /hafbak/ n. (in some sports) player between the linemen and fullbacks, or be¬ hind the forward line. half*heart»ed /hafha'artid/ adj. lacking enthu¬ siasm. □□ half*heart'ed*ly adv. half heart'edrness n. ■ feeble, lukewarm, indifferent, uncon¬ cerned, uninterested. halfpenny /haypnee/ n. (also ha’penny) (pi. -penmies or -pence /haypans/) (in the UK) former coin worth half a penny. ^Withdrawn in 1984(cf. farthing). halftone /hafton/ n. 1 reproduction printed from a block (produced by photographic means) in which the various tones of gray are produced from small and large black dots. 2 Mus. (half tone) semitone. half*way /hafway/ • adv. 1 at a point equi¬ distant between two others (we were halfway to Chicago). 2 to some extent; more or less (is halfway decent). • adj. situated halfway (reached a halfway point). □ halfway house facility for assisting ex-prisoners, mental pa¬ tients, etc., in readjusting to society. ■ adj. see intermediate adj. half»wit /hafwit/ n. colloq. extremely foolish or stupid person. □□ half wit*ted adj. m dunce, idiot, simpleton, colloq. moron, imbecile. □□ halfwitted silly, inane, feeble¬ minded, colloq. thick, dotty, dumb. hal*i*but /halibot/ n. (pi. same) large marine flatfish used as food. hal»i*tO*SiS /halitosis/ n. bad breath, hall /hawl/ n. 1 a space or passage into which the front entrance of a house, etc., opens, b corridor or passage in a building. 2 large room or building for meetings, meals, con¬ certs, etc. 3 university residence for stu¬ dents. ■ 1 hallway; entrance (hall), entry(way), lobby, vestibule; foyer. 2 auditorium, thea¬ ter; lecture hall, concert hall, ballroom; as¬ sembly rooms. 3 see accommodation 1. haMe*iu*jah var. of alleluia. halhmark /hawlmaark/ • n. 1 mark of purity, as stamped into gold, silver, and platinum. 2 distinctive feature. • v.tr. 1 stamp with a hallmark. 2 designate as excellent. ■ n. 1 sign, symbol; plate mark, assay mark. 2 stamp, mark. haMow /halo/ v.tr. 1 make holy; consecrate. 2 honor as holy. ■ 1 bless, sanctify; dedicate. 2 venerate, worship, revere. HaMow»een /habween/ n. (also HaMow* e’en') eve of All Saints’ Day, Oct. 31, esp. as celebrated by children dressing in costumes and collecting treats door-to-door. hal*lu*ci*nate /holobsinayt/ v. 1 tr. produce illusions in the mind of (a person). 2 intr. ex¬ perience hallucinations. haMu»Ci»na»tion /haloosinayshan/ n. percep-

tion of sights, sounds, etc., not actually pre¬ sent. □□ hal'lu'ci'na'to^ry /-sinotawree/

365

adj.

malleus. • v. 1 a tr. & intr. hit or beat with or as with a hammer, b intr. strike loudly; knock violently (esp. on a door). 2 tr. a drive in (nails), b fasten or secure by ham¬ mering (hammered the lid down). 3 tr. incul¬ cate (ideas, knowledge, etc.) forcefully or re¬ peatedly. 4 tr. colloq. utterly defeat; inflict heavy damage on. 5 intr. [foil, by at, away at] work hard or persistently at. □ hammer and sickle symbols of the industrial worker and peasant used as the emblem of the for¬ mer USSR and of international commu¬ nism. hammer out 1 make flat or smooth by hammering. 2 work out the details of (a plan, agreement, etc.) laboriously. 3 play (a tune, esp. on the piano) loudly or clumsily. av. 1,2a see pound2 v. 1. ham*mer»head /hamarhed/ n. 1 striking head of a hammer. 2 shark with a flattened head and eyes in lateral extensions of it. ham*mer*toe /hamarto/ n. deformed toe bent permanently downward. ham»mock /hamak/ n. bed of canvas or rope network, suspended by cords at the ends. ham«per> /hampar/ n. basket, often with a hinged lid, for laundry, etc. ham»per2 /hampar/ v.tr. 1 prevent the free movement or activity of. 2 impede; hinder. See synonym study at hinder. ■ encumber, obstruct, prevent; balk, thwart, delay, check. harmster /hamstar/ n. rodent having a short tail and large cheek pouches, kept as a pet or laboratory animal. ham*string /hamstring/ Anal. • n. 1 each of five tendons at the back of the knee in hu¬ mans. 2 great tendon at the back of the hock in quadrupeds, •v.tr. (past and past part. ham*strung or ham*stringed) 1 cripple by cutting the hamstrings of (a person or an¬ imal). 2 prevent the activity or efficiency of (a person or enterprise). ■ v. 1 see lame v. 2 see frustrate v. 2. hand /hand/ • n. la end part of the human arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb, b in other primates, end part of a forelimb, also used as a foot. 2 a [often in pi.] control; management; custody; disposal (in good hands), b active support. 3 thing compared with a hand or its functions, esp. the pointer of a clock or watch. 4 right or left side or direction. 5 a skill (a hand for making pastry), b person skillful in some respect. 6 individual’s writing or the style of this; sig¬ nature (a legible hand, in one’s own hand). 7 source of information, etc. (at first hand). 8 pledge of marriage. 9 person as a source of manual labor, esp. in a factory, on a farm, or on board ship. 10 a playing cards dealt to a player, b round of play. 11 colloq. applause (got a big hand). 12 unit of measure of a horse’s height, equal to 4 inches (10.16 cm). 13 [attrib.] held or done by hand. • v.tr. de¬ liver; transfer by hand or otherwise. □ at hand 1 close by. 2 about to happen, by hand 1 by a person and not a machine. 2 delivered personally, hand down 1 pass ownership or use of to another. 2 a transmit

■ mirage, illusion, apparition. □□ halluci¬ natory dreamlike, visionary; fantastic, illu¬ sory, imaginary.

hal*lu*ci*no*gen /halobsinajan/

n. drug causing hallucinations. □□ hal*lu»ci*no* gen-ic /-jenik/ adj. halhway /hawlway/ n. entrance hall or cor¬ ridor. ■ see hall 1. ha*lo /haylo/ • n. (pi. -loes, -los) 1 disk or circle of light shown in art surrounding the head of a sacred person. 2 circle of light around a luminous body, esp. the sun or moon. 3 circle or ring. • v. tr. (-loes, -loed) surround with a halo. ■ n. 1,2 nimbus, aura; corona, radiance. 3 disk, loop, wheel. ha*lo*gen /habjan/ n. Chem. any of the nonmetallic elements: fluorine, chlorine, bro¬ mine, iodine, and astatine, which form a salt (e.g., sodium chloride) by simple union with a metal. □□ ha*lo*gen*ic /-jenik/ adj. halt1 /hawlt/ • n. stop (usu. temporary) (come to a halt). • v. stop; come or bring to a halt. ■ n. standstill, interruption, break; end, close. • v. end, finish, cease, conclude, check; see also stop v. 1, 2. halt2 /hawlt/ v.intr. 1 (esp. as halting adj.) lack smooth progress. 2 hesitate (halt be¬ tween two opinions). 3 walk hesitatingly.

□□ halt'ing'ly adv. • 1 (halting) wavering, uneven, faltering;

stuttering. 2 see hesitate 1. 3 dawdle, drag one’s feet, scuff, shuffle. halt»er /hawltar/ • n. 1 bridle and rope for leading or tying up a horse, etc. 2 a strap around the back of a woman’s neck holding her dress top or blouse and leaving her shoulders and back bare, b garment held by this. • v.tr. put a halter on (a horse, etc.). ■ n. 1 see tether n. halve /hav/ v.tr. 1 divide into two halves. 2 reduce by half. ■ see split v. la. halves pi of half. hahyard /halyard/ n. Naut. rope or tackle for raising or lowering a sail, flag, etc. ham /ham/ • n. 1 upper part of a pig’s leg salted and dried or smoked for food. 2 back of the thigh. 3 si. [often attrib.] inexpert or unsubtle actor or piece of acting. 4 (in full ra'di'O ham) colloq. amateur radio operator. • v. (hammed, ham*ming) si. overact. an. 1,2 see leg n. 1,2. 3 see thespian n. • V. See DRAMATIZE. ham*burg*er /hambargar/ n. patty of ground beef, usu. fried or grilled and eaten in a soft bread roll. harntiet /hamlit/ n. small village. ■ see SETTLEMENT 2b. ham*mer /hamar/ • n. la tool with a heavy metal head used for driving nails, etc. b sim¬ ilar contrivance, as for exploding the charge in a gun, striking the strings of a piano, etc. 2 a metal ball attached to a wire for throwing in an athletic contest, b sport of throwing the hammer. 3 bone of the middle ear;

hallucinogen ~ hand

handbag ~ handy

366

(a decision) from a higher court, etc. b ex¬ press (an opinion or verdict), hand grenade see grenade, hand in glove in collusion or association, hand in hand in close associa¬ tion. hand it to colloq. acknowledge the merit of (a person). hand-me-down article of clothing, etc., passed on from another per¬ son. hands down with no difficulty, handto-hand (of fighting) at close quarters, on hand available, on the one (or the other) hand from one (or another) point of view, out of hand 1 out of control. 2 perempto¬ rily (refused out of hand). m n. la fist, colloq. paw, si. mitt, flipper, b paw. 2 a {hands) hold, possession, author¬ ity. b part; involvement; see also support n. 1. 3 indicator. 5 a touch; see also talent 1. b see expert n. 6 handwriting. 9 worker, drudge, employee. 11 ovation, clap. • v. {hand in) submit, present, offer; {hand to) pass to, give to, present to or with; {hand over) submit, yield, give up, turn over. □ at hand 1 nearby, handy, (readily) available, within reach, accessible. 2 imminent, ap¬ proaching, upcoming, hand down 1 see be¬ queath. 2 b see deliver 4. hand in glove hand in hand, in league, si. in cahoots, hand in hand side by side, hand in glove, hand it to see respect v. 1. hand-me-down sec¬ ondhand, used, hands down readily, effort¬ lessly; see easily 1. on hand see at hand 1 above, out of hand 1 messy; see also chaotic (chaos). 2 categorically, flat(ly); see also ab¬ solutely 1. hand'bag /handbag/ n. small bag carried esp. by a woman and used to hold a wallet, cos¬ metics, etc. ■ see bag n. 2b. hand'ball n. /handbawl/ game in which a ball is struck with an open hand against a wall, hand'bill /handbil/ n. printed notice distrib¬ uted by hand. hand'book /handbook/ n. short manual or guidebook. hand»cart /handkaart/ n. small cart pushed or drawn by hand. hand*Cllff /handkuf/ • n. [in pi.] lockable linked metal rings for securing a person’s wrists. • v.tr. put handcuffs on. ■ n. {handcuffs) manacles, colloq. cuffs. • v. see shackle v. hand»ful /handfOOl/ n. {pi. —fills) 1 quantity that fills the hand. 2 small number or amount. 3 colloq. troublesome person or task. ■ 1 fistful. 2 sprinkling, scattering; a few. 3 see bother n. 1. hand'gun /handgun/ n. small firearm fired with one hand. handicap /handeekap/ • n. la disadvan¬ tage imposed on a superior competitor to make chances more equal, b race, etc., in which this is imposed. 2 number of strokes by which a golfer normally exceeds par for the course. 3 thing that makes progress or success difficult. 4 physical or mental disa¬ bility. • v. tr. (handn*capped, hand*i*cap* ping) 1 impose a handicap on. 2 place (a

person) at a disadvantage. □□ hand'i* capped adj. m n. 3 hindrance, encumbrance, restric¬ tion, limitation. • v. hinder, hamper, im¬ pede, bar, block. hand*i*craft /handeekraft/ n. work requiring manual and artistic skill. hand*i*WOrk /handeewark/ n. work done or a thing made by hand, or by a particular per¬ son. hand*ker»Chief /hangkarchif, -cheef/ n. {pi. hand*ker*chiefs or -chieves /-cheevz/) cloth for wiping one’s nose, etc. han»dle /hand’l/ • n. 1 part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled. 2 colloq. per¬ sonal tide or nickname. • v. tr. 1 touch, feel, operate, or move with the hands. 2 manage or deal with {knows how to handle people, un¬ able to handle the situation). 3 deal in (goods). 4 discuss or write about (a subject). ■ n. 1 grip; knob, switch, pull. • v. 1 fin¬ ger; caress; hold, use. 2 run, direct, control; cope with, use; tackle, treat. 3 trade in, traf¬ fic in; market. 4 see treat v. 4. han*dle*bar /hand’lbaar/ n. [often in pi.] steering bar of a bicycle, etc., with a hand¬ grip at each end. han*dler /handlar/ n. 1 person who deals in certain commodities. 2 person who trains and looks after an animal (esp. a working or show dog). hand*made /handmayd/ adj. made by hand, not by machine. hand'OUt /handowt/ n. 1 something given free to a needy person. 2 statement given to the press, printed information given to a lec¬ ture audience, etc. ■ 1 see gift n. 1.2 communique. hand*rail /handrayl/ n. narrow rail for hold¬ ing as a support. hand'set /handset/ n. telephone mouthpiece and earpiece forming one unit. hand'Shake /handshayk/ n. clasping of a per¬ son’s hand as a greeting, etc. hand*SOme /hansam/ adj. (hand»som*er, hand*som*est) 1 (of a person) goodlooking. 2 (of an object, etc.) imposing; at¬ tractive. 3 a generous; liberal {a handsome present), b (of a price, fortune, etc.) consid¬ erable. □□ hand'some*ly adv. ■ 1 attractive; see also beautiful 1. 2 see impressive 1. 3 a see generous 1. b sizable, large, substantial. hand'Spring /handspring/ n. acrobatic flip in which one lands first on the hands and then on the feet. hand*stand /handstand/ n. balancing on one’s hands with the feet in the air or against a wall. handiwork /handwark/ n. work done with the hands, esp. as opposed to machinery. □□ hand worked adj. hand»writ»ing /handrlting/ n. 1 writing with a pen, pencil, etc. 2 individual’s style of writ¬ ing. □□ hand*writ*ten /-ritan/ adj. ■ longhand, penmanship, printing, script, calligraphy. hand*y /handee/ adj. (hand*i*er, handn* est) 1 convenient to handle or use; useful. 2 placed or occurring conveniently. 3 clever

with the hands. □□ hand'My adv. hand i* ness n. • 1 helpful, practical; serviceable. 2 nearby, accessible, on hand. 3 deft, adroit, skilled. □□ handily conveniently; skillfully. hand*y*man /handeeman/ n. (pi. -men) per¬ son who does odd jobs, hang /hang/ • v. (past and past part, hung /hung/ except in sense 7) 1 tr. secure or cause to be supported from above, esp. with the lower part free. 2 tr. set up (a door, gate, etc.) on hinges. 3 tr. place (a picture) on a wall or in an exhibition. 4 tr. attach (wallpa¬ per) to a wall. 5 tr. colloq. blame (a thing) on (a person) (can’t hang that on me). 6 tr. [foil, by with] decorate by hanging pictures, etc. (a hall hung with tapestries). 7 tr. & intr. (past

and past part, hanged) suspend or be sus¬ pended by the neck, usu. with a noosed rope, until dead. 8 tr. let droop (hang one’s head). 9 intr. remain static in the air. 10 intr. [often foil, by over] be present or im¬ minent (a hush hung over the room). • n. way a thing hangs or falls. □ get the hang of col¬ loq. understand the technique or meaning of. hang around 1 loiter or dally. 2 [foil, by with] associate with (a person, etc.), hang back 1 show reluctance. 2 remain behind, hang glider kitelike glider con¬ trolled in flight by a person suspended be¬ neath it. hang in colloq. persist; persevere, hang on colloq. 1 continue or persevere. 2 cling; retain. 3 a wait for a short time, b (in telephoning) continue to listen during a pause in the conversation, hang out 1 hang from a clothesline, etc. 2 protrude or cause to protrude downward. 3 lean out of (a window, etc.). 4 si. spend time; frequent. 5 [foil, by with] si. accompany; be friends with. 6 loiter; dally, hang together 1 make sense. 2 remain associated, hang up 1 hang from a hook, etc. 2 end a telephone conversation, esp. abrupdy (then he hung up on me). 3 cause delay or difficulty to. 4 si. be a psychological or emotional obsession or problem to (is really hung up on her teacher). hang-up n. si. emotional problem or inhibi¬ tion. hung jury jury unable to reach a ver¬ dict. • v. 1 suspend, sling; attach. 3 put up, show. 5 see blame v. 1,2. 6 see decorate 1, 3. 7 string up; lynch. 8 drop. 9 hover, be suspended, float. 10 fall, descend, come down. • n. drape. □ get the hang of see grasp v. 3. hang around 1 wait (around), linger. 2 socialize with, hobnob with, rub el¬ bows with, si. hang out with, hang back 1 hesitate, think twice. 2 see linger 1. hang in see persevere, hang on 1 persist, carry on, endure. 2 (hang on to) clutch, grip, grasp; see also retain 1. 3 stay (here); hold on, hold the line, hang out 1 put out, sus¬ pend, swing. 2 see protrude. 3 bend out. 4 live, be present; (hang out at) haunt, visit. 5 (hang out with) see associate v. 5. hang to¬ gether 1 be logical, be consistent. 2 be or remain united, stick together; unite, cooper¬ ate. hang up 1 see suspend 1. 2 break the connection, put down the receiver; (hang up on) cut off. 4 (be hung up on) be obsessed by.

367

handyman ~ happen

Psychol, have a complex about, be fixated on, colloq. have a thing about, hang-up diffi¬ culty, Psychol, complex, colloq. thing; see also

inhibition 1,2.

hang*ar /hangar/

n. building for housing air¬

craft, etc.

hang«dog /hangdawg, -dog/

adj. dejected; shamefaced. hang*er /hangar/ n. 1 person or thing that hangs. 2 (in full coat' hang*er) shaped piece of wood or plastic, etc., from which clothes may be hung, o hanger-on (pi. hang*ers-on) follower or dependent, esp. an unwelcome one. ■ □ hanger-onsupporter, fan, parasite, toady; si. groupie, wanna-be; see also yesman, scrounger (scrounge). hanging /hanging/ • n. la executing by hanging a person, b [attrib.] meriting or causing this (hanging offense). 2 [usu. in pi] draperies hung on a wall, etc. • adj. that hangs or is hung; suspended. ■ n. 2 see drapery. hang*man /hangman/ n. (pi. -men) 1 exe¬ cutioner who hangs condemned persons. 2 word game for two players, in which the tally of failed guesses is kept by drawing a representation of a figure hanging from a gal¬ lows. hang*nail /hangnayl/ n. torn skin near a fin¬ gernail. hang*OUt /hangowt/ n. si. place frequented by a person. hang*Over /hangovar/ n. 1 headache, upset stomach, etc., caused by drinking too much alcohol. 2 survival from the past. hank /hangk/ n. 1 coil or skein of yarn or thread, etc. 2 measure of cloth or yarn, e.g., 840 yds. for cotton yarn and 560 yds. for worsted. han»ker /hangkar/ v. intr. long for; crave. □□ han'kernng n. m (hanker after or for or to) fancy, want (to), yearn for or to, thirst after or for, pine for, col¬ loq. yen for; itch to. han»ky-pan*ky /hangkeepangkee/ n. si. 1 naughtiness, esp. sexual misbehavior. 2 dishonest dealing; trickery. ■ 1 mischief, tomfoolery, colloq. monkey business. 2 deception, duplicity, legerde¬ main, si. funny business. han*Som /hansam/ n. (in full han'som cab) hist, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, with the driver seated behind. Ha*nuk«kah /kha'anaka, ha'a-/ n. (also Cha' nuk’kah) Jewish festival of lights, commem¬ orating the purification of the Temple in 165 BC. hap*haz*ard /haphazard/ • adj. done, etc., by chance; random. • adv. at random. □□ hap* haz'ard*ly adv. m adj. arbitrary, accidental, fortuitous, ser¬ endipitous. hap*less /haplis/ adj. unlucky. □□ hap'less* ly adv. hap'less*ness n. m see unhappy 2. hap*pen /hapan/ v.intr. 1 occur. 2 have (good or bad) fortune (I happened to meet

happening ~ hard

368

her). 3 be the (esp. unwelcome) fate or expe¬ rience of (what happened to you?). 4 [foil, by on] meet or discover by chance. □ as it hap¬ pens in fact; in reality (as it happens, it turned out well).

■ 1 take place, arise; develop, materialize. 2 chance. 3 (happen to) become of, come of. 4 (happen on) come upon, find; en¬ counter. synonym study;

happen

BEFALL, CHANCE, OCCUR, TRANSPIRE. When things happen, they come to pass either for a reason or by chance (it happened the day after school started; she happened upon the scene of the accident), but the verb is more fre¬ quently associated with chance (it happened to be raining when we got there). Occur can

also refer either to something that comes to pass either accidentally or as planned, but it should be used interchangeably with happen only when the subject is a definite or actual event (the tragedy occurred last winter). Unlike happen, occur also carries the implication of something that presents itself to sight or mind (it never occurred to me that he was lying). Transpire is a more formal (and some would say undesirable) word meaning to happen or occur, and it conveys the sense that something has leaked out or become known (he told her exactly what had transpired while she was away). While things that happen, occur, or transpire can be either positive or negative, when something befalls it is usual¬ ly unpleasant (he had no inkling of the disaster that would befall him when he got home).

hap*pen*ing /'hapaning/ •

n. 1 event or oc¬ currence. 2 improvised or spontaneous per¬ formance. • adj. si. exciting; trendy. ■ n. 1 incident, occasion; phenomenon. 2 see improvisation (improvise). • adj. see TRENDY adj. hap*py /hapee/ adj. (hap*pi*er, hap*pi*est) 1 feeling or showing pleasure or content¬ ment. 2 a fortunate; lucky, b (of words, be¬ havior, etc.) apt; pleasing. 3 [in comb.] colloq. inclined to use excessively or at random (trigger-happy), o happy-go-lucky cheer¬ fully casual, happy hour period of the day when drinks are sold at reduced prices in bars, hotels, etc. □□ hap'pbly adv. hap'pi* ness n. • 1 glad, delighted, joyful, gleeful, ecstatic; pleased as Punch, in seventh heaven, colloq. on cloud nine, tickled pink. 2 a favorable, blessed, b felicitous; see also appropriate adj. □ happy-go-lucky see carefree. □□ happily joyfully, gleefully, cheerfully, gaily, with pleasure, luckily, propitiously, happiness pleasure, delight, enjoyment, joy, gladness, high spirits. ha*ra-ki*ri /harakeeree, haaree-/ n. (also ha’ ri-ka’ri) ritual suicide by disembowelment. hanangue /'harang/ • n. lengthy and earnest speech. • v. tr. lecture or make a harangue to. ■ n. address, oration. • v. preach, sermon¬ ize; see also lecture v. 2. ha*rass /haras, haras/ v.tr. 1 trouble and an¬

noy continually. 2 make repeated attacks on. □□ ha* *rass'ment or ha'rass*ment n. ■ 1 badger, torment, bother, hound, perse¬ cute, pester, colloq. hassle, plague, si. bug, ride. 2 see molest 2. har»bin*ger haarb injar/ n. 1 person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another. 2 forerunner. ■ omen, sign; herald, precursor. har»bor /ha'arbar/ • n. 1 place of shelter for ships. 2 shelter; place of refuge or protec¬ tion. • v.tr. 1 give shelter to (esp. a criminal or wanted person). 2 keep in one’s mind, esp. resentfully (harbor a grudge). an. 1 port, seaport, haven. 2 haven, asy¬ lum; see also shelter n. 1. • v. 1 protect, guard; hide. 2 foster, cherish, retain. hard /haard/ • adj. 1 firm and solid. 2 a dif¬ ficult to understand or explain (hard prob¬ lem). b difficult to accomplish (hard deci¬ sion). C not easy (hard to believe). 3 difficult to bear (a hard life). 4 (of a person) unfeel¬ ing; severely critical. 5 severe; harsh (hard winter, hard frost). 6 a enthusiastic; intense (hard worker, hard fight). b severe; uncom¬ promising (hard blow, hard bargain). 7 a (of liquor) strongly alcoholic, b (of drugs) po¬ tent and addictive. 8 (of water) containing mineral salts that make lathering difficult. 9 not disputable; reliable (hard facts, hard data). 10 Stock Exch. (of currency, prices, etc.) not likely to fall in value. 11 Phonet. (of a consonant) guttural (as c in cat, g in go). • adv. 1 strenuously; intensely; copiously; with one’s full effort (try hard, look hard at, hardworking). 2 so as to be hard or firm (hard-baked, the jelly set hard). 3 Naut. fully; to the extreme (hard to starboard). □ be hard on 1 be difficult for. 2 be severe in one’s treatment or criticism of. hard and fast (of a rule or a distinction made) definite; unal¬ terable; strict, hard-boiled 1 (of an egg) boiled until the white and yolk are solid. 2 (of a person) tough; shrewd, hard by near; close by. hard copy printed material pro¬ duced by computer, usu. on paper, hard core 1 irreducible nucleus. 2 colloq. a most active or committed members of a society, etc. b conservative or reactionary minority, hard-core adj. blatant; uncompromising, esp.: 1 (of pornography) explicit; obscene. 2 (of drug addiction) relating to hard drugs, esp. heroin, hard disk (drive) Computing large-capacity, rigid, usu. magnetic storage disk, hard hat 1 protective helmet worn on building sites, etc. 2 colloq. reactionary per¬ son. hard line unyielding adherence to a firm policy, hard-liner person who adheres rigidly to a policy, hard-nosed colloq. realis¬ tic; uncompromising. hard-pressed 1 closely pursued. 2 burdened with urgent business, hard sell aggressive salesmanship or advertising, hard up 1 short of money. 2 [foil, by for] at a loss for; lacking. □□ hard' ness n. ■ adj. 1 rigid, stiff, inflexible, tough, stony, steely, unyielding. 2 a perplexing, puzzling, complex, involved; see also difficult1 lb. b thorny, tough, awkward, tricky; see also difficult 3. c difficult, tough, awkward,

tricky. 3 laborious, backbreaking, burden¬ some, tiring, strenuous, bad, grievous, grim, painful, colloq. tough. 4 stern, cold, callous, strict, hardhearted, severe, tyrannical, cruel, heardess, harsh, unkind. 5 see severe 3, 4. 6a strenuous, diligent, industrious, b searching, critical, businesslike, realistic, colloq. tough; see also hard adj. 4 above. 7 a potent; see also strong adj. 7. b habit¬ forming, hard-core. 9 established, real, strict, straight, bare, unvarnished, undenia¬ ble. • adv. 1 vigorously, forcefully, energeti¬ cally, actively, eagerly, persistently, colloq. mightily. 2 see firm adj. la. n be hard on 1 see difficult la, 3. 2 keep in line, colloq. sit on; see also severe 1. hard and fast see strict 2b. hard-boiled 1 hard, firm, set. 2 see tough adj. 4a, shrewd, hard by see near adj. 1. hard-core 1 see obscene 1. 2 potent, addictive, habit-forming, hard line tough stance, firm position, hard-liner stickler, bigot, partisan, colloq. stick in the mud. hard-nosed see realistic 2, inflexi¬ ble 2. hard-pressed 1 see track v. 1. 2 busy, occupied, engaged, tied up. hard up 1 poor, indigent, needy, colloq. broke. 2 (hard up for) see destitute 2. hard-back /ha'ardbak/ • adj. (of a book) bound in stiff covers. • n. hardback book, hard-ball /haardbawl/ • n. 1 = baseball. 2 si. uncompromising methods or dealings, esp. in politics or business (play hardball). • v.tr. si. pressure or coerce politically, hard-bit-ten /ha'ardbitan/ adj. colloq. tough and cynical. ■ severe, calculating; hard-nosed; criti¬ cal. hard-COV-er /hardkovor/ • adj. bound be¬ tween rigid boards covered in cloth, paper, leather, or film (hardcover edition of the novel). • n. hardcover book. hard-en /haardon/ v. 1 make or become hard or harder. 2 become, or make (one’s atti¬ tude, etc.), uncompromising or less sympa¬ thetic. □□ hard'ending n. ■ 1 set, solidify, freeze. 2 intensify, strengthen, reinforce. hard-head-ed /ha'ardhedid/ adj. practical; not sentimental. □□ hard'head'ed*ly adv. hard'head'ed*ness n. • systematic, searching, realistic; tough; hard-nosed. hard-heart*ed /ha'ardha'artid/ adj. unfeeling; unsympathetic, an hard'-heart'ed*ly adv. hard'-heart'ed*ness n. m see hard adj. 4. har-di-hood /haardeehood/ n. boldness; dar¬ ing. hard-ly /ha'ardlee/ adv. 1 scarcely; only just (we hardly knew them). 2 only with difficulty (could hardly speak).

■ barely; seldom, rarely; with effort,

hard-ship /ha'ardship/ n. 1 severe suffering or privation. 2 circumstance causing this. ■ want, misery, trouble; adversity, bad luck; misfortune. hard-top /haardtop/ n. 1 automobile without roof supports between the front and back windows. 2 automobile with a rigid (usu. detachable) roof.

369

hardback ~ harmonica

hard-ware /ha'ardwair/ n. 1 tools and house¬ hold articles of metal, etc. 2 heavy machin¬ ery or armaments. 3 mechanical and elec¬ tronic components of a computer, etc. (cf. software). ■ 1 equipment, utensils, implements, colloq. gear. 2 equipment; arms, munitions. 3 equipment; parts. hard-wood /ha'ardwObd/ n. wood from a de¬ ciduous broad-leaved tree as distinguished from that of conifers. hard-work-ing /ha'ardwarking/ adj. diligent. ■ see diligent. hard-y /ha'ardee/ adj. (hard-i-er, hard*i*est) 1 robust; enduring. 2 (of a plant) able to grow in the open air all year, no har'didy adv. har'di*ness n. ■ 1 strong, tough, vigorous, fit, healthy, sturdy, sound. hare /hair/ n. 1 mammal like a large rabbit, with long ears, short tail, and hind legs longer than forelegs, inhabiting fields, hills, etc. 2 (in full edec'tric hare) dummy hare propelled by electricity, used in greyhound racing. hare-brained /hairbraynd/ adj. rash; foolish; wild. ■ stupid, silly, inane, mindless; reckless, col¬ loq. crackpot. hare*lip /hairlip/ n. congenital fissure of the upper lip. har-em /hairam, har-/ n. 1 women of a Mus¬ lim household, living in a separate part of the house. 2 their quarters. hark /haark/ v.intr. [usu. in imper.] archaic lis¬ ten attentively. □ hark back revert to a topic discussed earlier. ■ see listen 1, 2. har-le-quin /'ha'arlikwin/' • n. (Harlequin) mute character in pantomime, usu. masked and dressed in a diamond-patterned cos¬ tume. • adj. in varied colors. ■ n. see fool n. 2. • adj. see variegated. har-lot /ha'arbt/ n. archaic prostitute. □□ har'

lot*ry

n.

• see prostitute n. harm/haarm/ • n. hurt; damage. »v.tr. cause harm to. □ out of harm’s way in safety. ■ n. injury, abuse; see also sin1 n. 1, griev¬ ance. • v. hurt, damage, injure. □ out of harm’s way see safe adj. 4. harm-ful /haarmfOOl/ adj. causing or likely to cause harm. □□ harm'ful-ly adv. harm'

fulmess

n.

m dangerous, destructive, detrimental, inju¬ rious; unhealthy, toxic, poisonous, malig¬ nant. harm-less /ha'armlis/ adj. 1 not able or likely to cause harm. 2 inoffensive. □□ harm'

less-ly

adv.

harm'less-ness

n.

■ 1 benign, innocuous, gentle, mild, safe. 2 see inoffensive. har-mon-ic /haarmonik/ • adj. of or charac¬ terized by harmony; harmonious. • n. Mus. overtone accompanying at a fixed interval (and forming a note with) a fundamental.

□□ har-mon'i-cal-ly adv. har-mon-i-ca /haarmoniko/

n. small rectan-

harmonious ~ hat

370

gular wind instrument with reeds played by blowing or sucking air through. har«mo*ni»OUS /haarmoneeas/ adj. 1 pleas¬ ant sounding; tuneful. 2 forming a pleasing or consistent whole. 3 free from disagree¬ ment or dissent. □□ har*mo'ni*ous*ly adv. • 1 see tuneful. 2 compatible, comple¬ mentary; congenial, sympathetic. 3 see peaceful 1. har»mo»nize /ha'armamz/ v. 1 tr. add notes to (a melody) to produce harmony. 2 tr. & intr. bring into or be in harmony. 3 intr. make or form a pleasing or consistent whole. □□ har«mo»ni»za'tion n. ■ 2 see agree 3a. 3 see coordinate v. 1. har*mo*ny /ha'armonee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords. 2 apt or aesthetic arrangement of parts. 3 agree¬ ment; concord. ■ 1 melodiousness, tunefulness. 2 see unity 1. 3 consonance, balance, accord; see also unity 2. har*ness /hahrnis/ • n. 1 equipment of straps and fittings by which a horse is fas¬ tened to a cart, etc., and controlled. 2 simi¬ lar arrangement for fastening a thing to a person’s body, for restraining a young child, etc. • v.tr. 1 a put a harness on (esp. a horse). b attach by a harness. 2 make use of (natural resources), esp. to produce energy. ■ n. 1 see tack2. • v. 1 see hitch v. 1. harp /haarp/ • n. upright stringed instrument plucked with the fingers, • v.intr. [foil, by on] talk repeatedly and tediously about. □□ harp'ist n. har*poon /haarpobn/ • n. barbed spear with a rope attached, for killing whales, etc. • v. tr. spear with a harpoon. harp»Si*chord /ha'arpsikawrd/ n. keyboard instrument in which strings are plucked me¬ chanically. □□ harp'si*chord*ist n. har*py /ha'arpee/ n. (pi. -pies) 1 Gk. & Rom. mythol. monster with a woman’s head and body and bird’s wings and claws. 2 grasping unscrupulous person. har*ri*dan /harid’n/ n. bad-tempered woman. ■ see hag. har*ri»er /hareear/ n. 1 hound used for hunt¬ ing hares. 2 cross-country runner. har»row /haro/ • n. heavy frame with iron teeth dragged over plowed land to break up clods, remove weeds, cover seed, etc. • v. tr. 1 draw a harrow over (land). 2 (usu. as har¬ rowing adj.) distress greatly. • v. 1 see plow v. 1. 2 (harrowing) dis¬ turbing, alarming. har*ry /haree/ v.tr. (-ries, -ried) 1 ravage or despoil. 2 harass; worry. ■ 1 see overrun v. 2 see worry v. 2. harsh /haarsh/ adj. 1 unpleasantly rough or sharp, esp. to the senses. 2 severe; cruel. □□ harsh'ly adv. harsh'ness n. • 1 coarse; grating, raucous; bitter, sour. 2 stern, merciless, unkind, brutal; punitive; austere, grim, stark, inhuman. har*um-scar»um /hairamskairam/ colloq.

• adj. wild and reckless. • adv. in a reckless

way. harvest /ha'arvist/ • n. la process of gath¬ ering in crops, etc. b season of this. 2 sea¬ son’s yield or crop. 3 product or result of any action. • v. tr. gather as harvest; reap, o har¬ vest moon full moon nearest to the autum¬ nal equinox (Sept. 22 or 23). □□ har'ves* ter n. • n. la reaping, gleaning, b autumn, har¬ vest home. 2 produce, fruit; vintage. 3 see outcome. • v. pick, collect, garner, take in; glean; earn, take in, receive, procure. has 3rd sing, present of HAVE. has-been /hazbin/ n. colloq. person or thing that has lost a former importance or useful¬ ness. hash1 /hash/ • n. 1 dish of cooked meat and potatoes cut into small pieces and recooked. 2a mixture; jumble, b mess. •v.tr. [often foil, by out] setde by conferring or debating. ■ n. 2 a hodgepodge, medley, b confusion, si. snafu. hash2 /hash/ n. colloq. hashish. hash*ish /hasheesh, hasheesh/ n. resinous product of hemp, smoked or chewed as a narcotic. has*n’t /hazant/ contr. has not. hasp /hasp/ • n. hinged metal clasp that fits over a staple and can be secured by a pad¬ lock. • v.tr. fasten with a hasp. ■ n. see LOCK1 n. 1. has»si*um /haseeam/ n. radioactive element. IfSymb.: Hs. has*sle /hasal/ colloq. • n. 1 trouble or incon¬ venience. 2 argument. ■ v. 1 tr. harass; an¬ noy. 2 intr. argue; quarrel. ■ n. 1 see bother n. 1. •«. 1 see bother v. la. has*SOCk /hasak/ a. 1 a thick firm cushion for kneeling on, esp. in church, b similar cushion used as a footrest, etc. 2 tuft of mat¬ ted grass, etc. haste /hayst/ n. 1 urgency of movement or action. 2 excessive hurry. □ make haste hurry; be quick. ■ 1 rapidity, quickness, speed. 2 rush, rash¬ ness, (hustle and) bustle, impetuousness. □ make haste see hurry v. 1. hasfren /haysan/ v. 1 intr. make haste; hurry. 2 tr. bring about sooner. ■ 1 rush, fly, race, scurry, speed. 2 hurry (up), expedite. hast*y /haystee/ adj. (hast*i*er, hast*i«est) 1 hurried; acting quickly or hurriedly. 2 said, made, or done too quickly or too soon; rash. See synonym study at superfi¬ cial. □□ hast i'ly adv. hast'i*ness n. • 1 rushed, speedy; swift, brisk. 2 cursory, superficial, precipitate, impulsive. □□ hast¬ ily quickly, posthaste; precipitately, impetu¬ ously, see also immediately (immediate). hat /hat/ n. 1 covering for the head, often with a brim. 2 colloq. person’s occupation or capacity, esp. one of several (wearing his man¬ agerial hat). □ hat trick Sportiscoring of three goals, etc., in a single game, etc. keep it under one’s hat colloq. keep it secret, pass the hat collect contributions of money, take one’s hat off to colloq. acknowledge admira¬ tion for.

hatch1 /hach/ n. 1 opening or door in an air¬ craft, spacecraft, etc. 2 Naut. a = hatch¬ way. b cover for this (often in pi.: batten the hatches).

hatch2 /hach/ • v. 1

intr. a (of a young bird, fish, etc.) emerge from the egg. b (of an egg) produce a young animal. 2 tr. incubate (an egg). 3 tr. devise (a plot, etc.). • «. 1 actor instance of hatching. 2 brood hatched. □□ hatch'er*y n. ■ v. 2 brood, sit on. 3 contrive, design, colloq. cook up. hatch*back /hachbak/ n. car with a sloping back hinged at the top to form a door. hatch*et /hachit/ n. light short-handled ax. □ hatchet job colloq. fierce destructive critique of a person, hatchet man colloq. person employed to harm or dismiss an¬ other. hatch*way /hachway/ n. opening in a ship’s deck for cargo. hate /hayt/ • v. tr. 1 dislike intensely. 2 colloq. a dislike, b be reluctant (to do something) (7 hate to disturb you). »n. 1 hatred. 2 colloq. hated person or thing. ■ v. 1 loathe, detest, despise. 2 a see dis¬ like v. b dislike, resist; (hate to) be disin¬ clined to. • n. 1 abhorrence, loathing; hos¬ tility. 2 enemy; see aversion 2. hate*ful /haytfOOl/ adj. arousing hatred. □□ hate'fuhly adv. hate'fuFness n. m loathsome, abhorrent, obnoxious, repug¬ nant, revolting, vile. ha*tred /haytrid/ n. intense dislike or ill will. ■ n. see dislike n. 1. hat»ter /hatar/ n. maker or seller of hats, haugh'ty /hawtee/ adj. (haugh»ti*er, haugh*ti*est) arrogant and disdainful. □□ haugh'ti'ly adv. haughtiness n. m proud, superior, self-important, preten¬ tious, pompous, colloq. highfalutin, stuck-up, high and mighty, snotty, haul /hawl/ • v.tr. 1 pull or drag forcibly. 2 transport by truck, cart, etc. • n. 1 act or instance of hauling. 2 amount gained or ac¬ quired. 3 distance to be traversed (a short haul). □□ haul'er n. ■ v. 1 tug, tow, lug. 2 carry, convey, move. • n. 1 pull, tug, drag. 2 catch, take, yield. 3 see distance n. 2. haunch /hawnch/ n. 1 fleshy part of the but¬ tock with the thigh, esp. in animals. 2 leg and loin of a deer, etc., as food. ■ see leg n. 2. haunt /hawnt/ • v. 1 tr. (of a ghost) visit (a place) regularly. 2 tr. (of a person or animal) frequent (a place). 3 tr. (of a memory, etc.) be persistently in the mind of. 4 intr. stay ha¬ bitually. 5 tr. trouble; distress (their shady fi¬ nancial dealings came back to haunt them). • n. [often in pi] place frequented by a person or animal. ■ v. 2 spend time at, si. hang out at. 3 ob¬ sess, preoccupy, torment. • n. stamping ground, domain, si. hangout, turf. haunWng /hawnting/ adj. (of a memory, mel¬ ody, etc.) poignant; wistful; evocative. □□ haunt'ingdy adv. Hau*sa /howza/ • n. (pi. same or Hau-sas) 1 people ofW. Africa and Sudan. 2 Hamitic

371

hatch ~ havoc

language of this people. • adj. of or relating to this people or language, haute cuisine /6t kwize'en/ n. cooking of a high standard, esp. of the French traditional school. have /hav/ • v. (3rd sing, present has /haz/; past and past part, had /had/) 1 tr. own or be able to use (has a car, had no time to read, has nothing to wear). 2 tr. hold in a certain rela¬ tionship (has a sister). 3 tr. contain as a part or quality (house has two floors, has green eyes). 4 tr. a experience (had a good time, has a headache), b be subjected to a speci¬ fied state (had my car stolen, the book has a page missing). C cause (a person or thing) to be in a particular state or take a particular action (had him dismissed, had us worried, had my hair cut). 5 tr. a engage in (an activity) (had an argument), b hold (a meeting, party, etc.). 6 tr. eat or drink (had a beer). 7 tr. [usu. in neg.] accept or tolerate; permit to (I won’t have it, will not have you say such things). 8 tr. a let (a feeling, etc.) be present (have no doubt, has a lot of sympathy for me). b show or feel (mercy, pity, etc.) (have pity on him, have mercy!). 9 tr. a give birth to

(offspring), b conceive mentally (an idea, etc.). 10 tr. receive; obtain (not a ticket to be had). 11 tr. si. a get the better of (I had him there), b [usu. in passive] cheat; deceive (you were had). 12 aux. [With past part, or ellipt., to form the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, and the conditional mood] (have worked, had seen, will have been, had l known, I would have gone, have you met her? yes, I have). »n. [usu. in pi.] colloq. person

who has wealth or resources. □ have it in for colloq. be hostile or ill-disposed toward, have it out [often foil, by with] colloq. at¬ tempt to settle a dispute by discussion or ar¬ gument. have-not [usu. in pi] colloq. person lacking wealth or resources, have on be wearing (clothes), have to be obliged to; must. ■ v. 1 possess, hold, keep. 3 possess, bear, include. 4 a undergo, suffer, enjoy, c in¬ struct to do or be, invite to do or be, force to do or be. 5 a see engage 7. b give, plan, throw. 6 partake of, consume. 7 see allow 1. 8 b see show v. 3. 9 a bear, deliver; pro¬ create, sire, b see conceive 3. 10 get, ac¬ quire; take, accept. 11a see beat v. 2. b see deceive 1. • n. (haves) winners, fortunate ones, the rich or affluent or well-to-do. □ have it in for see dislike v. have it out see negotiate 1. have-not (have-nots) losers, the poor or needy or hard up. have on wear, be dressed in. have to see must v. ha*ven /hayvan/ n. 1 harbor or port. 2 place of refuge. ■ 1 see harbor n. 1. 2 see refuge 1, 2. have*n’t /havant/ contr. have not. hav*er*sack /havarsak/ n. stout bag for pro¬ visions, etc., carried on the back or over the shoulder. ■ see pack1 n. 1. hav»OC /havak/ n. widespread destruction; great confusion or disorder.

Hawaiian ~ head

372

■ devastation, damage, (rack and) ruin, chaos, mayhem. Ha*wai*ian /hawfan/ • n. la native or in¬ habitant of Hawaii, an island or island group (comprising a US state) in the N. Pacific, b person of Hawaiian descent. 2 the Malayo-Polynesian language of Hawaii. • adj. of or relating to Hawaii or its people or language. hawk1 /hawk/ • n. 1 diurnal bird of prey hav¬ ing a curved beak, rounded short wings, and a long tail. 2 Polit. person who advocates an aggressive or warlike policy, esp. in foreign affairs. *v. 1 intr. hunt game with a hawk. 2 intr. & tr. attack, as a hawk does. 3 intr. (of a bird) hunt on the wing for food. □ hawkeyed keen-sighted. □□ hawk'ish adj. hawk' ish*ly adv. hawk'ish*ness n. m n. 2 see belugerent n. hawk2 /hawk/ v.tr. carry about or offer (goods) for sale. □□ hawk'er n. • see sell v. 2. hawk3 /hawk/ v. 1 intr. clear the throat noisi¬ ly. 2 tr. bring (phlegm, etc.) up from the throat. haw*ser /hawzar/ n. Naut. thick rope or cable for mooring or towing a ship. haw*thorn /hawthawrn/ n. thorny shrub or tree with white, red, or pink blossoms and small dark red fruit. hay /hay/ • n. grass mown and dried for fod¬ der. mv. 1 intr. make hay. 2 tr. put (land) under grass for hay. 3 tr. make into hay. □ hay fever common allergy with respira¬ tory symptoms, caused by pollen or dust, make hay (while the sun shines) seize op¬ portunities for profit or enjoyment. hay'Stack /haystak/ n. packed pile of hay. hay*wire /haywir/ adj. colloq. 1 badly disorga¬ nized; out of control. 2 (of a person) badly disturbed; erratic. ■ 1 see out of order 1 (order). haz*ard /hazard/ • n. 1 danger or risk. 2 source of this. 3 Golf obstruction in play¬ ing a shot, e.g., a bunker, water, etc. mv.tr. 1 venture on (hazard a guess). 2 risk. □□ haz'ard’ous adj. • n. 1,2 peril, threat, jeopardy; pitfall. • v. 1 dare, wager; make, (take the) risk (of). 2 stake, chance, gamble on. haze1 /hayz/ n. 1 thin atmospheric vapor. 2 mental obscurity or confusion. ■ 1 see FOG n. 1. haze2 /hayz/ v.tr. humiliate (fraternity initi¬ ates, etc.). ha»zel /hayzal/ n. 1 shrub or small tree bear¬ ing round brown edible nuts. 2 greenish brown color (esp. of the eyes). ha*zel*nut /hayzalnut/ n. fruit of the hazel. haz*mat /hazmat/ • n. abbr. hazardous mate¬ rials. haz»y /hayzee/ adj. (haz*i*er, haz-i-est) 1 misty. 2 vague; indistinct. 3 confused; un¬ certain. oo ha'zi*ly adv. ha'zimess n. • 1 foggy. 2 unclear, blurred, murky, ob¬ scure. 3 indefinite, muddled. H-bomb /aychbom/ n. = hydrogen bomb. hdbk. abbr. handbook.

HDTV abbr. high-definition television. He symb. Chem. helium. he/hee/ mpron. (obj. him /him/; pass, his/hiz/; pi. they /thay/) 1 the man or boy or male an¬ imal previously named or in question. 2 per¬ son, etc., of unspecified sex. • n. 1 male; man. 2 [in comb.) male (he-goat). □ he-man {pi. -men) masterful or virile man. head /hed/ • n. 1 upper part of the human body, or foremost or upper part of an ani¬ mal’s body, containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs. 2 a seat of intellect, b mental aptitude or tolerance {good head for business, no head for heights). 3 thing like a head in form or position; top. 4 person in charge. 5 front or forward part of something, e.g., a line. 6 upper end of something, e.g., a table or bed. 7 top or highest part of something, e.g., a page, stairs, etc. 8 individual person or animal regarded as a numerical unit {$10 per head, 20 head of cattle). 9 a side of a coin bearing the image of a head, b [usu. in pi] this side as a choice in a coin toss. 10 source of a river, etc. 11 height or length of a head as a measure. 12 promontory (esp. in placenames) {Diamond Head). 13 Naut. a bow of a ship, b ship’s latrine. 14 culmination, cli¬ max, or crisis. 15 si. habitual taker of drugs; drug addict, mattrib.adj. chief or principal {head gardener, head office). • v. 1 tr. be at the head or front of. 2 tr. be in charge of {head¬ ed a small team). 3 a intr. face or move in a specified direction or toward a specified re¬ sult {is heading for trouble), b tr. direct in a specified direction. □ come to a head reach a crisis, go to one’s head 1 (of liquor) make one dizzy or slightly drunk. 2 (of success) make one conceited, head off 1 get ahead of so as to intercept. 2 forestall, head-on 1 with the front foremost {a head-on crash). 2 in direct confrontation, head over heels 1 turning over completely in forward motion as in a somersault, etc. 2 topsy-turvy. 3 ut¬ terly; completely {head over heels in love). head shrinker si. psychiatrist, head start advantage granted or gained at an early stage, head wind wind blowing from di¬ rectly in front, keep one’s head remain calm, lose one’s head lose self-control; panic, off the top of one’s head colloq. im¬ promptu; without careful thought or investi¬ gation. over one’s head 1 beyond one’s ability to understand. 2 to a higher authority without one’s knowledge or involvement, esp. when one has a right to this. ■ n. 1 si. dome, coconut, noggin, si. bean, skull. 2 mind, brain(s), mentality, colloq. gray matter; aptitude, talent. 3 see tip1 n. 1. 4 chief, leader, director, president, colloq. boss, si. (big) cheese, (chief) honcho. 5 van¬ guard, forefront. 7 see top1 n. 1. 10 origin, fountainhead, wellspring. 12 headland; see also cuff1. 14 (critical) point, (fever) pitch; peak. • attrib.adj. first, leading, main; supe¬ rior. • v. 1 top; see also lead v. 5. 2 direct, supervise, oversee, govern, manage. 3 a go, turn, steer, point; {head for) make a beeline for. b see direct v. 3b. □ come to a head peak, culminate, colloq. climax, go to one’s head 1 see intoxicate 1. head off 1 divert.

2 stop, cut off, block, prevent, head-on 2 see blunt adj. 2. head over heels 3 en¬ tirely, deeply, wholly, colloq. madly, head shrinker see therapist (therapy) . head start see advantage n. 1, 3. keep one’s head stay cool or calm and collected, colloq. not bat an eyelid, lose one’s head see panic v. off the top of one’s head see offhand adv. 2. head»ache /hedayk/ n. 1 continuous pain in the head. 2 colloq. worrying problem or per¬ son. □□ head'ach*y adj. • 2 bother, inconvenience, nuisance, an¬ noyance, trouble, colloq. hassle, pain (in the neck), si. pain in the butt, head'board /hedbawrd/ n. upright panel at the head of a bed. head'dress /hed-dres/ n. ornamental cover¬ ing for the head. head*er /hedar/ n. 1 colloq. headlong fall or dive. 2 Computing line(s) of information printed at the top of the page throughout a document. ■ 1 see tumble n. 1. head»hunt»ing /hedhunting/ n. 1 practice among some peoples of collecting heads of dead enemies as trophies. 2 practice of re¬ cruiting staff by approaching a person em¬ ployed elsewhere. □□ head hunt v.tr. [also absol.]. head'hunt'er n. hehd*ing /heding/ n. la title at the head of a page, chapter, etc. b section of a subject of discourse, etc. 2 course of an aircraft, ship, etc. ■ 1 b see CATEGORY, head'land /hedbnd/ n. promontory, ■ see cape2. headlight /hedllt/ n. 1 strong light at the front of a motor vehicle or train engine. 2 beam from this. ■ 1 see light1 n. 2. headline /hedlln/ • n. 1 heading at the top of an article or page, esp. in a newspaper. 2 [in pi] most important items in a news bulletin. • v.tr. star as a performer. □□ head'lin*er n. an. 1 see TITLE n. 2. headHong /hedlawng, -long/ adv. & adj. 1 with head foremost. 2 in a rush. ■ 2 see impulsive. head»mas*ter /hedmastar/ n. (Jem. head* mis*tress /-mistris/) (esp. in private schools) person in charge of a school. ■ see principal n. 2. head*phone /hedfon/ n. [usu. in pi.] pair of earphones fitting over the head. head*quar*ters /hedkwawrtarz/ n. [as sing. or pi] administrative center of an organiza¬ tion. ■ see seat n. 6. head*rest /hedrest/ n. support for the head, esp. on a seat. head*room /hedroom, -room/ n. 1 space or clearance between the top of a vehicle and the underside of a bridge, etc. 2 space above an occupant’s head in a vehicle. head'Set /hedset/ n. headphones, often with a microphone attached, used esp. in tele¬ phone and radio communications. head'Stone /hedston/ n. stone set up at the head of a grave.

373

headache ~ hear

■ see tombstone.

head»Strong /hedstrawng, -strong/

adj. selfwilled, obstinate. ■ see self-willed. head*wa*ter /hedwawtar, -woter/ n. [in sing. or pi] streams flowing at the sources of a river. head'way /hedway/ n. 1 progress. 2 ship’s rate of progress. ■ 1 improvement; see advance n. 1, 2. 2 speed; knots. head*WOrd /hedward/ n. word forming a heading, e.g., of an entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia. head*y /hedee/ adj. (head*i*er, head*i*est) 1 (of alcohol) potent; intoxicating. 2 (of suc¬ cess, etc.) apt to cause conceit. □□ head'i*ly adv. head'i*ness n. heal /heel/ v. 1 intr. become sound or healthy again. 2 tr. cause to heal or be healed. 3 tr. put right (differences, etc.). DoheaTer n. ■ 1 mend, improve, get better. 2 cure, re¬ store (to health); mend. 3 reconcile, settle, patch up. health /helth/ n. 1 state of being well in body or mind. 2 person’s mental or physical con¬ dition (in poor health). 3 soundness, esp. fi¬ nancial or moral (the health of the nation). □ health food food thought to have health¬ giving or -sustaining qualities, health main¬ tenance organization organization that provides medical care to subscribers who have paid in advance, usu. through a health insurance plan. ■ 1 healthiness, fitness, vitality, well-being. 2 fitness, trim; constitution. 3 see strength 1. health'ful /helthfool/ adj. conducive to good health; beneficial. See synonym study at san¬ itary. □□ health'ful*ly adv. health'ful* ness n. health*y /helthee/ adj. (health*i*er, health* i*est) 1 having, showing, or promoting good health. 2 indicative of (esp. moral or finan¬ cial) health. 3 substantial (a healthy margin). □□ health'i*ly adv. health'i*ness n. a 1 well, fit, trim, colloq. in the pink; whole¬ some, nourishing. heap/heep/ • n. 1 disorderly pile. 2 [esp. pi ] colloq. large number or amount (there’s heaps of time, a heap of chores to finish). 3 si. old or dilapidated thing, esp. a motor vehicle or building. • v. 1 tr. & intr. collect or be col¬ lected in a heap. 2 tr. load copiously. 3 tr. accord or offer copiously to (heaped insults on them). an. 1 collection, stack. 2 abundance, col¬ loq. great deal; (heaps) lots, plenty, colloq. loads. 3 see wreck n. 3. • v. 1 gather. 2 see load v. 3-5. 3 pile; see also hurl v. hear /heer/ v. (past and past part, heard /herd/) 1 tr. [also absol] perceive with the ear. 2 tr. listen to (heard them on the radio). 3 tr. judge (a case, etc.). 4 intr. be told or in¬ formed. 5 intr. be contacted by, esp. by letter or telephone. 6 tr. grant (a prayer). □ hear

a person out listen to all that a person says. □□ hear'er n.

hearing ~ heath

374

■ 1 catch. 3 see judge v. la. 4 learn, dis¬ cover, be advised; (hear of) get wind of, pick up rumors of, colloq. hear on the grapevine. 6 heed, answer. hearting /he'ering/ rt. 1 faculty of perceiving sounds. 2 range of audible sounds (within hearing). 3 opportunity to state one’s case. 4 preliminary appearance before a court, o hearing aid device to amplify sound, worn by a partially deaf person. ■ 3 see chance n. 2. 4 see trial 1. hear-ken /haarkon/ v.intr. archaic or literary listen (to). hearsay /he'ersay/ n. rumor; gossip. ■ see rumor n. 1. hearse /hors/ n. vehicle for conveying the cof¬ fin at a funeral. heart /haart/ n. 1 hollow muscular organ maintaining the circulation of blood by rhythmic contraction and dilation. 2 region of the heart; the breast. 3 a center of thought, feeling, and emotion (esp. love), b capacity for feeling emotion (has no heart). 4 a courage or enthusiasm (take heart). b mood or feeling (change of heart). 5 central or essential part of something. 6 a heartshaped thing, b conventional representation of a heart with two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top. 7 a playing card of a suit denoted by a red figure of a heart, b [inp/.] this suit. C [inp/.] card game in which players avoid taking tricks containing a card of this suit. □ at heart 1 in one’s inmost feelings. 2 basi¬ cally; essentially, break a person’s heart overwhelm a person with sorrow, by heart from memory, heart attack sudden occur¬ rence of coronary thrombosis usu. resulting in the death of part of a heart muscle, heart¬ rending very distressing, heart-to-heart adj. (of a conversation, etc.) candid; inti¬ mate. n. candid or personal conversation, take to heart be much affected or distressed by. ■ 1 colloq. ticker. 2 chest. 3 a core, heart of hearts, interior; see also soul1 1, 2. b hu¬ manity, sympathy, compassion. 4 a stom¬ ach, bravery, determination, colloq. guts, spunk; spirit, verve, b see mood 1, feeling 4. 5 kernel, core, nucleus; crux, basics, col¬ loq. bottom line, si. nitty-gritty, o at heart 1 see inside adv. 1. 2 see principally. heart-rending agonizing, heartbreaking, tragic. heartache /ha'artayk/ n. mental anguish or grief. ■ see GRIEF 1. heartbeat /hahrtbeet/ n. pulsation of the heart. heart-break /ha'artbrayk/ n. overwhelming distress. □□ heart'break*er n. heart’ breaking adj. heart bro*ken adj. u see grief 1. □□ heartbroken unhappy, grief-stricken, crushed, devastated, heart-burn /haartbarn/ n. burning sensation in the chest resulting from indigestion; pyro¬ sis. ■ see INDIGESTION.

heart-en /hahrt’n/

v. make or become more cheerful. See synonym study at encourage. □□ heart'en-ing adj. ■ see cheer v. 3. heart-felt /hakrtfelt/ adj. sincere; deeply felt. ■ genuine, earnest, profound, ardent, fer¬ vent, passionate. hearth /haarth/ a. 1 a floor of a fireplace, b area in front of a fireplace. 2 this symboliz¬ ing the home. heart-land /haartland/ n. central or vital part of an area. heart-less /haartlis/' adj. unfeeling; pitiless, □o heart’less-ly adv. ■ cruel, callous, inhuman, brutal, cold, merciless, ruthless. heart-sick /ha'artsik/ adj. very despondent. ■ see sad 1. heart-throb /haart-throb/ n. 1 beating of the heart. 2 colloq. person for whom one has (esp. immature) romantic feelings, a 2 see passion 3. heart-warm-ing /haartwawrming/ adj. emo¬ tionally rewarding or uplifting. a moving, touching; gratifying, pleasing, comforting. heart-y /ha'artee/ adj. (heart-i-er, heart-i* est) 1 strong; vigorous. 2 spirited. 3 (of a meal or appetite) large. 4 warm; friendly. 5 genuine; sincere. □□ heart'i-ly adv. heart'i'ness n. a 1 healthy, robust, active. 2 enthusiastic, vigorous, eager. 3 (of a meal) abundant, sub¬ stantial, solid, satisfying, strengthening; (of appetite) healthy, robust, good. 4 genial, kindhearted, affectionate. 5 authentic, warm, honest. heat /heet/ -ra. 1 condition of being hot. 2 Physics a energy arising from the motion of molecules, b amount of this needed to cause a specific process, or evolved in a process (heat of formation, heat of solution). 3 hot weather (succumbed to the heat). 4 a warmth of feeling, b anger or excitement (the heat of the argument). 5 [foil, by of] most intense part or period of an activity (in the heat of bat¬ tle). 6 (usu. preliminary or trial) round in a race or contest. 7 si. criticism. • v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become hot or warm. 2 tr. in¬ flame; excite or intensify. □ heat lightning flashes of lightning without thunder, as from a distant summer storm, heat wave period of very hot weather, in heat (of mammals, esp. females) sexually receptive. □□ heat' ing n. m n. 1 warmth; fever, temperature. 4 pas¬ sion, ardor, zeal, exhilaration; fury, vehe¬ mence; see also anger n. 5 see climax n. 6 qualifier; game, stage, level. • v. 1 see warm v. 1, thaw v. 1,4. 2 impassion; kindle, ignite, rouse, stimulate. heat-ed /heetid/ adj. 1 (of a person, discus¬ sion, etc.) angry; impassioned. 2 made hot. □□ heat'ed’ly adv. ■ 1 furious, stormy, fiery, excited, inflamed, vehement, intense. heat-er /he'etar/ n. device for supplying heat, heath /heeth/ n. 1 area of flatfish uncultivat¬ ed land with low shrubs. 2 plant growing on a heath, esp. heather.

■ 1 see

moor1

1.

hea*then /he'ethsn/ • n. 1 person who does not belong to a widely held religion as re¬ garded by those that do. 2 person regarded as lacking culture or moral principles. • adj. 1 of or relating to heathens. 2 having no re¬ ligion. ■ n. 1 unbeliever, infidel, gentile, pagan. 2 barbarian, savage, brute. • adj. 1 infidel, hist, heretical; savage, barbarian, unenlight¬ ened. 2 pagan, atheistic, godless. hea»ther /hethar/ n. 1 evergreen shrub with purple bell-shaped flowers. 2 any of various shrubs growing esp. on moors and heaths. 3 a fabric or yarn of mixed hues supposed to resemble heather, b color of this. □□ hea' ther*y adj. heat-stroke /he'etstrok/ n. severe feverish condition caused by excessive exposure to high temperature. heat-wave /he'etwayv/ n. period of abnor¬ mally hot weather. heave /heev/ • v. (past and past part, heaved or esp. Naut. hove /hov/) 1 tr. lift or haul (a heavy thing) with great effort. 2 tr. utter with effort or resignation (heaved a sigh). 3 tr. colloq. throw. 4 intr. rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically. 5 tr. Naut. haul by rope. 6 intr. retch. • n. 1 instance of heaving. 2 [in pi] respiratory disease of horses. ■ v. 1 hoist; pull, tug. 2 breathe. 3 hurl, toss; colloq. sling. 6 vomit, colloq. throw up, si. puke. • n. 1 pull, wrench. heav-en /hevan/ n. 1 place regarded in some religions as the abode of God and of the good after death. 2 place or state of su¬ preme bliss. 3 colloq. something delightful. 4 (the heav'ens) the sky as seen from the earth, esp. at night. □□ heav'en*ward adj. & adv.

m 1 paradise, kingdom (of heaven); Canaan, Zion, Valhalla. 2 paradise, nirvana, Elysium, Eden, Utopia, happiness, joy. 3 see delight n. 4 (the heavens) the blue, heav-en-ly /hevanlee/ adj. 1 of heaven; di¬ vine. 2 of the heavens or sky. 3 colloq. very pleasing; wonderful. ■ 1 celestial, ethereal, holy, blessed. 2 ce¬ lestial. 3 delightful, marvelous, sublime, par¬ adisaical, glorious, colloq. fantastic. heav-y /hevee/ • adj. (heav-i-er, heaviest) 1 of great or exceptionally high weight; diffi¬ cult to lift. 2 of great density; abundant; con¬ siderable (heavy crop). 3 severe; intense (heavy fighting). 4 doing something to excess (heavy drinker). 5 (of machinery, artillery, etc.) very large of its kind; large in caliber, etc. 6 needing much physical effort (heavy work). 7 a (of a person, writing, music, etc.) serious or somber in tone or attitude; dull; te¬ dious. b (of an issue, etc.) grave; important; weighty. 8 a (of food) hard to digest, b (of a literary work, etc.) hard to read or under¬ stand. 9 oppressive; hard to endure (a heavy fate, heavy demands). • n. (pi. -ies) 1 colloq. large violent person; thug. 2 villainous role or actor in a play, etc. • adv. heavily (esp. in comb.: heavy-laden). □ heavy-duty adj. 1 intended to withstand hard use. 2 serious; grave, heavy going slow or difficult prog-

375

heathen ~ Hebrew

ress. heavy-hearted sad; doleful, heavy in¬ dustry industry producing metal, machin¬ ery, etc. heavy metal 1 metal of high den¬ sity. 2 colloq. [often attrib.] highly amplified rock music with a strong beat. □□ heav'i-ly adv. heaviness n. heav'y*ish adj. m adj. 1 weighty, massive; overweight, obese. 2 solid; copious, ample. 3 concen¬ trated, extensive, excessive. 4 see immoder¬ ate. 5 see large adj. 1, 2. 6 see hard adj. 3. 7 a grave, ponderous; dry, monotonous; leaden, stodgy, b serious, crucial, critical; see also weighty 2. 8 a see stodgy 1. b dif¬ ficult, complex, esoteric. 9 burdensome, on¬ erous; see also oppressive 1, 2. • n. 1 see thug, o heavy-duty 1 see tough adj. 1. heavy-hearted see sad 1. synonym study:

heavy

burdensome, cumbersome, massive, ponder¬ ous, weighty. Trying to move a refrigerator out of a third-floor apartment is difficult be¬ cause it is cumbersome, which means that it is so heavy and bulky that it becomes un¬ wieldy or awkward to handle. Cartons filled with books, on the other hand, are merely heavy, which implies greater density and compactness than the average load. A huge oak dining table might be described as mas¬ sive, which stresses largeness and solidity rather than weight, while something that is ponderous is too large or too massive to move, or to be moved quickly (a ponderous printing press). Most of these terms can be used figuratively as well. Heavy, for example, connotes a pressing down on the mind, spir¬ its, or senses (heavy with fatigue; a heavy heart) and ponderous implies a dull and la¬ bored quality (a novel too ponderous to read). Burdensome, which refers to something that is not only heavy but must be carried or supported, is even more likely to be used in an abstract way to describe something that is difficult but can, with effort, be managed (a burdensome task). Both a package and a prob¬ lem may be described as weighty, meaning actually (as opposed to relatively) heavy; but it is more commonly used to mean very im¬ portant or momentous (weighty matters to dis¬ cuss) .

heav»y-hand*ed /hevihandid/

adj. 1 clumsy. 2 overbearing; oppressive. □□ heav'yhand'eddy adv. heav'y-hand'ed*ness n. m 1 awkward, inept, ungraceful. 2 domi¬ neering, autocratic.

heav*y*set

/heveeset/

adj. stocky; thickset.

■ see STOCKY.

heav*y»weight /heveewayt/

n. la weight class in certain sports, esp. boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, etc. b sports participant of this weight. 2 person, animal, or thing of above average weight. 3 colloq. person of influence or importance. He*bra*ic /hibrayik/ adj. of Hebrew or the Hebrews. He*brew /he'ebroo/ • n. 1 member of a Se¬ mitic people orig. centered in ancient Pales¬ tine. 2 a language of this people, b modern

heck ~ helicopter

376

form of this used esp. in Israel. • adj. 1 of or in Hebrew. 2 of the Hebrews or the Jews, heck /hek/ ini. colloq. mild exclamation of sur¬ prise or dismay. heck*le /hekal/ v.tr. interrupt and harass (a public speaker, entertainer, etc.); badger. □o heck'ler n. ■ pester, bother, taunt, colloq. hassle, plague. hectare /hektair/ n. metric unit of square measure, equal to 100 ares (2.471 acres or 10,000 square meters). hec*tic /hektik/ adj. 1 busy and confused; ex¬ cited. 2 feverish. □□ hec'ti*caMy adv. ■ 1 agitated, bustling, rushed, frantic. 2 flushed, hot. hecto- /hekta/ comb, form hundred, esp. of a unit in the metric system. HAbbr.: h. hec*tor/hektar/ • v.tr. bully; intimidate. • n. bully. ■ v. see bully v. 1. • n. see bully n. he’d /heed/ contr. 1 he had. 2 he would, hedge /hej/ • n. 1 fence or boundary of dense bushes or shrubs. 2 protection against possible loss. • v. 1 tr. surround or bound with a hedge. 2 tr. enclose. 3 a tr. reduce one’s risk of loss on (a bet or speculation) by compensating transactions, b intr. avoid a definite decision or commitment. an. 1 see enclosure 4. • v. 1,2 see en¬ close 1. 3 b see equivocate. hedge'hog /hejhawg, -hog/ n. 1 small noc¬ turnal insect-eating mammal having a piglike snout and a coat of spines, and rolling itself into a ball for defense. 2 porcupine or other animal similarly covered with spines. he'dO'nism /heed’nizam/ n. 1 belief in pleasure as the highest good and the proper aim of humans. 2 behavior based on this. □□ he'don*ist n. he*don*is'tic adj. • 2 see DISSIPATION 1. heed /heed/ • v. tr. attend to; take notice of. • n. careful attention, do heed'ful adj. heed'less adj. heed'less*ly adv. ■ v. pay attention to, take note of, mark; take, follow, obey. • n. notice, consideration, thought, oo heedless unobservant; (heedless of) unmindful of, regardless of. hee-haw /heehaw/ • n. bray of a donkey. • v.intr. emit a braying sound, esp. a braying laugh. heel1 /heel/ • n. 1 back part of the foot below the ankle. 2 a part of a sock, etc., covering the heel, b part of a shoe or boot supporting the heel. 3 thing like a heel in form or posi¬ tion. 4 crust end of a loaf of bread. 5 colloq. person regarded with contempt or disap¬ proval. 6 [as int.] command to a dog to walk close to its owner’s heel. • v. 1 tr. fit or re¬ new a heel on (a shoe or boot). 2 intr. touch the ground with the heel, as in dancing. 3 intr. (of a dog) follow closely. □ at (or on) the heels of following closely after (a person or event), down at (the) heel see down1. kick up one’s heels have fun or go on a spree, take to one’s heels run away. an. 4 tail end, stump. 5 cad, scoundrel, colloq. swine, si. bastard. □ take to one’s

heels flee, run off, colloq. skedaddle, si. split; see also run v. 2. heel2 /heel/ • v. 1 intr. (of a ship, etc.) lean over. 2 tr. cause (a ship, etc.) to do this. • n. act or amount of heeling. ■ v. 1 list, tip, incline; see also tilt v. 1. • n. see tilt n. 2. heft*y /heftee/ adj. (heft*i«er, heft*i*est) 1 (of a person) big and strong. 2 (of a thing) large; heavy; powerful. □□ heft'idy adv. heft'imess n. a 1 powerful, beefy, colloq. hunky. 2 enor¬ mous, substantial. he*ge*mo*ny /hijemanee, hejamonee/ n. leadership, esp. by one nation over another. ■ see leadership (leader). he*gi*ra /hijl'ra, hejira/ n. (also he'ji'ra) 1 (Hegira) a Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina in ad 622. b Muslim era reckoned from this date. 2 general exodus or departure. heif*er /hefar/ n. young cow, esp. one that has not had a calf. height /hit/ n. 1 measurement from base to top or from head to foot. 2 elevation above ground or a recognized level. 3 considerable elevation. 4 a high place or area, b rising ground. 5 top of something. 6 a most in¬ tense part or period, b extreme example. ■ 1 tallness, size. 2, 3 altitude. 4 hill, cliff, bluff. 5 crest, apex; see also top1 n. 1. 6 acme, zenith, climax; extreme. heighten /hitan/ v. make or become higher or more intense. ■ raise, elevate, lift; strengthen, amplify, magnify, enhance, supplement; see also rise v. 2, increase v. 1. HeirrMich ma*neu*ver /himlik/ n. emer¬ gency procedure to aid a choking victim by applying sudden pressure against the victim’s upper abdomen to dislodge the ob¬ ject. hei*nous /haynas/ adj. utterly odious or wicked. ■ see wicked 1. heir /air/ n. person entitled to property or rank as the legal successor of its former owner (heir to the throne). □ heir apparent heir whose claim cannot be set aside by the birth of another heir. ■ beneficiary, inheritor, successor. heir»ess /airis/ n. female heir, esp. to great wealth or high title. heiMoom 'abloom/ n. 1 piece of personal property that has been in a family for several generations. 2 piece of property received as part of an inheritance. ■ 1 see antique n. heist/hist/ si. • n. robbery, •v.tr. rob. ■ n. see robbery (rob). • v. see steal v. 1. held past and past part, of HOLD. he*li*cal /helikal, he'eli-/ adj. having the form of a helix. ■ see spiral adj. hel*i*ces pi. of helix. he*li»COp*ter /helikoptar/ • n. aircraft with¬ out fixed wings, obtaining lift and propulsion from horizontally revolving overhead blades, and capable of moving vertically and hori¬ zontally. • v. transport or fly by helicopter.

helio- /he'eleeo/ comb, form sun. he»li*0*cen*tric /he'eleeosentrik/

adj.

1 re¬

garding the sun as center. 2 considered as viewed from the sun’s center. he»li»0*trope /he'eleeatrop/ a. 1 a plant with fragrant purple flowers, b scent of these. 2 light purple color. 3 bloodstone, heliport /helipawrt/ n. place where heli¬ copters take off and land. he*li*um /he'eleeom/ n. Chem. light, inert, gaseous element used in airships and bal¬ loons and as a refrigerant. |Symb.: He. heiix /he'eliks/ n. (pi. he*li*ces /-seez, hel-/) spiral curve (like a corkscrew) or a coiled curve (like a watch spring). ■ see spiral n. hell /hel/ n. 1 place regarded in some reli¬ gions as the abode of the dead, or of con¬ demned sinners and devils. 2 place or state of misery or wickedness. □ come hell or high water no matter what the difficulties, hell of a colloq. very much of a; extremely (hell of a hot day). • 1 underworld,

inferno, Hades, lower world. 2 purgatory, torment, agony, he’ll /heel/ contr. he will; he shall. hel*la*ci0US /helayshos/ adj. si. 1 impressive; terrific; tremendous; remarkable. 2 over¬ whelmingly powerful, severe, or difficult. h£Me»bore /helibawr/ n. evergreen plant having large white, green, or purplish flow¬ ers, e.g., the Christmas rose. HeMe*nism /helinizsm/ n. Greek character or culture (esp. of ancient Greece). □□ Hel* len*ic /-lenik/ adj. Hel'len*ist n. Hel*len*is*tic /helinistik/ adj. of or relating to Greek history, language, and culture from the death of Alexander the Great to the time of Augustus (4th-lst c. bc). helhhole /helhol/ n. colloq. oppressive or un¬ bearable place. heMish /helish/ adj. 1 of or like hell. 2 colloq. extremely difficult or unpleasant. □□ hel' lish*ly adv. hel'lish*ness n. ■ 1 see infernal 1. 2 see ATROCIOUS 1. heMo /helo, ho-/ • int. 1 a expression of in¬ formal greeting, b used to begin a telephone conversation. 2 cry used to call attention. • n. (pi. —los) cry of “hello”. ■ int. hi, how do you do?, howdy, colloq. ciao, hiya. helm /helm/ • n. tiller or wheel for controlling a ship’s rudder, •v.tr. steer or guide as if with a helm. □ at the helm in control; at the head (of an organization, etc.). ■ n. steering gear. • v. see steer1 v. 1. □ at the helm in command, in the driver’s seat; directing, presiding. hel*met /helmit/ n. protective head covering worn by soldiers, police officers, firefighters, cyclists, etc. □□ hel'met*ed adj. helms*man /helmzman/ n. (pi. -men) per¬ son who steers a vessel. ■ see pilot n. 2, 6, navigator (navigate). help /help/ •v.tr. 1 provide with the means toward what is needed or sought (helped me with my work). 2 [often absol.] be of use or service to (a person) (does that help?). 3 con¬ tribute to alleviating (a pain or difficulty). 4 prevent or remedy (it can’t be helped).

377

helio- ~ hemoglobin

5 [usu. with neg.] a tr. refrain from (can’t help it), b refl. refrain from acting (couldn’t help himself). 6 tr. serve (a person with food) (shall I help you to more rice?). • n. 1 helping or being helped (we need your help). 2 person or thing that helps. 3 domestic servant or employee, or several collectively. 4 remedy or escape. □ help oneself 1 serve oneself (with food). 2 take without seeking help; take without permission; steal. □□ help'er n. • v. 1 assist, give a hand; support. 2 aid, be useful (to). 3, 4 relieve, cure; avoid. 5 a stop, resist, keep from, b stop, control oneself. • n. 1 aid, support, assistance. 2 support; prop, aide. 3 worker(s), hand(s), laborer(s); staff. 4 relief; cure, balm. □ help oneself 2 appropriate, colloq. lift, si. pinch. help*ful /helpfObl/ adj. giving help; useful. □□ help'fuliy adv. help'ful*ness n. ■ serviceable, practical, beneficial; support¬ ive, reassuring. helping /helping/ n. portion of food, esp. at a meal. ■ serving, ration, plateful, dollop, helpiess /helplis/ adj. 1 lacking help or pro¬ tection; defenseless. 2 unable to act without help. □□ help'less*ly adv. help’less*ness n. ■ 1 vulnerable, dependent; see also defense¬ less (defense). 2 weak; confused. help»mate /helpmayt/ n. helpful companion or partner. hel*ter-skel*ter /heltarskeltar/ • adv. in dis¬ orderly haste; confusedly. • adj. disorderly. ■ adv. recklessly, pell-mell, headlong, colloq. every which way. • adj. confused, haphaz¬ ard, topsy-turvy, higgledy-piggledy. hem1 /hem/ • n. border of cloth, esp. a cut edge turned under and sewn down. •v.tr. (hemmed, hem*ming) turn and sew the edge of (cloth, etc.). □ hem in confine; re¬ strict. ■ n. see border1 n. 3. • v. see sew. o hem in see box v. 2. hem2 /hem, ham/ • int. (also a*hem') calling attention or expressing hesitation by a slight cough or clearing of the throat. • n. utter¬ ance of this. • v. intr. (hemmed, hem* ming) say hem; hesitate in speech. □ hem and haw hesitate, esp. in speaking. he*ma*tol*0*gy /he'emstolajee, hem-/ n. the study of the physiology of the blood. □□ he* ma*tol'o*gist n. hemi- /hemee/ comb, form half, hemisphere /hemisfeer/ n. 1 half a sphere. 2 half of the earth, esp. as divided by the equator (into northern and southern hemi¬ sphere) or by a line passing through the poles (into eastern and western hemisphere). 3 either lateral half of the brain. □□ hemispheric /-sfe'erik,-sferik/ adj. hemispherical adj. hemiine /hemlln/ n. lower edge of a skirt, dress, or coat. hemiock /hemlok/ n. 1 poisonous plant with fernlike leaves and small white flowers. 2 poison made from this. he*mo»glo*bin /he'emsglobin, hem-/ n. oxygen-carrying substance containing iron in red blood cells.

hemophilia ~ heresy

378

he»mo*phil*i*a /he'emafileea, hem-/ n. Med. hereditary disorder with a tendency to bleed severely from even a slight injury, through the failure of the blood to clot normally. □□ he*mo*phil'ic adj. he*mo»phil*i»ac /he'emafileeak, -fe'elee-, hem-/ n. person suffering from hemophilia. hem*or«rhage /hemarij, hemrij/ • n. 1 pro¬ fuse loss of blood from a ruptured blood vessel. 2 extensive damaging loss suffered by a government, organization, etc., esp. of people or assets, • v.intr. undergo a hemor¬ rhage. hem^onrhoid /hemaroyd/ n. [usu. in pi.] swollen veins at or near the anus; piles. □□ hem*or*rhoi'dal adj. hemp /hemp/ n. 1 (in full In'di*an hemp') herbaceous plant, native to Asia. 2 its fiber used to make rope and strong fabrics. 3 nar¬ cotic drug made from the hemp plant. hem»stitch /hemstich/ • n. decorative stitch used in sewing hems. • v. tr. hem with this stitch. hen /hen/ n. female bird, esp. of a domestic fowl. hence /hens/ adv. 1 from this time {two years hence). 2 for this reason {hence we seem to be wrong).

■ 1 in the future. 2 therefore, consequently, as a result. henceforth /hensfawrth/ adv. (also hence* for*ward /-fawrward/) from this time on¬ ward. ■ hereafter, from now on, in the future. hench»man /henchman/ n. {pi. -men) 1 trusted supporter or attendant. 2 often derog. political supporter; partisan. ■ 1 associate, partisan, right-hand man, colloq. sidekick. hen»na /hena/ n. 1 tropical shrub having small pink, red, or white flowers. 2 reddish hair dye made from this. hen*peck /henpek/ v.tr. (of a woman) con¬ stantly harass (a man, esp. her husband). ■ nag, pester, torment, carp at, colloq. go on at. hep var. of hip3. he*pat*ic /hipatik/ adj. of or relating to the liver. hep*a»ti*tis /hepatitis/ n. inflammation of the liver. hepta- /hepta/ comb, form seven. hep*ta*gon /heptagon/ n. plane figure with seven sides and angles. □□ hep*tag*o*nal /-taganal/ adj. hep*tath*lon /heptathlon, -lan/ n. Sports seven-event track and field competition, esp. for women. her /har/ • pron. 1 objective case of she {I like her). 2 colloq. she {it’s her all right, am older than her), • poss.pron. [attrib.] of or belong¬ ing to her or herself {her house, her own busi¬ ness) .

her*ald /herald/ • n. 1 official messenger bringing news. 2 forerunner {spring is the herald of summer). • v.tr. proclaim the ap¬ proach of; usher in {the storm heralded trou¬ ble). □□ her*ald*ic /heraldik/ adj.

mn. 1 see messenger. 2 see forerunner 2. • v. see announce 1. her*ald*ry /heraldree/ n. art or knowledge of coats of arms, genealogies, etc. herb /arb, harb/ n. 1 any nonwoody seed¬ bearing plant. 2 plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, scent, etc. 3 si. marijuana. □□ her*ba*ceous /harbayshas/ adj. herb'al adj. herb'al'ist n. a 2 see spice n. 1. her*bi»cide /harbisld, ar-/ n. poison used to destroy unwanted vegetation. her*bi*vore /harbivawr, ar-/ n. animal that feeds on plants. □□ her*biv*o*rous /-bivaras/ adj. Her*cu*le*an /harkyale'ean, -kyobleean/ adj. having or requiring great strength or effort. ■ see superhuman 1. Her*CU*les /harkyaleez/ n. GK. & Rom. mythol. man of exceptional strength and size, herd /hard/ •«. 1 a number of animals, esp. cattle, feeding, traveling, or kept together. 2 [often prec. by the] derog. large number of people; crowd; mob {prefers not to follow the herd). 3 [esp. in comb.] keeper of herds; herdsman (cowherd). • v. 1 intr. Gf tr. go or cause to go in a herd {herded the catde into the field). 2 tr. tend (sheep, catde, etc.) {he herds the goats). □ □ herd'er n. • n. 1 see flock2 n. 1. 2 group, throng, usu. derog. masses, hoi polloi, riffraff. • v. 1 gather (together), assemble; round up, cor¬ ral. 2 shepherd, look after; see also tend 1. herds*man /hardzman/ n. {pi. -men) owner or keeper of herds (of domesticated ani¬ mals). here /heer/ • adv. 1 in or at or to this place or position {put it here). 2 indicating a person’s presence or a thing offered {here is your coat, my son here). 3 at this point {here I have a question). • n. this place {get out of here, lives near here). • int. 1 calling attention: short for come here, look here, etc. {here, where are you going with that?). 2 indicating one’s presence in a roll call: short for I am here. □ neither here nor there of no importance. here*a*bOUtS /he'erabowts/ adv. (also here' a*bout) near this place. here*af*ter /he'eraftar/ • adv. from now on; in the future. • n. 1 the future. 2 life after death. here*by /heerbi/ adv. by this means; as a re¬ sult of this. he*red»i*tar»y /hirediteree/ adj. 1 (of disease, instinct, etc.) able to be passed down geneti¬ cally. 2 a descending by inheritance, b holding a position by inheritance. ■ 1 inheritable; innate. 2 a ancestral, inher¬ ited, handed down. he*red*i*ty /hireditee/ n. la passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically, b these characteristics. 2 genetic constitu¬ tion. herein /he'erin/ adv. formal in this matter, book, etc. her*e*sy /herasee/ n. (pi. -sies) 1 belief or practice contrary to orthodox doctrine, esp. of the Christian church. 2 nonconforming opinion {it’s heresy to suggest that instant coffee is as good as the real thing).

■ 1 see SACRILEGE.

her»e*tic /heratik/ n. 1 holder of an unortho¬ dox opinion. 2 person believing in or prac¬ ticing religious heresy, oo he*ret*i*cal /hiretikal/ adj. • 1 see nonconformist. 2 see infidel n. □□ heretical unorthodox, freethinking, ag¬ nostic, atheistic, infidel, heathen, blasphe¬ mous, impious. here»tO*fore /he'ertafawr/ adv. formal before this time. ■ see previously (previous). here*up*on /he'erapon, -pawn/ adv. after this; in consequence of this. here*with /he'erwith, -with/ adv. with this (esp. of an enclosure in a letter, etc.), heritage /heritij/ n. 1 anything that is or may be inherited. 2 inherited circum¬ stances, benefits, etc. (heritage of confusion). 3 historic buildings, traditions, etc., deemed valuable. ■ 1 bequest, legacy, birthright. 2 legacy, in¬ heritance. herk*y-jerk»y /harkeejarkee/ adj. marked by fitful, spastic, or unpredictable movement or manner. her»maph*ro»dite /harmaffadit/ • n. person, animal, or plant having both male and fe¬ male reproductive organs. • adj. combining aspects of both sexes, on her*maph*ro*dit* ic /—ditik/ adj. • n. see bisexual n. • adj. see bisexual adj. her*met»ic /harmetik/ adj. 1 with an airtight closure. 2 protected from outside agencies. □□ her*met'i*cal*ly adv. m 1 sealed; see also tight adj. 4. 2 en¬ closed, secured, safe. her*mit /harmit/ n. 1 early Christian recluse. 2 any person living in solitude. □ hermit crab crab that lives in a cast-off mollusk shell. □□ her*mit'ic adj. ■ eremite, anchorite, anchoress. her*mit*age /harmitij/ n. 1 hermit’s dwell¬ ing. 2 monastery. 3 solitary dwelling. her*ni»a /harneea/ n. (pi. her*ni*as or her* ni*ae /-nee-ee/) protrusion of part of an or¬ gan through the wall of the cavity containing it, esp. of the abdomen, no her'ni*at*ed adj. he*ro /he'ero/ n. (pi. -roes) 1 a person noted or admired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc. (Newton, a hero of science). b great warrior. 2 chief male character in a poem, play, story, etc. 3 dial. = submarine sandwich. ■ 1 a champion, exemplar, celebrity, star, idol, b knight. 2 protagonist; (male) lead, principal. he*ro*iC /hiroik/ • adj. 1 a (of an act or a quality) of or fit for a hero, b (of a person) like a hero. 2 a (of language) grand; highflown; dramatic, b (of a work of art) heroic in scale or subject; unusually large or impres¬ sive. • «. [in pi.) 1 high-flown language or sentiments. 2 unduly bold behavior. □□ her*o'i*cal*ly adv. m adj. 1 brave, courageous, bold, valiant, noble, honorable, gallant, daring, majestic. 2 a bombastic, exaggerated, extravagant, b epic, Homeric, prodigious, larger than life. • n. 2 (heroics) see bravado.

379

heretic ~ heuristic

her*o*in /heroin/ n. highly addictive white crystalline analgesic drug derived from mor¬ phine, often used as a narcotic. her*0*ine /heroin/ n. 1 woman noted or ad¬ mired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc. 2 chief female character in a poem, play, story, etc.

■ 1 see hero la. 2 protagonist; (female) lead; diva. her*0*ism /heroizam/ n. heroic conduct or qualities. ■ see bravery (brave). her»on /heran/ n. large wading bird with long

legs and a long S-shaped neck. her*pes /harpeez/ n. virus disease causing skin blisters. □ her*pes zos*ter /zostar/ = SHINGLES.

her*pe*tOl*0*gy /harpitolajee/ n. the study of reptiles. □□ her*pe*to*log*i*cal /-talojikal/ adj. her*pe*tol'o*gist n. hewing /hering/ n. N. Adantic fish used for food. her*ring*bone /heringbon/ n. 1 stitch with a zigzag pattern. 2 this pattern, or cloth woven in it. hers /harz/ poss.pron. the one(s) belonging to or associated with her (it is hers, hers are over there). □ of hers of or belonging to her (friend of hers).

her*self /harself/ pron. 1 a emphat. form of she or her (she herself will do it). b refl. form of her (she has hurt herself). 2 in her normal state of body or mind (does not feel quite her¬ self).

hertz /herts/ n. (pi. same) unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. IfAbbr.: Hz. he’s /heez/ contr. 1 he is. 2 he has. hes*i*tant /hezit’nt/ adj. 1 hesitating; irreso¬ lute. 2 (of speech) stammering; faltering. □□ hes*i*tance /-tans/ n. hes'i*tan*cy n. hes'i*tant*ly adv. ■ 1 undecided, uncertain, ambivalent, see also cautious. 2 halting, stuttering. hes*i*tate /hezitayt/ v.intr. 1 show or feel in¬ decision or uncertainty; pause in doubt. 2 be reluctant (hesitate to say). 3 stammer or falter in speech. □□ hes*i*ta*tion /-tayshan/ n.

■ 1 vacillate, waver, colloq. dillydally. 2 hang back, think twice; (hesitate to) hold back from, shrink from. 3 stutter, hem and haw. hetero- /hetaro/ comb, form other; different. het*er*0*dox /hetaradoks/ adj. (of a person, opinion, etc.) not orthodox. □□ het'er*o* dox*y n. het»er*0*ge*ne*OUS /hetaroje'eneeas, -nyas/ adj. 1 diverse in character. 2 varied in con¬ tent. □□ het*er*o*ge*ne*i*ty /-jineeitee/ n. ■ see diverse.

het*er*o*sex*u*al /hetarosekshooal/ • adj. feeling or involving sexual attraction to per¬ sons of the opposite sex. • n. heterosexual person, pa het*er*o*sex*u*al*i*ty /-alitee/ n. het*er*o*sex'u*al*ly adv. m adj. see straight adj. 6b. • n. see straight n. 3b. heu«ris*tic /hyOOristik/ • adj. 1 allowing or

hew ~ high

380

assisting to discover. 2 Computing proceed¬ ing to a solution by trial and error. • n. 1 science of heuristic procedure. 2 heuristic process or method. □□ heu*ris'ti*cal*ly adv.

hew /hyoo/ v. (past part, hewn /hyoon/ or hewed) 1 tr. a chop or cut (a thing) with an ax, sword, etc. b cut (a block of wood, etc.) into shape. 2 intr. strike cutting blows. ■ see chop1 v. 1. hex /heks/ • v. 1 intr. practice witchcraft. 2 tr. cast a spell on; bewitch. • n. magic spell; curse. ■ v. 2 see bewitch 2. • n. see jinx n. hexa- /hekss/ comb, form six. hex*a*dec*i*mal /heksadesimal/ (also hex) esp. Computing • adj. of a system of numeri¬ cal notation that has 16 rather than 10 as a base. • n. hexadecimal system or nota¬ tion. hex*a»gon /heksagan/ n. plane figure with six sides and angles. □□ hex*ag*o*nal /-saganal/ adj. hex»a*gram /heksagram/ n. figure formed by two intersecting equilateral triangles. hex»am*e*ter /heksamitar/ n. line of verse of six metrical feet. hey /hay/ int. calling attention or expressing joy, surprise, inquiry, enthusiasm, etc. hey*day /hayday/ n. time of one’s greatest strength, vigor, prosperity, etc. ■ see prime1 n. 1. HF abbr. high frequency. Hf symb. Chem. hafnium. Hg symb. Chem. mercury, hgt. abbr. height, hgwy. abbr. highway. HHS abbr. (Department of) Health and Hu¬ man Services. HI abbr. Hawaii (in official postal use), hi /hi/ int. expression of greeting or to call at¬ tention. hi*a*tus /hlaytas/ n. (pi. hi*a*tus*es) break or gap, esp. in a series, account, or chain of proof. ■ see space n. 4. hi»ba*chi /haba'achee/ n. portable charcoal¬ burning grill. hi»ber»nate /hibarnayt/ v.intr. (of some ani¬ mals) spend the winter in a dormant state. □□hi*ber*na'tion /-nayshan/ n. Hi»ber*ni*an /'hlbarneean/ archaic poet. • adj. of Ireland. • n. native of Ireland. hi*bis*cus /hibiskas/ n. cultivated tree or shrub with large bright-colored flowers. hiC'CUp /hlkup/ (also hic'cough) • n. 1 in¬ voluntary spasm of the diaphragm causing a coughlike sound. 2 temporary or minor stoppage or difficulty. • v. 1 intr. make a hic¬ cup. 2 tr. utter with a hiccup, hick /hik/ n. colloq. country dweller; provin¬ cial. ■ see provincial n. hick*0»ry /hikaree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 N. Ameri¬ can tree yielding wood and nutlike edible fruits. 2 the wood of these trees, hid past of hide1. hid«den past part, of hide1.

hide1 /hid/ v. (past hid /hid/; past pan. hid* den /hidan/) 1 tr. put or keep out of sight (hid it under the cushion). 2 intr. conceal one¬ self. 3 tr. keep secret (hid his real motive from her). 4 tr. conceal (trees hid the house). □ hidden agenda secret motivation; ulterior motive, hide-and-seek children’s game in which players hide and another searches for them, hide-out colloq. hiding place. □□ hid' den adj. hid'er n. m 1 conceal, secrete, squirrel away. 2 take cover, lie low, go into hiding, colloq. hole up. 3 conceal, cover (up), disguise. 4 blot out; see also obscure v. □ hide-out see hidea¬ way. □□ hidden concealed, secret, covert. hide2 /hid/ n. 1 skin of an animal, esp. when tanned or dressed. 2 colloq. human skin (I’ll tan your hide).

■ 1 pelt. hide*a*way /hidaway/ n. hiding place or place of retreat. ■ refuge, haven, retreat, sanctuary, hiding place, colloq. hide-out. hide»bOund /hl'dbownd/ adj. 1 narrow¬ minded; bigoted. 2 (of the law, rules, etc.) constricted by tradition. ■ 1 intolerant; strait-laced, conventional, conservative. 2 bound, limited, hemmed in. hid*e*OUS /hideeas/ adj. frightful, repulsive, or revolting (hideous monster). □□ hid'e*ous* ly adv. hid'e*ous*ness n. m grotesque, ugly, disgusting, horrible, gruesome, horrifying, outrageous, hateful, atrocious, damnable. hi*er*ar*chy /hl'araarkee/ n. (pi. -chies) 1 system in which grades of status are ranked one above the other (ranks third in the hier¬ archy). 2 hierarchical system (of govern¬ ment, management, etc.). □□ hi*er*ar*chi* cal /-ra'arkikal/ adj. m 1 see order n. 4. hi*er*0*glyph*ic /hfraglifik/ • adj. depicted with pictures representing words or sounds, as used for ancient Egyptian., • n. [in pi.] 1 hieroglyphic writing. 2 joc. writing difficult to read. hi-fi /hrfl/ colloq. • adj. of high fidelity. • n. (pi. hi-fis) set of equipment for high fidelity sound reproduction. hig»gle*dy-pig*gle*dy /higaldeepigaldee/ • adv. & adj. in confusion or disorder. • n. state of disordered confusion. ■ adv. & adj. see chaotic (chaos). • n. see chaos la. high /hi/ • adj. 1 a of great vertical extent (high building), b [predic.; often in comb.] of a specified height (one inch high, water was waist-high). 2 far above ground or sea level, etc. (high altitude). 3 above the normal level (high boots, sweater with a high neck). 4 of ex¬ alted, esp. spiritual, quality (high principles, high art). 5 a of exalted rank (in high society, is high in the government). b important; seri¬ ous; grave. 6 a great; intense; extreme; pow¬ erful (high praise, high temperature). b greater than normal (high prices). 7 colloq. intoxicat¬ ed. 8 (of a sound or note) of high frequency; shrill; at the top end of the scale. 9 (of a pe¬ riod, an age, a time, etc.) at its peak (high noon, high summer, High Renaissance). •«.

1 high, or the highest, level or figure. 2 area of high barometric pressure. 3 si. euphoric drug-induced state. • adv. 1 far up; aloft (flew the flag high). 2 in or to a high degree. 3 at a high price. 4 (of a sound) at or to a high pitch (sang high). □ high and low eve¬ rywhere (searched high and low). high beam full, bright illumination from a motor vehi¬ cle’s headlight, high chair infant’s chair with long legs and a tray for meals, highclass 1 of high quality. 2 characteristic of the upper class, high fidelity reproduction of sound with little distortion, giving a result very similar to the original, high five gesture in which two people slap each other’s raised palm, esp. out of elation, high-flown (of lan¬ guage, etc.) extravagant; bombastic, high frequency frequency, esp. in radio, of 3 to 30 megahertz, high jinks boisterous joking or merrymaking, high-level 1 (of negotia¬ tions, etc.) conducted by high-ranking peo¬ ple. 2 Computing (of a programming lan¬ guage) that is not machine-dependent and is usu. at a level of abstraction close to natural language, high-occupancy vehicle com¬ muter vehicle carrying several (or many) passengers. UAbbr.: HOV. high-pitched 1 (of a sound) high. 2 (of a roof) steep. 3 at a high level of energy; intense, highpowered 1 having great power or energy. 2 important or influential, high pressure 1 high degree of activity or exertion. 2 con¬ dition of the atmosphere with the pressure above average, high priest 1 chief priest, esp. in early Judaism. 2 head of any cult, high-rise 1 (of a building) having many stories. 2 such a building, high school sec¬ ondary school, high sea (or seas) open seas not within any country’s jurisdiction, highspirited vivacious; cheerful, high-strung very sensitive or nervous, high tech n. — high technology, adj. 1 (of interior design, etc.) imitating styles more usual in industry, etc., esp. using steel, glass, or plastic in a functional way. 2 employing, requiring, or involved in high technology, high technol¬ ogy advanced technological development, esp. in electronics, high tide time or level of the tide at its peak, high wire high tightrope. ■ adj. 1 a tall, elevated, towering. 4 lofty, superior; high-class. 5 a chief, leading, im¬ portant; see also superior1 adj. 1. b conse¬ quential, weighty, momentous. 6 a huge, considerable, strong, b extreme, excessive; exorbitant, (predic.) colloq. stiff, steep. 7 ine¬ briated, drunk, drugged, colloq. turned-on, on a trip, si. loaded, stoned. 8 high-pitched, squeaky, sharp, piercing; treble, soprano. 9 mid-; late. • n. 1 peak, record, maximum. 3 see trance n. • adv. 1 see above adv. 1. 2 well, far, greatly. 3 dear, sky-high, colloq. through the roof. □ high and low see every¬ where. high-class first-rate, superior, colloq. top-drawer, tiptop, Al; aristocratic, elite, ex¬ clusive, colloq. classy, tony, high-flown see bombastic (bombast), high jinks see frouc n. 2. high-pitched 1 see high adj. 8 above. 2 see steep adj. 1. high-powered 1 see pow¬ erful. 2 see powerful, high-spirited see vivacious, high-strung see nervous 1-3.

381

highball ~ hilarious

high'ball /hibawl/

n. drink of liquor (esp. whiskey) and soda, etc., served with ice in a tall glass. high*boy /hiboy/ n. tall chest of drawers on legs. high*brow /hibrow/ colloq. • adj. intellectual; cultural. • n. intellectual or cultured person. ■ adj. scholarly, cultivated. • n. colloq. brain; see intellectual

n.

high*fa*lu*tin /hifalofet’n/ (also high*fa*lu* ting /-ing/) colloq. adj. absurdly pompous or pretentious. ■ see pompous 1. high-hand»ed /hihandid/ adj. overbearing. □□ high'-hand'ed*ly adv. high' -hand 'ed* ness n. ■ see overbearing.

highland /hibnd/ • n. [usu. in pi] 1 area of high land. 2 (the Highlands) mountainous part of Scotland. • adj. of or in a highland or the Highlands. □□ high'land'er n. (also High’land*er). ■

n. 1 see rise n. 2.

highlight /hflit/ • n. 1 (in a painting, etc.) light area, or one seeming to reflect light. 2 moment or detail of vivid interest; out¬ standing feature. • v.tr. 1 bring into promi¬ nence; draw attention to. 2 mark with a highlighter pen. m n. 2 see piece de resistance. • v. see em¬ phasize.

high»ly /hilee/ adv. 1 in or to a high degree (highly amusing, commend it highly). 2 honor¬ ably; favorably (think highly of him). m 1 greatly, tremendously, warmly; ex¬ tremely, exceptionally; very, much, well. 2 enthusiastically, approvingly. high-mind*ed /himmdid/ adj. having high moral principles. □□ high'-mind'ed*ly adv. high'-mind'ed*ness n. ■ see moral adj. 2.

high'ness

/hmis/

(cf. height) .

2

n.

1

state of being high

tide used of a prince or prin¬

cess.

high»way /hfway/ n. la public road, b main route (by land or water). 2 direct course of action (highway to success). ■ 1 see road 1. high*way*man /hlwayman/ n. (pi. -men) hist, robber of passengers, travelers, etc. ■ see robber (ROB). hi*jack /hijak/ • v. tr. 1 seize control of (an aircraft in flight, etc.), esp. to force it to a dif¬ ferent destination. 2 seize (goods) in transit. • n. instance or act of hijacking. □□ hi'jack* er n. ■ v. 2 see steal v. 1. hike /hxk/ • n. 1 long walk, esp. in the coun¬ try with backpacks, etc. 2 increase (of prices, etc.). »v. 1 intr. go for a hike. 2 tr. pull up (clothing, etc.). 3 tr. increase (prices, etc.). □□ hik'er n. ■ n. 1 see walk1 n. 2b. 2 see jump n. 3. • v. 1 see walk v. 1, 2. 3 see mark up 1 (mark). hi*lar*i*OUS /hilaireeas/ adj. 1 exceedingly funny. 2 boisterously merry. □□ hi*lar'i* ous*ly adv. hi*lar'i*ty n. u 1 sidesplitting, uproarious; colloq. hysteri-

hill ~ hippie

382

cal. 2 jolly, mirthful, rollicking. □□ hilarity exuberance, glee, jubilation, hill /hil/ n. 1 naturally raised area of land, lower than a mountain. 2 [often in comb.} heap; mound (anthill, dunghill). 3 sloping piece of road. □□ hil'li*ness n. hill'y adj. ■ 1 elevation, rise, mound, knoll, {hills) highlands. 2 pile, stack. 3 incline, gradient. hilhbiMy /hilbilee/ n. (pi. -lies) colloq., often derog. person from a remote or mountainous area, esp. in the Appalachian mountains of the eastern US. ■ see rustic n. hilbside /hilsld/ n. sloping side of a hill, hilhtop /hiltop/ n. summit of a hill, hilt /hilt/ n. handle of a sword, dagger, tool, etc. □ up to the hilt completely, him /him/ pron. 1 objective case of HE (I saw him). 2 colloq. he (it’s him again, taller than him).

Him*a»lay*an /himolayon/

adj. of or relating

to the Himalaya mountains in Nepal.

htm*self /himself/

pron. 1 a emphat. form of (he himself will do it), b refl.form of him (he has hurt himself). 2 in his normal state of body or mind (does not feel quite him¬ self). hind /hind/ adj. (esp. of parts of the body) at the back (hind leg). ■ see posterior adj. 2. hin*der/hindsr/ v.tr. [also absol.] impede; de¬

HE or

him

lay; prevent. See synonym study at prohibit. ■ hamper; thwart, frustrate, stop, check. synonym study: hinder encumber, hamper, impede, obstruct, pre¬

If you’re about to set off on a cross¬ country trip by car and wake up to find that a foot of snow has fallen overnight, it would be correct to say that the weather has hin¬ dered you. But if you’re trying to drive through a snowstorm and are forced to creep along at a snail’s pace behind a snowplow, it would be correct to say you were impeded. To hinder is to delay or hold something back, especially something that is under way or is about to start (she entered college but was hin¬ dered by poor study habits)', it connotes a thwarting of progress, either deliberate or ac¬ cidental. Impede, on the other hand, means to slow the progress of someone or some¬ thing by a deliberate act; it implies that the obstacles are more serious and suggests that movement or progress is so slow that it is painful or frustrating (the shoes were so tight they impeded his circulation). Both hamper and encumber involve hindering by outside forces. To hamper is to impede by placing re¬ straints on someone or something so as to make action difficult (hampered by family re¬ sponsibilities), while encumber means to hinder by the placing of a burden (encum¬ bered with several heavy suitcases). To ob¬ struct is to place obstacles in the way, often bringing progress or movement to a com¬ plete halt (obstruct traffic; obstruct justice). Prevent suggests precautionary or restrain¬ ing measures (the police prevented him from en¬ vent.

tering the burning building) and is also used to

describe a nonhuman agency or cause that hinders something (the snow prevented us from leaving that day).

Hin*di /hindee/ •

n. 1 group of spoken di¬ alects of N. India. 2 literary form of Hindu¬ stani, an official language of India. • adj. of or concerning Hindi.

hincbmost

/hindmost/

adj. farthest behind;

most remote.

■ see

last1

adj. 1,5.

hind*quar«ters /hindkwawrtorz/

n.pl. hind legs and adjoining parts of a quadruped, hindrance /hindrans/ n. 1 hindering; being hindered. 2 thing that hinders. ■ 2 obstruction, barrier, obstacle; draw¬ back, hitch. hind'Sight /hindsit/ n. wisdom after the event (realized with hindsight that they were wrong).

Hin*du /hindob/ • n. follower of Hinduism. • adj. of or concerning Hindus or Hinduism. n. main religious and social system of India. Hin*du*Sta*ni /hindOOsta'anee, -stanee/ • n. language based on Western Hindi, a lingua franca in much of India. • adj. of or relating to Hindustan, its people, or its language, hinge /hinj/ • n. 1 movable joint on which a door, lid, etc., turns or swings. 2 central point or principle on which everything de¬ pends. • v. 1 intr. a depend (on a principle, event, etc.) (all hinges on his acceptance). b (of a door, etc.) hang and turn (on a post, etc.). 2 tr. attach with or as if with a hinge. ■ n. 1 see pivot n. 1. • v. la (hinge on) see DEPEND 1. hint /hint/ • n. 1 slight or indirect indication or suggestion (took the hint and left). 2 bit of practical information (handy hints on cook¬ ing). 3 trace; suggestion (a hint of perfume). • v. tr. suggest slightly (hinted that they were

Hin»du*ism /hindooizsm/

wrong). ■ n. 1 clue, tip-off; intimation, allusion. 2 clue, suggestion, colloq. pointer; (hints)

help, advice. 3 breath, tinge; touch, dash. • v. imply, indicate. hin*ter*land /hintorland/ n. 1 deserted or uncharted areas beyond a coast or a river’s banks. 2 remote area. ■ 1 see interior

hip1 /hip/

n.

n. 2.

1 projection of the pelvis and

upper thigh bone on each side of the body in human beings and quadrupeds. 2 [often in pi.] circumference of the body at the but¬ tocks. hip2 /hip/ n. (also hep /hep/) fruit of a rose. hip3 /hip/ adj. (also hep /hep/) (hip*per, hip* pest) si. 1 trendy; stylish. 2 understanding; aware. ■ 1 see stylish 1. 2 informed, colloq. with it; (hip to) alert to. hip'bone /hipbon/ n. bone forming the hip, esp. the ilium. hip*pie /hipee/ n. (also hip'py) (pi. -pies) colloq. (esp. in the 1960s) person of uncon¬ ventional appearance, typically with long hair, jeans, beads, etc., often associated with hallucinogenic drugs and a rejection of con¬ ventional values.

■ bohemian, longhair, flower person, colloq. dropout. hip*po /hipo/ n. (pi. -pos) colloq. hippopot¬ amus. hip»po*cam*pus /hipakampas/ n. (pi. hip* po*cam*pi /-pi/) 1 marine fish that swims vertically and with a head suggestive of a horse; sea horse. 2 Anat. elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion and the autonomic nervous system. Hip*po*crat*ic oath /hipakratik/ n. oath taken by doctors affirming their obligations and proper conduct. hip*po*pot*a*mus /hipapotamas/ n. (pi. hip* po*pot*a*mus*es or hip*po*pot*a*mi /-mi/) large thick-skinned four-legged mam¬ mal, native to Africa, inhabiting rivers, lakes, etc. hip*py var. of hippie. hire /hir/ • v.tr. 1 employ (a person) for wages or a fee. 2 pay for the temporary use of (a thing); rent or lease. • n. hiring or being hired. □□ hir'a*ble adj. (also hire'a'ble). hir'er n. ■ v. 1 engage, enlist, take on. 2 hire out; charter. • n. rent, lease; charter. hireling /hirling/ n. usu. derog. person who works for hire. ■ see SUBORDINATE n. hir*SUte /harsyobt/ adj. 1 hairy; shaggy. 2 untrimmed. □□ hir*sut'ism n. • 1 see hairy 1. 2 see shaggy. his /hizl poss. pron. 1 [attrib.] of or belonging to him or himself (his house, his own business). 2 the one or ones belonging to or associated with him (it is his, his are over there). o of his of or belonging to him (friend of his). His»pan*ic /hispanik/ • adj. 1 of or being a person of Latin-American or Spanish or Por¬ tuguese descent in the US. 2 of or relating to Spain or to Spain and Portugal. 3 of Spanish-speaking countries. • «. person of Spanish descent living in the US. hiss /his/ • v. 1 intr. make a sharp sibilant sound, esp. as a sign of disapproval or deri¬ sion (audience booed and hissed, water hissed on the hotplate). 2 tr. express disapproval of by hisses. • n. sharp sibilant sound as of the let¬ ter 5. ■ v. 1 sizzle, spit; whistle. 2 catcall; see also jeer v. 1. • n. jeer, boo, hoot, colloq. raspberry. hist. abbr. 1 historian. 2 historical. 3 his¬ tory. his*ta*mine /histamin, -meen/ n. Biochem. organic compound released by body tissues, etc., as in allergic reactions. his*tol*0#gy /histolajee/ n. the study of the structure of tissues. his»tO*ri*an/histawreean/n. 1 writer of his¬ tory, esp. a critical analyst, rather than a compiler. 2 person learned in or studying history (English historian, ancient historian). his*tor*ic /histawrik, -stor-/ adj. famous or important in history or potentially so (a his¬ toric moment). m momentous, noteworthy; celebrated, dis¬

tinguished, great. his*tor*i*cal /histawrikal, -stor-/ adj. 1 of or concerning history (historical evidence). 2 (of

383

hippo ~ hit

the study of a subject) showing its develop¬ ment. 3 belonging to the past, not the pres¬ ent. 4 (of a novel, movie, etc.) dealing or professing to deal with historical events. □□ his*tor'i*cal*ly adv. m 1 factual, true, recorded. 2 period; chronological. 3 see past adj. 1. 4 period. his»tO*ric»i*ty /histarisitee/ n. historical genu¬ ineness of an event, etc. his*tor*i»og*ra*phy /histawreeografee/ n. 1 writing of history. 2 the study of historical writing. □□ his*to*ri*og'ra*pher n. his*to* ri*o*graph'ic adj. his*to*ri*o*graph'i*cal adj.

hiS*tO*ry /histaree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 continu¬ ous record of important or public events. 2 a study of past events, b accumulation of past events (our nation’s history, history of as¬ tronomy). C past in general; antiquity. 3 eventful past (this house has a history). 4 ac¬ count of or research into a past event or events, etc. □ make history 1 influence the course of history. 2 do something memo¬ rable. ■ 1 account, chronicle; annals. 2 b tale, ex¬ perience^); biography; see also story1 2, 4. C ancient history, yesterday. 3 reputation, background, life. 4 report; see also inquiry 1. his*tri*on*ic /histreeonik/ • adj. theatrical; dramatic. »n. [inpi] insincere and dramatic behavior designed to impress. a adj. see dramatic (drama). hit/hit/ • v. (hit*ting; past and past. pan. hit) 1 tr. a strike with a blow or missile, b (of a moving body) strike. 2 tr. cause to suffer or affect adversely. 3 intr. [often foil, by at, against, upon] direct a blow. 4 tr. knock (hit his head on the door frame). 5 tr. light upon; get at (a thing aimed at) (he’s hit the truth at last)* 6 tr. colloq. a encounter (hit a snag). b arrive at (hit town). C indulge in, esp. liq¬ uor, etc. (hit the bottle). 7 tr. occur forcefully to (the seriousness of the situation hit him later). 8 tr. Sports a propel (a ball, etc.) with a bat, etc. b score (runs, etc.) in this way. • n. 1 a blow; stroke, b collision. 2 shot, etc., that hits its target. 3 colloq. popular success in entertainment. □ hit and run 1 cause damage and escape or leave the scene before being discovered. 2 Baseball play in which a base runner begins running to the next base as the pitcher delivers the ball and the batter then tries to hit the thrown ball, hit it off agree or be congenial, hit man (pi. hit men) si. hired assassin, hit the nail on the head state the truth exactly, hit-or-miss aimed or done carelessly, hit the road (or trail) si. depart, hit the spot colloq. be satisfying. ■ o. 1 a cuff, knock, punch, slap, beat, bat¬ ter, colloq. whack, sock, si. belt, wallop, blud¬ geon, club, b collide with, crash into, bump into. 2 hurt, touch; see also affect1 2. 3 lash out; (hit at) swing at, colloq. swipe at. 4 see beat v. 2a. 5 discover; see also find v. la, 2. 6 a meet (with); see also face v. 3. b reach, attain. 7 dawn on, occur to. 8 a drive, colloq. swipe. • n. 1 a punch, swat.

hitch ~ Hodgkin's disease

384

smack, colloq. whack, sock, si. conk, b im¬ pact, bump, bang; see also collision 1 2 bull’s-eye. 3 triumph, coup, colloq. sellout. □ hit man see thug, hit the nail on the head put one’s finger on it. hit-or-miss see casual adj. 3a, careless 1, 2. hit the road (or trail) see beat it. hitch /hich/ • v. la tr. fasten with a loop, hook, etc.; tether (hitched the horse to the cart). b intr. become fastened in this way (the rod hitched in to the bracket). 2 tr. move (a thing) with a jerk; shift slightly (hitched the pillow to

.

a comfortable position). 3 colloq. a intr. hitchhike, b tr. obtain (a ride) by hitchhik¬ ing. • n. 1 temporary obstacle. 2 abrupt

pull or push; jerk. 3 a noose or knot of vari¬ ous kinds, b connector assembly between a vehicle and something being towed. 4 colloq. free ride in a vehicle. 5 si. period of military service. □ get hitched colloq. marry. ■ v. 1 connect, join, hook (up); harness. 2 tug, wrench, colloq. yank. • n. 1 impedi¬ ment, snag, difficulty. 2 see jerk1 n. 1 2. 3 a see loop n. 4 lift. □ get hitched see marry 1 2a. hitch-hike /hich-hlk/ v.intr. travel by seeking free rides in passing vehicles. □□ hitch' hiker n. • thumb a lift or ride, si. bum a ride. hith-er Author/ usu. formal or literary adv. to or toward this place. □ hither and yon in various directions; to and fro. hith-er-to /hithartob/ adv. until this time; up to now. ■ see. previously (previous). Hit-ler /hitlar/ n. person who embodies the authoritarian characteristics of Adolf Hitler, Ger. dictator d. 1945. Hit-tite /hitit/ • n. 1 member of an ancient people of Asia Minor and Syria. 2 extinct language of the Hittites. • adj. of or relating to the Hittites or their language. HIV abbr. human immunodeficiency virus, any of several retroviruses causing AIDS. hive /hiv/ • n. la beehive, b bees in a hive. 2 busy swarming place. 3 thing shaped like a hive in being domed. • v. 1 tr. a place (bees) in a hive, b house (people, etc.) snugly. 2 intr. a enter a hive, b live together like bees. hives /hlvz/ n.pl. allergic skin eruption. HMO abbr. health maintenance organization. Ho symb. Chem. holmium. hoa*gie /h6gee/ n. (also hoa'gy) (pi. -gies) =

,

,

submarine sandwich.

hoard /hawrd/ • n. 1 stock or store (esp. of money or food) laid by. 2 amassed store of facts, etc. • v. 1 tr. amass and put away; store. 2 intr. accumulate more than one’s current requirements of food, etc., in a time of scarcity. 3 tr. store in the mind. □□ hoard'er n. hoard'ing n. ■ n. 1 supply, stockpile; reserve, cache. • v. 1 collect, lay in; squirrel away, colloq. stash (away). 3 see memorize. hoarse /hawrs/ adj. 1 (of the voice) rough and deep; husky; croaking. 2 having such a voice. □□ hoarse'ly adv. hoarse'ness n. • see husky1 1.

hoar-y /hawree/ adj. (hoar*i*er, hoar-i-est) 1 a (of hair) gray or white with age. b having such hair; aged. 2 old and trite (hoary joke). ■ 1 a see white adj. 1. b see aged 2. 2 see MUSTY 2. hoax /hoks/ • n. humorous or malicious de¬ ception; practical joke. • v.tr. deceive (a per¬ son) with a hoax. ■ n. swindle, trick, si. con, gyp, snow job; deception, flimflam. • v. defraud, cheat, trick, colloq. bamboozle. hob-ble /hobal/ • v. 1 intr. a walk lamely; limp, b proceed haltingly (hobbled lamely to his conclusion). 2 tr. a tie the legs of (a horse, etc.) to prevent it from straying, b tie (a horse’s, etc., legs). 3 tr. cause (a person, etc.) to limp. • n. 1 uneven or infirm gait. 2 rope, etc., for hobbling a horse, etc. ■ v. 1 stumble, shuffle, falter. 2, 3 shackle, fetter, restrain; see also hinder1. »n. 1 shuf¬ fle, totter; see also limp n. hob-by /hobee/ n. (pi. -bies) leisure time activity pursued for pleasure. □□ hob byist n. m pastime, sideline, recreation, diversion. hob-by-horse /hobeehawrs/ n. 1 child’s toy

consisting of a stick with a horse’s head. 2 favorite topic of conversation. 3 rocking horse. hob-gob-lin /hobgoblin/ n. mischievous imp; bogy. ■ see imp n. 2. hob-nail /hobnayl/ n. heavy-headed nail used for boot soles. hob-nob /hobnob/ v.intr. (hob-nobbed, hob-nob-bing) mix socially or informally. ■ associate, keep company; (hobnob with) rub shoulders with. ho-bo /hobo/ n. (pi. -boes or -bos) tramp; vagrant. ■ see tramp n. 1. hock1 /hok/ n. 1 joint of a quadruped’s hind leg between the knee and fedock. 2 knuckle of pork; lower joint of a ham. hock2 /hok/ colloq. v.tr. pawn; pledge, o in hock 1 in pawn. 2 in debt. ■ see pawn2 v. hock-ey /hokee/ n. team sport played on skates or on a field, with angled sticks and a puck (when played on ice) or ball. ho-CUS-po-CUS ZhOkaspOkss/ • n. 1 decep¬ tion; trickery. 2 a typical verbal formula used in conjuring, b language intended to mystify. • v. (—po*cused, — po-cus-ing; —pocussed, -po-cus-sing) 1 intr. play tricks. 2 tr. play tricks on; deceive. ■ n. 1 legerdemain, chicanery, mischief, si. hanky-panky; sleight of hand. 2 a abracada¬ bra. b mumbo-jumbo, gibberish, colloq. gobbledygook. • v. 2 see deceive 1. hod /hod/ n. 1 V-shaped trough on a pole used for carrying bricks, etc. 2 portable re¬ ceptacle for coal. hodge-podge /hojpoj/ n. confused mixture; jumble. See synonym study at jumble. ■ miscellany, mishmash, medley, mixed bag, ragbag. Hodg-kins dis-ease /hojkinz/ n. malignant disease usu. characterized by enlargement of the lymph nodes.

hoe /ho/ • n. long-handled tool with a thin metal blade, used for weeding, etc. • v. (hoes, hoed, hoefing) 1 tr. weed (crops); loosen (earth) with a hoe. 2 intr. use a hoe. ■ v. see till3. hog /hawg, hog/ • n. la domesticated pig, esp. reared for slaughter, b other pig, e.g., warthog. 2 colloq. greedy person. • v. (hogged, hog'ging) tr. colloq. take greedily; hoard selfishly, o go whole hog colloq. do something completely or thoroughly. □□ hog'gish adj. ■ n. 2 see glutton 1. • v. see take v. 1, monopolize. □□ hoggish greedy; glutton¬ ous; selfish. hogs*head /hawgz-hed, hogz-/ n. 1 large cask. 2 liquid or dry measure, usu. about 63 gallons. hog*wash /hawgwosh, -wawsh, hog-/ n. col¬ loq. nonsense; rubbish. ■ see NONSENSE. hoi poMoi /hoy psloy/ n. [often prec. by the: see note below] the masses; the common people. HUse with the is unnecessary, since hoi = ‘the,’ but is very common ■ herd, riffraff, rabble, crowd, rank and file, silent majority, derog. populace, derog. prole¬ tariat, usu. derog. mob. hcrist /hoyst/ • v.tr. raise or haul up, esp. with ropes, pulleys, etc. • n. 1 act of hoisting; lift. 2 apparatus for hoisting. ■ v. lift (up), elevate; winch. • n. 2 crane, winch, tackle. hoi*ty-toi*ty /hoyteetoytee/ • adj. haughty; petulant; snobbish. • int. expressing sur¬ prised protest at presumption, etc. ■ adj. arrogant, disdainful, conceited, selfimportant, colloq. high and mighty, stuck-up, snooty, uppity, snotty. hok*ey /hokee/ adj. (also hok'y) (hok*i*er, hok«i»est) si. sentimental, melodramatic; ar¬ tificial. □□ hok'ey*ness n. hO'kum /hOkam/ n. si. 1 sentimental, popu¬ lar, sensational, or unreal situations, dia¬ logue, etc., in a movie or play, etc. 2 bun¬ kum; rubbish. ■ 2 see rubbish n. 3. hold1 /hold/ • v. (past and past part, held /held/) 1 tr. a keep fast; grasp (esp. in the hands or arms), b [also re/I] keep or sustain in a particular position (held himself erect). C grasp so as to control (hold the reins). 2 tr. contain or be capable of containing (holds two pints). 3 tr. possess, gain, or have, esp.: a be the owner or tenant of (land, property, etc.), b gain or have gained (a degree, rec¬ ord, etc.). C have the position of (a job or of¬ fice). d keep possession of (a place, a per¬ son’s thoughts, etc.) esp. against attack. 4 intr. remain intact (the roof held under the storm). 5 tr. observe; celebrate; conduct (a meeting, festival, conversation, etc.). 6 tr. a keep (a person, etc.) in a specified condi¬ tion, place, etc. (held her prisoner, held him at arm’s length), b detain, esp. in custody. 7 tr. a engross (the book held him for hours). b dominate (held the stage). 8 tr. make (a per¬ son, etc.) adhere to (a promise, etc.). 9 intr. (of weather) continue as is. 10 tr. think; be-

385

hoe ~ holdup

lieve (held that the earth was flat). 11 tr. re¬ gard with a specified feeling (held him in con¬ tempt). 12 tr. a cease; restrain (hold your fire), b colloq. withhold; not use (a burger please, and hold the onions!). 13 tr. be able to drink (liquor) without effect. 14 tr. (of a judge, a court, etc.) lay down; decide. • n. 1 grasp (catch hold of him). 2 [often in comb.] thing to hold by (seized the handhold). 3 [foil, by on, over] influence over (has a strange hold over them). □ hold (a thing) against (a person) regard it as discreditable to. hold forth usu. derog. speak at length or tediously, hold the line 1 not yield. 2 maintain a tel¬ ephone connection, hold off 1 delay; not begin. 2 keep one’s distance, hold on 1 keep one’s grasp on something. 2 wait a moment. 3 (when telephoning) not hang up. holdout 1 stretch forth (a hand, etc.). 2 of¬ fer (an inducement, etc.). 3 maintain resis¬ tance. 4 persist or last, hold out on colloq. refuse something to (a person), hold up 1 a support; sustain, b maintain (the head, etc.) erect, c last; endure. 2 exhibit; display. 3 arrest the progress of; obstruct. 4 stop and rob by force, hold water (of reasoning) be sound; bear examination, take hold (of a custom or habit) become established, with no holds barred with no restrictions; all methods being permitted. □□ hold'er n. a v. 1 a, c seize, grip, colloq. hang on to; carry, cradle, b maintain, put. 2 accommo¬ date, support, carry. 3 achieve; maintain, sustain. 4 stay, survive. 5 call, assemble; run, participate in, have. 6 confine, restrain; keep; imprison, jail. 7 a possess, absorb, oc¬ cupy. 9 see carry on 1. 10, 11 judge, con¬ sider, take, assume; maintain. 12 a see cease1 v. b see withhold 1. 14 rule; see also lay down 2 (lay). • n. 1 grip, clasp, clutch. 3 dominance, mastery, authority; leverage, sway, colloq. clout. □ hold forth lecture, sermonize, pontificate, colloq. go on. hold off 1 defer, postpone, avoid; (hold off from) refrain from, hold on 1 (hold on to) grip, clutch (on to), cling to. 2 see wait v. la. hold out 1, 2 extend, present, hold up. 3 see resist v. 1,2. 4 carry on, persevere, stand firm, hold up 1 a, b see support v. 1, 2. c survive, bear up, hold out. 2 present, show, hold out. 3 delay, impede, hinder, set back. 4 waylay, mug, colloq. stick up. hold water be logical or valid or sensible or consis¬ tent, be believable or defensible or workable; make sense, ring true; hold up under scru¬ tiny, bear scrutiny. hold2 /hold/ n. cargo area in a ship or aircraft. holding /holding/ n. la land held by lease, b tenure of land. 2 stocks, property, etc., held. □ holding company company created to hold the shares of other companies, which it then controls. ■ 1 a see farm n. b see tenure 1, 2. hold*up /holdop/ n. 1 stoppage or delay. 2 robbery, esp. by the use of threats or vio¬ lence. ■ 1 setback, hitch, snag. 2 mugging, colloq. stickup, si. heist.

hole ~ home

386

hole /hoi/ • n. la empty space in a solid body, b aperture in or through something. C flaw; weakness; gap. 2 animal’s burrow. 3 a colloq. small, mean, or dingy abode, b dungeon; prison cell. 4 colloq. awkward situation. 5 Golf a receptacle in the ground into which the ball is to be hit. b one com¬ plete playing area from tee to hole, mv.tr. 1 make a hole or holes in. 2 put into a hole, n hole up colloq. hide oneself. □□ hol'ey adj.

■ n. 1 a cavity, pit, pocket, recess, b open¬ ing, puncture, rip, break. 2 warren; den, lair. 3 a shack, hovel, slum, colloq. dump, b keep, jail, brig. 4 difficulty, fix, mess, colloq. scrape; colloq. hot water, trouble. • v. 1 puncture, pierce, perforate. □ hole up see hide1 v. 2. -holic comb, form person with a powerful ob¬ session or craving, as chocoholic, one who craves chocolate. hol*i*day /holiday/ n. day of festivity or recre¬ ation when no work is done, esp. a national or religious festival, etc. ■ feast, celebration, fete, fiesta, gala, redletter day. ho*li*ness /holeenis/ n. 1 sanctity; being holy. 2 (Holiness) tide used when referring to or addressing the pope. ■ 1 see sanctity 1, 2. hcMism /holizam/ n. 1 Philos, theory that certain wholes are greater than the sum of their parts. 2 Med. treating of the whole person rather than just the symptoms of a disease. □□ ho*lis'tic adj. ho*lis'ti*cal*ly adv.

hoMan*daise sauce /hobndayz/

n. creamy sauce of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice or vinegar, etc. hoMer /hobr/ colloq. • v. 1 intr. make a loud cry or noise. 2 tr. shout. • n. loud cry, noise, or shout. ■ v. see bawl 1. • n. see bellow n. hoMow /holo/ • adj. 1 a having a cavity. b sunken (hollow cheeks). 2 (of a sound) echoing, low, or muffled. 3 empty; hungry. 4 meaningless (hollow triumph). 5 insincere (hollow laugh, hollow promises). • n. 1 hollow place; hole. 2 valley; basin. • v. tr. make hol¬ low; excavate. □□ hol'low*ly adv. hol low* ness n. m adj. 1 a vacant, void, unfilled; see also empty adj. 1. b concave, indented, recessed. 3 ravenous, starved. 4 empty, futile, pyrrhic. 5 false, cynical, hypocritical. • n. 1 crater, trough, dent; excavation. 2 depression, dip, dale, glen. • v. dig, gouge, furrow; (hollow out) scoop out. hoMow*ware /holowair/ n. hollow articles of metal, china, etc., such as pots, ketdes, pitch¬ ers, etc. hoMy /holee/ n. (pi. -lies) evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and red berries. hol*ly«hock /holeehok/ n. tall plant with large showy flowers of various colors. HoWy*wood holeewOOd n. American movie industry or its products, with its center at Hollywood, California. hol*mi*um /holmeeam/ n. Chem. soft silvery

metallic element of the lanthanide series. HSymb.: Ho. ho*lo*caust /hobkawst/ n. 1 large-scale de¬ struction, esp. by fire or nuclear war. 2 (the Holocaust) mass murder of Jews by the Na¬ zis in World War n. ■ 1 devastation; slaughter, genocide, po¬ grom; inferno, fire. ho*lo*gram /hobgram/ n. Physics threedimensional photographic image made with laser technology. ho*lo*graph /hobgraf/ • adj. wholly written by hand by its author. • n. holograph docu¬ ment. ho*log*ra*phy /hslografee/ n. Physics study or production of holograms. □□ hol*o* graph*ic /hobgrafik/ adj. hohster /helstsr/ n. leather case for a pistol or revolver, worn on a belt, etc. ho*ly /holee/ adj. (ho*li*er, ho*li*est) 1 morally and spiritually excellent or per¬ fect, and to be revered. 2 belonging to, de¬ voted to, or empowered by, God. 3 conse¬ crated; sacred. □ holier-than-thou colloq. self-righteous. Holy Communion see com¬ munion. Holy Father the Pope. Holy Ghost = Holy Spirit. Holy Grail see Grail. Holy Land 1 W. Palestine, esp. Judaea. 2 region similarly revered in non-Christian religions. Holy See the papacy or papal court. Holy Spirit third person of the Christian Trinity, holy war war waged in support of a religious cause. Holy Week the week before Easter. ■ 1,2 godly, godlike, saintly, pious, devout; chaste, pure; sacred, divine, heavenly. 3 sanctified, blessed, hallowed. □ holierthan-thou see SELF-RIGHTEOUS. hom»age /homij/ n. acknowledgment of su¬ periority; respect; dutiful reverence (pay homage to, do homage to). See synonym study at HONOR. ■ obeisance, deference, veneration; honor, tribute. Hom*burg /hombarg/ n. man’s felt hat with a narrow curled brim and a lengthwise dent in the crown. home /horn/ • n. la place where one fives; fixed residence, b dwelling house. 2 mem¬ bers of a family collectively; one’s family background (comes from a good home). 3 na¬ tive land. 4 institution caring for people or animals. 5 place where a thing originates or is native or most common. 6 Baseball home plate. • attrib. adj. 1 of or connected with one’s home. 2 carried on or produced in one’s own country (home industries, the home market). 3 Sports played on one’s own field, etc. (home game, home win). • adv. 1 a to one’s home or country (go home), b arrived at home (is he home yet?). c at home (stay home). 2 a to the point aimed at (the thrust went home), b as far as possible (drove the nail home, pressed his advantage home). • v. 1 intr. (esp. of a trained pigeon) return home. 2 intr. (of a vessel, missile, etc.) be guided to¬ ward a destination or target. □ at home 1 in one’s own house or native land. 2 at ease as if in one’s own home (make yourself at home). 3 familiar or well informed. 4 available to

callers, home economics the study of household management, home plate Baseballplate beside which the batter stands and which the runner must cross to score a run. □□ home'like adj. • n. 1 address, (living) quarters; residence, abode, house. 2 household. 3 country, terri¬ tory, homeland. 4 rest home; refuge, shelter. 5 see environment 1, 2. • attrib.adj. 1 fam¬ ily, domestic. 2 native, national. • v. 2 (home in on) zero in on, head for. □ at home 2 comfortable, relaxed. 3 (at home with or in) knowledgeable about, proficient in, si. clued in on. 4 in, welcoming. home*boy /hOmboy/' n. colloq. person from one’s own town or neighborhood. home*com*ing /homkaming/ n. 1 arrival at home. 2 annual reunion of alumni held by some high schools, colleges, etc. home*grown /hOmgron/ adj. grown or pro¬ duced at home. homeland /homland/ n. one’s native land. ■ see COUNTRY 3. homeless /homlis/ • adj. lacking a home. • n. [prec. by the] homeless people. □□ home'less'ness n. m adj. on the streets, dispossessed. home»ly /hOmlee/ adj. (home*li*er, home* li»est) 1 (of people or their features) not at¬ tractive in appearance; ugly. 2 a simple; plain, b unpretentious. C primitive. □□ home'limess n. m 1 plain, unattractive. 2 a basic, natural; see also simple adj. 2. b modest, unassum¬ ing, familiar. home-made /hOmayd/ adj. made at home. home*maker /hOmaykar/ n. person who manages a household, esp. as a full-time oc¬ cupation. ho»me»op*a*thy /hOmeeopathee/ n. treat¬ ment of disease by minute doses of drugs that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of the disease. □□ ho*me*o*path 1-3path/ n. ho*me*o*path*ic /-meeapathik/ adj.

Ho*mer*ic /homerik/ adj. 1 of, or in the style of, Homer. 2 of Bronze Age Greece as de¬ scribed in these poems. ■ 1 see heroic adj. 2b. home*sick /homsik/ adj. longing for home. □□ home'sick*ness n. m pining, lonely, lonesome; nostalgic, wist¬ ful. home*spun /hOmspun/ • adj. 1 made or spun at home. 2 plain; simple. • n. 1 homespun cloth. 2 anything plain or homely. ■ adj. 2 rustic, unrefined, unsophisticated, down-to-earth. home*Stead /homsted/ n. house and adjoin¬ ing land. a see house n. la. home*Style /homstil/ adj. (esp. of food) made at home. home*ward /hOmward/ • adv. (also home' wards /-wardz/) toward home. • adj. going toward home. home'WOrk /hSmwark/ n. 1 work to be done at home, esp. by a student. 2 preparatory work or study. hom*ey /hOmee/ adj. (also hom'y) (hom*i*

387

homeboy ~ honest

er, hom*i»est) suggesting home; cozy, oo hom'ey*ness n. (also hom'imess). ho*rni*cide /homisld, h6-/ n. 1 killing of a human being by another. 2 person who kills a human being. □□ ho*mi*ci'dal adj. a 1 see murder n. 1.2 see murderer, murder¬ ess (murder). □□ homicidal murderous, bloodthirsty, ferocious. hom*i*ly /homilee/ n. (pi. -lies) 1 sermon. 2 moralizing discourse. □□ hom*i*let*ic /—letik/ adj. a see sermon 1. hom*i*nid /hominid/ • n. member of the pri¬ mate family including humans and their fos¬ sil ancestors. • adj. of this family. hom*i*noid /hominoyd/ • adj. like a human. • n. animal resembling a human. a adj. see human adj. 1-3. hom*i*ny /hominee/ n. coarsely ground corn kernels, usu. boiled for food, homo- /h6mo/ comb, form same (often opp. HETERO-). ho*mo*ge*ne*OUS /hOmaje'eneeas, -yas/ adj. 1 of the same kind. 2 consisting of parts all of the same kind; uniform. □□ ho•mo•ge•ne•i• ty /-jineeitee/ n. ho'mo’ge'nemusdy adv. a 1 identical, alike, similar. 2 constant, consistent, unvarying. ho*mog*en*ize /hamojiniz/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become homogeneous. 2 tr. treat (milk) so that the fat droplets are emulsified and the cream does not separate. hom*0*graph /homagraf, ho-/ n. word spelled like another but of different meaning or origin (e.g., pole1, pole2). ho*mol*0*gous /hamolagas/ adj. 1 a having the same relation, relative position, etc. b corresponding. 2 Biol, (of organs, etc.) similar in position and structure but not nec¬ essarily in function. ■ see like1 adj. la. hom*0*nym /homanim/ n. 1 word of the same spelling or sound as another but of dif¬ ferent meaning; homograph or homophone. 2 namesake. ho*mo*pho*bi*a /hOmafObeea/ n. hatred or fear of homosexuals. □□ ho*mo*phobe /-afob/ n. ho*mo*pho'bic adj. ho*mo*phone /homafon, ho-/ n. word sounding the same as another but of differ¬ ent meaning or origin (e.g., pair, pear). Ho*mo sa*pi*ens /homo saypee-enz/ n. modern humans regarded as a species. ho*mo*Sex*U*al /homasekshooal/ • adj. feel¬ ing or involving sexual attraction only to per¬ sons of the same sex. • n. homosexual per¬ son. □□ ho*mo*sex*u*al*i*ty /-shooalitee/ n.

hom*y var. of homey. hon*cho /honcho/ si.

n. (pi. -chos) leader or manager; person in charge. ■ see boss1 n. hone /hon/ • n. 1 whetstone, esp. for razors. 2 any stone used for this. • v.tr. sharpen on or as on a hone. ■ v. see sharpen. hon*est /onist/ • adj. 1 fair and just. 2 free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere. 3 fair-

honestly ~ -hood

388

ly earned (an honest living). 4 (with patroniz¬ ing effect) blameless but undistinguished. • adv. colloq. genuinely; really. □□ hon'es*ty n. m adj. 1 trustworthy, honorable, decent. 2 candid, frank, open, colloq. upfront. 3 aboveboard, straight, square, colloq. on the up and up. • adv. see really 1. hon*est*ly /onistlee/ adv. 1 in an honest way. 2 really (1 don’t honestly know, honestly, the nerve of them!). m 1 truthfully, honorably, decently, morally, justly, fairly; colloq. on the level; candidly, sin¬ cerely. 2 see really 1. hon«ey /hunee/ n. (pi. -eys) 1 sweet sticky yellowish fluid made by bees from nectar. 2 color of this. 3 sweetness. 4 person or thing excellent of its kind. 5 (usu. as a form of address) darling; sweetheart. ■ 5 see dear n. hon*ey*COmb /huneekom/ • n. 1 structure of hexagonal cells of wax, made by bees to store honey and eggs. 2 pattern arranged hexagonally. • v.tr. 1 fill with cavities or tun¬ nels; undermine. 2 mark with a honeycomb pattern. ■ v. 1 see riddle2 3 v. 1. hon*ey»dew /huneedoo, -dyoo/ ». 1 melon with smooth pale skin and sweet green flesh. 2 sweet sticky substance found on plants, ex¬ creted by aphids, fungi, etc. hon*eyed /huneed/ adj. (also hon'ied) 1 of or containing honey. 2 sweet. hon*ey»moon /huneemoon/ • n. 1 vacation taken by a newly married couple. 2 initial period of enthusiasm or goodwill, •v.intr. spend a honeymoon. □□ hon'ey*moon*er n. hon*ey»SUCk*le /huneesukal/ n. climbing shrub with fragrant yellow, pink, or red flow¬ ers. honk /hawngk, hongk/ • n. 1 cry of a wild goose. 2 sound of a car horn. • v. 1 intr. emit a honk. 2 tr. cause to do this. honk*y-tOnk /hawngkeetawngk, hongkeetongk/ n. colloq. 1 ragtime piano music. 2 cheap or disreputable nightclub, bar, dancehall, etc. ■ 2 see dive n. 4. hon*or /onar/ • n. 1 high respect; reputation. 2 adherence to what is right or accepted con¬ duct. 3 nobleness of mind (honor among thieves). 4 official award. 5 privilege; special right (had the honor of being invited). 6 a ex¬ alted position, b (Honor) title of a judge, mayor, etc. 7 person or thing that brings honor (she is an honor to her profession). 8 a (of a woman) chastity, b reputation for this. 9 [in pi.] a special distinction in aca¬ demics. b specialized course of degree stud¬ ies. • v. tr. 1 respect highly. 2 confer honor on. 3 accept or pay (a bill or check) when due. 4 acknowledge. □ do the honors per¬ form the duties of a host to guests, etc. ■ n. 1 esteem, regard, celebrity, distinction, colloq. kudos. 2, 3 uprightness, decency, vir¬ tue; integrity, fairness, justness, goodness. 4 see award n. la. 5 distinction; blessing.

6 a see dignity 3. 8 virginity, virtue, inno¬ cence. • v. 1 esteem, revere, prize, value. 2 praise, salute, acclaim. 3 redeem, clear, settle. 4 carry out, discharge, fulfill.

synonym study: honor deference, homage, obeisance, reverence. The Ten Commandments instruct us to “Honor thy father and mother.” But what does honor entail? While all of these nouns describe the respect or esteem that one shows to another, honor implies acknowledg¬ ment of a person’s right to such respect (honor one’s ancestors; honor the dead). Homage is honor with praise or tributes added, and it connotes a more worshipful at¬ titude (pay homage to the king). Reverence combines profound respect with love or de¬ votion (he treated his wife with reverence), while deference suggests courteous regard for a superior, often by yielding to the per¬ son’s status or wishes (show deference to one’s elders). Obeisance is a show of honor or rev¬ erence by an act or gesture of submission or humility, such as a bow or a curtsy (the schoolchildren were instructed to pay obeisance when the queen arrived).

hon*or»a*ble /o narabal/ adj. 1 a worthy of honor, b bringing honor to its possessor, c showing honor; not base, d consistent with honor. 2 (Honorable) title indicating eminence or distinction, given to certain government officials, members of Congress, etc. See synonym study at moral. □□ hon' or*a*bly adv. ■ 1 a, b, C upstanding, trustworthy, honest, just, fair, principled, noble, virtuous, d right, appropriate, ethical, respectable, decent. hon*o*rar»i*um /onaraireeam/ n. (pi. hon*o* rar»i*ums or hon*o*rar*i«a /-reea/) fee, esp. a voluntary payment for professional services rendered without the normal fee. ■ pay, remuneration; emolument. hon»or»ar*y /onareree/ adj. 1 a conferred as an honor (honorary degree). b holding such a title or position (honorary colonel). 2 (of an office or its holder) unpaid (honorary treas¬ urer) . m 1 see nominal 1. hon*or»if»ic /onarifik/ adj. 1 conferring honor. 2 (esp. of forms of speech) implying respect. □□ hon-or-ifi i'cably adv. hooch /hooch/ n. colloq. inferior or illicit whiskey. ■ see drink n. 2a. hood1 /hood/ • n. la covering for the head and neck, as part of a garment, b separate hoodlike garment worn over a university gown to indicate the wearer’s degree. 2 cover over the engine of a motor vehicle. 3 canopy to protect users of machinery or to remove fumes, etc. 4 hoodlike part of a co¬ bra, seal, etc. 5 leather covering for a hawk’s head. • v.tr. cover with a hood. hood2 /hood/ n. si. gangster or gunman. ■ see gangster. -hood /hood/ suffix forming nouns: 1 of con¬ dition or state (childhood, falsehood). 2 indi¬ cating a collection or group (sisterhood, neigh¬ borhood) .

hOOcMum /hobdlam, hobd-/ n. 1 street hoo¬ ligan. 2 gangster. ■ 1 thug, ruffian, tough, colloq. roughneck; see also barbarian n. 1.2 racketeer, desper¬ ado, crook, si. mobster, goon, hood. hood*wink /hdbdwingk/ v.tr. deceive; delude. ■ fool, trick, defraud, flimflam, pull the wool over a person’s eyes, colloq. bamboozle, rip off, put one over on, si. take for a ride, cross, bilk, con, gyp, take to the cleaners. hoo»ey /hob-ee/ n. & int. si. nonsense; hum¬ bug. ■ see NONSENSE. hoof /hoof, hoof/ • n. (pi. hoofs or hooves /hoovz/) horny part of the foot of a horse, an¬ telope, etc. • v. 1 tr. walk. 2 tr. si. kick or shove. □ hoof it si. 1 go on foot. 2 dance, hook /hook/ • n. la bent or curved piece of metal, etc., for catching or hanging things on. b fishhook. 2 sharp bend, e.g., in a river. 3 a Golf hooking stroke (see (sense 4 of v.). b Boxing short swinging blow with the elbow bent and rigid. • v. 1 tr. grasp or secure with a hook or hooks. 2 a tr. attach with or as with a hook, b intr. be or become attached with a hook. 3 tr. catch with or as with a hook {he hooked a fish, she hooked a husband). 4 tr. [also absol. ] Golf strike (the ball) so that it deviates toward the striker. 5 tr. Boxing strike (one’s opponent) with the elbow bent and rigid. □ by hook or by crook by one means or another, off the hook 1 colloq. no longer in difficulty or trouble. 2 (of a tele¬ phone receiver) not on its rest, and so pre¬ venting incoming calls. ■ n. la peg, holder; fastener, catch. • v. 3 trap, snare, bag, land; grab, capture, si. nab. □ by hook or by crook come what may, by fair means or foul, off the hook 1 acquitted, exonerated, cleared. hoo»kah /hobks/ n. tobacco pipe with a long tube passing through water to cool the smoke. ■ see pipe n. 2a. hooked hOOkt/ adj. 1 hook-shaped {hooked nose). 2 in senses of hook v. 3 (of a rug or mat) made by pulling woolen yarn through canvas with a hook. 4 si. captivated or ad¬ dicted. hook*er /hobkar/ n. si. prostitute. ■ see prostitute n. hook'Up /hobksp/ n. connection, esp. elec¬ tronic. hook»worm /hdbkwarm/ n. 1 nematode worm, with hooklike mouthparts, infesting humans and animals. 2 a disease caused by one of these, often resulting in severe ane¬ mia. hook*y /hobkee/ n. (also hook'ey) o play hooky si. play truant. hOO*li*gan /hofeligan/ n. hoodlum; ruffian. □□ hoo'li*gan*ism n. m see thug. hoop /hoop/ • n. 1 circular band of metal, wood, etc., esp. as part of a framework. 2 arch through which the balls are hit in cro¬ quet; wicket. 3 (pi.) game of basketball. • v.tr. 1 bind with a hoop or hoops. 2 encir¬ cle with or as with a hoop. ■ n. 1 see ring1 n. 2. »v. 2 see circle v. 2.

389

hoodlum ~ Hopi

hoop*la /hobplaa/ n. 1 si. commotion; excite¬ ment. 2 noisy publicity; ballyhoo.

hoo*ray /hooray/ int. - hurrah. hoot /hoot/ • n. 1 owl’s cry. 2 sound made by a vehicle’s horn or a steam whistle. 3 shout expressing scorn or disapproval. 4 colloq. a laughter, b cause of this. 5 (also two hoots) si. anything at all (don’t give a hoot, doesn’t matter two hoots). • v. 1 intr. a utter or make a hoot, b [often foil, by at] make loud sounds, esp. of scorn or disapproval or colloq. merriment (hooted with laughter). 2 tr. greet or drive away by hooting. 3 tr. sound (a vehicle horn or steam whisde). ■ n. 1 see squawk n. 1. 3 see jeer n. 4 a see laugh n. 1.5 see damn n. 2. • v. 1 b see laugh v. 1. 2 see squawk v. hooves pi. of hoof. hop1 /hop/ • V. (hopped, hop*ping) 1 intr. (of a bird, frog, etc.) spring with two or all feet at once. 2 intr. (of a person) jump on one foot. 3 intr. colloq. a make a quick trip, b make a quick change of position or loca¬ tion. 4 tr. colloq. a jump into (a vehicle), b obtain (a ride) in this way. • n. 1 hopping movement. 2 colloq. informal dance. 3 short journey, esp. a flight. ■ v. 1 jump, leap, bound. 3 a pop, run, travel. • n. 1 jump, bound, spring. 2 colloq. disco; see also dance n. 3 (short) trip. hop2 /hop/ n. 1 climbing plant cultivated for its cones. 2 [in pi] ripe cones of this, used to flavor beer. hope /hop/ • n. 1 expectation and desire combined, e.g., for a thing (hope of getting the job). 2 a person, thing, or circumstance that gives cause for hope, b ground of hope; promise. 3 what is hoped for. • v. 1 intr. feel hope. 2 tr. expect and desire. 3 tr. feel fairly confident. ■ n. -1, 3 wish; ambition, dream; craving, longing; see also ambition 2. 2 b prospect, confidence, anticipation. • v. 1,2 trust; an¬ ticipate, contemplate; (hope for) wish, want, seek. 3 (hope to) count on, expect to; see also trust v. 1. hope*ful /hbpfcol/ • adj. 1 feeling hope. 2 causing or inspiring hope. 3 likely to suc¬ ceed. • n. person likely to succeed. ■ adj. 1 wishful, desirous; confident, as¬ sured; see also optimistic (optimism). 2, 3 promising, bright, rosy, encouraging. hope*ful*ly /hbpfoolee/ adv. 1 in a hopeful manner. 2 it is to be hoped (hopefully, the car will be ready by then). m 1 expectantly, optimistically. 2 with (any) luck, all being well. hopedess /hoplis/ adj. 1 feeling no hope. 2 admitting no hope (a hopeless case). 3 in¬ competent (am hopeless at tennis). □□ hope' less*ly adv. hope'lessmess n. ■ 1 despairing, forlorn, gloomy, sad. 2 des¬ perate, beyond hope, beyond repair, lost. 3 bad, poor, inept, unqualified, colloq. use¬ less, si. dud. Ho*pi /hOpee/ n. 1 a N. American people na¬ tive to northeastern Arizona, b member of this people. 2 language of this people.

hopper ~ horseman

390

hop»per /hopar/ n. 1 hopping insect. 2 a container tapering downward (orig. hav¬ ing a hopping motion) through which grain passes into a mill, b similar device in various machines. hop*SCOtch /hopskoch/ n. children’s game of hopping over squares marked on the ground to retrieve a stone. horde /hawrd/ n. 1 usu. derog. large group. 2 moving swarm or pack (of insects, wolves, etc.). hore*hound /hawrhownd/ n. 1 plant with a white cottony covering on its stem and leaves. 2 its bitter aromatic juice used against coughs, etc. hO*ri»ZOn /harfzan/ n. 1 line at which earth and sky appear to meet. 2 limit of mental perception, experience, interest, etc. p on the horizon (of an event) just imminent or becoming apparent. ■ 2 view, range, scope. □ on the horizon see in the pipeline (pipeline) . hor»i*zon*tal /hawrizont’l, hor-/ • adj. 1 parallel to the plane of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical (horizontal plane). 2 a combining firms engaged in the same stage of production (horizontal integration). b involving social groups of equal status, etc. • n. horizontal line, plane, etc. do hor*i* zon'tably adv. n adj. 1 level, flat; prone, prostrate. hor«mone /hawrmon/ n. 1 Biochem. sub¬ stance produced in an organism and trans¬ ported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate cells or tissues into action. 2 simi¬ lar synthetic substance. □□ hor*mon'al adj. horn /hawrn/ • n. 1 hard outgrowth, often curved and pointed, on the head of cattle, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and other esp. hoofed mammals, found singly, in pairs, or one in front of another. 2 hornlike projection, or thing shaped like a horn. 3 substance of which horns are made. 4 Mus. a = French horn, b brass wind instrument. C horn play¬ er. 5 [often in comb.] device sounding a warning (car horn, foghorn). • v.tr. 1 (esp. as horned adj.) provide with horns. 2 gore with horns. □ horn in si. 1 [usu. foil, by oh] intrude. 2 interfere, horn of plenty cornu¬ copia. horn-rimmed (esp. of eyeglasses) having rims made of horn or a similar sub¬ stance. an. 5 see alarm2 «. 2a. • v. 2 see gore. horn*blende /hawrnblend/ n. dark brown, black, or green mineral found in rock, and composed of calcium, magnesium, and iron silicates. hor*net /hawrnit/ n. large wasp with a brown and yellow striped body, and capable of in¬ flicting a serious sting. horn*pipe /hawrnpip/ n. 1 lively dance, usu. by one person (esp. associated with sailors). 2 music for this. horn*y /hawrnee/ adj. (horn*i*er, horn*i* est) 1 of or like horn. 2 hard; callused {horny-handed). 3 si. sexually excited or frustrated. □□ horn'imess n. ■ 3 see lustful (lust).

hO*rol*0*gy /hawrobjee/ n. art of measuring time or making clocks, watches, etc. □□ ho* ro»log'i*cal adj. hor»0*SCOpe /hawraskop, hor-/ n. Astrol. 1 forecast of a person’s future based on a di¬ agram showing the relative positions of the stars and planets at that person’s birth. 2 such a diagram {cast a horoscope). hor»ren*dous /harendas/ adj. horrifying. □a hor*ren'dous*ly adv. • see HORRIBLE 1. hor*ri*ble /hawribal, hor-/ adj. 1 causing or likely to cause horror. 2 colloq. unpleasant; excessive {horrible weather, horrible noise). □□ hor'ri'bly adv. • 1 hideous, dreadful, gruesome, shocking. 2 disagreeable, offensive, colloq. awful, dread¬ ful, ghasdy, frightful; see also revolting. hor«rid /hawrid, hor-/ adj. 1 horrible; revolt¬ ing. 2 colloq. unpleasant; disagreeable {hor¬ rid weather, horrid children). • see HORRIBLE. hor*rif*ic /hawrifik, hor-/ adj. horrifying. □d hor*rifi*cal»ly adv. • see HORRIBLE 1. hor*ri*fy /hawrifi, hor-/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) arouse horror in; shock. □□ hor'rbfy-ing adj. ■ starde, outrage, dismay, scandalize; see also SHOCK1 v. 1. hor«ror /hawrar, hor-/ • n. 1 painful feeling of loathing and fear. 2 intense dislike. 3 per¬ son or thing causing horror. • attrib. adj. (of literature, movies, etc.) designed to attract by arousing pleasurable feelings of horror. ■ n. 1 dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror. 2 repugnance, dread, hatred, revulsion. hors d’oeuvre /awrdbrvra, -dorv/ n. {pi. same or hors d’oeuvres) appetizer served at the beginning of a meal or (occasionally) in place of or during a meal. ■ antipasto. horse /hawrs/ • n. la solid-hoofed plant¬ eating quadruped with flowing mane and tail, used for riding and to carry and pull loads, b other related four-legged mammals, including asses and zebras. 2 gymnastic ap¬ paratus for vaulting. 3 supporting frame esp. with legs {clothes-horse). 4 si. heroin. • v. intr. [foil, by around] fool around. □ from the horse’s mouth (of information, etc.) from the person directly concerned or another au¬ thoritative source, horse chestnut 1 large ornamental tree with upright conical clusters of white or pink or red flowers. 2 dark brown fruit of this (like an edible chestnut, but with a coarse bitter taste), horse race 1 race be¬ tween horses with riders. 2 colloq. close con¬ test. horse sense colloq. plain common sense. horse*back /hawrsbak/ n. back of a horse, esp. as sat on in riding. □ on horseback mounted on a horse. horse-fly /hawrsfll/ n. (pi. -flies) any of vari¬ ous biting dipterous insects troublesome esp. to horses. horse*hair /hawrs-hair/ n. hair from the mane or tail of a horse, used for padding, etc. horse*rnan /hawrsman/ n. (pi. -men) skilled rider of horses.

horse-play /hawrsplay/ n. boisterous play. ■ see play n. 1. horse-power hawrspowar/ n. (pi. same) 1 unit of power equal to 550 foot-pounds per second (about 750 watts). HAbbr.: h.p. 2 power of an engine, etc., measured in terms of this. horse-rad-ish /hawrsradish/ n. 1 plant with long, lobed leaves. 2 pungent root of this scraped or grated as a condiment, often made into a sauce. horse-shoe /hawrs-shoo/ n. 1 U-shaped iron plate nailed to a horse’s hoof for protection. 2 thing of this shape. 3 (pi.) game in which horseshoes are tossed to encircle a stake, horse-tail /hawrstayl/ re. 1 horse’s tail. 2 plant like a horse’s tail, with a hollow joint¬ ed stem and scale-like leaves, horse-whip /hawrs-hwip, -wip/ • re. whip for driving horses, •v.tr. (-whipped, -whip¬ ping) beat with a horsewhip, horse-wom-an /hawrswooman/ re. (pi. -wom-en) skilled woman rider of horses, hors-y /hawrsee/ adj. (also hors'ey) (hors-ier, hors-i-est) 1 of or like a horse. 2 con¬ cerned with or devoted to horses or horse racing. 3 colloq. large; clumsy, hor-ti-cul-ture /hawrtikulchar/ re. art of gar¬ den cultivation. □□ hor-ti-cul'tur-al adj. hor-ti-cul'tur-ist n. ho-san-na /hozana/ n. & int. shout of adora¬ tion to God. hose /hoz/ • re. 1 flexible tube for conveying a fluid. 2 [collect.-, as pi.] stockings and socks. • v.tr. water or spray or drench with a hose. ■ re. 1 see pipe re. 1. • v. see water v. 1. ho-sier-y /hbzharee/ re. stockings and socks, hosp. abbr. 1 hospital. 2 hospice, hos-pice /hospis/ n. 1 home for people who are terminally ill. 2 lodging for travelers, esp. one kept by a religious order. ■ 1 see home re. 4. 2 see monastery. hos-pi-ta-ble /hospitabal, hospit-/ adj. giving hospitality. □□ hos'pi-ta-bly adv. • welcoming, courteous, friendly, warm, congenial, generous. hos-pi-tal /hospit’l/ re. institution providing medical and surgical treatment and nursing care for ill or injured people. ■ medical center, infirmary, sanitarium, hos-pi-tal-i-ty /hospitalitee/ n. friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests or strangers. ■ cordiality, warmth, congeniality, sociabil¬ ity, generosity. hOS-pi-tal-ize /hospit’llz/ v.tr. send or admit (a patient) to a hospital. □□ hos-pi-tal-i-za' tion re. host1 /host/ re. 1 large number of people or things. 2 (in full heav'en-ly host') Bibl. a sun, moon, and stars, b angels. ■ army, crowd, horde, multitude, mob, pack, herd, legion. host2 /host/ • re. 1 person who receives or entertains another as a guest. 2 Biol, animal or plant having a parasite. 3 person who in¬ troduces and often interviews guests on a show, esp. a television or radio program. • v. tr. act as host to (a person) or at (an event).

391

horseplay ~ hot

■ re. 3 master of ceremonies, MC, colloq. emcee, announcer. • v. entertain, play host to; have, hold. host3 * * 6 * * 9 /host/ re. bread consecrated in the Eu¬ charist. hos-tage /hostij/ re. person seized or held as security for the fulfillment of a condition. ■ see captive re. hos-tel /host’l/ n. inexpensive lodging esp. for travelers, hikers, etc. hos-tel-ry /host’lree/ n. (pi. -ries) inn. host-ess /hostis/ n. 1 woman who receives or entertains a guest. 2 woman employed to welcome customers at a restaurant, etc. hos-tile /hostal, -til/ adj. 1 of an enemy. 2 unfriendly; opposed. □□ hos'tile-ly adv. • 1 warring, combative, opposing. 2 antag¬ onistic, contrary, averse; unsympathetic, in¬ hospitable, see also cold adj. 4. synonym study: hostile ADVERSE, BELLICOSE, BELLIGERENT, INIMICAL. Few people have trouble recognizing hostili¬ ty when confronted with it. Someone who is hostile displays an attitude of intense ill will and acts like an enemy {the audience grew hos¬ tile after waiting an hour for the show to start).

Both bellicose and belligerent imply a readiness or eagerness to fight, but the for¬ mer is used to describe a state of mind or temper (after drinking all night, he was in a bel¬ licose mood), while the latter is normally used to describe someone who is actively engaged in hostilities {the belligerent brothers were at it again). While hostile and belligerent usually apply to people, adverse and inimical are used to describe tendencies or influences. In¬ imical means having an antagonistic tenden¬ cy (remarks that were inimical to everything she believed in), and adverse means turned toward something in opposition (an adverse wind; under adverse circumstances). Unlike hostile, adverse and inimical need not connote the in¬ volvement of human feeling. hos-til-i-ty /hostilitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 being hostile; enmity. 2 [inp/.] acts of warfare. ■ 1 antagonism, ill will, malice, hatred; see also animosity. 2 (hostilities) war, fighting, combat, action, bloodshed. hot /hot/ adj. (hot-ter, hot-test) 1 having a relatively high temperature. 2 producing the sensation of heat (hot fever, hot flash). 3 (of pepper, spices, etc.) pungent; piquant. 4 (of a person) feeling heat. 5 a ardent; passion¬ ate; excited, b eager; keen (in hot pursuit). 6 (of news, etc.) fresh; recent. 7 (of a com¬ petitor) strongly favored to win (a hot favor¬ ite). 8 si. (of goods) stolen, esp. easily identi¬ fiable and hence difficult to dispose of. 9 live, at a high voltage. □ hot air si. empty, boastful, or excited talk, hot-blooded ar¬ dent; passionate, hot dog n. 1 a = frank¬ furter. b frankfurter sandwiched in a soft roll. 2 si. person who is showy or shows off skills, hot line direct exclusive line of com¬ munication, esp. for emergencies, hot plate heated metal plate for cooking food or keep¬ ing it hot. hot potato colloq. controversial or

hotbed ~ household

392

awkward matter or situation, hot rod motor vehicle modified to have extra power and speed, hot seat si. 1 position of difficult re¬ sponsibility. 2 electric chair, hot-tempered impulsively angry, hot tub tub of heated, cir¬ culating water for therapy or recreation, usu. able to accommodate several people, hot under the collar angry, resentful, or embar¬ rassed. hot-water bottle container, usu. made of rubber, filled with hot water, esp. to warm the feet, a bed, etc. □□ hot'ly adv. hot'ness n. ■ 1 fiery, burning, torrid, colloq. scorching, sizzling, boiling. 3 spicy, peppery, sharp. 5 a intense, fervent, zealous, b avid, anx¬ ious, burning. 6 new, latest. 9 electrified, charged, powered. □ hot air bluff, bluster, pomposity, si. bosh, gas; see also drivel n. hot-blooded see passionate, hottempered see irritable 1. hot under the collar see angry 1. □□ hotly intensively, en¬ ergetically, persistently, enthusiastically. hot-bed /hotbed/ n. 1 environment promot¬ ing the growth of something, esp. something unwelcome (hotbed of vice). 2 bed of earth heated by fermenting manure. ■ 1 breeding ground, fertile source, hot¬ house. hot-cake /hotkayk/ n. pancake. □ like hotcakes (be sold, etc.) quickly (the new CD is selling like hotcakes). ho-tel /hotel/ n. establishment providing ac¬ commodation and meals for payment. ■ inn; motel, bed and breakfast, guest¬ house, hostelry. ho-tel-ier 16telyay, hot’leer/ n. hotel-keeper. ■ see proprietor 2. hot-head /hot-hed/ n. impetuous person. □□ hot'head'ed adj. hot'head'edmess n. m □□ hotheaded impetuous, excitable, vol¬ atile, rash, hasty, wild, reckless, precipitate, thoughtless. hot-house /hot-hows/ • n. 1 heated building for rearing plants out of season or in a cli¬ mate colder than is natural for them. 2 envi¬ ronment that encourages the rapid growth or development of something. • adj. [attrib.] characteristic of something reared in a hot¬ house; sheltered; sensitive. m n. 1 hotbed, greenhouse, conservatory. 2 see hotbed 2. • adj. dainty, delicate, pam¬ pered, overprotected. Hou-di-ni /hoodeenee/ n. 1 ingenious es¬ cape. 2 person skilled at escaping (for H. Houdini, noted escape artist). hound /hownd/ • n. 1 dog used for hunting. 2 person keen in pursuit of something (usu. in comb.: newshound). • v.tr. 1 harass or pur¬ sue relentlessly. 2 chase or pursue with a hound. ■ v. 1 persecute, chase, annoy, colloq. has¬ sle; see also harass 1. hour /owr/ n. 1 twenty-fourth part of a day and night; 60 minutes. 2 time of day; point in time (a late hour). 3 period set aside for some purpose (lunch hour, keep regular hours). 4 present time (question of the hour). 5 time for action, etc. (the hour has come). 6 each

time o’clock of a whole number of hours (buses leave on the hour, on the half hour, at quarter past the hour). □ after hours after

closing time. ■ 2 see moment 2. hour-glass /owrglas/ • n. reversible device with two connected glass bulbs containing sand that takes a specified time to pass from the upper to the lower bulb. • adj. hourglass¬ shaped. hour-ly /owrlee/ • adj. 1 done or occurring every hour. 2 reckoned hour by hour (hourly wage). • adv. 1 every hour. 2 frequendy; continually. house • n. /hows/ (pi. /howziz, -siz/) 1 a building for human habitation, b [attrib., often in comb.] (of an animal) kept in, fre¬ quenting, or infesting houses (house cat, housefly). 2 building for a special purpose (opera house, summer house). 3 [often in comb.] building for keeping animals or goods (henhouse). 4 royal family or dynasty (House of York). 5 business or institution. 6 a legis¬ lative or deliberative assembly, b building where it meets, c (the House) the House of Representatives. 7 a audience in a theater, movie theater, etc. b theater. 8 Astrol. sign of the zodiac. • v. tr. /howz/ 1 provide (a per¬ son, a population, etc.) with a house or other accommodation. 2 store (goods, etc.). Senclose or encase (a part or fitting). □ House of Lords (in the UK) chamber of Parlia¬ ment composed of peers and bishops. House of Representatives lower house of the US Congress and other legislatures, like a house on fire 1 vigorously; fast. 2 suc¬ cessfully; excellently, on the house at the management’s expense; free. ■ ». 1 a residence, home, homestead, dom¬ icile; building, structure. 4 line, lineage, clan. 5 establishment, firm, company, colloq. outfit. 6 a legislature, congress, parliament, assembly, council, diet. 7 C auditorium, concert hall. • v. 1 shelter, accommodate, put up, board. 2 see store1 v. 1. 3 see en¬ close 1. □ like a house on fire 1 see fast adv. 1. 2 see well1 adv. 5. on the house gratis, for nothing, without charge. house-boat /howsbot/ n. boat fitted for liv¬ ing in. house-break-ing /howsbrayking/ n. break¬ ing into a building, esp. in daytime, to com¬ mit a crime. □□ house'break-er n. house-bro-ken /howsbrokan/ adj. (of pets) trained to excrete only outdoors or only in proper places. ■ see domestic adj. 3. house-coat /howskot/ n. woman’s informal indoor robe. ■ see robe n. 1. house-dress /howsdres/ n. inexpensive dress of simple design suitable for wear while do¬ ing housework. house-fly /howsfll/ n. common fly. house-hold /hows-hold/ n. 1 occupants of a house regarded as a unit. 2 house and its af¬ fairs. □ household word (or name) famil¬ iar name, person, or thing. □□ house'hold* er n. ■ 1 family, menage.

house-hus-band /hows-hszband/ n. mar¬ ried man whose main job is managing household duties. house-keep-er /howskeepar/ n. person em¬ ployed to manage a household. ■ see servant 1. housekeeping /howskeeping/ n. 1 man¬ agement of household affairs. 2 operations of maintenance, record keeping, etc., in an organization. house-maid /howsmayd/ n. female servant in a house. house-plant /howsplant/ n. plant grown in¬ doors. house-wares /howswairz/ n.pl. small articles for furnishing a home, such as dishware, glassware, and small appliances, house-warming /howswawrming/ n. party celebrating a move to a new home, house-wife /howswif/ n. (pi. -wives) woman (usu. married) managing a household. □□ house'wifeiy adj. house-work /howswark/ n. regular house¬ keeping chores. housing /howzing/ n. 1 a dwellings collec¬ tively. b provision of these. 2 shelter; lodg¬ ing. 3 rigid casing, esp. for machinery, etc. ■ 1,2 homes, houses, quarters, accommo¬ dations; shelter, protection. 3 case, cover, container, box, shield. HOV abbr. high-occupancy vehicle, hove past of HEAVE. hov-el /'huval, hov-/ n. small miserable dwelling. ■ shack, shanty, hut; pigsty, pigpen, colloq. dump. hov-er /huvar, hovar/ v.intr. 1 (of a bird, he¬ licopter, etc.) remain in one place in the air. 2 wait close at hand; linger. ■ 1 float, hang, poise. 2 loiter, wait, hang around. hov-er-craft /huvarkraft, hov-/ n. (pi. same) vehicle that travels over land or water on a cushion of air provided by a downward blast, how /how/ • interrog. adv. 1 by what means; in what way (how do you do it?). 2 in what condition, esp. of health (how is the patient?). 3 to what extent (how far is it?, how did they play?). • rel. adv. in whatever way. • conj. col¬ loq. that (told us how he’d been in Canada). □ how about would you like (how about a game of chess?), how do you do? formal greeting. how-dah /howda/n. seat for riding on an ele¬ phant or camel. how-ev-er /howevar/ adv. 1 a in whatever way (do it however you want), b to whatever extent (must go however inconvenient). 2 nev¬ ertheless. ■ 1 a no matter how, to whatever extent, anyhow, how. b no matter how, regardless (of) how. 2 nonetheless, despite that, still, though, yet, even so, at any rate, anyway, an¬ yhow. how-it-zer /howitsar/ n. short cannon for high-angle firing of shells at low velocities, howl /howl/ • n. 1 long, doleful cry of a dog, wolf, etc. 2 prolonged wailing noise, e.g., as made by a strong wind. 3 loud cry of pain or rage. 4 yell of derision or merriment, -a.

393

househusband ~ huff

1 intr. make a howl. 2 intr. weep loudly. 3 tr. utter (words) with a howl. ■ n. 1 yowl, yelp. 3 shout, scream, roar. • v. 1 yowl, cry, wail, bay; yell, bellow, scream, colloq. holler. 2 see CRY v. 2a. howl-er /howlar/ n. colloq. glaring mistake. ■ blunder, error, colloq. slipup, si. boner, goof, screwup, boo-boo. how-so-ev-er /howso-evar/ adv. 1 in what¬ ever way. 2 to whatever extent, hoy-den /hoyd’n/ n. boisterous girl, h.p. abbr. (also hp) horsepower. HQ abbr. headquarters. HR abbr. (also H.R.) 1 House of Representa¬ tives. 2 home run. hr. abbr. hour. HS abbr. high school. Hs symb. Chem. hassium. HST abbr. 1 Hawaii(an) Standard Time, http abbr. (also HTTP) Computing hypertext transfer protocol, the standard for hypertext data distributed via the World Wide Web. hub /hub/ n. 1 central part of a wheel, rotat¬ ing on or with the axle. 2 center of interest, activity, etc. ■ 2 focus, pivot, heart, core, nucleus, hub-bub /hubub/ n. 1 confused noise. 2 dis¬ turbance. ■ 1 see noise n. 2 see disturbance 2. hub-by /hubee/ n. (pi. -bies) colloq. hus¬ band. hu-bris /hyobbris/ n. arrogant pride or pre¬ sumption. □□ hu-bris'tic adj. • see pride n. 2. huck-le-ber-ry /hukalberee/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 low-growing N. American shrub. 2 blue or black fruit of this. huck-ster /hukstar/ • n. 1 peddler or hawk¬ er. 2 publicity agent, esp. for broadcast ma¬ terial. • v. 1 intr. bargain; haggle. 2 tr. carry on a petty traffic in. ■ n. 1 see peddler (peddle). • v. 1 see bar¬ gain v. 2 see peddle. HUD /hud/ abbr. (Department of) Housing and Urban Development, hud-dle /hud’l/ • v. 1 tr. & intr. crowd to¬ gether. 2 intr. & refl. coil one’s body into a small space. • n. 1 confused or crowded mass. 2 colloq. close or secret conference (esp. in go into a huddle). 3 Football gath¬ ering of the players of one team to receive in¬ structions about the next play. ■ v. 1 cluster, gather. • n. 1 group, bunch, throng. 2 meeting, discussion. hue /hyoo/ n. la color or tint, b variety or shade of color. 2 attribute of a color by vir¬ tue of which it is discernible as red, green, etc. ■ 1 shade, tinge, tone. hue and cry /hymate adj. in*ap*pro'pri»ate adj. iruap'pro'prrate-ly adv. imapt' adj. in»ar'gu*a»ble adj.

in*ar'gu*a*bly adv. in*ar*tis'tic adj. in»aWen'tive adj. in*au'di»ble adj. in*au'di*bly adv. in*aus*pi’cious adj. in*aus*pi cious*ly adv. in*ca’pa-ble adj. imcau'tious adj. in*ci*viri*ty n. in*com*mu'ni*ca*ble adj. in"com»pre*hen’si«ble adj. in*com*pre»hen'si*bly adv. in*cor*rect' adj. in*cor»rect'ly adv. in-cur'a’ble adj. in«cur'a*bly adv. in»dec'o*rous adj. in»dec'o*rous*ly adv.

411

impugn ~ in-

IN abbr. Indiana (in official postal use). In symb. Chem. indium. in /in/ »prep. 1 expressing inclusion or posi¬ tion within limits of space, time, circum¬ stance, etc. (in Nebraska, in bed, in the rain). 2 during the time of. 3 within the time of (will be back in two hours). 4 a with respect to (blind in one eye), b as a kind of (the latest thing in luxury). 5 as a proportionate part of (one in three failed). 6 with the form or ar¬ rangement of (packed in tens). 7 as a member of (in the army). 8 concerned with (is in pol¬ itics) . 9 as the content of (there is something in what you say). 10 within the ability of (does he have it in him?). 11 having the condition of; affected by (in bad health). 12 having as a purpose (in reply to). 13 by means of or using as material (drawn in pencil). 14a using for expression (written in French). b (of music) having as its key (symphony in C). 15 (of a word) having as a part (words be¬ ginning in un-). 16 wearing (in a suit). 17 with the identity of (found a friend in Mary). 18 into (with a verb of motion or change: put it in the box). • adv. expressing position within limits, or motion to such a position: 1 into a room, house, etc. (come in). 2 at home, in one’s office, etc. (is not in). 3 so as to be enclosed or confined (locked in). 4 in a publication (is the advertisement in?). 5 in or to the inward side (rub it in). 6 in fashion or season (long skirts are in). 7 exert¬ ing favorable action or influence (their luck was in). 8 (of a season, harvest, order, etc.) having arrived or been received. 9 (of the tide) at the highest point. • adj. 1 internal; inside. 2 fashionable. 3 confined to a small group (in-joke). Din on privy to (a secret, etc.), ins and outs all the details, in that be¬ cause; in so far as. in with on good terms with. ■ prep. 16 see wear v. 1. • adv. 6 a see fashionable. □ in on see privy adj. 1. ins and outs see rope n. 3. in with en rapport with, tuned in to. in. abbr. inch(es). in-1 /in/ prefix (also il-, im-, ir-) added to:

in*de*fin»a*ble adj. in-de*fin*a*bly adv. in*dis*cern'i*ble adj. in*dis»put'a*ble adj. in*dis*put'a*bly adv. in*dis*tinct' adj. in*dis»tinct'ly adv. in*dis*tin*guish*a*ble adj. in*di*vis'i*ble adj. in*ed'i*ble adj. in*ed'u*ca*ble adj. irueMec'tive adj. in*ef"fec'tive*ly adv. in*ef'fi*ca"cy n. in*e*las'tic adj. in-el'i*gi«ble adj. in*ex*acf adj. in«ex»pe di*ence n. iirexfi*er n. m 1 enlarge, expand, amplify, inflate, in¬ crease, augment. 2 overstate, colloq. blow up. 3 heighten, build up, colloq. boost; aggravate, worsen. □□ magnification en¬ largement, amplification; buildup, strength¬ ening, enhancement; enlargement, amplifi¬ cation. mag*ni*tude /magnitood, -tyood/ n. 1 large¬ ness. 2 size. 3 importance. 4 degree of brightness of a star. ■ 1,2 greatness, extent, bigness, immensity, enormousness, dimension (s). 3 signifi¬

cance, consequence, note; see also impor¬ tance (important). mag*no*lia /magnblya/ n. 1 tree with darkgreen foliage and large waxlike flowers. 2 pale creamy-pink color. mag*num /magnam/ n. (pi. magmums) wine bottle of about twice the standard size. mag»num 0*pus /magnam 6pas/ n. 1 great work of art, literature, etc. 2 most important work of an artist, writer, etc. ■ see MASTERPIECE.

mag*pie /magpl/ n. 1 kind of crow with a long pointed tail, black-and-white plumage, and noisy behavior. 2 chatterer. 3 person who collects things indiscriminately. ma*gus /maygas/ n. (pi. ma*gi /mayji/) 1 priest of ancient Persia. 2 (the Magi) the ‘wise men’ from the East who brought gifts to the infant Christ (Matt. 2:1). Mag*yar /magyaar/ • n. 1 member of a UralAltaic people now predominant in Hungary. 2 language of this people. • adj. of or relating to this people or language. ma*ha»ra*ja /maaharaaja, -zha/ n. (also ma* ha*ra'jah) hist, title of some princes of India. ma»ha»ra»ni /maaharaanee/ n. (also ma*ha* ra'nee) hist, maharaja’s wife or widow. ma»hani*shi /ma'ahareeshi/ n. great Hindu sage. ma*hat*ma /maha'atma, -hat-/ n. 1 (esp. in India) revered person. 2 each of a class of persons in India and Tibet supposed by some to have preternatural powers. Ma»hi«can /mahe'ekan/ n. (also Mo'hi'can) 1 N. American people native to the upper Hudson River Valley of New York state. 2 member of this people. mah-jongg /maajong, -jawng, -zhong, -zhawng/ n. (also mah'jong') Chinese game for four resembling rummy and played with 136 or 144 pieces called tiles. ma*hog»a*ny /mahoganee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 a reddish-brown wood used for furniture, b color of this. 2 tropical tree yielding this wood. ma*hout /mahowt/ n. (esp. in India) elephant driver. maid /mayd/ n. 1 female domestic servant. 2 archaic or poet, girl or young woman. □ maid of honor principal bridesmaid. ■ 1 housemaid, maidservant, domestic, chambermaid, lady’s maid, charwoman. 2 young lady, schoolgirl, miss, mademoiselle. maid*en /mayd’n/ • n. archaic or poet, girl; young unmarried woman. . adj. 1 unmar¬ ried (maiden aunt). 2 first (maiden voyage). □ maiden name wife’s surname before mar¬ riage. □□ maid'en'hood n. maid'en-ish adj. maid'en*like adj. maid en*ly adj. • n. see maid 2. • adj. 2 inaugural, initial. maid*en»hair /mayd’nhair/ n. (in full maid¬ enhair fern) fern with fine hairlike stalks and delicate fronds. maid*en*head /mayd’nhed/ n. 1 virginity. 2 hymen. maid»serv*ant /maydservont/ n. female do¬ mestic servant. mail1 /mayl/ • n. 1 letters and parcels, etc., conveyed by the postal system. 2 postal sys¬ tem. 3 one complete delivery or collection

of mail. • v.tr. send by mail. □ mail carrier person who delivers mail, mailing list list of people to whom advertising matter, informa¬ tion, etc., is to be mailed, mail order order for goods sent by mail. an. 1 correspondence. 2 postal service, post office. • v. dispatch. mail2 /may]/ n. armor made of rings, chains, or plates, joined together flexibly. □□ mailed adj. mail'bag /maylbag/ n. large sack or bag for carrying mail. mail'box /maylboks/ n. 1 receptacle for pick¬ up and delivery of mail. 2 computer file in which electronic mail is stored. mail*man /maylman/ n. (pi. -men) mail car¬ rier. maim /maym/ v.tr. cripple, disable, mutilate. ■ lame, incapacitate, wound, wing, ham¬ string. main /mayn/ • adj. 1 chief in size, impor¬ tance, etc.; principal {the main part). 2 exert¬ ed to the full {by main force). • n. 1 principal duct, etc., for water, sewage, etc. {water main). 2 poet, ocean or oceans, pin the main for the most part, main line 1 chief railway line. 2 si. principal vein, esp. as a site for a drug injection (cf. mainline). ■ adj. 1 primary, prime, (most) important, capital, cardinal, paramount, first, foremost, leading; outstanding; largest, biggest; neces¬ sary, essential. 2 sheer, brute, utter, pure. • n. 1 pipe, channel, line, pipeline, conduit, water or gas main. □ in the main see mainly. main*frame /maynfraym/ n. [often attrib.] large-scale computer system, mainland /maynland, -land/ n. large contin¬ uous extent of land, excluding neighboring islands, etc. □□ main'land*er n. mainline /maynlin/ v. si. 1 intr. take drugs intravenously. 2 tr. inject (drugs) intrave¬ nously. □□ main'lin*er n. main*ly /maynlee/ adv. for the most part; chiefly. a in the main, principally, predominantly, generally, above all, on the whole, in general, mostly. main*mast /maynmast, -mast/ n. Naut. prin¬ cipal mast of a ship. main*sail /maynsayl, -sal/ n. Naut. 1 (in a square-rigged vessel) lowest sail on the mainmast. 2 (in a fore-and-aft rigged vessel) sail set on the after part of the mainmast. main*spring /maynspring/ n. 1 principal spring of a watch, clock, etc. 2 chief motive power; incentive. main*stay /maynstay/ n. 1 chief support. 2 Naut. stay from the maintop to the foot of the foremast. ■ 1 (sheet) anchor, bulwark, buttress, pillar, mainstream /maynstreem/ n. [often attrib.] prevailing trend in opinion, fashion, etc. maintain /mayntayn/ v.tr. 1 cause to con¬ tinue; keep up (an activity, etc.). 2 support by work, expenditure, etc. 3 assert as true. 4 preserve in good repair. 5 provide means for. □□ maintain'er n. maintain'a*ble adj. main*tain*a*bil'i*ty n. ■ 1,2 preserve, persevere in, keep going, persist in, carry on; nurture. 3 hold, state,

499

mail ~ make

say, declare, claim, allege, testify, contend. 4 look after, take care of, care for, keep up, service. main»te»nance /mayntanans/ n. 1 maintain¬ ing or being maintained. 2 provision of the means to support life. ■ 1 upkeep, care, servicing, preservation, conservation; continuation, perpetuation. 2 upkeep, livelihood, subsistence, support, allowance, living, sustenance. maMre d’hO»tel /metra dotel, mayt-/ n. (pi. mabtres d’hotel pronunc. same), (also maitre d’) headwaiter. maize /mayz/ n. 1 = corn1 n. 1.2 yellow. ma*jes*tic /majestik/ adj. showing majesty; stately and dignified; grand, imposing. □□ ma*jes'ti*cal*ly adv. ■ imperial, regal, royal, kingly, queenly, princely, noble, magnificent, monumental, impressive, striking. maj*es*ty /majistee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 impres¬ sive stateliness, dignity, or authority, esp. of bearing, language, the law, etc. 2 (Majesty) part of several titles given to a sovereign or a sovereign’s wife or widow or used in address¬ ing them. ■ 1 see dignity 1. ma*jol*i*ca /mayolika, majol-/ n. (also ma* iol'bca) colorfully decorated earthenware. ma»jor /mayjar/ • adj. 1 important, large, se¬ rious, significant. 2 (of an operation) seri¬ ous. 3 Mus. a (of a scale) having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees, b (of an inter¬ val) greater by a semitone than a minor in¬ terval (major third). C (of a key) based on a major scale. • n. 1 army officer next below lieutenant colonel and above captain. 2 a student’s most emphasized subject or course, b student specializing in a specified subject. • v. intr. [foil, by in] study or qualify in as a special subject. □ major general of¬ ficer next below a lieutenant general. □□ ma'jor*ship n. m adj. 1 vital, critical, crucial, principal, prime, main, big; grave; larger, greater, big¬ ger, chief. • n. 2 a specialization, b special¬ ist. • v. specialize. ma*jor»do*mo /mayjardbmo/ n. (pi. -mos) chief steward of a great household. ma*jor*i*ty /majawritee, -jor-/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 [usu. foil, by of] greater number or part. 2 Polit. number by which the votes cast for one party, candidate, etc., exceed those of the next in rank (won by a majority of 151). 3 full legal age (attained his majority). 4 rank of major. ■ 1 bulk, preponderance, mass, better or best part. 3 adulthood, maturity, seniority, womanhood, manhood. make/mayk/ ‘V.tr. (past and past part, made /mayd/) 1 construct; create; form from parts or other substances. 2 cause or compel. 3 a bring about (made a noise), b cause to become or seem (made him angry). 4 com¬ pose; prepare (made her will). 5 constitute; amount to (2 and 2 make 4). 6 a undertake (made a promise). b perform (a bodily move-

makeshift ~ Malay

500

ment, a speech, etc.). 7 gain; acquire; pro¬ cure. 8 prepare. 9 a arrange bedding neatly on (a bed), b arrange and ignite materials for (a fire). 10 colloq. a arrive at (a place) or in time for (a train, etc.), b manage to at¬ tend. C achieve a place in (made the first team). 11 enact (a law, etc.). 12 consider to be; estimate as. 13 secure the success of (it made my day). 14 accomplish (a distance, speed, score, etc.). 15 form in the mind; (I make no judgment). • n. 1 type, origin, brand, etc., of manufacture. 2 kind of men¬ tal, moral, or physical structure or composi¬ tion. □ make away with = make off with. make-believe 1 pretense. 2 pretended, make believe pretend, make do manage with the limited or inadequate means availa¬ ble. make for 1 tend to result in (happiness, etc.). 2 proceed toward (a place), make it 1 colloq. succeed in reaching, esp. in time. 2 colloq. be successful, make off (or away) with steal, make out 1 a distinguish by sight or hearing, b decipher (handwriting, etc.). 2 understand (can’t make him out). 3 assert; pretend. 4 colloq. make progress; fare. 5 write out. 6 colloq. engage in sexual play or petting, make over 1 transfer the possession of. 2 refashion, make up 1 act to overcome (a deficiency). 2 complete (an amount, a party, etc.). 3 compensate. 4 be reconciled. 5 concoct. 6 apply cosmetics to. make up one’s mind decide, make up to curry favor with, make water colloq. urinate, make way 1 allow room for others to pro¬ ceed. 2 be superseded by. make one’s way go; prosper, on the make colloq. 1 intent on gain. 2 looking for sexual partners. □□ mak'a'ble adj. mak'er n. • v. 1 build, assemble, erect, put together, fashion, form, originate, fabricate, manufac¬ ture. 2 force, impel, coerce, provoke. 3 oc¬ casion; produce, create; appoint, name. 4 make out or up, draw (up), write. 5 repre¬ sent, add up to, total, come to. 6 a see un¬ dertake1 1. b deliver, present; see also exe¬ cute 2. 7 earn, reap, garner, take in, clear, realize, gross, net. 8 cook, colloq. fix. 9 a pre¬ pare, rearrange, tidy (up), b lay, prepare. 10 a reach, attain, get (to). C get on or in. 11 pass, frame, establish, set up, organize. 12 judge, think, calculate. 14 reach; do, go or travel or move at; score, achieve. • n. 1 kind, style, sort. 2 see makeup 3. □ make-believe 1 see pretense 1. 2 see fictitious 2. make believe fancy, playact, dream, fantasize, imagine, make do 1 get by or along, cope, scrape by, survive, make for 1 promote, contribute to, be conducive to; see also lead v. 9. make it 1 arrive, get there, show up, appear. 2 succeed, prosper, triumph, win. make off with rob, filch, pilfer, walk away or off with, make out 1 see, discern, detect, discover. 2 fathom, comprehend, figure out, perceive. 3 suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, intimate; make to appear, make believe. 4 see fare v. 5 complete, fill in, fill out; draw (up), make over 1 hand over, sign over, convey, assign. 2 do over, remodel, redeco¬

rate, alter, make up 1 redress. 2 fill out, fin¬ ish (out), flesh out. 3 redress, make good, atone, make amends. 4 make peace, come to terms, bury the hatchet, make up one’s mind see decide 1. make up to see ingrati¬ ate. make water see urinate, make way 1 move aside, clear the way, allow to pass. 2 see get on 1. make one’s way see proceed 1. on the make 1 aggressive, assertive, en¬ terprising, colloq. pushy. 2 si. cruising. makeshift /maykshift/ • adj. temporary; serving for the time being. • n. temporary substitute or device. ■ adj. ad interim, stopgap, expedient, emer¬ gency, improvised, ad hoc, tentative. • n. ex¬ pedient, improvisation, substitute, jury-rig; see also stopgap. make*up /mayksp/ n. 1 cosmetics for the face, etc., either generally or to create an ac¬ tor’s appearance or disguise. 2 person’s character, temperament, etc. 3 composition of a thing. ■ 1 maquillage, greasepaint, colloq. war¬ paint. 2 constitution, cast, disposition, per¬ sonality, make. 3 constitution, arrangement, construction, format, configuration. mak*ing /mayking/ n. [mpl.] essential quali¬ ties or ingredients (has the makings of a gen¬ eral) . □ in the making in the course of be¬ ing made or formed. ma*kO /mayko, maako/ n. (pi. -kos) type of shark. mal- /mal/ comb, form 1 a bad, badly (mal¬ practice, maltreat). b faulty, faultily (malfunc¬ tion). 2 not (maladroit). mal*ad*just»ed /malajustid/ adj. 1 not cor¬ rectly adjusted. 2 (of a person) unable to adapt to or cope with the demands of a social environment. □□ mafiadfiust'ment n. m 2 unstable, neurotic, disturbed, unbal¬ anced. mal*a*droit /maladroyt/ adj. clumsy; bungling. □□ mafia*droit'ly adv. mafia* droit'ness n. m see clumsy 1. □□ maladroitly see rough¬ ly (rough), maladroitness see ineptitude (inept). mal*a*dy /maladee/ n. (pi. -dies) ailment; disease. ■ see disease. Mal»a»gas»y /malsgasee/ • adj. of or relating to Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean. • n. language of Madagascar. ma'laise /malayz/ n. 1 nonspecific bodily discomfort. 2 feeling of uneasiness. ■ 1 see ailment. 2 see discontent n. mal*a*mute /malamyoot/ n. (also mal'e* mute) any of an Alaskan breed of large sled dogs. mal*a*prop*ism /malapropizam/ n. (also mafia*prop /mabprop/) use of a word in mistake for one sounding similar, to comic effect, e.g., allegory for alligator. ma»lar«i»a /malaireea/ n. recurrent fever caused by a parasite introduced by the bite of a mosquito. □□ madar'fial adj. ma*lar' i*an adj. madar'fious adj. ma»lar*key /mala'arkee/ n. colloq. humbug; nonsense. Ma*lay /maylay, molay/ . n. 1 member of a

people predominating in Malaysia and In¬ donesia. 2 language of this people, the offi¬ cial language of Malaysia. . adj. of or relat¬ ing to this people or this language. □□ Ma* lay'an n. & adj. Mal»a*ya»lam /maloya'alam/ n. language of S. India. mal*COn»tent /malkantent/ • n. discontented person; rebel. • adj. discontented or rebel¬ lious. male /mayl/ • adj. 1 of the sex that can beget offspring by fertilization or insemination. 2 of men or male animals, plants, etc.; mas¬ culine. 3 (of plants or their parts) containing only fertilizing organs. 4 (of parts of machin¬ ery, etc.) designed to enter or fill the corre¬ sponding female part (a male plug). . n. male person or animal. □□ male'ness n. ■ adj. 2 masculine, man’s; virile, manful, macho; see also manly 1. • n. see man n. 1. synonym study:

male

MANFUL, MANLY, MANNISH, MASCULINE, VIRILE.

We speak of a male ancestor, a masculine scent, and a manly activity, but only of women as mannish. While all of these adjec¬ tives apply to what is characteristic of, or like the male of the species, particularly the human species, male can be used with plants or animals as well as human beings and is used to describe whatever is biologically dis¬ tinguished from the female sex (an all-male choir; a male cat;a male holly bush). Masculine

refers to the qualities, characteristics, and behaviors associated with or thought to be appropriate to men and boys (a masculine style of writing; a masculine handshake). Manly

emphasizes the desirable qualities that a cul¬ ture associates with a mature man, such as courage and independence (the manly virtues; the manly sport of football), although it may also be applied to boys. Manful differs from manly primarily in its emphasis on stur¬ diness and resoluteness (a manful effort to hold back tears). Virile is a stronger word than masculine or manly and is applied only to mature men; it suggests the vigor, muscu¬ larity, and forcefulness—and especially the sexual potency—associated with mature manhood (a virile man who looked like a young Charlton Heston).

mal*e*dic*tion /malidikshan/

n. 1 curse. 2 utterance of a curse. □□ mal*e*dic*tive /-tiv/ adj. mal*e*dic*to*ry /-diktawree/ adj. mal»e»fac»tor /malifaktar/ n. criminal; evil¬ doer. □□ mal*e*fac'tion n. rna*lev*o»lent /malevalant/ adj. wishing evil to others. □□ ma*lev'o*lence n. ma*lev'o* lent*ly adv. m see evil adj. 1. □□ malevolence see hos¬ tility 1. mal*fea*sance /malfe'ezans/ n. Law evildo¬ ing. □□ mal'fea'sant n. & adj. mal*for*ma*tion /malformayshan/ n. faulty formation. □□ mal'formed /-fawrmd/ adj. mal»func»tion /malfungkshan/ • n. failure to function normally. •v.intr.; fail to function normally. ■ n. see trouble n. 4. • v. fall through, backfire, fail.

501

Malayalam ~ malleable

mal'ice /malis/ «. 1 a intention to do evil, b desire to tease, esp. cruelly. 2 Law wrong¬

ful intention. □ malice aforethought (or prepense) Law intention to commit a crime, esp. murder. ■ 1 see hostility 1. ma*li*ci0US /malishas/ adj. characterized by malice. □□ ma*li'cious*ly adv. ma*li' ciousmess n. ■ see vicious 1, 3. □□maliciousness see VENOM 2.

ma*lign /malm/ • adj. 1 (of a thing) injuri¬ ous. 2 (of a disease) malignant. 3 malevo¬ lent. • v.tr. speak ill of; slander. □□ ma*lign' er n. ma*lig*ni*ty /malignitee/ n. (pi. -ties). ma*lign*ly /-linlee/ adv. m adj. 1,3 see evil adj. 2. • v. see slander v. □□ malignity see venom 2. synonym study: malign calumniate, defame, libel, slander, vilify. Want to ruin someone’s life? You can ma¬ lign the person, which is to say or write something evil without necessarily lying (she was maligned for her past association with radi¬ cal causes). To calumniate is to make false

and malicious statements about someone, often implying that you have seriously dam¬ aged that person’s good name (after leaving his job, he spent most of his time calumniating and ridiculing his former boss). To defame is

to cause actual injury to someone’s good name or reputation (he defamed her by accus¬ ing her of being a spy). If you don’t mind risk¬ ing a lawsuit, you can libel the person, which is to write or print something that de¬ fames him or her (the tabloid libeled the celebri¬ ty and ended up paying the price). Slander, which is to defame someone orally, is seldom a basis for court action but can nevertheless cause injury to someone’s reputation (after a loud and very public argument, she accused him of slandering her). If all else fails, you can vil¬

ify the person, which is to engage in abusive name-calling (even though he was found inno¬ cent by the jury, he was vilified by his neigh¬ bors) .

ma»lig*nant /malignant/

adj. 1 a (of a dis¬ ease) very virulent or infectious, b cancer¬ ous. 2 harmful; feeling or showing intense ill will. □□ ma*lig'nan*cy n. (pi. -cies). ma* lig'nant*ly adv. m 1 pernicious, harmful, injurious, lifethreatening, invasive. 2 injurious, malign, malevolent, evil. ma»lin*ger /malinggar/ v.intr. exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty, work, etc. □□ ma*lin'ger*er n. mall /mawl/ n. 1 sheltered walk or prome¬ nade. 2 enclosed shopping center. maMard /malard/ n. (pi. same or maldards) wild duck or drake of the northern hemi¬ sphere. mal*le*a*ble /maleeabal/ adj. 1 (of metal, etc.) that can be shaped by hammering. 2 adaptable; pliable, flexible. □□ mal*le*a* bil'i*ty n. marie*a*bly adv. ■ 1 see plastic adj. 1. 2 see adaptable

mallet ~ manatee

502

(adapt). □□ malleability see flexibility (flexible). maMet /malit/ n. 1 hammer, usu. of wood. 2 long-handled wooden hammer for striking a croquet or polo ball. maMow /malo/ n. plant with hairy stems and leaves and pink or purple flowers. mal*nour»ished /malnbrisht, -nur-/ adj. suf¬ fering from malnutrition. □□ malmour' ish*ment n. mal*nu*tri*tion /malnootrishan, -nyoo-/ n. dietary condition resulting from the absence of healthful foods. mal»0*dor*OUS /malbdaras/ adj. having an unpleasant smell. mal*prac*tice /malpraktis/ n. improper, neg¬ ligent, or criminal professional conduct. malt /mawlt/ • n. 1 barley or other grain that is steeped, germinated, and dried, esp. for brewing or distilling and vinegar making. 2 colloq. malt whiskey; malt liquor. • v. tr. convert (grain) into malt. □ malted milk 1 drink combining milk, a malt preparation, and ice cream or flavoring. 2 powdered malt preparation used to make this, malt liquor a kind of strong beer. Maltese /mawlte'ez, -te'es/ • n. 1 (pi. same) native or national of Malta, an island in the W. Mediterranean. 2 language of Malta. • adj. of or relating to Malta. maWreat /maltre'et/ v.tr. ill-treat, no mal* treat'er n. mahtreat'ment n. • see ill-treat. □□ maltreatment see abuse n. 4. ma*ma /ma'ams, mama'a/ n. colloq. mother. mam*ba /ma'ambs/ n. venomous African snake. mam*bO /maambo/ n. (pi. -bos) 1 Latin American dance like the rumba. 2 the music for this. mam*ma /ma'ams/ n. (also mom'ma) colloq. MAMA. mam»mal /mamal/ n. warm-blooded verte¬ brate of the class secreting milk for the nour¬ ishment of its young. □□ mam*ma*li*an /-mayleean/ adj. & n. mam*mal*o*gy /-molijee/ n. mam»ma*ry /mamaree/ adj. of the breasts. mam*mog*ra*phy /mamografee/ n. Med. X-ray technique of diagnosing and locating abnormalities (esp. tumors) of the breasts. mam*mon /maman/ n. (also Mam'mon) wealth regarded as a god or as an evil influ¬ ence. □□ mam'monnsm n. mam'mondst n.

mam*moth /mamath/ •

n. large extinct ele¬ phant with a hairy coat and curved tusks. • adj. huge. ■ adj. see huge 1. man /man/ • n. (pi. men /men/) 1 adult human male. 2 a human being; person (no man is perfect), b the human race (man is mortal). 3 person showing characteristics as¬ sociated with males (she’s more of a man than he is). 4 a worker; employee, b manservant or valet. 5 [usu. in pi.) soldiers, sailors, etc., esp. nonofficers. 6 any one of a set of pieces used in playing chess, checkers, etc. . v.tr.

(manned, mamning) 1 supply with a per¬ son or people for work or defense, etc. 2 work or service or defend (man the pumps). □ as one man in unison; in agreement, man about town fashionable man of leisure, man-hour (or -day, etc.) hour (or day, etc.) regarded in terms of the amount of work that could be done by one person with¬ in this period, man in (or on) the street or¬ dinary average person, man-made artificial; synthetic, man of letters scholar; author, man-of-war armed ship, to a man all with¬ out exception. □□ man’less adj. n n. 1 gentleman, colloq. guy, fellow, chap, si. dude. 2 a mortal, b people, human be¬ ings, mankind, mortals, Homo sapiens, hu¬ manity. 4 a see worker, b servant, joc. re¬ tainer; houseboy, houseman. • v. 1 staff; crew, a as one man as one, together, har¬ monious, in harmony, man about town see swell n. 4, trendy n. man in (or on) the street layman, laywoman. man of letters see scholar 1, author n. 1. man»a«cle /manakal/ . n. [usu. in pi.] 1 handcuff. 2 restraint. • v.tr. fetter with manacles. an. 1 (manacles) shackles, fetters, chains; see also restraint 5. 2 see restraint 2. • v. shackle, handcuff, restrain, put or throw or clap in irons, chain (up). man»age /manij/ v. 1 tr. organize; regulate; be in charge of. 2 tr. succeed in achieving; contrive. 3 intr. a succeed in one’s aim, esp. against heavy odds, b meet one’s needs with limited resources, etc. 4 tr. control. ■ 1 handle, administer, run, supervise, look after, watch over, direct, head, oversee; gov¬ ern. 2, 3 function, make do, make it, cope. 4 handle, cope or deal with, govern, manipu¬ late. man*age*a*ble /manijabal/ adj. able to be easily managed, controlled, or accomplished, etc. □□ man*age»a*bil'i*ty n. man'age*a* bly adv. • controllable; tractable, compliant, amena¬ ble, docile. man*age*ment /manijmant/ n. 1 managing or being managed. 2 a professional adminis¬ tration of business concerns, public under¬ takings, etc. b people engaged in this. ■ 1 control, supervision, manipulation, handling, direction, directing, directorship, administration, government. 2 b adminis¬ tration, executive(s), bosses, directors, board (of directors). man»ag*er /manijar/ n. 1 person controlling or administering a business or part of a business. 2 person controlling the affairs, training, etc., of a person or team in sports, entertainment, etc. □□ man*a,ge,ri*al /manije'ereeal/ adj. man*a*ge'ri*al*ly adv. man'ag*er*ship n. • 1 supervisor, superintendent, director, executive, head, proprietor, overseer, fore¬ man, forewoman. 2 impresario, administra¬ tor; see also director 2. ma*na*na /manya'ana/ • adv. in the indefinite future. • n. an indefinite future time. man*a*tee /manate'e/ n. large aquatic plant¬ eating mammal.

man*da»la /mandate, mun-/ n. symbolic cir¬ cular figure representing the universe in var¬ ious religions. man*da*rin /mandarin/ n. 1 (Mandarin) most widely spoken form of Chinese and of¬ ficial language of China. 2 hist. Chinese offi¬ cial in any of nine grades of the preCommunist civil service. 3 a party leader, b powerful member of the establishment. □□ man'da*rin*ate n. man*date /mandayt/ • n. 1 official com¬ mand or instruction by an authority. 2 sup¬ port given by electors to a government, labor union, etc., for a policy or course of action. 3 commission to act for another. • v. tr. in¬ struct (a delegate) to act or vote in a certain way. □□ man*da'tor n. ■ n. 1 see command n. 1.2 see approval. • v. see decree v. man»da»tO»ry /mandatawree/ adj. 1 of or conveying a command. 2 compulsory. □□ man'da*to*ri*ly adv. • 2 obligatory, requisite, required, essential, demanded, necessary, needed. man*di*ble /mandibal/ n. 1 jaw, esp. the lower jaw in mammals and fishes. 2 upper or lower part of a bird’s beak. 3 either half of the crushing organ in an arthropod’s mouthparts. □□ man*dib'u*lar adj. man*dO»lin /mandolin/ n. musical instru¬ ment resembling a lute, having paired metal strings plucked with a plectrum. □□ man* do*lin'ist n. man*drake /mandrayk/ n. poisonous plant having emetic and narcotic properties and possessing a root once thought to resemble the human form. man»drel /mandral/ n. 1 shaft in a lathe to which work is fixed while being turned. 2 cylindrical rod around which metal or other material is forged or shaped. man*drill /mandril/ n. large W. African ba¬ boon. mane /mayn/ n. long hair on the neck of a horse, lion, etc. □□ maned adj. [also in comb.], mane'less adj. ma'nege /manezh/ n. (also ma*nege) 1 rid¬ ing school. 2 movements of a trained horse. 3 horsemanship. ma*neu»ver /manoovar/ • n. 1 planned and controlled movement or series of moves. 2 [in pi.] large-scale exercise of troops, warships, etc. 3 a often deceptive planned or controlled action, b skillful plan. • v. 1 intr. & tr. perform or cause to perform a maneuver. 2 intr. & tr. perform or cause (troops, etc.) to perform military maneu¬ vers. 3 a tr. handle adroitly, b intr. use arti¬ fice. □□ ma*neu'ver*a*ble adj. ma*neu* ver*a*bil*i*ty /-vrabilitee, -vara-/ n. ma* neu'ver*er n. m n. 1,3 stratagem, tactic, trick, gambit, subterfuge, ruse, dodge. 2 exercise(s), war game(s). • v. 1 manipulate, run, drive, guide, navigate, steer. 3 manipulate, con¬ trive, plot, scheme, machinate, intrigue. man*ful /manfool/ adj. brave; resolute. See synonym study at male. □□ man'fuMy adv. man fubness n. man*ga*nese /manggane'ez/ n. Chem. gray

503

mandala ~ maniac

metallic transition element used with steel to make alloys. fSymb.: Mn. mange /maynj/ n. skin disease in hairy and woolly animals. manager /maynjar/ n. long open box or trough in a stable, etc., for horses or cattle to eat from. man*glel /manggal/ v.tr. 1 hack, cut, or mu¬ tilate by blows, etc. 2 spoil; ruin. □□ man' gler n. ■ 1 lacerate, chop (up), crush, damage, cripple, maim, destroy. 2 butcher, mutilate, mar, wreck. man*gle2 /manggal/ n. machine having two or more cylinders between which clothes, etc., are squeezed and pressed. man»go /manggo/ n. (pi. -goes or -gos) 1 fleshy yellowish-red fruit. 2 E. Indian ever¬ green tree bearing this. man*grove /manggrov/ n. tropical tree or shrub with many tangled roots above ground. man*gy /maynjee/ adj. (man*gi*er, man*gi* est) 1 having mange. 2 squalid; shabby. □□ man'gbly adv. man'gbness n. ■ 1 scabious, scabby. 2 scruffy, dirty, sleazy, sorry, slovenly, unkempt, slummy, dingy, seedy, poor. man*han*dle /manhand’l/ v.tr. colloq. handle roughly. ■ hustle, jostle, tousle, molest, shove, maul. man*hat*tan /manhatan/ n. cocktail made of vermouth and whiskey, usu. flavored with bitters. man*hole /manhol/ n. covered opening in a floor, pavement, sewer, etc., for workers to gain access. man*hood /manhood/ n. 1 state of being a man rather than a child or woman. 2 a man¬ liness; courage, b a man’s sexual potency. 3 men of a country, etc. ■ 2 a masculinity, manfulness, virility, ma¬ chismo, bravery, pluck, boldness, colloq. guts, grit. man»hunt /manhunt/ n. search for a person, esp. a criminal. ma*ni*a /mayneea/ n. 1 Psychol, mental ill¬ ness marked by periods of great excitement and violence. 2 [often foil, by for] excessive enthusiasm; obsession (has a mania for jog¬ ging). m 1 madness, lunacy, insanity, dementia, dementedness, derangement, hysteria, colloq. craziness. 2 rage, craze, passion, fad; com¬ pulsion, urge. -mania /mayneea/ comb, form 1 Psychol, de¬ noting a special type of mental abnormality or obsession (megalomania). 2 denoting ex¬ treme enthusiasm or admiration (biblioma¬ nia). ma*ni*ac /mayneeak/ n. 1 colloq. person ex¬ hibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, etc.; madman. 2 colloq. obsessive enthusiast. □ □ ma*ni*a*cal /mamakol/ adj. ma*ni'a* cal*ly adv. ■ 1 madwoman, lunatic, psychopath, psy¬ chotic, si. crackpot, nut. 2 fanatic, fan, zealot, colloq. freak, si. fiend, nut. □□ mani-

manic ~ mansion

504

acal manic, maniac, insane, lunatic, mad, demented; hysterical, berserk, wild. man*ic /manik/ • adj. of or affected by ma¬ nia. • n. person having such a disorder. □ manic-depressive Psychol, adj. & n. af¬ fected by or relating to a mental disorder with alternating periods of elation and de¬ pression. □□ man'i*cal*ly adv. man«i»cure /manikyOOr/ • n. cosmetic treat¬ ment of the hands and fingernails. • v.tr. give a manicure to (the hands or a person). □□ man'i*cur*ist n. manifest1 /manifest/ • adj. clear or obvi¬ ous. • v. tr. show plainly to the eye or mind. □ Manifest Destiny 19th c. doctrine assert¬ ing that the United States was destined to expand westward to the Pacific. □□ mann* fes*ta'tion n. man'bfesfly adv. See syno¬ nym study at sign ■ adj. apparent, evident, plain, patent, bla¬ tant, conspicuous. • v. demonstrate, exhibit, evince, reveal, disclose. □□ manifestation display, exhibition, demonstration, show, disclosure; declaration; materialization, manifestly evidently, clearly, obviously, plainly, apparently. manifest2 /manifest/ n. cargo or passenger list. man*i*fes»tO /manifesto/ n. (pi. -tos or -toes) public declaration of policy and aims esp. political or social. ■ declaration, platform, program. man*i»fold /manifold/ • adj. literary 1 many and various. 2 having various forms, parts, applications, etc. • n. 1 manifold thing. 2 Mech. pipe or chamber branching into sev¬ eral openings. ■ adj. diverse, diversified, multifarious, var¬ ied, assorted, multiplex, miscellaneous, sun¬ dry. • n. 1 composite, amalgam; see also BLEND n. man*i*kin /manikin/ n. (also man'ni*kin) 1 little man; dwarf. 2 anatomical model of the body. Ma*nil*a /manila/ n. (also Mamil'la) 1 (in full Manila hemp) strong fiber of a Philip¬ pine tree. 2 (also mamil'a) strong brown paper made from Manila hemp or other ma¬ terial. ma*nip»u*late /manipyalayt/ v.tr. 1 handle, esp. skillfully. 2 manage (a person, situation, etc.) to one’s own advantage, esp. unfairly. 3 manually examine and treat (a part of the body). □□ ma«nip*u*la*ble /-labal/ adj. ma* nip*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. ma*nip»u*la* tive /manipyalativ/ adj. ma*nip u*la*tor n. ■ 1 control, operate, direct, work, use, treat, employ. 2 handle, control, maneuver, or¬ chestrate, choreograph, influence, use, ex¬ ploit; rig, falsify. man*kind n. 1 /mankind/ human species. 2 /mankind/ male people, as distinct from fe¬ male. man*ly /manlee/ adj. (man*li*er, man«li* est) 1 having qualities regarded as admira¬ ble in a man, such as courage, frankness, etc. 2 befitting a man. See synonym study at male. □□ man'limess n.

m 1 manful, virile, courageous, bold, brave, intrepid, valorous; masculine, male, macho, red-blooded. man*na /mans/ n. 1 substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wil¬ derness (Exod. 16). 2 unexpected benefit (esp. manna from heaven). manned /mand/ adj. (of an aircraft, space¬ craft, etc.) having a human crew. man*ne*quin /manikin/ n. 1 fashion model. 2 window dummy. man*ner /manor/ n. 1 way a thing is done or happens. 2 [in pi] a social behavior (it is bad manners to stare), b polite or well-bred behavior (he has no manners). 3 person’s out¬ ward bearing, way of speaking, etc. 4 style in literature, art, etc. (in the manner of Rem¬ brandt). □ to the manner born colloq. natu¬ rally at ease in a specified job, situation, etc. □□ man'nertiess adj. (in sense 2b). ■ 1 mode, style, technique, procedure, method. 2 etiquette, decorum, (good) form, politeness; social graces. 3 air, behavior, de¬ meanor, deportment. man*nered /manard/ adj. 1 [in comb.] behav¬ ing in a specified way (ill-mannered). 2 artifi¬ cial. ■ 1 (comb.) -behaved. 2 contrived, stilted, stiff, affected, insincere, pompous, preten¬ tious, posed. man«ner*ism /manarizam/ n. 1 habitual ges¬ ture or way of speaking, etc.; idiosyncrasy. 2 a stylistic trick in art, etc. b excessive use of these. □□ man'nertist n. man*ner*is'tic adj. m 1 quirk, peculiarity, trait, characteristic, habit. man»ner»ly /manarlee/' • adj. well-mannered; polite. • adv. politely. □□ man'ner*li*ness n. man»ni*kin var. of manikin. man*nish /manish/ adj. 1 usu. derog. (of a woman) masculine in appearance or man¬ ner. 2 characteristic of a man. See synonym study at male. □□ man'nish»ly adv. man' nish*ness n. ma*nom»e»ter /manomitar/ n. pressure gauge for gases and liquids, on man*o"met* ric /manametrik/ adj. man*or /manar/ n. (also man'or house) large country house with lands. □□ ma*no* ri*al /manawreeal/ adj. • see ESTATE 1, PALACE 2. man*pow»er /manpowr/ n. number of people available or required for work, service, etc. man*que /maaNkay/ adj. [placed after noun] that might have been but is not; unfulfilled (a comic actor manque)man*sard /mansaard/ n. roof that has four sloping sides, each of which becomes steeper halfway down. manse /mans/ n. house of a minister, esp. a Presbyterian. man*ser*vant /manservant/ n. (pi. men*ser* vants) male servant. -manship /manship/ suffix forming nouns de¬ noting skill in a subject or activity (craftsman¬ ship, gamesmanship). man*sion /manshan/ n. large house.

man»slaugh*ter /manslawtar/ n. Law unlaw¬ ful killing of a human being without malice aforethought. man»tel*piece /mant’lpees/ n. (also man* tel) structure of wood, marble, etc., above and around a fireplace. man*til*la /mantils, -tees/ n. lace scarf worn by Spanish women over the hair and shoul¬ ders. man*tis /mantis/ n. (pi. same or man*tis*es) (in full praying mantis) predatory insect that holds its forelegs in a position suggestive of hands folded in prayer. man*tis*sa /mantiss/' n. part of a logarithm after the decimal point. man»tle /mant’l/ • n. 1 loose sleeveless cloak. 2 covering (mantle of snow). 3 lacelike tube fixed around a gas jet to give an incandescent light. 4 region between the crust and the core of the earth. • v. tr. clothe; conceal; en¬ velop. ■ n. 1 cape, wrap, shawl. 2 cover, sheet, veil, blanket, screen, cloak, shroud, pall, can¬ opy, curtain. • v. cover, surround, encircle, shroud, veil, screen. man*tra /mantra, maan-, mun-/ n. 1 word or sound repeated to aid concentration in med¬ itation, orig. in Hinduism and Buddhism. 2 Vedic hymn. man»u»al /manyoool/ • adj. 1 of or done with the hands (manual labor). 2 (of a machine, etc.) worked by hand, not automatically. • n. 1 book of instructions. 2 Mil. exercise in handling a rifle, etc. □□ man'u*al*ly adv. • adj. 1 hand, blue-collar. 2 handoperated. • n. 1 handbook, companion; di¬ rections, guide. man*u*fac*ture /manyafakchar/ • n. making of articles, esp. in a factory, etc. • v.tr. 1 make (articles), esp. on an industrial scale. 2 invent or fabricate (evidence, a story, etc.). □□ man*u*fac'tur*er n. m n. (mass) production, construction, build¬ ing, assembly, fabrication. • v. 1 (mass-) produce, construct, build, assemble, fabri¬ cate. 2 concoct, create, contrive, make up, think up. □□ manufacturer maker, pro¬ ducer, processor, industrialist; fabricator. man»U*mit /manyamit/ v.tr. (man*u*mit* ted, man*u*mit*tmg) hist, set (a slave) free. □□ man*u*mis*sion /-mishan/ n. ma*nure /manobr, -nycbr/ • n. fertilizer, esp. dung. • v.tr. [also absol.] apply manure to (land, etc.). man*u*script /manyaskript/ • n. 1 hand¬ written or typed text. 2 handwritten form. • adj. written by hand. ■ adj. handwritten, holograph. Manx /mangks/ • adj. of the Isle of Man. • n. 1 former Celtic language of the Isle of Man. 2 [treated as pi] Manx people. □ Manx cat breed of tailless cat. man»y /menee/ • adj. (more /mawr/; most /most/) great in number; numerous. • n. [as pi. ] a large number (many went). ■ adj. multitudinous, profuse, innumerable, numberless, uncountable, literary myriad. • n. a good or great deal, hordes or a horde, crowds or a crowd, swarms or a swarm, throngs or a throng, masses or a mass, moun-

505

manslaughter ~ march

tains or a mountain, a profusion, multitudes or a multitude, a good or great many, an abundance, plenty; colloq. lots or a lot, hun¬ dreds or a hundred, oodles, zillions, loads or a load, scads. Mao*ism /mowizam/ n. Communist doc¬ trines of Mao Zedong (d. 1976), Chinese statesman. □□ Mao'ist n. & adj. Mao*ri /mowree/ • n. (pi. same or Mao*ris) 1 member of the Polynesian aboriginal peo¬ ple of New Zealand. 2 language of the Maori. • adj. of the Maori, map /map/ * n. 1 flat representation of the earth’s surface, or part of it. 2 twodimensional representation of the stars, the heavens, the moon, etc. • v.tr. (mapped, map*ping) represent on a map. □ map out arrange in detail; plan, on map'less adj. map'per n. ■ n. see chart n. • v. see chart v. ma*ple /maypal/ n. 1 any of various trees grown for shade, ornament, wood, or its sugar. 2 wood of the maple. □ maple sugar sugar produced by evaporating the sap of the sugar maple, etc. maple syrup syrup pro¬ duced from the sap of the sugar maple, etc. Mar. abbr. March. mar /maar/ v.tr. (marred, mar*ring) spoil; disfigure. ■ damage, wreck, ruin, impair; deform, blight, blot. mar*a*bou /maraboo/ n. (also mar'a*bout) 1 large W. African stork. 2 its down as a trimming for hats, etc. ma*ra*ca /maraaka/ n. gourd or gourd¬ shaped container filled with beans, etc., shaken as a percussion instrument. mar*a*SChi*no /maraske'eno, -shee-/ n. (pi. -nos) sweet liqueur made from a Dalmatian cherry. □ maraschino cherry cherry with maraschino flavor. Ma*ra*thi /maraatee, -ratee/ n. (also Mah* rat'ti) language of central andW. India. mar*a*thon /marathon/ n. 1 long-distance running race, usu. of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km). 2 long-lasting or difficult task, operation, etc. (often attrib.: a marathon shop¬ ping expedition). □□ mar'a*thon*er n. ma*raud /marawd/ v. 1 intr. make a plunder¬ ing raid. 2 tr. plunder (a place). □□ ma* raud'er n. • □□ marauder see thief. rnar»ble /ma'arbal/ • n. 1 crystalline lime¬ stone capable of taking a polish, used in sculpture and architecture. 2 [often attrib.] a anything made of marble (marble clock). b anything resembling marble in hardness, coldness, durability, etc. 3 a small ball of marble, glass, clay, etc., used as a toy. b [in pi.', treated as sing.] game using these. 4 [in pi] si. one’s mental faculties, •v.tr. 1 (esp. as marbled adj.) stain or color (paper, soap, etc.) to look like marble. 2 (as marbled adj.) (of meat) streaked with alternating lay¬ ers of lean and fat. □□ mar'bly adj. m v. 1 (marbled) see mottled (mottle). March /maarch/ n. third month of the year. march1 /maarch/ • v. 1 intr. walk in a mili-

march - mark

506

tary manner with a regular tread. 2 tr. cause to march or walk (marched him out of the room). 3 intr. a walk or proceed steadily, b (of events, etc.) continue unrelentingly (time marches on). • n. la act of marching, b uniform step of troops, etc. 2 progress or continuity. 3 piece of music composed to accompany a march. □ marching orders 1 Mil. direction for troops to depart for war, etc. 2 dismissal. □□ march'er n. m v. 1 parade, step, stride, strut, tread, pace. 3 a see walk v. 1,2. • n. la parade, procession, cortege, walk. 2 see progress n. 2. □ marching orders 2 see dismissal (dis¬ miss). march2 /maarch/ n. hist. [usu. in pi] bound¬ ary, frontier. Mar*di Gras /ma'ardee gra'a/ n. last day before Lent, celebrated in some places, as New Or¬ leans; Shrove Tuesday. mare1 /mair/ n. female of any equine animal, esp. the horse. □ mare’s nest illusory dis¬ covery. ma*re2 /ma'aray/ n. (pi. ma*ri*a /ma'areeo/ or ma*res) large dark flat area on the moon. mar»ga»rine /ma'arjorin/ n. butter substitute made from vegetable oils or animal fats with milk, etc. mar»ga*ri*ta /maargareeto/ n. cocktail made with tequila, lime or lemon juice, and orange-flavored liqueur, margin /ma'arjin/ n. 1 edge or border. 2 blank border on each side of the print on a page, etc. 3 amount (of time, money, etc.) by which a thing exceeds, falls short, etc. (margin of profit). 4 amount deposited with a stockbroker by the customer when borrow¬ ing from the broker to purchase securities. See synonym study at border. □ margin of error allowance for miscalculation. □□ mar gin*al adj. mar'gin*al"ly adv. m 1 perimeter, bound(s), boundary; rim, lip, side, brink. 3 majority, gap, difference, shortfall, deficit, surplus, excess, profit. □□ marginal borderline, minimal, small, slight, negligible. mar*gi»na»li*a /ma'arjinayleea/ n.pl. marginal notes. mar*gin*al*ize /ma'arjinallz/ v.tr. make or treat as insignificant. □□ mar*gin*al*i*za’ tion n. ma*ri*a»chi /maareea'achee, mar-/ n. 1 Mex¬ ican band of strolling musicians. 2 music played by such a band. mar*i*gold /marigold/ n. plant with bright yellow, orange, or maroon flowers. ma*ri*jua*na /mariwaana/ n. (also ma*ri* hua'na) dried leaves, etc., of hemp, smoked or ingested as a drug. ■ slang pot, grass, weed. ma*rim*ba /marimba/ n. 1 xylophone of Africa and Central America. 2 modern in¬ strument derived from this. ma*ri»na /mare'ena/ n. harbor for pleasure yachts, etc. mar*i*nade /marinayd/ • n. 1 mixture of wine, vinegar, oil, spices, etc., in which meat,

fish, etc., is soaked before cooking. 2 meat, fish, etc., so soaked. • v.tr. = marinate. ma«ri»na»ra /marina'ara/ adj. (of a pasta sauce) made with tomatoes, spices, etc., usu. without meat. mafbnate /marinayt/ v.tr. soak (meat, fish, etc.) in a marinade. □□ marn*na»tion /-nayshan/ n. ma*rine /mare'en/ • adj. 1 of, found in, or produced by the sea. 2 of or relating to ship¬ ping or naval matters (marine insurance). • n. 1 country’s shipping, fleet, or navy (merchant marine). 2 a member of the US Marine Corps, b member of a body of troops trained to serve on land or sea. ■ adj. 1 maritime, sea, oceanic, aquatic, saltwater. 2 maritime, nautical, naval, sea¬ faring, seagoing, oceangoing, sea. • n. 1 flo¬ tilla, naval force, armada. mar*i*ner /marinar/ n. sailor. mar*i»on*ette /mareeanet/ n. puppet worked by strings. mar»i»tal /marital/ adj. of marriage or the re¬ lations between husband and wife. □□ mar' i'tably adv. maritime /maritlm/ adj. 1 connected with the sea or seafaring (maritime insurance). 2 living or found near the sea. ■ 1 see marine 2. 2 see marine 1. mar»jo»ram /ma'arjaram/ n. aromatic herb used in cooking. mark1 /maark/ • n. 1 trace, sign, stain, etc., on a surface, etc. 2 [esp. in comb.] a written or printed symbol (question mark), b number or letter denoting excellence, conduct, profi¬ ciency, etc. (black mark). 3 sign or indication of quality, character, feeling, etc. 4 target, object, goal, etc. 5 line, etc., indicating a po¬ sition; marker. 6 (usu. Mark) (followed by a numeral) particular design, model, etc., of a car, aircraft, etc. 7 runner’s starting point in a race. • v.tr. la make a mark on (a thing or person), esp. by writing, cutting, scraping, etc. b put an identifying mark, initials, name, etc., on. 2 allot marks to; correct (a student’s work, etc.). 3 attach a price to. 4 notice or observe (she marked his agitation). 5 characterize (day was marked by storms). o beside (or oflf or wide of) the mark 1 not to the point; irrelevant. 2 not accurate, make one’s mark attain distinction, mark down 1 mark (goods, etc.) at a lower price. 2 make a written note of. mark time 1 Mil. march on the spot, without moving forward. 2 wait, mark up 1 mark (goods, etc.) at a higher price. 2 mark or correct (text, etc.). • n. 1 spot, scar, blemish, smear, smudge, impression, dent, nick. 2 a, 3 emblem, de¬ vice, hallmark, seal, earmark, fingerprint, badge, characteristic, token, brand, stamp, label. 2 b rating, grade, grading, score. 4 objective, aim, purpose, end. 5 indicator, guide, signpost, landmark. • v. la spot, stain, blemish, smear, smudge, streak, dent, trace, pockmark, nick, scratch, cut, chip, pit, bruise. 2 grade, evaluate, assess, appraise. 3 label; price, tag. 4 pay attention to, attend (to), pay heed to, note, take notice of, heed, watch. 5 brand, stamp, identify, distinguish. □ beside (or off or wide of) the mark 1 see

irrelevant, make one’s mark succeed, get ahead, triumph, distinguish oneself, mark down 1 reduce, devalue, discount. 2 write (down), record, register, note (down), mark time 2 see wait v. la. mark up 1 increase, hike, colloq. up. mark2 /maark/ n. = Deutsche mark. mark-down /maarkdown/ n. reduction in price. marked /maarkt/ adj. 1 having a visible mark. 2 clearly noticeable; evident (a marked differ¬ ence). 3 (of playing cards) having distinctive marks on their backs to assist cheating. do mark*ed*ly /-kidlee/ adv. mark'ed*ness n.

■ 1 see spotty 1. 2 conspicuous, decided, pronounced, considerable, remarkable, sig¬ nificant. mark*er /ma'arkar/ n. 1 stone, post, etc., used to mark a position, etc. 2 person or thing that marks. 3 si. IOU. mar*ket /maarkit/ • n. 1 gathering of people for the purchase and sale of provisions, live¬ stock, etc. 2 open space or covered building used for this. 3 demand for a commodity. 4 place or group providing such a demand. 5 conditions as regards, or opportunity for, buying or selling. 6 [prec. by the] trade in a specified commodity (the grain market). • v. 'tr. offer for sale. □ market research study of consumers’ needs and preferences. □□ mar*ket*a*bil’i*ty n. mar'ket*a*ble adj. mar'ket*er n. m n. 1 marketplace, exchange. 2 shop, store, bazaar, supermarket, superstore. 3, 4 call, trade; outlet; clientele. 6 see trade n. la, b. • v. sell, merchandise, retail, vend, peddle, hawk, make available, furnish. mar*ket*ing /maarkiting/ n. 1 selling or buy¬ ing in a market. 2 activity or process involv¬ ing research, promotion, sales, and distribu¬ tion of a product or service. mar*ket*place /ma'arkitplays/ n. 1 open space where a market is held in a town. 2 scene of actual dealings. 3 forum or sphere for the exchange of ideas, etc. marking /maarking/ n. [usu. in pi] 1 identi¬ fication mark, esp. a symbol on an aircraft. 2 coloring of an animal’s fur, feathers, skin, etc. marks*man /ma'arksmon/ n. (pi. -men; fem. -wom*an, pi. -wonven) person skilled in shooting, esp. with a pistol or rifle. □□ marks 'mamship n. mark*up /ma'arkup/ n. amount added to cost for profit. mar*lin /ma'arlin/ n. large long-nosed marine fish. mar»ma*lade /maarmolayd/ n. preserve of citrus fruit, usu. bitter oranges, made like jam. mar*mo*set /ma'armoset, -zet/ n. small trop¬ ical American monkey having a long bushy tail. mar*mOt /maarmst/ n. burrowing rodent with a heavyset body and short bushy tail. ma*roon1 /marcbn/ adj. & n. brownishcrimson. ma*roon2 /mardbn/ v. tr. leave (a person) iso¬ lated in a desolate place (esp. an island).

507

mark ~ mart

■ abandon, cast away, desert, strand, for¬ sake; isolate. marque /maark/ n. make of a product, as a sports car. mar*quee /maarke'e/ n. projecting roof over an entry. mar»quess /ma'arkwis/ n. British nobleman ranking between duke and earl. mar*que*try /ma'arkitree/ n. (also mar que* te*rie) inlaid work in wood, ivory, etc. mar*quis /ma'arkwis, -kee/ n. nobleman ranking between duke and count. mar»quise /maarke'ez, -ke'e/ n. 1 wife or widow of a marquis. 2 woman holding the rank of marquis. mar*riage /marij/ n. 1 legal union of a man and a woman. 2 wedding. 3 intimate union (marriage of true minds). □□ mar*riage*a* bil'i*ty n. marriage*a*ble adj. • 1 matrimony, wedlock. 2 nuptials. 3 as¬ sociation, alliance, connection, coupling, merger. mar*ried /mareed/ • adj. 1 united in mar¬ riage. 2 of or relating to marriage (married life). • n. [usu. in pi.] married person (young marrieds). n adj. 2 see matrimonial (matrimony). mar*row /maro/ n. soft fatty substance in the

cavities of bones.

mar»ry /maree/

v. (-ries, -ried) 1 tr. a take as one’s wife or husband in marriage, b join or give in marriage. 2 tr. a unite intimately, b correlate (things) as a pair. □ marry off find a wife or husband for. ■ 1 a get married to, lead down the aisle or to the altar, colloq. get hitched or spliced to. b join in wedlock or (holy) matrimony; give away, marry off. 2 a fit (together), unify, bond, weld, fuse, put together, couple, join, link; ally, amalgamate, combine, b match (up). Mars /maarz/ n. reddish planet, fourth in or¬ der of distance from the sun and next be¬ yond the earth. marsh /maarsh/ n. low land flooded in wet weather and usu. watery at all times. d marsh gas methane. □□ marsh'y adj. (marsh*i*er, marsh*i*est). marsh'i*ness n.

• swamp, bog, wetland(s), marshland, fen, slough. marshal /maarshsl/ . n. 1 officer of a judi¬ cial district, similar to a sheriff. 2 head of a fire department. 3 high-ranking officer in the armed forces of certain countries (air marshal). 4 officer arranging ceremonies, controlling procedure at races, etc. • v. tr. ar¬ range (soldiers, facts, one’s thoughts, etc.) in due order. See synonym study at gather. on mar'shafrer n. marsh*maMow /ma'arshmelo, -malo/ n. spongy confection made of sugar, albumen, gelatin, etc. mar«SU*pi*al /maarsobpeeal/ • n. mammal characterized by being born incompletely developed and usu. carried and suckled in a pouch. • adj. of or like a marsupial. mart /maart/ n. market.

marten ~ mass

508

mar«ten /ma'art’n/ n. weasellike carnivore having valuable fur. mar*tial /maarshal/ adj. 1 of or appropriate to warfare. 2 warlike; brave; fond of fighting. □ martial arts fighting sports such as judo and karate, martial law military govern¬ ment, involving the suspension of ordinary law. □□ mar'tial’ly adv. m 1 military, soldierly, naval, fighting, serv¬ ice. 2 belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, mil¬ itant; courageous, valorous. Marxian /ma'arshan/ • adj. of the planet Mars. • n. hypothetical inhabitant of Mars. mar*tin /ma'art’n/ n. a kind of swallow. mar*ti*net /maart’net/ n. strict (esp. military or naval) disciplinarian. mar»ti*ni /maarte'enee/ n. cocktail made of gin and dry vermouth, often garnished with a green olive, lemon peel, etc. mar*tyr /maartar/ • n. 1 person who suffers or is put to death for refusing to renounce a faith or belief. 2 constant sufferer. • v. tr. 1 put to death as a martyr. 2 torment. □□ mar'tyr’dom n. ■ n. 1 see victim 1,2. • v. see persecute 1. □□ martyrdom see passion 4a.

mar*vel /maarval/ • n. wonderful thing or person. • v.intr. feel surprise or wonder.

□□ mar'vel’er n. ■ n. miracle, phenomenon; see also WONDER n. 2. • v. wonder, be awed or amazed or as¬

tonished, gape. mar*vel*OUS /maarvalas/ adj. 1 astonishing. 2 excellent. □□ mar'vel*ous*ly adv. m 1 wonderful, amazing, astounding, sur¬ prising, remarkable, extraordinary, phenom¬ enal, miraculous, unbelievable, incredible. 2 glorious, splendid, superb, spectacular, wonderful, sensational, unparalleled, colloq. terrific, great, fantastic. Marxism /maarksizam/ n. anticapitalist po¬ litical and economic theories of Karl Marx, advocating communism and socialism. □□ Marx'ist n. & adj. mar*zi*pan /ma'arzipan/ n. paste of ground almonds, sugar, etc., used in confectionery. mas*car*a /maskara/ n. cosmetic for darken¬ ing the eyelashes. mas*COt /maskot/ n. person, animal, or thing that is supposed to bring good luck. mas*CU»line /maskyalin/ • adj. 1 of or char¬ acteristic of men. 2 manly; vigorous. 3 Gram, of or denoting the male gender. See synonym study at male. • n. Gram, mascu¬ line gender; masculine word. □□ mas'cu* linerfy adv. mas*cu*lin'i*ty n. u adj. 2 see MANLY 1.

ma»ser /mayzar/ n. device for amplifying or generating coherent monochromatic electro¬ magnetic radiation in the microwave range (acronym of microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; (cf. laser)). MASH /mash/ abbr. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. mash /mash/ • n. 1 soft mixture. 2 mixture of boiled grain, bran, etc., given warm to horses, etc. 3 mixture of malt and hot water used in brewing. 4 soft pulp. • v.tr. reduce

(potatoes, etc.) to a uniform mass by crush¬ ing. □□ mash'er n. ■ v. see crush v. 1. mask /mask/ • n. 1 covering for all or part of the face as a disguise or for protection. 2 like¬ ness of a person’s face, esp. one made by tak¬ ing a mold from the face (death mask). 3 dis¬ guise or pretense (throw off the mask). • v.tr. 1 cover (the face, etc.) with a mask. 2 dis¬ guise or conceal (a taste, one’s feelings, etc.). 3 protect from a process. □□ mask er n. m n. 3 guise, camouflage, show, semblance, cover, facade, veil. • v. 1 see veil v. 2 cam¬ ouflage, cover (up), hide, cloak, obscure, veil, screen, shroud. mas»OCh»ism /masakizam/ n. 1 form of (esp. sexual) perversion involving one’s own pain or humiliation. 2 colloq. enjoyment of what appears to be painful or tiresome. □□ mas' ochnst n. mas’och'is'tic adj. mas*och*is' ti*cal*ly adv. ma*son /maysan/ n. 1 person who builds with stone or brick. 2 (Mason) Freemason. Ma*SOn-Dix*on line /maysan-diksan/ n. boundary between Maryland and Pennsylva¬ nia, taken as the northern limit of the slave¬ owning states before the abolition of slavery. Ma*SOn*ic /masonik/ adj. of or relating to Freemasons. ma*SOn»ry /maysanree/ ». 1 a work of a ma¬ son. b stonework; brickwork. 2 (Masonry) Freemasonry. masque /mask/ n. dramatic and musical en¬ tertainment esp. of the 16th and 17th c. □□ mas'quer n. mas*quer*ade /maskarayd/ • n. 1 false show or pretense. 2 masked ball. • v.intr. [often foil, by or] appear in disguise, assume a false appearance. □□ mas*quer*ad'er n. m n. 1 disguise, deception, pose, dissimula¬ tion, bluff, subterfuge, fakery, imposture. • v. pretend to be, pass oneself off as, imper¬ sonate, simulate, pose as. Mass. abbr. Massachusetts. mass1 /mas/ • n. 1 coherent body of matter of indefinite shape. 2 dense aggregation of objects (a mass of fibers). 3 large number or amount. 4 [prec. by the] a the majority, b [in pi. 1 ordinary people. 5 Physics quantity of matter a body contains. 6 [attrib.] on a large scale (mass action). • v. assemble into a mass. □ mass-market see market, mass media = media 2. mass noun Gram, noun that is not countable and cannot be used with the indefinite article or in the plural (e.g., happiness), mass-produce produce by mass production, mass production pro¬ duction of large quantities of a standardized article by a standardized mechanical process. □□ mass'less adj. m n. 1,2 pile, heap, mountain, load, stack, mound, bunch, bundle, lot, batch, quantity, hoard, store, collection; block, concretion, chunk, lump, hunk, nugget. 3 abundance, quantity, profusion, multitude, horde, host, mob, colloq. bunch, ton, mountain. 4 a best or better or greater part, bulk, body, prepon¬ derance, lion’s share, b (the masses) the com¬ mon people, the plebeians, (the) hoi polloi, the lower class (es), derog. the proletariat. • v.

amass, pile or heap up, gather, aggregate, ac¬ cumulate, collect; meet, get or come to¬ gether. mass2 /mas/ n. (often Mass) celebration of the Eucharist, esp. in the Roman Catholic Church. mas*sa*cre /masskar/ • n. general slaughter (of persons, occasionally of animals). • v.tr. 1 make a massacre of. 2 murder (esp. a large number of people) cruelly or violently. See synonym study at kill. ■ n. carnage, annihilation, blood bath, kill¬ ing, extermination, butchery, (mass) mur¬ der. • v. 1 see defeat v. 1, wipe out la. 2 slaughter, annihilate, kill, execute, extermi¬ nate, butcher, liquidate, destroy. mas«sage /masaazh. -sa'aj/ . n. rubbing, kneading, etc., of the body with the hands for therapeutic benefit. • v.tr. apply massage to. □□ mas*sag'er n. a n. rub, rubdown, manipulation. • v. rub (down), manipulate, knead. mas*seur /mas6r/ n. (Jem. masseuse /mas6z/) person who provides massage pro¬ fessionally. mas*sive /masiv/ adj. 1 large and heavy or solid. 2 exceptionally large. 3 substantial; impressive (a massive reputation). See syno¬ nym study at heavy. □□ mas'sive'ly adv. mas'sive*ness n. a 1, 2 big, oversized, huge, bulky, enor¬ mous, immense, gigantic, towering, mam¬ moth, colossal, titanic, vast, tremendous. 3 see impressive. mast1 /mast/ n. 1 long upright post for sup¬ porting a ship’s sails. 2 post or latticework upright for supporting a radio or television antenna. 3 flagpole {half-mast). □□ mast'ed adj. [also in comb.], mas'ter n. [also in comb.]. mast2 /mast/ n. fruit of the beech, oak, chest¬ nut, and other forest trees, esp. as food for pigs. mas»tec*t0*my /mastektamee/ n. (pi. -mies) Surgery removal of all or part of a breast. mas*ter /mastar/ • n. 1 person having con¬ trol or ownership (master of the house). 2 Naut. captain of a merchant ship. 3 person who has or gets the upper hand (we shall see which of us is master). 4 skilled practitioner (often attrib.: master carpenter). 5 holder of a university degree orig. giving authority to teach in the university (Master of Arts, Master of Science). 6 great artist. 7 Chess, etc. player of proven ability at international level. 8 original version (e.g., of a film or audio re¬ cording) from which a series of copies can be made. 9 (Master) title prefixed to the name of a boy not old enough to be called Mr. • adj. 1 commanding; superior (a masterspir¬ it). 2 main; principal (master bedroom). 3 controlling others (master plan). • v.tr. 1 overcome; defeat. 2 acquire complete knowledge of or skill in. □ master key key that opens several locks, each of which also has its own key. Master of Ceremonies see CEREMONY. □□ mas'ter*dom n. mas'ter* hood n. mas'ter*less adj. m n. 1 owner, head, chief, leader, chieftain, commander, lord, governor, director, con¬

509

mass ~ mat

troller, employer, manager, overseer, super¬ visor, colloq. boss, bigwig, top dog. 3 chief, leader, colloq. boss. 4 expert, authority, craftsman, adept, maestro, mastermind. • adj. 1 controlling. 2 biggest, chief; see also main adj. 1. 3 commanding, superior, prime, basic, chief, overall. • v. 1 control, repress, suppress, subdue, subjugate, bridle, check, quell, get the better of, conquer. 2 learn, grasp, become expert in, know a thing inside out, know, understand. mas*ter«ful /mastarfOOl/ adj. 1 imperious; domineering. 2 masterly. □□ mas'ter*ful* ly adv. mas'ter*ful*ness n. ■ 1 authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical, despotic, arbitrary, overbearing, arrogant, peremptory. 2 adept, expert, excellent, su¬ perior, superb, adroit, exquisite, superlative, supreme, consummate. mas*ter*ly /mastarlee/ adj. very skillful. □□ mas'ter*li*ness n. m see skillful. □□ masterliness see facil¬ ity 1, 2. mas*ter*mind /mastarmind/ . n. 1 person with an outstanding intellect. 2 person di¬ recting an intricate operation. • v.tr. plan and direct (a scheme or enterprise). ■ n. genius, mind, intellect, brain; planner, contriver. • v. devise, conceive, think up, en¬ gineer, generate. mas*ter»piece /mastarpees/ n. 1 outstand¬ ing piece of artistry or workmanship. 2 per¬ son’s best work. ■ masterwork, magnum opus, tour de force, jewel, work of art, piece de resistance; chefd’oeuvre. mas»ter*Stroke /mastarstrok/ n. outstand¬ ingly skillful act of policy, etc. mas*ter*WOrk /mastarwark/ n. masterpiece. mas*ter*y /mastaree/ n. 1 dominion, sway. 2 comprehensive knowledge or skill. ■ 1 see sway n. 1.2 see skill, command n. 2. mast»head /mast-hed/ n. 1 highest part of a ship’s mast. 2 a title of a newspaper, etc., at the head of the front or editorial page, b printed notice in a newspaper, magazine, etc., giving details of staff, ownership, etc. mas*ti*cate /mastikayt/ v.tr. grind or chew (food) with one’s teeth. □□ mas*ti*ca*tion /-kayshan/ n. mas'ti*ca*tor n. mas*tiff /mastif/ n. large strong breed of dog. rnas*tO»don /mastadon/ n. large extinct mammal resembling the elephant, mas'toid /mastoyd/ • adj. shaped like a woman’s breast. • n. conical prominence on the temporal bone behind the ear. mas»tur*bate /mastarbayt/ v. arouse oneself sexually or cause (another person) to be aroused by manual stimulation of the geni¬ tals. □□ mas*tur*ba*tion /-bayshan/ n. mas tur*ba*tor n. ■ □□ masturbation onanism, self-gratifi¬ cation, Psychol, autoeroticism, old-fashioned self-abuse. mat1 /mat/ • n. 1 piece of coarse material for wiping shoes on, esp. a doormat. 2 piece of cork, rubber, plastic, etc., for protecting a

mat ~ matricide

510

surface. 3 piece of resilient material for landing on in gymnastics, wresding, etc. • v. (mafted, maturing) 1 tr. (esp. as matted adj.) entangle in a thick mass (matted hair). 2 intr. become matted. mat2 var. of MATTE. mat3 /mat/ n. = matrix. mat*a*dor /matadawr/ n. bullfighter whose task is to kill the bull. match1 /mach/ • n. 1 contest or game of skill. 2 a equal contender, b person or thing exactly like or corresponding to another. 3 marriage, -a 1 a tr. be equal to or harmo¬ nious with; correspond to. b intr. corre¬ spond; harmonize. 2 tr. place in conflict, contest, or competition with. 3 tr. find mate¬ rial, etc., that matches (another). 4 tr. find a person or thing suitable for another (match¬ ing unemployed workers to available jobs). □ match point 1 Tennis, etc. a the state of a

game when one side needs only one more point to win the match, b this point. 2 Bridge unit of scoring in matches and tour¬ naments. □□ match'a*ble adj. m n. 1 competition, meet, tourney, tourna¬ ment, bout, duel, trial. 2 a equal, equivalent, like, peer, fellow, mate, b parallel, replica, copy, double, twin, look-alike, facsimile, counterpart. 3 betrothal, alliance, combina¬ tion, compact, contract. • v. 1 fit, suit; ac¬ cord, agree, go (together), coordinate, blend. 2 pit or set or put against, play off against. 4 match up, join, marry, unite, link, com¬ bine, put together, pair up or off, conjoin. match2 /mach/ n. short thin piece of flamma¬ ble material tipped with a composition that can be ignited by friction. match«box /machboks/ n. box for holding matches. matchless /machlis/ adj. without an equal, incomparable. □□ match'lesstiy adv. m unique, original, peerless, unequaled, un¬ paralleled. match*mak»er /machmaykar/ n. person who tries to arrange an agreement or relationship between two parties, esp. a marriage partner¬ ship. □□ match 'maknng n. match*Stick /machstik/ n. stem of a match. mate1 /mayt/ • n. 1 friend or fellow worker. 2 a each of a pair, esp. of animals, birds, or socks, b colloq. partner in marriage, c [in comb.] fellow member or joint occupant of {roommate). 3 Naut. officer on a merchant ship subordinate to the master. . v. 1 tr. bring together for marriage or breeding. 2 intr. come together for marriage or breed¬ ing. □□ mate'less adj. m n. 1 companion, associate, colleague, co¬ worker, comrade, crony, ally, alter ego. 2 a fellow, twin, counterpart, b spouse, helpmate, consort, husband, wife, colloq. bet¬ ter half, hubby. • v. 1 pair (up), match (up), marry, join, unite, couple, link (up), usu. for¬ mal or literary wed. 2 breed, couple, copu¬ late, pair (up). mate2 /mayt/ n. & v.tr. Chess = CHECKMATE. ma*te*ri*al /mate'ereeal/ . n. 1 matter from which a thing is made. 2 cloth; fabric. 3 [in

pi] things needed for an activity {building materials). 4 [in sing, or pi] information, etc., to be used in writing a book, etc. {exper¬ imental material). • adj. 1 of matter; corpo¬

real. 2 concerned with bodily comfort, etc. {material well-being). 3 important; essential; relevant {at the material time). □□ ma'te^ri* al*i*ty /-reealitee/ n. mn. 1 substance, fabric; stuff. 2 textile, stuff. 3 constituents, elements, components. 4 data, facts, statistics, figures, documents, documentation. • adj. 1 physical, tangible, concrete, solid, real, substantial, palpable, bodily. 2 physical, corporal. 3 consequen¬ tial, significant. ma*te*ri*al*ism /mate'ereealizam/ n. 1 ten¬ dency to prefer material possessions and physical comfort to spiritual values. 2 Philos. theory that nothing exists but matter and its movements and modifications. □□ ma*te' ri*al*ist n. ma^te'ri'abis'tic adj. ma*te*ri* al*is'ti*caMy adv. ■ □□ materialistic greedy, acquisitive, self¬ ish, commercial, sybaritic, colloq. usu. derog. yuppie. ma*te,ri*al*ize /mate'ereealiz/ v. 1 intr. be¬ come actual fact. 2 intr. colloq. appear or be present when expected. 3 tr. represent or ex¬ press in material form. □□ ma*te*ri*al*i«za' tion n. ■ 1 happen, come to pass, take place, oc¬ cur. 2 turn up; take shape or form, form, emerge. ma*te»ri*al*ly /matefereealee/ adv. substan¬ tially, considerably. ■ palpably, significantly, seriously, essen¬ tially. ma»ter*nal /matarnal/ adj. 1 of or like a mother. 2 motherly. 3 related through the mother {maternal uncle). □□ ma^ter'nal* ism n. ma*ter’nal*is'tic adj. ma’ter’naMy adv.

■ 1,2 warm, nurturing, caring, understand¬ ing, affectionate, tender, kind; maternalistic; matriarchal. ma»ter*ni*ty /matarnitee/ n. 1 motherhood. 2 [attrib.] for women during and just after childbirth {maternity hospital). math /math/ n. colloq. mathematics. math*e»mat*i*cal /mathimatikal/ adj. 1 of mathematics. 2 rigorously precise; exact. □□ math*e*mat'i*cal'ly adv. ■ 1 arithmetical. 2 exact, rigorous. math*e*mat*ics /mathimatiks/ ti.pl. 1 [also treated as sing.] abstract science of number, quantity, and space. 2 [as pi] use of mathe¬ matics in calculation, etc. □□ math*e*ma* ti*cian /-matishan/ n. mat»i»nee /mat’nay/ n. (also mat’imee') af¬ ternoon performance in a theater, etc. □ matinee idol handsome actor admired esp. by women. mat*ins /mat’nz/ n. [as sing, or pi] service of morning prayer in churches of the Anglican communion. ma»tri*arch /maytreeaark/ n. female head of a family or tribe. □□ ma*tri*ar*chal /-a'arkal/ adj. ma*tri"ar*chy /-a'arkee/ n. ma*tri*ces pi. of matrix. mat»ri«cide /matrisid, may-/ n. 1 killing of

one’s mother. 2 person who does this. □□ mat*ri*cid'al adj. ma»tric*u*late /matrikyalayt/ v. 1 intr. be en¬ rolled at a college or university. 2 tr. admit (a student) to membership of a college or uni¬ versity. □□ ma*tric*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. mat*ri*mo*ny /matrimonee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 rite of marriage. 2 state of being married. □□ mat*ri*mo*ni*al /-mOneeal/ adj. mat* ri*mo'ni*al*ly adv. ■ 1 wedding service. 2 marriage, wedlock. □□ matrimonial marital, marriage, wed¬ ding, conjugal, nuptial; married, wedded, connubial. ma»trix /maytriks/ n. (pi. ma*tri*ces /-triseez/ or ma*trix*es) mold in which a thing is cast or shaped. ma»tron /maytran/ n. 1 married woman, esp. a dignified and sober one. 2 woman supervi¬ sor, as in an institution. □ matron of honor married woman attending the bride at a wedding. □□ ma'tron*ly adj. matte /mat/ (also matt or mat) • adj. (of a color, surface, etc.) dull, without luster. • n. (in full matte paint) paint formulated to give a dull flat finish. mat*ter /matar/ • n. la physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit, b that which has mass and occupies space. 2 particular substance (coloring matter). 3 thing that is amiss (what is the matter?). 4 content as distinct from its manner or form. 5 affair or situation being considered, esp. in a specified way (a serious matter). 6 Physiol, a any substance in or discharged from the body, b pus. • v.intr. be of impor¬ tance; have significance. □ as a matter of fact in reality (esp. to correct a falsehood or misunderstanding), no matter 1 regardless of. 2 it is of no importance. ■ n. 1,2 material, stuff. 3 problem, diffi¬ culty, trouble; complication, worry. 4 essen¬ tials, pith, theme, argument, purport, impli¬ cation; signification, meaning, import. 5 issue, question, business, subject, topic; oc¬ currence, episode; event. 6 see discharge n. 5. • v. be important, count, be of conse¬ quence, make a difference. mat*ter-of-fact /matarafakt/ adj. (see also matter). 1 unimaginative; prosaic. 2 une¬ motional. □□ mat'ter-of-fact'ly adv. mat' ter-of-fact'ness n. ■ 1 straightforward, direct, forthright, fac¬ tual, unvarnished, unadorned; sober, unartistic, unpoetic, dry, dull. 2 see disinter¬ ested 1, honest adj. 2. maMing /mating/ n. fabric for mats. mat*tOCk /matak/ n. agricultural tool shaped like a pickax, with an adze and a chisel edge as the ends of the head. mat*tress /matris/ n. fabric case stuffed with soft, firm, or springy material, or a similar case filled with air or water, used on or as a bed. ma»ture /machobr, -tyobr, -tobr/ • adj. (ma* tur*er, ma*tur*est) 1 with fully developed powers of body and mind; adult. 2 complete in natural development; ripe. 3 (of thought, intentions, etc.) duly careful and adequate. 4 (of a bond, etc.) due for payment. • v. 1 tr.

511

matriculate ~ max.

& intr. develop fully; ripen. 2 intr. (of a bond, etc.) become due for payment. □□ ma*ture'ly adv. ma*ture'ness n. ma* tu'ri*ty n. m adj. 1 grown (up), full-grown, of age, ex¬ perienced, knowledgeable, sophisticated. 2 ready, ripened, mellow, aged, seasoned. 3 see measured 2. • v. 1 age; grow up, come of age; mellow, season, come to maturity. □□ maturity adulthood, majority; ripeness, readiness, mellowness; perfection, comple¬ tion, fullness.

synonym study: mature Most of US would prefer to mature rather than simply to age. Mature implies gaining wisdom, ex¬ perience, or sophistication as well as adult¬ hood; when applied to nonhuman living things, it indicates fullness of growth and readiness for normal functioning (a mature crop of strawberries). Age, on the other hand, refers to the changes that result from the pas¬ sage of time, often with an emphasis on the negative or destructive changes that accom¬ pany growing old (the tragedy aged him five years). Develop is like mature in that it means to go through a series of positive changes to attain perfection or effectiveness, but it can refer to a part as well as a whole organism (the kitten’s eyesight had begun to de¬ velop at three weeks). Ripen is a less formal word meaning to mature, but it usually ap¬ plies to fruit (the apples ripened in the sun). Mellow suggests the tempering, modera¬ tion, or reduction in harshness that comes with time or experience. With its connota¬ tions of warmth, mildness, and sweetness, it is a more positive word than mature or age (to AGE, DEVELOP, MELLOW, RIPEN.

mellow as one gets older).

mat*ZO /ma'atsa/ n. (also mat'zoh;pl. -zos or -zohs or mat*zoth /-sot/) unleavened bread, served esp. at Passover. maucMin /mawdlin/ adj. weakly or tearfully sentimental, esp. in a tearful and effusive stage of drunkenness. ■ (over) emotional, mawkish, tearful, weepy, mushy, romantic, colloq. soupy, slushy. maul/mawl/ • v. tr. 1 beat and bruise. 2 han¬ dle roughly or carelessly. • n. heavy hammer. □□ maul'er n. maun»der /mawndar/ v.intr. talk in a ram¬ bling manner. mau*so*le*um /mawsaleeam/ n. large and grand tomb. mauve /mov/ * adj. pale purple. • n. 1 this color. 2 bright but delicate pale purple dye. □□ mauv'ish adj. mav»er*ick /mavarik, mavrik/ n. 1 unbrand¬ ed calf or yearling. 2 unorthodox or independent-minded person. ■ 2 see individualist (INDIVIDUALISM). maw /maw/ n. 1 stomach of an animal. 2 jaws or throat of a voracious animal. mawk*ish /mawkish/ adj. sentimental in a feeble or sickly way. □□ mawk'ish*ly adv. mawk'ish*ness n. max. abbr. maximum.

maxi ~ mean

512

max*i /maksee/

n. (pi. max*is) colloq. maxiskirt or other garment with a long skirt, maxi- /maksee/ comb, form very large or long (maxicoat).

maX'iMa /maksila/ n.

(pi. maxuhlae /-lee/ or max*il*las) 1 jaw or jawbone, esp. the upper jaw in most vertebrates. □□ max-illar*y /maksoleree/ adj. max»im /maksim/ n. general truth or rule of conduct expressed in a sentence. See syno¬ nym study at saying. ■ saying, proverb, axiom, aphorism, adage, byword, saw. maximize /maksimiz/ v.tr. increase or en¬ hance to the utmost. □□ max*i*mi*za'tion n. max'i*miz*er n. ■ broaden, improve, magnify, augment, add to, expand, build up, enlarge; embroider, embellish, elaborate; inflate, overplay, over¬ do, overstate. maximum /maksimom/ • n. (pi. max-i-ma /-mo/) highest possible or attainable amount. • adj. that is a maximum. □□ max' i*mal adj. max'i-maMy adv. m n. utmost, uttermost, greatest, most, highest, extreme, extremity, limit, peak, pin¬ nacle. • adj. maximal, greatest, most, ut¬ most, uttermost, superlative. May /may/ n. 1 fifth month of the year. 2 (may) hawthorn or its blossom. □ May Day May 1, esp. as a festival with dancing, or as an international holiday in honor of work¬ ers. may /may/ v.aux. (3rd sing, present may; past might /mit/) 1 expressing possibility (it may be true). 2 expressing permission (may I come in?). IfBoth can and may are used to ex¬ press permission; in more formal contexts may is usual since can also denotes capability (can I move? = am I physically able to move?; may I move — am I allowed to move?). 3 ex¬ pressing a wish (may he live to regret it). 4 ex¬ pressing uncertainty or irony in questions (who may you be?). n.

Ma*ya /ma'ayo/

1 (pi. same or Ma*yas) member of an ancient native people of Cen¬ tral America. 2 language of this people. □□ Ma'yan adj. & n. may-be /maybee/ adv. perhaps; possibly. May-day /mayday/ n. international radio dis¬ tress signal. may-flow-er /mayflowor/ n. any of various flowers that bloom in May. may-fly /mayfli/ n. (pi. -flies) insect with four delicate wings, the adult of which lives briefly in spring. may-hem /mayhem/ n. violent or damaging action. ■ violence, havoc, destruction, devastation. may*on»naise /mayanayz/ n. thick creamy dressing made of egg yolks, oil, vinegar, etc. may-or /mayor, mair/ n. chief executive of a city or town. □□ may'or*al adj. may-or-al-ty /mayoraltee, mair-/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 office of mayor. 2 mayor’s period of office. may-pole /maypol/ n. (also Maypole) deco¬

rated pole for dancing around on May Day. maze /mayz/ n. 1 network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle for those who try to penetrate it. 2 complex network of paths or passages; labyrinth. 3 confusion, confused mass, etc. □□ ma'zy adj. (ma*zi* er, ma*zi*est). ■ 2 complex, warren. 3 see tangle n. ma-zur-ka /mozarks/ n. 1 lively Polish dance in triple time. 2 music for this. MB abbr. Computing megabyte(s). MBA abbr. Master of Business Administra¬ tion. MC abbr. 1 master of ceremonies. 2 Member of Congress. MD abbr. 1 Doctor of Medicine. 2 Maryland (in official postal use). 3 Managing Direc¬ tor. 4 muscular dystrophy. Md symb. Chem. mendelevium. Md. abbr. Maryland. ME abbr. 1 Maine (in official postal use). 2 Middle East. Me. abbr. Maine. me I voted pron. objective case of I2 (he saw me). mead /meed/ n. alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water. mead*ow /medo/ n. 1 piece of grassland, esp. one used for hay. 2 piece of low wellwatered ground, esp. near a river. □□ mead’ ow*y adj. ■ 1 field, pasture, poet, lea, poet. mead. mea*ger /meegar/ adj. 1 lacking in amount or quality (a meager salary). 2 (of a person or animal) lean; thin. □□ mea’ger-ly adv. mea'ger-ness n. m 1 scanty, poor, paltry, inadequate, skimpy, scrimpy, sparse, insufficient, bare, puny, trifling, niggardly. 2 spare, skinny, scrawny, bony, emaciated, gaunt. meal1 /meel/ n. 1 occasion when food is eaten. 2 the food eaten on one occasion. □ meal ticket 1 ticket entitling one to a meal, esp. at a specified place with reduced cost. 2 person or thing that is a source of food or income. ■ spread, collation; dinner, supper, break¬ fast, lunch, brunch; formal luncheon; vict¬ uals, nourishment. meal2 /meel/ n. grain or pulse ground to pow¬ der. meal-y /me'elee/ adj. (meal-i-er, meal-best) 1 a of or like meal; soft and powdery, b con¬ taining meal. 2 (of a complexion) pale. 3 (of a horse) spotty. 4 (in full mealy-mouthed) afraid to use plain expressions, od meali¬ ness n. • 2 see pale1 adj. 1. 3 see spotty 1. 4 mincing, reticent, reluctant, hesitant, equivocal; see also obsequious. mean1 /meen/ v.tr. (past and past part, meant /ment/) 1 have as one’s purpose or intention. 2 design or destine for a purpose. 3 intend to convey or indicate or refer to. 4 be of some specified importance to. See synonym study at intend. □ mean it not be joking or exag¬ gerating. mean well have good intentions. ■ 1,2 intend, purpose, plan, aim, have in mind, contemplate, have in view; want, wish, expect, hope.

mean2 /meen/ adj. 1 not generous or liberal. 2 (of an action) ignoble; small-minded. 3 (of

513

mean ~ meat

a person’s capacity, understanding, etc.) in¬ ferior; poor. 4 shabby. 5 a malicious; illtempered. b vicious or aggressive in behav¬ ior. 6 colloq. skillful; formidable. □□ mean' ly adv. mean'ness n. ■ 1 stingy, miserly, tight, close, near, parsi¬ monious, tightfisted, closefisted, uncharita¬ ble, ungenerous. 2 low, base, abject; meanspirited, small, petty. 3 low. 4 inferior, poor, lowly, abject, modest, humble, run-down, seedy, squalid, mangy, wretched, sordid. 5 unkind, cruel, unaccommodating, dis¬ obliging; cantankerous, churlish. 6 excel¬ lent, wonderful, marvelous, great, excep¬ tional, effective, skilled, si. bad. mean3 /meenI • n. 1 term midway between extremes. 2 Math, quotient of the sum of several quantities and their number, the av¬ erage. • adj. 1 (of a quantity) equally far from two extremes. 2 calculated as a mean. ■ n. middle, norm, (happy) medium; bal¬ ance. • adj. middle, center, intermediate, medial, medium, median, average, middling. me*an*der /meeandar/ v.intr. 1 wander at random. 2 (of a stream) wind about. □□ me»an'drous adj. m ramble, zigzag, snake, coil, twist; stroll, ’ amble. mean*ie /meenee/ n. (also mean'y) (pi. -ies) colloq. mean, niggardly, or small-minded per¬ son. meaning /me'ening/ • n. 1 what is meant. 2 significance. • adj. expressive; significant. □□ mean'ing'ly adv. ■ n. sense, import, content, signification, denotation; purport, implication, tenor, drift; interpretation, explanation. • adj. see

meant past and past part, meantime /me'entim/ .

adv. = meanwhile.

expressive 1.

mean»ing*ful /me'eningfool/ adj. 1 full of meaning; significant. 2 Logic able to be in¬

terpreted. □□ mean'ing*ful*ly adv. mean' ing*ful*ness n. ■ 1 important, consequential, serious, so¬ ber, deep, substantial, pithy, telling; sugges¬ tive, pregnant, telltale. mean»ing*less /me'eninglis/ adj. having no meaning or significance. □□ mean'ing*less* ly adv. mean'ing*less*ness n. m empty, hollow, vacuous, insubstantial, un¬ substantial; puny, paltry, worthless, irrele¬ vant, insignificant. means /meenz/ n.pl. 1 [often treated as sing.) that by which a result is brought about. 2 a money resources, b wealth. □ by all means (or all manner of means) cer¬ tainly. by means of by the agency or instru¬ mentality of. by no means (or no manner of means) not at all; certainly not. ■ 1 instrument, agency, method, process, technique, avenue, medium, vehicle. 2 funds, cash, capital, finances. □ by all means (or all manner of means) abso¬ lutely, definitely, surely, of course, positively, by means of by dint of, via, through, by way of, using, utilizing, by no means (or no manner of means) in no way, definitely or absolutely not, on no account, not conceiv¬ ably.

•

of mean1.

n. intervening period.

mean»while/me'enwil,-hwll/ •

adv. 1 in the intervening period. 2 at the same time. • n. intervening period. ■ adv. in the meanwhile, meantime, in the meantime; temporarily. • n. interim, mean¬ time, interval.

mean»y var. of meanie. mea*sles /me'ezalz/ n.pl. [also treated as sing.) acute infectious viral disease marked

by red spots on the skin.

mea»sly /meezlee/ adj. (mea*sli*er, mea*sli* est) colloq. inferior; contemptible; meager. ■ sparse, scanty, worthless; see also WRETCHED 2. meaS'Ure /mezhar/ . n. 1 size or quantity found by measuring. 2 system of measuring (liquid measure). 3 instrument for measur¬ ing. 4 standard used for valuing. 5 [usu. in pi.) suitable action to achieve some end. 6 legislative act. 7 poetical rhythm; meter. 8 Mus. bar or the time content of a bar. • v. 1 tr. ascertain the extent or quantity of (a thing) by comparison with a standard. 2 intr. be of a specified size (it measures six inches). 3 tr. mark (a line, etc., of a given length). 4 tr. [foil, by out] deal or distribute (a thing) in measured quantities. □ beyond measure excessively, for good measure as a finishing touch, measure up have the necessary qual¬ ifications (for). □□ meas'ur»a»ble adj. meas'ur*a*bly adv. meas'uredess adj. • n. 1 amount, magnitude, amplitude, bulk, mass, extent, reach, dimension(s), ca¬ pacity, volume. 2, 3 scale, gauge, yardstick, rule; standard, criterion, method. 4 gauge, rank, rating, measurement, estimation. 5 step(s), course (of action); plan(s), method, means, avenue. 6 bill, resolution, legislation, statute, law. 7 beat, cadence, time; bar. • v. 1 rank, rate, gauge, meter, weigh, calculate, reckon. 3 measure off, mark off or out, limit, delimit. 4 dole out, ra¬ tion (out), parcel out, apportion, allot, share out. □ beyond measure see unduly (un¬ due) . for good measure to boot, as well, in addition, moreover, furthermore, measure up qualify (for), be suitable (for); meet, equal, fulfill, match, reach, attain, be equal to. measured /mezhard/ adj. 1 rhythmical; reg¬ ular. 2 (of language) carefully considered. □□ meas'ured'ly adv. • 1 regulated, steady, uniform, even, mo¬ notonous. 2 careful, cautious, prudent, cal¬ culated, studied, considered, deliberate, sys¬ tematic, sober, intentional. meas*ure*ment /mezharmant/ n. 1 measur¬ ing. 2 amount determined by measuring. 3 [inp/.] detailed dimensions. ■ 1 ascertainment, determination, assess¬ ment, estimation, appraisal, evaluation, valu¬ ation, judgment. 2 dimension, extent, size, amount, measure; length, breadth, height, width, depth; area; volume, capacity. meat /meet/ n. 1 flesh of animals (esp.

Mecca ~ meditate

514

mammals) as food. 2 [foil, by of] essence or chief part of. 3 edible part of nuts, shellfish, etc. □□ meat'imess n. meat'less adj. meat'y adj. (meat*i*er, meat*i»est) ■ 2 pith, core, heart, marrow, kernel, gist, substance. Mec»ca /meka/ n. 1 place one aspires to visit. 2 birthplace of a faith, policy, pursuit, etc. me*chan*ic /mikanik/ n. skilled worker, esp. one who makes or uses or repairs ma¬ chinery. me*chan*i*cal /mikanikal/ adj. 1 of ma¬ chines or mechanisms. 2 working or pro¬ duced by machinery. 3 (of a person or ac¬ tion) like a machine; automatic; lacking originality. □□ me*chan'i*cal*ly adv. m 2 automatic, automated, machine-driven, robotic. 3 reflex, involuntary, instinctive, routine, habitual. me*chan*ics /mikaniks/ n.pl. [usu. treated as sing.] 1 branch of applied mathematics deal¬

ing with motion and tendencies to motion. 2 science of machinery. 3 method of con¬ struction or routine operation of a thing. mech*an»ism /mekanizam/ n. 1 structure or adaptation of parts of a machine. 2 system of mutually adapted parts working together. 3 mode of operation of a process. ■ 1 machinery, workings, works, system. 2 movement, action, moving parts, gears; de¬ vice, apparatus. 3 way, means, method, pro¬ cedure, approach. mech*a»nize /mekanlz/ v.tr. 1 give a me¬ chanical character to. 2 introduce machines in. 3 Mil. equip with tanks, armored cars, etc. □□ mech'a'nbza'tion n. mech'a'niz* er n. med*al /med’l/ n. piece of metal, usu. in the form of a disk, struck or cast with an inscrip¬ tion or device to commemorate an event, etc., or awarded as a distinction to a soldier, athlete, etc. □□ med'aled adj. me*dal*lic /midalik/ adj. med*al*ist /med’list/ n. recipient of a (speci¬ fied) medal. me»dal*lion /midalyan/ n. 1 large medal. 2 thing shaped like this, e.g., a decorative panel or tablet, portrait, etc.

■ 1 see pendant. 2 see plaque. med'dle /med’l/ v.intr. [often foil, by with, in]

interfere in or busy oneself unduly with oth¬ ers’ concerns. □□ med'dler n. ■ intrude, butt in, thrust one’s nose in, pry, intervene. med»dle*SOme /med’lsam/ adj. fond of med¬ dling; interfering. See synonym study at im¬ pertinent. □□ med'dle*some*ly adv. med' dle*some*ness n. u see nosy adj. □□ meddlesomeness in¬ terference, interruption, intrusiveness, ob¬ trusiveness, invasiveness. me*di*a /me'edeea/ n.pl. 1 pi. of medium. 2 [usu. prec. by the] main means of mass communication (esp. newspapers and broadcasting) regarded collectively. IJUse as a mass noun with a singular verb is common (e.g., the media is on our side), but is generally disfavored (cf. agenda, data).

me*di*al /meedeeal/

adj. 1 situated in the middle. 2 of average size. □□ me'di«al*ly adv.

■ 1 see

middle

adj. 1, 2. 2 see medium adj.

me«di*an /me'edeean/ • adj. situated in the middle. • n. 1 Geom. straight line drawn from any vertex of a triangle to the middle of the opposite side. 2 Math, middle value of a series. 3 (also median strip) center divider separating opposing lanes on a divided high¬ way. □□ me'di*an*ly adv. m adj. see central 1. me*di*ate /meedeeayt/ v. 1 intr. intervene (between parties in a dispute) to produce agreement or reconciliation. 2 tr. act as an intermediary. See synonym study at insert. □□ me»di*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. me'dfranor n. me»di*a*to*ry /meedeeatawree/ adj. m

1

arbitrate, referee, umpire, moderate, li¬

aise; see also negotiate

1,

2.

on

mediator

arbitrator, arbiter, referee, umpire, judge.

med'ic /medik/

n. colloq. medical practitioner or student, esp. a member of a military med¬ ical corps. Med*i*caid /medikayd/ n. federal system of health insurance for those requiring financial assistance. med*i*cal /medikal/ adj. of medicine. □ medical examination examination to de¬ termine a person’s physical fitness. □□ med' i'cal'ly adv. Medicare /medikair/ n. federal government program of health insurance for persons esp. over 65 years of age. med*i*cate /medikayt/ v.tr. 1 treat medically. 2 impregnate with a medicinal substance, □o med*i*ca*tion /medikayshan/ n. med*i» ca’tive /medikaytiv/ adj. a 1 see treat v. 3. □□ medication see medicine 2.

me*dic*i*nal /madisinal/ adj. (of a substance)

having healing properties. □□ me*dic'i*nal* ly adv. m remedial, therapeutic, curative, restora¬ tive. med*i*cine /medisin/ n. 1 science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. 2 drug or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease. □ medicine man person believed to have magical powers of healing, esp. among Na¬ tive Americans. ■ 2 medication, medicament, remedy, phar¬ maceutical, prescription; panacea, cure-all. □ medicine man healer, witch doctor, shaman. me*di*e*val /meedee-eeval, med-, mid-/ adj. 1 of the Middle Ages. 2 colloq. oldfashioned; archaic. □□ me*di*e val*ism n. me*di*e val*ist n. me*di*e'val*ly adv. me*di*0»cre /meedeeokar/ adj. 1 of middling quality; neither good nor bad. 2 secondrate. dg me*di*oc*ri*ty /-okritee/ n. ■ 1 indifferent, ordinary, commonplace, av¬ erage, medium, everyday, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, tolerable. 2 third-rate, inferior, poor, colloq. nothing to write home about, no great shakes. med*i»tate /meditayt/ v. 1 intr. engage in deep thought; reflect. 2 tr. plan mentally.

□□ med*i*ta*tion /-tayshan/ n. med'i'ta* tor n. m 1 reflect, think, ponder, study, ruminate, cogitate, contemplate, cerebrate. 2 consider, contemplate, scheme, devise, contrive, de¬ sign, conceive, frame. med*i»ta»tive /meditaytiv/ adj. inclined to meditate. □□ med'i*ta*tive*ly adv, med'i* ta*tive*ness n. • thoughtful, pensive, contemplative, re¬ flective, studious, cogitative, abstracted, rapt, engrossed. Med*i»ter*ra*ne»an /meditarayneean/ • n. large landlocked sea bordered by S. Europe, SW Asia, and N. Africa. • adj. of or charac¬ teristic of the Mediterranean or its surround¬ ing region (Mediterranean climate). me*di*um /me'edeeam/ • n. (pi. me*di*a or me*di*ums) 1 middle quality, degree, etc., between extremes. 2 means by which some¬ thing is communicated. 3 intervening sub¬ stance through which impressions are con¬ veyed to the senses, etc. 4 material or form used by an artist, composer, etc. 5 (pi. me* di*ums) person claiming to communicate with the dead. • adj. between two qualities, degrees, etc. on me*di*um*is'tic adj. (in sense 5 of n.). me'di*um*ship n. (in sense 5 of n.). ' m n. 1 average, middle, midpoint, compro¬ mise, center, mean, norm. 2, 4 method, mode, approach, instrument, device, mech¬ anism, intermediation. 3 atmosphere, envi¬ ronment, ambiance, milieu. 5 see psychic n. • adj. average, middle, middling, mid, me¬ dial, median, normal. medfley /medlee/ n. (pi. -leys) 1 varied mix¬ ture. 2 collection of tunes, etc., played as one piece. ■ 1 assortment, combination, miscellany, melange, collection, conglomeration, ag¬ glomeration, mixed bag, jumble, mess, far¬ rago, stew, goulash. me*dul*la /midula/ n. inner region of certain organs, e.g., the kidney, o medulla oblon¬ gata /oblongga'ata/ continuation of the spinal cord within the skull, forming the lowest part of the brain stem. meek /meek/ adj. 1 humble and submissive. 2 piously gentle in nature. □□ meek'ly adv. meek'ness n. ■ modest, unassuming, unambitious, un¬ pretentious, mild, bland, patient, deferential, shy, retiring, lowly, tame, timid, weak, docile, compliant. meer»schaum /me'ersham, -shawm/ n. 1 soft white claylike substance. 2 tobacco pipe with the bowl made from this. meet /meet/ • v. (past and past pan. met /met/) 1 a tr. encounter; come face to face with, b intr. (of two or more people) come into each other’s company. 2 tr. be present at the arrival of (a person, train, etc.). 3 a tr. come together or into contact with (where the road meets the river), b intr. come together or into contact (where the sea and the sky meet). 4 a tr. make the acquaintance of. b intr. (of two or more people) make each other’s ac¬ quaintance. 5 intr. & tr. come together or come into contact with for the purposes of

515

meditative ~ melamine

conference, worship, etc. (the committee meets every week). 6 tr. a deal with or answer (met the proposal with hostility). b satisfy or con¬ form with. 7 tr. pay (a bill, etc.). 8 tr. & [foil, by with] intr. experience, encounter, or re¬ ceive (met their death). 9 tr. oppose in battle, etc. • n. assembly of competitors, etc. □ meet the eye (or the ear) be visible (or audible), meet a person halfway make a compromise, meet with receive (a reaction) (met with the committee’s approval). □□ meet' er n. ■ v. 1 come across, chance on or upon, happen on or upon, stumble on or into, see. 3 link up, join, unite, touch, intersect. 4 be introduced to. 5 convene, assemble, gather, get together, collect. 6 handle, satisfy, fulfill, take care of, dispose of. 7 settle, defray, liq¬ uidate. 8 be met by; undergo, endure, suffer, have, go through. 9 see fight v. la. • n. competition, contest, meeting, match, tour¬ ney, tournament, rally. □ meet with see re¬ ceive 4. meeting /meeting/ n. 1 coming together. 2 assembly of people; gathering. ■ 1 rendezvous, encounter, assignation; convergence, converging, confluence, join¬ ing. 2 convention, conference, gathering, congress, conclave, session. mega- /mega/ comb, form 1 large. 2 one mil¬ lion. IjAbbr.: M. meg*a*bucks /megabuks/ n. colloq. great sums of money. meg*a*byte /megabit/ n. Computing 1,048,576 (i.e., 220) bytes as a measure of data capacity, or loosely 1,000,000 bytes. lAbbr.: MB. meg*a*hertz /megaharts/ n. one million hertz, f Abbr.: MHz. meg*a*lith /megalith/ n. Archaeol. large stone, esp. a prehistoric monument. □□ meg*a*lith'ic adj. meg*a*lo*ma*ni*a /megalomayneea/ n. 1 mental disorder producing delusions of grandeur. 2 passion for grandiose schemes. □□ meg*a*lo*ma'ni*ac adj. & n. meg*a*lo* ma*ni*a*cal /-manfakal/ adj. meg*a»lop»0*liS /megalopolis/ n. urban area of great extent. □□ meg*a*lo*pol*i*tan /-lapolit’n/ adj. & n. meg*a*phone /megafon/ n. large funnelshaped device for amplifying the sound of the voice. meg*a»ton /megatun/ n. unit of explosive power equal to one million tons of TNT. meg*a*watt /megawot/ n. one million watts. HA.bbr.:MW. mei*0*sis /miosis/ n. Biol, cell division that results in daughter cells with half the chro¬ mosome number of the parent cell. □□ mei* ot*ic /miotik/ adj. mei*ot'i*cal*ly adv. meit*ne*ri*um /mltnareeam/ n. Chem. artifi¬ cially produced chemical element. IjSymb.: Mt. mel*a*mine /melameen/ n. 1 white crystal¬ line compound producing resins. 2 (in full melamine resin) plastic made from this and used esp. for laminated coatings.

melancholia ~ memorable 516 mel*an»cho*li*a /melankoleea/ n. depres¬ sion; anxiety. mel*an*chol*y /melankolee/ • n. (pi. -ies) 1 pensive sadness. 2 depression. • adj. sad; depressing; expressing sadness. See synonym study at glum. □□ mel*an*cho)'ic adj. ■ n. sorrow, misery, gloom, unhappiness, the blues, moroseness, melancholia, dejection, dejectedness, despondence, de¬ spondency. • adj. morose, depressed, un¬ happy, dejected, despondent, blue, down¬ hearted, glum, gloomy, woeful, woebegone, lugubrious, disconsolate, downcast; sadden¬ ing. Mel*a*ne»sian /melane’ezhan. -shan/ • n. 1 member of the dominant Negroid people of Melanesia, an island group in the W. Pa¬ cific. 2 language of this people. • adj. of or relating to this people or their language. metiange /mayloNzh/ n. mixture; medley. See synonym study at jumble. mel»a»nin /melanin/ n. dark-brown to black pigment occurring in the hair, skin, and iris of the eye. mel*a*nO»ma /melanoma/ n. malignant tu¬ mor of melanin-forming cells, usu. in the skin. Mel'ba /melba/ n. □ Melba toast very thin crisp toast. meld /meld/ v. merge; blend; combine. ■ see blend v.

meMiWu*OUS

/maliflooas/

adj. (of a voice or

□□ mel« lif lu»ence n. meblif lu*ent adj. meMiflu* ous'ly adv. meMif lu*ous*ness n. mel'low /melo/ • adj. 1 (of sound, color, light) soft and rich; free from harshness. 2 (of character) softened or matured by age or experience. 3 genial; jovial. 4 partly in¬ toxicated. 5 (of wine) well-matured; smooth. See synonym study at mature. • v. make or become mellow. □□ mel'low*ly adv. mel'low*ness n. m adj. 1 softened, subtle, muted, pastel; musical, melodious, full, pure, rich. 2, 3 easygoing, gende, good-natured, easy, cor¬ dial, friendly, warm. 4 see drunk adj. 1. • v. mature, ripen, age, season, sweeten. me'lod'ic /malodik/ adj. 1 of or relating to melody. 2 having or producing melody. □□ me*lod'i*cal*ly adv. me*lo*di*OUS /malsdeeas/ adj. 1 of, produc¬ ing, or having melody. 2 sweet-sounding. □□ me*lo'di*ous*ly adv. me*lo di»ous*ness words) pleasing; musical; flowing.

n. • 1 see tuneful. 2 dulcet, tuneful, eupho¬ nious, harmonious, melodic, lyrical, musical, mellifluous.

mel*0»dra*ma /meladraama, -drama/ n. 1 sensational dramatic piece with crude ap¬ peals to the emotions. 2 genre of drama of this type. 3 language, behavior, or an occur¬ rence suggestive of this. □□ mel*o*dra* mat*ic /-dramatik/ adj. mefro'dra'mati* caltiy adv. mel*o*dram*a*tist /-dramatist/ n. mel*o*dram’a*tize v.tr. • 2 fantasy, Gothic horror. 3 see drama 4. □□ melodramatic sensational, sensational-

istic, dramatic, stagy, theatrical, (over) senti¬ mental. mel»0*dy /meladee/ n. (pi. -dies) 1 arrange¬ ment of single notes in a musically expressive succession. 2 principal part in harmonized music; tune. ■ song, air, strain, measure, theme, refrain. mel*on /melan/ n. sweet fruit of various gourds. melt /melt/ v. 1 intr. become liquefied by heat. 2 tr. change to a liquid condition by heat. 3 a intr. & tr. dissolve, b intr. (of food) be eas¬ ily dissolved in the mouth. 4 intr. be softened as a result of pity, love, etc. 5 tr. soften (a per¬ son, feelings, the heart, etc.). 6 intr. change or merge imperceptibly into. 7 intr. leave or disappear unobtrusively. □ melting point temperature at which any given solid will melt, melting pot place where races, theo¬ ries, etc., are mixed, dd melt a*ble adj. & n. melt'er n. melt'ingtiy adv. ■ 1-3 soften, thaw, liquefy, fuse; liquidize; deliquesce. 4, 5 thaw; mollify, assuage, touch, move. 6 blend, fade, disappear, dis¬ solve, shrink. 7 dissolve, vanish, evaporate, go away, fade, pass, shrink. melt»down /meltdown/ n. 1 melting of a structure, esp. the overheated core of a nu¬ clear reactor. 2 disastrous event. rnenvber /membar/ n. 1 person, animal, plant, etc., belonging to a society, team, taxo¬ nomic group, etc. 2 constituent portion of a complex structure. 3 a any part or organ of the body, esp. a limb, b = penis. □□ mem' bered adj. [also in comb.], mem'ber"less adj. m 1 associate, fellow. 2 see element 1. mem*ber»ship /membarship/ n. 1 being a

member. 2 number of members. 3 body of members. ■ 1 see belonging 2.

mem*brane /membrayn/ n. 1 any pliable sheetlike structure acting as a boundary, lin¬ ing, or partition in an organism. 2 thin plia¬ ble sheet or skin of various kinds. □□ mem* bramous /-branas/ adj. me*rnen*to /mimento/ n. (pi. -tos or -toes) object kept as a reminder or a souvenir of a person or an event. ■ keepsake, remembrance, relic. me*men»to mo*ri /mamento mawree, -rf/ n. (pi. same) warning or reminder of death (e.g., a skull). mem*0 /memo/ n. (pi. —os) colloq. memo¬ randum. mem*oir /memwaar/ n. 1 historical account or biography written from personal knowl¬ edge or special sources. 2 [in pi] autobiog¬ raphy. □□ mem'oirMst n. m 1 report, reportage, narrative, journal, record, life. 2 reminiscences, recollections, memories, diary, journal. mem*o*ra*bil*i*a /memarabileea, -bilya/ n.pl. souvenirs of memorable events. ■ remembrances, reminders, relics, tro¬ phies, tokens. mem*o*ra*ble /memarabal/ adj. 1 worth re¬ membering, not to be forgotten. 2 easily re¬ membered. □□ mem»o»ra*bil'i*ty n. mem' o*ra*bly adv.

■ unforgettable, catchy; noteworthy, nota¬ ble, remarkable. mem*o«ran»dum /memarandam/ n. (pi. mem*o*ran*da /-da/ or mernwran* dums) 1 note or record made for future use. 2 informal written message, esp. in business, etc. ■ minute, reminder, message, colloq. memo. me*mo*ri»al /mamawreeal/ • n. object, insti¬ tution, or custom established in memory of a person or event. • adj. intending to com¬ memorate a person or thing (memorial serv¬ ice). □ Memorial Day holiday on which those who died in war are remembered, usu. the last Monday in May. ■ n. monument, marker, plaque, cenotaph, statue; remembrance, reminder. • adj. com¬ memorative. mem»o*rize /memanz/ v.tr. commit to mem¬ ory. □□ mem*o*ri*za'tion n. mem'o*riz* er n. ■ learn by heart or rote, learn word for word; retain. mem*o*ry /memaree/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 mental faculty by which things are recalled. 2 store of things remembered. 3 recollection or re¬ membrance. 4 storage capacity of a com¬ puter, etc. 5 reputation of a dead person. 6 length of time over which the memory or memories of any given person or group ex¬ tends. 7 act of remembering (deed worthy of memory). □ from memory without verifica¬ tion in books, etc. ■ 1 recall, recollection, retention. 3 remi¬ niscence, thought. 4 RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), mem¬ ory bank. 5 see name n. 4. 7 remembrance, recollection. men pi. of man. men»ace /menis/ • n. 1 threat. 2 joc. pest, nuisance. • v. threaten, esp. in a malignant or hostile manner. □□ men'acer n. men' ac*ing adj. men'ac*ing*ly adv. m n. 1 danger, peril; intimidation, scare, warning. 2 see pest 1. • v. intimidate, daunt, terrorize, terrify, cow, bully, frighten, scare, alarm. □□ menacing threatening, ominous, minatory, baleful, black, dark. me*nage /mayna'azh/ n. members of a house¬ hold. me»nag*er»ie /manajaree, -nazh-/ n. small zoo. men*ar»che /menaarkee/ n. onset of first menstruation. mend /mend/ • v. 1 tr. restore to a sound condition; repair. 2 intr. regain health. 3 tr. improve. • n. darn or repair. □ mend one’s ways reform; improve one’s habits, on the mend recovering. □□ mend'a*ble adj. mend’er n. m v. 1 fix, patch (up), rectify, correct, rem¬ edy. 2 heal, improve, recover, convalesce. 3 correct, better, reform, revise, rectify. • n. patch. men*da»ci0US /mendayshas/ adj. lying; un¬ truthful. □□ men*da'cious*ly adv. men* da'ciousmess n. men*dac*i*ty /-dasitee/ n. (pi. -ties) men*de*le*vi*um /mendale'eveeam/ n. Chem.

517

memorandum ~ mentality

artificial transuranic radioactive metallic ele¬ ment. 1|Symb.: Md. Men»del»ism /mendalizam/ n. theory of he¬ redity based on the recurrence of certain in¬ herited characteristics transmitted by genes. □□ Men*de*li*an /-de'eleean/ adj. & n. men*di*cant /mendikant/ • adj. 1 begging. 2 (of a friar) living solely on alms. • n. 1 beggar. 2 mendicant friar. □□ men*di* can*cy /-kansee/ n. men*dic*i*ty /-disitee/ n.

men*folk /menfok/

n.pl. 1 men in general. 2 the men of one’s family. me»ni*al /me'eneeal/ • adj. degrading; servile. • n. domestic servant. □□ me'ni*al*ly adv. • adj. lowly, humble, subservient, base, low, mean, slavish; routine, unskilled, domestic. • n. lackey, serf, drudge, slave, hireling, gofer, underling. men*in*gi*tis /meninjftis/ rt. infection and in¬ flammation of the meninges. □□ men*in* git*ic /-jink/ adj. me*ninx /me'eningks/ n. (pi. me*nin*ges /maninjeez/) [usu. in pi.] any of the three membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord. □□ me*nin*ge*al /mininjeeal/ adj. me*nis*cus /maniskas/ n. (pi. me*nis*ci /-nisi/ or me*nis*cus*es) 1 Physics curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube. 2 lens that is convex on one side and concave on the other. □□ me*nis'coid adj. men*0*pause /menapawz/ n. ceasing of menstruation. □□ men*o*pau'sal adj. me*nor*ah /manawra, -nora/ n. seven- or nine-armed candelabrum used in Jewish worship, esp. as a symbol of Judaism. men*ses /menseez/ n.pl. flow of blood in menstruation. men*stru*al /menstrooal/ adj. of or relating to the menses or menstruation. □ men¬ strual cycle process of ovulation and men¬ struation in female primates. men*stru*ate /menstroo-ayt/ v.intr. dis¬ charge blood and other materials from the uterus, usu. at monthly intervals. □□ men* stru*a*tion /menstroo-ayshan/ n. men*SU*ra*tion /mensharayshan, -sa-/ n. measuring. mens'wear /menzwair/ n. clothes for men. -ment /mant/ suffix 1 forming nouns express¬ ing the means or result of the action of a verb (abridgment, embankment). 2 forming nouns from adjectives (merriment, oddment). men*tal /ment’l/ adj. 1 of, in, or done by the mind. 2 colloq. a insane, b crazy; wild; ec¬ centric (is mental about pop music). □ mental age degree of mental development com¬ pared to chronological age. □□ men'tal*ly adv.

■ 1 intellectual, cognitive, cerebral, com¬ prehensive, perceptual, rational, conceptual, theoretical, noetic, abstract. 2 a lunatic, mad, psychotic, demented, mentally ill; (of¬ ten derog.) colloq. crazy, certifiable, dotty, si. off one’s rocker, nutty, batty. men»tal*i»ty /mentalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 mental character or disposition. 2 kind or degree of intelligence.

menthol ~ merganser

518

■ 1 inclination, attitude, bent, mind-set, temperament. 2 intelligence, brain, capac¬ ity, intellect, wit, sense, judgment, acuity, acumen, IQ, rationality. men»thol /menthawl/ n. mint-tasting organic alcohol found in oil of peppermint, etc., used as a flavoring and to relieve local pain. □□ men'tho*lat*ed /-thslaytid/ adj. men*tion/menshsn/ • v.tr. 1 refer to briefly. 2 reveal or disclose. • n. reference. □ not to mention and also. □□ men'tion*a*ble adj. ■ v. 1 speak or write about, allude to, touch on or upon, make mention of, talk of, bring up or in, introduce; point out, indicate, make known. 2 divulge, intimate, impart, suggest, hint at, imply, insinuate. • n. referral, allu¬ sion, note, citation, mentioning; announce¬ ment, remark. men»tor /mentawr/ n. experienced and trust¬ ed adviser. ■ see adviser (advise). men*u /menyoo/ n. la list of dishes available in a restaurant, etc. b list of items to be served at a meal. 2 Computing list of options showing the commands or facilities avail¬ able. me*ow /mee-ow/ • n. characteristic cry of a cat. • v.intr. make this cry. ■ n. mew; caterwaul. • v. meow, mew, miaul. mer*can*tile /msrkantll/ adj. 1 of trade; trading. 2 commercial. 3 mercenary; fond of bargaining. ■ 1,2 business, trade, marketing, market. mer*ce*nar*y /msrssneree/ • adj. primarily concerned with money or other reward (mer¬ cenary motives). • n. (pi. -ies) hired soldier in foreign service. ■ adj. grasping, greedy, acquisitive, covet¬ ous, predatory. • n. soldier of fortune, usu. derog. hireling. mer»cer*ize /marssriz/ v.tr. treat (cotton) with caustic alkali to strengthen and impart luster. □□ mer*cer*i*za'tion n. mer*chan*dise /morchandiz/ . n. goods for sale. • v. 1 intr. trade; traffic. 2 tr. trade or traffic in. 3 tr. a put on the market; pro¬ mote. b advertise; publicize (an idea or per¬ son). □□ mer'chan*dis*a*ble adj. mer' chan*dis*er n. ■ n. commodities, products, stock, staples. • v. 1,2 deal, distribute, retail, (buy and) sell. 3 market. merchant /merchant/ n. retail trader; dealer; storekeeper. □ merchant marine a na¬ tion’s commercial shipping, merchant ship = MERCHANTMAN. ■ retailer, seller, store owner, tradesman, tradeswoman, vendor. mer*chant»man /merchantman/ n. (pi. -men) ship conveying merchandise. mer*ci*ful /mdrsifOOl/ adj. having, showing, or feeling mercy. □□ mer'ci'fuHy adv. mer'ci'fubness n. ■ compassionate, sympathetic, forgiving, kind, kindly, clement, kindhearted, forbear¬ ing, sparing, lenient, tender, dd mercifully see happily (happy). mer*cMess /marsilis/ adj. 1 pitiless. 2 show¬

ing no mercy. □□ mer'ci*less*ly adv. mer' ci*less*ness n. ■ cruel, ruthless, heartless, unmerciful, in¬ humane, inhuman, brutal, savage, barba¬ rous, callous, hard, hard-hearted, tyrannical, stony hearted. mer»CU*ri*al /markyObreeal/ adj. 1 (of a per¬ son) sprightly; ready-wined; volatile. 2 of or containing mercury. □□ mer*cu'ri*al*ism n. mer*cu*ri*al*i*ty /-reealitee/ n. mer*cu' ri*al*ly adv. ■ 1 see volatile adj. 2. □□ mercuriality see inconstancy (inconstant). mer*CU*ry /markyaree/ n. 1 Chem. silverywhite heavy liquid metallic element used in barometers, thermometers, etc. IjSymb.: Hg. 2 (Mercury) planet nearest to the sun. □□ mer*cu»ric /-kydbrik/ adj. mer-cu'rous adj.

mer*cy /marsee/

n. (pi. -cies) 1 compassion or forbearance shown to enemies or offend¬ ers in one’s power. 2 quality of compassion. 3 act of mercy. 4 something to be thankful for. □ at the mercy of wholly in the power of. ■ 1,2 pity, quarter, tolerance, sympathy, fa¬ vor, forgiveness, kindness, kindliness, leni¬ ency, tenderness, humanity, humaneness. 3 errand of mercy, kindness, favor. 4 see luck 3. □ at the mercy of under a person’s thumb.

synonym study: mercy benevolence, charity, clemency, compas¬

If you want to win friends and influence people, it’s best to start with benevolence, a general term for goodwill and kindness (a grandfather’s benevolence). Charity is even better, suggesting forbear¬ ance and generous giving (to feed someone out sion, leniency.

of charity; to view selfish behavior with chari¬ ty), but also meaning tolerance and under¬

standing of others. Compassion, which is a feeling of sympathy' or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune, will put you one step clos¬ er to sainthood (to show compassion for the homeless), and showing mercy will practical¬ ly guarantee it. Aside from its religious over¬ tones, mercy means compassion or kindness in our treatment of others, especially those who have offended us or who deserve pun¬ ishment (the jury’s mercy toward the accused). Clemency is mercy shown by someone whose duty or function it is to administer justice or punish offenses (the judge granted clemency), while leniency emphasizes gen¬ tleness, softness, or lack of severity, even if it isn’t quite deserved (a father’s leniency in punishing his young son).

mere /meer/ attrib.adj. (mer*est) that is sole¬ ly or no more or better than what is speci¬ fied. □□ mere'ly adv. ■ bare, basic, sheer, simple, very; least, nothing but. □□ merely only, simply, solely, purely; barely. mer*e*tri»ciouS /meritrishas/ adj. showily but falsely attractive. □□ mer*e*tri cious'ly adv. mer*e*tri'cious*ness n. mer*gan*ser /margansar/ n. diving fish¬ eating duck.

merge /marj/ u la combine or be com¬ bined. b join or blend gradually. 2 lose or cause to lose character and identity in (something else). ■ 1 coalesce, unite, join, amalgamate, con¬ solidate, blend, mix, mingle, fuse, conflate. merg»er /mirjar/ n. combining, esp. of two commercial companies, etc., into one. ■ combination, coalescence, union, amalga¬ mation, consolidation, coalition, merging, pooling, blending. me*rid*i*an /marideean/ n. la circle of con¬ stant longitude, passing through a given place and the terrestrial poles, b corre¬ sponding line on a map. 2 prime; full splen¬ dor. me*ringue /marang/ n. confection of sugar, egg whites, etc., baked crisp. me*ri*no /mare'eno/ n. (pi. -nos) 1 (in full merino sheep) variety of sheep with long fine wool. 2 wool of this sheep, or cloth made from this. mer*it /merit/ • n. 1 quality of deserving well. 2 excellence; worth. 3 [usu. in pi] a thing that entities one to reward or grati¬ tude. b esp. Law intrinsic rights and wrongs. • v.tr. deserve or be worthy of. ■ n. 1,2 worthiness, value, quality, virtue, good. 3 a assets, advantage(s). • v. earn, warrant, rate, have a right or claim to. mer*i*tOC»ra»cy /meritokrasee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 government by persons selected according to merit. 2 group of persons selected in this way. 3 society governed by meritocracy. mer*i*to*ri*ous /meritawreeas/ adj. praise¬ worthy. □□ mer*i*to'ri*ous*ly adv. mer*i* to'ri*ous*ness n. m honorable, laudable, commendable, cred¬ itable, admirable, estimable, excellent, exem¬ plary, outstanding. mer*maid /marmayd/ n. imaginary sea crea¬ ture, with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail of a fish. mer*ri*ment /merimant/ n. 1 being merry. 2 mirth; fun. ■ jollity, joviality, merrymaking, revelry, gai¬ ety, high or good spirits, mirth, mirthfulness, joyfulness, felicity. mer*ry /meree/ adj. (mer*ri*er, mer*ri*est) 1 joyous. 2 full of laughter or gaiety. □ make merry be festive; enjoy oneself. □□ mer'ri'ly adv. mer'rimess n. ■ cheerful, happy, gay, cheery, jolly, jovial, in high or good spirits, mirthful, joyful, hilar¬ ious. □ make merry celebrate, carouse, frolic; see also revel v. 1. mer*ry-go-rOund /mereegorownd/ n. 1 re¬ volving machine with wooden horses or other animals, etc., for riding on at an amusement park, etc. 2 cycle of bustling ac¬ tivities. mer*ry*mak*ing /mereemayking/ n. festivity; fun. □□ mer'ry*mak*er n. mes'cal /meskal/ n. peyote cactus. mes*ca*line /meskaleen, -lin/ n. (also tries* ca*lin /-lin/) hallucinogenic alkaloid present in mescal. mes*dames pi. of madame. mes*de*moi*selles pi. of mademoiselle. mesh /mesh/ • n. 1 network fabric or struc-

519

merge ~ message

ture. 2 each of the open spaces or interstices between the strands of a net or sieve, etc. 3 [in pi.] a network, b snare. • v.intr. 1 (of the teeth of a wheel) be engaged (with oth¬ ers) . 2 be harmonious. ■ n. 1-3a meshwork, netting, net, web, webbing, lattice, latticework, screen, screen¬ ing, interlacing, lacework, grid, grate, grat¬ ing, trellis. 3 b grip, clutch(es), grasp, web, trap, entanglement. • v. 1 fit (together), dovetail, knit, enmesh, match, interlock. 2 see jell 2. mes*mer*ize /mezmariz/ v.tr. 1 Psychol, hyp¬ notize. 2 fascinate; spellbind. □□ mes*mer* ic /mezmerik/ adj. mes*mer*ism /-izam/ n. mes'mer*ist n. mes*mer*i*za'tion n. mes'mer*iz*er n. mes'mer*iz*ing*ly adv. m 2 see fascinate 1. meso- /meso, mez-/ comb, form middle; inter¬ mediate. mes*0*morph /mezamawrf, mes-/ n. person with a compact and muscular body, □o mes*o*mor'phic adj. me*SOIl /mezon, mes-, me'ezon, -son/ n. Physics any of a class of elementary particles believed to participate in the forces that hold nucleons together in the atomic nucleus, an mes*ic /mezik, mes-, me'ezik, —sik/ adj. me*son'ic adj. mes*0*sphere /mesasfeer, mez-/ n. region of the atmosphere extending in altitude from 20 to 50 miles. Mes*0*Z0*iC /mesazo-ik, mez-/ Geol. • adj. of or relating to an era of geological time marked by the development of dinosaurs, and with evidence of the first mammals, birds, and flowering plants. • n. this era. mes*quite /meskeet/ n. 1 thorny N. Ameri¬ can leguminous tree. 2 wood of the mesquite, as used in grilling food, mess /mes/ • n. 1 dirty or untidy state. 2 state of confusion, embarrassment, or trouble. 3 something causing a mess, e.g., spilled liquid, etc. 4 a soldiers, etc., dining together, b = mess hall. C meal taken there. 5 derog. disagreeable concoction. 6 portion of liquid or pulpy food. • v. 1 tr. [often foil, by up] make a mess of; dirty; muddle. 2 intr. [foil, by with] interfere with. □ mess about (or around) act desultorily, mess hall com¬ munal, esp. military, dining area, mess kit soldier’s cooking and eating utensils. mn. 1 chaos, disorder, disarray, disorgani¬ zation, muddle; untidiness. 2 predicament, difficulty, plight, trouble, quandary, imbro¬ glio, foul-up, colloq. stew, fix. 5 mixture, mis¬ cellany, hash, hodgepodge. • v. 1 clutter up, make untidy, turn upside down, pull to pieces, upset; ruin, destroy, wreck, bungle, botch. 2 intervene in, meddle with or in, in¬ trude in, butt in or into, tinker with. □ mess about (or around) fool or play (about or around), poke or fiddle about or around; dally, waste time, dawdle, mess hall mess, canteen, refectory. mes*sage /mesij/ n. 1 oral or written com¬ munication sent by one person to another. 2 central import or meaning of an artistic

messenger ~ meteorology 520 work, etc. o get the message colloq. under¬ stand what is meant. ■ 1 bulletin, report, communique, news, dispatch, information. 2 idea, point, es¬ sence, implication. mes*sen*ger /mesinjar/ n. person who car¬ ries a message. ■ envoy, emissary, nuncio; page, courier, si. gofer. Mes*si*ah /misia/ n. 1 (also mes*siah) lib¬ erator of an oppressed people or country. 2 a promised deliverer of the Jews, b [usu. prec. by the] Christ regarded as this. □□ Mes*si ah*ship n. Mes*si*an*ic /meseeanik/ adj. Mes*si*a*nism /mesianizam/ n. m 1 deliverer, emancipator, savior, re¬ deemer. mes*sieurs pi. of Monsieur. messrs. /mesarz/ pi. of Mr. mess*y /mesee/ adj. (mess*i*er, mess*i*est) 1 untidy or dirty. 2 causing or accompanied by a mess. 3 difficult to deal with. □□ mess' i*ly adv. mess'imess n. met past and past part, of meet. meta- /meta/ comb, form (usu. met- before a vowel or h) 1 denoting change of position or condition (metabolism). 2 denoting position: a behind, b after or beyond (metaphysics). C of a higher or second-order kind (metalan¬ guage).

me»tab»0*lism /matabalizam/

n. all the chemical processes that occur within a living organism, resulting in energy production and growth, do met*a*bol*ic /metabolik/ adj. met*a*bol’i*cal*ly adv. me»tab*o»lize /matabaliz/ v. process or be processed by metabolism. □□ me*tab'o*liz* a*ble adj. met*a»car»pus /metaka'arpas/ n. (pi. met*a* car*pi /-pi/) 1 set of five bones of the hand that connects the wrist to the fingers. 2 this part of the hand. □□ met*a*car'pal adj. met*al /met’l/ • n. 1 any of a class of chemi¬ cal elements such as gold, silver, iron, and tin, usu. lustrous ductile solids and good conductors of heat and electricity. 2 alloy of any of these. • adj. made of metal. met*a*lan»guage /metalanggwij/ n. language or system used to discuss or analyze another language or system. me*tal*lic /matalik/ adj. 1 of, consisting of, or characteristic of metal or metals. 2 sounding like struck metal. 3 having the sheen or lus¬ ter of metals. □□ me*tal'li*cal*ly adv. met»al»lur*gy /met’larjee/ n. science con¬ cerned with the production, purification, and properties of metals and their applica¬ tion. □□ met*al*lur*gic /met’larjik/ adj. met*al*lur'gi*cal adj. met*al*lur'gi*cal*ly adv. met*al*lur'gist n. met»a*mor»phic /metamawrfik/ adj. 1 of metamorphosis. 2 Geol. (of rock) trans¬ formed by natural agencies such as heat and pressure, on met*a*mor'phism n. met»a*mor»phose /metamawrfoz/ v.tr. 1 change in form. 2 a turn (into a new form), b change the nature of. ■ see change v. 1.

met»a»mor«pho*sis /metamawrfasis / n. (pi. met*a*mor*pho*ses /-seez/) 1 change of character, conditions, etc. 2 change of form in an animal, e.g., from a pupa to an insect, etc. ■ see change n. 1. met*a*phor /metafawr/ n. application of a name or descriptive term or phrase to an ob¬ ject or action to which it is not literally appli¬ cable (e.g., killing him with kindness). □□ met*a*phor*ic /-fawrik, -forik/ adj. met* a*phor*i*cal /-fawrikal, -forikal/ adj. met*a* phor*i*cal*ly /-fawriklee, -foriklee/ adv. m figure (of speech), analogy, analog, image, trope. □□ metaphoric, metaphorical non¬ literal, analogical, analogous, figurative, sym¬ bolic, tropological. met*a*phys*i*cal /metafizikal/ adj. 1 of met¬ aphysics. 2 excessively subtle or theoretical. □□ met*a*phys'i*cal*ly adv. • 2 see abstract adj. la, subtle 1, theo¬ retical. met*a*phys*ics metsfiziks/ n.pl. [usu. treat¬ ed as sing.] 1 theoretical philosophy of being and knowing. 2 philosophy of mind. 3 col¬ loq. abstract or subtle talk; mere theory. □□ met*a*phy*si*cian /-zishon/ n. me*tas*ta*sis /metastasis/ n. (pi. me*tas*ta* ses /-seez/) Physiol, transference of a bodily function, disease, etc., from one part or or¬ gan to another. □□ me*tas'ta*size v.intr. met*a*stat*ic /metastatik/ adj. • see transition. □□ metastasize see SPREAD V. 2. met*a*tar*SUS /metata'arsas/ n. (pi. met*a* tar*si /-si/) 1 part of the foot between the ankle and the toes. 2 set of bones in this. □□ met*a*tar'sal adj. me*tath»e«sis /mitathisis/ n. (pi. me*tath*e* ses /-seez/) 1 Gram, transposition of sounds or letters in a word. 2 Chem. interchange of atoms or groups of atoms between two mol¬ ecules. 3 instance of either of these, on met*a*thet*ic /metathetik/ adj. met*a* thet'i*cal adj. mete /meet/ v.tr. literary apportion or allot. ■ deal (out), distribute, dole (out), assign, allocate, parcel out, share (out), ration (out), measure out. rne*te*or /me'eteear, -eeawr/ n. 1 small body of matter from outer space that becomes in¬ candescent as a result of friction with the earth’s atmosphere. 2 streak of light ema¬ nating from a meteor. me*te*or*ic /me’etee-awrik, -or-/ adj. 1 of meteors. 2 rapid like a meteor; dazzling; transient. □□ me*te*or'i*cal*ly adv. m 2 brief, short-lived, temporary, transitory, ephemeral; brilliant, flashing, spectacular. me*te*or*ite /me'eteesrit/ n. fallen meteor that reaches the earth’s surface from outer space. □□ me*te*or*it*ic /—ritik/ adj. me*te*or*oid /meeteearoyd/ n. any small body moving in the solar system that be¬ comes visible as it passes through the earth’s atmosphere as a meteor. me*te*or*ol*o*gy /me'eteearolajee/ n. the study of the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere, esp. as a means of forecast¬ ing the weather. □□ me*te*or*o*log*i*cal

/-ralojikal/ adj. me*te*or*o*log'i*cal*ly adv. me*te*or*ol’o*gist n. me*ter' /me'etar/ n. basic metric measure of length, equal to about 39.4 inches, no me' ter*age n. me*ter2 /me'etar/ n. 1 poetic rhythm, deter¬ mined by the number and length of feet in a line. 2 basic pulse and rhythm of a piece of music. me*ter3 /me'etar/ . n. instrument that mea¬ sures, esp. one for recording a quantity of gas, electricity, postage, etc., supplied, pre¬ sent, or needed. • v. tr. measure by means of a meter. ■ n. see indicator 2,3. • v. see measure v. 1. -meter /mitor, meetar/ comb, form 1 forming nouns denoting measuring instruments (ba¬ rometer). 2 Prosody forming nouns denoting lines of poetry with a specified number of measures (pentameter). meth»a*done /methadon/ n. potent narcotic analgesic drug used esp. as a substitute for morphine or heroin. meth*ane /methayn/ n. Chem. colorless, odorless, flammable gas, the main constitu¬ ent of natural gas. meth»a*nol /methanawl, -nol/ n. Chem. col¬ orless, volatile, flammable liquid, used as a solvent. (Also called methyl alcohol). rrie*thinks /mithingks/ v.intr. (past me* thought /mithawt/) archaic it seems to me. meth»od /methad/ n. 1 special form of pro¬ cedure esp. in any branch of mental activity. 2 orderliness; regular habits. ■ 1 way, means, approach, route, avenue, road, mode, manner, technique; plan, scheme, program; methodology. 2 arrange¬ ment, order, system, structure, organization, design, pattern, neatness. me»thod*i*cal /mithodikal/ adj. (also me* thod'ic) characterized by method or order, □o me*thod'i*cal*ly adv. m organized, ordered, systematic, struc¬ tured, businesslike, orderly, neat, tidy, regu¬ lar, routine; deliberate; plodding, labored. Meth*od»ist /methadist/ n. member of any of several Protestant religious bodies (now united) originating in the teachings of John Wesley. □□ Meth'od*ism n. Meth*od*is' tic adj. meth*0d*0l*0*gy /methadolajee/ n. (pi. -gies) system or science of methods. □□ meth*od*o*log*i*cal /-dalojikal/ adj. meth*od*o*log'i*cal*ly adv. meth*od*ol'o* gist n. ■ see system 3. meth*yl /methil/ n. Chem. univalent hydro¬ carbon radical CH3, present in many or¬ ganic compounds. □ methyl alcohol = methanol. □□ me*thyl'ic adj. me*tic*U*lous /matikyalas/ adj. 1 giving great or excessive attention to details. 2 very careful and precise. □□ me*tic'u*lous*ly adv. me*tic'u*lous*ness n. m accurate, exact, fastidious, scrupulous, thorough. meatier /metyay/ n. (also me'tier) 1 one’s trade, profession, or department of activity. 2 one’s forte. me*ton*y*my /mitonimee/ n. substitution of

521

meter ~ mfg.

the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant (e.g., White House for president). □□ met*o*nym*ic /metanimik/ adj. met*o*nym'i*cal adj. met*ric /metrik/ adj. of or based on the meter. □ metric system decimal measur¬ ing system with the meter, liter, and gram (or kilogram) as units of length, volume, and mass, metric ton (or tonne) 1,000 kilo¬ grams (2,205 lb.). -metric /metrik/ comb, form (also -metrical) forming adjectives corresponding to nouns in -meter and -metry (geometric). □□ -metri¬ cally comb, form forming adverbs. met*ri*cal /metrikal/ adj. 1 of, relating to, or composed in meter (metrical psalms). 2 of or involving measurement (metrical geometry). □□ met'ri*cal*ly adv. m 1 see poetic 1. met*ro /metro/ n. (pi. -ros) subway system, esp. in Paris. met»ro»nome /metranom/ n. Mus. instru¬ ment marking time at a selected rate by giv¬ ing a regular tick. □□ met*ro*nom*ic /-nomik/ adj. me*tropeO*lis /mitropalis/ n. chief city of a country; capital city. □□ met*ro*pol*i*tan /metrapolit’n/ adj. ■ megalopolis, municipality. □□ metro¬ politan see MUNICIPAL. -metry /mitree/ comb, form forming nouns de¬ noting procedures and systems correspond¬ ing to instruments in -meter (calorimetry, thermometry).

met»tle /met’l/ n. strength of character; spirit; courage. □ on one’s mettle incited to do one’s best. □□ met'tled adj. [also in comb.]. met'tle*some adj. ■ see disposition lb, spirit n. 5c. □□ met¬ tlesome see spirited. mew /myoo/ • v.intr. (of a cat, gull, etc.) utter its characteristic cry. • n. this sound, esp. of a cat. mewl /myool/ v.intr. 1 cry feebly; whimper. 2 mew like a cat. ■ 1 see cry v. 2a. mews /myooz/ n. esp. Brit, set of stables around an open yard or along a lane, now of¬ ten converted into dwellings. Mex*i*can /meksilon/ . n. 1 native or na¬ tional of Mexico, a country in southern N. America. 2 language spoken in Mexico. • adj. of or relating to Mexico or its people. me*zu*zah /'mezObza, -zoozaa/ n. (also me* zu'za; pi. -zas; also me*zu*zot or me*zu* zoth /-zCozot/) parchment inscribed with re¬ ligious texts, inserted into a small case, and attached to the doorpost of a Jewish house as a sign of faith. mez*za*nine /mezane'en/ n. low story be¬ tween two others (usu. between the first and second floors). mez»ZO /metso/ Mus. • adv. half; moderately. • n. (in full mezzo-soprano) 1 female singing voice between soprano and con¬ tralto. 2 singer with this voice. M.F.A. abbr. Master of Fine Arts. mfg. abbr. manufacturing.

m.f.n. ~ middle

522

m.f.n. abbr. most favored nation. mfr. abbr. 1 manufacture. 2 manufacturer. Mg symb. Chem. magnesium. mg abbr. milligram(s). Mgr. abbr. 1 Manager. 2 Monseigneur. 3 Monsignor.

MHz abbr. megahertz. Ml abbr. Michigan (in official postal use), mi /mee/ n. Mus. third tone of the diatonic scale.

mi. abbr. mile(s). MIA abbr. missing in action. mi*ca /mika/ n. any of a group of silicate min¬ erals with a layered structure, esp. mus¬ covite. □□ mi*ca*ceous /-kayshas/ adj. mice pi. of mouse. Mich. abbr. 1 Michigan. 2 Michaelmas. Mich»ael*mas /mikalmas/ n. feast of St. Michael, September 29. Mick*ey Finn /mikee fin/ (often Mickey) n. si. alcoholic drink adulterated with a narcotic or laxative. micro- /mikro/ comb, form 1 small (microchip). 2 denoting a factor of one millionth (10~6) (microgram). HSymb.: ft. microbe /mikrob/ n. minute living being; mi¬ croorganism (esp. bacteria causing disease and fermentation). □□ mi*cro*bi*al /-kr6beeal/' adj. mi*cro*bic /-krObik/ adj. m germ, bacterium, si. bug. mi*cro»bi»oi*0*gy /mikrobiobjee/ n. scien¬ tific study of microorganisms. □□ mi*cro* bi*o*log*i*cal /-bblojikal/ adj. mi*cro*bi*o* log'i*cal*ly adv. mi*cro*bi*ol'o*gist n. mi*cro*brew*er*y /mikrobrobaree/ n. limited-production brewery, often selling only locally. mi*cro*chip /mlkrochip/ n. small piece of semiconductor (usu. silicon) used to carry electronic circuits. mi*cro*COm»put*er /mikrokampyobtar/ n. small computer that contains a microproces¬ sor as its central processor. mi*cro*COSm /rmkrakozam/ n. 1 miniature representation. 2 mankind viewed as the epitome of the universe. 3 any community or complex unity viewed in this way. □□ mi* cro*cos*mic /-kozmik/ adj. mi*cro*cos'mi* cably adv. mi*cro*dot /mlkrodot/ «. microphotograph of a document, etc., reduced to the size of a dot. m i,cro*ec*o*nom*ics /mikro-eekanomiks, -ek-/ n. branch of economics dealing with individual commodities, producers, etc. m i*CrO*e»lec»tron*icS /mikro-ilektroniks/ n. design, manufacture, and use of microchips and microcircuits. mi*cro»fiche /mikrofeesh/ n. (pi. same or mi* cro*fich*es) flat rectangular piece of film bearing miniaturized photographs of a print¬ ed text or document. mi»cro*film /mikrafilm/ • n. length of film bearing miniaturized photographs of docu¬ ments, etc. • v.tr. photograph (a document, etc.) on microfilm. mi*cro*light /mfkrollt/ n. kind of motorized hang glider.

mi*crom*e*ter /mikromitar/

n. gauge for ac¬ curately measuring small distances, thick¬ nesses, etc. □□ mi*crom'e*try n. mi*cron /mfkron/ n. one-millionth of a meter. Mi*cro»ne*sian/mikrane'ezhan/ • adj. of Mi¬ cronesia, an island group in the W. Pacific. • n. native of Micronesia. mi*cro*or*gan*ism /rmkro-awrganizam/ n. microscopic organism, e.g., algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. ■ see MICROBE. mi*cro*phone /mi'krafon/ n. instrument for converting sound waves into electrical cur¬ rents. □□ mi*cro*phon*ic /-fonik/ adj. mi*cro*prOC*es*SOr /mlkroprosesar/ n. in¬ tegrated circuit that contains all the func¬ tions of a central processing unit of a com¬ puter. mi*cro*SCOpe /mikraskop/ n. instrument magnifying small objects by means of a lens or lenses. mi*cro*SCOp*ic /mfkraskopik/ adj. 1 visible only with a microscope. 2 extremely small. 3 of the microscope. □□ mi*cro*scop'i*cal adj. (in sense 4). mi*cro*scop'i*cal*ly adv. • 1, 2 see tiny. mi*cros»CO*py /mlkroskapee/ n. use of the microscope. □□ mi*cros'co*pist n. mbcro^sec^ond /mikrosekand/ n. onemillionth of a second. mi»cro*SUr*ger»y /mikrosurjoree/ n. intricate surgery performed using microscopes. □□ mi*cro*sur*gi*cal /-surjikal/ adj. mi*cro*wave/mfkr3wayv/ • n. 1 electromag¬ netic wave with a wavelength in the range 0.001-0.3m. 2 (in full microwave oven) oven that uses microwaves to cook or heat food quickly. • v.tr. cook in a microwave oven. mid /mid/ attrib.adj. [usu. in comb.] that is the middle. Mi*das touch /mi'dss/ n. knack for money¬ making. mid'day /mid-day/ n. middle of the day; noon. ■ noontide, twelve noon, 1200 hours, high noon. mid*dle /mid’l/ . attrib.adj. 1 at an equal dis¬ tance from the extremities of a thing. 2 (of a member of a group) so placed as to have the same number of members on each side. 3 intermediate in rank, quality, etc. 4 aver¬ age (of middle height). • n. 1 the middle point or position or part. 2 waist. □ middle age period between youth and old age, about 45 to 60. middle-aged in middle age. Middle Ages period of European history between ancient times and the Renaissance, from c. 476 to 1453. Middle America 1 middle class in the US, esp. as a conserva¬ tive political force. 2 US Middle West, mid¬ dle class class of society between the upper and the lower socially, economically, etc. middle-class adj. of the middle class, mid¬ dle ear cavity of thxe central part of the ear behind the eardrum. Middle East area cov¬ ered by countries from Egypt to Iran inclu¬ sive. Middle English the English language from c. 1150 to 1500. middle-of-the-road moderate; avoiding extremes, middle

school school for children usu. in grades 5 to 8. Middle West = Midwest. ■ adj. 1,2 central, center, medial, median; midway, mid, halfway; inner, inside. 3 see intermediate adj. 4 normal, mean; see also average adj. la. • n. 1 center, midpoint, midst, halfway point; heart, bull’s-eye. 2 midriff, stomach. □ middle class (petty or petite) bourgeoisie; Middle America, middle-class see bourgeois adj. la. middle-of-the-road see moderate adj. 1. mid»dle»brow /mid’lbrow/ colloq. adj. claim¬ ing to be or regarded as only moderately in¬ tellectual. mid*dle«man /mid’lman/ n. (pi. -men) 1 any of the traders who handle a commodity between its producer and its consumer. 2 in¬ termediary. ■ see intermediary n. mid«dle»weight /mid’lwayt/ n. weight class in certain sports intermediate between wel¬ terweight and light heavyweight, middling /midling/ • adj. moderately good (esp. fair to middling). • adv. fairly or moder¬ ately. □□ mid'dling'ly adv. a adj. see moderate adj. 2, 4. midge /mij/ n. colloq. gnatlike insect. midg*et /mijit/ n. extremely small person or thing. midland /midland/ • n. middle part of a country. • adj. of or in the midland. □□ mid'land*er n. mid*night /midnft/ n. 12 o’clock at night. mid*riff /midrif/ n. 1 region of the front of the body between the thorax and abdomen. 2 diaphragm. ■ 1 see middle n. 2. mid»ship*man /midshipman/ n. (pi. -men) cadet in the US Naval Academy. mid«ships /midships/ adv. = amidships. midst /midst/ • prep. poet, amidst. • n. middle (now only in phrases as below), oin the midst of among; in the middle of. in our (or your or their) midst among us (or you or them). ■ □ in the midst of halfway or midway through; during; see also among 1. mid*sum*mer /midsumor/ n. period of or near the summer solstice, around June 21. mid«way /midway/ • n. area for concessions and amusements at a carnival, fair, etc. • adv. in or toward the middle of the distance between two points. Mid*west /midwest/ n. region of northern US states from Ohio west to the Rocky Moun¬ tains. mid*wife /midwffr n. (pi. -wives /-wlvz/) per¬ son trained to assist at childbirth. □□ mid* wife*ry /-wifaree/ n. mid*win«ter /midwintar/ n. period of or near the winter solstice, around Dec. 22. mien /meen/ n. literary person’s look or bear¬ ing. ■ see look n. 2, 3. miff /mif/ v.tr. colloq. [usu. in passive] offend. might1 /mlt/ past of may, used esp.: 1 in re¬ ported speech, expressing possibility (said he might come) or permission (asked if I might leave) (cf. may 1,2). 2 expressing a possibil-

523

middlebrow ~ mildew

ity based on a condition not fulfilled (if you’d looked you might have found it). 3 expressing complaint that an obligation or expectation is not or has not been fulfilled (they might have asked). 4 expressing a request (you might call in at the butcher’s). 5 colloq. a = may 1 (it might be true), b (in tentative ques¬ tions) = may 2 (might I have the pleasure of this dance?). C = may 4 (who might you be?). might2 /mit/ n. strength; power. □ with might and main see main. ■ energy, force, muscle, mightiness; influ¬ ence, authority, weight, sway, dominion, as¬ cendancy. might«y /mitee/ • adj. (might*i*er, might'i* est) 1 powerful; strong. 2 massive; bulky. 3 colloq. great; considerable. • adv. colloq. very. □□ might'i’ly adv. might'imess n. • adj. 1 potent, influential, dominant, pre¬ dominant, ascendant; muscular, robust, strapping, sturdy, brawny. 2 big, large, huge, grand, great, enormous, gargantuan. 3 see considerable 1, 2. • adv. see very adv. mi*graine /migrayn/ n. intense headache that often affects vision. migrant /migrant/ • adj. that migrates. • n. migrant person or animal. ■ adj. transient, migratory, itinerant, peri¬ patetic, nomadic, gypsy, vagrant. • n. wan¬ derer, rover, drifter, gypsy, nomad, itinerant, transient, migrator, wayfarer. migrate /migrayt/ v.intr. 1 (of people) move from one place of abode to another, esp. in a different country. 2 (of a bird or fish) change its area of habitation with the sea¬ sons. □□ mi*gra*tion /-grayshan/ n. mi* gra'tion*al adj. mi'gra'tor n. mi*gra*to* ry /-gratawree/ adj. • go, travel, settle, resettle, relocate, move house; emigrate, immigrate; wander, roam, voyage, rove, drift. mi*ka*do /mika'ado/ n. (pi. -dos) hist, em¬ peror ofJapan. mike /mlk/ n. colloq. microphone. mil /mil/ n. one-thousandth of an inch. mi*la*dy /milaydee/ n. (pi. -dies) noble¬ woman or great lady. Mil*an*ese /mitane'ez/ • adj. of or relating to Milan in N. Italy. • n. (pi. same) native of Milan. milch /milch/ adj. (of a domestic mammal) giving or kept for milk. □ milch cow = milk cow.

mild /mild/ adj. 1 gentle and conciliatory. 2 moderate; not severe. 3 (of food, tobacco, etc.) not sharp or strong in taste, etc. 4 tame; feeble; lacking energy or vivacity. □□ mild'ish adj. mild'ly adv. mild'ness n. • 1 placid, peaceful, calm, tranquil, tolerant, mellow, inoffensive, serene, good-natured, af¬ fable, amiable. 2 clement, balmy, warm, fair; see also lenient. 4 see tame adj. 3. mifrdew /mildoo, -dyoo/ • n. destructive growth of minute fungi on plants, damp pa¬ per, leather, etc. • v. taint or be tainted with mildew. □□ mil'dew*y adj. ■ n. see mold2. • v. see spoil v. 3. □□ mil¬ dewy see moldy 1.

mildly ~ millionaire

524

mild*ly /mildlee/ adv. in a mild fashion. □□ to put it mildly as an understatement (imply¬ ing the reality is more extreme.), mile /mil/ n. (also statute mile) unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approx. 1.609 kilometers). mile«age /milij/ n. la number of miles trav¬ eled, used, etc. b number of miles traveled by a vehicle per unit of fuel. 2 traveling ex¬ penses (per mile). 3 colloq. use; advantage. ■ 1 a see distance n. 2. mile*post /milpost/ n. post or sign giving dis¬ tance in miles, as along a highway, miber /milar/ n. colloq. person or horse quali¬ fied or trained specially to run a mile, milestone /mfiston/ n. 1 stone marking a distance in miles. 2 significant event or stage in a life, history, project, etc. ■ 2 see landmark 2. mblieu /mily6, me'elyo/ n. (pi. mblieus or mblieux /-ly6z/) one’s environment or so¬ cial surroundings. ■ climate, environs, background, neighbor¬ hood, precincts; ambiance, sphere, setting. militant /milit’nt/ • adj. 1 combative; ag¬ gressively active, esp. in support of a (usu. political) cause. 2 engaged in warfare. • n. militant person. □□ mil'i*tan*cy n. mil'!* tant*ly adv. m adj. 1 aggressive, pugnacious, belligerent, hostile, contentious. 2 warring, fighting, combatant, embattled. • n. activist, fighter; aggressor, combatant. mibi*ta*rism /militarizam/ n. 1 military spir¬ it. 2 undue prevalence of the military spirit or ideals. □□ mil'i*ta*rist n. mil*i*ta*ris’ tic adj. mil*i*ta*ris'ti*cably adv. • □□ militaristic see warlike 1. mil»i»ta»rize /militariz/ v. tr. 1 equip with mil¬ itary resources. 2 make military or warlike. □□ mibi'ta*ri*za'tion n. mil*i*tar*y /militeree/ • adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of soldiers or armed forces. • n. [as sing, or pi.', prec. by the] members of the armed forces, as distinct from civilians and the police. □ military police corps re¬ sponsible for police and disciplinary duties in the army. □□ mil*btar*i*ly /-tairalee/ adv. mil'btar*i*ness n. • adj. martial, soldierly, army, fighting, service. • n. (armed) services, army, air force, soldiery. militate /militayt/ v.intr. (of facts or evi¬ dence) have force or effect (against). HOften confused with mitigate. m work or go or operate against, foil, counter, countervail (against), cancel (out); resist, oppose. mbibtia /milisha/ n. military force, esp. one raised from the civil population and supple¬ menting a regular army in an emergency. □□ mi*li'tia*man n. (pi. -men), milk /milk/ • n. 1 opaque white fluid secreted by female mammals for the nourishment of their young. 2 milk of cows, goats, or sheep as food. 3 milklike juice of plants, e.g., in the coconut. • v. tr. 1 draw milk from (a cow, ewe, goat, etc.). 2 exploit (a person or situa¬

tion). □ milk cow 1 cow raised for its milk. 2 profitable venture, milk run routine expe¬ dition or service journey, milk shake drink of milk, flavoring, and usu. ice cream, mixed by shaking or blending, milk tooth tempo¬ rary tooth in young mammals. □□ milk'er n. m n. 3 latex; juice, sap. • v. 2 bleed, drain,

take advantage of.

milk*maid /milkmayd/

n. girl or woman who milks cows or works in a dairy. milk»man /milkman/ n. (pi. -men) person who sells or delivers milk. milk'SOp /milksop/ n. spiritless or meek per¬ son, esp. a man. ■ coward, weakling, namby-pamby, cry¬ baby, colloq. sissy. milk»y /milkee/ adj. (milk*i*er, milk*i*est) 1 of, like, or mixed with milk. 2 (of a gem or liquid) cloudy; not clear. □ Milky Way faint¬ ly luminous band of light emitted by count¬ less stars encircling the heavens; the Galaxy. □□ milk'imess n. u 2 see filmy 2. mill1 /mil/ • n. 1 a building fitted with a me¬ chanical apparatus for grinding grain, b such an apparatus. 2 apparatus for grind¬ ing any solid substance to powder or pulp (pepper mill). 3 factory. • v. 1 rr. grind (grain), produce (flour), or hull (seeds) in a mill. 2 tr. produce regular ribbed markings on the edge of (a coin). 3 tr. cut or shape (metal) with a rotating tool. 4 intr. move aimlessly (around), o go (or put) through the mill undergo (or cause to undergo) in¬ tensive work or training, etc. □□ milTa*ble adj. mn. 1 b, 2 grinder, quern, crusher, roller. 3 plant, works, workshop, shop, foundry. • v. 1 crush, powder, pulverize, granulate. 4 crowd, throng, swarm. mill2 /mil/ n. one-thousandth of a US dollar. miMen*ni»um /mileneeam/ n. (pi. mihlen* ni*a /-neea/ or mil*len*ni*ums) 1 onethousandth anniversary. 2 a period of 1,000 years. 3 the 1000-year period of Christ’s prophesied reign in person on earth (Rev. 20:1-5). □□ miblen'nbal adj. miblen'ni* abist n. & adj. milber /mibr/ n. person who works or owns a mill. miMet /milit/ n. 1 cereal plant bearing a large crop of small nutritious seeds. 2 seed of this, milli- /milee, -i, -a/ comb, form one thou¬ sandth. miblbgram /miligram/ n. one-thousandth of a gram. miblblbter /milileetar/ n. one-thousandth of a liter. miblbme*ter /milimeetar/ n. one-thousandth of a meter. miblbner /milinar/ n. person who makes or sells women’s hats, on mil*lbner*y /-eree/ n.

miblion /milyan/

n. a thousand thousand. □□ mil'lion* fold adj. & adv. mil'lionth adj. & n.

miblion*aire /milyanair/

n. (fern, miblion* air*ess /—ris/) person who has over one mil¬ lion dollars, pounds, etc.

mil*li*pede /mibpeed/

n. (also mil'le*pede) small crawling invertebrate with many legs. miMi*sec*ond /milisekand/ n. onethousandth of a second, millnace /milrays/ n. current of water that drives a mill wheel. milestone /milston/ n. 1 each of two circular stones used for grinding grain. 2 heavy bur¬ den or responsibility. millwright /milrit/ n. person who designs, builds, or operates a mill or milling ma¬ chinery. mi'lord /milawrd/ n. hist. English nobleman, milt /milt/ n. reproductive gland or sperm of a male fish. mime /mlm/ • n. 1 acting using only ges¬ tures. 2 (also mime artist) practitioner of mime. • v. tr. [also absol.] convey by gesture without words. □□ mim'er n. mim»e*o*graph /mimeeograf/ • n. 1 [often attrib.] machine that produces copies from a stencil. 2 copy produced in this way. • v.tr. reproduce by this process. mi»met*ic /mimetik/ adj. relating to or habit¬ ually practicing imitation or mimicry. □□ mi*met i*cal*ly adv. mirrHc /mimik/ • v.tr. (mim*icked, mim* ick*ing) 1 imitate (a person, gesture, etc.) esp. to entertain or ridicule. 2 copy minutely or servilely. 3 (of a thing) resemble closely. See synonym study at imitate. • n. person skilled in imitation. • adj. having an aptitude for mimicry; imitating. □□ mim ick*er n. mimic*ry n. See synonym study at carica¬ ture ■ v. 1 mock, satirize, caricature, parody; ape, copy, simulate. 2 reproduce, duplicate; see also imitate 3. 3 mirror, echo; see also resemble. • n. impersonator, imitator, im¬ pressionist, caricaturist, parodist; colloq. cop¬ ycat. • adj. imitative, mimetic; imitation, mock, simulated. □□ mimicry see imita¬ tion n. 1. mi*mo*sa /mimosa, -za/ n. 1 shrub having globular usu. yellow flowers. 2 acacia plant with showy yellow flowers. 3 cocktail of champagne and orange juice, min. abbr. 1 minute(s). 2 minimum. min»a*ret /minaret/ n. slender turret connect¬ ed to a mosque. □□ min*a*ret'ed adj. min*a*to*ry /minatawree/ adj. threatening; menacing. mince /mins/ v. 1 tr. cut up or grind into very small pieces. 2 intr. (usu. as mincing adj.) speak or walk with an affected delicacy. □ mince words [usu. with neg.] use polite expressions, etc. □□ minc'er n. minc'ing* ly adv. (in sense 2 of v.). m 1 see cut up 1, grind v. la. 2 (mincing) effeminate, dainty, delicate, foppish, dandy¬ ish, affected, precious. mince*meat /minsmeet/ n. mixture of cur¬ rants, raisins, sugar, apples, candied peel, spices, often suet, and sometimes meat. □ make mincemeat of utterly defeat, mind /mind/ • n. la seat of consciousness, thought, volition, and feeling, b attention; concentration. 2 intellect; reason. 3 re¬ membrance; memory. 4 one’s opinion (we’re of the same mind). 5 way of thinking or feel-

525

millipede ~ mine

ing (shocking to the Victorian mind). 6 sanity. • v.tr. 1 [usu. with neg. or interrog.] object to (do you mind if I smoke?). 2 remember; heed; take care to (mind you come on time). 3 have charge of temporarily (mind the house while I’m away). 4 apply oneself to; concern one¬ self with. □ have (it) in mind intend, mind-boggling colloq. overwhelming; star¬ tling. mind-read discern the thoughts of (another person), mind reader person ca¬ pable of mind reading, never mind 1 ex¬ pression used to comfort or console. 2 (also never you mind) expression used to evade a question. 3 disregard (never mind the cost). out of one’s mind crazy. • n. 1b consciousness, awareness; thoughts, attentiveness; see also perception, sensitivity (sensitive). 2 intelligence, wit(s), mentality, brain, brains, brainpower, sense, sagacity, wisdom, perception, percipience, reason; ap¬ titude, head, perception, capacity. 3 recol¬ lection. 4 sentiment, attitude, (point of) view, feeling, judgment, belief, viewpoint. 5 intention, disposition, temper, tempera¬ ment, humor, fancy, tendency, bent. 6 see sanity 1. • v. 1 resent, take offense at, be of¬ fended by, dislike, be troubled or annoyed by. 2 not forget to, make sure to, be sure to; at¬ tend to, pay attention to, obey, listen to. 3 watch over, take care of, care for, look af¬ ter, sit with, baby-sit, guard. 4 attend to, ap¬ ply oneself to, take care of, see also mind one’s own business (business) . □ have (it) in mind see intend 1, 2. mind-read read a person’s mind, never mind 2 see mind one’s own business (business). 3 ignore, forget, pay no attention to, do not think twice about, do not give a second thought to. out of one’s mind see crazy 1. mind*ed /mindid/ adj. 1 [in comb.] having a specified kind of mind or interest. 2 dis¬ posed or inclined. mind'ful /mmdfcol/ adj. [often foil, by of taking heed or care; being conscious. □□ mind'fuhly adv. mind fubness n. ■ aware, alert, attentive, alive, heedful, care¬ ful, conscientious, watchful, vigilant. mind’less /mindlis/ adj. 1 lacking intelli¬ gence; stupid. 2 not requiring thought or skill (totally mindless work). 3 heedless of (ad¬ vice, etc.). □□ mind'less»ly adv. mind’ less*ness n. m 1 asinine, obtuse, idiotic, thoughtless, widess, senseless. 2 perfunctory, unthinking; see also mechanical 3. 3 unaware. mind»set /mindset/ n. 1 mental attitude that can influence one’s interpretation of events or situations. 2 inclination or a fixed way of thinking. mine1 /min/ poss.pron. the one or ones of or belonging to me (it is mine). □ of mine of or belonging to me. mine2 /min/ • n. 1 excavation in the earth for extracting metal, coal, salt, etc. 2 abundant source (of information, etc.). 3 military ex¬ plosive device placed in the ground or in the water. • v.tr. 1 obtain (metal, coal, etc.) from a mine. 2 dig in (the earth, etc.) for

minefield ~ minor

526

ore, etc. 3 tunnel. 4 lay explosive mines un¬ der or in. □□ min'ing n. un. 1 pit, excavation; colliery, coalfield. 2 quarry, store, storehouse, supply, deposit, depository; fund, mint, treasury. • v. 1, 2 excavate, quarry, extract, scoop out or up, remove, unearth; derive, extract, draw. 3 dig or burrow in; gouge (out), scoop (out), minefield /minfeeld/ n. 1 area planted with explosive mines. 2 subject or situation pre¬ senting unseen hazards. min*er /mi'nar/ n. person who works in a mine. min«er»al /minaral/ n. 1 any of the species into which inorganic substances are classi¬ fied. 2 substance obtained by mining. d mineral oil Pharm. colorless, odorless, oily liquid obtained from petroleum and used as a laxative, in manufacturing cosmetics, etc. mineral water natural or processed water containing some dissolved salts. min*er*al*0*gy /minsrolajee/ n. scientific study of minerals. □□ min*er*al*og*i*cal /-ralojikal/ adj. min»er*al'o*gist n. min*e*Stro»ne /ministrOnee/ n. thick vegeta¬ ble soup. mine»sweep»er /minswe'epar/ n. ship for clearing away floating and submerged mines. min*gle /minggal/ v. 1 ir. & intr. mix; blend. 2 intr. [often foil, by with] (of a person) move about; associate. □□ min'gler n. ■ 1 intermingle, intermix, combine, amal¬ gamate, merge, compound, marry. 2 mix, socialize, associate, fraternize, hobnob, con¬ sort, spend time. min»i /minee/ n. (pi. min*is) colloq. miniskirt, minidress, etc. mini- /minee/ comb, form miniature. ■ micro-. min»i*a*ture /mineeachar, minichar/ • adj. 1 much smaller than normal. 2 represented on a small scale. See synonym study at small. . n. 1 any object reduced in size. 2 small-scale minutely finished portrait. □□ min'i*a*tur*ist n. (in sense 2 of n.). ■ adj. small, small-scale, little, tiny, diminu¬ tive, minute. min»i*a*tur*ize /mineeacharlz, minicha-/ v.tr. produce in a smaller version; make small. □□ min*i»a*tur*i*za'tion n. min»i*bike /mineeblk/ n. motorbike designed for off-road use, esp. with elevated handle¬ bars. min*i*cam /mineekam/ n. portable light¬ weight video camera. min*i*com*put*er /mineekampyobtar/ n. computer of medium power. min«i»ma pi. of minimum. min*i*mai /minimal/ adj. 1 very minute; smallest; least. 2 Art, etc. characterized by the use of simple or primary forms or struc¬ tures, etc. □□ min'i*mal*ism n. (in sense 2). min'i*mal*ist n. (in sense 2). min'i* mal*ly adv. (in sense 1). ■ minutest, littlest; minimum, minimize /minimlz/ V. 1 tr. reduce to, or es¬ timate at, the smallest possible amount or degree. 2 tr. estimate or represent at less

than the true value or importance. 3 intr. at¬ tain a minimum value. □□ min*i*mi*za' tion n. min'i"miz*er n. u 1 shrink, lessen, diminish, prune, abbrevi¬ ate. 2 belitde, de-emphasize, downplay, play down, make little or light of, disparage, decry. minimum /minimam/ (pi. min*i*ma /-ma/) • n. least possible or attainable amount. • adj. that is a minimum. □ minimum wage lowest wage permitted by law. ■ n. (rock) bottom, base, floor, lower limit. • adj. minimal, minutest, littlest, least, slight¬ est, lowest. minfion /minyan/ n. derog. servile agent; slave. min*i*ser*ies /mineeseereez/ n. short series of television programs on a common theme. min*i*skirt /mineeskart/ n. very short skirt. min*is*ter /ministar/ • n. 1 member of the clergy. 2 head of a government department (in some countries). 3 diplomatic agent, usu. ranking below an ambassador. • v. intr. render aid or service to. □□ min*is*te"ri*al /-iste'ereeal/ adj. min*is*te'ri*al*ly adv. ■ n. 1 cleric, clergyman, clergywoman, ec¬ clesiastic, pastor, reverend, churchman. 2, 3 envoy, delegate, diplomat, emissary. • v. attend (to or on or upon), wait on, care for, look after, see to; aid, help, assist, support. min*is*tra*tion /ministrayshan/ n. 1 [usu. in pi.] aid or service. 2 supplying (of help, jus¬ tice, etc.). □□ min*is*trant /ministrant/ adj. Gf n.

min*is»try /ministree/ n. (pi. -tries) 1 [prec. by the] vocation office, tenure, or profession of a religious minister. 2 [prec. by the] body of ministers of a government or of a religion. 3 government department headed by a min¬ ister. 4 ministering; ministration. ■ 1,2 priesthood, the church, the pulpit; clergy; see also cabinet 2. 3 office, bureau, agency; see also department la. min*i*van /mineevan/ n. vehicle, smaller than a full-sized van, for passengers, cargo, etc. mink /mingk/ n. 1 semiaquatic stoatlike ani¬ mal bred for its thick brown fur. 2 this thick brown fur. 3 coat made of this. Minn. abbr. Minnesota. min*now /mino/ n. small freshwater fish. Mi*no*an /minoan/ Archaeol. • adj. of or re¬ lating to the Bronze Age civilization centered on Crete (c. 3000-1100 bc). • n. inhabitant of Minoan Crete or the Minoan world. mi*nor /minar/ • adj. 1 lesser or compara¬ tively small in size or importance (minor poet). 2 Mus. less by a semitone than a cor¬ responding major. • n. 1 person under the legal age limit or majority. 2 student’s sub¬ sidiary subject or course. • v.intr. [foil, by in] (of a student) undertake study in (a subject) as a subsidiary. □ minor scale Mils, scale with half steps between the second and third, fifth and sixth, and seventh and eighth de¬ grees. ■ adj. 1 smaller, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary; insignificant, obscure, inconse¬ quential, unimportant, trifling, trivial, negli¬ gible. • n. 1 child, youngster, youth, strip¬ ling, teenager, adolescent.

mi*nor*i*ty /mlnawritee, -nor-/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 smaller number or part, esp. within a polit¬ ical party or structure; less than half. 2 rela¬ tively small group of people differing from others in race, religion, language, political persuasion, etc. 3 being under full legal age. □ minority leader leader of the minority political party in a legislature. ■ 3 see CHILDHOOD. min*OX*i»dil /manoksadil/ n. drug taken oral¬ ly to treat hypertension or applied topically to stimulate hair growth. min»Strel /minstral/ n. 1 medieval singer or musician. 2 [usu. in pi.] member of a band of public entertainers with blackened faces, etc., performing songs and music ostensibly of African-American origin. ■ 1 troubadour, balladeer, minnesinger, bard. mint1 /mint/ n. 1 aromatic plant used for fla¬ voring. 2 peppermint or spearmint candy or lozenge. □ mint julep sweet iced alcoholic drink of bourbon flavored with mint, on mint'y adj. (mint*i*er, mint*i*est). mint2 /mint/ • n. 1 place where money is coined. 2 vast sum of money. • v.tr. 1 make (coin) by stamping metal. 2 invent or coin (a word, phrase, etc.). □ in mint condition as new. □□ mint'age n. a n. 2 (small) fortune, king’s ransom, mil¬ lions, billions, wad(s), colloq. pile, heap(s), packet, pot(s), loads. • v. 1 stamp, coin, produce. 2 see COIN v. 1. min»u*et /minyoo-et/ n. 1 slow stately dance for two in triple time. 2 Mus. music for this. mi*nus /minas/ • prep. 1 with the subtraction of (7 minus 4 equals 3). fSymb.: -. 2 (of tem¬ perature) below zero (minus 2°). 3 colloq. lacking; deprived of (returned minus their dog). • adj. negative. • n. 1 = minus sign. 2 Math, negative quantity. 3 disadvantage. □ minus sign the symbol (-) indicating sub¬ traction or a negative value. mi*nus*cule /minaskyool/ adj. colloq. ex¬ tremely small or unimportant. □□ mi*nus* cudar /minuskyOObr/ adj. m see minute2 1. mi n»Ute‘ /minit/ n. 1 sixtieth part of an hour. 2 distance covered in one minute (twenty minutes from the station). 3 moment. 4 sixti¬ eth part of an angular degree. 5 [in pi] offi¬ cial memorandum or brief summary of a meeting, etc. □ up-to-the-minute com¬ pletely up to date. ■ 3 instant, (split) second, flash, trice, col¬ loq. sec, jiff, mo. 5 log, record, journal, tran¬ script, notes, resume, proceedings; see also memorandum. □ up-to-the-minute latest, newest, modern, up to date, fashionable, smart, all the rage, in vogue, stylish. mimute2 /mlnobt, -yoot/ adj. (mi*nut*est) 1 very small. 2 accurate; detailed. See syno¬ nym study at small. □□ min'utedy adv. ■ 1 little, tiny, minuscule, minimal, minia¬ ture, infinitesimal, microscopic, mini-, colloq. pint-sized. 2 see precise 2. min*ute»man /minitman/ n. (pi. -men) US hist, (also Min'ute*man) American militia¬ man of the Revolutionary War period (ready to march at a minute’s notice).

527

minority ~ misapply

mi*nu*ti*a /minobsheea, -sha, -nyoo-/ n. (pi. -ti*ae /-shee-ee/) [usu. in pi] precise, trivial, or minor detail. ■ see refinement (refine). minx /mingks/ n. pert, sly, or playful girl. mir*a*cle /mirakal/ n. 1 extraordinary event attributed to some supernatural agency. 2 remarkable occurrence. 3 remarkable specimen (the plan was a miracle of ingenuity). u see wonder n. 2. mi»rac»lHous mirakyalas/ adj. 1 of the na¬ ture of a miracle. 2 supernatural. 3 remark¬ able; surprising. □□ mi*rac'u»lous*ly adv. mi*rac'u*lous*ness n. ■ 1,3 marvelous, wonderful, incredible, un¬ believable, inexplicable, unexplainable, ex¬ traordinary, spectacular, amazing, astound¬ ing. 2 magical, preternatural, superhuman; see also supernatural adj. mi*rage /miraazh/ n. 1 optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions. 2 illu¬ sory thing. ■ see illusion 3. mire /mlr/ • n. 1 stretch of swampy or boggy ground. 2 mud; dirt. • v. 1 tr. & intr. plunge or sink in a mire. 2 tr. involve in dif¬ ficulties. an. 1 swamp, bog, fen, marsh, quagmire. 2 ooze, muck, slime. • v. 2 bog down, en¬ tangle, tangle, enmesh, mesh, involve. mir»ror /mirar/ . n. 1 polished surface, usu. of amalgam-coated glass or metal, which re¬ flects an image. 2 anything reflecting truly or accurately. • v. tr. reflect as in a mirror. an. 1 looking glass, glass, speculum, reflec¬ tor. 2 reflection, reproduction, picture, rep¬ resentation. • v. reproduce, represent, de¬ pict, repeat, echo. mirth /marth/ n. merriment; laughter. □□ mirth'ful adj. mirth'fuMy adv. mirth’ fullness n. mirth'less adj. mirth'lessdy adv. mirth'lessmess n. a merrymaking, jollity, gaiety, fun, amuse¬ ment, frolic, joviality, joyousness, revelry, re¬ joicing. MIS abbr. Computing management informa¬ tion system. mis- /mis/ prefix added to verbs, verbal deriv¬ atives, and nouns, meaning ‘amiss,’ ‘badly,’ ‘wrongly,’ ‘unfavorably,’ or having negative force (mislead, misshapen, mistrust, misadven¬ ture) .

mis*ad«ven»ture /misadvenchar/ n. bad luck; misfortune. mis*a*lign /misalin/ v. tr. give the wrong alignment to. □□ mis*a*lign'ment n. mis»an»thrope /misanthrop, miz-/ n. (also mis*an*thro*pist /misanthropist/) person who hates or avoids human society. □□ mis* an*throp*ic /-thropik/ adj. mis*an*throp'i* cal adj. mis*an*throp’ i*cal»ly adv. mis*an* thro*py /misanthrapee/ n. ■ loner, hermit, recluse, anchorite, lone wolf. □□ misanthropic antisocial, unsocial, unsociable. mis*ap*ply /misapli/ v.tr. (-plies, -plied) ap¬ ply (esp. ffinds) wrongly. □□ mis*ap*pli*ca* tion /mtsaplikayshan/ n.

misapprehend ~ misery

528

■ see misuse v. 1. □□ misapplication see MISUSE n. mis*ap*pre*hend /misaprihend/ v.tr. misun¬ derstand. □□ mis*ap*pre*hen*sion /-henshan/ n. mis*ap*pre*hensive adj. mis*ap*pro*pri*ate /missprbpreeayt/ v.tr. take for one’s own use; embezzle. □□ mis* ap*pro*pri*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. ■ steal, filch, pilfer, pocket, peculate. miS*be»goWen /misbigot’n/ adj. 1 illegiti¬ mate; bastard. 2 contemptible; disreputable. mis*be»have /misbihayv/ v.intr. & refl. (of a person or machine) behave badly. □□ mis* be*hav'ior n. ■ behave improperly, be bad or naughty, cause trouble, colloq. carry on, act up. □o misbehavior naughtiness, badness, mis¬ conduct, delinquency. miSC. abbr. miscellaneous. mis*car»riage /miskarij/ n. 1 spontaneous premature abortion. 2 failure (of a plan, sys¬ tem, etc.). ■ 2 abortion, collapse, breakdown, failing; defeat. mis*car*ry /miskaree/ v.intr. (-ries, -ried) 1 have a miscarriage. 2 (of a business, plan, etc.) fail; be unsuccessful. ■ 2 abort; fail, fall through, break down, go wrong, founder, come to nothing or naught, go awry. mis*cast /miskast/ v.tr. (past and past part. -cast) allot an unsuitable part to (an actor). miS*ce*ge*na*tion /misejinayshan, misaja-/ n. interbreeding of races, esp. of whites and nonwhites. mis*cel*la*ne*OUS /misalayneeas/ adj. 1 of mixed composition or character. 2 [foil, by pi. noun] of various kinds. □□ mis*cel*la' ne*ous*ly adv. ■ varied, heterogeneous, diverse, mixed, di¬ versified, modey, sundry, assorted, various, varying, multifarious. mis*ceMa*ny /misalaynee/ n. (pi. -nies) mixture; medley, esp. a varied literary collec¬ tion. ■ assortment, variety, diversity, mixed bag, job lot, ragbag, melange, potpourri, galli¬ maufry, motley. mis»chance /mischans/ n. 1 bad luck. 2 in¬ stance of this. mis*chief /mischif/ n. 1 pranks; scrapes. 2 playful malice; archness. 3 harm; injury. 4 person or thing responsible for harm or an¬ noyance. ■ 1,2 misbehavior, naughtiness, impish¬ ness, roguishness, devilry, mischievousness, playfulness, devilment. 3 damage, detri¬ ment, trouble, hurt, wrong, difficulty. 4 trouble, worry, bother, colloq. hassle; see also NUISANCE. mis*chie»vous /mischivas/ adj. 1 (of a per¬ son) disposed to mischief. 2 (of conduct) playfully malicious. 3 (of a thing) harmful. □□ mis'chie*vous*ly adv. mis'chie*vous* ness n. ■ 1,2 naughty, impish, roguish, devilish, elfish, puckish. 3 injurious, hurtful, damag¬ ing, pernicious, detrimental.

mis*ci*ble /misibal/ adj. [often foil, by with] capable of being mixed. □□ mis*ci*bil'i*ty n.

mis*COn*ceive /miskanse'ev/ v. 1 intr. [often foil, by of] have a wrong idea or conception. 2 tr. (as misconceived adj.) badly planned, organized, etc. □□ mis*con*ceiv'er n. mis* con*cep*tion /-sepshan/ n. ■ 1 misunderstand, misconstrue, misjudge, miscalculate, mistake, misapprehend, misin¬ terpret. 2 (misconceived) ill-organized; illjudged, ill thought out. □□ misconception false or wrong notion or idea, error, mistake, delusion. miS*COn»duCt /miskondukt/ n. 1 improper or unprofessional behavior. 2 bad manage¬ ment. ■ 1 see misbehavior (misbehave). mis*COn»Strue /miskanstrob/ v.tr. interpret wrongly. □□ mis*con*struc*tion /-strukshan/ n. miS'COunt /miskownt/ • v.tr. [also absol.] count wrongly. • n. a wrong count. mis*cre*ant /miskreeant/ n. vile wretch; vil¬ lain. ■ criminal, wrongdoer, felon, malefactor, rogue, reprobate, scoundrel, knave, thug, col¬ loq. scamp, crook, baddy, often joc. rascal, si. hood, mug. mis*deal /misde'el/ • v.tr. [also absol.] (past and past part, -dealt /-delt/) make a mistake in dealing (cards). • n. 1 mistake in dealing cards. 2 misdealt hand. mis'deed /misdeed/ n. evil deed; wrongdo¬ ing; crime. ■ offense, felony, misdoing, transgression, misdemeanor, fault, misconduct, sin, tres¬ pass. mis*de»mean*or /misdimeenar/ n. 1 of¬ fense; misdeed. 2 Law indictable offense, less heinous than a felony. ■ see offense 1. mis*di»rect /misdirekt, — dl—/ v.tr. direct (a person, letter, blow, etc.) wrongly, do mis* di*rec*tion /-rekshan/ n. ■ misguide, misadvise; misaddress; see also MISINFORM.

mis»do«ing /misdobing/ n. misdeed. mi»ser /mlzar/ n. person who hoards wealth greedily. □□ mi'ser*li*ness n. mi'ser*ly adj. See synonym study at economical ■ skinflint, hoarder, niggard, pennypincher, colloq. money-grubber. □□ miserly stingy, niggardly, penny-pinching, parsi¬ monious, mean, cheeseparing, tightfisted, close. mis*er*a*ble /mizarabal/ adj. 1 wretchedly unhappy or uncomfortable. 2 inadequate (miserable hovel); contemptible. 3 causing wretchedness or discomfort (miserable weath¬ er). 4 stingy; mean, no mis'er*a*ble*ness n. mis'er*a*bly adv. ■ 1 wretched, depressed, woeful, woebe¬ gone, sad, dejected, forlorn, disconsolate, de¬ spondent. 2 unworthy, poor, sorry, pitiful, pathetic, squalid. 3 unpleasant, inclement, untoward, bad, awful. 4 see mean2 1. mis*er»y /mizsree/ n. (pi. —ies) 1 wretched state of mind, or of outward circumstances. 2 thing causing this.

■ 1 unhappiness, distress, discomfort, wretchedness, sadness, melancholy, sorrow, heartache, grief, anguish; squalor, pov¬ erty, destitution, privation. 2 hardship, suf¬ fering, calamity, disaster, curse, misfortune, ordeal, trouble, catastrophe, trial, tribula¬ tion. miS'fire /misfir/ . v.intr. 1 (of a gun, motor engine, etc.) fail to go off or start or function regularly. 2 (of an action, etc.) fail to have the intended effect. • n. such a failure. ■ v. 2 abort, miscarry, go wrong, fizzle out, fall through. • n. miscarriage, malfunction, si. dud. mis*fit /misfit/ n. 1 person unsuited to an en¬ vironment, occupation, etc. 2 garment, etc., that does not fit. ■ 1 eccentric, individual, nonconformist, maverick. mis*for*tune /misfawrchan/ n. bad luck. ■ ill luck, ill fortune, hard luck, infelicity, adversity; accident, misadventure, mishap, calamity, catastrophe. mis»giv»ing /misgiving/ n. [usu. m pi.] feeling of mistrust or apprehension. See synonym study at qualm. ■ worry, concern, anxiety, qualm, scruple, disquiet; dread, premonition. mis*gov»ern /misguvarn/ v.ir. govern (a state, a nation, etc.) badly. □□ misgovern* ment n. mis*guide /misgid/ v.tr. 1 (as misguided adj.) mistaken in thought or action. 2 mis¬ lead; misdirect. □□ mis'guid'ance n. mis* guid'ed*ly adv. mis*guid'ed*ness n. • 1 (misguided) wrong, misdirected, fool¬ ish, unreasoning, erroneous, misled, mis¬ placed. 2 see MISLEAD. mis*han*dle /mis-hand’l/ v.tr. 1 deal with in¬ correctly or ineffectively. 2 handle roughly or rudely; ill-treat. ■ 1 mismanage, bungle, botch, misconduct, mess up. 2 abuse, mistreat, maltreat, brutal¬ ize, maul. mis*hap /mis-hap/ n. unlucky accident. ■ see MISFORTUNE. mis»hear /mis-he'er/ v.tr. (past and past pan. -heard /-herd/) hear incorrectly or imper¬ fectly. mish'mash /mishmash, -maash/ n. confused mixture. ■ mess, medley, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, potpourri. miS*in»form /misinform/ v.tr. give wrong in¬ formation to; mislead. □□ mis»in*for»ma' tion n. m misguide, misadvise, misdirect, delude, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, lead astray. □□ misinformation disinformation; (piece of misinformation) red herring, false trail, false scent. mis*in*ter*pret /misintarprit/ v.tr. 1 inter¬ pret wrongly. 2 draw a wrong inference from. □□ mis*in*ter*pre*ta'tion n. mis*in* ter'pret'er n. m misunderstand, misconstrue, miscon¬ ceive, misread. misjudge /misjuj/ v.tr. [also absol.] 1 judge wrongly. 2 have a wrong opinion of. □□ misfiudg'ment n.

529

misfire ~ miss

mis'lay /mislay/ v.tr. (past and past part, -laid /-layd/) unintentionally put (a thing) where it cannot readily be found. ■ misplace, lose. mis'lead /misle'ed/ v.tr. (past and past part. -led /-led/) 1 cause (a person) to go wrong, in conduct, belief, etc. 2 lead astray or in the wrong direction. □□ mis*lead'er n. • misinform, misguide, misdirect, fool, out¬ wit, bluff, hoodwink, trick, humbug, deceive, dupe. mispleading /misle'eding/ adj. causing to err or go astray; imprecise. □□ mis*lead'ing*ly adv. m see false adj. 2b. mis*manpage /mismanij/ v.tr. manage badly or wrongly. □□ mis*man'age*ment n. mis*match •v.tr. /mismach/ (usu. as mis¬ matched adj.) match unsuitably or incor¬ rectly. • n. /mismach/ bad match. ■ v. (mismatched) mismated, ill-matched, incompatible, unfit, inappropriate, unsuited, unsuitable, incongruous. mis«no*mer /misnSmar/ n. name or term used wrongly. mi»SOg*y*ny /misojinee/ n. hatred of women. □□ mi*sog'y*nist n. mi*sog'y*nous adj. mis*place /misplays/ v.tr. 1 put in the wrong place. 2 bestow (affections, confidence, etc.) on an inappropriate object. 3 time (words, actions, etc.) badly. □□ mis’place'ment n. m 1 see lose 1, 2. mis*print • n. /misprint/ mistake in printing. • v. tr. /misprint/ print wrongly. ■ n. error, erratum, typographical error, colloq. typo. rnis*pri*sion /misprizhan/ n. Law wrong ac¬ tion or omission. misppro'nounce /mispranowns/ v.tr. pro¬ nounce (a word, etc.) wrongly. □□ mis^pro* nun*ci«a*tion /-nunseeayshsn/ n. mis*quote /miskwot/ v.tr. quote wrongly. □□ mis*quo’ta'tion n. mis*read /misreed/ v.tr. (past and past part. -read /-red/) read or interpret (text, a situa¬ tion, etc.) wrongly. ■ see MISINTERPRET. mis*reppre*sent /misreprizent/ v.tr. repre¬ sent wrongly; give a false or misleading ac¬ count or idea of. □□ mis»rep*re*sen*ta' tion n. mis*rep*re*sen'ta*tive adj. ■ distort, twist, pervert, garble, misstate, mangle; falsify. rnis*rule /misrobl/ • n. bad government; dis¬ order. • v.tr. govern badly. Miss. abbr. Mississippi. miss1 /mis/ • v. 1 tr. [also absol.} fail to hit, reach, find, catch, see, meet, hear, etc. 2 tr. fail to seize (an opportunity, etc.) (I missed my chance). 3 tr. notice or regret the loss or absence of. 4 tr. avoid (go early to miss the traffic). 5 intr. (of an engine, etc.) fail; mis¬ fire. • n. failure to hit, reach, attain, connect, etc. □□ miss'a»ble adj. mv. 3 long for, yearn for, pine for, want, need, wish for. 4 see avoid 1. miss2 /mis/ n. 1 girl or unmarried woman. 2 (Miss) a respectful title of an unmarried

missal ~ misunderstanding 530 woman or girl, b title of a beauty queen {Miss World). a 1 (young) lady, (young) woman, bachelor girl, mademoiselle, Fraulein, signorina, senorita; schoolgirl, teenager, coed, colloq. teenybopper; spinster. mis*sal /misal/ n. RC Ch., Anglican Ch. 1 book containing the texts used in the serv¬ ice of the Mass. 2 book of prayers, esp. an il¬ luminated one. mis*shap*en /mis-shaypan/ adj. ill-shaped, deformed, distorted. □□ mis*shap'en*ly adv. mis*shap'en*ness n. a twisted, contorted, crooked, crippled, warped. mis'sile /misal/ n. object or weapon suitable for throwing or propelling, esp. one directed by remote control or automatically. □□ mis* sile*ry /-alree/ n. ■ projectile; brickbat. miss'ing /mising/ adj. lost; not present. ■ see absent adj. 1. mis»sion /mishan/ n. 1 particular task or goal assigned to or assumed by a person or group. 2 military or scientific operation or expedition. 3 body of persons sent to con¬ duct negotiations, etc., or to propagate a re¬ ligious faith. 4 missionary post. ■ 1 duty, function, purpose, job, office, work, assignment, errand, calling, occupa¬ tion, vocation. 2 see expedition 1. 3 delega¬ tion, legation, deputation, commission. miS*Sion»ar*y /mishaneree/ • adj. of, con¬ cerned with, or characteristic of, religious missions. • n. (pi. -ies) person doing mis¬ sionary work. ■ n. evangelist, preacher, proselytizer. mis*sis var. of missus. mis*sive /misiv/ n. letter; message. ■ communication, dispatch, formal or joc. epistle. misspell /mis-spel/ v.tr. (past and past part. -spelled or -spelt) spell wrongly. mis*spend /mis-spend/ v.tr. (past and past pan. -spent /-spent/) (esp. as misspent adj.) spend amiss or wastefully. ■ see waste v. 1; (misspent) wasted, squandered, idle, dissipated, thrown away, profidess, prodigal. mis*state /mis-stayt/ v. tr. state wrongly or in¬ accurately. □□ mis*state'ment n. a see twist v. 5. □□ misstatement falsifi¬ cation, misreport, misquotation, distortion; error, inaccuracy. mis-step /mis-step/ n. 1 wrong step or ac¬ tion. 2 faux pas. ■ 1 false step, blunder, mistake, error, bad or wrong or false move, slip. 2 indiscretion, lapse, oversight, gaffe, colloq. slipup. miS*SUS /misaz/ n. (also mis'sis) si. or joc. 1 form of address to a woman. 2 a wife. □ the missus my or your wife. mist /mist/ • n. la water vapor near the ground in minute droplets limiting visibility, b condensed vapor obscuring glass, etc. 2 anything resembling or obscuring like mist. • v. cover or become covered with mist or as with mist. □□ mist'like adj.

m n. fog, haze, smog, cloud; drizzle, mizzle. • v. cloud (up or over), fog, dim, blur, film, steam up. mis*take /mistayk/ • n. 1 incorrect idea or opinion; thing incorrectly done or thought. 2 error of judgment. • v.tr. (past mis'took /-tdbk/; past part. mis*tak*en /-taykan/) 1 misunderstand. 2 wrongly take or identify. 3 choose wrongly. □□ mis*tak'a*ble adj. mis*tak'a*bly adv. a n. misconception, misapprehension, mis¬ calculation; fault, slip, erratum; bad move, blunder. • v. 1 misinterpret, misjudge, mis¬ construe, get wrong, misread. 2 mix up with, confuse with, take for, misidentify as. mis*tak*en /mistaykan/ adj. 1 wrong. 2 mis¬ understood; incorrect. □□ mis*tak'en*ly adv. a erroneous, fallacious, false, inaccurate, misconceived; flawed, warped. mis»ter /mistar/ n. title or form of address for a man. mis*time /mis-tim/ v.tr. say or do at the wrong time. mis*tle*toe /misalto/ n. parasitic plant grow¬ ing on apple and other trees and bearing white glutinous berries. mistook past of mistake. mis'treat /mistre'et/ v.tr. treat badly. □□ mis* treatment n. a abuse, maltreat, WTong; damage, harm; molest. □□ mistreatment abuse, maltreat¬ ment, ill use; molestation, brutalization, si. roughing-up. mispress /mistris/ n. 1 female head of a household. 2 woman in authority. 3 woman (other than his wife) with whom a married man has a (usu. prolonged) sexual relation¬ ship. ■ 3 lover, girlfriend, kept woman, the other woman, inamorata. mis»tri»al /mis-trfal/ n. trial rendered invalid by procedural error. mis»trust /mis-trust/ . v.tr. 1 be suspicious of. 2 feel no confidence in. • n. 1 suspicion. 2 lack of confidence. ■ v. suspect, distrust, doubt, misdoubt, question. • n. distrust, doubt, skepticism, wariness, reservation. mis*trust*ful /mis-trustfdol/ adj. 1 suspi¬ cious. 2 lacking confidence. □□ mis*trust' ful*ly adv. mis*trust'fiil*ness n. mist*y /mistee/ adj. (mist*i*er, mist*i*est) 1 of or covered with mist. 2 obscure; vague; dim. □□ mist'i*ly adv. mist'i*ness n. a cloudy, foggy, hazy; fuzzy, blurred; un¬ clear. mis*un*der«stand /misundarstand/ v.tr. (past and past part. -un*der*stood /-stood/) 1 fail to understand correctly. 2 (usu. as misunderstood adj.) misinterpret. a misconceive, misconstrue, misapprehend, get wrong, misread, misjudge, miscalculate, miss the point of. mis»un»der*stand*ing /misundarstanding/ n. 1 failure to understand correctly. 2 slight disagreement or quarrel. a 1 misconception, misconstruction, misin¬ terpretation, misapprehension, misreading.

2 discord, dispute, argument, difference, dis¬ sension, controversy, rift. mis*use • v.tr. /misydbz/ 1 use wrongly; ap¬ ply to the wrong purpose. 2 ill-treat. • n. /misyobs/ wrong or improper use or applica¬ tion. □□ misms'er n. • v. 1 abuse, misapply, misemploy, misap¬ propriate; pervert. 2 see mistreat. • n. mis¬ application, misusage, perversion; corrup¬ tion, solecism, malapropism, barbarism; see also mistreatment (mistreat). mite1 /mlt/ n. small, often parasitic arachnid, □a mit'y adj. mite2 /mlt/ n. 1 small sum of money. 2 small object or person. ■ 2 see particle 2. mi*ter /mftar/ • n. 1 tall deeply-cleft head¬ dress worn by bishops, esp. as a symbol of of¬ fice. 2 joint of two pieces of wood or other material at an angle of 90°. • v. join with a miter. □□ mi'tered adj. mit»i*gate /mitigayt/ v.tr. make milder or less intense or severe (your offer certainly mitigated their hostility). See synonym study at allevi¬ ate. □ □ mit'i*ga*ble adj. mit*i*ga*tion /-gayshan/ n. mit'i*ga*tor n. mit*i*ga*to*ry /-gatawree/ adj. ■ moderate, temper, reduce, abate, lessen, decrease, calm, tranquilize, soothe, placate, still, soften, dull. mi*tO*SiS /mitosis/ n. Biol, type of cell divi¬ sion that results in two nuclei each having the full number of chromosomes. □□ mi* tot*ic /-totik/ adj. mi*tral /mitral/ adj. of or like a miter. □ mi¬ tral valve two-cusped valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart, mitt Imixl n. 1 baseball glove with mittenlike finger section. 2 = mitten. 3 si. hand or fist. 4 glove leaving the fingers and thumb-tip ex¬ posed. mit*ten /mit’n/ n. glove with two sections, one for the thumb and the other for all four fin¬ gers. □□ mit'tened adj. mix /miks/ • v. 1 tr. combine; blend; put to¬ gether. 2 tr. prepare by combining the ingre¬ dients. 3 intr. a join, be mixed, or combine, esp. readily, b be compatible, c be sociable (must learn to mix). 4 intr. [foil, by in\ partic¬ ipate in. • n. la mixing; mixture, b propor¬ tion of materials, etc., in a mixture. 2 ingre¬ dients prepared commercially for making a cake, concrete, etc. 3 merging of film pic¬ tures or sound. □ be mixed up in (or with) be involved in or with (esp. something unde¬ sirable). mix up 1 mix thoroughly. 2 con¬ fuse; mistake the identity of. mix-up n. con¬ fusion, misunderstanding, or mistake. □□ mix'a*ble adj. ■ v. 1 merge, unite, alloy, mingle, intermin¬ gle; incorporate, put together, stir, mix up. 2 see prepare 2. 3 a blend, merge, unite, mingle, intermingle, b go together. 3c, 4 socialize; fraternize, consort, hobnob, go around or about, associate. •». la see mix¬ ture. □ be mixed up in (or with) be im¬ plicated in, be included in, be connected with, be drawn into, mix up 1 see mix v. 1, 3 above. 2 confound, bewilder, muddle, per¬ plex; snarl, ensnarl, tangle; misidentify; inter-

531

misuse ~ mobile

change, exchange, mix-up mess, muddle, hodgepodge, tangle, si. screwup, snafu, mixed /mikst/ adj. 1 of diverse qualities or el¬ ements. 2 containing persons from various backgrounds, both genders, etc. □ mixed bag diverse assortment of things or persons, mixed blessing thing having advantages and disadvantages, mixed-up colloq. men¬ tally or emotionally confused; socially illadjusted. ■ 1 diversified, assorted, heterogeneous, sundry; (of ancestry, etc.) hybrid, half-bred, mongrel; (of feelings, etc.) confused, mud¬ dled, conflicting. mix»er /miksar/ n. 1 device for mixing foods, etc. 2 drink to be mixed with another. 3 Broadcasting & Cinematog. device for merg¬ ing two or more audio or video input signals, mix'ture /miks-char/ n. 1 process of mixing or being mixed. 2 result of mixing; some¬ thing mixed; combination of ingredients, qualities, characteristics, etc. ■ 1 amalgamation, combination, blend, as¬ sociation, synthesis. 2 assortment, amalgam, amalgamation, medley, compound, alloy, composite, blend, jumble, mix, miscellany. miz»zen«mast /mizanmast/ n. mast next aft of a ship’s mainmast, ml abbr. milliliter(s). Mile. abbr. (pi. Miles.) Mademoiselle, mm abbr. millimeter(s). MM. abbr. Messieurs. Mme. abbr. (pi. Mmes.) Madame. MN abbr. Minnesota (in official postal use). Mn symb. Chem. manganese. mne*mon*iC /nimonik/ • adj. of or designed to aid the memory. • n. mnemonic device. □□ mne*mon'i*cal*ly adv. MO abbr. 1 Missouri (in official postal use). 2 money order. Mo 'symb. Chem. molybdenum. Mo. abbr. Missouri. moan /mon/ • n. 1 long, low plaintive sound. 2 complaint; grievance. • v.intr. 1 make a moan or moans. 2 colloq. complain or grum¬ ble. □□ moan'er n. moan'ing*ly adv. mn. 1 lament, lamentation, groan, wail, ululation, sigh, sob, cry; sough. 2 grumble, col¬ loq. grouse, gripe, si. beef. • v. 1 sigh, cry, wail, sob; mourn, lament, bemoan, weep. 2 lament, groan, wail, whine, moat /mot/ n. deep defensive ditch around a casde, town, etc., usu. filled with water, mob /mob/ • n. 1 disorderly crowd; rabble. 2 [prec. by the] usu. derog. the populace. 3 = M afia. • v.tr. (mobbed, mob*bing) crowd around in order to attack or admire, oo mob’ber n. an. 1 horde, host, legion, press, throng, pack, herd, swarm, crush. 2 (the mob) the rabble, the riffraff, the proletariat, the (gen¬ eral) public, the masses. • v. josde, throng, surround, beset, clamor over. mo*bile /mobal, -beel, -bil/ • adj. 1 mova¬ ble; able to move easily. 2 readily changing its expression. 3 transportable in a motor vehicle. 4 (of a person) able to change his or her social status. • n. /-be'el/ decorative

mobilize ~ moderate

532

structure that may be hung so as to turn freely, o mobile home transportable struc¬ ture usu. parked and used as a residence. □□ mo* *bil*i*ty /mobilitee/ n. m adj. 1,3 nonstationary; portable; motor¬ ized, traveling; agile, versatile. 2 expressive, sensitive, animated, plastic. □□ mobility see motion n. 1. mo»bMize /mobillz/ v. 1 tr. organize for serv¬ ice or action (esp. troops in time of war). 2 intr. be organized in this way. do mo'bi* liz*a*ble adj. mo*bi*li*za'tion n. mo'bi* liz*er n. • 1 assemble, marshal, conscript, enroll, en¬ list. mob»Ster /mobstsr/ n. si. gangster. moc»ca*sin /mokosin/ n. soft, flat-soled leather slipper or shoe. mo*Cha mOks/ n. 1 coffee of fine quality. 2 beverage or flavoring made with this, often with chocolate added. mock /mok/ • v.tr. 1 ridicule; scoff at. 2 mimic contempmously. 3 jeer, defy, or de¬ lude contemptuously. See synonym study at imitate. • attrib.adj. sham; imitation; pre¬ tended. □ mock-up experimental model or replica of a proposed structure, etc. □□ mock'a'ble adj. mock'er n. mock ing* ly adv. mv. 1,3 deride, make fun of, tease, taunt, tantalize, gibe (at), chaff, laugh at, colloq. rib, kid. 2 ape, imitate, caricature, lampoon, sat¬ irize, colloq. spoof, take off. • adj. substitute, artificial, simulated, fake, synthetic, false, er¬ satz, feigned. mock*er*y /moksree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 derision; ridicule. 2 absurdly inadequate or futile ac¬ tion, etc. ■ 1

disdain,

taunting,

disparagement,

abuse, scorn. 2 travesty, farce, absurdity; see also joke

n.

2.

mock»ing»bird /mokingbard/ n. bird that mimics the notes of other birds,

mod /mod/ colloq. adj. modern, esp. in style of dress. mod*al /mOd’l/ adj. 1 of mode or form. 2 Gram, a of the mood of a verb, b (of an auxiliary verb, e.g., would) used to express the mood of another verb. 3 Mus. denoting a style of music using a particular mode. □□ mod'ably adv. mode /mod/ n. 1 way or manner in which a thing is done; method of procedure. 2 pre¬ vailing fashion or custom. 3 Mus. any of sev¬ eral types of scale. 4 Gram. = mood2. ■ 1 method, approach, form, course, fash¬ ion, procedure. 2 style, look, vogue; trend, rage, craze, fad. mod*el /mod’l/ • n. 1 representation in three dimensions of an existing person or thing or of a proposed structure, esp. on a smaller scale (often attrib.'. model train). 2 simplified description of a system, etc., to assist calcu¬ lations and predictions. 3 particular design or style, esp. of a car. 4 exemplary person or thing. 5 person employed to pose for an art¬ ist or photographer or to display clothes, etc., by wearing them. • v. 1 tr. fashion.

shape, or form a model. 2 a intr. act or pose as a model, b tr. display (a garment). □□ mod'eber n. ■ n. 1 replica, mock-up, maquette, minia¬ ture, dummy; image, likeness. 3 kind, type, version; variety, sort; brand. 4 original, ar¬ chetype, prototype, pattern, paragon, ideal, exemplar, example. 5 subject, sitter, poser. • o.l mold, sculpt, design; make, fabricate; (model after or on) imitate, copy. 2 sit; dis¬ play, show (off), exhibit; wear, sport. synonym study: model ARCHETYPE, EXAMPLE, IDEAL, PARADIGM, PAT¬

Most parents try to set a good example for their children, although they may end up setting a bad one. An exam¬ ple, in other words, is a precedent for imita¬ tion, either good or bad. Most parents would do better to provide a model for their chil¬ dren, which refers to a person or thing that is to be followed or imitated because of its ex¬ cellence in conduct or character; model also connotes a physical shape to be copied close¬ ly (a ship’s model; a model airplane). Not all children regard their parents as an ideal to which they aspire, a word that suggests an imagined perfection or a standard based upon a set of desirable qualities (the ideal gentleman; the ideal of what an artist should be); but young people’s lives often end up follow¬ ing the pattern established by their parents, meaning that their lives follow the same basic configuration or design. While proto¬ type and archetype are often used inter¬ changeably, they really mean quite different things. An archetype is a perfect and un¬ changing form that existing things or people can approach but never duplicate (the arche¬ type of a mother), while a prototype is an early, usually unrefined version that later versions reflect but may depart from (the prototype for today’s gas-guzzling cars). Paradigm can refer to an example that serves as a model, but today its use is primarily confined to a gram¬ matical context, where it means a set giving all the various forms of a word, such as the conjugation of a verb. TERN, prototype.

mo*dem /modem/

n. device for transmitting data between computers, esp. over a tele¬ phone line. mod*er»ate • adj. /modarat/ 1 avoiding ex¬ tremes; temperate in conduct or expression. 2 fairly or tolerably large or good. 3 calm. • n. /modarat/ person who holds moderate views. * v. /modarayt/ 1 tr. & intr. make or become moderate. 2 tr. [also absol. ] act as a moderator of or to. □□ mod'er*ate*ly adv. mod'er*ate*ness n. mod*er*a*tion /modarayshan/ n. See synonym study at absti¬ nence

■ adj. 1 calm, reasonable, cool, judicious, rational, balanced; center, middle-of-theroad, mainstream. 2 fair, middling, average, ordinary, medium. • n. nonradical, nonreac¬ tionary, Polit. often derog. centrist. • v. 1 abate, calm, mollify, soothe, ease, relax, al¬ leviate, pacify, mitigate. 2 mediate, arbitrate, referee, judge, chair, supervise. □□ moder¬ ately somewhat, rather, quite, fairly, com-

paratively, slightly, passably, more or less, moderation see temperance 1. mod»er*a*tor /modsraytar/ n. 1 arbitrator or mediator. 2 presiding officer. ■ 1 arbiter, judge, referee, umpire. 2 chair, chairperson, chairman, chairwoman, presi¬ dent, coordinator. mod*em /modsrn/ • adj. 1 of the present and recent times. 2 in current fashion; not antiquated. • n. [usu. in pi.] person living in modern times. □ modern English English from about 1500 onward. □□ mo*der*ni*ty /-dernitee/ n. mod'ern*ly adv. mod ern* ness n. ■ adj. up-to-date, current, contemporary, today’s, new, fresh, novel, brand-new, up to the minute, present-day. mod*ern*ism /modarnizam/ n. modern ideas, methods, or practices. □□ mod'ern* ist n. mod*ern*is'tic adj. mod*ern*is'ti* cal*ly adv. mod*ern*ize /modarnlz/ v. 1 tr. make mod¬ ern; adapt to modern needs or habits. 2 intr. adopt modern ways or views. □□ mod'ern* i*za'tion n. mod'ern*iz*er n. ■ 1 renovate, streamline, redecorate, refur¬ bish. dd modernization see improvement (improve), development 1. mod*est /modist/ adj. 1 humble; not vain. 2 diffident; bashful; retiring. 3 decorous. 4 restrained; not excessive or exaggerated; unpretentious, on mod'est*ly adv. mod' es*ty n. ■ 1,2 unassuming, unpresuming, unpre¬ tentious, unobtrusive, reserved. 3 see deco¬ rous. 4 moderate, limited, understated, un¬ exaggerated; humble, simple, plain; inconspicuous, unobtrusive. mod*i*Cum /modikam/ n. [foil, by of] small quantity. ■ bit, trifle, jot, tittle, atom, scintilla, spark, iota. mod*i*fi*er /mddifiar/ n. 1 person or thing that modifies. 2 Gram, a word, esp. an adjec¬ tive or noun used attributively, that qualifies the sense of another word (e.g., good and family in a good family house). rnod*i*fy /modifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fled) 1 make less severe or extreme. 2 make partial changes in. 3 Gram, qualify or expand the sense of (a word, etc.). □□ mod'i*fi*a*ble adj. mod*i*fi*ca'tion n. ■ 1 reduce, decrease, diminish, lessen, moderate, temper; qualify, limit, restrict. 2 adjust, adapt, change, vary, transform, alter. mod'ish /modish/ adj. fashionable; stylish. □□ mod'ish*ly adv. mod'ish*ness n. mod*u*late /mojalayt/ v. 1 tr. a regulate or adjust, b moderate. 2 tr. adjust or vary the tone or pitch of (the speaking voice). 3 tr. al¬ ter the amplitude or frequency of (a wave). 4 intr. & tr. Mus. change or cause to change from one key to another. □□ mod*u*la*tion /-layshan/ n. mod'u*la*tor n. ■ 1,2 set, tune, balance, temper, modify, vary; lower, tune or tone down, turn down, soften. mod*ule /mojool/ n. 1 standardized part or independent unit used in construction. 2 in-

533

moderator ~ mold

dependent self-contained unit of a space¬ craft. 3 unit or period of training or educa¬ tion. □□ mod*u*lar /-jalar/ adj. mod*u*lar* i*ty /-jalaritee/ n. mo«dus op*e*ran*di /modas oparandee, —di/ n. (pi. mo*di op*e*ran*di /mOdee, —di/) method of working.

mo'dus vi*ven*di /modas vivendee, (pi. mo*di vi*ven*di /mOdee, -di/) 1 living or coping.

-di/

n.

way of

2 arrangement between

people who agree to differ.

mo*gul /mOgal/ n. colloq. important or influ¬ ential person. ■ magnate, tycoon, baron, mandarin, na¬ bob, VIP. mo»hair /mohair/ n. 1 hair of the angora goat. 2 yarn or fabric from this, either pure or mixed with wool or cotton. Mo*hawk /mohawk/ ». 1 a member of a Na¬ tive American people of New York State, b language of this people. 2 (of a hairstyle) with the head shaved except for a strip of hair from the middle of the forehead to the back of the neck. Mo*he*gan /mohe'egan/ • n. member of a Native American people of Connecticut. • adj. of or relating to this people. Mo*hi*can var. of Mahican. moi*e*ty /moyatee/ n. (pi. -ties) Law or liter¬ ary 1 half. 2 each of the two parts into which a thing is divided. moire /mwaar, mawr/ n. (in full moire an¬ tique) watered fabric, orig. mohair, now usu. silk. moist /moyst/ adj. 1 slightly wet; damp. 2 (of the season, etc.) rainy. □□ moist'ly adv. moist'ness n. ■ 1 wettish, dampish, dewy, dank, humid, soggy, moisture-laden, clammy, muggy. 2 damp, wet, drizzly. moiSt»en /moysan/ v. make or become moist. mois*ture /moys-char/ n. water or other liq¬ uid causing slight dampness. □□ mois'ture* less adj. ■ see wet n. 1. mois»tur*ize /moys-charlz/ v.tr. make less dry (esp. the skin by use of a cosmetic). □□ mois'tur*iz*er n. mo»lar /molar/ • adj. (usu. of a mammal’s back teeth) serving to grind. • n. molar tooth. mo*las*ses /malasiz/ n.pl. [treated as sing.] uncrystallized syrup extracted from raw sugar during refining. mold1 /mold/ • n. 1 hollow container into which a substance is poured or pressed to harden into a required shape. 2 form; shape. 3 Archit. molding or group of moldings. 4 frame or template. 5 character or disposi¬ tion (in heroic mold). • v.tr. 1 make (an ob¬ ject) in a required shape or from certain in¬ gredients. 2 give a shape to. 3 influence. □□ mold'a*ble adj. mold'er n. • n. 1,4 cast, matrix, die; pattern, frame. 2 pattern, format, structure, build, construc¬ tion, design. 5 nature, stamp, type, kind, kidney, sort. • v. 1, 2 shape, form, work, fashion, configure, sculpture; forge, cast,

mold ~ monetary

534

stamp, die-cast. 3 shape, form, affect, make, control, direct. mold2 /mold/ n. woolly or furry growth of minute fungi occurring esp. in moist warm conditions. ■ mildew, fungus, must, mustiness; blight, smut. mold3 /mold/ n. loose earth, when rich in or¬ ganic matter. mold*er /moldar/ v.intr. decay to dust; deteri¬ orate. molding /molding/ n. ornamentally shaped plaster or woodwork as an architectural fea¬ ture. mold*y /mOldee/ adj. (-i*er, -best) 1 cov¬ ered with mold. 2 stale; out of date. □□ mold'bness n. a 1 musty, mildewy, mildewed; decaying, carious. 2 aged, ancient, outdated, oldfashioned, antediluvian. mole1 /mOl/ n. 1 small burrowing insect¬ eating mammal with dark velvety fur. 2 col¬ loq. spy established deep within an organiza¬ tion in a position of trust. mole2 /mol/ n. small often dark blemish on the skin. mole3 /mol/ n. pier, breakwater, or causeway. mole4 /mOl/ n. Chem. SI unit of amount of substance equal to the quantity containing as many elementary units as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon 12. □□ mo'lar adj. mo* lar*i*ty /malaritee/ n. mol*e*CUle /molikyool/ n. 1 Chem. smallest fundamental unit of an element or com¬ pound. 2 small particle. □□ mo*lec*u*lar /malekyalar/ adj. mole*hill /molhil/ n. small mound thrown up by a mole in burrowing. mole*skin /mOlskin/ n. 1 skin of a mole used as fur. 2 kind of cotton fustian with its sur¬ face shaved before dyeing. mo*lest /molest/ v.ir. 1 annoy or pester in a hostile or injurious way. 2 attack or interfere with (a person), esp. sexually. See synonym study at attack. □□ mo*les*ta*tion /mGlestayshan, mol-/ n. mo*lest'er n. a 1 irritate, vex, disturb, badger, provoke, netde, tease. 2 accost, meddle with, abuse, assault, ill-treat. moMi*fy /molifl/ v.tr. (-fies, -filed) 1 ap¬ pease. 2 reduce the severity of. See synonym study at pacify. □□ mol*li*fi*ca'tion n. morii*fi*er n. a 1 see calm v. 2 see moderate v. 1. moMusk /molask/ n. invertebrate with a soft body and usu. a hard shell, e.g., a snail or oyster. □□ mol*lus*kan or mol*lus*can /maluskan/ n. & adj. mol'lusk'like adj. moMy*cod*dle /moleekodal/ • v.tr. coddle; pamper. • n. effeminate man or boy; milk¬ sop. molt /molt/ v. 1 intr. shed feathers, hair, a shell, etc., in the process of renewing plum¬ age, a coat, etc. 2 tr. (of an animal) shed (feathers, hair, etc.). □□ molt'er n. ■ see shed2.

mol*ten /mOltan/ adj. melted, esp. made liq¬ uid by heat.

mO*lyb»de*num /malibdinam/ n. Chem. silver-white brittle metallic transition ele¬ ment used in steel. fSymb.: Mo. mom /mom/ n. colloq. mother. □ mom-andpop store of or pertaining to a small retail business, as a grocery store, owned and op¬ erated by members of a family. mo*ment /mOmant/ n. 1 very brief portion of time. 2 exact or particular point of time {at last the moment arrived). 3 importance. 4 product of force and the distance from its line of action to a point. ■ 1 instant, second, minute, flash. 2 in¬ stant, time, second, minute; point (in time), juncture, stage. 3 weight, consequence, sig¬ nificance, import, gravity. mo*men*tar*y /mOmanteree/ adj. lasting only a moment. □□ mo*men*tar*i*ly /-tairilee/ adv. mo*men*tar'i*ness n. ■ fleeting, temporary, ephemeral, evanes¬ cent, impermanent, fugitive, passing, transi¬ tory, brief. mo*men*tOUS /momentas/ adj. having great importance, no mo*men'tous*ly adv. mo* men'tous*ness n. a important, weighty, consequential, signif¬ icant, grave. mo*men*tum /momentam/ n. (pi. mo*men* ta /-ta/) 1 Physics quantity of motion of a moving body, the product of its mass and ve¬ locity. 2 the impetus gained by movement. 3 strength or continuity derived from an ini¬ tial effort. ■ energy, force, drive, power, impulse, thrust, push.

mom*ma /moms/ n. mom*my /momee/

var. of mamma.

n.

{pi.

-mies) colloq.

mother.

Mon.

abbr. Monday. mon*arch /monark, -aark/ n. 1 ruler of a country, esp. hereditary, as a king, queen, etc. 2 large orange and black butterfly. □□ mo*nar*chic /manaarkik/ adj. mo*nar' chi'cal adj. a 1 sovereign, potentate; emperor, empress. mon»ar*Chism /monarltizam/ n. advocacy of or the principles of monarchy. □□ mon'ar* chist n. mon*ar*chy /monarkee/ n. (pi. -chies) 1 form of government with a monarch at the head. 2 a nation with this. □□ mo*nar*chi* al /mona'arkeeal/ adj. a 1 monocracy, autocracy; royalism, mon¬ archism. 2 kingdom, empire, domain, prin¬ cipality. mon*as»ter*y /monasteree/ n. (pi. -ies) resi¬ dence of a religious community, esp. of monks living in seclusion. a abbey, cloister, priory, friary, Ind. ashram. mo*nas*tic /manastik/ adj. of or relating to monasteries or monks, nuns, etc. □□ mo* nas'ti*cal*ly adv. mo*nas*ti*cism /—tisizam/ 7i. Mon*day /munday, -dee/ n. second day of the week, following Sunday. mon*e*tar»y /moniteree, -mun/ adj. 1 of the currency in use. 2 of or consisting of money. See synonym study at financial. □□ mon*e* tar*i*ly /-tairalee/ adv. a 2 pecuniary, fiscal, financial, capital, cash.

mon»ey /munee/ n. 1 current medium of ex¬ change in the form of coins and paper cur¬ rency. 2 (pi. -eys or -ies) [in pi] sums of money. 3 wealth. □ for my money in my opinion or judgment; for my preference, in the money colloq. having or winning a lot of money, money-grubber colloq. person greedily intent on amassing money, moneygrubbing n. this practice, adj. given to this, money market Stock Exch. trade in short¬ term stocks, loans, etc. money order order for payment of a specified sum, issued by a bank or post office. □□ mon'eydess adj. • 1 currency, legal tender, specie, (hard) cash, ready money, paper money, coin(s), (small) change, bills, greenbacks, colloq. shekels, si. loot, dough, bread, bucks. 3 re¬ sources, fortune, funds, finance(s), capital. □ for my money in my view, to my mind, as I see it; for my liking, in the money rich, wealthy, affluent, moneyed, well off, well-todo, colloq. flush, well-heeled, rolling in it, filthy rich, si. loaded, money-grubber see miserly (miser), money-grubbing see mi¬ serly (miser). mon*ey*bags /muneebagz/ n.pl. [treated as sing.] colloq. usu. derog. wealthy person. monkeyed /muneed/ adj. having much .money; wealthy. ■ see WEALTHY. mon*ey»mak»er /muneemaykar/ n. 1 person who earns much money. 2 thing, idea, etc., that produces much money. □□ mon'ey* mak-ing n. & adj. mon»ger /munggar, mong-/ n. [usu. in comb.] dealer; trader; promoter (warmonger). Mon*go*li*an /monggOleean/ • n. native, in¬ habitant, or language of Mongolia. • adj. of or relating to Mongolia. mon*gol»ism /monggalizam/ n. = Down’s syndrome. IjThe term Down’s syndrome is now preferred. Mon*gol*oid /monggaloyd/ • adj. 1 charac¬ teristic of the Mongolians, esp. in having a broad flat yellowish face. 2 (mongoloid) of¬ ten offens. having the characteristic symp¬ toms of Down’s syndrome. • n. Mongoloid or mongoloid person. mon»goose /monggoos/ n. (pi. mon*goos*es or mon-geese) small flesh-eating civetlike mammals. mon»grel /munggral, mong-/ • n. dog or other animal or plant of mixed breed. • adj. of mixed origin, nature, or character. □□ mon'grel-ism n. mon'grebize v.tr. mon-grel*i*za'tion n. a n. crossbreed, mixed breed, half-breed, Biol, hybrid. mon*i*ker /monikar/ n. (also mon'ick*er) si. name. monitor /monitar/ • n. 1 any of various persons or devices for checking or warning about a situation, operation, etc. 2 school pupil with disciplinary or other special du¬ ties. 3 cathode-ray tube used as a television receiver or computer display device, •v.tr. 1 act as a monitor of. 2 maintain regular surveillance over; check. □□ mon-i*to*ri*al /-tawreeal/ adj. ■ n. 1 watchdog, supervisor, sentinel.

535

money ~ monolith

guard, guardian, custodian; proctor. • v. watch, oversee, observe, audit, supervise, su¬ perintend, scan, examine, monk /mungk/ n. member of a religious com¬ munity of men living under vows. □□ monk' ish adj. • brother, religious, cenobite, monastic, friar. mon*key /mungkee/ • n. (pi. -keys) 1 any of various primates, including marmosets, ba¬ boons, apes, etc. 2 mischievous person, esp. a child (young monkey). • v. (-keys, -keyed) 1 tr. mimic or mock. 2 intr. tamper; fool around. □ monkey business colloq. mis¬ chief. monkey wrench wrench with an ad¬ justable jaw. □□ mon'key*ish adj. • n. 1 simian, ape. 2 imp, devil, mischiefmaker, archaic or joc. rapscallion, colloq. scamp, often joc. rascal. • v. 1 imitate, im¬ personate, copy, ape; see also mock v. 2. 2 play, fiddle, meddle, interfere, mess (about or around), o monkey business see mis¬ chief 1-3. mon«key*shine /mungkeeshln/ n. [usu. in pi. ] colloq. = monkey business. mon-o1 /mono/ n. colloq. infectious mononu¬ cleosis. mon*02 /mono/ colloq. adj. monophonic, mono- /mono/ comb, form (usu. mon- before a vowel) one; alone; single (monorail). mon*0*chro*mat*ic /monakramatik/ adj. 1 Physics (of light or other radiation) of a sin¬ gle wavelength or frequency. 2 containing only one color, on mon*o*chro*mat'i*cal* ly adv. mon*0*chrome /monakrom/ • n. photo¬ graph or picture done in one color or differ¬ ent tones of this, or in black and white only. • adj. having or using only one color or in black and white only. □□ mon*o*chro*mic /-kromik/ adj. mon*o»cle /monakal/ n. single eyeglass. □□ mon'o-cled adj. mon»0»Clo*nal /monoklOnal/ adj. cloned from one cell. mon^o^cot^y^le^don /monakot’le'ed’n/ n. Bot. any flowering plant with a single cotyle¬ don. □□ mon*o*cot*y*le'don*ous adj. mon*oc*U*lar /manokyalar/ adj. with or for one eye. □□ mon*oc'u*lar-ly adj. mo*nog*a*my /manogamee/ n. practice or state of being married to one person at a time. □□ mo*nog'a»mist n. mo-nog'a* mous adj. mo*nog a-mous*ly adv. mon»0»gram /monagram/ n. two or more let¬ ters, esp. a person’s initials, interwoven as a device. □□ mon-o-gram-mafic /-gramatik/ adj. mon' o-grammed adj. mon*0*graph /monagrafi n. separate treatise on a single subject. □□ mo*nog*ra*pher /manografar/ n. mon-o'graph-ic /monagrafik/ adj. mon»o»lin*gual /monolinggwal/ adj. speak¬ ing or using only one language. mon*0*lith /monalith/ n. 1 single block of stone, esp. shaped into a pillar or monument. 2 massive, immovable, or solidly uniform person or thing, on mon*o*lith'ic adj.

monologue ~ moo

536

■ □□ monolithic massive, huge, enormous, monumental; featureless, uniform; rigid, im¬ penetrable, invulnerable. mon*0*logue /monalawg, -log/ n. la solilo¬ quy. b dramatic composition for one per¬ former. 2 long speech by one person in a conversation, etc. □□ mon*o*log*ic /—lojik/ adj. mon*o*log'i*cal adj. mon*o*log*ist /manolsjist/ n. (also -logu*ist). mon*0»ma*ni*a /monsmaynees/ n. obsession of the mind by one idea or interest. □□ mon*o*ma'ni*ac n. & adj. mon*o*ma* ni*a*cal /-maniakal/ adj. momomu'cle^o^sis /monondokleeOsis, -nyoo-/ n. abnormally high proportion of monocytes in the blood. mon*o*phon»ic /monafonik/ adj. 1 (of sound reproduction) using only one chan¬ nel of transmission (cf. stereophonic). 2 Mus. homophonic. □□ mon'o'phon’i' cal*ly adv. mo*nop*0*list /manopalist/ n. person who has or advocates a monopoly. □□ mo*nop* O’lis'tic adj. mo*nop*0*lize /manopallz/ v.tr. 1 obtain ex¬ clusive possession or control of. 2 dominate or prevent others from sharing in. □□ mo* nop*o*li*za'tion n. mo*nop'o*liz*er n. m corner, control, colloq. hog. momop^cHy /manopalee/ n. (pi. -lies) 1 a exclusive possession or control of the trade in a commodity or service, b this con¬ ferred as a privilege by the government. 2 commodity or service that is subject to a monopoly. mon*o*rail /monorayl/ n. railway with a sin¬ gle track. mon»o»so»di*um glu*ta*mate /monasodiam globtamayt/ n. Chem. white crystalline powder used to flavor food. IJAbbr.: MSG. mon»0*syMa»ble /monasilabal/ n. word of one syllable. □□ mon*o*syl*lab*ic /—silabik/ adj. mon*o*syl*lab'i*cal*ly adv. mon*0*the*ism /monathe'eizam/ n. doctrine that there is only one God. □□ mon'o*the* ist n. mon*o*the*is'tic adj. mon*o*the*is' ti*cal*ly adv. mon»0»tone /monaton/ • n. 1 sound or ut¬ terance continuing or repeated on one note without change of pitch. 2 sameness of style in writing. • adj. without change of pitch. mo*not*o*nous /manot’nas/ adj. lacking in variety; tedious through sameness. □□ mo* not'o*nous*ly adv. mo*not'o*nous*ness n. ■ boring, dull, tiresome, humdrum, sleepinducing, soporific; unvaried, unvarying, un¬ changing. mo*not*o*ny /manot’nee/ n. 1 state of being monotonous. 2 dull or tedious routine. ■ 1 see TEDIUM.

Mon»sieur /masy6/ n. (pi. Mes*sieurs /mesyb/) 1 French title corresponding to Mr. or sir. 2 Frenchman. Mon»si*gnor /monseenyar/ n. (pi. Mon*si* gnors or Mon*si*gno*ri /-nyawree/) title of various Roman Catholic prelates, officers of the papal court, etc. mon«soon /monsobn, mon-/ n. 1 seasonal

wind in S. Asia, esp. in the Indian Ocean. 2 rainy season accompanying the summer monsoon. □□ mon*soon'al adj. mon*Ster /monstar/ n. 1 imaginary creature, usu. large and frightening. 2 inhumanly cruel or wicked person. 3 large, usu. ugly or misshapen animal or thing. 4 [attrib.] huge. ■ 1 beast, fiend, ogre, giant, dragon, brute. 2 see devil n. 3a. 3 mutant, mutation, freak; monstrosity, eyesore. 4 (attrib.) see huge 1, gigantic.

mon*Strance /monstrans/ n. RC Ch. vessel in which the consecrated Host is displayed for veneration. mon*Strous /monstras/ adj. 1 like a mon¬ ster; abnormally formed. 2 huge. 3 a outra¬ geously wrong or absurd, b atrocious. □□ mon*stros*i*ty /-strositee/ n. mon' strous*ly adv. mon'strous*ness n. ■ 1 awfiil, horrible, horrid, horrific, horren¬ dous, horrifying, hideous, ugly. 2 gigantic, giant, vast, enormous, colossal, monster, gar¬ gantuan. 3 outrageous, shocking, scandal¬ ous, atrocious, appalling, wicked, villainous, evil, ugly, vile, insensitive, cruel. □□ mon¬ strosity monstrousness, heinousness, horri¬ bleness, horridness, hideousness. Mont. abbr. Montana. mon'tage /monta'azh, mawN-/ n. 1 tech¬ nique of producing a new composite whole from fragments of pictures, words, music, etc. 2 a composition produced in this way. month /munth/ n. 1 (in full calendar

month) a each of usu. twelve periods into which a year is divided, b period of time be¬ tween the same dates in successive calendar months. 2 period of 28 days or of four weeks. 3 = lunar month. monthly /munthlee/ • adj. done, produced, or occurring once a month. • adv. once a month; from month to month. • n. (pi. -lies) monthly periodical. mon*U«ment /monyamant/ n. 1 anything en¬ during that serves to commemorate or make celebrated, esp. a structure or building. 2 ancient building or site. 3 typical or out¬ standing example (a monument of indiscre¬ tion).

m 1 marker, memorial, tablet; sepulcher, gravestone, tombstone. 3 model, archetype, pattern, paragon, nonpareil, perfect speci¬ men, exemplar. mon»u*men*tal /monyament’l/ adj. 1 a ex¬ tremely great; stupendous (a monumental achievement), b (of a literary work) massive and permanent. 2 of or serving as a monu¬ ment. □□ mon*u*men*tal*i*ty /-talitee/ n. mon*u*men'tal*ly adv. ■ 1 a staggering, awe-inspiring, outstand¬ ing, prominent, immense, colossal, vast, awe¬ some, epoch-making, b huge, gigantic, enormous, prodigious, colossal, immense, vast, tremendous. 2 commemorative, me¬ morial. -mony /monee/ suffix forming nouns, esp. de¬ noting an abstract state or quality (acrimony, testimony).

moo /moo/ . v.intr. (moos, mooed) make

the vocal sound of cattle; = low2 v. • n. (pi. moos) this sound. mooch /mooch/ v.tr. colloq. beg; impose upon. □□ mooch'er n. ■ see beg lb. mood1 /mood/ n. 1 state of mind or feeling. 2 [in pi.] fits of melancholy or bad temper. ■ 1 humor, attitude, inclination, disposi¬ tion, nature, temper, feeling. 2 (moods) see temper n. 2. mood2 /mood/ n. Gram, form or set of forms of a verb serving to indicate whether it is to express fact, command, wish, etc. (subjunc¬ tive mood). mood'SWing /mobdswing/ n. marked change in temperament, as from euphoria to depres¬ sion. mood*y /moodee/ • adj. (mood*i*er, mood* i*est) given to changes of mood; gloomy; sullen. • n. colloq. bad mood; tantrum. □□ mood'i*ly adv. mood'i*ness n. • adj. fickle, volatile, capricious, mercurial, unstable; testy, crotchety, short-tempered; glum, moping. moon /moon/ • n. 1 the natural satellite of the earth, orbiting it monthly. 2 satellite of any planet. • v. intr. behave dreamily or list¬ lessly. □□ moon'less adj. moon*beam /mobnbeem/ n. ray of moon¬ light. moorMight /'mobnlit/' • n. light of the moon. • v.intr. (-lighted) colloq. have two paid oc¬ cupations, esp. one by day and one by night. □□ moon'light*er n. moorMit /mobnlit/ adj. lighted by the moon. moon*scape /moonskayp/ n. 1 surface or landscape of the moon. 2 area resembling this; wasteland. moon*shine /mobnshin/ n. 1 foolish talk or ideas. 2 si. illicitly distilled or smuggled alco¬ holic liquor. 3 moonlight. ■ 1 nonsense, rubbish, humbug, drivel, twaddle, balderdash. 2 colloq. hooch. 3 moonbeams. moon*shot /moonshot/ n. launching of a spacecraft to the moon. moon»Stone /mobnston/ n. feldspar of pearly appearance. moon*Struck /mobnstruk/ adj. slightly mad. Moor /moor/ n. member of a Muslim people inhabiting NW Africa. □□ Moor'ish adj. moor1 /mOOr/ n. tract of open uncultivated upland, esp. when covered with heather. □□ moor'ish adj. ■ heath, moorland, wasteland. moor2 /mOOr/ v.tr. attach (a boat, buoy, etc.) to a fixed object. □□ moor'age n. m secure, tie up, make fast, dock, berth, an¬ chor; fix. mooting /mobring/ n. 1 [often in pi] place where a boat, etc., is moored. 2 [in pi] set of permanent anchors and chains laid down for ships to be moored to. ■ 2 sheet anchor. moose /moos/ n. (pi. same) largest variety of N. American deer. moot /moot/ • adj. [orig. the noun used attrib.] debatable; undecided. • n. Law discus¬ sion of a hypothetical case as an academic exercise.

537

mooch ~ moral

■ adj. arguable, undetermined, controver¬ sial, doubtful, disputable, open to debate, at issue, indefinite. mop /mop/ • n. 1 wad or bundle of cotton or synthetic material fastened to the end of a stick, for cleaning floors, etc. 2 similarly shaped large or small implement for various purposes. 3 thick mass of hair. • v.tr. (mopped, mop*ping) wipe or clean with or as with a mop. □ mop up 1 wipe up with or as with a mop. 2 dispatch; make an end of. 3 Mil. complete the occupation of (a district, etc.) by capturing or killing enemy troops left there. ■ v. see wipe v. 1. mope /mop/ v.intr. be gloomily depressed or listless; behave sulkily. □□ mop'er n. mop' i*ly adv. mop'i*ness n. mop'y adj. (mop*i* er, mop*i*est). ■ see sulk v. □□ mopy see moody adj. mo»ped /moped/ n. lightweight motorized bi¬ cycle with pedals. mo*raine /marayn/ n. area covered by rocks and debris carried down and deposited by a glacier. □□ mo*rain'al adj. mortal /mawral, mor-/ • adj. 1 a concerned with the distinction between right and wrong, b concerned with accepted rules and standards of human behavior. 2 virtuous; capable of moral action. 3 founded on moral law. 4 concerned with or leading to a psychological effect associated with confi¬ dence in a right action (moral courage). • n. 1 moral lesson (esp. at the end) of a fable, story, event, etc. 2 [in pi] moral behavior, e.g., in sexual conduct. □□ mor'ahly adv. m adj. 1 ethical; moralizing, moralistic, deontic, prescriptive. 2 ethical, right, good, pure, honest, proper, upright, honorable, de¬ cent, respectable. • n. 1 homily, teaching, point, message; aphorism, maxim. 2 con¬ duct, mores, beliefs, habits, customs. synonym study:

moral

ETHICAL, HONORABLE, RIGHTEOUS, SANCTIMO¬ NIOUS, VIRTUOUS. You can be an ethical per¬ son without necessarily being a moral one, since ethical implies conformity with a code of fair and honest behavior, particularly in business or in a profession (an ethical legisla¬ tor who didn’t believe in cutting deals), while moral refers to generally accepted standards of goodness and rightness in character and conduct—especially sexual conduct (the moral values she’d learned from her mother). In the same way, you can be honorable with¬ out necessarily being virtuous, since honor¬ able suggests dealing with others in a decent and ethical manner, while virtuous implies the possession of moral excellence in character (many honorable businesspeople fail to live a vir¬ tuous private life). Righteous is similar in meaning to virtuous but also implies free¬ dom from guilt or blame (righteous anger), but the righteous person can also be some¬ what intolerant and narrow-minded, in which case “self-righteous” might be a better adjective. Someone who makes a hypocriti-

morale ~ mortar

538

cal show of being righteous is often described as sanctimonious—in other words, acting like a saint without having a saindy charac¬ ter.

mo*rale /moral/

n. mental attitude or bearing of a person or group, esp. as regards confi¬ dence, discipline, etc. ■ dedication, spirit(s), unity, esprit de corps; disposition. mor»aMst /mawrolist, mor-/ n. person who practices or teaches morality. □□ mor*al*is' tic adj. mor*al*is’ti*cal*ly aiv. (pi. -ties)

mo*ral*i*ty /moralitee/ n.

1 degree of conformity to moral principles. 2 right moral conduct. 3 particular system of morals (commercial morality). See synonym study at goodness. ■ 1,2 ethics, morals, principle(s), mores, standards, ideals; honesty, right, rightness. 3 behavior, conduct, habit(s), custom (s); see also ETIQUETTE. mor»al*ize /mawroliz, mor-/ v. 1 intr. [often foil, by on\ indulge in moral reflection or talk. 2 tr. interpret morally. □□ mor*al*i* za'tion n. mor'al*iz*er n. mor’al*iz*ing*ly adv. mO*rass /moras/ n. 1 entanglement; disor¬

dered situation, esp. one impeding progress. 2 literary bog or marsh. ■ 1 confusion, muddle, mess, quagmire, tangle. 2 swamp, fen, quag, mire, quagmire, slough. mor*a*to*ri*um /mawrotawreeom, mor-/ n. (pi. mor*a*to*ri*ums or mor*a*to*ri*a /-reea/) 1 temporary prohibition or suspen¬ sion (of an activity). 2 a legal authorization to debtors to postpone payment, b period of this postponement. ■ 1 halt, freeze, stay, postponement, delay. mor*bid /mawrbid/ adj. 1 unwholesome; ma¬ cabre. 2 Med. of the nature of or indicative of disease. □□ mor*bid'i*ty n. mor'bidtiy adv. mor'bid*ness n.

• 1 unhealthy, disordered, unsound, sick, sickly; grim, ghoulish, monstrous, ghastly, grotesque. mor*dant /mawrd’nt/ • adj. 1 caustic; biting. 2 serving to fix dye. • n. mordant substance (in sense 2 of adj.). □□ mor'dan*cy n. mor' dant'ly adv.

more /mawr/ •

adj. greater in quantity or degree; additional. • n. greater quantity, number, or amount. • adv. 1 to a greater de¬ gree or extent. 2 forming the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs. □ more or less 1 in a greater or less degree. 2 approx¬ imately; as an estimate. ■ □ more or less 1 see somewhat adv. 2 see approximately (approximate). more*o»ver /mawrSvor/ adv. further; besides. ■ furthermore, not only that, more than that, what is more; to boot, into the bargain, in addition. mo*res /mawrayz, -reez/ n.pl. customs or conventions regarded as essential to or char¬ acteristic of a community. morgue /mawrg/ n. 1 mortuary. 2 (in a

newspaper office, etc.) room or file of mis¬ cellaneous information. moribund /mawribund, mor-/ adj. 1 at the point of death. 2 lacking vitality. □□ morn* bun'di*ty n. ■ 1 dying, in extremis, at death’s door, fail¬ ing, fading, with one foot in the grave. 2 see lifeless 2. Mor*mon /mawrmon/ n. member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. □□ Mor'monnsm n. mom /mawrn/ n. poet, morning. mornting /mawrning/ n. early part of the day, esp. from sunrise to noon. □ morning glory twining plant with trumpet-shaped flowers, morning sickness nausea felt in the morning in pregnancy. ■ a.m., Naut. or Law forenoon, poet. mom. Mo*roc*can /morokon/ • n. 1 native or na¬ tional of Morocco in N. Africa. 2 person of Moroccan descent. • adj. of or relating to Morocco. mo*roc*co /maroko/ n. (pi. -cos) fine flexible leather made (orig. in Morocco) from goatskins tanned with sumac. mo»ron /mawron/ n. 1 colloq. very stupid per¬ son. 2 adult with a mental age of about 8-12. □□ mo*ron'ic adj. mo*ron'i*cal*ly adv. m 1 see FOOL n. 1. mo*rose /maros/ adj. sullen and ill-tempered. □□ mo*rose'ly adv. mo*rose'ness n. • see sullen adj. 1. morph /mawrf/ v.intr. Cinematog. change form or appearance, as from person to ani¬ mal, by computer-controlled special effects. □□ morph'ing n. mor«pheme /mawrfeem/ n. Linguistics small¬ est meaningful morphological unit of a lan¬ guage. □□ mor*phe'mic adj. mor*phe'mi* cal'ly adv. mor»phine /mawrfeen/ n. narcotic drug from opium used to relieve pain. mor»phobo»gy /mawrfolojee/ n. the study of the forms or structures of things. □□ mor* pho*log*i*cal /mawrfolojikol/ adj. mor*pho* log’i*cal*ly adv. mor*phol'o*gist n. mornow /mawro, mor-/ n. literary the follow¬ ing day. Morse /mawrs/ n. (in full Morse code) al¬ phabet or code in which letters are repre¬ sented by combinations of long and short light or sound signals. mor*sel /mawrsol/ n. mouthful; small piece (esp. of food). ■ bite, gobbet, spoonful, taste, sample; crumb, fragment. mor*tal /mawrt’l/ • adj. 1 subject to death. 2 causing death; fatal. 3 associated with death. 4 intense; very serious; implacable. • n. human being. □□ mor'tafrly adv. ■ adj. 1 human; physical, bodily, corporeal, corporal; transitory, temporal. 2 deadly, le¬ thal, terminal. 4 relentless, unrelenting, bit¬ ter, deadly, unappeasable, abject, extreme, awful, great. • n. man, woman, person, soul, individual, creature. mor*tal*i*ty /mawrtalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 be¬ ing subject to death. 2 loss of life on a large scale. 3 death rate. mor*tar /mawrtor/ n. 1 mixture of lime with

cement, sand, and water, used in building to bond bricks or stones. 2 short large-bore cannon for firing shells at high angles. 3 vessel in which ingredients are pounded with a pestle. □□ mor'tar-less adj. (in sense 1). ■ 1 see cement n. mor*tar»board /mawrtarbawrd/ n. 1 aca¬ demic cap with a stiff, flat square top. 2 flat board for holding mortar, mortgage /mawrgij/ . n. 1 a conveyance of property to a creditor as security for a debt, b deed effecting this. 2 a debt secured by a mortgage, b loan resulting in such a debt. • v.tr. 1 convey (a property) by mortgage. 2 pledge (oneself, one’s powers, etc.). □□ mort'gage*a*ble adj. an. 2 see LOAN2 n. • v. see pawn v. mort*ga»gee /mawrgije'e/ n. creditor in a mortgage. mort*ga»gor /mawrgijar/ n. (also mort'gag* er /-jar/) debtor in a mortgage. mor*ti*cian /mawrtishan/ n. = undertaker. mor«ti*fy /mawrtifi/ v. (-fies, -fied) 1 tr. shame; humiliate. 2 tr. bring (the body, the flesh, the passions, etc.) into subjection by self-denial or discipline. 3 intr. (of flesh) be affected by gangrene or necrosis. □□ mor* ti*fi*ca'tion n. mor'ti*fy*ing adj. mor'ti* fy»ing*ly adv. m 1 abase, humble, embarrass, abash, cha¬ grin, rebuff. 2 punish, castigate, discipline, control, subdue, restrain, subjugate. 3 gan¬ grene, fester, putrefy, rot, decompose. mor*tise /mawrtis/ (also mor'tice) • n. hole in a framework designed to receive another part, esp. a tenon. • v.tr. 1 join securely, esp. by mortise and tenon. 2 cut a mortise in. mor*tU»ar*y /mawrchoo-eree/ • n. (pi. -ies) room or building in which dead bodies may be kept until burial or cremation. • adj. of or concerning death or burial. Mo*sa*ic /mozayik/ adj. of Moses (in the Old Testament). □ Mosaic Law laws attributed to Moses. mo»sa*ic /mozayik/ n. 1 a picture or pattern produced by an arrangement of small vari¬ ously colored pieces of glass or stone, etc. 2 [attrib.] a of or like a mosaic, b diversi¬ fied. □□ mo*sa'i*cist /-zayisist/ n. mo*sey /m6zee/ v.intr. (-seys, -seyed) [of¬ ten foil, by along] si. walk in a leisurely or aimless manner. Mos'lem var. of Muslim. mosque /mosk/ n. Muslim place of worship. mos»qui*tO /maske'eto/ n. (pi. -toes or -tos) insect, the female of which sucks the blood of humans and other animals, moss /maws/ n. small, flowerless plant grow¬ ing in dense clusters on the surface of the ground, in bogs, on trees, stones, etc. □□ moss'i’ness n. moss'like adj. moss'y adj. (mossier, moss»i*est) most /most/ • adj. 1 existing in the greatest quantity or degree. 2 the majority of. • n. 1 greatest quantity or number. 2 the major¬ ity. • adv. 1 in the highest degree. 2 form¬ ing the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs. 3 colloq. almost. □ at most no more or better than (this is at most a make-

539

mortarboard ~ motion

shift), make the most of employ to the best advantage. ■ o at most see just adv. 3, 4. -most /most/ suffix forming superlative adjec¬ tives and adverbs from prepositions and other words indicating relative position (fore¬ most, uttermost). most*ly /mOstlee/ adv. 1 as regards the greater part. 2 usually. ■ 2 see usually (usual). mote /mot/ n. speck of dust. ■ see speck n. 2. mo*tel /motel/ n. roadside hotel for mo¬ torists. moth /mawth, moth-/ n. 1 nocturnal insect having a stout body and without clubbed antennae. 2 small insect of this type, the larva of which feeds on cloth, etc. □ motheaten 1 damaged by moths. 2 timeworn. □ □ moth'y adj. (moth*i*er, moth*i*est). moth'ball /mawthbawl, moth-/ n. ball of naphthalene, etc., placed in stored clothes to keep away moths. moth»er /muthar/ . n. 1 female parent. 2 quality or condition, etc., that gives rise to another. 3 (in full Mother Superior) head of a female religious community. • v.tr. 1 give birth to; be the mother or origin of. 2 protect as a mother. □ Mother Goose rhyme nursery rhyme, mother-in-law (pi. moth*ers-in-law) mother of one’s husband or wife, mother-of-pearl smooth iridescent inner layer of the shell of some mollusks. mother tongue native language. □□ moth' er*hood n. moth'er*less adj. moth'er-like adj. & adv. • n. 1 matriarch, materfamilias, colloq. ma, mama, mamma, mom; nourisher, nurturer; dam. 2 origin, genesis; see also source n. 1, 2. • v. 1 have, deliver, bear, bring forth; see also cause. 2 nurture, nourish, nurse, care for; pamper, baby. moth«er»board /mutharbawrd/ n. com¬ puter’s main circuit board, into which other boards can be plugged or wired. moth*er»land /mutharland/ n. native coun¬ try. moth*er*ly /mutharlee/ adj. like or character¬ istic of a mother in affection, care, etc. □□ moth'er*li*ness n. ■ see maternal 1,2. mo*tif /mote'ef/ n. 1 distinctive feature or dominant idea in artistic or literary composi¬ tion. 2 Mus. short succession of notes pro¬ ducing a single impression, out of which longer passages are developed. ■ 1 theme, topic, subject; pattern, figure. mobile /mot’l, -til, -til/ adj. Zool. & Bot. capa¬ ble of motion. □□ mo*tiln*ty /—tilitee/ n. mo»tion /mOshan/ • n. 1 moving; changing position. 2 gesture. 3 formal proposal put to a committee, legislature, etc. • v. 1 tr. di¬ rect (a person) by a sign or gesture. 2 intr. make a gesture directing (motioned to me to leave). □ go through the motions do some¬ thing perfunctorily or superficially, in mo¬ tion moving; not at rest, motion picture [often (with hyphen) attrib.] film or movie

540

mount1 /mownt/ • v. 1 tr. ascend; climb on. 2 tr. a set on horseback, b (as mounted

with the illusion of movement (see film n. 3). □□ mo'tiontiess adj. m n. 1 movement, change, shift, action; ac¬ tivity, commotion, stir, agitation. 2 gesticu¬ lation, signal, sign. 3 suggestion, proposi¬ tion, recommendation, offering. • v. gesture, beckon, signal, wave; gesticulate, sign. □□ motionless see still1 adj. 1. mo*ti*vate /mbtivayt/ v.tr. 1 supply a motive to; be the motive of. 2 stimulate the interest of (a person in an activity). □□ mo»ti*va» tion /-vayshan/ n. mo*ti*va'tion*al adj. mo^tfrva'tiomaMy adv. m prompt, activate, move, inspire, incite; ex¬ cite, egg (on), urge, prod. □□ motivation inducement, incentive, stimulus; attraction, lure, enticement. mo*tive /motiv/ • n. 1 factor or circumstance that induces a person to act in a particular way. 2 = motif. • adj. causing or concerned with movement. □□ mo'tive*less adj. an. 1 stimulus, inducement, incentive; cause, reason. • adj. driving, impelling, pro¬ pelling, propulsive. moWey /motlee/ adj. (mot*li*er, mot*li*est) 1 diversified in color. 2 of varied character (a motley crew). mo»tO»cross /mOtokraws, -kros/ n. cross¬ country racing on motorcycles. mo*tor /mOtar/ • n. 1 thing that imparts mo¬ tion. 2 engine, esp. one using electricity or internal combustion. • adj. 1 giving, im¬ parting, or producing motion. 2 driven by a motor. 3 of or for motor vehicles. 4 Anat. relating to muscular movement or the nerves activating it. □ motor home vehicle built on a truck frame and outfitted as a residence, motor pool vehicles for use by personnel as needed as for a military installation, motor vehicle road vehicle powered by an internalcombustion engine. ■ n. 1 see engine. mo»tor*bike /mbtarblk/ n. 1 lightweight mo¬ torcycle. 2 motorized bicycle. mo*tor*bus /motarbus/ n. = bus 1. mo*tor*cade /mbtarkayd/ n. procession of motor vehicles. mo*tor»cy»cle /mbtarsikal/ n. two-wheeled motor-driven road vehicle without pedal propulsion. □□ mo'tor*cy*clist n. mo*tor*ist /motarist/ n. driver of an automo¬ bile. mo*tor»ize /mbtariz/ v.tr. 1 equip (troops, etc.) with motor transport. 2 provide with a motor. □□ mo*tor*i*za'tion n. moMIe /mot’l/ v.tr. (esp. as mottled adj.) mark with spots or smears of color. ■ see dapple v.; (mottled) dappled, brin¬ dled, marbled, streaked, splotchy, blotched, blotchy. moMo /moto/ n. (pi. -toes or -tos) maxim adopted as a rule of conduct, etc. ■ proverb, saying, adage, saw, aphorism; catchword. mound /mownd/ n. heap or pile of earth, stones, etc. ■ stack; tumulus, (kitchen) midden, Archaeol. tell.

adj.) serving on horseback (mounted police). 3 intr. increase; accumulate. 4 tr. place (an object) on a support or in a backing, frame, etc. 5 tr. arrange; organize; set in motion. • n. 1 backing, setting, or other support on which a picture, etc., is set for display. 2 horse for riding. □□ mount'a*ble adj. mount'er n. m v. 1 go up, scale, clamber up, make one’s way up. 3 rise (up), ascend, soar; wax, rise, escalate, intensify, multiply. 5 display, ex¬ hibit; stage, prepare; coordinate, compose; frame, set off, back. • n. 1 mounting, back¬ ground, set, arrangement, backdrop. mount2 /mownt/ n. archaic (except before a name)mountain; hill (Mount Everest, Mount of Olives). mountain /mownt’n/ n. 1 large natural ele¬ vation of the earth’s surface. 2 large heap or pile; huge quantity. □ mountain bike bicy¬ cle with a light sturdy frame for riding on mountainous terrain, mountain goat white goadike animal of the Rocky Mountains, etc. mountain lion puma, mountain range line of mountains connected by high ground, mountain sickness sickness caused by the rarefaction of the air at great heights. □□ moun'tain*y adj. ■ 1 height, eminence, prominence, peak, alp. 2 stack, mound, accumulation, abun¬ dance, mass, colloq. ton(s), heaps, stacks; sur¬ plus, surfeit. moun*tain»eer /mownt’ne'er/ n. person skilled in mountain climbing. □□ moun’ tain*eer*ing n. moun*tain»OUS /mownt’nas/ adj. 1 (of a re¬ gion) having many mountains. 2 huge. ■ 1 craggy, alpine, hilly. 2 towering, high, steep, enormous, immense, formidable, mighty; see also gigantic. moun»te»bank /mowntibangk/ n. 1 swin¬ dler; charlatan. 2 clown. Moun*tie /mowntee/ n. colloq. member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. mounting /mownting/ n. = mount1 n. 1. mourn /mawrn/ v. feel or show deep sorrow or regret for (a dead person, a lost thing, etc.). □□ mourn'er n. ■ grieve, lament, sorrow, bemoan, bewail; regret, rue. moum»ful /mawrnfOOl/ adj. 1 doleful; sad; expressing mourning, oo mourn'fubly adv. mourn'fubness n. ■ sorrowful, sorrowing, dismal, melan¬ choly, blue; grievous, distressing, upsetting, tragic, saddening. moum*ing /mawrning/ n. 1 expression of deep sorrow, esp. for a dead person. 2 sol¬ emn clothes worn in mourning. ■ 1 grief, lament, grieving, lamentation, sorrowing, keening, weeping. 2 black, sack¬ cloth (and ashes). mouse /mows/ • n. (pi. mice /mis/) 1 com¬ mon small rodent. 2 timid or feeble person. 3 Computing small hand-held device that controls the cursor on a computer monitor. • v.intr. (also /mowz/) hunt for or catch mice. □□ mouse like adj. & adv. mous’er n. an. 2 see coward n.

motivate ~ mouse

mousse /moos/ n. la dessert of whipped cream, eggs, etc., usu. flavored with fruit or chocolate, b meat or fish puree made with whipped cream, etc. 2 preparation applied to the hair enabling it to be styled more easi¬ lymous'tache var. of mustache. mous*y /mowsee/ adj. (mous*i*er, mousti* est) 1 of or like a mouse. 2 shy or timid; in¬ effectual. 3 nondescript light brown. □□ mous'bly adv. mous'bness n. ■ 2 cowering, timorous, self-effacing, bash¬ ful, diffident. mouth . n. /mowth/ (pi. mouths /mowthz/) 1 external opening in the head, through which most animals admit food and emit communicative sounds. 2 opening of a con¬ tainer, cave, trumpet, etc. 3 place where a river enters the sea. ■ v. /mowth/ 1 tr. & intr. utter or speak solemnly or with affecta¬ tions; rant; declaim. 2 tr. utter very dis¬ tinctly. 3 intr. a move the lips silently, b grimace. □ mouth organ = harmonica. □□mouthed /mowthd/ adj. [also in comb.]. mouth'er /mowthar/ n. mouth'less /mowthlis/ adj. m n. 1 lips, jaws, orifice, si. trap, kisser, chops, yap; muzzle, maw, Zool. stoma. 2 ap¬ erture, doorway, door, gateway, gate, access; passage, passageway, orifice, vent. 3 outfall, debouchment, embouchure, outlet. • v. 1, 2 say, pronounce, announce, enunciate, arti¬ culate. mouth»ful /mowthfool/ n. (pi. -fills) 1 quan¬ tity, esp. of food, that fills the mouth. 2 small quantity. 3 long or complicated word or phrase. ■ 1 morsel, bite, spoonful, lump, chunk, hunk. 2 see modicum. 3 tongue twister. mouth*piece /mowthpees/ n. 1 part of a musical instrument, telephone, etc. placed next to or near the mouth. 2 colloq. lawyer. ■ 1 embouchure; receiver, handset. 2 attor¬ ney, colloq. shyster; see also lawyer. mouth*wash /mowthwosh, -wawsh/ n. liq¬ uid antiseptic, etc., for rinsing the mouth or gargling. mouth»wa*ter»ing /mowthwawtaring/ adj. having a delicious smell or appearance. mova*ble /mCovabsl/ (also move'a*ble) adj. 1 that can be moved. 2 variable in date from year to year. □□ mov'a'bil'i'ty n. mov'a*ble*ness n. mov'a*bly adv. ■ 1 portable, transportable, transferable. 2 floating, changeable, unfixed. move /moov/ • v. 1 intr. & tr. change one’s position, posture, or place, or cause to do this. 2 tr. & intr. put or keep in motion; rouse; stir. 3 a intr. make a move in a board game, b tr. change the position of (a piece) in a board game. 4 intr. go; proceed; make progress. 5 intr. [foil, by in] live or be socially active in (a specified place or group, etc.). 6 tr. affect (a person) with emotion. 7 tr. stimulate; provoke; prompt or incline. 8 a tr. cause (the bowels) to be evacuated, b intr. (of the bowels) be evacuated. 9 tr. propose in a meeting, deliberative assembly, etc. 10 intr. sell; be sold. • n. 1 act or instance of moving. 2 change of house, business

541

mousse ~ mow

premises, etc. 3 step taken to secure some action or effect; initiative. 4 a the changing of the position of a piece in a board game, b player’s turn to do this. □ get a move on colloq. 1 hurry up. 2 make a start. □□ mov' er n. • v. 1,4 shift, stir, budge, make a move, set off, start off; advance, progress, make head¬ way, pass, travel, voyage, migrate, transfer; see also leave1 v. lb. 2, 7 arouse, actuate, lead, spur, motivate, influence, impel, in¬ spire, make, excite, stir up; prod, remind. 5 circulate, mix, mingle, socialize, fraternize, keep company, hobnob, associate, colloq. hang around or about, si. hang out. 6 touch, stir (up), shake (up), agitate, hit (hard), up¬ set, strike, disturb, ruffle, disquiet, have an effect on. 9 put forward or forth, forward, advance, submit, suggest, advocate, pro¬ pound, request. • n. 1,2 gesture, gesticula¬ tion, action, motion, movement; stirring, change, changeover, relocation, transfer, shift, removal. 3 maneuver, device, trick, caper, dodge, stratagem, artifice, ruse, ac¬ tion, act, deed, gambit, colloq. ploy. 4 b time, opportunity, chance, colloq. shot, go. □ get a move on 1 hasten, make haste, rush, run, colloq. step on it or on the gas. 2 begin, start, get started, get going, get moving, get under way, stir or bestir oneself, colloq. get cracking, get or set or start the ball rolling, get the show on the road, formal commence. move*a*ble var. of movable. move*ment /mobvmant/ n. 1 moving or be¬ ing moved. 2 moving parts of a mechanism (esp. a clock or watch). 3 a body of persons with a common object, b campaign under¬ taken by such a body. 4 [usu. in pi] person’s activities and whereabouts, esp. at a particu¬ lar time. 5 Mus. principal division of a longer musical work. 6 progressive develop¬ ment of a poem, story, etc. 7 motion of the bowels. ■ 1 move, motion, relocation, reposition¬ ing, migration; maneuver; action, activity; gesture, gesticulation. 2 mechanism, works, workings, machinery, action, gears. 3 front, faction, party, group, wing, lobby; campaign, crusade, drive. 6 unfolding, progression, progress, momentum, advancement. mov*ie /mobvee/ n. esp. colloq. 1 motion pic¬ ture. 2 (the movies) a motion-picture in¬ dustry or medium, b the showing of a movie (going to the movies). ■ film, moving picture, colloq. flick, talkie; cinema. mov*ie*dom /mobveedam/ n. the movie in¬ dustry and its associated businesses, person¬ nel, etc. mow1 /mo/ v. tr. (past part, mowed or mown) cut down (grass, hay, etc.) with a scythe or machine. □ mow down kill or destroy ran¬ domly or in great numbers. □□ mow'a*ble adj. mow'er n. * scythe, trim, shear. □ mow down annihi¬ late, massacre, butcher, slaughter, extermi¬ nate. mow2 /mow/ n. dial. 1 stack of hay, wheat.

MP ~ mulberry

542

etc. 2 place in a barn where hay, etc., is heaped. MP abbr. 1 military police. 2 Member of Par¬ liament. m.p.g. abbr. miles per gallon, m.p.h. abbr. miles per hour. Mr. /mistar/ n. (pi. Messrs.) 1 title for a man. 2 title prefixed to a designation of office, etc. (Mr. President).

MRI abbr. magnetic resonance imaging. Mrs. /misiz/ n. (pi. same or Mes’dames) title for a married woman.

MS abbr. 1 Mississippi (in official postal use). 2 Master of Science. 3 multiple sclerosis. 4 (also ms.) manuscript. n. title for a married or unmarried woman. M.Sc. abbr. Master of Science. MS-DOS /emesdaws, -dos/ abbr. propr. micro¬ computer disk operating system. MSG abbr. monosodium glutamate. Msgr. abbr. 1 Monseigneur. 2 Monsignor. MST abbr. Mountain Standard Time. MT abbr. Montana (in official postal use). Mt abbr. meitnerium. Mt. abbr. 1 mount. 2 mountain, mu /myoo, mob/ n. twelfth Greek letter (M,

Ms. /miz/

M-).

much /much/ •

adj. existing or occurring in a great quantity. • n. la great quantity. 2 [usu. in neg.] noteworthy or outstanding example (not much to look at). • adv. 1 in a great degree. 2 for a large part of one’s time (is much away from home). □□ much'ly adv.

joc.

mU'cMage /myobsilij/ n. 1 viscous substance obtained from plants. 2 adhesive gum; glue. □□ mu*ci*lag*i*nous /-lajinas/ adj. muck /muk/ • n. 1 farmyard manure. 2 colloq. dirt or filth; anything disgusting. • v.tr. 1 [usu. foil, by up] colloq. bungle (a job). 2 make dirty or untidy. □□ muck'i-ness n. muck'y adj. (muck*i*er, muck*i*est). ■ n. ordure, dung, excrement; bilge, slime, sludge, ooze. • v. 1 muff (up), spoil, make a mess of, botch, mess up, colloq. make a muck of, foul up, si. screw up. muck»rake /mukrayk/ v.intr. search out and reveal scandal. □□ muck'rak*er n. muck' rak*ing n. mu*COUS /myobkas/ adj. of or covered with mucus. □ mucous membrane mucussecreting epithelial tissue lining many body cavities and tubular organs, an mu*cos*i*ty /-kositee/ n. mu*cus /mydokas/ n. 1 slimy substance se¬ creted by a mucous membrane. 2 gummy substance found in all plants, mud /mud/ n. wet, soft, earthy matter. □ fling (or sling or throw) mud speak dis¬ paragingly or slanderously, one’s name is mud one is unpopular or in disgrace. ■ muck, ooze, slime, mire, clay, sludge, silt, dirt. mud’dle /mud’l/ • v. 1 tr. [often foil, by up, together] bring into disorder. 2 tr. bewil¬ der; confuse. • n. 1 disorder. 2 muddled condition. See synonym study at jumble.

□ muddle-headed stupid; confused. □□ mud'dler n. mud'dling'ly adv. m v. 1 confuse, mix up, jumble, scramble, entangle; bungle, botch, mismanage, muff. 2 confound, mystify, baffle, mix up, disori¬ entate). • n. mess, confusion, mix-up, jum¬ ble, tangle, hodgepodge, mishmash, colloq. stew, si. screw-up, snafu. □ muddleheaded bewildered, perplexed, puzzled, confused; see also stuped adj. 1. mud*dy /mudee/ • adj. (mud*di*er, mud* di*est) 1 like or covered in mud. 2 turbid; not clear; impure. 3 confused; vague. • v.tr. (-dies, -died) make muddy. □□ mud'di*ly adv. mud'di*ness n. m adj. 1 fouled, muddied, dirty, grubby; oozy, squelchy, squishy. 3 muddled, addled, mixed-up; unclear, obscure. • v. dirty, soil, begrime, smirch, besmirch, spatter, bespat¬ ter; obscure, dull. mu*ez*zin /myoo-ezin, moo-/ n. Muslim crier who proclaims the hours of prayer, usu. from a minaret. muff1 /muf7 n. fur or other covering for keep¬ ing the hands or ears warm. muff2 /muf/ v.tr. 1 bungle. 2 miss (a catch, ball, etc.). ■ 1 see botch v. 1. muf*fin /mufin/ n. small cake or quick bread made from batter or dough and baked in a muffin pan. muf*fle /mufal/ v.tr. 1 wrap or cover for warmth or to deaden sound. 2 (usu. as muffled adj.) stifle (an utterance, e.g., a curse). 3 prevent from speaking. ■ swathe, swaddle, cloak, envelop, enfold; silence, suppress, subdue, damp (down), dampen. muf*fler /muflar/ n. 1 wrap or scarf worn for warmth. 2 noise-reducing device on a motor vehicle’s exhaust system. ■ 1 shawl, stole, boa. muMi /muftee/ n. civilian clothes (in mufti). mug /mug/ • n. la drinking vessel, usu. cy¬ lindrical with a handle, b its contents. 2 si. face. 3 si. hoodlum or thug. • v. (mugged, mug*ging) 1 tr. rob (a person) with vio¬ lence, esp. in a public place. 2 intr. si. make faces, esp. before an audience, a camera, etc. □ mug shot si. photograph of a face, esp. for official purposes. □□ mug'ger n. (esp. in sense 1 of v.). mug'ful n. (pi. -fuls). mug' ging n. (in sense 1 oft;.). ■ n. 1 jug, tankard, stein, toby jug, pot, schooner, beaker, cup. 2 features, counte¬ nance, literary visage, si. pan, kisser. 3 see thug. • v. 1 set upon, assault; see also at¬ tack v. 1. 2 pull a face, grimace. mug*gy /mugee/ adj. (mug*gi*er, mug*gi* est) oppressively damp and warm; humid. □□ mug'gi*ness n. m sticky, sultry, oppressive, steamy, close; moist, soggy. mu*ja*hi*din /mobjaahideen/ n.pl. (also mu* ja*he*din', -deen') guerrilla fighters in Is¬ lamic countries. mu*lat*tO /mOOlato, -laa-, myoo-/ n. (pi. -toes or -tos) person of mixed white and black parentage. mul*ber*ry /mulberee, -baree/ n. (pi. -ries)

1 deciduous tree bearing edible dark-red or white berries. 2 its fruit. 3 dark-red or pur¬ ple color. mulch /mulch/ • n. mixture of straw, leaves, etc., spread around or over a plant to en¬ rich or insulate the soil. • v.tr. treat with mulch. mule1 /myool/ n. 1 offspring (usu. sterile) of a male donkey and a female horse. 2 stupid or obstinate person. □□ mul ish adj. mul' ish*ly adv. mul'ish*ness n. • □□ mulish see stubborn. mule2 /myoOl/ n. light shoe or slipper without a back. mu*le»teer /myobliteer/ n. mule driver. mull1 /mul/ v. ponder or consider. ■ study, think over or about, cerebrate, cog¬ itate, evaluate, turn over, weigh (up), deliber¬ ate (on or over). mull2 /mul/ v.tr. warm (wine or cider, etc.) with added sugar, spices, etc. muMah /muls, mOOl-/ n. Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law. muMet /mulit/ n. any of several kinds of ma¬ rine fish commonly used as food. muMi*ga»taw»ny /muligstawnee/ n. highly seasoned soup orig. from India. muMion /mulyan/ n. (also munmion /mun-/) .vertical bar dividing the panes in a window (cf. transom). □□ mul'lioned adj. multi- /multee, -tl/ comb, form many; more than one. mul*ti*cul*tur*al /multeekulcharal/ adj. of or relating to or constituting several cultural or ethnic groups within a society. □□ mul*ti* cul'tur*al*ism n. mul*ti*cul'tur*al*ly adv. mul»ti*far*i*OUS /multifaireeas/ adj. 1 many and various. 2 diverse. □□ mul*ti*far'i* ous*ly adv. mul*ti*far'i*ous*ness n. muHMat*er*al /multilataral/ adj. 1 (of an agreement, treaty, conference, etc.) in which three or more parties participate. 2 having many sides. □□ mul*ti*lat'er*al*ly adv. mul*ti*lin*gual /multeelinggwal, -ti-/ adj. in or using several languages. □□ mul*ti*lin' gual'ly adv. rnul*ti»me*di*a /multime'edeeo/ • attrib. adj. involving several media. • n. combined use of several media, such as film, print, sound, etc. mul*ti*na*tion»al /multeenashanal, —ti—/ • adj. 1 operating in several countries. 2 of several nationalities or ethnic groups. • n. multinational company. □□ mul*ti*na'tion* ably adv. mubtbple /multipal/ • adj. 1 having several or many parts, elements, or individual com¬ ponents. 2 many and various. • n. number that contains another without a remainder (56 is a multiple of 7). o multiple-choice (of a question in an examination) accompanied by several possible answers from which the correct one has to be chosen, multiple scle¬ rosis see sclerosis. mul*ti*plex /multipleks/ • adj. 1 manifold; of many elements. 2 involving simultaneous transmission of several messages along a sin¬ gle channel of communication. • n. building that houses several movie theaters. □□ mul' ti*plex*er n. (also muTti*plex*or).

543

mulch ~ municipal

mul*ti*pli»cand /multiplikand/ n. quantity to be multiplied by a multiplier. mul*ti*pli»ca»tion /multiplikayshan/ n. mul¬ tiplying. □ multiplication sign the symbol (|x;), to indicate that one quantity is to be multiplied by another, as in 2 p; 3 - 6. □o mul*ti*pli*ca*tive /-plikativ/ adj. mul*ti»plic*i»ty /multiplisitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 manifold variety. 2 [foil, by of] great num¬ ber. muMi*pli*er /multipliar/ n. quantity by which a given number is multiplied. mul*ti*ply /multipli/ v. (-plies, -plied) 1 tr. [also absol.] obtain from (a number) another that is a specified number of times its value (multiply 6 by 4). 2 intr. increase in number. ■ 2 see increase v. 1. mul*ti»proc*ess*ing /multeeprosesing/ n. Computing processing using two or more processors. mul»ti*ra*cial /multeerayshal, -ti-/ adj. relat¬ ing to or made up of many human races. □□ muhtbra'ciaMy adv. mul»ti*tude /multitood, -tyood/ n. great number; crowd. ■ see many n. 1, crowd n. 1. mul*ti»tU»di*nous /multitobd’nas, -tyood-/ adj. 1 very numerous. 2 consisting of many individuals or elements. □□ mul*ti*tu di* nous*ly adv. mul*ti*tu'di*nous*ness n. mum1 /mum/ adj. colloq. silent (keep mum). □ mum’s the word say nothing. ■ mute, close-mouthed, quiet, tight-lipped. mum2 /mum/ n. = chrysanthemum. mum*ble /mumbal/ • v. speak or utter indis¬ tinctly. • n. indistinct utterance. □□ mum’ bier n. » v. murmur, mutter, slur, swallow one’s words. mum*bO jum*bO /mumbojumbo/ n. (pi. jum*bos) meaningless or ignorant ritual or language. mum»mer /mumar/ n. actor in a traditional mime. mum»mer»y /mumaree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 ridic¬ ulous (esp. religious) ceremonial. 2 perfor¬ mance by mummers. mum»mi»fy /mumifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fled) pre¬ serve (a body) as a mummy. □□ mum-mi* fi*ca'tion n. mum*my /mumee/ n. (pi. -mies) body of a human being or animal embalmed for burial, esp. in ancient Egypt. mumps /mumps/ n.pl. [treated as sing.] infec¬ tious viral disease with swelling of the neck and face. munch /munch/ v.tr. eat steadily with a marked action of the jaws. ■ chew, crunch, masticate, champ, chomp, scrunch. munch*ies /moncheez/ n. pi. colloq. 1 snack foods. 2 urge to snack, mun-dane /mundayn/ adj. 1 dull; routine. 2 of this world; worldly. □□ mun*dane'ly adv. mun*dane'ness n. m 1 see humdrum adj. 2 see worldly 1. rnu*nic*i»pal /myoonisipal/ adj. of or con¬ cerning a municipality or its self-govern-

municipality ~ musical

544

ment. □ municipal bond bond issued by a city, county, state, etc., to finance public pro¬ jects. □□ mu*nic'i*pal*ize v.tr. mumic'i* pal*ly adv. ■ civic, civil, metropolitan, urban, city, town, borough. mu*nic»i*pal*i»ty /myoonisipalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) town or district having local govern¬ ment. ■ city, metropolis, borough. mu*nif*i«cent /myoonifisant/ adj. splendidly generous; bountiful. □□ mu*nifi*cence n. mu*nif i*cent*ly adv. mu*ni*tion /myoonishan/ n. [usu. in pi.] mili¬ tary weapons, ammunition, equipment, and stores. mu*on /myob-on/ n. Physics unstable elemen¬ tary particle like an electron, but with a much greater mass. mu'ral /myCPral/ • n. painting executed di¬ rectly on a wall. • adj. 1 of or like a wall. 2 on a wall. □□ mu'ralnst n. rnur*der /mardar/ • n. 1 unlawful premedi¬ tated killing of a human being by another. 2 colloq. unpleasant, troublesome, or danger¬ ous state of affairs. • v.tr. 1 kill (a human being) intentionally and unlawfully. 2 col¬ loq. utterly defeat or spoil by a bad perfor¬ mance, mispronunciation, etc. See synonym study at kill. □□ mur'der*er n. mur der* ess n. u n. 1 homicide, manslaughter, slaying, as¬ sassination; slaughter, butchery; bloodshed, carnage. 2 see hell 2. • v. 1 assassinate, put to death, destroy, butcher, si. wipe out, bump off. 2 ruin, mar, destroy, wreck, kill, mangle, butcher. □□ murderer, murderess killer, assassin, homicide, cutthroat, executioner, butcher. mur*der»OUS /mardaras/ adj. 1 (of a person, weapon, action, etc.) capable of, intending, or involving murder or great harm. 2 colloq. extremely troublesome, unpleasant, or dan¬ gerous. □□ mur'der*ous*ly adv. m 1 fatal, lethal, deadly, deathly, mortal; de¬ structive, devastating, sanguinary, bloody. 2 strenuous, stressful, difficult, arduous, ex¬ hausting. murk /mark/ n. darkness; poor visibility. ■ see gloom n. 1. murk*y /markee/ adj. (-i*er, -i*est) 1 dark; gloomy. 2 (of darkness) thick; dirty. 3 suspi¬ ciously obscure; shady (murky past). □□ murk'i*ly adv. murk'i*ness n. ■ 1,2 threatening, dim, clouded, cloudy, overcast, gray, dismal, dreary, bleak, somber, grim. 3 see shady 3. mur*mur /marmar/ • n. 1 subdued continu¬ ous sound, as made by waves, a brook, etc. 2 softly spoken or nearly inarticulate utter¬ ance. • v. 1 intr. make a murmur. 2 tr. utter (words) in a low voice, esp. as a complaint. □□ mur'mur*er n. mur'mur*ing*ly adv. mur'mur*ous adj. ■ n. 1 undercurrent, undertone, back¬ ground noise or sound, rumble, mumble. 2 see whisper n. 1. • v. mumble, mutter; whisper, drone; complain, grumble.

mus*cat /muskat, -kat/

n. 1 (also mus*ca* tel /muskatel/) sweet fortified white wine made from musk-flavored grapes. 2 this grape. mus*cle /musal/ • n. 1 fibrous tissue with the ability to contract, producing movement in or maintaining the position of an animal body. 2 part of an animal body that is com¬ posed of muscles. 3 physical power or strength. • v.intr. [usu. foil, by in\ colloq. force oneself on others; intrude. □ musclebound with muscles stiff and inelastic through excessive exercise or training. □□ mus'cled adj. [usu. in comb.], mus'cle* less adj. mn. 3 see strength 1. muS'ClHar /mtiskyalar/ adj. 1 of or affecting the muscles. 2 having well-developed mus¬ cles. □ muscular dystrophy see dystro¬ phy. □□ mus*cu*lar*i*ty /-laritee/ n. m 2 sinewy, brawny, burly, powerful, wellbuilt. mus*cu*la*ture /muskyalachar/ n. muscular system of a body or organ. mus*CU*lo*skel*e*tal /maskyaloskelat’l/ adj. of or involving both the muscles and the skeleton. Muse /myooz/ n. Gk. & Rom. mythol.one of the nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who inspire poetry, music, drama, etc. muse /myooz/ v. literary 1 intr. [usu. foil, by on, upon] ponder; reflect. 2 tr. say medita¬ tively. ■ 1 cogitate, meditate, contemplate, rumi¬ nate, think; dream, daydream; weigh, eval¬ uate. mu*se*um /myooze'eam/ n. building used for storing and exhibiting objects of historical, scientific, or cultural interest. mush1 /mush/ n. 1 soft pulp. 2 feeble senti¬ mentality. 3 boiled cornmeal dish. 4 si. (also /mOOsh/) mouth; face. □□ mush'y adj. (mush*i*er, mush*i*est). mush'idy adv. mush'i*ness n. ■ 2 see sentimentality (sentimental). □□ mushy soft, pulpy, doughy, spongy, slop¬ py, slushy, colloq. squishy. mushiness see sentimentality (sentimental) . mush2 /mush/ v.intr. 1 [in imper.] used as a command to encourage sled dogs. 2 travel across snow with a dogsled. mush*room /mushroom, -room/ • n. edible fungus with a stem and domed cap. * v.intr. appear or develop rapidly. ■ v. see proliferate. mu»sic /myobzik/ n. 1 art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. 2 sounds so produced. 3 musical compositions. 4 written or printed score of a musical composition. 5 pleasant natural sounds. mu*si*cal /myobzikal/ . adj. 1 of or relating to music. 2 melodious; harmonious. 3 fond of or skilled in music. 4 set to or accompa¬ nied by music. • n. movie or drama that fea¬ tures songs. □□ mu*si*cal*i*ty /-kalitee/ n. mu’si*cal*ize v.tr. mu'si*cal*ly adv. mu' si*cal*ness n.

■ adj. 2 tuneful, melodic, lilting, lyrical, mellifluous. mu*si*cian /myoozishan/ n. person who plays a musical instrument, esp. professionally, or is otherwise musically gifted. □□ mu*si' cian*ly adj. mu'si*cian*ship n. mu*Si*COl*0*gy /myobzikolajee/ n. the aca¬ demic study of music. □□ mu*si*col'o*gist n. mu*si*co*Iog*i*cal /-kalojikal/' adj. musk /musk/ n. substance produced by a gland in the male musk deer and used as an ingredi¬ ent in perfumes. □ musk deer small hornless Asian deer, musk ox shaggy goat-antelope native to N. America, no musk'y adj. (musk*i*er, musk*i*est). musk'i-ness n. muS'keMunge /muskalunj/ n. large N. American pike. ITlUS'ket /muskit' n. hist, smooth-bored light gun. mus*ket*eer /muskiteer/ n. hist, soldier armed with a musket. musk*rat /muskrat/ n. 1 large aquatic rodent native to N. America, having a musky smell. 2 fur of this. Mus*lim /muzlim, mCbz-, mobs-/ (also Mos* lem /mozlam/) • n. follower of the Islamic religion. • adj. of or relating to the Muslims or their religion. rnusHin /muzlin/ n. strong, woven cotton fab¬ ric. muss /mus/ colloq. • v.tr. [often foil, by up] disarrange; throw into disorder. • n. mess, □a muss'y adj. m v. see mess v. 1. □□ mussy see untidy. mus'sel /musal/ n. bivalve mollusk often used for food. must/must/ . v.aux. {3rd sing, present must; past had to or in indirect speech must) 1 be obliged to. 2 be certain to. 3 ought to. • n. colloq. thing that should not be missed. ■ v. 1,3 should, have to, need to, be re¬ quired to, be or feel compelled or forced to. • n. necessity, requisite, requirement, obliga¬ tion, sine qua non, essential. mus*tache /mustash, mastash/ n. (also mous'tache) hair left to grow on a man’s upper lip. □□ mus'tached adj. mus*tang /mustang/ n. small wild horse na¬ tive to Mexico and California. mus*tard /mustard/ n. 1 plant with slender pods and yellow flowers. 2 seeds of this which are crushed, made into a paste, and used as a spicy condiment. 3 brownishyellow color. □ mustard gas colorless oily liquid whose vapor is a powerful irritant. mus*ter /mustar/ • v. 1 tr. summon. 2 tr. & intr. collect, gather together. See synonym study at gather. • n. assembly of persons for inspection. □ pass muster be accepted as adequate. ■ v. call together, assemble, convene, mobi¬ lize, rally, round up, gather, marshal; muster up, formal convoke; come together. □ pass muster come or be up to scratch, measure up, be acceptable or adequate, be good enough, colloq. make the grade. must*n’t /musant/ contr. must not. mus*ty /mustee/ adj. (mus*ti*er, mus*ti* est) 1 moldy; stale. 2 antiquated, □□must' i*ly adv. must'i'ness n.

545

musician ~ mutual

■ 1 damp, mildewed, mildewy, rancid, spoiled, decayed. 2 stale, old-fashioned, an¬ cient, out-of-date, bygone; hoary, worn out, trite, cliched, colloq. old hat. mu*ta*ble /myootabal/ adj. literary 1 liable to change. 2 fickle. □□ mu*ta*bil'i*ty n. mu*ta*gen /myobtajan/ n. agent promoting mutation. □□ mu*ta*gen*ic /-jenik/ adj. mu*ta*gen*e*sis /—jenisis/ n. mu*tant /myobt’nt/ • adj. resulting from mu¬ tation. • n. mutant form. mu*ta*tion /myootayshan/ n. 1 change; alter¬ ation. 2 genetic, heritable change. 3 mu¬ tant. □□ mu'tate v. mu*ta tion*al adj. mu* ta'tion*al*ly adv. m 1 modification, transformation, meta¬ morphosis, evolution, variation. 3 defor¬ mity, monstrosity, freak, anomaly. □□ mu¬ tate see TRANSFORM V. mute /myoot/ • adj. 1 silent; refraining from speech. 2 (of a person or animal) dumb; speechless. • n. 1 dumb person (a deaf mute). 2 Mus. device for damping the sound of a musical instrument. • v. tr. 1 deaden, muffle, or soften the sound, color, etc., of. 2 (as muted adj.) subdued. □□ mute'ly adv. mute'ness n. • adj. voiceless, wordless, tight-lipped, taci¬ turn, tacit. • v. 1 silence, stifle, dampen, damp (down), subdue. mu*ti*late /myobt’layt/ v.tr. la deprive (a per¬ son or animal) of a limb or organ, b destroy the use of (a limb or organ). 2 disfigure or de¬ stroy, esp. by cutting. □□ mu*ti*la*tion /-layshan/ n. mu*ti*la'tive adj. mu'ti*la*tor n. m 1 maim, disfigure, mangle, cripple; dis¬ member. 2 deface, vandalize, spoil, mar, ruin; bowdlerize. mu*ti*ny /myobt’nee/ • n. (pi. -nies) open re¬ volt, esp. by soldiers or sailors against their officers. See synonym study at uprising. • v.intr. (-nies, -nied) revolt; engage in mu¬ tiny. □□ mu*ti*neer /-e'er/ n. mu'ti*nous adj. mu'ti*nous*ly adv. ■ n. rebellion, revolution, insurgency, insurgence. • v. rebel, rise up; disobey, subvert, agitate. □□ mutineer see rebel, mutinous rebellious, revolutionary, subversive, sedi¬ tious, insurgent. mutt /mut/ n. 1 dog. 2 si. ignorant or blun¬ dering person. mubter /mutar/ • v. 1 intr. speak low in a barely audible manner. 2 intr. murmur; grumble. • n. 1 muttered words or sounds. 2 muttering. □□ mut'ter*er n. mut'ter* ing*ly adv. ■ v. 1 mumble, murmur, grunt; see also whisper v. 1. 2 complain, moan, colloq. grouch, grouse, gripe. mut*ton /mut’n/ n. flesh of sheep as food. □□ mut'ton*y adj. mu*tu*al /myoochooal/ adj. 1 (of feelings, ac¬ tions, etc.) experienced or done by each of two or more parties with reference to the other or others {mutual affection). 2 colloq. disp. common to two or more persons. □ mutual fund investment program funded by shareholders that trades in diversified

muumuu ~ mystify

546

holdings and is professionally managed. □□ mu*tu*al*i*ty /-choO-alitee, -tyoo-alitee/ n. mu'tu*al*ly adv. m 1 reciprocal, reciprocated; interactive, complementary. 2 shared; see also common adj. 2. synonym study:

mutual

COMMON, INTERCHANGEABLE, JOINT, RECIPRO¬ CAL, shared. In the 15th century, mutual was synonymous with reciprocal; both ad¬ jectives suggested—and still do—a relation¬ ship between two parties in which the same thing is given and taken on both sides (mutu¬ al admiration; a mutual misunderstanding). Since the 16th century, however, it has also been used to mean shared or having in common (their mutual objective was peace). Nowadays, reciprocal is more commonly used in official or technical contexts (a reciprocal lowering of taxes by both states; a reciprocal trade agreement), while mutual is used to de¬ scribe any similarity of interests, opinions, or feelings, even if the relationship is not a reci¬ procal one (a mutual interest in bird watching). Common is a much vaguer term, used to describe anything that is shared by others or by all members of a group (a common lan¬ guage), while joint emphasizes the posses¬ sion of something by two people (a joint busi¬ ness venture). Shared implies more emotional warmth than joint, mutual, or reciprocal (a shared passion for classical music); it is also used to describe something that is actually divided up and used by two or more people (a shared meal). Unlike all of the above, in¬ terchangeable applies to elements that can be used in place of one another (interchange¬ able parts; interchangeable terms); it has more to do with function and less to do with human relationships.

muu*muu /mobmoo/ n. woman’s loose brightly colored dress.

Mu*zak /myobzak/ n. 1 propr. system of mu¬ sic transmission for playing in public places. 2 (muzak) recorded light background music. muZ'Zle /muzal/ • n. 1 projecting part of an animal’s face, including the nose and mouth. 2 guard fitted over an animal’s nose and mouth to stop it biting or feeding. 3 open end of a firearm, •v.tr. 1 put a muzzle on. 2 impose silence upon. □□ muz'zler n. an. 1 snout, trunk, proboscis. • v. 2 see SILENCE v. MVP abbr. Sports most valuable player. MW abbr. megawatt(s). my /mi/ poss.pron. [attrib. ] of or belonging to me or myself. my*al*gi*a /mialja/ n. muscular pain. □□ my* al'gic adj. My*ce*nae*an /misine'esn/ • adj. Archaeol.oi or relating to the late Bronze Age civilization in Greece (c. 1580-1100 bc), depicted in the Homeric poems. • n. inhabitant of Mycenae or the Mycenaean world. my*C0l*0*gy /mlkolajee/ n. 1 the study of

fungi. 2 fungi of a particular region. □□ my* co*log*i*cal /—kalojikal/ adj. my*co*log'i* cal*ly adv. my*col'o*gist n. my*e*lin /ml-ilin/ n. white substance that forms a sheath around certain nerve fibers. □□ my*e*li*na'tion n. my*e*li*tis /ml-ilitis/ n. inflammation of the spinal cord. My*lar /milaar/ n. propr. durable polyester film used for recording tapes, insulation, etc. my*nah /mina/ n. (also my'na, mi'na) any of various SE Asian starlings, esp. those able to mimic the human voice. my*0*pia /mIOpeea/ n. 1 nearsightedness. 2 lack of imagination or intellectual insight. □□ my*op*ic /miopik/ adj. my*op'i*cal*ly adv. m □□ myopic see nearsighted 1, small-

minded.

myr*i*ad /mireead/

literary • n. 1 an indefi¬ nitely great number. 2 ten thousand. • adj. of an indefinitely great number. an. 1 see lot n. 1. • adj. see unlimited. myrrh /mar/ n. gum resin used, esp. in the Near East, in perfumery, incense, etc. □□ myrrh'ic adj. myrrh'y adj. myr*tle /mortal/ n. 1 evergreen shrub with aromatic foliage and white flowers. 2 = peri¬ winkle1. my*self /mlself/ pron. 1 emphat. form of I2 or me {I saw it myself). 2 refl.form of me (7 was angry with myself).

mys*te*ri*ous /miste'ereeas/

adj. full of or wrapped in mystery. □□ mys*te'ri*ous*ly adv. mys*te'ri*ous*ness n. ■ puzzling, enigmatic, baffling, insoluble, unsolvable, bewildering, confounding, con¬ fusing, perplexing; cryptic, arcane, secret, in¬ scrutable, covert, hidden. mys*ter*y /mistaree/ n. (pi. -ies) 1 secret, hidden, or inexplicable matter (the reason re¬ mains a mystery). 2 secrecy or obscurity (wrapped in mystery). 3 (in full mystery story) fictional work dealing with a puzzling event, esp. a crime. See synonym study at RIDDLE. ■ 1 puzzle, enigma, conundrum, riddle, question. 2 indefiniteness, vagueness, nebu¬ lousness, ambiguity, ambiguousness, inscru¬ tability, inscrutableness. 3 detective story or novel, murder story or mystery, thriller, colloq. whodunit. mys*tic /mistik/ • n. person who seeks spiri¬ tual truths or experiences. • adj. 1 mysteri¬ ous and awe-inspiring. 2 spiritually allegori¬ cal or symbolic. 3 occult; esoteric. 4 of hidden meaning. □□ mys*ti*cism /-tisizam/ n. a adj. 1 see OCCULT adj. 1,3. 4 see cryptic. mys*ti*cal /mistikal/ adj. of mystics or mysti¬ cism. □□ mys'ti*cal*ly adv. a allegorical, symbolic(al), mystic, cabalis¬

tic, arcane, unrevealed, secret, occult, super¬ natural, esoteric. mys*ti*fy /mistifi.' v.tr. (-fies,-fied) 1 bewil¬ der; confuse. 2 wrap up in mystery. □□ mys*ti*fi*ca'tion n. a 1 confound, mix up, stump, puzzle, baf¬ fle, beat, colloq. flummox; fool, mislead, hoax, humbug.

mys*tique /miste'ek/ n. atmosphere of mys¬ tery and veneration attending some activity or person. ■ mystery, magic, charisma, aura, inscruta¬ bility, charm. myth /mith/ «. 1 traditional narrative usu. in¬ volving supernatural or imaginary persons and embodying popular ideas on natural or social phenomena, etc. 2 such narratives collectively. 3 widely held but false notion. 4 fictitious person, thing, or idea. 5 allegory (the Platonic myth). □□ myth'ic adj. myth'i* cal adj. myth'i*caldy adv. ■ 1,2,5 legend, fable, parable, (folk)tale, (folk)story, literary mythus. 3 see misconcep¬ tion (misconceive). 4 fable, lie, (tall) tale.

547

mystique ~ naked

fiction, untruth, falsehood, fabrication, fan¬ tasy, fairy story or tale, cock-and-bull story, si. whopper, oo mythic, mythical mytho¬ logical, fabled, legendary, traditional, folkloric; allegorical, symbolic, parabolic(al); fanciful, imaginary. my»thol*0*gy /mitholajee/ n. (pi. -gies) 1 body of myths (Greek mythology). 2 the study of myths. □□ myth*o*log*ic /-thalojik/ adj. myth*o*log'i*cal adj. myth*o*log'i* caltiy adv. my*thol'o*gist n. my*thol'o* gize v. ■ 1 folklore, fable, legend, tradition, lore, stories.

Nn N1 /en/

n. (also n) (pi. Ns or N’s; n’s) four¬ teenth letter of the alphabet. □ to the nth (or nth degree) 1 Math, to any required power. 2 to any extent; to the utmost. N2 abhr. (also N.) 1 north; northern. 2 noon. 3 New. N3 symb. Chem. nitrogen, n abbr. (also n.) 1 born. 2 name. 3 neuter. 4 noon. 5 number. 6 noun. Na symb. Chem. sodium. N.A. abbr. North America. n/a abbr. 1 not applicable. 2 not available. NAACP /endabslayseepee/ abbr. National As¬ sociation for the Advancement of Colored People. nab /nab/ v.tr. (nabbed, nab*bing) si. 1 ar¬ rest; catch in wrongdoing. 2 seize, grab. ■ 1 capture, apprehend, pick up, collar, nail, colloq. run in. na*bob /naybob/ n. wealthy person of influ¬ ence. na*cho /na'acho/ n. (pi. -chos) [usu. in pi.] tortilla chip, usu. topped with melted cheese, peppers, etc. na*cre /naykar/ n. mother-of-pearl. □□ na* cre*ous /naykreeas/ adj. na*dir /naydar, -deer/ n. 1 part of the celes¬ tial sphere directly below an observer (opp. ZENITH). 2 lowest point. ■ 2 abyss, rock bottom; depths (of despair), si. the pits. NAFTA /nafta/ abbr. North American Free Trade Agreement. nag1 /nag/ • v. (nagged, nag*ging) 1 a tr. persistently annoy, irritate, scold, urge, etc., (a person), b intr. find fault, complain, or urge, esp. persistently. 2 intr. (of a pain) ache dully but persistendy. 3 a tr. worry or preoc cupy (a person, the mind, etc.) (his mistake nagged him), b intr. [often foil, by at] worry or gnaw. • n. persistendy nagging person. ■ v. 1,3 irk, pester, criticize, henpeck, pick at, goad, pick on. n. pest, shrew. nag2 /nag/ n. colloq. horse, esp. an old or worthless one.

■ hack, pony, dobbin.

Na*hua*tl /na'awa'at’l/ • n. 1 member of a group of peoples native to southern Mexico and Central America. 2 language of these people. • adj. of the Nahuati peoples or lan¬ guage. nai*ad /nl'ad/ n. (pi. nai*ads or -ades /niadeez/) Mythol. water nymph. nail /nayl/ • n. 1 small usu. sharpened metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven in with a hammer to join things or to serve as a peg, protection (cf. hobnail), or decoration. 2 horny covering at the tip of the human fin¬ ger or toe. •v.tr. 1 fasten with a nail or nails. 2 fix or keep (a person, attention, etc.) fixed. 3 a secure, catch, or get hold of (a person or thing), b expose or discover (a lie or a liar). u~n. 1 tack, brad; fastener. 2 fingernail, toenail. • v. 1 attach, secure, join, tack. 2 see hold1 v. 7a. 3 a see catch v. 1. b see expose 5. native /naa-e'ev/ adj. (also native') 1 inno¬ cent; unaffected. 2 credulous; simple see synonym study at gullible. □□ native'ly adv. nativetie /naa-eevtay, -e'evtay/ n. ■ unsophisticated, artless, natural, child¬ like; unsuspecting, trusting. na*ked /naykid/ adj. 1 without clothes; nude. 2 undisguised (naked truth). 3 defenseless. 4 without addition, comment, support, evi¬ dence, etc. 5 devoid; without. 6 without leaves, hairs, scales, shell, etc. □□ na'kedtiy adv. na'ked*ness n. • 1 bare, stripped, undressed, in the raw. 2 plain, evident, obvious; blatant, undenia¬ ble, glaring; unmistakable. 4 unaided, un¬ supported; see also bare adj. 3. synonym study:

naked

BALD, BARE, BARREN, NUDE. Someone who isn’t wearing any clothes is naked; this ad¬ jective is usually associated with revealing a part or all of the body (They found her naked and weak with hunger). A naked person who appears in a painting or photograph is called

namby-pamby ~ narrow-minded 548

nape /nayp/ n. back of the neck. naph-tha /naf-tha, nap-/ n. flammable oil ob¬

a nude, a euphemistic but more socially ac¬ ceptable term referring to the unclothed human body. Bare can describe the branch¬ es of a tree as well as human limbs; it implies the absence of the conventional or appropri¬ ate covering (a bare wooden floor; bare legs; four bare walls). Bald also suggests a lack of cov¬ ering, but it refers particularly to lack of nat¬ ural covering, esp. hair (a bald head). Bar¬ ren, like bald, implies a lack of natural covering, especially vegetation, but it also connotes destitution and ffuitiessness (a bar¬ ren wasteland that could barely support life). A bald artist might paint a nude woman whose bare arms are extended against a barren win¬ ter landscape.

tained by the dry distillation of organic sub¬ stances such as coal, etc. naph-tha-lene /naf-thaleen, nap-/ n. white crystalline aromatic distillate of coal tar used in mothballs and the manufacture of dyes, etc. nap-kin /napkin/ n. square piece of linen, pa¬ per, etc., used for wiping the lips, fingers, etc., at meals. narc /nark/ n. (also nark) si. federal agent or police officer who enforces drug and nar¬ cotics laws. nar-cis-sism /naarsisizam/ n. Psychol, exces¬ sive or erotic interest in oneself, one’s physi¬ cal features, etc. □□ nar'cis-sist n. & adj. nar-cis-sis'tic adj. ■ see vanity 1. □□ narcissistic see vain 1. nar-cis-sus /naarsisas/ n. (pi. nar-cis-si /—si/ or nar-cis-sus-es) any of several bulbous plants bearing a single flower with an undi¬ vided corona, as the daffodil. nar-CO-lep-sy /naarkalepsee/ n. Med. disease with fits of sleepiness and drowsiness. □□ nar-co-lep-tic /—leptik/ adj. & n. nar-cot-ic /naarkotik/ • adj. 1 (of a sub¬ stance) inducing drowsiness, sleep, or stu¬ por. 2 (of a drug) affecting the mind. • n. narcotic substance, drug, or influence. ■ adj. 1 soporific, sedative, dulling, anes¬ thetic, tranquilizing. • n. sedative, opiate, anesthetic, tranquilizer. Nar-ra-gan-sett /naragansat, -gant-/ n. 1 a N. American people native to Rhode Is¬ land. b member of this people. 2 language of this people. nar-rate /narayt, narayt/ v.tr. [also absol.] 1 give a story or account of. 2 provide a spo¬ ken accompaniment for (a film, etc.). □□ nar-ra-tion /-rayshan/ n. nar'ra-tor n. ■ relate, tell, recount, describe; read. □□ narration telling; report, chronicle, tale; reading, voice-over, narrator commentator, announcer, reader. nar-ra-tive /narativ/ • n. spoken or written account of connected events in order of hap¬ pening. • adj. in the form of, or concerned with, narration (narrative verse). m n. story, tale, chronicle, report, history, statement. nar-row /naro/ • adj. (nar-row-er, nar-rowest) 1 a of small width, b confined or con¬ fining. 2 of limited scope. 3 with little mar¬ gin. • n. [usu. in pi] narrow part of a strait, river, pass, street, etc. • v. 1 intr. become narrow; diminish; contract; lessen. 2 tr. make narrow; constrict; restrict, on nar' row-ly adv. nar'row-ness n. m adj. 1 a slender, slim, thin; tapering, b limited, close, tight, constricted, restricted. 2 restricted, circumscribed. 3 close, hair¬ breadth; lucky. • n. channel, passage. • v. 1 decrease, reduce. 2 limit, qualify, dimin¬ ish, focus. □□ narrowly barely, (only) just, scarcely, colloq. by a whisker; closely, criti¬ cally. nar-row-mind-ed /naromindid/ adj. rigid or restricted in one’s views; intolerant. □□ nar' row-mind'ed-ness n.

nam*by-pam»by /nambeepambee/ • adj. lacking vigor or drive; weak. • n. (pi. -bies) timid or weak person. ■ adj. see weak adj. 3. • n. see weakling. name /naym/ • n. 1 a word by which an indi¬ vidual person, animal, place, or thing is known, spoken of, etc. b all who go under one name; family, clan, or people in terms of its name (the Scottish name). 2 usu. abusive term used of a person, etc. 3 famous person. 4 reputation, esp. a good one. »v.tr. 1 give a name to. 2 call (a person or thing) by the right name (named the man in the photo¬ graph). 3 mention; specify; cite. 4 nomi¬ nate, appoint, etc. □ in name (or name only) as a mere formality; hardly at all (is the leader in name only), in the name of as rep¬ resenting; by virtue of. □□ name'a-ble adj. mn. 1,2 designation, label, tag. 3 celebrity, star, hero. 4 honor, distinction, fame. • v. 1 label, tag, call; christen, baptize. 3, 4 choose, elect, delegate; identify. name*less /naymlis/ adj. 1 having or show¬ ing no name. 2 inexpressible; indefinable. 3 unnamed; anonymous, esp. deliberately. 4 too horrific to be named. ■ 1,3 unidentified, incognito; unknown, unheard-of; obscure. 2 unidentifiable, un¬ specified. 4 unspeakable, abominable, in¬ describable, repulsive. nametiy /naymlee/ adv. that is to say; in other words. ■ specifically, to wit. name-sake /naymsayk/ n. person or thing having the same name as another. nan*ny /nanee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 child’s nurse¬ maid. 2 (in full nan'ny goat) female goat, nano- /nano, nayno/ comb, form denoting a factor of 10-9 (nanosecond). nap1 /nap/ • v.intr. (napped, nap-ping) sleep lightly or briefly. • n. short sleep or doze, esp. by day. ■ v. doze, nod (off), catnap. • n. siesta, colloq. shut-eye, snooze. nap2 /nap/ n. 1 raised pile on textiles, esp. velvet. 2 soft downy surface. ■ 1 texture, weave, down; see also texture n. 1, 2. na-palm /naypaam/ • n. jellied incendiary substance used in bombs. • v.tr. attack with napalm bombs.

■ bigoted, biased, opinionated, one-sided, conservative, petty, shallow, puritanical, un¬ progressive, si. square. nar*whal /naarwsl/ n. Arctic white whale, the male of which has a long straight tusk. nar*y /nairee/ adj. colloq. or dial, not any; no (nary a one). NASA /nasa/ abbr. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. na*sal /nayzal/ • adj. 1 of, for, or relating to the nose. 2 pronounced or spoken with the breath passing through the nose. • n. Phonet. nasal letter or sound. □□ na'salnze v. na* sal*i*za'tion n. na'saWy adv. NASCAR /naskaar/ • abbr. National Associa¬ tion for Stock Car Auto Racing. nas*cent /nasant, nay-/ adj. 1 in the act of being born. 2 just beginning to be. do nas' cen*cy /nasansee, nay-/ n. NASDAQ /nazdak, nas-/ abbr. National Asso¬ ciation of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. naS'ty /nastee/ adj. (nas*ti*er, nas*ti*est) 1 a highly unpleasant, b annoying; objec¬ tionable. 2 difficult to negotiate; dangerous, serious. 3 (of a person or animal) illnatured; offensive. 4 a obscene, b delight¬ ing in obscenity, on nasti*ly adv. nasti* ness n. ■ 1 disagreeable, unsavory, painful. 2 bad, severe, acute; hard, tricky, problematical. 3 unpleasant, ugly, vicious, surly. 4 dirty, pornographic, blue, crude. na»tal /naytal/ adj. of or from one’s birth. ■ see INHERENT 1, INBORN. Natch*ez /nachiz/ n. 1 a N. American people native to Mississippi, b member of this peo¬ ple. 2 language of this people. na*tion /nayshsn/ n. 1 community of people of mainly common descent, history, lan¬ guage, etc., forming a unified government or inhabiting a territory. 2 tribe or confedera¬ tion of tribes of Native Americans, do na* 1 tion'hood n. m 1 country, state, land, domain. na*tion*al /nashsnsl/ • adj. 1 of or common to a nation or the nation. 2 peculiar to or characteristic of a particular nation. • n. cit¬ izen of a specified country. □ national an¬ them patriotic song adopted by a nation. National Guard federally subsidized state militia, called into service in cases of emer¬ gency. □□ na'tion*al*ly adv. • adj. countrywide, federal; public. • n. res¬ ident; voter. na*tion*al*ism /nashanalizam/ n. 1 patriotic feeling, principles, etc. 2 policy of national independence, do na'tion*al»ist n. & adj. na*tion*al*is'tic adj. m □□ nationalist (n.) see patriot, nation¬ alistic patriotic, xenophobic, isolationist. na»tion*aW«ty /nashanalitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 a status of belonging to a particular nation, b nation (people of all nationalities). 2 ethnic group forming a part of one or more political nations. ■ 1 citizenship. 2 race, ethnic minority, tribe; heritage. na*tion*al*ize /nashanallz/ v.tr. 1 take (in¬ dustry, land, etc.) into government control

549

narwhal ~ natural

or ownership. 2 a make national, b make into a nation. □□ na*tion*al*i*za'tion n. na*tion»wide /nayshanwi’d/ adj. & adv. ex¬ tending over the whole nation. na*tive /naytiv/ • n. la person born in a specified place, b local inhabitant. 2 often offens. member of a nonwhite indigenous people, as regarded by the colonial settlers. 3 indigenous animal or plant. • adj. 1 inher¬ ent; innate. 2 of one’s birth (native dress). 3 belonging to a specified place (the anteater is native to S. America). 4 a indigenous, b of the natives of a place. 5 in a natural state; unadorned; simple. □ Native American member of the indigenous peoples of Ameri¬ ca or their descendants. ■ n. 1 aborigine; citizen, resident; local. • adj. 1 see inherent 1, inborn. 2, 4 domes¬ tic, local; aboriginal; national, ethnic. 3 see indigenous. 5 real, genuine; plain. synonym study:

native

ABORIGINAL, ENDEMIC, INDIGENOUS. A native New Yorker is probably not indigenous, al¬ though both words apply to persons or things that belong to or are associated with a particular place by birth or origin. Native means born or produced in a specific region or country (nativeplants; native dances), but it can also apply to persons or things that were introduced from elsewhere some time ago— which is the case with most New Yorkers who consider themselves natives. Indigenous, on the other hand, is more restricted in mean¬ ing; it applies only to something or someone that is not only native but was not introduced from elsewhere (the pumpkin is indigenous to America). Generally speaking, native applies to individual organisms, while indigenous ap¬ plies to races or species. Something that is endemic is prevalent in a particular region because of special conditions there that favor its growth or existence (heather is endemic in the Scottish Highlands; malaria is endemic in Central America). There are no longer any

aboriginal New Yorkers, a word that refers to the earliest known inhabitants of a place or to ancient peoples who have no known an¬ cestors and have inhabited a region since its earliest historical time. Australia is known for its aboriginal culture, which was preserved for centuries through geographical isolation.

na*tiv*i»ty /nativitee, nay-/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 (esp. the Nativity) a the birth of Christ, b Christmas. 2 birth. ■ 2 see birth n. 1.

natl. abbr. national. NATO /nayto/ abbr. North Atlantic Treaty Or¬ ganization.

nat»ty /natee/ adj. (nat*ti*er, nat*ti*est) col¬ loq. 1 smartly or neatly dressed. 2 trim; smart (a natty blouse). □□ nat'tidy adv.

nat*u*ral /nacharal/ • adj. 1 a existing in or caused by nature, b uncultivated; wild. 2 in the course of nature; not exceptional. 3 (of human nature, etc.) not surprising; to be ex¬ pected. 4 (of a person or a person’s behav¬ ior) unaffected, easy, spontaneous. 5 a (of

naturalism ~ navy

550

qualities, etc.) inherent; innate, b (of a per¬ son) having such qualities (a natural linguist). 6 not disguised or altered (as by makeup, etc.). 7 likely by its or their nature to be such (•natural enemies). 8 Mus. a (of a note) not sharpened or flatted, b (of a scale) not con¬ taining sharps or flats. See synonym study at normal. • n. 1 colloq. person or thing natu¬ rally suitable, adept, expert, etc. 2 Mus. a sign (l|) denoting a return to natural pitch, b natural note. □ natural gas flammable mainly methane gas extracted from the earth, natural history 1 study of animals or plants. 2 aggregate of the facts concern¬ ing the flora and fauna, etc., of a particular place or class, natural law Philos, unchang¬ ing moral principles common to all people by virtue of their nature as human beings, natural numbers integers 1, 2, 3, etc. nat¬ ural resources materials or conditions oc¬ curring in nature and capable of economic exploitation, natural science sciences used in the study of the physical world, natural selection Darwinian theory of the survival and propagation of organisms best adapted to their environment. □□ nat'u*ral*ness n. ■ adj. la, 2, 6 ordinary, common, normal; reasonable, accepted; expected; simple, basic, true. 4 unstudied, candid, genuine, ingenuous. 5 a see inherent 1, inborn. 7 logical, appropriate, expected, o natural history 1 ecology, biology, botany, zoology, geology. nat»u»ral*isrn /nacharalizam/ n. 1 realistic representation in art and literature of nature, character, etc. 2 a Philos, theory of the world that excludes the supernatural or spiritual, b moral or religious system based on this theory. □□ nat*u*ral*is*tic /—istik/ adj. nat«U*ral*ist nacharalist/ n. 1 expert in nat¬ ural history. 2 adherent of naturalism. ■ 1 ecologist, biologist, botanist, zoologist; wildlife expert, conservationist, environmen¬ talist, ecologist. nat'U'ral'ize /nacharallz/ v. 1 tr. admit (a foreigner) to citizenship. 2 tr. successfully introduce (an animal, plant, etc.) into an¬ other region. □□ nat*u*ral*i*za'tion n. nat*U»raMy /nacharalee, nachra-/ adv. 1 in a natural manner. 2 as might be expected; of course. ■ 1 normally; inherently, instinctively, eas¬ ily. 2 needless to say, certainly. na*ture /naychar/ n. 1 innate or essential qualities or character (is the nature of iron to rust). 2 (often Nature) a physical power causing all material phenomena, b these phenomena. 3 kind, sort, or class (things of this nature). 4 natural world. □ by nature innately. ■ 1 properties, features, personality, make¬ up. 2 a Mother Nature, b wildlife, fauna and flora, environment, countryside. 3 vari¬ ety, description; category, type; constitution. 4 scenery, countryside, wilderness. □ by na¬ ture see NATURALLY 1. na'tured /naychard/ adj. [in comb.] having a specified disposition (good-natured).

naught /nawt/ • n. 1 nothing. 2 zero. • adj. [usu. predic.] worthless; useless. ■ n. 1 nil, si. zilch. naugh*ty /nawt ee/ adj. (naugh*ti«er, naugh*ti*est) 1 (esp. of children) disobedi¬ ent; badly behaved. 2 colloq. joc. indecent. □□ naugh'ti'ly adv. naugh'ti'ness n. ■ 1 mischievous, devilish; unruly, undisci¬ plined. 2 improper, offensive, vulgar. nau*se*a /nawzeea, -zha, -seea, -sha/ n. 1 feeling of sickness with an inclination to vomit. 2 loathing; revulsion. nau*se*ate /nawzeeayt, -zhee-, -see-, -shee-/ v. 1 tr. affect with nausea (was nau¬ seated by the smelt). 2 intr. feel sick, on nau' se*at*ing adj. m 1 sicken, disgust, repel, nau'seous /nawshas, -zeeas/ adj. 1 affected with nausea; sick. 2 causing nausea; offen¬ sive to the taste or smell. ■ 2 loathsome, sickening, disgusting, nasty, foul. nau»ti»cal /nawtikal/ adj. of sailors or naviga¬ tion; naval; maritime. □ nautical mile unit of approx. 2,025 yards (1,852 meters): (also called sea mile). □□ naut'i»cal*ly adv. ■ marine, seafaring, seagoing; boating, yachting, sailing. nau*ti*lus /nawt’las/ n. (pi. nau*ti*lus*es or nau*ti*li l-W) cephalopod with a spiral shell, esp. one having a chambered shell. Nav*a*jo /navaho, naa-/ n. (pi. -jos) (also Nav’atiho) (pi. -hos) 1 member of N. American people native to New Mexico and Arizona. 2 language of this people. na*val /nayval/ adj. 1 of, in, for, etc., the navy or a navy. 2 of or concerning ships (a naval battle). U

see NAUTICAL.

nave /nayv/ n. central part of a church, usu. from the west door to the chancel and ex¬ cluding the side aisles. na»vel /nayval/ n. depression in the center of the belly caused by detachment of the umbil¬ ical cord. □ navel orange large seedless or¬ ange with a navellike formation at the top. ■ Anat. umbilicus, colloq. belly button. nav*i*ga*ble /navigabal/ adj. 1 (of a river, etc.) affording a passage for ships. 2 (of a ship, etc.) seaworthy. 3 (of a balloon, air¬ ship, etc.) steerable. □□ nav*i*ga*bil'i*ty n. • 1 passable, negotiable; clear, open. 2, 3 sailable; controllable. nav*i*gate /navigayt/ v. 1 tr. manage or di¬ rect the course of (a ship, aircraft, etc.). 2 tr. a sail on (a sea, etc.), b fly through (the air). 3 intr. assist the driver by map-reading, etc. 4 intr. sail a ship; sail in a ship. □□ nav'i*ga* tor n. m 1 maneuver, guide, steer. 2, 4 cruise, journey; cross, oo navigator helmsman, skipper, pilot. nav*i*ga*tion /navigayshan/ n. 1 act or pro¬ cess of navigating. 2 method of determining a ship’s or aircraft’s position and course by geometry, astronomy, radio signals, etc. ■ 1 pilotage, seamanship, steering, sailing. na»vy /nayvee/ n. (pi. -vies) 1 (often the Navy) a a nation’s ships of war, including crews, maintenance systems, etc. b officers

and enlisted personnel of a navy. 2 (in full na'vy blue') dark-blue color. □ navy bean small white kidney bean. ■ la naval force(s); see also fleet1 1. nay /nay/ • adv. or rather; and even; and more than that (impressive, nay, magnificent). • n. 1 the word ‘nay.’. 2 negative vote (counted 16 nays). □□ nay'sayer n. • □□ naysayer dissenter, dissident. Na*zi /naatsee, nat-/ • n. (pi. Na*zis) 1 hist. member of the German National Socialist party. 2 adherent of this party’s tenets. • adj. of Nazis, Nazism, etc. □□ Na'zism /naatsizam, nat-/ n. NB abbr. 1 New Brunswick. 2 nota bene. Nb symb. Chem. niobium. NBC abbr. National Broadcasting Company. NC abbr. North Carolina (in official postal use). NCO abbr. noncommissioned officer. ND abbr. North Dakota (in official postal use). Nd symb. Chem. neodymium, n.d. abbr. no date. N.Dak. abbr. North Dakota. NE abbr. 1 Nebraska (in official postal use). 2 northeast. 3 northeastern. Ne symb. Chem. neon. Ne»an*der»thal /neeandarthawl, -tawl, -taal/ adj. (also Ne*an'der*tal) of the type of early human widely distributed in Paleolithic Eu¬ rope. neap /neep/ n. (in full neap tide) tide just af¬ ter the first and third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water. Ne*a*pol*i*tan /ne'espolitan/ • n. native or citizen of Naples in Italy. • adj. of Naples. □ Neapolitan ice cream ice cream made in layers of different colors and flavors, near /neer/ • adv. 1 to or at a short distance in space or time (the time drew near, dropped near to them). 2 closely (as near as one can guess). • prep, [compar. & superl. also used] 1 to or at a short distance (in space, time, condition, or resemblance) from. 2 [in comb.] a that is al¬ most (near-hysterical). b intended as a substi¬ tute for; resembling (near beer). • adj. 1 [usu. predic.] close to, in place or time (the man nearest you). 2 a closely related, b intimate. 3 close; narrow (near escape). • v. 1 tr. ap¬ proach; draw near to. 2 intr. draw near. □ the Near East region comprising the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, near miss 1 narrowly avoided collision. 2 attempt that is almost but not quite successful. □□ near' ish adj. near'ness n. m adv. 1 close by, not far (off or away), nearby, in the vicinity. • prep. 1 close to, next to, adjacent to, within reach of. • adj. 1 imminent, immediate, impending; nearby, adjacent, next-door. 2 a intimate, connect¬ ed, attached, b see intimate1 adj. 1. 3 hair¬ breadth; lucky. • v. come close or closer to; verge on, lean toward. □ near miss 1 nar¬ row escape, colloq. close shave. near»by /neerbi/ • adj. near, in position. • adv. close; not far away. ■ adj. close, within reach, handy. • adv. about, around.

551

nay ~ necessary

near*ly /neerlee/ adv. 1 almost. 2 closely.

■ 1 not quite, about, just about, practically; barely, hardly. near*sight»ed /ne'ersitid/ adj. unable to see distant objects clearly. □□ near'sight»ed* ness n. m shortsighted, myopic, dim-sighted. neat /neet/ adj. 1 tidy and methodical. 2 ele¬ gantly simple. 3 brief, clear, and pointed. 4 a cleverly executed, b deft; dexterous. 5 (of esp. alcoholic liquor) undiluted. 6 si. (as a general term of approval) good, pleas¬ ing, excellent. □□ neat'ly adv. neat'ness n. m 1 orderly, clean, uncluttered, fastidious. 2 unadorned, well-proportioned; regular, precise. 3 distinct, witty, lucid, crisp; see also epigrammatic (epigram). 4 adroit, ef¬ ficient, expert. 5 straight, unmixed. 6 fine, wonderful, marvelous, first-class. neafren /ne'et’n/ v. tr. make neat. ■ tidy (up), straighten (up or out), clean (up), spruce up. Nebr. abbr. Nebraska. neb*U*la /nebyala/ n. (pi. neb*u*lae /-lee/ or ne*bu*las) Astron. 1 cloud of gas and dust, glowing or appearing as a dark silhouette against other glowing matter. 2 bright area caused by a galaxy, or a large cloud of distant stars. □□ neb'u*lar adj. neb*U*IOUS /nebyslas/ adj. 1 cloudlike. 2 a formless, clouded, b hazy, indistinct, vague (put forward a few nebulous ideas). 3 Astron. of or like a nebula(e). ■ 2 unclear, obscure, fuzzy, ill-defined, shapeless, blurred. nec*es*sar*y /nessseree/ • adj. 1 requiring to be done, achieved, etc.; requisite; essen¬ tial. 2 determined, existing, or happening by natural laws, predestination, etc., not by free will; inevitable. • n. (pi. -ies) [usu. in pi.]-basic requirements. □□ nec*es*sar'i*ly adv. • adj. 1 indispensable, compulsory, vital. 2 certain, inexorable; unavoidable, inescapa¬ ble. • n. see necessity la. □□necessarily inevitably, naturally, Certainly. synonym study:

necessary

ESSENTIAL, indispensable, inevitable, requi¬ site. Food is essential to human life, which means that we must have it to survive. Essen¬ tial can also apply to something that makes up the essence, or necessary qualities or at¬ tributes, of a thing (good brakes are essential to safe driving). Clothing is indispensable in northern climates, which means that it can¬ not be done without if the specified or im¬ plied purpose—in this case, survival—is to be achieved. Necessary applies to some¬ thing without which a condition cannot be fulfilled (cooperation was necessary to gather the harvest), although it generally implies a pressing need rather than absolute indis¬ pensability. Requisite refers to that which is required by the circumstances (the requisite skills for a botanist) and generally describes a requirement that is imposed from the out¬ side rather than an inherent need.

necessitate ~ negative

552

ne*ces*si*tate /nisesitayt/ v.tr. make neces¬ sary (esp. as a result) {will necessitate some sac¬ rifice). See synonym study at compel. ■ see entail v. ne*ces»si*ty /nisesitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 a in¬ dispensable thing, b indispensability. 2 im¬ perative need. 3 want; poverty; hardship. □ of necessity unavoidably. ■ 1 a requirement, essential, prerequisite, b unavoidability, inevitability. 2 urgency, emergency, crisis. 3 indigence, need, desti¬ tution, difficulty. □ of necessity see neces¬ sarily (necessary). neck /nek/ • n. 1 a part of the body connect¬ ing the head to the shoulders, b part of a garment around or close to the neck. 2 something resembling a neck, such as the narrow part of a cavity or vessel, a passage, channel, etc. • v. cottoq. kiss and caress amo¬ rously. □ neck and neck running even in a race, etc. up to one’s neck [often foil, by in] colloq. very deeply involved; very busy. m n. 2 see cape2 n. • v. kiss, smooch. □ neck and neck see level adj. 3. neck»er*chief /nekarchif, -cheef/ n. square of cloth worn around the neck. necMace /neklas/ n. chain or string of beads, precious stones, links, etc., worn as an orna¬ ment around the neck. ■ beads, chain, choker. neck'line /neklln/ n. edge or shape of the opening of a garment at the neck. neck»tie /nekti/ n. = tie n. 2. necro- /nekro/ comb, form corpse. nec*ro»man»cy /nekromansee/ n. 1 predic¬ tion of the future by supposed communica¬ tion with the dead. 2 witchcraft, □□nec'ro* man’cer n. • see magic n. 1. □□ necromancer see ma¬ gician.

nec*ro*phil*i*a /nekrafileea/ n. (also nec*ro* phil*y /nikrofilee/) morbid and esp. erotic at¬ traction to corpses. □□ nec*ro*phile /nekrafil/ n. nec*ro*phil*ic adj. ne*croph*i* lism /-krofilizam/ n. ne»cro»siS /nekrOsis/ n. Med. & Physiol, death of tissue caused by disease or injury, esp. as one of the symptoms of gangrene or pulmo¬ nary tuberculosis, an ne*crot*ic /-krotik/ adj. nec*tar /nektar/ n. 1 sugary substance pro¬ duced by plants and made into honey by bees. 2 Gk. & Rom. mythol. the drink of the gods. 3 drink compared to this. □□ nectar* ous adj. nec»tar»ine /nektare'en/ n. variety of peach with a thin brightly colored smooth skin and firm flesh. nee /nay/ adj. (also nee) born (Mrs. Ann Smith, nee Jones). need/need/ •v.tr. 1 stand in want of; require (needs a new coat). 2 be under the necessity or obligation. • n. 1 requirement. 2 circum¬ stances requiring action; necessity. 3 desti¬ tution; poverty. 4 crisis; emergency. □ if need be if required. ■ v. 1 demand, call for; lack, miss. 2 (need to) see get v. 10b. • n. 1,2 call, demand;

constraint; essential, requisite; shortage, scarcity. 3, 4 distress, difficulty; deprivation, indigence. need*ful /ne'edfOOl/ adj. requisite; necessary. □□ need'fubly adv. ■ see necessary adj. 1. nee*dle /ne'ed’l/ • n. la very thin small piece of smooth steel, etc., pointed at one end and with a slit (eye) for thread at the other, used in sewing, b larger plastic, wooden, etc., slender stick without an eye, used in knitting. C slender hooked stick used in crochet. 2 pointer on a dial. 3 end of a hypodermic syringe. 4 pointed rock or peak. 5 leaf of a fir or pine tree. • v.tr. colloq. incite or irritate; provoke (the silence needled him), an. 2 see indicator 1. 5 see spine 2. • v. see irritate 1. nee*dle*point /need’lpoynt/ n. decorative needlework or lace made with a needle. need'less /ne'edlis/ adj. 1 unnecessary. 2 uncalled-for; gratuitous. □□ need'less*ly adv. need'less*ness n. • nonessential, superfluous, redundant, useless, excessive, dispensable. □□ need¬ lessly unduly, excessively. nee*dle*WOrk /need’lwark/ n. sewing or em¬ broidery. needs /needz/ adv. archaic of necessity (must needs decide).

need*y /needee/

adj. (need*i*er, need*i*est) 1 (of a person) poor; destitute. 2 (of circum¬ stances) characterized by poverty. 3 emo¬ tionally impoverished or demanding. □□ need'i*ness n. m 1 indigent, poverty-stricken, penniless, disadvantaged. ne’er /nair/ adv. poet. — never. □ ne’er-dowell n. good-for-nothing person, adj. goodfor-nothing. ne*far*i*ous /nifaireeas/ adj. wicked; iniqui¬ tous. □□ ne*far'i*ous*ly adv. ne*far'i*ous* ness n. ■ see EVIL adj. 1. □□ nefariousness see evil n. 2. ne*gate /nigayt/ v.tr. 1 nullify; invalidate. 2 deny. ■ 1 see neutralize. ne*ga»tion /nigayshan/ n. 1 absence or op¬ posite of something actual or positive. 2 act of denying. □□ neg*a*to*ry /negatawree/ adj.

■ 2 see denial 1.

neg*a*tive /negativ/ • adj. 1 expressing or implying denial, prohibition, or refusal. 2 (of a person or attitude) lacking positive at¬ tributes. 3 marked by the absence of quali¬ ties (a negative reaction). 4 opposite to a thing regarded as positive (debt is negative capital). 5 Algebra (of a quantity) less than zero, to be subtracted from others or from zero (opp. positive). 6 Electr. a of the kind of charge carried by electrons (opp. posi¬ tive). b containing or producing such a charge. • n. 1 negative statement, reply, or word. 2 Photog. a image with black and white reversed or colors replaced by comple¬ mentary ones, b developed film or plate bearing such an image. □□ neg'a*tive*ly adv. neg*a*tiv'i*ty n.

■ adj. 1 contradictory, anti, opposing. 2 apathetic, cool, uninterested, unrespon¬ sive, pessimistic. 3 see inert 2. neg* *a*tiv*ism /negativizam/ n. negative posi¬ tion or attitude; extreme skepticism, criti¬ cism, etc. ne*glect /niglekt/ • v.tr. 1 fail to care for or to do; be remiss about (neglected their duty). 2 not pay attention to; disregard (neglected the obvious warning). • n. 1 lack of caring; negli¬ gence (the house suffered from neglect). 2 a ne¬ glecting. b being neglected (the house fell into

neglect). □□ ne*glect'ful adj. ne*glect'ful*ly adv. m v. 1 disregard, let slide or pass, forget,

shirk; omit. 2 ignore, slight, overlook; pass by, scorn, cold-shoulder. • n. 1 laxity, dere¬ liction, default, failure. synonym study: neglect PISREGARD, IGNORE, OVERLOOK, SLIGHT. One of the most common reasons why people fail to arrive at work on time is that they neglect to set their alarm clocks, a verb that implies a failure to carry out some expected or re¬ quired action, either intentionally or through carelessness. Some people, of course, choose to disregard their employers’ rules pertain¬ ing to tardiness, which implies a voluntary, and sometimes deliberate, inattention. Oth¬ ers hear the alarm go off and simply ignore it, which suggests not only a deliberate deci¬ sion to disregard something but a stubborn refusal to face the facts. No doubt they hope their employers will overlook their frequent late arrivals, which implies a failure to see or to take action, which can be either intention¬ al or due to haste or lack of care (to overlook minor errors). But they also hope no one will slight them for their conduct when it comes to handing out raises and promotions, which means to disregard or neglect in a disdainful way._ neg*li*gee /neglizhay/ n. (also neg*li*gee, neg*li*ge) woman’s dressing gown of sheer fabric. neg*li*gence /neglijans/ n. 1 lack of proper care and attention. 2 culpable carelessness. □ □ neg*li*gent /-jant/ adj. neg'li*gent*ly

adv. • 1 inattention, indifference, dereliction, failure, laxness. neg*li*gi*ble /neglijibal/ adj. not worth con¬ sidering; insignificant. □□ neg'li*gi*bly adv. ■ minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial, in¬ consequential. ne*go*ti*ate /nigOsheeayt, -seeayt/ v. 1 intr. discuss in order to reach an agreement. 2 tr. arrange (an affair) or bring about (a result) by negotiating. 3 tr. find a way over, through, etc. (an obstacle, difficulty, etc.). 4 tr. convert (a check, etc.) into money. □□ ne*go*tia*ble /-shabal, -sheea-/ adj. ne* go*ti*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. ne*go'ti*a*tor n. u 1 deal, bargain, haggle; debate, mediate. 2 organize, conduct; obtain, accomplish. 3 clear, pass, cross. □□ negotiation media¬ tion, arbitration, bargaining; deal, negotia¬ tor arbiter, moderator. Ne*gro /ne'egro/ • n. (pi. -groes) member of

553

negativism ~ neologism

a dark-skinned race orig. native to Africa. • adj. 1 of black people. 2 (as negro) Zool. black or dark (negro ant). HThe term black or African American is preferred when referring to people. □□ Ne*groid /neegroyd/ adj. neigh /nay/ • n. high whinnying sound of a horse. • v. 1 intr. make such a sound. 2 tr. say, cry, etc., with such a sound, neighbor /naybar/ • n. 1 person or thing near or living next door to or near or nearest another. 2 fellow human being. • v. 1 tr. border on; adjoin. 2 intr. [often foil, by on, upon] border; adjoin. ■ v. see border v. 3a. neighborhood /naybarhGOd/ n. la dis¬ trict, esp. one forming a community within a town or city, b people of a district; one’s neighbors. 2 neighborly feeling or conduct. □ in the neighborhood of roughly; about

(paid in the neighborhood of $100). m 1 locality, vicinity, precinct(s). 2 neighborliness. □ in the neighborhood of ap¬ proximately, around, nearly,

neighborly /naybarlee/ adj. characteristic of

a

good

neighbor;

friendly;

kind.

□□ neigh'bor*li*ness n. m cordial, warm, sociable, thoughtful, help¬ ful, courteous. neither /ne'ethar, nith-/ • adj. & pron. [foil, by sing, verb] not the one nor the other (of two); not either. • adv. 1 not either; not on the one hand (foil, by nor: neither knowing nor caring). 2 also not (if you do not, neither shall I). • conj. archaic nor yet; nor. nebson /nelsan/ n. wrestling hold in which one arm is passed under the opponent’s arm from behind and the hand is applied to the neck (half nelson), or both arms and hands are applied (full nelson). nem*a*tode /nematod/ n. parasitic or freeliving" worm with a slender unsegmented cylindrical shape. (Also called roundworm). nem»e*sis /nemisis/ n. (pi. nem*e*ses /-seez/) 1 retributive justice. 2 a downfall caused by this, b agent of such a downfall. 3 something that one cannot conquer, achieve, etc. neo- /ne'e-o/ comb, form 1 new; modern. 2 new form of. ne*o*clas*si*cal /ne'e-oklasikal/ adj. (also ne* o*clas*sic /—ik/) of or relating to a revival of a classical style in the arts, etc. □□ ne*o* clas*si*cism /-sisizam/ n. ne*0*C0*l0*niaal*ism /ne'e-okaloneealizam/ n. use of economic, political, or other pres¬ sures to control or influence other countries, esp. former dependencies. ne*0»dym»i*um /ne'eadimeeam/ n. Chem. silver-gray metallic element used in coloring glass, etc. KSymb.: Nd. ne»0*iithic /ne'ealithik/ adj. of the later Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed. ne*0l*0*gism /nee-olajizam/ n. 1 new word or expression. 2 coining or use of new words. ■ coinage.

neon ~ network ne*on /ne'e-on/

554

n. Chem. inert gaseous ele¬ ment giving an orange glow when electricity is passed through it (neon light, neon sign). IjSymb.: Ne. ne*0#phyte /ne'eaftt/ n. 1 new convert, esp. to a religious faith. 2 beginner; novice. ■ 1 proselyte. 2 see novice. ne*0*prene /ne'e-spreen/ n. synthetic rubber¬ like polymer. Ne*pal*i /nipawlee/ • n. (pi. same or Ne*pal* is) (also Ne*pal*ese /nepale'ez, -lees/) 1 a native or national of Nepal in Central Asia, b person of Nepali descent. 2 lan¬ guage of Nepal. • adj. of Nepal or its lan¬ guage or people. neph»ew /nefydo/ n. son of one’s brother or sister, or of one’s brother-in-law or sister-inlaw. ne»phrit»ic /nafritik/ adj. 1 of or in the kid¬ neys; renal. 2 of or relating to nephritis. ne*phri»tis /nefrftis/ n. inflammation of the kidneys. (Also called Bright’s disease). ne plus ul»tra /nay plCOs Obltraa, ne plus ultra/ n. 1 furthest attainable point. 2 cul¬ mination, acme, or perfection. nep*o»tism /nepatizam/ n. favoritism to rela¬ tives in conferring offices or privileges. ■ see FAVORITISM. Nep*tune /neptoon, -tyoon/ n. 1 eighth plan¬ et from the sun. 2 Gk. mythol. god of the sea. nep*tu»ni»um /neptobneeam, -ty /payntar/ n. person who paints, esp. an artist or decorator. paint*er2 /payntar/ n. rope attached to the bow of a boat for tying it to a pier, dock, etc. paint*ing /paynting/ n. 1 process or art of using paint. 2 painted picture, pair /pair/ • n. 1 set of two persons or things used together or regarded as a unit (a pair of gloves). 2 article (e.g., scissors) consisting of two joined or corresponding parts. 3 a ro¬ mantically involved couple, b mated couple

593

pageantry ~ pale

of animals. 4 two playing cards of the same denomination. • v. 1 arrange or be arranged in couples. 2 mate. ■ n. 1 couple, twosome, two of a kind, set of two, duo, brace. 3 (courting or engaged or married) couple, twosome. • v. 1 match (up), pair off or up, team (up), put together, partner, twin, double. 2 marry; join or be joined in wedlock or (holy) matrimony. Pais*ley /payzlee/ n. (also pais*ley) [often attrib.] distinctive detailed pattern of curved feather-shaped figures. Pai*ute /pl'yoot/ n. (also Piute) 1 a N. Amer¬ ican people native to the southwestern US. b member of this people. 2 language of this people. pa*ja*mas /paja'amaz, -jam-/ n.pl. 1 suit of loose pants and jacket for sleeping in. 2 loose pants tied at the waist, worn by both sexes in some Asian countries. Pa*ki»stan*i /pakistanee, pa'akista'anee/ • n. 1 native or national of Pakistan. 2 person of Pakistani descent. • adj. of or relating to Pakistan. pal /pal/ n. colloq. friend or comrade. ■ alter ego, crony, mate, companion, play¬ mate, classmate, colloq. chum, sidekick, amigo, buddy. pabace /palis/ n. 1 official residence of a president or sovereign. 2 mansion; spacious building. ■ 2 castle, stately home, manor (house), (country) estate, chateau, villa. pabat»a»ble /palatabal/ adj. 1 pleasant to taste. 2 (of an idea, suggestion, etc.) accept¬ able; satisfactory. □□ pal*at*a*bil'i*ty n. pal'at*a*ble*ness n. pal'at*a*bly adv. pal*a*tal /palat’l/ • adj. 1 of the palate. 2 (of a sound) made by placing the surface of the tongue against the hard palate (e.g.,y in yes). • n.j)alatal sound. □□ pal'a*tal*ize v.tr. pal* a*tal*i*za'tion n. pal'a*tal*ly adv. pa bate /palat/ n. 1 structure closing the upper part of the mouth cavity in verte¬ brates. 2 taste; liking. pa*la*tial /palayshal/ adj. (of a building) like a palace, esp. spacious and magnificent. □□ pa*la'tial*ly adv. m luxurious, deluxe, splendid, stately, sumptuous. pal»a*tine /palatln/ adj. (also Palatine) hist. having or subject to authority that elsewhere belongs only to a sovereign. pa*la*ver /palavar, -la'avar/ n. tedious fuss and bother. ■ trouble, red tape, commotion, bother, nonsense, colloq. song and dance, carryingon. pale1 /payl/ • adj. 1 diminished in coloration; of a whitish or ashen appearance. 2 of faint luster; dim. • v. 1 intr. & tr. grow or make pale. 2 intr. become feeble in comparison (with). □□ pale'ly adv. pale'ness n. pal'ish adj. m adj.

1 colorless, white, wan, sallow, waxen, livid, ashen, ashy, pallid, bloodless, whitish, pasty, whey-faced. 2 faint, light, washed-out, pastel; see also dim adj. la. • v.

pale ~ palsy

594

1 blanch, dim, whiten. 2 diminish, lessen, fade (away), decrease, abate. synonym study:

pale

ashen, livid, pallid, WAN. Someone of fair complexion who usually stays indoors and spends very little time in the sun is apt to be pale, referring to an unnaturally white or colorless complexion; one can also become pale out of fear or illness. Someone who has lost color from being ill or under stress may be described as pallid, which suggests a paleness that is the result of weakness, weari¬ ness, faintness, or some other abnormal con¬ dition {his inner torment made him pallid). Wan also connotes an unhealthy condition or sickly paleness {her wan face smiled at him from the hospital bed). Someone who is ashen has skin the pale grayish color of ashes {ashen with fear), while livid can mean bluish to de¬ scribe loss of normal coloring {the livid face of a drowned corpse), or can mean reddish or flushed {livid with rage)._

pale2 /payl/ n. 1 pointed piece of wood for fencing, etc.; stake. 2 boundary or enclosed area, o beyond the pale outside the bounds of acceptable behavior. ■ 1 paling, palisade, picket, upright, post, stake. 2 limit(s), restriction, bounds, border(s), confines. □ beyond the pale im¬ proper, irregular, unseemly, unsuitable; in¬ admissible, forbidden. pale*face /paylfays/ n. white person, paleo- /payleeo/ comb, form ancient; old; pre¬ historic. pa*le*og*ra*phy /payleeografee/ n. the study of writing and documents from the past, oo pa*le*og'ra*pher n. pa*le*o*graph*ic /-leeagrafik/ adj. pa*le*o*graph'i*cal adj. pa*le*o*graph'i*cal*ly adv. pa*le*0*lith*ic /payleealithik/ adj. Archaeol. of or relating to the early part of the Stone Age. paMe'on'tofro'gy /payleeontolajee/ n. the study of life in the geological past. □□ pa*le* on*to*log*i*cal /-taloj-/ adj. pa*le*on*tol'o* gist n. Pa*le*0*Z0*ic /payleeazCik/ Geol. • adj. of an era of geological time marked by the appear¬ ance of marine and terrestrial plants and an¬ imals, esp. invertebrates. • n. this era. Pal*es*tin*i*an /pal is tine can/ • adj. of or re¬ lating to Palestine, a region (in ancient and modern times) on the E. Mediterranean coast. • n. native of Palestine in ancient or modern times. pafrette /palit/ n. 1 thin board or slab or other surface, usu. with a hole for the thumb, on which an artist holds and mixes colors. 2 range of colors, etc., used by an artist. pal*i«mony /palimonee/ n. colloq. allowance made by one member of an unmarried cou¬ ple to the other after separation. pa*limp*sest /palimpsest/ n. writing material or manuscript on which the original writing has been erased for reuse. pal*in*drome /palindrom/ n. word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward

(e.g., rotator). □□ pal*in*drom*ic /-dromik, -dr6/ adj. pa*lin'dro*mist n. pairing /payling/ n. 1 fence of pales. 2 pale. pal*i*sade /palisayd/ n. 1 fence of pales or iron railings. 2 [in pi] line of high cliffs. pall1 /pawl/ n. 1 cloth spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb. 2 dark covering (pall of darkness, pall of smoke).

m 2 see mantle n. 2.

pall2 /pawl/

v. 1 intr. [often foil, by on] be¬ come uninteresting (to). 2 tr. satiate; cloy. ■ 1 bore, tire, weary, jade, irk, irritate. paMa*di*um /palaydeeam/ n. Chem. white ductile metallic element occurring naturally in various ores and used in chemistry as a catalyst and for making jewelry. fSymb.: Pd. pall*bear»er /pawlbairar/ n. person helping to carry or officially escorting a coffin at a fu¬ neral. paMet1 /palit/ n. 1 straw mattress. 2 make¬ shift bed. paMet2 /palit/ n. 1 = palette. 2 portable platform for transporting and storing loads. □□ pal’let*ize v. tr. (in sense 2). pal*li*ate /paleeayt/ v.tr. 1 alleviate (disease) without curing it. 2 excuse; extenuate. □□ pal*li*a*tion /-ayshan/ n. pal'li*a*tive n. & adj. pal'li*a*tive*ly adv. pal'li*a*tor n. paMid /palid/ adj. pale, esp. from illness. See synonym study at pale. □□ pal'lid*ly adv. pal'lid*ness n. paMor /palar/ n. pallidness; paleness. palm1 /paam, paw(l)m/ n. 1 any usu. tropical tree with no branches and a mass of large leaves at the top. 2 leaf of this tree as a sym¬ bol of victory, o Palm Sunday Sunday be¬ fore Easter, celebrating Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, on pabma'ceous adj. palm2 /paam, paw(l)m/ • n. inner surface of the hand between the wrist and fingers. • v.tr. conceal in the hand. □ palm off im¬ pose on or dispose of fraudulently, no pal* mar /palmar, paa(l)-/ adj. palmed adj. palm'ful n. (pi. -fills), pafrmate /palmayt, paal-, paamayt/ adj. 1 shaped like an open hand. 2 having lobes, etc., like spread fingers. pal»met*tO /palmeto/ n. small palm tree. palm*ist*ry /paamistree/ n. supposed divina¬ tion from lines and other features on the palm of the hand. □□ palm'ist n. palm»y /paamee/ adj. (palm*i*er, palm*i* est) 1 of or like or abounding in palms. 2 triumphant; flourishing. pal»0*mi»no /pabme'eno/ n. golden or tancolored horse with a light-colored mane and tail. pal*pa*ble /palpabal/ adj. 1 that can be touched or felt. 2 readily perceived. See syn¬ onym study at tangible. □□ pal*pa*bil'i*ty n. pal'pa*bly adv. pafrpate /palpayt/ v.tr. examine (esp. medi¬ cally) by touch. □□ pal*pa*tion /-payshan/ n.

pal*pi*tate /palpitayt/ v.intr. 1 pulsate; throb. 2 tremble. □□ pal'pi*tant adj. pal*pi*ta* tion /-tayshan/ n. pal*sy /pawlzee/ • n. {pi. -sies) paralysis, esp. with involuntary tremors. • v.tr. (-sies, -sied) affect with palsy.

pal»try /pawltree/ adj. (pal*tri*er, pabtri* est) worthless; contemptible; trifling. □a pal'tri*ness n. • trivial, petty, small, insignificant, pitiful, pathetic, pitiable, puny, sorry, wretched, mis¬ erable. pam'pas /pampas/ n.pl. large treeless plains in S. America. pam*per /pampar/ v.tr. overindulge; spoil. no pam'per*er n. m baby, coddle, cosset, mollycoddle, pet. pam»phlet /pamflit/ • n. small, usu. unbound booklet or leaflet, •v.tr. distribute pam¬ phlets to. □□ panrphlefeer /-teer/ n. & v. m n. brochure, tract, circular; handbill, bill, notice. pan1 /pan/ •n. 1 vessel of metal, earthen¬ ware, etc., usu. broad and shallow, used for cooking, heating, etc. 2 any similar shallow container, •v.tr. (panned, pan*ning) 1 colloq. criticize severely. 2 wash (goldbearing gravel) in a pan. □ pan out turn out; work out. □□ pan'ful n. (pi. -fills), pan'like adj. m n. 1 saucepan, frying pan, pot, casserole, skillet. • v. 1 censure, find fault with, put down, reject, flay, excoriate, roast, colloq. trash, si. knock. 2 separate, sift. □ pan out result, come out, end (up), conclude, culmi¬ nate,formal eventuate. pan2 /pan,1 • v. (panned, pan*ning) 1 tr. swing (a video or movie camera) horizontally to give a panoramic effect or to follow a mov¬ ing object. 2 intr. (of a video or movie cam¬ era) be moved in this way. • n. panning movement. pan- /pan/ comb, form 1 all; the whole of. 2 relating to or comprising the whole. (panAmerican). pan»a*ce»a /panase'ea/ n. universal remedy. □□ pan*a*ce'an adj. pa*nache /panash,-na'ash/ n. assertiveness or flamboyant confidence of style or manner. ■ flourish, dash, elan, eclat, chic, sophistica¬ tion, savoir faire, savoir vivre, flamboyance, verve, style, vivacity. pan*a*ma /panamaa/ n. hat of strawlike ma¬ terial made from the leaves of a palmlike tropical plant. Pa»na*ma*ni*an /panamayneean/ • n. 1 na¬ tive or national of the Republic of Panama in Central America. 2 person of Panamanian descent. • adj. of or relating to Panama. part*cake /pankayk/ n. 1 thin flat cake of bat¬ ter usu. fried in a pan or on a griddle. 2 flat cake of makeup, etc. pan*chro*mat»ic /pankromatik/ adj. Photog. (of film, etc.) sensitive to all visible colors of the spectrum. pan*cre*as /pangkreeas/ n. gland near the stomach supplying the duodenum with di¬ gestive fluid and secreting insulin. □□ pan* cre*at*ic /-kreeatik/ adj. pan*cre*a*ti*tis /-kreeatltis/ n. pan*da /panda/ n. 1 (also gi'ant pan'da) large bearlike mammal, native to China and Tibet, having characteristic black and white markings. 2 (also red' pan'da) Himalayan raccoon-like mammal with reddish-brown fur.

595

paltry ~ panorama

pan*dem*ic /pandemik/

adj. (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world. pan*de»mo*ni»um /pandimoneeam/ n. 1 uproar; utter confusion. 2 scene of this. ■ bedlam, chaos, turmoil, disorder, tumult, frenzy. pan*der /pandar/ •v.intr. gratify; indulge. • n. (also pan'der*er) 1 a go-between in illi¬ cit love affairs; procurer. 2 person who en¬ courages licentiousness. ■ v. satisfy, humor, fulfill, bow to, yield to, truckle to, cater to. • n. 1 pimp, solicitor. Pan*do*ra’s box /pandawraz/ n. process that once activated will generate many unman¬ ageable problems. pane /payn/ n. single sheet of glass in a win¬ dow or door. ■ panel, windowpane, light, bull’s-eye. pan*e*gy*ric /panijirik, —jlrik/ n. laudatory discourse; eulogy. □□ pan*e*gy'ri*cal adj. pan*el /panal/ • n. la distinct, usu. rectan¬ gular, section of a surface (e.g., of a wall or door), b control panel (see control n. 5). 2 strip of material as part of a garment. 3 group of people gathered to form a team in a broadcast game, for a discussion, etc. 4 list of available jurors; jury. •v.tr. fit, cover, or decorate with panels. □ panel truck small enclosed delivery truck. pan*el»ing /panaling/ n. 1 paneled work. 2 wood for making panels. pan*el*ist /panalist/ n. member of a panel, pang /pang/ n. [often in pi.] sudden sharp pain or painful emotion. ■ stab, ache, pinch, prick, twinge; qualm, hesitation. pan*han*dle /panhand’l/ • n. narrow strip of territory extending from one state into an¬ other. • v. colloq. beg for money in the street. □□ pan'han*dler n. panric /panik/ • n. 1 sudden uncontrollable fear or alarm. 2 infectious apprehension or fright esp. in commercial dealings. • v. (pan* icked, pan*ick*ing) affect or be affected with panic. □ panic-stricken (or -struck) affected with panic. □□ pan'ick*y adj. • n. terror, fright, dread, horror, dismay, consternation, hysteria; anxiety, apprehen¬ sion. • v. frighten, scare, alarm, terrify, un¬ nerve; become terrified or alarmed or fearful or frightened, lose one’s nerve. □ panicstricken (or -struck) terrified, alarmed, horrified, aghast, terror-stricken or terrorstruck, panicky, frenzied, in a frenzy, hysteri¬ cal, beside oneself, fearful, afraid. □□ pan¬ icky see panic-stricken above. pan*nier /panyar/ n. basket, bag, or box, esp. one of a pair for transporting loads. pan*o*ply panaplee/ n. (pi. -plies) 1 com¬ plete or magnificent array. 2 complete suit of armor. □□ pan'o*plied adj. pan*0*ra*ma /panarama, -ra'a-/ n. 1 unbro¬ ken view of a surrounding region. 2 com¬ plete survey or presentation of a subject, se¬ quence of events, etc. 3 continuous passing scene. □□ pan*o*ram'ic adj. pan*o*ram'i* cal'ly adv. m 1 see view n. 2. 2 see view n. 3. □□ pan-

pansy ~ para-aminobenzoic acid

596

oramic sweeping, commanding, extensive, comprehensive, wide, overall, scenic, farreaching, all-embracing. pan»sy /panzee/ n. (pi. -sies) garden plant with flowers of various rich colors, pant /pant/ • v. 1 intr. breathe with short quick breaths. 2 tr. (often foil, by out] utter breathlessly. 3 intr. yearn or crave. • n. pant¬ ing breath. □□ pant'ing-ly adv. m v. 1,2 gasp, huff, puff, blow, heave, wheeze. 3 hanker after, hunger or thirst for or after, ache for, want. pan*ta*loon /pantalobn/ n. [inpi] hist, men’s close-fitting breeches fastened below the calf or at the foot. pan»the*ism /pantheeizam/ n. 1 belief that God is identifiable with the forces of nature and with natural substances. 2 worship that admits or tolerates all gods. □□ pan'the-ist n. pan-the-is’tic adj. pan-the-is'ti-cal adj. pan-the-isti-cal-ly adv. pan«the*On /pantheeon, -an/ n. 1 building in which illustrious dead are buried or have memorials. 2 the deities of a people collec¬ tively. 3 temple dedicated to all the gods, esp. the circular one at Rome. 4 group of es¬ teemed persons. pan*ther /panthar/ n. 1 leopard, esp. with black fur. 2 cougar. pant'ies /panteez/ n.pl. colloq. short-legged or legless underpants worn by women and girls. pan*tO*mime /pantamim/ • n. use of ges¬ tures and facial expression to convey mean¬ ing without speech, esp. in drama and dance. • v. convey meaning without speech using only gestures. □□ pan-to-mim-ic /-mimik/ adj.

parvtry /pantree/

n. (pi. -tries) small room or cupboard for storage of kitchen supplies, groceries, etc. pants /pants/ n.pl. outer garment reaching from the waist usu. to the ankles, divided into two parts to cover the legs. ■ slacks, trousers. pant'SUit /pantsoot/ n. (also pants suit) woman’s suit with pants and a jacket. pan»ty hose /panteehoz/ n. [usu. treated as pi] usu. sheer one-piece garment combining panties and stockings. pap /pap/ n. 1 soft or semiliquid food for in¬ fants or invalids. 2 light or trivial reading matter; nonsense. □□ pap'py adj. pa*pa /pa'apa, papa'a/ n. father (esp. as a child’s word). pa*pa*cy /paypasee/ n. (pi. -cies) 1 pope’s office or tenure. 2 papal system. pa*pal /paypal/ adj. of a pope or the papacy. oo pa'paMy adv. pa*paw var. of pawpaw. pa»pa»ya /papia/ n. 1 edible yellow fruit with orange flesh. 2 tropical tree bearing this. pa*per /paypar/ • n. 1 material manufac¬ tured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing or drawing or printing on, or as wrapping mate¬ rial, etc. 2 [attrib.] a made of or using paper, b flimsy like paper. 3 = newspaper.

4 a printed document, b [in pi] identifica¬ tion or other legal documents. 5 = wallpa¬ per. 6 essay or dissertation. 7 piece of pa¬ per. • v.tr. 1 apply paper to, esp. decorate (a wall, etc.) with wallpaper. 2 [foil, by over] disguise or try to hide. □ paper clip clip of bent wire or of plastic for holding several sheets of paper together, paper tiger apparendy threatening, but ineffectual, person or thing, paper trail documentation of trans¬ actions, etc. □□ pa'per*er n. pa'per-less adj. pa'per-y adj. an. 3 tabloid, daily, weekly, journal, ga¬ zette, publication, periodical, newsletter, or¬ gan, derog. rag, sheet. 4 instrument, form, certificate, deed; credential(s), identification; docket, file, dossier. 6 article, composition, assignment, report, thesis, study, tract, anal¬ ysis, critique, monograph. • v. 1 wallpaper, line; decorate. 2 cover up; see also cover v. 1. pa*per»back /payparbak/ (also pa'per* bound) • adj. (of a book) bound in stiff pa¬ per. • n. a paperback book. pa*per»boy /payparboy/ n. (Jem. pa-per*girl /-garl/) boy or girl who delivers or sells news¬ papers. pa»per*weight /payparwayt/ n. small heavy object for keeping loose papers in place. pa»perework /payparwark/ n. 1 routine cler¬ ical or administrative work. 2 documents, esp. for a particular purpose. pa*pier ma»che /paypar mashay, papyay/ n. paper pulp used for molding into boxes, trays, etc. pa*pil*la /papila/ n. (pi. pa-pil-lae /-pilee/) small nipplelike protuberance in a part or or¬ gan of the body. □□ pap'il-lar-y adj. pap'il* lose adj. pa*poose /papoos, pa-/ n. young Native American child. pa*pri»ka /papre'eka, paprika/ n. 1 Bot. a red pepper. 2 powdery condiment made from it. Pap smear /pap/ (also Pap test) n. test for cervical cancer, etc., done by a cervical smear. pa*py»rus /papiras/ n. (pi. pa-pv-ri /-ri/) 1 aquatic plant with dark green stems topped with fluffy inflorescences. 2 writing material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of this. par /paar/ n. 1 average or normal amount, degree, condition, etc. (be up to par). 2 equality; equal footing. 3 Golf number of strokes a skilled player should normally re¬ quire for a hole or course. 4 Stock Exch. face value of stocks and shares, etc. 5 (in full par of exchange) recognized value of one coun¬ try’s currency in terms of another’s. □ par for the course colloq. what is normal or to be expected. ■ 1 standard, normal, norm, expectation. 2 level; see also parity 1. par- /par, par, paar/ prefix var. of PARA-before a vowel or h; (paraldehyde, parody, parhelion). para- /para/ prefix (also par-) 1 beside (para¬ military). 2 beyond (paranormal). par*a-a»mi»no*ben»zo»ic acid /paraame'enobenzbik/ n. Biochem. compound used

in suntan lotions and sunscreens to absorb ultraviolet light. *|Abbr.: PABA. par»a*ble /parabal/ n. 1 narrative of imag¬ ined events used to illustrate a moral or spir¬ itual lesson. 2 allegory. ■ fable, lesson, morality tale. pa*rab*0*la /parabola/ n. open plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side. par*a*bol»ic /parabolik/ adj. 1 of or ex¬ pressed in a parable. 2 of or like a parabola. □□ par*a*bol'i*cal*ly adv. par*a*chute /parashoot/ • n. rectangular or umbrella-shaped apparatus allowing a slow and safe descent, esp. from an aircraft. • v. convey or descend by parachute. □□ par'a* chutnst n. pa*rade /parayd/ • n. 1 formal or ceremonial muster of troops for inspection. 2 public procession. 3 ostentatious display. • v. 1 a tr. march through (streets, etc.) in pro¬ cession. b intr. march ceremonially. 2 tr. display ostentatiously. □□ pa*rad'er n. m n. 2 march, train, file, promenade, cortege; column. 3 exhibition, show, specta¬ cle, array, splash. • v. 1 march, pass in re¬ view, promenade, walk, file. 2 flaunt, show (off), brandish, wave, air, literary vaunt. par*a*digm /paradim/ n. 1 example or pat¬ tern. 2 Gram, representative set of the in¬ flections of a noun, verb, etc. See synonym study at model. □□ par*a*dig*mat*ic /—digmatik/ adj. par*a*dig*mat'i*cal*ly adv. par*a*dise /paradis/ n. 1 heaven. 2 place or state of complete happiness. 3 (in full earthly paradise) abode of Adam and Eve; garden of Eden. □□ par*a*di*si'a*cal /-dasiakal/ adj. • 1 Zion, Elysium, Elysian Fields, happy hunting ground, the promised land, Valhalla. 2 heaven on earth, dreamland, seventh heav¬ en, (Garden of) Eden, utopia, Shangri-la; bliss, rapture, heaven. par*a*dox /paradoks/ n. la seemingly ab¬ surd or contradictory statement, even if ac¬ tually well-founded, b self-contradictory or essentially absurd statement. 2 person or thing having contradictory qualities, etc. See synonym study at riddle. □□ par*a*dox'i* cal adj. par*a*dox'i*cal*ly adv. m contradiction, self-contradiction, incon¬ gruity, inconsistency, absurdity, ambiguity, enigma, puzzle. □□ paradoxical impossi¬ ble, improbable, illogical. par*af*fin /parafin/ n. (also par'afifin wax) waxy mixture of hydrocarbons used in can¬ dles, waterproofing, etc. par*a*gon /paragon, -gan/ n. model of excel¬ lence. ■ epitome, archetype, prototype, quintes¬ sence, pattern, standard, exemplar, ideal. paragraph /paragraf/ • n. 1 distinct sec¬ tion of a piece of writing, beginning on a new usu. indented line. 2 symbol (usu. ^j) used to mark a new paragraph. 3 short item in a newspaper, usu. of only one paragraph. • v.tr. arrange in paragraphs. □□ par*a* graphnc /-grafik/ adj. par»a*keet /parake'et/ n. small usu. long¬ tailed parrot.

597

parable ~ paramount

par*a*le*gal /parale'egal/ • adj. of auxiliary aspects of the law. • n. person trained in sub¬ sidiary legal matters. par*al*lax /paralaks/ n. apparent difference in the position or direction of an object caused when the observer’s position is changed. □□ par*al*Iac*tic /-laktik/ adj. par»al*lel /paralel/ • adj. 1 side by side and having the same distance continuously be¬ tween them. 2 precisely similar, analogous, or corresponding; simultaneous. • n. 1 per¬ son or thing precisely analogous or equal to another. 2 comparison. 3 (in full parallel of latitude) Geog. a each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth’s surface, b corresponding line on a map (the 49th parallel). »v.tr. 1 be parallel to; correspond to. 2 represent as similar; compare. □□ par'al*lel*ism n. m adj. 2 congruent, analogical, corre¬ spondent, like, matching, homologous, coor¬ dinate, equivalent. • n. 1 analog, match, homologue, equivalent, counterpart, equal. 2 analogy, parallelism, equivalence, corre¬ spondence, symmetry, equality; see also comparison 3. • v. 1 match, equate to or with, be likened to, correlate to or with, compare with or to, imitate, repeat, echo; keep pace with, conform to or with, balance, set off, offset. 2 match, equate, liken, juxta¬ pose, associate, correlate. par»aWel#o»gram /paralelagram/ n. Geom. four-sided plane rectilinear figure with oppo¬ site sides parallel. pa*ral*y*sis /paralisis/ r. (pi. pa*ral*y*ses /-seez/) 1 impairment or loss of esp. the mo¬ tor function of the nerves. 2 state of utter powerlessness. □□ par*a*lyt*ic /paralitik/ adj. & n. par*a*lyt'i*cal*ly adv. par*a*lyze /paraliz/ v.tr. 1 affect with paraly¬ sis.. 2 render powerless; cripple. □□ par*a* lyza'tion n. par'a*lyz*ing*ly adv. ■ 2 disable, incapacitate; immobilize. par»a*me*ci*um /parame'eseeam/ n. freshwa¬ ter protozoan of a characteristic slipper-like shape covered with cilia. par*a*med*ic /paramedik/ n. 1 paramedical worker. 2 person trained in emergency med¬ ical procedures. par*a*med»i»cal /paramedikal/ adj. (of ser¬ vices, etc.) supplementing and supporting medical work. pa*ram*e*ter /paramitar/ n. 1 Math, quantity constant in the case considered but varying in different cases. 2 a characteristic or fea¬ ture. b (loosely) constant element or factor, esp. serving as a limit or boundary. □□ par* a*met*ric /parametrik/ adj. pa*ram'e*trize v.tr. par»a*rnil*i*tar*y /paramiliteree/ adj. (of forces) ancillary to and similarly organized to military forces. par*a*mount /paramownt/ adj. supreme; re¬ quiring first consideration. □□ par'a* mount’ly adv. • preeminent, chief, dominant, main, ma¬ jor, predominant, cardinal, first, prime, pri¬ mary, principal, essential.

paramour ~ pareve par*a*mour /paramOOr/

598

n. illicit lover of a married person. ■ love, inamorato, inamorata, mistress, gig¬ olo, concubine, kept woman, (the) other woman. par*a»noi»a /paranoya/ n. 1 personality dis¬ order esp. characterized by delusions of per¬ secution and self-importance. 2 abnormal tendency to suspect and mistrust others. □□ par*a*noi'ac adj. & n. par*a*noid /-noyd/ adj. & n. par»a*nor*mal /paranormal/ adj. beyond the scope of normal objective investigation or explanation. □□ par*a*nor'mal*ly adv. par*a*pet /parapit/ n. 1 low wall at the edge of a roof, balcony, etc., or along the sides of a bridge. 2 defense of earth or stone to conceal and protect troops. □□ par'a»pet*ed adj. par*a*pher*na*li*a /parafarnaylya/ n.pl. [also treated as sing.] miscellaneous belongings, equipment, accessories, etc. ■ apparatus, outfit, kit, appliances, utensils, gear, rig, material(s), materiel, things, tackle. paraphrase /parafrayz/ • n. free rendering or rewording of a passage. • v.tr. express the meaning of (a passage) in other words. □□ par*a*phras*tic /-frastik/ adj. u n. rephrasing, rewriting, rewrite, rehash, rendition, version. • v. rephrase, metaphrase, reword, restate. par*a*ple*gi*a /parapleeja/ n. paralysis of the legs and part or the whole of the trunk. □□ par*a»ple'gic adj. & n. par»a»psy*chol»o«gy /parasikolajee/ n. the study of mental phenomena outside the sphere of ordinary psychology. □□ par»a* psy*cho*log*i*cal /-sikalojikal/ adj. par*a* psychologist n. par*a*quat /parakwot/ n. quick-acting herbi¬ cide, becoming inactive on contact with the soil. par*a*site /paraslt/ n. 1 organism living in or on another and benefiting at the expense of the other. 2 person who lives off or exploits another or others. □□ par*a*sit*ic /—sxtik/ adj. par*a*sit'i*cal adj. par*a*sit'i*cal*Iy adv. par«a*si*tol*o*gy /-tolajee/ n. par*a*si* tol'o*gist n. m 2 leech, bloodsucker, hanger-on, sponge, cadger. par*a*SOl /parasawl, -sol/ n. light umbrella used to give shade from the sun. par»a»sym*pa»the*tic /parasimpathetik/ adj. Anat. relating to the part of the autonomic nervous system that controls the slowing of the heartbeat, constriction of the pupils, etc. par*a*thy«roid /parathiroyd/ Anat. • n. gland next to the thyroid, secreting a hormone that regulates calcium levels in the body. • adj. of or associated with this gland. par*a*troops /paratroops/ n.pl. troops equipped to be dropped by parachute from aircraft. □□ par'a*troop*er n. par*boil /paarboyl/ v.tr. partly cook by boil¬ ing. par*cel /pa'arsal/ • n. 1 goods, etc., wrapped in a package. 2 piece of land. •v.tr. [foil, by out] divide into portions.

■ n. 1 package, packet, carton, box, con¬ tainer, case; bundle, lot, group, batch, collec¬ tion, pack, set. 2 portion, plot, section, tract, lot, plat. • v. apportion, allot, deal (out), dole (out), hand out. parch /paarch/ v. make or become hot and dry. □□ parched adj. See synonym study at DRY ■ dry (out or up), desiccate, dehydrate; scorch, sear, burn, bake, roast; shrivel (up), wither. Par*chee*si /paarche'ezee, par-, -see/ n. propr. board game played with dice. parch*ment /paarchmant/ n. la animal skin, esp. that of a sheep or goat, prepared as a writing or painting surface, b manuscript written on this. 2 (in full vegetable parch¬ ment) high-grade paper made to resemble parchment. par»don /paard’n/ • n. 1 act of excusing or forgiving an offense, error, etc. 2 (in full full par*don) remission of the legal conse¬ quences of a crime or conviction. • v.tr. 1 release from the consequences of an of¬ fense, error, etc. 2 forgive; excuse. See syno¬ nym study at absolve. □□ par'don*a*ble adj. par’don»a»bly adv. m n. 1 forgiveness, amnesty, remission, re¬ lease, reprieve, absolution. • v. remit, re¬ prieve, absolve, overlook, let off, condone, exonerate, formal exculpate. pare /pair/ v.tr. 1 trim by cutting away the surface or edge. 2 diminish little by little, on par'er n. m 1 peel, skin, shave; decorticate, excoriate. 2 reduce, decrease, cut (back or down), cur¬ tail, lower. par»ent /pairant, par-/ • n. 1 person who has or adopts a child; a father or mother. 2 ani¬ mal or plant from which others are derived. 3 source, origin, etc. • v.tr. [also absol.] be a parent of. □ parent company company of which other companies are subsidiaries. □□ par*en*tal /parent’l/ adj. pa*ren'tal*ly adv. parenthood n. mn. 1 surrogate mother, progenitor, procreator, materfamilias, paterfamilias, adop¬ tive parent or mother or father, colloq. old lady or woman, old man. 3 originator, wellspring, fountainhead, root. par*ent*age /pairantij, par-/ n. lineage; de¬ scent from or through parents (rheir parent¬ age is unknown).

■ ancestry, line, family, extraction, origin, pedigree. pa*ren*the*sis /parenthasis/ n. (pi. pa*ren* the*ses /-seez/) 1 a explanatory or qualify¬ ing word, clause, or sentence, b [in pi] pair of rounded brackets 0 used for this in writ¬ ing or printing. 2 interlude or interval. par»en»thet»ic /paranthetik/ adj. 1 of or by way of a parenthesis. 2 interposed. □□ par* en*thet'i*cal adj. par*en*thet'i*cal*ly adv. par*ent»ing /pairanting, par-/ n. occupation or concerns of parents. ■ rearing, upbringing, raising, nurturing; parenthood. pa*re*ve /pa'arava, pa'arva/ adj. made without milk or meat and thus suitable for kosher use.

par eX'CeMence /pa'ar eksaloNs/ adv. as hav¬ ing special excellence; being the supreme ex¬ ample of its kind. par*fait /paarfay/ n. 1 rich frozen custard of whipped cream, eggs, etc. 2 layers of ice cream, meringue, etc., served in a tall glass. pa*ri*ah /pans/ n. 1 social outcast. 2 hist. member of a low caste or of no caste in S. India. pa*ri*e*tal /panatal/ adj. Anat. of the wall of the body or any of its cavities. □ parietal bone either of a pair of bones forming the central part of the sides and top of the skull. par»i-mu*tu»el /parimyobchooal/ n. form of betting in which those backing the first three places divide the losers’ stakes, parking /pairing/ n. strip or piece cut off. parish /parish/ n. 1 area having its own church and clergy. 2 county in Louisiana. 3 inhabitants of a parish. pa*rish»ion»er /parishanar/ n. inhabitant or member of a parish. Pa»ri*sian /pare'ezhan, -rizhan, -rizeean/ • adj. of or relating to Paris in France. • n. native or inhabitant of Paris. par*i*ty /paritee/ n. 1 equality; equal status or pay. 2 equivalence of one currency with an¬ other; being at par. ■ 1 equivalence, consistency, uniformity, congruity, similitude, conformity, congru¬ ence. park /paark/ • n. 1 public land set aside for recreation or as a preserve. 2 gear position or function in an automatic transmission that immobilizes the drive wheels. 3 area de¬ voted to a specified purpose {industrial park). • v. 1 tr. [also absol.] leave (a vehicle) usu. temporarily. 2 tr. colloq. deposit and leave, usu. temporarily. □ parking meter coinoperated meter that receives payment for ve¬ hicles parked in the street and indicates the time available. • n. 1 garden(s), green(s), common(s), re¬ serve, parkland, woodland, estate; play¬ ground. • v. store, colloq. stash, dump, si. ditch; see also set1 v. 1. par*ka /pa'arka/ n. hooded winter jacket. Par»kin*son’s dis*ease /pa'arkinsanz/ n. (also Par'kin*son*ism) progressive disease of the nervous system with tremor, muscular rigidity, and emaciation. Par*kin*SOn’S law /pa'arkinsanz/ n. facetious notion that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. park*way /paarkway/ n. open landscaped highway. paMance /paarlans/ n. particular idiom. ■ way or manner of speaking, phrasing, phraseology, speech, wording, language, dia¬ lect, jargon. par*lay /paarlay/ • v.tr. use (money won on a bet) as a further stake. • n. bet made by parlaying. parsley /paarlee/ • n. conference for debating points in a dispute, esp. a discussion of terms for an armistice, etc. See synonym study at conversation. • v. intr. hold a parley. ■ n. discussion, dialogue, negotiation, de¬ liberation, meeting, colloquy, colloquium. •

599

par excellence ~ parrot

v. confer, discuss, deliberate, talk, negotiate,

powwow. par*lia*ment /paarlamant/ n. legislature of various countries, as the United Kingdom. ■ legislature, council, congress, diet, assem¬ bly, house, chamber. par*lia*men*tar*i*an /paarlamentaireean/ n. 1 member of a parliament. 2 person who is well-versed in parliamentary procedures. paMia#men*ta*ry /paarlamentaree, -tree/ adj. 1 of or relating to a parliament. 2 en¬ acted or established by a parliament. par*lor /paarlar/ n. 1 sitting room in a private house. 2 store providing specified goods or services {beauty parlor). ■ 1 living room, drawing room, morning room, reception (room), lounge. Par*me*san /paarmizaan, -zan, -zan/ n. a kind of hard dry cheese made orig. at Parma and used esp. in grated form. pa*ro*Chi*al /parOkeeal/ adj. 1 of or concern¬ ing a parish. 2 merely local, narrow, or re¬ stricted in scope. □ parochial school school run or supported by a church. □□ pa* ro'chi*al*ism n. pa*ro'chi*al*ly adv. ■ 1 regional, provincial, local. 2 insular, isolated, provincial, limited, narrow-minded, petty, shortsighted, hidebound, conservative, conventional, illiberal. par*o*dy /paradee/ • n. (pi. -dies) 1 humor¬ ous exaggerated imitation of an author, liter¬ ary work, style, etc. 2 feeble imitation; trav¬ esty. See synonym study at caricature. • v. tr. (-dies, -died) compose a parody of. □□ pa*rod*ic /parodik/ adj. par'o*dist n. m n. 1 burlesque, lampoon, satire, carica¬ ture, mockery, colloq. takeoff, spoof, sendup; mimicry. 2 mockery; distortion, perver¬ sion, corruption. • v. burlesque, lampoon, satirize, caricature, mock, mimic, ape, ri¬ dicule, deride, colloq. take off, spoof, send up. pa*role /parol/ • n. release of a prisoner tem¬ porarily for a special purpose or completely before the fulfillment of a sentence, on the promise of good behavior. • v.tr. put (a pris¬ oner) on parole. □□ pa*rol*ee /-le'e/ n. par*OX*ysm /paraksizam/ n. 1 sudden attack or outburst. 2 fit of disease. □□ par*ox*ys* mal /-sizmal/ adj. ■ convulsion, spasm, throe, seizure, spell, eruption. par*quet /paarkay/ • n. 1 flooring of par¬ quetry. 2 main-floor area of a theater. • v. tr. fhrnish (a room) with a parquet floor. par*quet*ry /pa'arkitree/ n. use of wooden blocks arranged in a pattern to make floors or inlay for furniture. par*ri*cide /parisld/ n. 1 killing of a near rel¬ ative, esp. of a parent. 2 act of parricide. 3 person who commits parricide. □□ par*ri* ci'dal /-sid’l/ adj. par*rot /parat/ • n. 1 mainly tropical bird with a short hooked bill, often vivid plum¬ age, and the ability to mimic the human voice. 2 person who mechanically repeats the words or actions of another. • v. tr. repeat mechanically.

parry ~ particular

600

■ n. 2 imitator, mimic, colloq. copycat. • v. imitate, mimic, ape; echo, reiterate. par*ry/paree/ • v. tr. (-ries, -ried) 1 avert or ward off, esp. with a countermove. 2 deal skillfully with (an awkward question, etc.). • n. (pi. -ries) act of parrying. parse /paars/ v.tr. describe the function and forms (of a sentence or a word in context) grammatically. □□ pars'er n. esp. Comput¬ ing

par*sec /paarsek/

n. unit of stellar distance, equal to about 3.25 light years (3.08 x 1016 meters). par*si*mo*ny /pa'arsimonee/ n. stinginess. □□ par*si*mo*ni*ous /-mOneeas/ adj. par* si*mo'ni*ous*ly adv. See synonym study at ECONOMICAL pars»ley /pa'arslee/ n. biennial herb, with crinkly or flat aromatic leaves, used for sea¬ soning and garnishing food. pars*nip /pa'arsnip/ n. 1 plant with a large pale yellow tapering root. 2 this root eaten as a vegetable. par*Son /paarsan/ n. 1 rector. 2 any (esp. Protestant) member of the clergy. □□ par* son*i*cal /-sonikal/ adj. par*Son*age /paarsanij/ n. church house pro¬ vided for a parson. part /paart/ • n. 1 some but not all of a thing or number of things. 2 essential member, constituent, or component. 3 division of a book, broadcast serial, etc. 4 each of several equal portions of a whole (has 3 parts sugar to 2 parts flour). 5 a portion allotted; share, b person’s share in an action, etc. 6 a char¬ acter assigned to an actor on stage, b words spoken by an actor on stage, c copy of these. 7 Mus. melody, etc., assigned to a particular voice or instrument. 8 each of the sides in an agreement or dispute. 9 [in pi] region or district (not from these parts). 10 dividing line in combed hair. See synonym study at frag¬ ment. • v. 1 tr. & intr. divide or separate into parts. 2 intr. leave; say good-bye to. 3 intr. [foil, by with] give up; hand over. 4 tr. comb hair to form a part. • adv. to some extent; partly. □ for one’s part as far as one is con¬ cerned. in part (or parts) to some extent; partly, part and parcel an essential part, part of speech n. each of the categories to which words are assigned in accordance with their grammatical and semantic functions, part-time adj. occupying or using only part of one’s working time, part-timer person employed in part-time work, take part assist or have a share (in). ■ n. 1 some, a few, not all. 2 piece, portion, division, segment, section; element, ingredi¬ ent, unit. 3 episode, installment, chapter. 4 measure, unit, share. 5 a allotment, per¬ centage, participation, interest, parcel, b in¬ terest, participation, say, voice, influence. 6 a role, b, c lines, script. 8 interest, cause, faction, party. 9 neighborhood, quarter, sec¬ tion, area, corner, vicinity. • v. 1 split (up); put or pull apart, literary put asunder. 2 sep¬ arate, part company, split (up), go one’s way, break up; depart, go. 3 yield, relinquish, re¬

lease, sacrifice, forgo, go without, renounce, forsake, let go, surrender. • adv. see in part (part) below. □ in part partially, part, to some degree, in some measure; relatively, comparatively, somewhat, take part partici¬ pate, join in, be (a) party, play a part or role, be involved or associated, have or take a hand. par*take /paartayk/ v.intr. (past par*took /-tobk/; past part. par*taken /-taykan/) 1 take a share or part. 2 eat or drink some¬ thing. □□ par*tak'a*ble adj. par*tak'er n. m 1 share, participate, enter. 2 receive, get, have; see also eat 1, drink v. 1. par*terre /paartair/ n. 1 level space in a gar¬ den occupied by flower beds arranged for¬ mally. 2 rear seating area of a theater. par*the*no*gen*e*sis /paarthinojenisis/ n. Biol, reproduction by a female gamete with¬ out fertilization. □□ par*the*no*ge*net*ic /-jinetik/ adj. par*the*no*ge*net'i*cal*ly adv.

partial /pa'arshal/ • adj. 1 not complete; forming only part. 2 biased; having a liking for. • n. denture for replacing one or several, but not all, of the teeth. □□ par*ti*al*i*ty /paarsheealitee/ n. par'tial*ly adv. ■ adj. 1 fragmentary, imperfect; see also in¬ complete. 2 prejudiced, partisan, inclined, influenced, discriminatory; in favor of, pre¬ disposed to or toward, fond of. □□ partial¬ ity prejudice, bias, inclination; preference, taste, relish, partially partly, in part, to some extent or degree, to a certain extent or degree, not totally or wholly or entirely, restrictedly, incompletely. participate /paartisipayt/ v.intr. take a part or share (in). □□ par*tic*i*pa*tion /-payshan/ n. participant n. par*tic'i*pa*tor n. par*tic*i*pa*to*ry /—patawree/ adj. u partake, have or take a hand, get or be¬ come involved; engage in, join in, enter into, be or become associated with, on partici¬ pant participator, partaker, sharer, party, participation see voice n. 2c. par»ti«ci*ple /pa'artisipal/ n. Gram, word formed from a verb (e.g., going, gone, being, been) and used in compound verb forms (e.g., is going, has been) or as an adjective (e.g., working woman, burned toast). □□ par* ti*cip*i*al /-sipeeal/ adj. par*ti*cip'i*al*ly adv.

par»ti*cle paartikal/

n. 1 minute portion of matter. 2 least possible amount (not a parti¬ cle of sense). 3 Gram, minor part of speech, esp. a short indeclinable one. ■ 1 atom, molecule. 2 atom, molecule, scintilla, spark, mote, suggestion, hint, suspi¬ cion, gleam, bit, crumb. par*ti*cle*board /paartikalbord, -bawrd/ n. building material made in flat sheets from scrap wood bonded with adhesive. par*ti-COl*ored /paarteekulard/ adj. of more than one color in patches. ■ motley, variegated, pied, mottled. par*tic*u*lar /partikyalar, patik-/ • adj. 1 re¬ lating to or considered as one thing or person as distinct from others; individual. 2 more than is usual; special. 3 scrupulously exact; fastidious. • n. 1 detail; item. 2 [in pi]

points of information; detailed account. □ in particular especially; specifically. □□ par* tic*u*lar*i*ty /-laritee/ n. a adj. 1 certain, specific, special, peculiar, singular, single, isolated, distinct, discrete. 2 marked, especial, exceptional, remarkable, noteworthy, notable, outstanding. 3 fussy, meticulous, finicky, finical, discriminating. • n. 1 fine point, specific, element, fact, cir¬ cumstance. 2 minutiae, details, facts, cir¬ cumstances. □ in particular particularly, precisely, exactly, specially. par*tic*u*lar*ize /partikyatarlz, patik-/ v.tr. [also absol.] 1 name specifically or one by one. 2 specify (items). □□ par*tic*u*lar*i* za'tion n. par»tic*u*lar«ly /partikyatarlee, potik-/ adv. 1 especially; very. 2 specifically (they particu¬ larly asked for you). m 1 specially, exceptionally, peculiarly, sin¬

gularly, distinctively, uniquely, unusually. 2 in particular, especially, principally, main¬ ly; only, solely par*tic*u*late /partikyalayt, —bt, paar-/ • adj. in the form of separate particles. • n. matter in this form. parting /pa'arting/ n. 1 leave-taking or de¬ parture. 2 division; separating. ■ 1 farewell, saying good-bye, leaving, going (away), making one’s adieus or adieux; vale¬ diction. 2 splitting, dividing, breaking (up or apart); separation, split, breakup, rift, rup¬ ture, partition. par»ti*san /paartizan/ (also par*ti*zan) • n. 1 strong, esp. unreasoning, supporter of a party, cause, etc. 2 Mil. guerrilla. • adj. of or like partisans. □□ par'ti*san*ship n. an. 1 devotee, follower, adherent, backer, champion, enthusiast, fan, zealot. 2 freedom fighter, underground or resistance fighter, ir¬ regular. • adj. guerrilla, freedom, under¬ ground, resistance, irregular. par*ti*tion /paartishan/ • n. 1 division into parts. 2 structure dividing a space into two parts, esp. a light interior wall. •v.tr. 1 di¬ vide into parts. 2 separate with a partition. □□ par*ti'tioned adj. par*ti'tion*er n. par* ti'tion*ist n. an. 1 separation, splitting (up), split-up, breakup, segmentation. 2 (room) divider, barrier, screen, separator. • v. 1 separate, cut up, subdivide, split (up). 2 divide (off), wall off, screen (off), fence off. part*ly /pa'artlee/ adv. to some extent; not en¬ tirely. ■ see partially (partial). partner /pa'artnar/ • n. 1 person who shares or takes part with another or others. 2 com¬ panion in dancing. 3 player on the same side in a game. 4 either member of a married or unmarried couple. • v. tr. be the partner of. □□ part'ner*less adj. part*ner*ship n. an. 1 sharer, partaker, associate, colleague, participant, accomplice, accessory, confeder¬ ate, comrade, ally, collaborator, colloq. pal, sidekick, buddy. 3 teammate. 4 wife, hus¬ band, spouse, helpmate, consort; lover, co¬ habitant. par*took past of partake. partridge /pa'artrij/ n. (pi. same or par*

601

particularize ~ pass

tridg*es) any of various species of game bird. par*tU*ri*tion /pa'artOOrishan, -tydO-, -chob-/ n. Med. act of bringing forth young; child¬ birth. parity /paartee/ • n. (pi. -ties) 1 social gath¬ ering. 2 body of persons engaged in an ac¬ tivity or traveling together (search party). 3 group of people united in a cause, opinion, etc., esp. an organized political group. 4 each side in an agreement or dispute. 5 Law accessory (to an action). 6 colloq. per¬ son. • v. (-ties, -tied) entertain at or attend a party. □ party line 1 policy adopted by a political party. 2 shared telephone line. an. 1 celebration, fete, function, reception, soiree, festivity, colloq. get-together, shindig. 2 group, company, band, corps, gang, crew, commando, team, squad, troop, colloq. bunch, outfit. 3 side, interest, faction, league, club, coalition, bloc, division, lobby, caucus. 4 individual, person, litigant, plain¬ tiff, defendant, part, interest, signer. 5 par¬ ticipant, participator, confederate, associate, ally, accomplice. par*ve*nu /pa'arvanoo/ n. (Jem. par*ve*nue) 1 person who has recently gained wealth or position. 2 upstart. ■ arriviste, nouveau riche, adventurer, so¬ cial climber; intruder. pas*chal /paskal/ adj. 1 of Passover. 2 of Easter. pa*sha /pa'asha/ n. (also pa'cha) hist, title (placed after the name) of a Turkish officer of high rank. pass1 /pas/ • v. (past part, passed) (see also past). 1 intr. move onward; proceed past. 2 tr. a go past; leave (a thing, etc.) on one side or behind in proceeding, b overtake, esp. in a vehicle. 3 intr. & tr. be transferred or cause to be transferred from one person or place to another. 4 tr. surpass; exceed. 5 intr. get through. 6 intr. be accepted as or known as. 7 tr. move; cause to go. 8 a intr. be successful (in school, etc.), b tr. be suc¬ cessful in (school, etc.), c tr. judge as satis¬ factory. 9 a tr. (of a bill) be approved by (a parliamentary process), b tr. cause or allow (a bill) to proceed to further legislative processes, c intr. (of a bill or proposal) be approved. 10 intr. occur; elapse; happen. 11a intr. circulate; be current, b tr. put into circulation. 12 tr. spend or use up (a certain time or period). 13 tr. Sports send (the ball) to another player of one’s own team. 14 intr. forgo one’s turn or chance in a game, etc. 15 intr. come to an end. 16 tr. discharge from the body 17 tr. a utter (criticism) about, b pronounce (judicial sentence) on. • n. 1 act or instance of passing. 2 permis¬ sion giving free entry, access, leave, etc. 3 Sports transference of the ball to another player on the same side. □ in passing 1 by the way. 2 in the course of conversation, etc. make a pass at colloq. make amorous or sex¬ ual advances to. pass around 1 distribute. 2 send or give to each of a number in turn, pass away 1 euphem. die. 2 cease to exist;

pass ~ passionate

602

come to an end. pass the buck colloq. deny or shift responsibility, pass by 1 go past. 2 disregard; omit, pass on 1 proceed on one’s way. 2 euphem. die. 3 transmit to the next person in a series, pass out 1 become unconscious. 2 distribute, pass over 1 omit, ignore, or disregard. 2 ignore the claims of (a person). 3 euphem. die. pass up colloq. refuse or neglect (an opportunity, etc.). □□ pass’er n. mv. 1 go (ahead), progress, extend, lie; run, flow, fly, roll, course, stream, drift, sweep. 2 proceed or move past, go by; cross, go across, traverse. 3, 11, 13 give, hand around or along or over, pass on or over, deliver, con¬ vey, lob, hurl, toss, throw, release. 4 outdo, transcend, go beyond, overshoot, outstrip, outrun, surmount, outdistance. 5 go or travel or voyage or make one’s way past or through or by, progress, make headway, advance. 6 be taken for, be mistaken for, be regarded as. 7 see put1 v. 1. 8 a qualify, pass muster, get or come through, succeed. 9 b permit, ap¬ prove, sanction, enact, accept, authorize, en¬ dorse, carry, agree to, confirm. 10 go (by), expire; slip by or away, fly; crawl, creep, drag; formed eventuate; see also OCCUR 1. 12 de¬ vote, expend, employ, occupy, fill, while away; dissipate, waste, fritter away, kill. 14 decline, abstain, go or do without. 15 go away, disap¬ pear, vanish, evaporate, fade away, cease (to exist), die out. 16 evacuate, void, eliminate, excrete. 17 express, issue, declare, deliver, set forth, offer. • n. 1 maneuver, approach; pas¬ sage, flight, flyby, transit. 2 authorization, permit, license, approval, safe conduct, pro¬ tection; freedom, liberty, authority, sanction, clearance, go-ahead, colloq. green light, OK. □ in passing incidentally, by the by, paren¬ thetically. pass around 1 see distribute 1. 2 see circulate 2. pass away 1 expire, per¬ ish, succumb, breathe one’s last, archaic or col¬ loq. give up the ghost, euphem. pass on or over, si. croak, kick the bucket, bite the dust. 2 vanish, disappear, go away, stop, cease, end. pass on 1 see proceed 1. 2 see pass away 1 above. 3 see pass v. 3,11,13 above, pass out 1 faint, collapse, black out, drop, keel over, colloq. conk (out), literary swoon. 2 see dis¬ tribute 1. pass over 1 let pass, let go (by), overlook, pay no heed to, skip. 3 see pass azoay 1 above, pass up reject, decline, waive, turn down, dismiss, spurn, renounce; deny (oneself), skip, give up, forgo, let go (by), abandon, forswear, forsake, let pass, ignore, pay no heed, disregard. pass2 /pas/ n. narrow passage through moun¬ tains. ■ defile, gorge, col, cut, canyon, notch, gap, gully, couloir; opening, way, route, road. pass*a*ble /pasabal/ adj. 1 barely satisfac¬ tory; just adequate. 2 (of a road, pass, etc.) that can be passed. □□ pass'a*bly adv. ■ 1 acceptable, tolerable, all right, admissi¬ ble, allowable, presentable, average, fair (enough). 2 traversable, navigable, negotia¬ ble, open, unblocked, do passably see fair¬ ly 2, pretty adv.

pas*sage /pasij/ n. 1 process or means of passing; transit. 2 = passageway. 3 liberty or right to pass through. 4 journey by sea or air. 5 transition. 6 short extract from a book, piece of music, etc. ■ 1 movement, moving, going, transition, traversal, traverse, progress. 3 safe conduct, protection, permission, right of way, privi¬ lege, freedom, visa, authorization, allowance. 4 voyage, trip, cruise, crossing, sail, run, trav¬ el, traveling. 5 change, mutation, shift, con¬ version, progression, passing; progress, flow, march, advance. 6 excerpt, selection, sec¬ tion, part, snippet, portion, text, paragraph, canto, stanza, verse, line, sentence, phrase; citation, quotation. pas*sage*way /pasijway/ n. narrow way for passing along, esp. with walls on either side; corridor. ■ hall, passage, hallway, lobby; route, av¬ enue. pass-book /pasbC&k/ n. book issued by a bank, etc., to an account holder for record¬ ing deposits and withdrawals, passe /pasay/ adj. 1 old-fashioned. 2 past its prime. ■ 1 unfashionable, dated, out-of-date, be¬ hind the times, outmoded, obsolete, obsoles¬ cent, antiquated. pas«sen«ger /pasinjar/ n. traveler in or on a public or private conveyance (other than the driver, pilot, crew, etc.). ■ rider, fare, voyager, commuter. pas»ser*by /pasarbi/ n. {pi. pas’sers-by) person who goes past, esp. by chance. pas»sim /pasim/ adv. (of allusions or refer¬ ences in a published work) to be found at various places throughout the text, passing /pasing/ • adj. 1 in sense of pass1 v. 2 transient; fleeting. 3 cursory; incidental {a passing reference). • n. 1 in senses of pass1 v. 2 euphem. death, dd pass'ing'lv adv. m adj. 2 disappearing, vanishing, ephem¬ eral, brief, going, fading (away), short-lived, expiring. 3 hasty, superficial, casual, quick, fleeting, brief, summary. • n. 2 dying, de¬ mise, end, loss, expiry, expiration. pas*sion /pashan/ n. 1 strong emotion or en¬ thusiasm. 2 emotional outburst. 3 object arousing passion. 4 (the Passion) Relig. suffering of Christ during his last days. do pas'siondess adj. • 1 ardor, ardency, eagerness, intensity, fer¬ vor, fervency, fervidness, zeal; infatuation, mania, obsession, craze, craving, lust, thirst, hunger, itch, yearning, longing, desire, love, colloq. yen, crush. 2 fit, frenzy, paroxysm, fury, furor. 3 love, beloved, idol, hero, hero¬ ine, obsession, infatuation, colloq. crush, heartthrob; see also enthusiasm. 4 (the Passion) pain, agony, martyrdom. pas*sion*ate /pashanat/ adj. 1 dominated by or easily moved to strong feeling, esp. love or anger. 2 showing or caused by passion. dd pas'sion*ate*ly adv. ■ ardent, eager, intense, fervid, zealous, avid, earnest, feverish, fanatic(al), vehement, impassioned; quick-tempered, irascible, hot¬ headed, fiery, testy, huffy; aroused, lustful, lecherous, erotic, sexual, amorous.

pas*sive /pasiv/ adj. 1 suffering action; acted upon. 2 offering no opposition; submissive. 3 not active; inert. 4 Gram, designating the voice in which the subject undergoes the ac¬ tion of the verb. □ passive resistance non¬ violent refusal to cooperate, passive smok¬ ing involuntary inhaling, of smoke from others’ cigarettes, etc. □□ pas'sive*ly adv. pas'sivemess n. pas*siv'i*ty n. ■ 2 repressed, deferential, yielding, compli¬ ant, complaisant, receptive, flexible, mallea¬ ble, pliable. 3 inactive, nonaggressive, mo¬ tionless, unresponsive, quiet, calm, tranquil, serene, placid, still, idle. pass«key /paskee/ n. 1 private key to a gate, etc., for special purposes. 2 skeleton key or master key. Pass*0«ver /pasovar/ n. Jewish spring festival commemorating the liberation of the Is¬ raelites from Egyptian bondage, pass'port /paspawrt/ n. 1 official document issued by a government certifying the hold¬ er’s identity and citizenship, and authorizing travel abroad. 2 [foil, by re] thing that en¬ sures admission or attainment (a passport to success). pass*WOrd /pasward/ n. prearranged word or phrase securing recognition, admission, etc. ■ watchword, open sesame, sign, counter¬ sign. past /past/ • adj. 1 gone by in time. 2 re¬ cently completed or gone by {the past month). 3 relating to a former time. 4 Gram, ex¬ pressing a past action or state. • n. 1 a past time, b past events. 2 person’s past life, esp. if discreditable. 3 past tense or form. »prep. 1 beyond in time or place. 2 beyond the range, duration, or compass of. • adv. so as to pass by {hurriedpast). □ past master ex¬ pert. ■ adj. 1 over, done, finished, (over and) done with. 2 last, recent. 3 late, former, onetime, sometime, previous, prior. • n. 1 days or years or times gone by, old times, former times, the (good) old days, yesterday, yesteryear. 2 history, background, life, ca¬ reer, biography. • prep. 1 across, over; after. 2 surpassing, exceeding. • adv. on, by, along, away. pas*ta /paasta/ n. 1 dried flour paste used in various shapes in cooking (e.g., spaghetti). 2 cooked dish made from this. paste /payst/ • n. 1 any moist fairly stiff mix¬ ture. 2 dough of flour with fat, water, etc. 3 liquid adhesive for sticking paper, etc. 4 hard vitreous composition used in making imitation gems. • v.tr. 1 fasten or coat with paste. 2 si. beat or thrash. □□ pasting n. (esp. in sense 2 of v.). pasteboard /paystbawrd/ n. 1 stiff material made by pasting together sheets of paper. 2 [attrib.] a flimsy, b fake. pas*tel /pastel/ n. 1 crayon of powdered pig¬ ments bound with a gum solution. 2 work of art in pastel. 3 light and subdued shade of a color. □□ pas*tel'ist n. pas'tem /pastarn/ n. 1 part of a horse’s foot between fedock and hoof. 2 corresponding part in other animals. pas*teur*ize /pascharlz, pastya-/ v.tr. steril-

603

passive ~ patch

ize (milk, etc.) by heating. □□ pas*teur*i* za'tion n. pas'teur*iz*er n. pas'tiche /paste'esh/ n. literary or artisuc work from or imitating various sources. ■ mixture, medley, blend, compound, com¬ posite, patchwork, olio, olla podrida, pot¬ pourri, motley. pas'time /pastlm/ n. pleasant recreation or hobby. ■ avocarion, diversion, distraction, amuse¬ ment, entertainment, fun, play, relaxation, leisure. pas»tor /pastar/ n. priest or minister in charge of a church or a congregation. □□ pas tor* ate n. pas'tor*ship n. • vicar, clergyman, clergywoman, parson, reverend, father, divine, ecclesiastic, bishop. pas*tor*al /pastaral/ • adj. 1 of shepherds or flocks and herds. 2 of or portraying country life. 3 of a pastor. • n. pastoral poem, play, picture, etc. □□ pas'to*ral*ism n. pas'to* ral’ly adv. ■ adj. 1 country, rural, rustic, provincial, farming, agricultural, agrarian; humble. 2 bucolic, idyllic, innocent, simple, tranquil, serene, uncomplicated, arcadian. 3 clerical, ministerial, ecclesiastic(al), church(ly). • n. idyll, eclogue, pastorale. pas*tra*mi /pastra'amee/ n. seasoned smoked beef. pas*try /paystree/ n. (pi. -tries) 1 dough of flour, fat, and water baked and used as a base and covering for pies, etc. 2 a food, made wholly or partly of this, b item of this food. pas*tur*age /pascharij/ n. land for pasture. pasture /paschar/ • n. 1 grassland suitable for grazing. 2 herbage for animals. • v. tr. put (animals) to pasture. an. 1 meadow, meadowland, pasturage, grass, range. past*y /paystee/ adj. (past*i*er, past*i*est) unhealthily pale (esp. in complexion). □□ past'i*ly adv. past'i*ness n. ■ wan, pallid, pasty-faced, sallow, palefaced. pat1 /pat/ •v.tr. (pat'ted, pat*ting) 1 strike gently with the hand or a flat surface. 2 flat¬ ten or mold by patting. • n. 1 light stroke or tap, esp. with the hand in affection, etc. 2 sound made by this. 3 small mass (esp. of butter) formed by patting. □ pat on the back gesture of approval or congratulation. ■ v. 1 tap, touch, dab; pet, stroke, caress. • n. 1, 2 tap, touch, dab; stroke, caress. 3 piece, patty, lump, cake, portion, o pat on the back commendation, praise, compli¬ ment, flattery. pat2 /pat/ • adj. 1 prepared or known thor¬ oughly. 2 apposite or opportune, esp. un¬ convincingly so. • adv. in a pat manner. □ stand pat stick stubbornly to one’s opin¬ ion or decision. □□ pat'ly adv. pat'ness n. ■ adj. 1 see ready adj. 1,2. 2 apt, suitable, ready, appropriate; well-rehearsed; glib, slick. • adv. thoroughly, perfectly, exactly, precisely, faultlessly, flawlessly, just so or right, readily; off pat; slickly, glibly. patch /pach/ • n. 1 piece of material or

patchouli ~ patriarchy

604

metal, etc., used to mend a hole or as rein¬ forcement. 2 pad worn to protect an injured eye. 3 dressing, etc., put over a wound. 4 large or irregular distinguishable area on a surface. 5 piece of ground. 6 scrap or rem¬ nant. • v. ir. 1 repair with a patch or patches. 2 (of material) serve as a patch to. 3 put to¬ gether, esp. hastily. 4 [foil, by up] settle (a quarrel, etc.). o patch test test for allergy by applying to the skin patches containing al¬ lergenic substances, an patch'er n. m n. 1 scrap. 2 eye patch. 3 pad, bandage, plaster. 4 region, zone, stretch, section, seg¬ ment. 5 plot, tract, ground, parcel, field, plat, lot. 6 piece, shred, snip, snippet, tatter. • v. 1,2 patch up or over, mend, vamp, re¬ vamp, darn, sew (up), reinforce, cover. 3 patch up, fix (up), improvise, knock to¬ gether or up. 4 straighten out, reconcile, re¬ solve, heal. patch*OU*li /pachoblee, pachtsolee/ n. per¬ fume obtained from a strongly scented E. In¬ dian plant. patch*work /pachwark/ n. 1 sewn work using small pieces of cloth with different de¬ signs, forming a pattern. 2 thing composed of various small pieces or fragments. ■ 2 pastiche, pasticcio, mixture, confusion, mosaic. patch»y /pachee/ adj. (patch*i*er, patch'i* est) 1 uneven in quality. 2 having or exist¬ ing in patches, do patch'i*ly adv. patch'i* ness n. pate /payt/ n. colloq. or joc. head. pa*te /paatay, pa-/ n. rich paste or spread of finely chopped and spiced meat or fish, etc. pa*tel*la /pateta/ n. (pi. pa*tel*lae /-lee/) kneecap. □□ pa*tel'lar adj. pa*tel*late /-tat/ adj. pat«ent /pat’nt/ • n. 1 official document con¬ ferring a right or title, esp. the sole right to make or use or sell some invention. 2 inven¬ tion or process so protected. • adj. 1 /payt’nt/ obvious; plain. 2 conferred or protected by patent. • v.tr. obtain a patent for. □ patent leather glossy leather, patent medicine trademarked medicine usu. avail¬ able without prescription. □□ pa'ten*cy n. pat’ent*a*ble adj. pat'ent*ly adv. (/paytantlee/ in sense 1 of adj.). ■ n. 1 letters patent, trade name, (regis¬ tered) trademark, copyright, license, permit. 2 see invention 2. • adj. 1 clear, transpar¬ ent, manifest, apparent, evident, self-evident, unmistakable. 2 proprietary. pa*ter*nal /patarnal/ adj. 1 fatherly. 2 re¬ lated through the father. 3 (of a govern¬ ment, etc.) limiting freedom and responsibil¬ ity by well-meaning regulations. □□ pa*ter' nal*ly adv. ■ 1 kindly, indulgent, solicitous, fond, lov¬ ing; patriarchal. 2 patrilineal, patrimonial. 3 paternalistic. pa*ter*nal*ism /patarnalizam/ n. policy of governing or behaving in a paternal way. □□ pa*ter'nal*ist n. pa*ter*nal*is'tic adj. pa*ter*nal*is'ti*cal*ly adv. pa*ter*ni*ty /patarnitee/ n. 1 fatherhood.

2 one’s paternal origin. 3 the source or au¬ thorship of a thing. ■ 1 fathership. 2 parentage, descent, heri¬ tage, line, lineage, extraction, family, stock, strain, blood. path /path/ n. (pi. paths /paathz/) 1 way or track made for or by walking. 2 line along which a person or thing moves (flight path). 3 course of action. □□ path'less adj. • 1 footpath, pathway, trail, walk, walkway, footway, pavement, sidewalk. 2 way, course, track, route, road, orbit, trajectory. 3 ap¬ proach, channel, direction, procedure, process, way, avenue, means. pa*thet*ic /pathetik/ adj. 1 arousing pity, sadness, or contempt. 2 colloq. miserably in¬ adequate. □□ pa*thet'i*cal*ly adv. ■ 1 moving, stirring, affecting, affective, touching, emotional, emotive, poignant, tragic, heartrending. 2 meager, paltry, fee¬ ble, inadequate, poor, petty. path*0*gen /pathajan/ n. agent causing dis¬ ease. □□ path*o*gen*ic /-jenik/ adj. pafh*0‘log*i*cal /pathalojikal/ adj. 1 of pa¬ thology. 2 of or caused by a physical or men¬ tal disorder (a pathological fear of spiders). □□ path*o*log'i*cal*ly adv. pa*thol*0*gy /patholajee/ n. 1 science of bodily diseases. 2 symptoms of a disease. □□ pa*thol'o*gist n.

pa*thos /paythos, -thaws, -thos/ n. quality in speech, writing, events, etc., that evokes pity or sadness. path*way /pathway/ n. path or its course, -pathy /pathee/ comb, form forming norms de¬ noting: 1 curative treatment (allopathy, ho¬ meopathy). 2 feeling (telepathy). parfience /payshans/ n. perseverance; ability to endure; forbearance. ■ tolerance, restraint, toleration, stoicism, fortitude, endurance, sufferance, submis¬ sion; diligence, tenacity, doggedness, as¬ siduity. parfient /payshant/ • adj. having or showing patience. • n. person receiving medical treatment. □□ pa'tient*ly adv. m adj. resigned, submissive, stoical, longsuffering, compliant; forbearing, tolerant; diligent, dogged, tenacious, persistent. • n. invalid, sufferer, case, client. pa*ti»na /pate'ena, pat’na/ n. (pi. pa*ti*nas) 1 film, usu. green, formed on old bronze. 2 similar film or gloss on other surfaces. □□ pat*i*nat*ed /pat’naytid/ adj. pat*i*na' don n. pa»ti*o /pateeo/ n. 1 paved usu. roofless area adjoining and belonging to a house. 2 roof¬ less inner court. pa'tois /patwa'a, patwaa/ n. (pi. same, pronunc. /-waaz/) regional dialect of the com¬ mon people. pa*tri»arch /paytreeaark/ n. 1 male head of a family or tribe. 2 Eccl. a chief bishop in the Orthodox Church, b (in the Roman Catho¬ lic Church) bishop ranking immediately be¬ low the pope. 3 venerable old man. □□ pa* tri*ar'chal adj. pa*tri*ar'chal*ly adv. pa*tri*arch*ate /paytreea'arkat, -kayt/ n. of¬ fice, rank, see, or residence of an patriarch. pa*tri*ar*chy /paytreeaarkee/ n. (pi. -chies)

system of society, government, etc., ruled by a man or men and with descent through the male line. pa»tri»cian /potrishon/ • n. 1 hist, member of the ancient Roman nobility. 2 aristocrat. • adj. aristocratic; well-bred. pat»ri*mo»ny /patrimonee/ n. (pi. -nies) property inherited from one’s father or an¬ cestor. □□ pat*ri»mo'ni*al adj. pa*tri*ot /paytreeot, -ot/ n. person who is de¬ voted to and ready to support or defend his or her country. □□ pa*tri*ot'ic /-reeotik/ adj. pa*tri*ot'i*cal*ly adv. pa'tri'O'tism n. ■ nationalist, loyalist; flag-waver, chau¬ vinist. pa*trol /patrol/ • n. 1 act of walking or trav¬ eling around an area in order to protect or supervise it. 2 guards, police, troops, etc., sent out to watch or protect. • v. (pa* trolled, pa»trol*ling) 1 tr. carry out a patrol of. 2 intr. act as a patrol. □ patrol car po¬ lice car used in patrolling roads and streets. □□ pa*trol'ler n. urt. 1 rounds, policing, beat; protection, (safe)guarding, defense. 2 sentry, sentinel, patrolman, see also squad. • v. 1 police, guard, protect, defend, watch over. 2 walk a beat, make or do the rounds, be on or stand or keep guard, be on or stand or keep watch, keep vigil, o patrol car squad car, prowl car. pa*trol*man /patrolman/ n. (pi. -men) police officer assigned to or patrolling a specific route. pa*tron /paytran/ n. (Jem. pa*tron*ess) 1 person who gives financial or other sup¬ port to a person, cause, work of art, etc. 2 habitual customer. □ patron saint pro¬ tecting or guiding saint of a person, place, etc. ■ 1 benefactor, philanthropist, Maecenas, protector, supporter, sponsor, backer, colloq. booster, si. angel. 2 client, purchaser, buyer, patronizer, habitue. pa»tron»age /patranij/ n. 1 patron’s or cus¬ tomer’s support. 2 a power to appoint oth¬ ers to government jobs, b distribution of such jobs. ■ 1 sponsorship, backing, promotion, en¬ couragement, trade, business; trading, traf¬ fic. pa*tron»ize /paytranlz, pat-/ v. tr. 1 treat con¬ descendingly. 2 act as a patron toward (a person, cause, artist, etc.); support; encour¬ age. 3 be a customer of. □□ pa*tron>i*za' tion n. pa'tron*iz*er n. pa'tronnzung adj. pa'tron*iz*ing*ly adv. • 1 look down on, scorn, talk down to; dis¬ dain, demean, put down, humiliate. 2 spon¬ sor, back, promote, aid, assist, help, frond. 3 deal with, do business with, buy from, fre¬ quent, shop at. pat*ro*nym*ic /patranimik/ n. name derived from the name of a father or ancestor, e.g., Johnson, O’Brien, Ivanovich.

pat*sy /patsee/ n. (pi. -sies) person who is deceived, ridiculed, tricked, etc. pat'ter1 /patar/ • V. intr. make a rapid succes¬ sion of taps. • n. rapid succession of taps, short light steps, etc.

605

patrician ~ paw

■ v. spatter, tap; beat, pelt. • n. spatter, pitter-patter, pit-a-pat, tapping, tattoo, drum, thrum, beat. paWer2 /patar/ • n. rapid speech used by a comedian or salesperson. • v. intr. talk glibly or mechanically. ■ n. pitch, sales talk, colloq. line, si. spiel. • v. chatter, prattle, prate, babble, gabble, cackle, jabber, rattle (on). paMern /patarn/ • n. 1 decorative design. 2 regular or logical form, order, etc. 3 model or design, e.g., of a garment, from which copies can be made. 4 example of excel¬ lence; ideal; model (a pattern of elegance). See synonym study at model. • v.tr. 1 model (a thing) on a design, etc. 2 decorate with a pattern. ■ n. 1 figure, motif, device; decoration, or¬ nament. 2 system, arrangement, plan, theme; repetition, consistency, regularity. 3 original, blueprint, diagram, plan, layout, draff, guide. 4 archetype, prototype, exem¬ plar, paragon, standard, yardstick, criterion. • v. 1 see imitate 1,2. 2 figure, ornament; see also embellish 1. pat*ty /patee/ n. (pi. -ties) small flat cake of food. pau»ci*ty /pawsitee/ n. smallness of number or quantity. paunch /pawnch/ n. 1 belly or stomach, esp. when protruding. 2 ruminant’s first stom¬ ach; rumen. □□ paunch'y adj. (paunchu* er, paunchiest). paunch'i*ness n. m n. 1 potbelly, colloq. tummy, gut, si. beer belly. pau*per /pawpar/ n. person without means; beggar. □□ pau'perusm /-rizam/ n. pau' pertize v.tr. pau’periza'tion /-rlzaysh’n/ n.

■ indigent, down-and-out, bankrupt, insol¬ vent. pause /pawz/ • n. temporary stop; silence. • v. intr. 1 make a pause; wait. 2 linger over (a word, etc.). ■ n. hesitation, interruption, delay, lull, lapse, moratorium, holdup, wait, break, rest, breathing space. *v. 1 delay, break, hesitate, mark time, falter, rest. pave /payv/ v.tr. cover (a street, floor, etc.) with paving, etc. □ pave the way for pre¬ pare for. □□ pav'er n. pav'ing n. m surface, floor; tile, flag, concrete; macad¬ amize, tarmac. □ pave the way for facili¬ tate, ease; see also prepare 1. pave*ment /payvmant/ n. paved path, road¬ way, etc. pa*vil»ion /pavilyan/ n. 1 tent, esp. a large one at a show, fair, etc. 2 building or stand used for entertainments, exhibits, etc. 3 de¬ tached building that is part of a connected set of buildings, as at a hospital. Pav»lo*vi*an /pavloveean/ adj. of or relating to I. P. Pavlov or his work, esp. on condi¬ tioned reflexes. paw /paw/ • n. 1 foot of an animal having claws or nails. 2 colloq. person’s hand. • v. 1 tr. strike or scrape with a paw or foot. 2 intr. scrape the ground with a paw or

pawl ~ peaceful

606

hoof. 3 tr. colloq. fondle awkwardly or indecendy. pawl /pawl/ n. lever with a catch for the teeth of a wheel or bar. pawn1 /pawn/ n. 1 Chess piece of the smallest size and value. 2 person used by others for their own purposes. ■ 2 tool, cat’s-paw, puppet, instrument, dupe. pawn2 /pawn/ • v. tr. 1 deposit an object, esp. with a pawnbroker, as security for money lent. 2 pledge or wager. • n. object left as se¬ curity for money, etc., lent. ■ v. mortgage, hypothecate, deposit, colloq. hock. • n. collateral, guaranty, guarantee, pledge, surety. pawnbroker /pawnbrokor/ n. person who lends money at interest on the security of personal property pawned. □□ pawn'brok* ing n. Paw*nee /pawnee, paa-/ n. 1 a N. American people native to Kansas and Nebraska, b member of this people. 2 language of this people. pawnshop /pawnshop/ n. pawnbroker’s shop. paw'paw /pawpaw/ n. (also pa'paw) N. American tree with purple flowers and edi¬ ble fruit. pay /pay/ • v.tr. (past and past part, paid /payd/) 1 [also absol.] give (a person, etc.) what is due for services done, goods re¬ ceived, debts incurred, etc. 2 give (a sum) for work done, a debt, etc. 3 a give, bestow, or express, b make (a visit). 4 [also absol.] be profitable or advantageous. 5 reward or punish. 6 let out (a rope) by slackening it. • n. wages. • adj. requiring payment of a coin, a set fee, etc., for use. □ in the pay of employed by. pay back 1 repay. 2 punish or be revenged on. pay dirt 1 Mineral, ground worth working for ore. 2 financially promis¬ ing situation, pay off 1 dismiss (workers) with a final payment. 2 colloq. yield good re¬ sults; succeed. 3 pay (a debt) in full, pay phone coin-operated telephone. □□ payee /payee/ n. pay'er n. m v. 1 recompense, compensate, remuner¬ ate, reward, indemnify, repay, reimburse. 2 repay, refund, reimburse, satisfy, clear, re¬ mit, discharge, liquidate, settle, honor, meet. 3 extend, transmit, pass on, deliver; do. 4 benefit, profit, avail, help, advantage; (absol.) be worthwhile, yield a return, pro¬ duce results, show a profit, pay off; see also succeed 1. 5 pay back or out, repay, settle (accounts) with, requite; take or get revenge on, chastise, castigate, get even with. 6 (pay out) release, loosen, slack or slacken off (on). • n. remuneration, consideration, reward, money, salary, fee, honorarium, remittance, allowance, stipend; payment, compensation, recompense. □ pay back see pay v. 5 above, pay off 1 see dismiss 2. 2 see PAY v. 4 above. 3 see pay v. 2 above. pay»a*ble /payabsl/ adj. that must or may be paid; due.

■ owed, owing, outstanding, unpaid, receiv¬ able. pay*day /payday/ n. day on which salary or wages are paid. pay'load /paylod/ n. 1 part of an aircraft’s load from which revenue is derived, as pay¬ ing passengers. 2 explosive warhead carried by an aircraft or rocket. pay*mas»ter /paymastar/ n. official who pays troops, workers, etc. pay*ment /paymant/ n. 1 act or an instance of paying. 2 amount paid. 3 reward; recom¬ pense. ■ 1 remuneration, compensation, settle¬ ment. 2 expenditure, disbursement, distri¬ bution, outlay, fee, contribution, charge, ex¬ pense. 3 see pay n. pay*off /payawf/ n. si. 1 act of payment. 2 climax. 3 final reckoning. 4 colloq. bribe; bribery. pay*0*la /payola/ n. bribe offered in return for unofficial promotion of a product, etc., in the media. pay-per-view • n. system in which television viewers are charged for watching a specific program (usu. applied to movies or sporting events). pay-roll /payrol/ n. list of employees receiving regular pay. Pb symb. Chem. lead. PBS abbr. Public Broadcasting Service. PC abbr. 1 personal computer. 2 politically correct. PCB abbr. 1 Computing printed circuit board. 2 Chem. polychlorinated biphenyl, any of several toxic aromatic compounds formed as waste in industrial processes. PCP n. 1 si. illicit hallucinogenic drug, phen¬ cyclidine hydrochloride (phenyl cyclohexyl piperidine). 2 pneumocystis carinii pneu¬ monia. pet. abbr. percent. PD abbr. Police Department. Pd symb. Chem. palladium. pd. abbr. paid. PDT abbr. Pacific Daylight Time. PE abbr. physical education. pea /pee/ n. 1 hardy climbing plant, with seeds growing in pods and used for food. 2 its seed. peace /pees/ n. la quiet; tranquillity, b mental calm; serenity (peace of mind). 2 freedom from or the cessation of war. 3 freedom from civil disorder. □ hold one’s peace keep silent, peace pipe tobacco pipe smoked as a token of peace among some Na¬ tive Americans. ■ 1 serenity, calm, calmness, placidity, plac¬ idness. 2 harmony, accord, peacefhlness, peacetime; cease-fire, armistice, truce. peace*a*ble /pe'esabal/ adj. 1 disposed to peace. 2 tranquil; peaceful. □□ peace'a* ble«ness n. peace'a-bly adv. ■ 1 pacific, inoffensive, dovish, peaceloving, mild, nonviolent, peaceful. 2 see peaceful 1. peaceful /pe'esfool/ adj. 1 characterized by peace; tranquil. 2 not infringing peace. See synonym study at calm. □□ peace'fufrly adv. peace'ful-ness n.

■ 1 peaceable, serene, placid, calm, quiet, quiescent, gentle, restful. 2 see peaceable 1. peace-mak-er /pe'esmayksr/ n. person who brings about peace. □□ peace'maknng n. &• adj. m conciliator, pacifier, reconciler, propitia¬

tor, placater, pacificator, mediator, arbi¬ trator, intermediator. peace-time /pe'estlm/ n. period when a coun¬ try is not at war. peach /peech/ «. 1 a round juicy fruit with downy cream or yellow skin flushed with red. b tree bearing it. 2 yellowish pink color of. 3 colloq. a person or thing of superlative quality, b often offens. attractive young woman. □□ peach'y adj. (peach-i-er, peach-i-est). peach'i-ness n. ■ 3 see beauty 2a. pea*COCk /pe'ekok/ n. male peafowl, having brilliant plumage and an erectile fanlike tail (with eyelike markings). pea-fowl /pe'efowl/ n. peacock or peahen, pea-hen /pe'ehen/ n. female peafowl, pea jack-et /pee jakit/ (also pea'coat) n. sailor’s short double-breasted woolen over¬ coat. peak1 /peek/ • n. 1 projecting usu. pointed part, esp.: a the pointed top of a mountain, b a mountain with a peak. C stiff brim at the front of a cap. 2 a highest point, b time of greatest success, • v.intr. reach the highest value, quality, etc. □□ peaked adj. peak'iness n. mn. 1 a, b pinnacle, crest, ridge, tor, sum¬ mit; mountain, eminence, c visor. 2 top, tip, apex, acme, culmination, pinnacle, apogee; extreme, utmost, consummation, climax. • v. crest, culminate, (reach a) climax, reach a peak, top (out); come to a head. peak2 /peek/ v.intr. 1 waste away. 2 (as peak-ed /pe'ekid/ adj.) pale; sickly, peal /peel/ • n. la the loud ringing of a bell or bells, esp. a series of changes, b set of bells. 2 loud repeated sound, esp. of thun¬ der, laughter, etc. • v. 1 intr. sound forth in a peal. 2 tr. utter sonorously. 3 tr. ring (bells) in peals. ■ n. ring, carillon, chime, toll, tolling, tin¬ kle; changes; clang, clangor; knell; clap, crash, roar, rumble, thunder. • v. toll, chime, clang, reverberate, resonate, resound; knell; boom, crash, roar, roll. pea-nut /pe'enut/ n. 1 leguminous plant, bearing pods that ripen underground and contain seeds used as food and yielding oil. 2 seed of this plant. 3 [in pi. ] colloq. paltry or trivial thing or amount, esp. of money. □ peanut butter paste of ground roasted peanuts. pear /pair/ n. 1 yellowish or brownish green fleshy fruit, tapering toward the stalk. 2 tree bearing it. pearl /pari/ • n. la [often attrib.] usu. white or bluish gray hard mass formed within the shell of certain oysters highly prized as a gem for its luster (pearl necklace), b imitation of this. 2 precious thing; finest example. 3 an¬ ything resembling a pearl, e.g., a dewdrop, tear, etc. • v. intr. fish for pearl oysters. □□ pearber n. pear'ly adj.

607 peacemaker ~ peculiarity mn. 2 gem, treasure, prize, flower, wonder, nonpareil. □□ pearly nacreous, pearl-like, lustrous; mother-of-pearl, peas-ant /pezant/ n. 1 small farmer; agricul¬ tural worker. 2 derog. boorish or unsophisti¬ cated person. □□ peas'ant*ry n. (pi. -ries). ■ rustic, provincial, (farm) worker, (coun¬ try) bumpkin, bucolic, yokel, boor, colloq. hick, hayseed, rube. peat /peet/ n. 1 vegetable matter decom¬ posed in water and partly carbonized, used for fuel, in horticulture, etc. 2 a cut piece of this. □□ peat'y adj. peat-bog /pe'etbawg, -bog/ n. bog composed of peat. peat-moss /pe'etmaws, -mos/ n. dried peat from mosses. peb-ble /pebal/ n. small smooth stone worn by the action of water. □□ peb'bly adj. m □□ pebbly see stony 1. pec /pek/ abbr. pectoral (muscle), pe-can /pika'an, -kan, peekan/ n. 1 pinkish brown smooth nut with an edible kernel. 2 hickory of the southern US, producing this, pec-ca-dil-lo /pekadilo/ n. (pi. -loes or -los) trifling offense; venial sin. ■ slip, error, lapse, mistake, infraction, vio¬ lation,. peck1 /pek/ • v. tr. 1 strike or bite (some¬ thing) with a beak. 2 kiss hastily or perfunc¬ torily. 3 a make (a hole) by pecking, b re¬ move or pluck out by pecking. 4 colloq. [also absol.] eat (food) listlessly; nibble at. • n. 1 a stroke or bite with a beak, b mark made by this. 2 hasty or perfunctory kiss. □ peck¬ ing order social hierarchy. • v. 1 see tap2 v. 1 2. 2 see kiss1 v. 1 4 ssspick at 1 (pick). • n. 1 a see tap2 n. la. 2 see kiss n. 1. peck2 /pek/ n. dry measure equal to 8 quarts, pec-tin /pektin/ n. Biochem. any of various soluble gelatinous polysaccharides found in ripe fruits, etc., and used as a gelling agent in jams and jellies. □□ pec'tic adj. pec-to-ral /pektaral/ • adj. of or worn on the breast or chest. • n. [esp. in pi. ] pectoral muscle or fin. pec-u-late /pekyalayt/ v. embezzle (money). □□ pec*u‘Ia*tion /-layshan/ n. pec'u-la-tor

,

.

n.

pe-cu-liar /pikyoblyar/ adj. 1 strange; odd; unusual. 2 a belonging exclusively, b be¬ longing to the individual. 3 particular; spe¬ cial. □□ pe-cu'liar-ly adv. m adj. 1 curious, queer, bizarre, weird, ab¬ normal, anomalous, aberrant, deviant, ec¬ centric, uncommon, colloq. way-out. 2 a typ¬ ical of, characteristic of, characterized by, natural to, symptomatic of, appropriate to or for, distinctive of. 3 see particular adj. 1. □□ peculiarly see especially. pe-CU-li-ar-i-ty /pikyto*ri*al /pre'eseptawreeal/ adj. pre*ces*sion /priseshan/ n. □ pre*ces-sion of the e*qui*nox*es 1 slow retrograde mo¬ tion of equinoctial points along the ecliptic.

2 resulting earlier occurrence of equinoxes in each successive sidereal year. pre*cinct /pre'esingkt/ n. 1 enclosed or spe¬ cially designated area. 2 [in pi.] environs. 3 official district, esp. for police or electoral purposes. ■ 2 suburbs; purlieus, outskirts; bound¬ aries, borders, bounds, confines. pre*ci»os*i*ty /presheeositee/ n. overrefine¬ ment in art or language, esp. in the choice of words. pre*cious /preshas/ adj. 1 of great value or worth. 2 beloved; much prized (precious memories). 3 affectedly refined, o precious metals gold, silver, and platinum. □□ pre' cious'ly adv. pre'ciousmess n. m 1 valuable, invaluable, costly, expensive, high-priced, priceless. 2 cherished, es¬ teemed, valued, choice, dear, dearest, adored, loved. 3 precise, overrefined, chichi, overnice, studied, artificial, affected. prec*i*pice /presipis/ n. 1 vertical or steep face of a rock, cliff, mountain, etc. 2 danger¬ ous situation. ■ 1 escarpment, bluff, crag; see also cliff. pre*cip*i*tate •v.tr. /prisipitayt/ 1 hasten the occurrence of; cause to occur prema¬ turely. 2 throw down headlong. 3 Chem. cause (a substance) to be deposited in solid form from a solution. 4 Physics a cause (dust, etc.) to be deposited from the air on a surface, b condense (vapor) into drops and so deposit it. • adj. /prisipitat/ 1 headlong; violently hurried (precipitate departure). 2 (of a person or act) hasty; rash; inconsiderate. • n. /prisipitat/ Chem. substance precipitated from a solution. □□ pre*cip*i*tate*ly /—sipitatlee/ adv. pre*cip*i*tate*ness /—sipitatnas/ n. pre*cip'i*ta*tor n. m v. 1 accelerate, speed (up), advance, hurry, quicken, expedite, bring on or about, trigger, provoke. 2 catapult, hurl, fling, cast, launch, project. • adj. 1 violent, rapid, swift, quick, speedy; sudden, abrupt, unannounced. 2 impetuous, careless, reckless, incautious, in¬ judicious, harum-scarum, foolhardy. pre*cip*i»ta*tion /prisipitayshan/ n. 1 act of precipitating or the process of being precipi¬ tated. 2 rash haste. 3 a rain or snow, etc., falling to the ground, b quantity of this. ■ 2 see haste n. 2. 3 a showers, drizzle, rainfall; snowfall, hail, sleet. pre»cip*i*tOUS /prisipitas/ adj. 1 a of or like a precipice, b dangerously steep. 2 = precipi¬ tate adj. □□ pre*cip'i*tous*ly adv. pre*cip' i*tous*ness n. ■ 1 perpendicular, abrupt, sheer, bluff, ver¬ tical. pre»cis /praysee/ n. (pi. same /-seez/) sum¬ mary; abstract. ■ outline, synopsis, apergu, resume, con¬ spectus, survey, overview, abridgment, di¬ gest. _ pre*cise /prists/ adj. 1 a accurately ex¬ pressed. b definite; exact. 2 scrupulous in being exact. □□ pre’cise'ness n. • 1 correct, accurate, unerring, strict, me¬ ticulous, faithful, perfect, true. 2 punctili¬ ous, strict, meticulous, careful, conscien¬ tious, particular.

pre*cise*ly /prisislee/

adv. in a precise man¬ ner; exactly. ■ correctly, absolutely, punctiliously, mi¬ nutely, carefully, meticulously, scrupulously, conscientiously. pre»ci»sion /prisizhsn/ n. 1 accuracy. 2 [attrib.] marked by or adapted for precision (precision timing), no pre*ci'sion*ism n. pre*ci'sion»ist n. m 1 correctness, exactness, exactitude, fidel¬ ity, faithfulness, preciseness, perfection, flaw¬ lessness. pre*clude /priklobd/ v.tr. 1 prevent. 2 make impossible. See synonym study at prohibit. □□ pre*clu*sion /-klo'ozhan/ n. pre*clu«sive /-kloosiv/ adj. u 1 bar, stop, exclude, prohibit, debar, ob¬ struct, impede, inhibit. 2 remove, forestall, rule out, obviate, avoid. pre»CO»cious /prikOshos/ adj. 1 (of a person, esp. a child) prematurely developed in some faculty or characteristic. 2 (of an action, etc.) indicating such development. □□ pre* co'cious*ly adv. pre»coc*i*ty /-kositee/ n. • 1 advanced, forward, bright, gifted, intel¬

ligent, smart.

pre*COg*ni»tion /pre'ekognishon/

n. (sup¬ posed) foreknowledge, esp. of a supernatural kind. □□ pre*cog*ni*tive /-kognitiv/ adj. pre»COn»ceive /preekanse'ev/ v.tr. (esp. as preconceived adj.) form (an idea or opin¬ ion, etc.) beforehand. ■ (preconceived) prejudged, predeter¬ mined, prejudiced, biased, anticipatory. pre*COn*cep*tion /pre'ekansepshan/ n. 1 pre¬ conceived idea. 2 prejudice. ■ prejudgment, presupposition, assump¬ tion, presumption, idee fixe, preconceived notion; bias. pre*COn»di»tion /pre'ekandishan/ n. prior condition, that must be fulfilled before other things can be done. ■ prerequisite, stipulation, essential, must, sine qua non, imperative, requirement, pro¬ viso, qualification. pre»CUr*SOr /prikorsar, preekor- / n. la fore¬ runner. b person who precedes in office, etc. 2 harbinger. ■ 1 predecessor, antecedent; progenitor, foregoer. 2 herald, forerunner, envoy, mes¬ senger. pred. abbr. predicate. pre*date /preedayt/ v.tr. exist or occur at a date earlier than. pred*a*tor /predator/ n. animal naturally preying on others. pred*a*tO»ry /predatawree/ adj. 1 (of an ani¬ mal) preying naturally upon others. 2 plun¬ dering or exploiting others. □□ pred#a*to' ri*ly adv. • 1 predacious, carnivorous, raptorial. 2 ravenous, piratical, exploitative, parasitic; see also rapacious. pre*de*cease /pre'edise'es/ •v.tr. die earlier than (another person). • n. death preceding that of another. pre*de*ces*SOr /predisesar, pre'e-/ n. person or thing coming before, as a former holder of an office or position.

649

precisely ~ predict

■ forerunner, antecedent, precursor; fore¬ bear, forefather, ancestor, antecedent. pre»des»tine /pre'edestin/ v.tr. 1 determine beforehand. 2 ordain in advance by divine will or as if by fate. □□ pre*des*ti*na'tion n. • see destine. □□ predestination destiny; doom, fate, lot, kismet, karma; foreordina¬ tion; predetermination. pre*de*ter«mine /preeditarmin/ v.tr. 1 de¬ termine or decree beforehand. 2 predestine. □ □ pre*de"ter'mi*na*ble adj. pre*de»ter' mi*nate adj. pre»de*ter»mi*na'tion n. m 1 fix, prearrange, preestablish, preplan, preset, set up; see also arrange 2, 3. 2 fate, doom, destine, predestinate, predoom, or¬ dain, foreordain; see also destine. □□ pre¬ determination see predestination (predes¬

tine). pre*dic»a*ment /pridikamant/ n. difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation. ■ quandary, difficulty, trial, imbroglio, emergency, crisis, impasse, bind, box, colloq. pickle, state, jam, fix. predicate • v.tr. /predikayt/ 1 assert or af¬ firm as true or existent. 2 found or base (a statement, etc.) on. • n. /-kat/ Gram. & Logic what is said about the subject of a sentence or proposition, etc. (e.g., went home in John went home). □□ pred'i»ca'tion /-kayshan/ n. m v. 1 assume, propose, postulate, posit, suppose. 2 see base1 v. 1. □□ predication hypothesis, thesis, principle, contention, as¬ sertion, belief. pred*i*ca*tive /predikaytiv/ adj. 1 Gram, (of an adjective or noun) forming or contained in the predicate, as old in the dog is old. 2 that predicates, do pred'i*ca*tive*ly adv. pre*dict /pridikt/ v.tr. foretell; prophesy. □ □ pre*dic'tive adj. pre*dic’tive*ly adv. pre*dic'tor n.

■“forecast, foresee, augur, prognosticate, presage, formal vaticinate; intimate, hint, suggest. synonym study:

predict

augur, divine, forecast, foreshadow, fore¬ tell, prognosticate, prophesy. While all of these words refer to telling something before it happens, predict is the most commonly used and applies to the widest variety of sit¬ uations. It can mean anything from hazard¬ ing a guess (to predict he’d never survive the year) to making an astute inference based on facts or statistical evidence (to predict that the Republicans would win the election). When a meteorologist tells us whether it will rain or snow tomorrow, he or she is said to forecast the weather, a word that means predict but is used particularly in the context of weather and other phenomena that cannot be predict¬ ed easily (to forecast an influx of women into the labor force). Divine and foreshadow mean to suggest the future rather than to predict it, especially by giving or evaluating subtle hints or clues. To divine something is to perceive it through intuition or insight (to divine in the current economic situation the disaster that lay ahead), while foreshadow can apply to anyone

predictable ~ prefigure

650

or anything that gives an indication of what is to come (her abrupt departure that night foreshadowed the breakdown in their relation¬ ship). Foretell, like foreshadow, can refer to

the clue rather than the person who gives it and is often used in reference to the past (ev¬ idence that foretold the young girl’s violent end).

Augur means to divine or foreshadow some¬ thing by interpreting signs and omens (the turnout on opening night augured well for the play’s success). Prophesy connotes either in¬

spired or mystical knowledge of the future and suggests more authoritative wisdom than augur (a baseball fan for decades, he prophesied the young batter’s rise to stardom).

Although anyone who has inside information or knowledge of signs and symptoms can prognosticate, it is usually a doctor who does so by looking at the symptoms of a disease to predict its future outcome. pre*dict*a*ble /pridiktabal/ adj. that can be predicted or is to be expected. □□ pre*dict* a»bil'i»ty n. pre*dict'a*bly adv. m foreseeable, expected, anticipated, imag¬ inable. pre»dic»tion/pridikshan/n. 1 art of predict¬ ing or process of being predicted. 2 thing predicted; forecast. ■ 2 see forecast n. pred*Mec*tion /pred’lekshan, pre'e-/ n. [of¬ ten foil, by for] preference or special liking. pre«dis*pose /pre'edispbz/ v.tr. 1 influence favorably in advance. 2 [foil, by to, or to + infin.] render liable or inclined beforehand. □□ pre^dis^po'shtion /-pazishan/ n. pre*dom»i»nant /pridominant/ adj. 1 pre¬ dominating. 2 being the strongest or main element. □□ pre*dom'i*nance n. pre* dom i*nant*ly adv. ■ 1 dominant, controlling, sovereign, rul¬ ing, preeminent, preponderant. 2 main, pri¬ mary, leading, chief, prevailing, prevalent; see also chief adj. 2. □□ predominance su¬ periority, influence, dominance, preemi¬ nence, preponderance, transcendence. pre*dom»i*nate /pridominayt/ v.intr. 1 [foil, by over] have or exert control. 2 be superior. 3 be the strongest or main element; prepon¬ derate (garden in which dahlias predominate). m 1 control, rule, reign, get or have the upper hand, be in charge, hold sway; see also dominate 1. 3 dominate, obtain, prevail, be in the majority; be prevalent or widespread or current. pree*mie /pre'emee/ n. colloq. infant born pre¬ maturely. pre*em»i»nent /pre'e-eminant/ adj. 1 sur¬ passing others. 2 outstanding. □□ pre*em' i*nence n. pre*em'i*nent*ly adv. m 2 peerless, excellent, distinguished, emi¬ nent, inimitable, superb, unequaled, match¬ less, incomparable. □□ preeminence peer¬ lessness, magnificence, excellence, distinction, eminence, inimitability. preem¬ inently manifestly, eminendy, notably, con¬ spicuously, prominently, signally, uniquely, primarily, principally, chiefly, mainly.

pre»empt /pre'e-empt/ v.tr. 1 a forestall, b acquire or appropriate in advance. 2 ob¬ tain by preemption. □□ pre*emp'tor n. pre*emp'to»ry adj. ■ 1 a see anticipate 3. b usurp, arrogate, take over, assume, take possession of, seize, take, possess. pre»emp»tion /pre'e-empshan/ n. acquisition by one person or party before the opportu¬ nity is offered to others. pre*emp»tive /pre'e-emptiv/ adj. 1 preempt¬ ing. 2 (of military action) intended to pre¬ vent attack by disabling the enemy, preen /preen/ v.tr. & refl. 1 (of a bird) straighten (the feathers or itself) with its beak. 2 (of a person) primp or admire (one¬ self, one’s hair, clothes, etc.). □□ preen'er n. m 1

plume, groom, prink, trim, clean. 2 smarten, dress up, prettify, beautify, prink, spruce up, doll up. pre*fab /pre'efab/ n. colloq. prefabricated building. pre*fab*ri*cate /pre'efabrikayt/ v.tr. manufac¬ ture sections of (a building, etc.) prior to their assembly on a site. □□ pre*fab*ri*ca* tion /-brikayshan/ n. preface /prefas/ • n. introduction to a book. • v.tr. 1 [foil, by with] introduce or begin (a speech or event). 2 provide (a book, etc.) with a preface. □□ pre*fa*to*ri*al /-fatawreeal/ adj. pref a’to*ry adj. • n. foreword, prologue, preamble, proem, exordium. • v. 1 prefix, prologue, begin, open, start off. □□ prefatory see introductory. prefect /pre'efekt/ n. administrator; overseer. □□ pre*fec*to*ri*al /-tawreeal/ adj. pre*fec*ture /pre'efekchar/ n. administrative district. □□ pre*fec»tur*al /prifekcharal/ adj.

pre'fer /prifar/ v.tr. (preferred, pre*fer* ring) 1 choose; like better. 2 submit (infor¬ mation, an accusation, etc.) for considera¬ tion. 3 promote or advance (a person). ■ 1 favor, lean or incline toward, be inclined toward, be partial to. 2 present, offer, pro¬ pose, proffer, advance, tender, put forward, file, lodge, enter. 3 see promote 1. pref*er»able /prefarabal, disp. prifer-/ adj. 1 to be preferred. 2 more desirable, □o pref er*a*bly adv. • preferred, better, best, advantageous, beneficial. pref»er»ence /prefarans, prefrans/ n. 1 act or an instance of preferring or being preferred. 2 thing preferred. 3 favoring of one person, etc., before others. □□ pref*er*en*tial /-enshal/ adj. pref*er*en'tial*ly adv. ■ 1 partiality, proclivity, predilection, liking; predisposition, bent, inclination, leaning. 2 favorite, choice, selection, pick, desire, op¬ tion. 3 see favoritism. □□ preferential privileged, better, favored, superior, favora¬ ble; biased, prejudiced, partial. pre»fer»ment /prifarmant/ n. promotion to a higher office. pre*fig»ure /pre'efigyar/ v.tr. 1 represent be¬ forehand by a figure or type. 2 imagine be¬ forehand. □□ pre*fig*u*ra'tion n. pre*fig' ur*a*tive adj.

pre*fix /pre'efiks/ • n. element at the begin¬ ning of a word to adjust or qualify its mean¬ ing (e.g., ex-, non-, re-). »v.tr. 1 add as an in¬ troduction. 2 join (a word or element) as a prefix. □□ pre*fix*ion /—fikshan/ n. preg*nan»cy /pregnansee/ n. (pi. -cies) con¬ dition or instance of being pregnant. preg»nant /pregnant/ adj. 1 having a child or young developing in the uterus. 2 full of meaning; significant or suggestive (a pregnant pause). □□ preg'nant*ly adv. (in sense 2). ■ 1 expectant, impregnate, literary with child, literary or Zool. gravid, colloq. in the family way; (be pregnant) colloq. be expecting, si. have a bun in the oven. 2 charged, fraught, loaded, weighty, meaningful, expres¬ sive, pointed. pre*hen»sile /pre'ehensal, -sll/ adj. Zool. (of a tail or limb) capable of grasping. pre*his»tor»ic /pre'ehistawrik, -stor-/ adj. 1 of or relating to the period before written records. 2 colloq. utterly out of date. oo pre* his*tor'i*cal*ly adv. pre*his*to*ry /-histaree/ n. e 1 primordial, primal, primeval, primitive, earliest. 2 outdated, old-fashioned, passe; see also antiquated. pre*judge /pre'ejuj/ v.tr. form a premature judgment on (a person, issue, etc.). □□ pre* judg'ment n. prej*u*dice /prejadis/ • n. la preconceived opinion, b bias or partiality. 2 detriment. • v. tr. 1 impair the validity or force of (a right, claim, statement, etc.). 2 (esp. as prejudiced adj.) cause (a person) to have a prejudice. ■ n. 1 preconception, prejudgment, pre¬ conceived notion; leaning, warp, twist, pre¬ disposition, predilection; favoritism, parti¬ sanship, prepossession. 2 see detriment. • v. 1 bias, influence, warp, twist, distort, slant; color, jaundice, poison. 2 (preju¬ diced) predisposed, partial, prepossessed; unfair, one-sided, biased, bigoted, intolerant. prej*u*di*cia! /prejadishal/' adj. causing preju¬ dice; detrimental. □□ prej*u*di'cial*ly adv. m injurious, damaging, harmful, unfavor¬ able, inimical, deleterious, disadvantageous, pernicious. pre*lim*i*nar*y /priliminaree/ • adj. intro¬ ductory; preparatory. • n. (pi. -ies) [usu. in pi] 1 preliminary action or arrangement (idispense with the preliminaries). 2 prelimi¬ nary trial or contest. ■ adj. initial, opening, prefatory, preceding, precursory, antecedent; exploratory, pre¬ monitory. • n. 1 introduction, beginning, opening, preparation, prelude, overture, pro¬ logue. 2 round; see also heat n. 6. prel'Ude /prelyood, praylood, pre'e-/ n. [often foil, by to] 1 action, event, or situation serv¬ ing as an introduction. 2 beginning intro¬ ductory part of a poem, etc. 3 a introduc¬ tory piece of music to a fugue, suite, or an act of an opera, b short piece of music of a sim¬ ilar type. pre*ma*ture /preemachdbr, -tyobr, -tdbr/ adj. 1 occurring or done before the usual or proper time; too early (premature decision). 2 (of a baby) born (esp. three or more weeks)

651

prefix - preoccupy

before the end of the full term of gestation. □□ pre*ma*ture'ly adv. ■ 1 untimely, unready, unseasonable, too soon, hasty, ill-timed. 2 preterm. □□ pre¬ maturely preterm, ahead of time, too soon, too early, hastily, overhastily. pre*med*i*tate /pre'emeditayt/ v.tr. (often as premeditated adj.) think out or plan (an action) beforehand (premeditated murder). □□ pre*med*i*ta'tion n. m (premeditated) planned, conscious, in¬ tentional, intended, willful, deliberate; con¬ trived, preplanned, calculated, preconceived. □□ premeditation planning, preplanning, forethought, intent; criminal intent, mens rea. pre*men»stru»al /preemenstrooal/ adj. of, occurring, or experienced before menstrua¬ tion. □ premenstrual syndrome physical and psychological symptoms experienced by some women prior to menstruation. □□ pre* men'stru*al*ly adv. pre*mier /prame'er, -mye'er, pre'emeer/ • n. prime minister or other head of government in certain countries. • adj. first in impor¬ tance, order, or time. ■ n. PM, chief executive, president, chan¬ cellor. • adj. premiere, prime, primary, chief, principal, head, main, foremost, top-ranking, high-ranking. pre*miere /prame'er, -myair/ (also pre* miere) • n. first performance or showing. • v.tr. give a premiere of. ■ n. first night, opening (night). • v. open, launch. premise /premis/ n. 1 Logic previous state¬ ment from which another is inferred. 2 [in pi] house or building with its grounds and appurtenances. ■ 1 assumption, proposition, postulate, hy¬ pothesis, conjecture, assertion, supposition, thesis; presupposition, proposal, see also presumption 2. pre*mi*um /pre'emeeam/ n. 1 amount to be paid for a contract of insurance. 2 sum added to interest, wages, price, etc. 3 reward or prize. 4 [attrib.] (of a commodity) of best quality and therefore more expensive. □ at a premium 1 highly valued. 2 scarce and in demand. ■ 2 extra, dividend, perquisite; see also bo¬ nus 2. 3 see reward n. la. 4 see choice adj. □ at a premium 1 cosdy, expensive, dear, high-priced; valuable, precious. 2 rare, hard to come by, in short supply, thin on the ground. prem*0*ni*tion /premanishan, pre'e-/ n. fore¬ warning; presentiment. □□ pre*mon*i*to* ry /primonitawree/ adj. ■ foreboding, suspicion, feeling, hunch. pre»OC»CU*py /pre'e-okyapl/ v.tr. (-pies, -pied) 1 (of a thought, etc.) dominate or engross the mind of (a person). 2 (as pre¬ occupied adj.) mentally distracted. 3 oc¬ cupy beforehand. □□ pre*oc*cu*pa'tion n. ■ 1 see occupy 5. 2 (preoccupied) en¬ grossed, rapt, thoughtful, pensive; abstract¬ ed, oblivious, unaware.

preordain ~ presence

652

pre*or*dain /pre'eawrdayn/ v.tr. ordain or de¬ termine beforehand.

prep /prep/ colloq. n.

»n. 1 preparation (esp. of a patient before surgery). 2 student in a preparatory school. • v.tr. prepare (a person) for an examination, etc. □ prep school = preparatory school. prep. abbr. preposition. pre*paid past and past part, of prepay. prep»a*ra*tion /preparayshan/ n. 1 prepar¬ ing; being prepared. 2 [often in pi.] some¬ thing done to make ready. 3 specially pre¬ pared substance, esp. a food or medicine. ■ 1 organization, planning; groundwork, spadework; training, education, teaching, in¬ struction, tuition. 2 plans, arrangements, provision(s), measures, program. 3 com¬ pound, concoction, mixture, product. pre»pa»ra»tO»ry /priparatawree, -pair-, pre¬ para-/ • adj. serving to prepare; introduc¬ tory. • adv. in a preparatory manner. □ pre¬ paratory school usu. private school preparing pupils for college. ■ adj. preparative, preliminary, prefatory, initial; see also introductory. • adv. (prepa¬ ratory to) in preparation for, preceding; see also before prep. 1, 2. pre«pare /pripair/ v. 1 tr. make or get ready for use, consideration, etc. 2 tr. make ready or assemble (food, a meal, etc.). 3 a tr. make (a person or oneself) ready or disposed in some way. b intr. get ready (prepare to jump). □□ pre'par'er n. ■ 1 arrange, lay, set, (put in) order, organ¬ ize, provide for, make provision (s) for. 2 cook (up), make, do, whip up, colloq. fix. 3 a (get) ready, prime, make fit, fit (out), equip, outfit, adapt; brace, steel; train, groom. pre»par»ed*ness /pripairidnis/ n. readiness, esp. for war. ■ vigilance, alertness, fitness. pre*pay /pre'epay/ v.tr. (past and past part. pre*paid) pay (a charge) in advance. □□ pre*pay'a*ble adj. pre»pay'ment n. pre^porvdersnt /pripondarant/ adj. pre¬ dominant; preponderating. □□ pre*pon' der*ance n. pre*pon'der*ant*ly adv. ■ see predominant 1. □□ preponderance dominance, predominance, primacy, ascen¬ dancy, superiority, supremacy; majority, bulk, mass. pre*pon*der*ate /pripondarayt/ v.intr. [often foil, by over] 1 be greater in influence, quan¬ tity, or number. 2 predominate. prepssition /prepazishan/ n. Gram, word governing (and usu. preceding) a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element, as in: “the man on the plat¬ form,” “came after dinner,” “what did you do it /or?”. □□ prep'o*si'tion*al adj. prep'o* si'tion*al*ly adv. pre*pos*sess /pre'epazes/ v.tr. 1 [usu. in passive] (of an idea, feeling, etc.) take posses¬ sion of (a person); imbue. 2 a prejudice (usu. favorably), b (as prepossessing adj.) attractive; appealing. □□ pre*p os session /-zeshan/ n.

■ 2 a see bias v. b (prepossessing) pleas¬ ing, engaging, charming, captivating, fascinating, winsome, winning, magnetic, alluring, bewitching, fetching. □□ prepos¬ session see obsession, preconception. pre*pos*ter*ous /pripostaras/ adj. utterly ab¬ surd; outrageous. See synonym study at ab¬ surd. □□ pre*pos’ter*ous*ly adv. ■ ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, risible, senseless, mad, irrational, incredible, weird, bizarre. prep*py /prepee/ (also prep'pie) colloq. • n. (pi. -pies) person attending an expensive private school. • adj. (prep*pi*er, prep*pi* est) 1 like a preppy. 2 neat and fashionable. prerequisite /pre'erekwizit/ • adj. required as a precondition. • n. prerequisite thing. ■ adj. essential, necessary, requisite, imper¬ ative, indispensable, obligatory. • n. precon¬ dition, requirement, requisite, condition, stipulation, sine qua non. pre»rog»a»tive /prirogativ/ n. right or privi¬ lege exclusive to an individual or class. ■ liberty, power, due, advantage, license, authority. pressge /presij/ • n. 1 omen or portent. 2 presentiment or foreboding. • v. tr. (also /prisayj/) portend; foreshadow. mn. 1 see omen n. 2 see foreboding. • v. see FORESHADOW. Pres*by*te*ri*an /prezbiteereean/ • adj. (of a church) governed by elders all of equal rank. • n. member of a Presbyterian Church. □□ Pres by*te'ri*an*ism' n. preschool /preeskobl/ adj. of or relating to the time before a child is old enough to go to school. □□ pre'schoober n. prescient /preshant, -eeant, prg-/ adj. hav¬ ing foreknowledge or foresight. □□ pre'science n. pre'scientty adv. m clairvoyant; see also farsighted 1. □ □ prescience clairvoyance, prevision, vi¬ sion, foresight. prescribe /priskrib/ v.tr. 1 a advise the use of (a medicine, etc.), b recommend. 2 lay down or impose authoritatively, no pre* scrib'er n. ■ 1b see advise 1, 2. 2 ordain, order, dic¬ tate, decree, enjoin, rule, set down, stipulate, specify. prescription /priskripshan/ n. 1 act or an instance of prescribing. 2 a doctor’s (usu. written) instruction for the preparation and use of a medicine, b medicine prescribed. ■ 1 see instruction 1.2 a formula, recipe, b remedy, medication, drug, preparation, medicament. prescriptive /priskriptiv/ adj. 1 prescrib¬ ing. 2 Linguistics concerned with or laying down rules of usage. □□ pre*scrip'tivetiy adv. prescrip'tive*ness n. prescrip'tiv* ism n. prescrip'tivtist n. & adj. m 1 dictatorial, constrictive, didactic, re¬ strictive, dogmatic, authoritarian, overbear¬ ing, autocratic. pressnce /prezans/ n. 1 being present. 2 place where a person is. 3 person’s appear¬ ance or bearing, esp. when imposing. 4 per¬ son or thing that is present (there was a pres¬ ence in the room). □ presence of mind

calmness and self-command in sudden diffi¬ culty, etc.

■ 1 attendance, company, companionship, society, fellowship, coming; existence. 3 car¬ riage, deportment, air, aspect, aura; person¬ ality. 4 being, manifestation; spirit, wraith, specter. □ presence of mind selfpossession, self-control, self-assurance, cool¬ ness, coolheadedness, composure. pres^ent1/prezant/ • adj. 1 [usu. predic. ] be¬ ing in the place in question. 2 a now exist¬ ing, occurring, or being such, b now being considered or discussed, etc. {in the present case). 3 Gram, expressing an action, etc., now going on or habitually performed. • n. [prec. by the] 1 the time now passing {no time like the present). 2 Gram, present tense. □ at present now. present-day adj. of this time; modern. ■ adj. 2 a current, contemporary, presentday, existent. • n. 1 the time being, right now, this moment; see also now adv. 1, 3. □ at present right or just now, currendy, at this point, at this or the moment, presentiy. pre*sent2 /prizent/ v.tr. 1 introduce, offer, or exhibit. 2 a offer, give, or award as a gift, b make available to; cause to have {presented them with a new car). 3 put (a form of enter¬ tainment) before the public. 4 introduce {may I present my fiance?). 5 (of an idea, etc.) offer or suggest itself. □ present arms hold a rifle, etc., vertically in front of the body as a salute. □□ pre*sent'er n. (in sense 3 of®.). ■ 1 bring in or up, proffer, tender, produce, submit, set forth, put forward or up; display. 2 bestow, grant, confer, turn or hand over; provide, furnish, supply; dispense, distribute, dole out. 3 give, stage, show, exhibit, put on, mount, produce. 4 host, give, offer, colloq. emcee; announce; make known, acquaint. pres*ent3 /prezant/ n. gift; thing given or pre¬ sented. ■ donation, offering, bounty, donative. pre*sent*a*ble /prizentabal/ adj. 1 of good appearance; fit to be presented. 2 fit for pre¬ sentation. □ □ pre*sent*a*bil'i*ty n. pre* sent'a*bly adv. m 1 decent, respectable; see also smart adj. 2. 2 fit, fitting, suitable, acceptable, satisfac¬ tory, adequate, passable, tolerable, admissi¬ ble, all right, allowable. pre*serWa*tion /prezantayshan, pre'ezen-/ n.

1 a presenting; being presented, b thing pre¬ sented. 2 manner or quality of presenting. 3 demonstration or display; lecture. □□ pre* sen*ta’tion*al adj. m 1 bestowal, donation, conferral, confer¬ ment; handover; see also endowment (en¬ dow). 2 delivery; appearance; production. 3 see DEMONSTRATION 3, LECTURE n. 1. pre*sen*ti*ment /prizentimant, -sentimant/ n. vague expectation; foreboding (esp. of misfortune). pres*enWy /prezantlee/ adv. 1 soon; after a short time. 2 at the present time; now. ■ 1 by and by, in a little while, shortly, in due course, after a while or time, before long. 2 see now n. pres*er*va*tion /prezarvayshan/ n. 1 pre-

653

present ~ press

serving or being preserved. 2 state of being well or badly preserved. ■ 1 upkeep, maintenance, care, conserva¬ tion; retention, perpetuation, continuation, safekeeping, safeguarding. pre*ser*va*tive /prizarvativ/ • n. substance for preserving perishable foods, wood, etc. • adj. tending to preserve. preserve /prizarv/ • v. tr. 1 a keep safe or free from harm, decay, etc. b keep alive (a name, memory, etc.). 2 maintain or retain. 3 treat or refrigerate (food) to prevent de¬ composition or fermentation. • n. [in sing, or pi] 1 preserved fruit; jam. 2 place where game or fish, etc., are preserved. 3 sphere or area of activity regarded as a person’s own. □□ pre*serv'a*ble adj. pre*serv'er n. ■ v. la protect, guard, safeguard, shield, shelter, defend, spare. 2 keep (up), con¬ serve; sustain, hold; see also maintain 1,2,4. 3 conserve, pickle, cure, smoke, kipper, salt, corn, marinate, can, freeze, freeze-dry, dry, irradiate. • n. 1 conserve, jelly, marmalade. 2 (wildlife) reserve, sanctuary, park. 3 see sphere n. 3. pre*shrunk /pre'eshrungk/ adj. (of a fabric or garment) treated so that it shrinks during manufacture and not in use. pre*side /prizfd/ v.intr. 1 be chairperson or president of a meeting, etc. 2 exercise con¬ trol or authority. ■ 1 chair, administer, officiate at; manage, handle, supervise, run, oversee, head (up). pres*i*den*cy /prezidansee/ n. {pi. -cies) of¬ fice, term, or function of president. ■ premiership, leadership, rule, command; colloq. driver’s seat, saddle; administration. president /prezidant/ n. 1 elected head of a republican government. 2 head of a college, university, company, society, etc. □□ pres*i* den*tial /-denshal/ adj. pres*i*den'tial*ly adv. u chief, leader, principal, colloq. boss, si. (big) cheese, (chief or head) honcho, Mr. Big. press1 /pres/ • v. 1 tr. apply steady force to (a thing in contact). 2 tr. a compress or squeeze a thing to flatten, shape, or smooth it. b squeeze (a fruit, etc.) to extract its juice. C manufacture (a record, etc.) by molding under pressure. 3 intr. be urgent; demand immediate action. 4 intr. [foil, by for] make an insistent demand. 5 intr. form a crowd. 6 intr. [foil, by on, forward, etc.] hasten insis¬ tently. 7 tr. (of an enemy, etc.) bear heavily on. 8 tr. urge or entreat. 9 tr. insist on. • n. 1 act or instance of pressing. 2 device for compressing, flattening, shaping, extracting juice, etc. 3 = printing press. 4 [prec. by the] a art or practice of printing, b newspapers, journalists, etc., generally or collectively. 5 publicity. 6 (Press) a printing house or establishment, b publishing company. 7 a crowding, b crowd (of people, etc.). 8 the pressure of affairs. □ be pressed for have barely enough (time, etc.), press agent person employed to obtain publicity, press conference interview given to a number of

press ~ pretentious

654

journalists, press release official statement issued to newspapers. ■ v. 1 squeeze, compress, push; depress. 2 a iron, b crush, compress, mash; puree. 4 (press for) cry out for, call for; see ask 4a. 5 flock, gather, mill, swarm, throng. 6 (press on or forward) see hurry v. 1. 8 pressure, pressurize, importune, beseech, beg. 9 pur¬ sue; see also labor v. 3a. • n. 1 push, squeeze, nudge, shove, thrust. 4 b (the press) the papers, joc. the fourth estate; newsmen, reporters, paparazzi, newshounds. 5 re¬ view^); see also notice n. 4. 7 b throng, swarm, cluster, pack. 8 stress; urgency, haste, hurly-burly. □ be pressed for (be pressed for time) be busy, be run off one’s feet, colloq. be up to one’s neck. press2 /pres/ v. tr. 1 hist, force to serve in the army or navy. 2 bring into use as a makeshift (was pressed into service).

pressing /presing/ adj. urgent. See synonym

study at crucial. □□ press'ing*ly adv. ■ compelling, pivotal, major, important, vi¬ tal, critical. pressure /preshar/ • n. 1 a exertion of con¬ tinuous force on or against a body by an¬ other in contact with it. b force exerted. C amount of this. 2 urgency (work underpres¬ sure) . 3 affliction or difficulty (underfinancial pressure). 4 constraining influence (if pressure is brought to bear). »v.tr. 1 coerce. 2 per¬ suade. □ pressure cooker airtight pot for cooking quickly under steam pressure, pres¬ sure group group formed to influence pub¬ lic policy. an. 1 a, b compression, tension; weight, power, strength. 2, 3 stress, strain, con¬ straint; demand(s); oppression, press, weight, burden, load. 4 power, sway; insis¬ tence, coercion, inducement. • v. 1 see force v. 1. 2 prevail upon or on, induce, get. pres*sur»ize /preshariz/ v.tr. 1 (esp. as pres¬ surized adj.) maintain normal atmospheric pressure in (an aircraft cabin, etc.) at a high altitude. 2 raise to a high pressure, oo pres* sur*i*za'tion n. pres*ti»dig*i*ta#tor /prestidijitaytar/ n. formal magician. □□ pres*ti*dig*i*tation n. pres»tige /preste'ezh/ n. 1 respect, reputa¬ tion, or influence derived from achieve¬ ments, power, associations, etc. 2 [attrib.] having or conferring prestige. ■ 1 status, standing, rank, stature, emi¬ nence, esteem. pres*ti«gious /preste'ejas, —stij—/ adj. having or showing prestige. □□ pres*ti'gious*ly adv. pres*ti'gious*ness n. • prestigeful, distinguished, august, digni¬ fied, illustrious, acclaimed, respected, cele¬ brated, renowned, eminent. presetO /presto/ adv. 1 Mus. in quick tempo. 2 (in a magician’s formula in performing a trick) look!. pre*sum*a»bly /prizobmablee/ adv. as may reasonably be presumed. ■ probably, in all likelihood, (very or most) likely. pre*sume /prizcbm/ V. 1 tr. suppose to be

true; take for granted. 2 tr. [often foil, by to + infin.] a dare, b venture (may I presume to ask?). 3 intr. be presumptuous. □□ pre* sum'a*ble adj. pre*sum'ed*ly adv. m 1 assume, surmise, infer, presuppose, take it; postulate, posit. 2 take the liberty, make so bold as, have the audacity or effrontery, go so far as. pre*SUmp*tion /prizumpshan/ n. 1 arro¬ gance; presumptuous behavior. 2 a act of presuming a thing to be true, b thing that is or may be presumed to be true. ■ 1 effrontery, hubris, audacity, boldness, brazenness, impudence, impertinence, inso¬ lence, temerity. 2 assumption, supposition, presupposition, preconception; belief, thought, feeling. pre*sump*tive /prizumptiv/ adj. giving rea¬ sonable grounds for presumption. □□ pre* sump 'tive’ly adv. • likely, plausible, tenable, believable, cred¬ ible, conceivable, acceptable, justifiable, sen¬ sible. pre*SUmp»tU*OUS /prizumpchn. 1 a short quick blast of breath, wind, vapor, etc. b sound of or like this. 2 draw of smoke from a cigarette, pipe, etc. 3 light pastry containing jam, cream, etc. 4 extravagantly enthusiastic review of a book, etc., esp. in a newspaper. 5 = powder puff. • v. 1 intr. emit a puff of air or breath; blow with short blasts. 2 intr. (of a person smoking, a steam engine, etc.) emit or move with puffs. 3 intr. breathe hard; pant. 4 intr. & tr. [usu. foil, by up, out] become or cause to become inflated; swell (his eye was inflamed and puffed up). 5 tr. (usu. as puffed up adj.) elate; make proud or boastful. 6 tr. advertise or promote (goods, a book, etc.) with exaggerated or false praise. □ puff pastry light flaky pastry. ■ n. 1 blow, breath, wind, whiff, gust. 2 pull, si. drag. • v. 1 exhale, breathe (out). 2 draw on, pull at or on, smoke, drag on. 3 huff, gasp, wheeze, blow. 4 inflate, distend, bloat, stretch, balloon, expand, pump up. 5 (puffed up) see proud 2a. 6 publicize, push, trumpet, blow up, ballyhoo.

puff-ball /pufbawl/

n. ball-shaped fungus emitting clouds of spores, puf'fin /pufin/ n. northern seabird with a large head, brightly colored triangular bill, and black and white plumage. puff*y /pufee/ adj. (puff*i*er, puff*i»est) 1 swollen, esp. of the face, etc. 2 fat. 3 gusty. □□ puff i*ly adv. puffi'ness n. pug /pug/ n. (in full pugdog) dog of a dwarf breed with a broad flat nose and deeply wrinkled face. □ pug nose a short squat or snub nose, pug-nosed having such a nose. pu*gil*ist /pyoojilist/ n. boxer, esp. a profes¬ sional. □□pu'gil'ism n. pu*gil*is'tic adj. pug*na*cious /pugnayshas/ adj. quarrel¬ some; disposed to fight. □□ pug*na'cious* ly adv. pug*nac*i*ty /-nasitee/ n. m aggressive, belligerent, combative, belli¬ cose, antagonistic, argumentative, hostile, li¬ tigious, contentious. puke /pyook/ v. si. vomit. □□ puk'ey adj. pul*chri*tude /pulkritood, -tyood/ n. literary beauty. □□ pul*chri*tu*di*nous /-tobdinas, -tyobd-/ adj. pule /pydol/ v.intr. cry querulously or weakly; whimper. pull /pool/ • v. 1 tr. exert force upon (a thing) tending to move it to oneself or the origin of the force {stop pulling my hair). 2 tr. cause to move in this way. 3 intr. exert a pulling force. 4 tr. extract; pluck out. 5 tr. damage (a mus¬ cle, etc.) by abnormal strain. 6 tr. [foil, by on] bring out (a weapon). 7 intr. [foil, by at] tear or pluck at. 8 intr. inhale deeply; draw or suck (on a pipe, etc.). 9 tr. remove (a plant) by the root. • n. 1 act of pulling. 2 force ex¬ erted by this. 3 influence; advantage. 4 something that attracts or draws attention. 5 deep draft of esp. liquor. □ pull back re¬ treat or cause to retreat, pull in 1 a arrive, esp. at a destination, b restrain; tighten. 2 (of a bus, train, etc.) arrive to take passen¬ gers. 3 earn or acquire. 4 colloq. arrest, pull a person’s leg deceive a person playfully, pull off 1 remove by pulling. 2 succeed in achieving or winning, pull out 1 take out by pulling. 2 depart. 3 withdraw from an un¬ dertaking. 4 (of a bus, train, etc.) leave with its passengers. 5 (of a vehicle) move onto the road and accelerate, pull over (of a vehicle) move to the side of or off the road, pull one’s punches avoid using one’s full force, pull strings exert (esp. clandestine) influence, pull together work in harmony, pull up 1 stop or cause to stop moving. 2 pull out of the ground. 3 draw closer to or even with, as in a race, pull one’s weight do one’s fair share of work. □□ puffer n. m v. 1 jerk, pull at, pluck, tug. 2 draw, haul, drag; see also tug1 v. 1. 4 see extract v. 1. 5 tear, stretch, strain, rip, sprain. 7 see pluck v. 3, 4. 8 drag, puff; see also inhale. 9 pull out, extract, uproot. • n. 1 see tug n. 1. 2,4 magnetism, appeal, pulling power, se¬ ductiveness, seduction; attraction, draw, lure. 3 authority, weight, leverage. 5 see draft n. 5. □ pull back withdraw, draw back, back off, recoil, pull in 1 draw up or in or over; see also arrive 1. 3 see earn 1, ac¬ quire 1. 4 apprehend, take into custody, col-

673

puffball ~ puma

lar. pull a person’s leg tease, chaff, rib, twit, pull off 1 detach, rip or tear off; see also sep¬ arate v. 1. 2 bring off, accomplish, manage, perform, pull out 1 uproot, extract, with¬ draw; pull up, take out. 2, 4 see leave v. lb, 3, 4. 3 give up; retreat, draw back, pull strings use connections, pull wires, pull to¬ gether cooperate, agree, pull up 1 see stop v. 3. pull one’s weight perform, colloq. do one’s bit, deliver the goods. pul'let /pOblit/ n. young hen, esp. one less than one year old. puMey /poblee/ n. {pi. -leys) grooved wheel or set of wheels for a rope, etc., to pass over, set in a block and used for changing the di¬ rection of a force. Pulbman /poblman/ n. railroad sleeping car. pull*o»ver /pdblovar/ n. garment put on over the head and covering the top half of the body. pul»mo»nar*y /ptsblmaneree, pul-/ adj. 1 of or relating to the lungs. 2 having lungs or lunglike organs. □□ pul*mo*nate /-nayt, -nat/ adj. pulp/pulp/ • n. 1 soft fleshy part of fruit, etc. 2 soft shapeless mass derived from rags, wood, etc., used in papermaking. • 1 tr. reduce to pulp. 2 intr. become pulp. □ □ pulp'er n. pulp'less adj. pulp’y adj. pulp'hness n. m n. 1 marrow, flesh. • v. 1 mash, squash, pulverize, triturate, grind down, levigate. pul*pit /poblpit, pul-/ n. 1 raised enclosed platform in a church, etc., from which the preacher delivers a sermon. 2 [prec. by the] preachers or preaching collectively. pul*sar /pulsaar/ n. Astron. cosmic source of regular and rapid pulses of radiation, e.g., a rotating neutron star. puhsate /pulsayt/ v.intr. 1 expand and con¬ tract rhythmically; throb. 2 vibrate; quiver; thrill. □□ pul*sa*tion /-sayshan/ n. pul'sa* tor n. pul*sa*to*ry /pulsatawree/ adj. ■ beat, pulse, pound, thrum, drum, thump, thud, reverberate, hammer, palpitate, oscil¬ late. pulse /puls/ • n. 1 a rhythmical throbbing of the arteries, esp. as felt in the wrists, temples, etc. b each successive beat of the arteries or heart. 2 throb or thrill of life or emotion. 3 latent feeling. 4 single vibration of sound, electric current, light, etc. 5 rhythmical beat, esp. of music. • v.intr. pulsate. □□ pulse' less adj. m n. 2 see thrill n. 2. 5 beating, throb, throbbing, pulsation, pounding, drumming, reverberation; rhythm. • v. see pulsate. pul'VeHze /pulvariz/ v. 1 tr. reduce to fine particles. 2 intr. be reduced to dust. 3 colloq. tr. a demolish, b defeat utterly. □□ pul'ver* i*za'tion n. pul'ver»iz*er n. ■ 1,2 powder, comminute, grind, crush, mill, granulate, crumble. 3 devastate, de¬ stroy, crush, smash, shatter, ruin, wreck, an¬ nihilate; see also beat v. la. pu»ma pyobma, pob-/ n. large American wild cat. (Also called cougar, panther, moun¬ tain lion).

pumice ~ punt pum'ice /pumis/

674

n. (in full pumice stone) 1 light porous volcanic rock often used as an abrasive in cleaning or polishing substances. 2 piece of this used for removing callused skin, etc. pum*mel /pumol/ v.tr. (also ponrmel) strike repeatedly, esp. with the fist. pump1 /pump/ •n. machine for raising or moving liquids, compressing gases, inflating tires, etc. • v. 1 tr. raise or remove (liquid, gas, etc.) with a pump. 2 tr. [often foil, by up] fill (a tire, etc.) with air. 3 intr. work a pump. 4 tr. question (a person) persistently to obtain information. 5 tr. move vigorously up and down. □ pump iron (also pump up) colloq. exercise with weights. ■ v. 1 send, deliver, push; (pump out) drive or force out, draw off or out, siphon (out or off), drain, tap, extract, withdraw. 2 see in¬ flate 1. 4 interrogate, examine, crossexamine, quiz, probe, grill. pump2 /pump/ n. low-cut shoe without ties, straps, etc. pum»per*nick»el /pumparnikal/ n. type of dark rye bread. pump'kin /pumpkin, pung-/ n. rounded or¬ ange edible gourd of a vine, pun /pun/ • n. humorous use of a word to suggest different meanings, or of words of the same sound and different meanings. • v.intr. (punned, pun*ning) [foil, by on] make a pun or puns with (words). □□ pun' ning'ly adv. pun'ster n. m n. play on words, quibble, double enten¬ dre, innuendo, equivoque, paronomasia; wordplay; quip, witticism. punch1 /punch/ •v.tr. 1 strike bluntly, esp. with a closed fist. 2 a pierce a hole in (metal, paper, a ticket, etc.) as or with a punch, b pierce (a hole) by punching. • n. 1 blow with a fist. 2 colloq. vigor; momentum. □ punch-drunk stupefied from or as though from a series of heavy blows, punch line words giving the point of a joke or story. □□ punch'er n. ■ v. 1 hit, clip, jab, smack, box, clout, thump. 2 a puncture, perforate, penetrate, go through, rupture, b prick. • n. 1 clip, jab, smack, box, cuff, thump, uppercut, clout. 2 effect, impact, effectiveness, force, impe¬ tus, forcefulness, power, vitality, gusto, life. punch2 /punch/ n. tool or machine for punching holes in or impressing a design or stamping a die on a material. punch3 /punch/ n. drink of fruit juices, some¬ times mixed with wine or liquor, served cold or hot. punch'y /punchee/ adj. (punch*i*er, punch*i*est) 1 having punch or vigor; forceful. 2 = punch-drunk (punch1). punc'til'i'O /pungktileeo/ n. (pi. -os) 1 deli¬ cate point of ceremony or honor. 2 eti¬ quette. punc'til'i'OUS /pungktileeas/ adj. 1 attentive to formality or etiquette. 2 precise in behav¬ ior. See synonym study at formal. □□ punc* til'frous'ly adv. punc*til'i*ous*ness n. punc'tu'al /pungkchoOal/ adj. observant of

the appointed time; prompt. □□ punctu* al'i'ty /-alitee/ n. punc'tu*al*ly adv. m on time, timely; on target, punc'tu'ate /pungkchoo-ayt/ v.tr. 1 insert punctuation marks in. 2 interrupt at inter¬ vals. 3 emphasize. ■ 2 break; intersperse, interlard, pepper, sprinkle. punc'tu'a'tion /pungkchoo-ayshan/ n. 1 system or arrangement of marks used to punctuate a written passage. 2 practice or skill of punctuating. □ punctuation mark any of the marks (e.g., period and comma) used in writing to separate sentences, etc., and to clarify meaning. punc'ture /pungkchar/ • n. 1 piercing, as of a tire. 2 hole made in this way • v. 1 tr. make a puncture in. 2 intr. become punc¬ tured. 3 tr. prick, pierce, or deflate. ■ n. 1 perforation, holing; prick. 2 see leak n. la. • v. 1, 3 hole, penetrate, go through, nick, disillusion, discourage. purl'd it /pundit/ n. often iron, learned expert or teacher. □□ pun'dit*ry n. pun'gent /punjant/ adj. 1 having a sharp or strong taste or smell. 2 (of remarks) pene¬ trating; biting; caustic. 3 Biol, having a sharp point. □□ pun'gen'cy n. pun'gent'ly adv. a 1 spicy, hot, penetrating, aromatic, sea¬

soned, peppery, piquant, tangy. 2 sharp, stinging, severe, astringent, stern, acrid, harsh, acid, acrimonious, pun'ish /punish/ v.tr. 1 cause (an offender) to suffer for an offense. 2 inflict a penalty for (an offense). 3 a tax severely, b hurt, abuse, or treat improperly. □□ pun'ish*a*ble adj. pun'ish'er n. pun'ish'ing adj. (in sense 3a). ■ 1 penalize, chastise, castigate, discipline, chasten, amerce, scold, rebuke, flog, beat, scourge, spank, whip, warm or tan a person’s hide. 3 b maltreat, mistreat, harm, injure, damage. □□ punishing grueling, hard, ar¬ duous, strenuous, exhausting, tiring. pun'ish'ment /punishmant/ n. 1 act or in¬ stance of punishing; condition of being pun¬ ished. 2 loss or suffering inflicted in this. 3 colloq. severe treatment or suffering. ■ 1,2 chastisement, castigation, discipline, scolding, rebuke, reproof; penance, penalty; flogging, beating, whipping, scourging, spanking. 3 injury, harm, damage, abuse, maltreatment, torture; beating, thrashing. pU'ni'tive /pycbnitiv/ adj. (also pu*ni*to*ry /-tawree/) inflicting or intended to inflict punishment. □□ pu'ni'tive-ly adv. • chastening, castigatory, disciplinary, re¬ tributive. punk /pungk/ n. la worthless person or thing (often as a general term of abuse), b nonsense. 2 (in full punk rock) loud fastmoving form of rock music with crude and aggressive effects. 3 hoodlum or ruffian. □□ punk'y adj. ■ 1 a see wretch 2. b see nonsense. 3 hooligan, delinquent, tough, thug; see also HOODLUM.

punt1 /punt/ • n. flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends, propelled by a long pole. • v.

1 tr. propel (a punt) with a pole. 2 intr. & tr. travel or convey in a punt. □□ punt'er n. punt2 /punt/ •v.tr.. kick (a football) after it has dropped from the hands and before it reaches the ground. • n. such a kick. □□ punt'er n. pu*ny /pyobnee/ adj. (pu*ni*er, pu*ni*est) 1 undersized. 2 weak; feeble. 3 petty. □□ pu’nidy adv. pu’ni*ness n. ■ 1,2 small, little, diminutive, tiny, minute; frail, sickly, weakly, underfed. 3 insignifi¬ cant, unimportant, inconsequential, paltry, trivial, trifling. pup /pup/ n. 1 young dog. 2 young wolf, rat, seal, etc. □ pup tent small two-person tent. ■ 1 puppy, whelp. pu*pa /pyoopa/ n. (pi. pu*pae /-pee/) insect in the stage of development between larva and imago, on pu'pal adj. pU'pil1 /pyobpal/ n. person who is taught by another. ■ student, learner, schoolchild, schoolgirl, schoolboy. pu*pil2 /pyobpal/ n. dark circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye. □□ pu'pil* lar adj. pu’pil*lar*y adj. pup*pet /pupit/ n. 1 small figure moved by various means as entertainment. 2 person controlled by another. □□ pup'pet*ry n. ■ 2 figurehead, cat’s-paw, pawn, dupe, tool, instrument. pup*py /pupee/ n. (pi. -pies) 1 young dog. 2 conceited or arrogant young man. □ puppy love infatuation, esp. among ado¬ lescents. □□ pup'py'hood n. pup pyish adj.

pur’blind /parbllnd/

adj. 1 partly blind. 2 obtuse; dim-witted. □□ pur'blind'ness n. purchase /parchis/ •v.tr. 1 buy. 2 obtain or achieve at some cost. • n. 1 buying. 2 something bought. 3 firm hold on a thing to move it or to prevent it from slipping; lev¬ erage. □□ pur'chas*a*ble adj. pur'chas*er n. m v.

1 acquire, procure, obtain, get, secure. 2 win, gain, realize, attain. • n. 1 acquisi¬ tion, purchasing, procurement. 2 acquisi¬ tion, colloq. buy. 3 grip, support, toehold, foothold, grasp; position. pure /pyOOr/ adj. 1 unmixed; unadulterated. 2 chaste. 3 not morally corrupt. 4 guildess. 5 (of a subject of study) abstract; not ap¬ plied. □□ pure'ness n. m 1 uncontaminated, clear, unalloyed, en¬ tire, true, perfect; 24-karat, sterling, solid. 2, 3 virginal, virgin, intact, maidenly, vestal, im¬ maculate, undefiled, uncorrupted, whole¬ some, virtuous, good, modest, moral, cor¬ rect. 4 innocent, above suspicion, above reproach, blameless. 5 conceptual, theoreti¬ cal, hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, notional. pure*bred /pyoorbred/ • adj. belonging to a recognized breed of unmixed lineage. • n. purebred animal. pu*ree /pyOOray, pyOOe'e/ • n. smooth pulp of vegetables, fruit, etc. •v.tr. (pu*rees, pu* reed) make a puree of. purely /pyobrlee/ adv. 1 in a pure manner. 2 merely; solely; exclusively.

675

punt ~ purple

pur*ga*tive /pbrgativ/ • adj. 1 serving to pu¬ rify. 2 strongly laxative. • n. 1 purgative thing. 2 laxative. ■ adj. 1 cathartic, depurative, purifying. 2 cathartic, aperient, evacuant. • n. 1 puri¬ fier, depurative, purge. 2 cathartic, aperient, purge, depurative. pur»ga»tO*ry /pargatawree/ • n. (pi. -ries) 1 condition or supposed place of spiritual cleansing, esp. (RC Ch.) of those dying in the grace of God but having to expiate venial sins, etc. 2 place or state of temporary suf¬ fering or expiation. • adj. purifying. □□ pur* ga*to*ri*al /-tawreeal/ adj. purge /parj/ • v.tr. 1 make physically or spir¬ itually clean. 2 remove by cleansing. 3 rid (an organization, party, etc.) of persons re¬ garded as undesirable. 4 empty (the bow¬ els). • n. 1 act of purging. 2 purgative. □□ purg'er n. m v. 1 purify, clean (out), scour (out), depurate, wash (out); clear, exonerate, ab¬ solve. 3 free from, clear. 4 see empty v. 1. • n. 1 cleansing, purification; ousting, ouster, removal, ejection, expulsion, elimination. 2 see purgative n. 2. pu*ri»fy /pyobrifi/ v. tr. (-ties, -fied) 1 [often foil, by of, from] cleanse or make pure. 2 make ceremonially clean. 3 clear of extra¬ neous elements. □□ pu*ri*fl*ca'tion n. pu* rif*i*ca*to*ry /-rifakatawree/ adj. pu'ri'G* er n. m 1 clean, clarify, refine, wash, sanitize, depurate. pu*rist /pyobrist/ n. stickler for or advocate of scrupulous purity, esp. in language or art. □□ pur'ism n. pu*ris tic adj. ■ pedant, precisionist, formalist, stickler, prescriptivist. pu*ri»tan /pyobrit’n/ • n. 1 (Puritan) hist. member of a group of English Protestants who sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship. 2 person practicing extreme strict¬ ness in religion or morals. • adj. 1 hist, of the Puritans. 2 scrupulous and austere in re¬ ligion or morals. □□ pu ri*tan*ism n. mn. 2 moralist, pietist, purist, religionist, fanatic, zealot; see also prig. • adj. 2 prud¬ ish, puritanical, prim, proper, straitlaced, as¬ cetic, moralistic, pietistic, intolerant, disap¬ proving, bigoted, narrow-minded. pipri'tarpi'cal /pyobritanikal/ adj. often derog. strictly religious or moral in behavior. □□ pu*ri*tan'i*caMy adv. pu*ri*ty /pyObritee/ n. pureness; cleanness. ■ cleanliness, clarity; healthfulness, whole¬ someness; faultlessness, correctness; chas¬ tity, innocence. purl1 /pari/ •n. 1 type of inverted knitting stitch. 2 chain of minute loops ornamenting edges of lace, etc. •v.tr. [also absol.] knit with a purl stitch. purl2 /pari/ v. intr. (of a brook, etc.) flow with a swirling motion and babbling sound. pur*loin /parloyn/ v.tr. literary steal; pilfer. □□ pur*loin'er n. pur*ple /parpal/ • n. 1 color intermediate between red and blue. 2 purple robe, esp. as

purport ~ pushover

676

the dress of an emperor or senior magistrate. 3 [prec. by the) position of rank, authority, or privilege. • adj. of a purple color. □ purple passage (or prose or patch) overly ornate or elaborate literary passage. □□ pur'plish adj.

purport •v.tr. /parpawrt/ 1 profess; be in¬ tended to seem. 2 (of a document or speech) have as its meaning; state. • n. /parpawrt/ ostensible meaning;, sense or tenor. □□ pur*port'ed*ly adv. ■ v. 1 pretend, claim, make a pretense. • n. see meaning n. 1, 2. □□ purportedly see seemingly (seeming). purpose /parpas/ • n. 1 object to be at¬ tained; thing intended. 2 intention to act. 3 resolution; determination. • v. tr. have as one’s purpose; design; intend. See synonym study at intend. □ on purpose intention¬ ally. to no purpose with no result or effect. □□ purposeful adj. purposefully adv. pur'poseful*ness n. pur'pose*less adj. pur'posedy adv. m n. 1 intention, intent, end, goal, ambi¬ tion, objective, rationale, reason, motive. 2 intent, scheme, plan, design. 3 firmness, persistence, drive, single-mindedness. • v. plan, resolve, mean, aim, contemplate, pro¬ pose. □ on purpose purposely, deliberately, willfully, by design, consciously. □□ pur' poseful intended, planned, deliberate, will¬ ful; resolved, settled, determined, decided, sure, certain, pur poseless aimless, undi¬ rected, directionless; erratic, haphazard. pur»pos»ive /parpasiv, parpO-/ adj. 1 having or serving a purpose. 2 done with a purpose. 3 resolute; purposeful. □□ pur'pos*ive*ly adv. pur'pos*ive*ness n. purr /par/ • v.intr. 1 (of a cat) make a low vi¬ bratory sound expressing contentment. 2 (of machinery, etc.) make a similar sound. • n. purring sound. purse /pars/ • n. 1 small pouch for carrying money on the person. 2 handbag. 3 money; funds. 4 sum as a present or prize in a con¬ test. • v.tr. pucker or contract (the lips). □ hold the purse strings have control of expenditure. ■ n. 1 bag, moneybag, wallet, pocketbook. 2 bag, pocketbook. 3 wealth, resources, fi¬ nances, capital, revenue, income. 4 reward, award, gift. • v. wrinkle, compress, press to¬ gether. pursuer /parsar/ n. officer on a ship who keeps accounts, esp. the head steward in a passenger vessel. pur«su«ance /parsdbans/ n. [foil, by of) carry¬ ing out or observance (of a plan, idea, etc.). pur*su*ant /parsooant/ • adj. pursuing. • adv. [foil, by to] conforming to or in ac¬ cordance with. □□ pur*su'ant*ly adv. pur*sue /parsbo/ v.tr. (pur*sues, pur*sued, pur*su*ing) 1 follow with intent to overtake or capture or do harm to. 2 continue or pro¬ ceed along (a route or course of action). 3 follow or engage in (study or other activ¬ ity). 4 proceed in compliance with (a plan, etc.). 5 seek after; aim at. 6 continue to in¬

vestigate or discuss (a topic). 7 seek the at¬ tention or acquaintance of (a person) per¬ sistently. □□ pur*su'er n. a 1 chase, go or run after, hunt (after or for), trail, track. 2 follow (on with), keep to; carry on with, persist or persevere in, maintain, proceed with. 3 take; see also engage1 7. 5 aspire to, work for or toward, try or strive for, search for. 7 go after, woo, pay court to, court; follow, hound; see also chase v. 1, 3. pursuit /parsobt/ n. 1 act or an instance of pursuing. 2 occupation or activity pursued. □ in pursuit of pursuing. ■ 1 hunt, tracking, stalking, chase; pursu¬ ance. 2 work, field, area, business, profes¬ sion, trade; hobby, pastime. pufufent /pyobralant, pyObrya-/ adj. of, containing, or discharging pus. □□ pu'ru* lence n. pu'ru*len*cy n. pu'rufent'ly adv. purv/ey /parvay/ v. 1 tr. provide or supply (articles of food) as one’s business. 2 intr. [often foil, by for] a make provision, b act as supplier. □□ purveyance n. purvey or n. pur*view /parvyoo/ n. 1 scope or range of a document, scheme, etc. 2 range of physical or mental vision. pus /pus/ n. thick yellowish or greenish liquid produced from infected tissue. push /pOOsh/ • v. 1 tr. exert a force on (a thing) to move it or cause it to move away. 2 intr. exert such a force {do not push). 3 intr. 6 tr. a thrust forward or upward, b project or cause to project (pushes out new roots). 4 intr. move forward or make (one’s way) by force or persistence. 5 intr. exert oneself, esp. to surpass others. 6 tr. urge, impel, or press (a person) hard. 7 tr. pursue or de¬ mand persistendy (pushed for reform). 8 tr. promote. 9 tr. colloq. sell (a drug) illegally. • n. 1 act or instance of pushing; shove or thrust. 2 force exerted in this. 3 vigorous ef¬ fort. 4 enterprise; determination to succeed. □ push around colloq. bully, push button button to be pushed esp. to operate an elec¬ trical device, push one’s luck 1 take undue risks. 2 act presumptuously, push-up exer¬ cise in which the body, extended and prone, is raised upward by pushing down with the hands until the arms are straight. ■ v. 1 thrust, shove, drive, move, get mov¬ ing, propel; press. 3 b see project v. 2. 4 continue, proceed, advance, press on or on¬ ward; shove, thrust, elbow, shoulder, force, jostle. 6 encourage, induce, persuade, prod, spur; compel, force, dragoon; badger, hound; see also tax v. 3. 7 see pursue 2, 7. 8 publicize, advertise, propagandize, puff. 9 peddle. • n. 1 nudge; press. 2 drive, thrust; see also force n. 1. 3 see attempt n. 4 ambition, initiative, resourcefulness, en¬ ergy, dynamism. □ push around intimi¬ date, domineer, tyrannize, torment. push»er /pdbshar/ n. 1 colloq. illegal seller of drugs. 2 colloq. pushing or pushy person. 3 thing for pushing. pushing /pcbshing/ adj. 1 pushy. 2 colloq. having nearly reached (a specified age). push*o*ver /pObshovar/ n. colloq. 1 some¬ thing that is easily done. 2 person easily overcome, persuaded, etc.

■ 1 child’s play, colloq. piece of cake, picnic, cinch; see also breeze n. 2. 2 colloq. soft touch, si. mark, sucker, sap. push*y /pobshee/ adj. (pushtiber, push'i* est) colloq. excessively self-assertive. □□ push'i*ly ado. push'bness n. m forward, assertive, self-seeking, forceful, aggressive, domineering, overbearing, ambi¬ tious, bumptious. pu*SiMan*i*mous /pyobsilanimas/ adj. lack¬ ing courage; timid. □□ pu*siMa*nim*i»ty /-lanimitee/ n. pu*sil*lan'i*mous*ly adv. puss*y /pdbsee/ n. (pi. -ies) (also puss; puss'y'cat) colloq. cat. □ pussy willow wil¬ low with furry catkins. puSS*y»fOOt /ptsbseefOOt/ v.intr. 1 move stealthily or warily. 2 act cautiously or non¬ committally. □□ puss'yfoot'er n. • 1 sneak, creep, slink, prowl, steal, tiptoe. 2 beat about the bush, hem or hum and haw, equivocate, be evasive. pus'tule /puschool/ n. pimple containing pus. □□ pus'tu'lar adj. pus'tu*lous adj. put /post/ • v. (putting; past and past part. Put) 1 tr. move to or cause to be in a speci¬ fied place or position. 2 tr. bring into a spec¬ ified condition, relation, or state. 3 tr. a im¬ pose or assign, b [foil, by on, to] impose or enforce the existence of (put a stop to it). 4 tr. 6 cause (a person) to go or be, habitually or temporarily (put them at their ease), b rejl. imagine (oneself) in a specified situation (put yourself in my shoes). 5 tr express in a speci¬ fied way (to put it mildly). 6 tr [foil, by at] es¬ timate (an amount, etc.) (put the cost at $50). 7 tr. [foil, by into] express or translate in (words, or another language). 8 tr [foil, by into] invest. 9 tr. [foil, by on] wager. 10 tr. [foil, by to] submit for consideration or at¬ tention put it to a vote). 11 tr throw (esp. a shot or weight) as sport. 12 intr. (of a ship, etc.) proceed in a specified direction. • n. 1 a throw of the shot or weight. 2 Stock Exch. option of selling stock or a commodity at a fixed price at a given date. • adj. station¬ ary; fixed (stay put). □ put across 1 make acceptable or effective. 2 express in an un¬ derstandable way. 3 (often in put it or one across) achieve by deceit, put away 1 put (a thing) back in the place where it is nor¬ mally kept. 2 set (money, etc.) aside for fu¬ ture use. 3 a imprison, b commit to a men¬ tal institution. 4 consume (food and drink), esp. in large quantities, put down 1 sup¬ press by force. 2 colloq. snub or humiliate. 3 record or enter in writing. 4 enter the name of (a person) on a list. 5 attribute put it down to bad planning). 6 put (an old or sick animal) to death. 7 preserve or store (eggs, etc.) for future use. 8 pay as a deposit, put off 1 postpone. 2 evade (a person). 3 hin¬ der or dissuade, put on 1 clothe oneself with. 2 turn on (an electrical device, light, etc.). 3 stage (a play, show, etc.). 4 a pre¬ tend to be affected by (an emotion), b as¬ sume; take on (a character or appearance). 5 increase one’s weight by (a specified amount). 6 [foil, by to] make aware of or put in touch with put us on to their new account¬ ant) . put-on n. colloq. deception or hoax, put

677

pushy ~ putty

out 1 a (often as adj.) disconcert or annoy, b [often refl.] inconvenience (don’t put your¬ self out). 2 extinguish (a fire or light), put up 1 build or erect. 2 can; preserve (food) for later use. 3 take or provide accommodation for put me up for the night). 4 engage in (a fight, struggle, etc.) as a form of resistance. 5 offer. 6 a present oneself for election, b propose for election. 7 provide (money) as a backer. 8 display (a notice), put upon col¬ loq. take advantage of (a person), put up with endure; tolerate; submit to. □□ put'ter n.

■ v. 1 situate, set, lay, station, stand. 3 a place, attribute; raise, levy, exact. 4 b consider, regard, picture, envisage. 5, 7 word, phrase; say, utter. 6 see gauge2 v. 2. 9 bet, gamble, stake, chance, risk. 10 put to) present to, set before; refer to; see also sub¬ mit 2.11 heave, toss, fling, cast. • n. 1 see throw n. 1. □ put across 2 make clear, get across, explain, put away 1 return, replace, put back; store. 3 a jail, incarcerate, send up. b institutionalize. 4 devour, gorge, polish off. put down 1 quash, quell, topple, crush. 2 abash, crush, silence, mortify; deflate, slight, reject. 3, 4 register, set down, list; log, note (down); enroll. 5 ascribe, assign, im¬ pute. 6 destroy, put to sleep, put off 1 de¬ lay, defer, put back. 3 see deter, put on 1 don, get dressed in. 2 switch on. 3 mount, produce, present; perform. 4 a take on, af¬ fect, feign. 5 gain, put out 1 a vex, irritate, exasperate, irk, perturb, b disturb, trouble, bother; create difficulties for. 2 turn off; snuff out. put up 1 construct, raise, set up, put together. 3 accommodate, lodge, board, house. 5 see present v. 1. 7 contribute, give, donate. 8 see display v. 1. put up with take, stand (for), stomach, accept, bear. pu*ta*tive /pyootativ/ adj. reputed; supposed (his putative father), od pu'ta*tive*ly adv. pu*tre*fy /pyobtrift/ v. (-fies, -fied) become or make putrid; go bad. □□ pu*tre*fa*cient /-fayshant/ adj. pu*tre»fac*tion /-fakshan/ n. pu*tre*fac*tive /-faktiv/ adj. m rot, decompose, decay, molder, deterio¬ rate, go off. pu*tres*cent /pyootresant/ adj. 1 in the process of rotting. 2 of or accompanying this process. □□ pu'tres'cence n. pu*trid /pyootrid/ adj. 1 decomposed; rotten. 2 foul; noxious. □□ pu'trid*ly adv. ■ 1 rotting, decomposing, decayed, decay¬ ing, moldy. 2 fetid, rank; see also FOUL adj. 1,4a. putsch /pooch/ n. sudden revolution; violent uprising. See synonym study at uprising. putt /put/ • v.tr. strike (a golf ball) gently on a putting green. • n. putting stroke. □ put¬ ting green (in golf) area of close-cropped grass around a hole. □□ put'ter n. pufiter /putar/ v. intr. 1 work or occupy one¬ self in a desultory but pleasant manner. 2 go slowly; dawdle; loiter. □□ put'ter»er n. m 1 see mess about. 2 amble, saunter, stroll, wander. put*ty /putee/ • n. pi. -ties) soft, pliable

putz ~ quadriplegia

678

mixture used for fixing panes of glass, filling holes in woodwork, etc. • v. tr. (-ties, -tied) cover, fix, join, or fill up with putty, putz /puts/ • n. si. simple-minded foolish per¬ son. • v.intr. si. [usu. foil, by around] move (about) or occupy oneself in an aimless or idle manner. puz*zle /puzal/ • n. 1 difficult or confusing problem; enigma. 2 problem or toy designed to test knowledge or ingenuity. See synonym study at riddle. • v. 1 tr. confound or dis¬ concert mentally. 2 intr. be perplexed (about). 3 tr. (usu. as puzzling adj.) require much thought to comprehend. □□ puz zle* ment n. puz’zling*ly adv. an. 1 question, paradox, poser, mystery. 2 poser, riddle, conundrum, colloq. brainteaser. • v. 1 baffle, bewilder, confuse, mys¬ tify, perplex, nonplus. 2 be confused or baf¬ fled or bewildered; (puzzle over) study, ponder (over), mull over, contemplate, med¬ itate on. 3 (puzzling) mystifying, enig¬ matic, bewildering, baffling, perplexing. puz*zler /puzlar/ n. difficult question or problem. Pvt. abbr. private. PX abbr. post exchange. pyg»my /pigmee/ n. (also pig'my) (pi. -mies) 1 member of a small people of equa¬ torial Africa and parts of SE Asia. 2 very small person, animal, or thing. □□ pyg*mae* an /pigme’ean, pigmee-/ adj. (also pyg'me* an). ■ 2 dwarf, midget, runt. py*lon /pflon/ n. tall structure erected as a support (esp. for electric power cables) or boundary or decoration. py*or»rhe*a /piare'ea/ n. gum disease causing

shrinkage of the gums, loosening of the teeth, and discharge of pus. pyr*a»mid /piramid/ n. 1 monumental struc¬ ture, usu. of stone, with a square base and sloping sides meeting centrally at an apex, esp. an ancient Egyptian royal tomb. 2 solid of this type with a base of three or more sides. □□ py*ram*i*dal /-ramid’l/ adj. py* ram'i*dal*ly adv. pyr*a*mid'ic adj. (also pyr*a*mid'i*cal). pyr*a*mid'i*cal*ly adv. pyre /pir/ n. heap of combustible material, esp. a funeral pile for burning a corpse. Py*rex /pfreks/ n. propr. hard heat-resistant type of glass, often used for cookware. py*rite /pint/ n. = pyrites. py«rites /piriteez, pints/ n. (in full iron py¬ rites) yellow lustrous form of iron disulfide. □□ py*rit*ic /—ritik/ adj. py*ri*tous /piritas/ adj. pyro- /piro/ comb, form 1 denoting fire. 2 Mineral, denoting a mineral, etc., altered by heat or fiery in color. py«ro»ma*nia /piromayneea/ n. obsessive de¬ sire to set fire to things. □□ py*ro*ma'ni*ac n. py*ro*tech«niCS /pirotekniks/ n.pl. 1 art of making fireworks. 2 display of fireworks. 3 any brilliant display. □□ py'ro*tech'nic adj. py*ro*tech'ni*cal adj. pyrnhic /pirik/ adj. (of a victory) won at too great a cost. Py»thag*o«re»an the*o*rem /pithagareean/ n. theorem that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. py*thon /pithon, -than/ n. large tropical con¬ stricting snake. pyx /piks/ n. (also pix) Eccl. vessel in which the consecrated bread of the Eucharist is kept.

Qq Q1 /kyoo/ n. (also q) (pi. Qs or Q’s; q’s) sev¬ enteenth letter of the alphabet. Q2 abbr. (also Q.) 1 question. 2 Queen, Queen’s. qb abbr. quarterback. QED abbr. QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM. qt. abbr. quart(s). qty. abbr. quantity. qua /kwaa/ conj. in the capacity of; as be¬ ing. quack1 /kwak/ • n. harsh sound made by ducks, •v.intr. 1 utter this sound. 2 colloq. talk loudly and foolishly. quack2 /kwak/ n. unqualified practitioner, esp. of medicine. □□ quack'er*y n. quack' ish adj. ■ charlatan, impostor, pretender, faker, fraud. quad /kwod/ n. colloq. quadrangle. quad»ran*gle /kwodranggal/ n. 1 four-sided plane figure, esp. a square or rectangle. 2 -

four-sided courtyard. □□ quad*ran'gu*lar adj. quad*rant /kwodrant/ n. 1 quarter of a cir¬ cle’s circumference. 2 quarter of a circle en¬ closed by two radii at right angles. 3 instru¬ ment for taking angular measurements. qua*drat*ic /kwodratik/ adj. Math. 1 involv¬ ing the second and no higher power of an unknown quantity or variable (quadratic equation). 2 square. quadri- /kwodree/ (also quadr- or quadru-) comb, form denoting four. quad*ri*ceps /kwodriseps/ n. Anat. four-part muscle at the front of the thigh. quadni*lat*er*al /kwodrilataral/ • adj. hav¬ ing four sides. • n. four-sided figure. qua*drille /kwodril/ n. 1 square dance con¬ taining usu. five figures. 2 music for this. quad*ri*ple*gia /kwodripleejeea, -ja/ n. Med. paralysis of all four limbs. □□ quad*ri*ple' gic adj. & n.

quad*ru*ped /kwodraped/ n. four-footed an¬ imal, esp. a mammal. □□ quad*ru*ped*al /-roopid’l/ adj. qua*dru«ple /kwodrobpal, -drup-, kwodrOOpal/ • adj. 1 fourfold. 2 having four parts. • n. fourfold number or amount. • v. multiply by four. □□ qua*drup'ly adv. qua*dru*piet /kwodrobplit, -drup-, kwodrCOplit/ n. each of four children born at one birth. qua*dru*pli*cate • adj. /kwodrooplikat/ 1 fourfold. 2 of which four copies are made. • v. tr. /-kayt/ multiply by four. □ in quadru¬ plicate in four identical copies. quag*mire /kwagmlr, kwog-/ n. 1 soft boggy or marshy area that gives way underfoot. 2 hazardous situation. quail* 1 /kwayl/ n. (pi. same or quails) small game bird related to the partridge. quail2 /kwayl/ v.intr. flinch; be apprehensive with fear. quaint /kwaynt/ adj. piquantly or attractively odd or old-fashioned. □□ quaint'ly adv. quaint'ness n.

• outmoded, antiquated, outdated, antique; picturesque, sweet; curious, strange, bizarre, peculiar, unusual, queer, uncommon, singu¬ lar, eccentric. quake /kwayk/ • v.intr. shake; tremble. • n. colloq. earthquake. □□ quak'y adj. (quaku* er, quak*i*est).

■ v. quiver, shudder; vibrate, n. tremor. Quak'er /kwaykar/ n. member of the Society of Friends, a Christian movement devoted to peaceful principles and eschewing formal rit¬ ual. □□ Quak'ertish adj. Quak erism n.

qual*i«fi«ca*tion /kwolifikayshan/ n. 1 act or an instance of qualifying. 2 [often in pi.] quality, skill, or accomplishment fitting a person for a position or purpose. 3 thing that modifies or limits. ■ 2 ability, aptitude, competence, capacity, proficiency. 3 limitation, restriction, modifi¬ cation, reservation; prerequisite, require¬ ment. qualify /kwolifi/ v. (-fies, -fled) 1 tr make competent or fit for a position or purpose. 2 tr make legally entitled. 3 intr. satisfy con¬ ditions or requirements. 4 tr add reserva¬ tions to; modify or make less absolute (a statement or assertion). □□ qual'i*fi*er n. • 1 equip, fit, ready, prepare; condition, make eligible. 2 certify. 3 be eligible, have the qualifications, be fit or equipped or ready or prepared. 4 modulate; restrict, limit; see also modify 1. □□ qualifier see heat n. 6. qual*i»ta*tive /kwolitaytiv/ adj. concerned with or depending on quality. □□ qual'i*ta» tive-ly adv.

qual»i*ty /kwolitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 degree of excellence. 2 general excellence. 3 distinc¬ tive attribute or faculty. 4 relative nature or kind or character of a thing. □ quality con¬ trol system of maintaining standards in manufactured products. ■ 1 grade, caliber, rank, value, worth. 2 see excellence 1. 3 property, feature, charac¬ teristic, mark, distinction, trait. qualm /kwaam, kwawm/ n. 1 misgiving; un¬ easy doubt esp. about one’s own conduct.

679

quadruped ~ quarantine

2 scruple of conscience. 3 momentary faint or sick feeling. ■ 1 second thought(s), uncertainty, hesita¬ tion, uneasiness, reluctance, disinclination, queasiness. 2 compunction, twinge, pang.

synonym study: qualm COMPUNCTION, DEMUR, MISGIVING, SCRUPLE.

To have qualms is to have an uneasy, often sickening, feeling that you have acted or are about to act against your better judgment (she had qualms about leaving a nine-year-old in charge of an infant). Misgivings are even

stronger, implying a disturbed state of mind because you’re no longer confident that what you’re doing is right (his misgivings about let¬ ting his 80-year-old mother drive herself home turned out to be justified). Compunction im¬

plies a momentary pang of conscience be¬ cause what you are doing or are about to do is unfair, improper, or wrong (they showed no compunction in carrying out their devious plans). Scruples suggest a more highly de¬

veloped conscience or sense of honor; it im¬ plies that you have principles, and that you would be deeply disturbed if you thought you were betraying them (her scruples would not allow her to participate in what she consid¬ ered antifeminist activities). Demur connotes

hesitation to the point of delay, but the delay is usually caused by objections or indecision rather than a sense of conscience (they ac¬ cepted his decision without demur).

quan*da»ry /kwondaree, -dree/

n. (pi. -ries) 1 state of perplexity. 2 difficult situation; practical dilemma. ■ confusion; predicament, plight; see also DILEMMA.

quan»ti»fy /kwontifi/ v.tr. (-fies,-tied) 1 de¬ termine the quantity of. 2 measure or ex¬ press as a quantity. □□ quan'ti*fi*a*ble adj. quan*ti*fi*ca'tion n. quan'ti*fi*er n. m 1 see count1 v. 1, calculate 1. adj. pertaining to quantity. □□ quan'ti*ta*tive*ly adv. quan*ti*ty /kwontitee/ n. (pi -ties) 1 prop¬

quan»ti»ta*tive /kwontitaytiv/

erty of things that is measurable. 2 amount; number. 3 specified or considerable portion or number or amount. 4 [in pi.] large amounts or numbers (quantities of food). 5 Math, value, component, etc., that may be expressed in numbers. ■ 2 extent, volume; sum, total; weight, measure. 3 see bulk n. la, amount n. 1. 4 see lot n. 1. quantum /kwontam/ n. (pi. quan*ta /-to/) 1 Physics discrete quantity of radiant energy. 2 required or allowed amount. □ quantum jump (or leap) 1 sudden large increase or advance. 2 Physics abrupt transition in an atom or molecule from one quantum state to another, quantum mechanics (or theory) Pfryricrsystem or theory using the assump¬ tion that energy exists in discrete units. quar*an*tine /kwawranteen, kwor-/ • n. 1 isolation imposed on persons or animals to prevent infection or contagion. 2 period of this. • v.tr. put in quarantine.

quark ~ quatrain

680

quark /kwawrk, kwaark/ n.

Physics any of sev¬ eral postulated components of elementary particles. quar*rel /kwawral, kwor-/ • n. 1 usu. verbal contention or altercation. 2 occasion of complaint or dispute. • v.intr. 1 find fault. 2 dispute; break off friendly relations. □□ quar'rel'er n. nn. 1 dispute, argument, disagreement, debate, controversy, difference (of opinion), falling out. 2 objection, grudge, colloq. gripe. • o.1 see object o., oppose 1,2. 2 argue, dis¬ agree, altercate, have an altercation, differ, wrangle.

synonym study: quarrel ALTERCATION, DISPUTE, FEUD, ROW, SPAT, squabble, wrangle. Family feuds come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A husband and his wife may have a quarrel, which suggests a heated verbal argument, with hostility that may persist even after it is over (it took them almost a week to patch up their quarrel). Sib¬ lings tend to have squabbles, which are childlike disputes over trivial matters, al¬ though they are by no means confined to childhood (frequent squabbles over who would pick up the check). A spat is also a petty quar¬ rel, but unlike squabble, it suggests an angry outburst followed by a quick ending without hard feelings (another spat in an otherwise lov¬ ing relationship). A row is more serious, in¬ volving noisy quarreling and the potential for physical violence (a row that woke the neigh¬ bors). Neighbors are more likely to have an altercation, which is usually confined to verbal blows but may involve or threaten physical ones (an altercation over the location of the fence). A dispute is also a verbal argu¬ ment, but one that is carried on over an ex¬ tended period of time (an ongoing dispute over who was responsible for taking out the garbage).

Two families who have been enemies for a long time are probably involved in a feud, which suggests a bitter quarrel that lasts for years or even generations (the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys). There is no digni¬ ty at all in being involved in a wrangle, which is an angry, noisy, and often futile dis¬ pute in which both parties are unwilling to listen to the other’s point of view.

quar*rel*SOme

/kwawralsam, kwor-/ adj. given to quarreling. □□ quarrebsometiy adv. quar'rel*some*ness n. m argumentative, querulous, contrary, com¬ bative, antagonistic, pugnacious; irascible, cross, choleric. quar*ry1 /kwawree, kwor-/ • n. (pi. -ries) place from which stone, etc., may be extract¬ ed. • v.tr. (-ries,-ried) extract (stone) from a quarry. quar*ry2 /kwawree, kwor-/ n. (pi. -ries) 1 object of pursuit by a bird of prey, hunters, etc. 2 intended victim or prey. ■ game, prize, target. quart /kwawrt/ n. 1 liquid measure equal to a quarter of a gallon; two pints (.95 liter). 2 -

unit of dry measure, equivalent to one thirtysecond of a bushel (1.1 liter), quarter/kwawrtsr/ • n. 1 each of four equal parts into which a thing is or might be divid¬ ed. 2 period of three months. 3 a 25 cents, b coin of this denomination. 4 district or section. 5 source of supply (help from any quarter). 6 [in pi] a lodgings; abode, b Mil. living accommodation of troops, etc. 7 mercy offered or granted to an enemy in battle, etc., on condition of surrender. • v.tr. 1 divide into quarters. 2 a put (troops, etc.) into quarters, b station or lodge in a speci¬ fied place. m n. 4 area, region, zone, division, territory, neighborhood. 5 place, location, point, spot, area; direction. 6 a living quarters, accom¬ modation^), rooms, residence, habitation, domicile, home, house, b billet, barracks, cantonment. 7 compassion, mercifulness, clemency, leniency, forgiveness, favor, hu¬ manity, pity. • v. 2 billet, accommodate, house, board, shelter, put up; post. quar*ter*back /kwawrtarbak/ Football n. player who directs offensive play. quar»ter*deck /kwawrtardek/ n. part of a ship’s upper deck near the stern, usu. re¬ served for officers. quar»ter»fi»nal /kwawrtarffn’l/ Sports n. match or round immediately preceding a semifinal. quar»ter»ly /kwawrtarlee/ • adj. produced, payable, or occurring once every quarter of a year. • adv. once every quarter of a year. • n. (pi. -lies) quarterly journal. quar»ter»mas»ter /kwawrtarmastar/ n. 1 army officer in charge of quartering, rations, etc. 2 naval petty officer in charge of steer¬ ing, signals, etc. quar*tet /kwawrtet/ n. 1 Mus. a composition for four performers, b the performers. 2 any group of four. quar*tO /kwawrto/ n. (pi. -tos) Printing 1 size given by folding a (usu. specified) sheet of paper twice. 2 book consisting of sheets folded in this way. HAbbr.: 4to. quartz /kwawrts/ n. mineral form of silica that crystallizes as hexagonal prisms. qua*sar /kwayzaar, -zar, -saar, -sar/ n. Astron. starlike celestial object having a spec¬ trum with a large red shift, quash /kwosh/ v.tr. 1 annul; reject as not valid, esp. by a legal procedure. 2 suppress; crush (a rebellion, etc.). ■ 1 nullify, void, declare or render null and void, invalidate, revoke, set aside, rescind, cancel. 2 subdue, quell, put down, squelch, stamp on, repress, overthrow. quasi- /kwayzi, kwaazee/ comb, form 1 seem¬ ingly; not really (quasi-scientific). 2 almost (quasi-independent).

■ 1 pseudo-; see also apparently (apparent). 2 partly, to some extent; virtually; see also ALMOST. qua*ter»na*ry /kwotarneree, kwatarnaree/ • adj. 1 having four parts. 2 (Quaternary) Geol. of the most recent period in the Cenozoic era. • n. (Quaternary) Geol. this pe¬ riod. quatnain /kwotrayn/ n. stanza of four lines.

qua*ver /kwayvor/ •

v. 1 intr. (esp. of a voice or musical sound) vibrate; shake; tremble. 2 tr. sing or say with a quavering voice. • n. 1 trill in singing. 2 tremble in speech. □□ qua'ver«ing»ly adv. qua'ver*y adj. ■ v. 1 quiver, shiver, waver, shudder, oscil¬ late, flutter. • n. 2 trembling, quiver, tremor, shaking, vibration. quay /kee, kay/ n. solid, stationary, artificial landing place for loading and unloading ships. □□ quay'age n. quea*sy /kweezee/ adj. (-si*er, -si*est) 1 a (of a person) feeling nausea, b (of a per¬ son’s stomach) easily upset; weak of diges¬ tion. 2 (of the conscience, etc.) overscrupulous; tender. □□ quea'sMy adv. quea'si* ness n. ■ 1 a sick, nauseous, nauseated, ill, bilious, queer. Quech*ua /kechwa, -waa/ n. 1 member of a central Peruvian native people. 2 S. Ameri¬ can native language widely spoken in Peru and neighboring countries. □□ Quech'uan adj.

queen /kween/ n. 1 (as a title usu. Queen) fe¬ male sovereign. 2 (in full queen consort) king’s wife. 3 woman, country, or thing pre¬ eminent of its kind (tennis queen). 4 fertile fe¬ male among ants, bees, etc. 5 most powerful pie'ce in chess. 6 playing card with a picture of a queen. □ queen bee 1 fertile female in a hive. 2 chief or controlling woman in an organization or social group. □□ queen'less adj. queen'like adj. m 1 monarch, ruler; empress. 3 star; ideal, epitome, paragon, nonpareil. queerHy /kwe'enlee/ adj. (queen*li»er, queen*li*est) 1 fit for or appropriate to a queen. 2 majestic. □□ queen'li*ness n. queer /kweer/ • adj. 1 strange; odd; eccen¬ tric. 2 derog. si. homosexual. • n. derog. si. homosexual. • v.tr. si. spoil; put out of order. □□ queer'ish adj. queer'ly adv. queer' ness n. m adj. 1 peculiar, funny, curious, uncom¬ mon, unconventional, unorthodox, atypical, singular, exceptional, anomalous, extraordi¬ nary, unusual, bizarre. • v. ruin, bungle, mess up, botch, muff, wreck, make a mess of, colloq. make a hash of, muck up, fluff, si. blow, quell /kwel/ v.tr. 1 crush or put down (a re¬ bellion, etc.). 2 suppress (fear, anger, etc.), □a quell'er n. [also in comb.]. m 1 suppress, repress, subdue, quash, over¬ come, squelch, overwhelm, defeat. 2 re¬ strain, control, hold in check; moderate, mollify, soothe; pacify, tranquilize, compose, quench /kwench/ v.tr. 1 satisfy (thirst) by drinking. 2 extinguish (a fire or light, etc.). 3 cool, esp. with water. □□ quench'a*ble adj. quench'er n. quench'less adj. ■ 1 slake, sate, satiate, allay, appease, as¬ suage, gratify. 2 put out, douse, smother, snuff out. quer«U*lous /kwcrabs, kweryo-/ adj. com¬ plaining; peevish. □□ quer'u*lous*ly adj. quer'u*lous*ness n. a critical, hypercritical, finicky, finical, fussy, overparticular; petulant, testy, carping, touchy, irritable.

681 que*ry /kwe'eree/ • n.

quaver ~ quick

(pi. -ries) 1 question. 2 question mark. • v. tr. (-ries, -ried) 1 ask or inquire. 2 call (a thing) in question. ■ n. 1 inquiry; doubt, uncertainty, reserva¬ tion, problem. quest /kwest/ n. search or the act of seeking. □□ quest'er n. quest'ing*ly adv. • pursuit, exploration, expedition, voyage (of discovery); chase, hunt. question /kweschan/ • n. 1 sentence word¬ ed or expressed so as to seek information. 2 doubt or dispute about a matter. 3 matter to be discussed or decided or voted on. 4 problem requiring an answer or solution. • v.tr. 1 ask questions of; interrogate. 2 throw doubt upon; raise objections to. □ call in (or into) question make a matter of dispute; query, in question that is being discussed or referred to. out of the question too impracticable, etc., to be worth dis¬ cussing; impossible, question mark punc¬ tuation mark (?) indicating a question. □□ ques'tion*er n. ques'tion*ing*ly adv. questionless adj. m n. 2 query, demur, objection; see also doubt n. 1.3 issue, point, concern; see also matter n. 7.4 difficulty, doubt, uncertainty, query. • v. 1 query, interview, sound out, quiz, pump, grill. 2 call in or into question, doubt, query, mistrust, distrust, cast doubt upon. □ call in (or into) question ques¬ tion, doubt, challenge, dispute, in question 1 under discussion or consideration, at issue, out of the question unthinkable, absurd, ri¬ diculous, preposterous, inconceivable, be¬ yond consideration. ques*tion«a*ble /kweschanabal/ adj. doubt¬ ful as regards truth, quality, honesty, wis¬ dom, etc. See synonym study at doubtful. □□ ques'tion*a*ble*ness n. ques'tion*a* bly adv. a dubious, debatable, moot, disputable, borderline, ambiguous; suspect, shady; see also queer adj. 1. questionnaire /kweschanair/ n. written se¬ ries of questions, esp. for statistical study. queue /kyoo/ • n. 1 line or sequence of per¬ sons, vehicles, etc., awaiting their turn. 2 pigtail or braid of hair, •v.intr. (queues, queued, queunng or queue*ing) esp. Brit. line (up). an. 1 row, file, column, string, train, cortege, procession, chain; tail. 2 ponytail, horse tail; plait. • v. get in or into line, form a line or queue. quib'ble /kwibal/ • n. 1 petty objection; triv¬ ial point of criticism. 2 play on words; pun. 3 evasion; insubstantial argument which re¬ lies on an ambiguity, etc. •v.intr. use quib¬ bles. □□ quib'bler n. quib'bling adj. quib' bling*ly adv. an. 1 cavil, nicety, quiddity; trifle. 2 see pun n. 3 sophism, quip, equivocation. • v. equivocate, split hairs, evade the issue, be evasive, palter. quiche /keesh/ n. unsweetened custard pie with a savory filling. quick/kwik/ •adj. 1 taking only a short time.

quicken ~ quip

682

2 arriving after a short time; prompt. 3 with only a short interval (in quick succession). 4 lively; intelligent; alert. 5 (of a temper) easily roused. 6 archaic alive (the quick and the dead). • adv. quickly. • n. 1 soft flesh be¬ low the nails, or the skin, or a sore. 2 seat of feeling or emotion (cut to the quick). □ quick-tempered quick to lose one’s tem¬ per; irascible. □□ quick'ly adv. quick'ness n. m adj.

1 rapid, fast, speedy, swift; expedi¬ tious, express, high-speed. 2 immediate, timely, instantaneous; see also prompt adj. 1. 4 vivacious, animated; bright, adept, adroit, dexterous, perceptive, perspicacious, keen, sharp, acute; agile, nimble. 5 short, excita¬ ble, touchy, testy, impatient. 6 see alive 3. • adv. see quickly below. • n. 2 see core n. 2a. □ quick-tempered excitable, impul¬ sive, temperamental, hot-tempered, waspish, choleric, splenetic. □□ quickly quick, rap¬ idly, swiftly, speedily, fast; posthaste, tout de suite, on the double; instantly, promptly, hastily, at once. quick*en /kwikan/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or be¬ come quicker; accelerate. 2 tr. give life or vigor to; rouse. ■ 1 hasten, speed up, expedite, hurry, rush. 2 stimulate, arouse, kindle, spark, invigorate, excite, animate.

synonym study: quicken ANIMATE, ENLIVEN, INVIGORATE, STIMULATE, VI¬ TALIZE. While all of these verbs mean to make alive or lively, quicken suggests the rousing or renewal of life, especially life that has been inert or suspended (She felt the baby quicken during her second trimester of pregnan¬ cy). Animate means to impart life, motion,

or activity to something that previously lacked such a quality (a discussion animated by the presence of so many young people). Stim¬ ulate means to goad into activity from a state of inertia, inactivity, or lethargy (the pro¬ fessor’s constant questions stimulated her stu¬ dents to do more research), while enliven refers to a stimulating influence that bright¬

ens or makes lively what was previously dull, depressed, or torpid (A sudden change in the weather enlivened the group’s activities). Invig¬ orate and vitalize both mean to fill with vigor or energy, but the former refers to physical energy (invigorated by the climb up the mountain), while the latter implies that ener¬ gy has been imparted in a nonphysical sense (to vitalize an otherwise dull meeting).

quickte

/kwikee/ n. colloq. thing done or made quickly. quick*lime /kwiklim/ n. = lime1 n. 1. quicksand /kwiksand/ n. 1 loose wet sand that sucks in anything placed or falling into it. 2 bed of this. quick»sil*ver /kwiksilvsr/ n. mercury. quick-witted /kwikwitid/ adj. quick to grasp a situation, make repartee, etc. □□ quick'wit'tedmess n. ■ acute, sharp, clever, smart, nimblewitted, alert, keen.

quid pro quo /kwid pro kw6/

n. 1 thing given as compensation. 2 return made (for a gift, favor, etc.). ■ recompense, payment, requital. qui*es*cent /kwlesant, kwee-/ adj. 1 inert. 2 silent; dormant. See synonym study at la¬ tent. □□ qui'es'cence n. qui*es'cent*ly adv.

qui*et /kwlat/ • adj. (qui*et*er, qui"et*estj 1 with little or no sound or motion. 2 of gen¬ tle or peaceful disposition. 3 unobtrusive; not overt. 4 undisturbed; uninterrupted. 5 enjoyed in quiet (a quiet smoke). 6 tranquil; not anxious or remorseful. • n. 1 silence; stillness. 2 undisturbed state; tranquillity. • v. 1 tr. soothe; make quiet. 2 intr. [often foil, by down] become quiet or calm. □□ qui' et'ly adv. qui’etmess n. m adj. 1 silent, soundless, noiseless, hushed; still, smooth, motionless; inactive. 2 see gentle adj. 1. 3 see unobtrusive, pri¬ vate adj. 2. 4 see peaceful 1. 6 serene, peaceful, unperturbed, calm, placid. • n. 1 still, soundlessness, noiselessness, hush, quietness, quietude. 2 calmness, serenity, peace; see also calm n. 1. • v. see calm v. □d quietly silently, soundlessly, noiselessly, inaudibly; peacefully, calmly, serenely; unob¬ trusively. quistude /kwf-itood, -tyood/ n. state of quiet. quistus /kwl-e'etas/ n. 1 something which quiets or represses. 2 discharge or release from life; death; final riddance. quill /kwil/ n. 1 large feather in a wing or tail. 2 hollow stem of this. 3 (in full quill pen) pen made of a quill. 4 [usu. in pi.] spine of a porcupine. quilt /kwilt/ • n. bedcovering made of padding enclosed between layers of cloth, etc., and kept in place by patterned stitching. • v.tr. make quilts. □□ quilt'er n. quilt ing n. • n. duvet; bedspread, eiderdown, counter¬ pane. quince /kwins/ n. 1 hard acidic pear-shaped fruit used chiefly in preserves. 2 tree bearing this fruit. qui*nine /kwinln, kwin-/ n. 1 alkaloid found esp. in cinchona bark. 2 bitter drug con¬ taining this, used as a tonic and to reduce fever. quintessence /kwintessns/ n. purest and most perfect, or most typical, form, manifes¬ tation, or embodiment of some quality or class, no quintessential /kwintisenshal/ adj. quin*tes»sen'tial*ly adv. ■ epitome, embodiment, incarnation, per¬ sonification, model, prototype, exemplar, ideal, beau ideal. quintet /kwintet/ n. 1 Mus. a composition for five, b the performers. 2 any group of five. quintuple /kwintobpal, -tyob-, -tupsl, kwintopol/ • adj. fivefold; consisting of five parts. • n. fivefold number or amount. • v. multiply by five. quintu«plet /kwintuplit, -tob-, -tyob-, kwinto-/ n. each of five children born at one birth. quip /kwip/ •«. clever saying; epigram.

• v.intr. (quipped, quip-ping) make quips. □□ quip'ster n. a n. bon mot, witticism, sally, aphorism; jest, joke, gag, colloq. one-liner, crack. • v. see joke v. 1. quire /kwlr/ n. 25 (also 24) sheets of paper. quirk /kwark/ n. 1 peculiarity of behavior. 2 trick of fate; freak. □□ quirkish adj. quirk'y adj. (quirk-i-er, quirk-i-est). quirk'i-ly adv. quirk'i-ness n.

■ 1 caprice, vagary, whim, idiosyncrasy, oddity. 2 twist; oddity, aberration; fluke, ac¬ cident. quisling /kwizling/ n. traitorous collabo¬ rator. quit /kwit/ v.tr. (quit-ting; past and past part. quit or quit-ted) 1 [also absol. ] give up; let go; abandon (a task, etc.). 2 cease; stop (quit grumbling). 3 leave or depart from. ■ 1 resign, relinquish, leave, renounce, re¬ tire from, withdraw from, forsake. 2 discon¬ tinue, leave off, literary desist from. 3 go (away) from, get away from, flee; see also leave1 v. lb, 3. quite /kwit/ adv. 1 completely; entirely. 2 rather; to some extent. □ quite a few col¬ loq. a fairly large number of. ■ 1 very, totally, utterly, fully, wholly, abso¬ lutely. 2 fairly, moderately, somewhat, rela¬ tively, to some or a certain extent. □ quite a few quite a lot, a fair number or few, a good number or few. quits /kwits/ predic.adj. on even terms by re¬ taliation or repayment (then we’ll be quits). □ call it quits agree not to proceed further in a quarrel, etc. quit-ter /kwitar/ n. 1 person who gives up easily. 2 shirker. quiv-er1 /kwivar/ • v.intr. tremble or vibrate with a slight rapid motion. • n. quivering motion or sound. □□ quiv'er-ing-ly adv. quiv'er-y adj. a v. shake, shiver, quaver; shudder, tremor, oscillate. • n. tremble, quaver, shudder, spasm, shake. quiv-er2 /kwivar/ n. case for holding arrows. quix-0t«ic /kwiksotik/ adj. 1 extravagantly and romantically chivalrous. 2 visionary; pursuing lofty but unattainable ideals. 3 derog. foolhardy. □□ quix-ot'i-cal-ly adv. m 1 romantic, gallant; sentimental. 2 ideal¬ istic, utopian, impractical, unpractical, unre¬ alistic, romantic. 3 absurd, mad, reckless, wild, preposterous. quiz /kwiz/ • n. (pi. quiz-zes) 1 quick or in¬ formal test. 2 (also quiz show) test of knowledge, esp. as a form of entertainment. • v.tr. (quizzed, quiz-zing) examine by questioning. Bn. 1 examination, exam. • v. question, in¬ terrogate, ask, interview, ask the opinion of, grill. quiz-zi-cal /kwizikal/ adj. 1 expressing or done with mild or amused perplexity. 2 strange; comical. □□ quiz'zi-cal-ly adv. • 1 perplexed, bemused, puzzled, inquir-

683

quire - qwerty

ing, questioning. 2 curious, queer; see odd adj. 1. quod erat demonstrandum /kwod erat demanstrandam, eraat demonstra'andCOm/ (esp. at the conclusion of a proof, etc.) which was the thing to be proved. fAbbr.: QED. quod vide /kwod ve'eday, vl'dee/ which see (in cross-references, etc.). IjAbbr.: q.v. quoin /koyn, kwoin/ n. 1 external angle of a building. 2 cornerstone. 3 wedge. quoit /koyt, kwoit/ n. 1 ring of rope or metal, etc., thrown to encircle a peg. 2 [in pi] game using these. quon-dam /kwondam, -dam/ predic.adj. that once was; sometime; former. Quon-set hut /kwonsit/ n. propr. prefabricat¬ ed metal building with a semicylindrical cor¬ rugated roof. quo-rum /kwawram/ n. minimum number of members that must be present to constitute a valid meeting. quo-ta /kwbta/ n. 1 share that an individual person, group, or company is bound to con¬ tribute to or entitled to receive froma total. 2 number of goods, people etc., stipulated or permitted. ■ 1 apportionment, portion, allotment, al¬ location, allowance, ration, part, proportion, percentage. quot-a-ble /kwStabal/ adj. worth, or suitable for, quoting. quo-ta-tion /kwotayshan/ n. 1 act or an in¬ stance of quoting or being quoted. 2 passage or remark quoted. 3 Stock Exch. amount stated as the current price of stocks or com¬ modities. 4 contractor’s estimate. □ quota¬ tion mark raised marks, single (‘ ’) or dou¬ ble (“ ”), used to mark a quoted passage, for emphasis, etc. ■ 2-citation, reference, extract, excerpt, se¬ lection, sound bite, colloq. quote. 3 market price, charge, rate, cost, colloq. quote; value. quote /kwot/ • v.tr. 1 cite or appeal to (an author, book, etc.) in confirmation of some view. 2 repeat or copy out a passage from. 3 [as int.] (in dictation, reading aloud, etc.) indicate the presence of opening quotation marks (he said, quote, “I shall stay,T). 4 state the price of. • n. colloq. 1 passage quoted. 2 price quoted. 3 [usu. in pi.] quotation marks. a v. 1 refer to. • n. 1 see quotation 2. 2 see quotation 3. quoth /kwoth/ v.tr. [only in 1st and 3rd per¬ son] archaic said. quo-tid-i-an /kwotideean/ adj. 1 daily; of every day. 2 commonplace; trivial. ■ 1 diurnal, everyday, Physiol, circadian. quo-tient /kwoshant/ n. result of a division. q.V. abbr. quod vide. qwerty /kwartee/ attrib.adj. denoting the standard keyboard on English-language typewriters, word processors, etc.

Rr R1 /aar/

n. (also r) (pi. Rs or R’s; r’s) eight¬ eenth letter of the alphabet. R2 abbr. 1 (also R.) river. 2 Chess rook. 3 (of movies) classified as prohibited to children under age 17 unless accompanied by an adult. r. abbr. (also r) 1 right. 2 recto. 3 run(s). 4 radius. Ra symb. Chem. radium, rab'bet /rabit/ • n. step-shaped channel, etc., cut into wood, etc., usu. to receive the edge or tongue of another piece. • v.tr. 1 join or fix with a rabbet. 2 make a rabbet in. rab'bi /rabi/ n. (pi. rabbis) 1 Jewish scholar or teacher, esp. of the law. 2 Jewish religious leader. □□ rab*bin*i*cal /rabinikal/ adj. rab*bit /rabit/ n. 1 long-eared, burrowing, plant-eating mammal related to the hare. 2 its fur. □ rabbit ears television antenna consisting of two movable rods, usu. on top of the set. rabbit punch chopping blow to the nape of the neck. rab*ble /rabal/ n. 1 disorderly crowd; mob. 2 contemptible or inferior set of people. □ rabble-rouser person who stirs up the rabble or a crowd. ■ 1 horde, throng, swarm, gang. 2 vermin, dregs (of society), o rabble-rouser agita¬ tor, demagogue, inciter, troublemaker, in¬ surrectionist. ra*bid /rabid/ adj. 1 furious; violent. 2 fanat¬ ical. 3 affected with rabies; mad. □□ ra*bid' i*ty n. ra'bid*ly adv. ra'bid'ness n. • 1 raging; see also violent 2a. 2 unrea¬ sonable, extreme, headstrong. 3 crazed, frenzied, maniacal, berserk. ra*bies /raybeez/ n. contagious and fatal viral disease, esp. of dogs, cats, raccoons, etc., transmissible through saliva to humans; hy¬ drophobia. rac»COOn /rakoon/ n. 1 N. American noctur¬ nal mammal with a bushy, ringed tail and masklike band across the eyes. 2 its fur. race1 /rays/ • n. 1 contest of speed between runners, horses, vehicles, etc. 2 contest be¬ tween persons to be first to achieve some¬ thing. 3 a strong sea or river current, b chan¬ nel with a swift current. 4 each of two grooved rings in a ball bearing or roller bearing. • v. 1 intr. take part in a race. 2 tr. have a race with. 3 tr. cause to race. 4 a intr. go at full or exces¬ sive speed, b tr. cause to do this. □□ rac'er n. m n. 1 competition. 3 b sluice, flume, course. • v. 4 a hurry, hasten, dash, fly, rush, colloq. tear, rip, zip, step on it. b rush, push, press, drive; urge, egg. race2 /rays/ n. 1 each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical char¬ acteristics. 2 fact or concept of division into races. 3 genus, species, breed, or variety of animals or plants. □ race relations rela¬ tions between members of different races, usu. in the same country.

■ 1 stock, tribe, nation, people, folk, clan, family. race*horse /rays-hors/ n. horse bred or kept for racing. ra*ceme /rayse'em, rs-/' n. Bot. flower cluster with separate flowers attached by short stalks at equal distances along the stem, racetrack /raystrak/ n. track for horse, auto¬ mobile, etc., racing. ra*cial /rayshal/ adj. 1 of or concerning race. 2 on the grounds of or connected with differ¬ ence in race (racial discrimination). Dora' cial'ly adv. m 1 ethnic, genetic, ethnological, tribal; na¬ tional. racism /raysizam/ n. 1 belief in the superior¬ ity of a particular race; prejudice based on this. 2 antagonism toward other races. □□ rac'ist n. & adj. ■ 1 apartheid, bigotry. □□ racist (adj.) chauvinistic, bigoted. rack1 /rak/ • n. 1 framework usu. with rails, bars, etc., for holding things. 2 cogged or toothed bar or rail engaging with a wheel or pinion, etc. 3 hist, instrument of torture used to stretch the victim’s limbs. • v.tr. 1 (of disease or pain) inflict suffering on. 2 place in or on a rack. □ on the rack in dis¬ tress or under strain, rack one’s brains make a great mental effort, rack up accu¬ mulate or achieve (a score, etc.). ■ n. 1 support; stand, scaffold. • v. 1 tor¬ ment, torture, agonize, persecute. rack2 /rak/ n. destruction (esp. rack and ruin). rack3 /rak/ n. cut of lamb, etc., including the front ribs. racket1 /rakit/ n. (also rac'quet) hand-held implement with a round or oval frame strung with catgut, nylon, etc., used in tennis, squash, etc. rack*et2 /rakit/ n. 1 uproar; din. 2 si. scheme for obtaining money, etc., by fraudulent and often violent means. 3 colloq. line of busi¬ ness. ■ 1 noise, disturbance, commotion. 2 trick, dodge, swindle, ruse, si. con, scam. 3 profes¬ sion, occupation, trade, job. racketeer /rakiteer/ n. person who operates an illegal business, as gambling, extortion, etc. □□ rack*et*eer'ing n. ■ gangster, si. mobster; see also swindler (swindle). ra*COn*teur /rakontOr/ n. (Jem. ra*con*teuse /-t6z/) teller of interesting anecdotes. ■ storyteller, taleteller; chronicler, narrator. rac*quet var. of racket1. rac*quet»ball /rakstbawl/ n. racket game played on a four-walled court. rac*y /raysee/ adj. (rac*i*er, rac*i*est) 1 lively and vigorous in style. 2 risque; sug¬ gestive. 3 of distinctive quality (racy flavor). □□ rac'i'ly adv. rac'i*ness n. ■ 1 fresh, bouncy, vivacious, dynamic.

2 bawdy, lusty, salacious, obscene, off-color.

3 sharp, spicy, piquant, pungent, savory, zesty, tangy.

rad1 /rad/ n. unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation.

rad2 /rad/ • n.

si. political radical. • adj. si. wonderful; terrific. ra*dar /raydaar/ n. system for detecting the direction, range, or presence of objects by re¬ flection of transmitted radio waves (acronym of radio detecting and ranging). ra»di*al /raydeesl/ • adj. 1 of or in rays. 2 a arranged like rays or radii, b having spokes or radiating lines. 3 (of a tire) having fabric layers laid radially at right angles to the center of the tread. • n. radial tire. □□ ra'di'al’ly adv. ra*di*ant /raydeeant/ adj. 1 emitting rays of light or energy. 2 (of eyes or looks) beaming with joy, hope, or love. 3 (of beauty) splen¬ did or dazzling. □ radiant heat heat trans¬ mitted by radiation. □□ ra'di*ance n. ra'di* ant*ly adv. ■ 1 shining, bright, brilliant, luminous, gleaming, glowing. 2 happy, ecstatic, de¬ lighted, joyful, elated. 3 see dazzling (daz¬ zle). □□ radiance brightness, brilliance, sparkle, glow; warmth, happiness. ra* smoggy, smoky, opaque, obscure, hazy. 7 thickheaded, slow-witted, obtuse; dim-witted. 8 a guttural, hoarse, throaty, raspy, rough, husky, grating, gravelly, b marked, obvious, noticeable. 9 close, in¬ separable, colloq. chummy. • n. core, heart, center, middle, focus, midst. □ in the thick of 1 see amid, thick-skinned callous, numb(ed), steeled, hardened, tough, unfeel¬ ing, impervious. thick*en /thikan/ v. 1 rr. & intr. make or be¬ come thick or thicker. 2 intr. become more complicated (the plot thickens). □□ thick'en* er n. ■ 1 coagulate, clot, congeal, gel, set, solid¬ ify, stiffen, harden, firm up, cake, colloq. jell. thickset /thikit/ n. tangle of shrubs or trees. ■ copse, brake, grove, coppice, covert, wood, brush. thick*head*ed /thik-hedid/ n. adj. colloq. stu¬ pid. □□ thick'head*ed*ness n. • see stupid adj. 1,3. thick*ness /thiknis/ n. 1 being thick. 2 ex¬ tent to which a thing is thick. 3 layer of ma¬ terial (three thicknesses of cardboard). ■ 1 see body1 n. 7, stupidity (stupid). 2 see BREADTH 1. 3 See PLY 1. thick'set /thikset/ adj. 1 heavily or solidly built. 2 set or growing close together. ■ 1 see stocky. 2 see thick adj. 3. thief thee!' n. (pi. thieves /theevz/) person who steals, esp. secretly. ■ robber, burglar, shoplifter; embezzler; pickpocket, purse snatcher, bandit, outlaw; pirate; cheat, swindler, si. con man, con artist. thieve /theev/ v. 1 intr. be a thief. 2 rr. steal

(a thing). □□ thiev'ish adj. thiev'ish*ly adv. thiev'ishmess n. thiev*er*y /the'evoree/ n. act or practice of stealing. ■ see THEFT.

thievesp/. of thief. thigh /thl/ n. part of the leg between the hip and the knee.

thim*ble /thimbal/ n. metal or plastic cap worn to protect the finger and push the nee¬ dle in sewing. □□ thim ble*ful {pi. -fuls) n. thin /thin/ • adj. (thin*ner, thin’nest) 1 having opposite surfaces close together; of small thickness. 2 (of a line, etc.) narrow or fine. 3 made of thin material. 4 lean; not plump. 5 not dense or copious (thin hair). 6 of slight consistency. 7 weak; lacking an important ingredient {thin blood, thin voice). 8 (of an excuse, etc.) flimsy or transparent. • adv. thinly {cut the bread very thin). • v. (thinned, thinming) 1 tr. & intr. make or become thin or thinner. 2 tr. & intr. make or become less dense or crowded or numerous. 3 tr. remove some of a crop to improve the growth of the rest. □ thin air state of invisi¬ bility or nonexistence {vanished into thin air). thin on top balding, thin-skinned sensitive to reproach or criticism. □□ thin'ly adv. thin'ness n. thin'nish adj. ■ m adj. 2 threadlike. 3 airy, filmy, diapha¬ nous, gossamer, sheer, light, delicate, chif¬ fon, silky, silken, translucent, see-through. 4 slim, slender, skinny, wispy, willowy, scrawny. 5 sparse, scant, slight, skimpy, meager, paltry. 6 watery, runny, dilute(d). 8 feeble, tenuous, poor, lame. • v. 1 trim, prune; sharpen, taper. 2 thin out, decrease, reduce, diminish. □ thin-skinned see sensi¬ tive adj. 2. synonym study:

thin

GAUNT, LEAN, SKINNY, SLENDER, SPARE, SVELTE.

You can’t be too rich or too thin, but you can be too skinny. Thin describes someone whose weight is naturally low in proportion to his or her height, although it may also imply that the person is underweight {she looked pale and thin after her operation). Skin¬ ny is a more blunt and derogatory term for someone who is too thin, and it often implies underdevelopment {a skinny little boy; a tall, skinny fashion model). Most women would rather be called slender, which combines thinness with gracefulness and good propor¬ tions {the slender legs of a Queen Anne table), or better yet, svelte, a complimentary term that implies a slim, elegant figure {after six months of dieting, she looked so svelte I hardly recognized her). Lean and spare are used to describe people who are naturally thin, al¬ though spare suggests a more muscular lean¬ ness {a tall, spare man who looked like Abra¬ ham Lincoln). Gaunt, on the other hand, means so thin that the angularity of the bones can be seen beneath the skin {looking gaunt after her latest bout with cancer)._

thine

/thin/ poss.pron. archaic or dial. 1 [predic. or absol.] of or belonging to thee. 2 [attrib. before a vowel] = thy. thing /thing/ n. 1 entity, idea, action, etc..

871

thievery ~ think

that is or may be thought about or perceived. 2 inanimate material object. 3 unspecified item {a few things to buy). 4 act, idea, or ut¬ terance {silly thing to do). 5 event {unfortu¬ nate thing to happen). 6 colloq. a one’s special interest {not my thing), b obsession, fear, or prejudice {have a thing about spiders). 7 col¬ loq. fashion {latest thing in footwear). 8 [in pi.] personal belongings or clothing {where are my things?). 9 [in/>/.] affairs in general {not in the nature of things). 10 [in pi.] circum¬ stances; conditions {things look good). □ do things to colloq. affect remarkably, make a thing of colloq. cause a fuss about, one (or just one) of those things colloq. something unavoidable or to be accepted. ■ 2, 3 device, gadget, article, commodity, mechanism, contrivance, apparatus, instru¬ ment, utensil; whatnot, doodad, colloq. thingamajig, thingamabob, si. gizmo. 4 deed, ac¬ tivity, proceeding; chore, task, job, responsibility; statement; subject, detail, fea¬ ture, aspect, element, factor, point, particu¬ lar. 5 happening, circumstance, occurrence, incident. 6 concern, fancy, love, passion, mania, fetish; see also bag n. 6 b fixation; phobia, loathing, dislike, aversion, si. hang¬ up; bias. 7 fad, trend, mode, rage. 8 {things) luggage, baggage, possessions, parapherna¬ lia, effects, goods, stuff, junk, colloq. gear. 9 (things) matters, business, concerns. 10 {things) prospects; life. thing»a»ma»bob /thingamabob/ n. (also thing*a*ma*jig /thingamajig/) colloq. person or thing whose name one has forgotten or does not know, etc. ■ see thing 2, 3. think /thingk/ v. {past and past part, thought /thawt/) 1 tr. [foil, by that + clause] be of the opinion. 2 tr. [foil, by that + clause or to + infin.] judge or consider {is thought to be a fraud). 3 intr. exercise the mind {let me think). 4 tr. [foil, by of or about] consider; imagine. 5 tr. have a half-formed intention {I think I’ll stay). 6 tr. [foil, by to + infin.] re¬ member {did not think to lock the door). □ think again revise one’s plans or opinions, think out loud (or aloud) utter one’s thoughts as soon as they occur, think back to recall (a past event or time), think better of change one’s mind after reconsideration, think for oneself have an independent mind or attitude, think little (or nothing) of consider to be insignificant or unremark¬ able. think much (or highly) of have a high opinion of. think out consider carefully, think over reflect upon in order to reach a decision, think tank body of experts provid¬ ing advice and ideas on specific national or commercial problems, think through re¬ flect fully upon (a problem, etc.), think twice use careful consideration, avoid hasty action, etc. think up colloq. devise. □□ think'er n. ■ v. 1 see BELIEVE 2. 2 reckon, regard as, characterize as, view as, assume, deem. 3 contemplate, cogitate, ruminate, reflect, meditate, ponder, deliberate, reason, con-

thinking ~ thou

872

centrate, use one’s head. 4 weigh, mull over, have in mind, propose. 5 expect, dream, fancy, fantasize, suppose. □ think back to remember, recollect, call or bring to mind, think little (or nothing) of see underesti¬ mate v. think much (or highly) of see re¬ spect v. 1. think through see puzzle v. 2. think twice see scruple v.; (think twice about) see scruple v. think up think of, con¬ coct, contrive, come up with, invent, con¬ ceive (of), dream up, create, make up, impro¬ vise, mastermind. □□ thinker sage, wise man, philosopher, scholar, intellectual, thinking /thingking/ • adj. using thought or rational judgment. • n. opinion or judgment. □ put on one’s thinking cap colloq. medi¬ tate on a problem. ■ adj. sensible, intelligent, reasoning, rea¬ sonable; contemplative, reflective, philo¬ sophical, thoughtful. • n. belief, thought, point of view, viewpoint, assessment, evalua¬ tion, theory, reasoning, conclusion, idea, philosophy, oudook. thin»ner /thinar/ n. volatile liquid used to di¬ lute paint, etc. third /thard/ • n. 1 next after second. 2 each of three equal parts of a thing. • adj. that is the third. □ third-class adj. lower quality; inferior, third degree long and severe ques¬ tioning, esp. by police to obtain information or a confession, third-degree Med. denoting burns of the most severe kind, affecting lower layers of tissue, third person Gram. see person, third-rate inferior; very poor in quality. Third World [usu. prec. by the] de¬ veloping countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. □□ third'ly adv. thirst /tharst/ • n. 1 need to drink liquid; feeling of discomfort caused by this. 2 strong desire; craving (thirst for power). • v.intr. 1 feel thirst. 2 have a strong desire. □□ thirst'y adj. thirst'i*ly adv. thirst'i* ness n. m n. 1 thirstiness, dryness. 2 appetite, hun¬ ger, lust, passion, colloq. yen. • v. 2 (thirst for or after) crave, want, long for, yearn for, wish for. □□ thirsty parched, dry, dehydrated, arid; desirous, avid, eager, ravenous, vora¬ cious, burning, greedy, itching, thirteen /tharte'en/ • n. 1 one more than twelve, or three more than ten. 2 symbol for this (13, xiii, XIII). • adj. that amount to thirteen. □□ thirteenth adj. & n. thirsty /thartee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 product of three and ten. 2 symbol for this (30, xxx, XXX). 3 [in pi] numbers from 30 to 39, esp. the years of a century or of a person’s life. □ thirty-first, -second, etc., ordinal numbers between thirtieth and fortieth, thirty-one, -two, etc., cardinal numbers between thirty and forty, do thir'ti*eth adj. & n. this /this/ • demons.pron. (pi. these /theez/) 1 person or thing close at hand or indicated or already named or understood (this is my cousin). 2 (contrasted with that) person or thing nearer to hand or more immediately in mind. • demons, adj. (pi. these/theez/) 1 des¬

ignating the person or thing close at hand, etc. (cf. senses 1, 2 of pron.). 2 (of time): the present or current (am busy all this week). 3 colloq. (in narrative) designating a person or thing previously unspecified (then up came this policeman). • adv. to this degree or extent (knew him when he was this high). □ this and that colloq. various unspecified things. this»tle /thisal/ n. prickly plant, usu. with globular heads of purple flowers. thith*er /thithar, thi-/ adv. archaic to or to¬ ward that place, tho’ var. of THOUGH. thong /thong/ n. narrow strip of hide or leather. tho*rax /thawraks, thsr-/ n. (pi. tho*rax»es or tho*ra*ces /thawraseez/) Anat. & Zool. part of the trunk between the neck and the abdomen. □□ tho*rac*ic /thawrasik/ adj. tho»ri»um/thawreeam, thor-/n. Chem. radio¬ active metallic element. IJSymb.: Th. thorn /thawrn/ n. 1 sharp-pointed projection on a plant. 2 thorn-bearing shrub or tree. □ thorn in one’s side (or flesh) constant annoyance. ■ 1 barb, spine, brier, burr, bramble. □ thorn in one’s side (or flesh) bother, nuisance, vexation, pest, affliction, irritant, bane, colloq. headache, pain in the neck. thom*y /thawrnee/ adj. (thorn*i*er, thornti* est) 1 having many thorns. 2 (of a subject) hard to handle without offense; problematic, □o thorn'i*ly adv. thorn'i'ness n. m 1 prickly, barbed, spiny. 2 difficult, hard, tough, ticklish, delicate, complex, complicat¬ ed, involved, tricky, troublesome, colloq. sticky. thorough /thuro/ adj. 1 complete and un¬ qualified; not superficial. 2 acting or done with great care and completeness. 3 abso¬ lute (thorough nuisance). □□ thoroughly adv. thoroughness n. ■ 1 extensive, exhaustive, detailed, indepth, comprehensive, full, all-inclusive, allembracing, profound. 2 painstaking, metic¬ ulous, careful, scrupulous, particular, conscientious, methodical, intensive. 3 thor¬ oughgoing, downright, perfect, total, real, unmitigated, out-and-out, sheer, utter. □□ thoroughly throughout, from top to bot¬ tom, from stem to stern, backward and for¬ ward, in every nook and cranny; wholly, fully, definitely, quite. thor»ough*bred /tharobred, thara-, thur-/ • adj. of pure breeding. • n. thoroughbred animal, esp. a horse. thor»OUgh»fare tharofair, thara-, thur-/ n. road or path open at both ends, esp. for traf¬ fic. ■ see ROAD 1, PATH 1, PASSAGEWAY. thor»ough»go»ing /tharogoing, thara-, thur-/ adj. complete; uncompromising; not superficial. ■ see exhaustive, out-and-out 1. those pi. of THAT. thou1 /thow/ pron. archaic or dial. (obj. thee /thee/; poss. thy or thine; pi. ye or you) sec¬ ond person singular pronoun. thou2 /thow/ n. (pi. same or thous) colloq. thousand.

though /tho/ • conj. 1 in spite of being; de¬ spite the fact that. 2 [introducing a possibil¬ ity] even if (ask him, though he may refuse). 3 and yet; nevertheless. • adv. colloq. how¬ ever; all the same (I wish you had told me, though). m conj. 1 although, granted, allowing or ad¬ mitting that. 2 supposing, even though. • adv. nonetheless, nevertheless, yet, still, even so, be that as it may, notwithstanding, colloq. still and all. thought1 /thawt/ n. 1 process or power of thinking; the faculty of reason. 2 way of thinking associated with a particular time, people, etc. (medieval European thought). 3 reflection; consideration; regard. 4 idea or piece of reasoning produced by thinking. 5 [usu. in pi.] what one is thinking; one’s opinion. See synonym study at idea. ■ 1 intellect, intelligence, rationality. 2 see thinking n. 3 meditation, contemplation, cogitation, musing, pondering, rumination, introspection; concentration, deliberation; thoughtfulness, care, concern, compassion, kindness, attention. 4 notion, observation, conclusion, conjecture, conception, brain¬ storm. 5 see opinion 1,3. thought2 past and past part, of think. thoughWul /thawtfool/ adj. 1 engaged in or given to meditation. 2 (of a book, writer, re¬ mark, etc.) giving signs of serious thought. 3 considerate. □□ thought'ful'ly adv. thought'ful'ness n. u 1 contemplative, pensive, reflective, pon¬ dering. 2 see thinking1 adj. 3 kind, com¬ passionate, caring, tender, sympathetic, con¬ cerned, helpful; prudent, cautious, mindful, careful, □□thoughtfully see kindly 1. thoughtfulness see consideration 2. thoughtless /thawtlis/ adj. 1 careless of consequences or of others’ feelings. 2 due to lack of thought. □□ thought'less*ly adv. thought'less*ness n. ■ 1 unthinking, inconsiderate, rude, impo¬ lite, insensitive, tactless, undiplomatic, un¬ caring, unfeeling; remiss, absentminded, forgetful, inattentive. 2 rash, imprudent, negligent, neglectful, reckless; foolish, stu¬ pid, silly. □□ thoughtlessly see blindly (blind), thoughtlessness see imprudence (imprudent). thousand /thowzand/ • n. (pi. thousands or (in sense 1) thou'sand) [in sing. prec. by a or one] 1 product of a hundred and ten. 2 symbol for this (1,000; m; M). 3 [in sing. or pi.] colloq. large number. • adj. that amount to a thousand. □□ thousandfold adj. & adv. thousandth adj. & n. ■ n. 3 (thousands) see score n. 3. thrall /thrawl/ n. literary 1 slave. 2 bondage; slavery (in thrall). □□ thrall'dom n. (also thral'dom). thrash /thrash/ • v. 1 tr. beat or whip severely. 2 tr. defeat thoroughly in a contest. 3 intr. (of a paddle wheel, branch, etc.) act like a flail; deliver repeated blows. 4 intr. [foil, by about, around] move or fling the limbs about vio¬ lently or in panic. 5 tr. = THRESH 1. • n. act of thrashing. □ thrash out discuss to a conclu¬ sion. □□ thrashing n.

873

though ~ threnody

• v. 1 see beat v. 1. 2 see defeat v. 1. 4 (thrash about or around) see flap v. 1. • n. see thrashing (thrash) below. □ thrash out see debate v., RESOLVE v. 1. □□thrashing beating, drubbing, whipping, flogging, can¬ ing, lashing, pounding; punishment, chas¬ tisement, discipline, si. tanning. thrash»er /thrashor/ n. long-tailed N. Ameri¬ can thrushlike birds. thread /thred/ • n. la spun cotton, silk, glass, etc.; yarn, b length of this. 2 thin cord of twisted yarns used esp. in sewing and weaving. 3 continuous aspect of a thing (the thread of life). 4 spiral ridge of a screw. 5 [in pi.] si. clothes. • v.tr. 1 pass a thread through (a needle). 2 put (beads) on a thread. 3 insert (a strip of film, tape, etc.) into equipment. 4 make (one’s way) care¬ fully through a crowded place, etc. □ hang by a thread be in a precarious state, posi¬ tion, etc. □□ thread'er n. thread'like adj. ■ re. 1 fiber, filament, strand. 2 string, line, twine. 3 theme, plot, storyline, drift, direc¬ tion. 5 (threads) see clothes. • v. 2 string, lace. 4 (thread one’s way) file, weave, wind (one’s way). thread»bare /thredbair/ adj. 1 (of cloth) with the nap worn and the thread visible. 2 (of a person) wearing such clothes. 3 a hack¬ neyed. b feeble (threadbare excuse). m 1 frayed, ragged, moth-eaten, tattered, shabby 2 scruffy, seedy, slovenly. 3 a trite, stale, tired, timeworn, banal, dull, tedious, tiresome, colloq. old hat. b see thin adj. 8. threat /thret/ n. 1 declaration of an intention to punish or hurt. 2 imminence of some¬ thing undesirable (threat of war). 3 person or thing as a likely cause of harm, etc. ■ 1 intimidation, warning. 2 omen, pres¬ age, portent, foreboding, forewarning. 3 menace, danger, hazard, peril. threaten /thret’n/ v.tr. 1 a make a threat or threats against, b constitute a threat to. 2 be a sign of (something undesirable). 3 [also absol.] present imminent danger of (clouds were threatening rain). □□ threat'emer re. threat'ennng adj. threat'en*mg*ly adv. ■ 1 a intimidate, terrorize, bully, warn, cau¬ tion. b imperil, put at risk, endanger, jeopar¬ dize. 3 portend, forebode. □ threatening menacing; ominous, sinister, looming, im¬ pending. three /three/ • re. la one more than two, or seven less than ten. b symbol for this (3, iii, III), •adj. that amount to three. □ threedimensional having or appearing to have length, breadth, and depth, three-ring cir¬ cus 1 circus with three rings for simultane¬ ous performances. 2 extravagant display, the three Rs reading, writing (joc. ’riting), and arithmetic (joc. ’rithmetic). threefold /thre’efold/ adj. & adv. 1 three times as much or as many. 2 consisting of three parts. three'SCOre /thre'eskawr/ re. archaic sixty. three*SOme /thre'essm/ re. group of three per¬ sons. thren»o»dy /threnodee/ re. (also thre*node

thresh ~ throw

874

/threnod/) (pi. -dies or thre*nodes) song of lamentation or mourning, thresh /thresh/ v. 1 tr. beat out or separate grain from (wheat, etc.). 2 intr. = THRASH v. 4. 3 tr. [foil, by over] analyze (a problem, etc.) in search of a solution. □ thresh out = thrash out. □□ thresh'er n. threshold /threshold, thresh-hold/ n. 1 strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway. 2 point of entry or beginning (threshold of a new century). 3 limit (pain threshold). ■ 1 sill, doorsill, doorstep; entrance. 2 brink, verge, edge, beginning, inception, outset, start, dawn. threw past of throw. thrice /thrls/ adv. archaic or literary 1 three times. 2 [esp. in comb.] highly (thrice-blessed). thrift /thrift/ n. frugality. □ thrift shop store selling secondhand items. ■ economy, care, prudence. thrift»y /thrlftee/ adj. (thrift*i*er, thriftn* est) economical; frugal. See synonym study at economical. □□ thriftily adv. thrift'i* ness n. ■ careful, prudent, sparing, scrimping, skimping; closefisted, tightfisted, niggardly, stingy, miserly, penny-pinching, cheap. □□ thriftiness see thrift. thrill /thril/ • n. la wave or nervous tremor of emotion or sensation (thrill of joy). b thrilling experience. 2 throb; pulsation. • v. 1 intr. & tr. feel or cause to feel a thrill. 2 intr. quiver or throb with or as with emo¬ tion. □ thrills and spills excitement of po¬ tentially dangerous activities. □□ thrill'ing adj. thrill'ing*ly adv. ■ n. 1 a excitement, shiver, tingle, tremble, flutter, colloq. kick, si. buzz. 2 quiver, shud¬ der, vibration. »v. 1 (tr.) stimulate, electrify, titillate, impassion, arouse. □□ thrilling stir¬ ring, moving, rousing, gripping, wild, sensa¬ tional, riveting, spine-tingling. thriller /thrilsr/ n. exciting or sensational story or play, etc., esp. one involving crime or espionage. thrive /thrlv/ v.intr. (past throve /thrOv/ or thrived; past part. thriv*en /thrivsn/ or thrived) 1 prosper; flourish. 2 grow rich. 3 grow vigorously. ■ 1 succeed, boom, advance, do well. 3 bloom, blossom, develop, ripen. throat /throt/ n. la windpipe or gullet, b front part of the neck. 2 narrow passage, entrance, or exit. □ cut one’s own throat bring about one’s own downfall, ram down a person’s throat force (a thing) on a per¬ son’s attention. □□ -throat'ed adj. [in comb.]. throat'y /thrOtee/ adj. (throat*i*er, throafi* est) (of a voice) hoarsely resonant. □□ throat'idy adv. throat'i*ness n. m see gruff la, thick adj. 8a. throb /throb/ •v.intr. (throbbed, throb* bing) 1 pulsate, esp. with more than the usual force or rapidity. 2 vibrate with a per¬ sistent rhythm or with emotion. • n. 1 throbbing. 2 (esp. violent) pulsation.

■ v. see pulsate, ache v. 1, vibrate 1-3. • n. see pulse n. 5, thrill n. 2. throe /thro/ n. [usu. in pi.] 1 violent pang, esp. of childbirth or death. 2 anguish. □ in the throes of struggling with the task of. ■ 1 pain, spasm; fit, seizure, convulsion. 2 (throes) struggle, turmoil, tumult; see also agony 2. throm*bO*sis /thrombosis/ n. (pi. throm* bo*ses /-seez/) coagulation of the blood in a blood vessel or organ. □□ throm*bot*ic /-botik/ adj. throne /thron/ n. 1 chair of state for a sover¬ eign, bishop, etc. 2 sovereign power (came to the throne). throng /thrawng, throng/ • n. crowd, esp. of people. • v. 1 intr. come in great numbers. 2 tr. flock into or crowd around; fill with or as with a crowd. ■ n. horde, host, assembly, gathering, mass, multitude, rabble, herd, mob, pack. • v. 1 swarm; gather, congregate. 2 pack (into), cram (into), jam or pour into. throfttle /throt’l/ • n. 1 valve controlling flow of fuel, steam, etc., in an engine. 2 lever or pedal operating this. • v.tr. 1 choke; stran¬ gle. 2 prevent the utterance, etc., of. 3 con¬ trol (an engine or steam, etc.) with a throttle. ■ v. 1 see choke v. 1. 2 see gag v. 2. through /throo/ (also thru) •prep. 1 a from end to end or from side to side of. b going in one side or end and out the other. 2 between or among. 3 from beginning to end of (read through the letter). 4 because of (lost it through carelessness). 5 up to and including (Monday through Friday). • adv. through a thing; from side to side, end to end, or beginning to end. • attrib.adj. (of traffic) going through a place to its destination. □ be through colloq. 1 have finished. 2 cease to have dealings. 3 have no further prospects (is through as a politician), through and through thor¬ oughly; completely. • prep. 1 over, across. 3 during, through¬ out. 4 on account of, owing to, as a result of, by virtue of, via, by means of, by way of, due to. • adv. by, past; entirely, totally, wholly, utterly, fully, n be through 2 (be through with) have washed one’s hands of. 3 si. be washed up. through and through see through adv. above. throughout /throo-owt/ • prep, right through; from end to end of. • adv. in every part or respect. ■ prep, during; all over. • adv. through and through, everywhere, entirely, completely. throughput /throbpoot/ n. amount of mate¬ rial put through a process, esp. in manufac¬ turing or computing. throughway /throb-way/ n. (also thru'way) thoroughfare, esp. a highway. ■ see road 1. throve past of thrive. throw /thro/ •v.tr. (past threw /throo/; past part, thrown /thron/) 1 propel with force through the air. 2 force violently into a spec¬ ified position or state. 3 compel suddenly to be in a specified condition (thrown out of work). 4 turn or move (part of the body) quickly or suddenly (threw an arm out).

5 project or cast (light, a shadow, etc.). 6 a bring to the ground in wrestling, b (of a horse) unseat (its rider). 7 colloq. disconcert {the question threw me). 8 a cast (dice), bobtain (a specified number) by throwing dice. 9 extend or provide {threw a bridge across the river). 10 operate (a switch or lever). 11 have (a fit or tantrum, etc.). 12 give (a party). 13 colloq. lose (a contest or race, etc.) intentionally. • n. 1 act of throwing or being thrown. 2 distance a thing is or may be thrown. 3 light cover for furniture, etc. 4 [prec. by a] si. each; per item {sold at $10 a throw). □ throw away 1 discard as useless or unwanted. 2 waste or fail to make use of (an opportunity, etc.), throw down the gauntlet (or glove) issue a challenge, throw good money after bad incur further loss in a hopeless attempt to recoup a previ¬ ous loss, throw one’s hand in 1 abandon one’s chances in a card game, esp. poker. 2 give up; withdraw from a contest, throw in 1 interpose (a word or remark). 2 include at no extra cost, throw in the towel admit de¬ feat. throw off 1 discard. 2 write or utter in an offhand manner. 3 confuse or distract (a person) from the matter in hand. 4 emit, throw oneself at seek blatantly as a spouse or sexual partner, throw oneself into en¬ gage vigorously in. throw out 1 put out for¬ cibly or suddenly. 2 discard as unwanted, throw over desert or abandon, throw stones cast aspersions, throw together 1 assemble hastily. 2 bring into casual con¬ tact. throw up 1 colloq. vomit. 2 erect hast¬ ily. throw one’s weight around (or about) colloq. act with unpleasant self-assertiveness. □□ throw'a*ble adj. throw'er n. [also in comb.]. ■ v. 1,2 toss, hurl, fling, pitch, bowl, send, launch, lob, colloq. chuck, heave, sling. 5 shed. 6 b dislodge, buck off. 7 dismay, confound, confuse, baffle, unnerve, unsettle, colloq. rattle, faze. • n. 1 delivery. 3 see spread1 n. 8. □ throw away 1 cast off, dis¬ pose of, get rid of, scrap, junk, dump, si. ditch. 2 squander, lose, si. blow, throw in the towel see surrender v. 2. throw off 1 shake off, reject, renounce, repudiate. 3 divert; see also throw v. 7 above, throw out 1 expel, eject, evict, turn or toss or kick or boot out, si. bounce. 2 see throw away 1 above, throw over jilt, leave, forsake, walk out on, colloq. drop, throw together 1 see throw up 2 below. 2 see lump v. 1. throw up 1 spit up, spew (up), be sick; regurgitate, si. puke, barf. 2 slap or knock together. throw*a*way /thrOoway/ • adj. 1 meant to be thrown away after (one) use. 2 (of lines, etc.) deliberately underemphasized. • n. thing to be thrown away after (one) use. ■ 1 see disposable adj. 1. throw'back /thrbbak/ n. 1 reversion to an¬ cestral character. 2 instance of this. thru var. of through. thrum /thrum/ • v. (thrummed, thrum* ming) 1 tr. play (a stringed instrument) mo¬ notonously or unskillfully. 2 intr. drum idly. • n. 1 such playing. 2 resulting sound. ■ v. 1 strum, pluck, pick, usu. derog. twang.

875

throwaway ~ thumbtack

2 see pulsate1. • n. 1 strumming. 2 see pat¬ ter n. thrush1 /thrush/ n. any of various songbirds. thrush2 /thrush/ n. fungal disease, esp. one marked by whitish vesicles in the mouth and throat. thrust /thrust/ • v. {past and past part. thrust) 1 tr. push with a sudden impulse or with force. 2 tr. [foil, by on, upon] impose (a thing) forcibly. 3 intr. stab; lunge suddenly. • n. 1 sudden or forcible push or lunge. 2 propulsive force developed by a jet or rock¬ et engine. 3 military offensive. 4 stress be¬ tween the parts of an arch, etc. 5 chief theme or gist of remarks, etc. m v. 1 shove, drive, ram, propel. 2 press, urge, foist, intrude. 3 jab, poke, pierce. • n. 2 propulsion, power, energy, impetus, drive. 5 see import n. 3. thru-way var. of throughway. thud /thud/ • n. low dull sound as of a blow on a nonresonant surface, •v.intr. (thud* ded, thud*ding) make or fall with a thud. □□ thud'ding*ly adv. m clunk, thump, bump. thug /thug/ n. vicious ruffian. □□ thug'ger*y n. thug'gish adj. thug'gish*ly adv. thug' gishmess n. m hooligan, gangster, hoodlum, tough, si. mobster, goon, hood. thu-li-um /thobleesm, thyob-/ n. Chem. soft metallic element of the lanthanide series. HSymb.: Tm. thumb/thum/ • n. 1 short thick finger on the human hand, set apart from the other four. 2 part of a glove, etc., for a thumb. • v. 1 tr. wear or soil (pages, etc.) with a thumb (wellthumbed book). 2 intr. turn over pages with or as with a thumb. 3 tr. request or obtain (a lift) by signaling with a raised thumb. □ all thumbs clumsy with one’s hands, thumb one’s nose 1 put one’s thumb up to one’s nose with fingers extended up, a gesture of contempt. 2 display contempt or disdain, thumbs-down indication of rejection or failure, thumbs-up indication of satisfac¬ tion or approval, under a person’s thumb completely dominated by a person. □□ thumbed adj. [also in comb.]. • v. 2 leaf, flip, riffle, skim, browse. 3 col¬ loq. hitch. □ all thumbs awkward, mala¬ droit. thumb one’s nose 2 scoff at, deride, jeer at, mock, thumbs-down see VETO n. thumbs-up see approval, under a per¬ son’s thumb wrapped around a person’s lit¬ tle finger, in the palm of a person’s hand. thumb*nail /thumnayl/ n. 1 nail of a thumb. 2 [attrib.] concise {thumbnail sketch). ■ 2 {attrib.) rough, cursory, sketchy; brief, short, quick; compact, succinct. thumb*print /thumprint/ n. impression of a thumb, esp. as used for identification, thumb-screw /thumskroo/ n. 1 instrument of torture for crushing the thumbs. 2 screw with a flattened head for turning with the thumb and forefinger. thumb-tack /thumtak/ n. tack with a flat head, pressed in with the thumb.

thump ~ tick

876

thump /thump/ • v. 1 tr. beat or strike heav¬ ily, esp. with the fist. 2 intr. throb strongly. 3 intr. [foil, by at, on, etc.] deliver blows {thumped on the door). 4 intr. tread heavily. • n. 1 heavy blow. 2 sound of this. □□ thump'er n. m v. 1 see beat v. 1. 2 see pulsate. 3 see knock v. 1. • n. see knock n. thun*der /thundar/ • n. 1 loud noise heard after a lightning flash and due to the expan¬ sion of rapidly heated air. 2 resounding, loud, deep noise. • v. 1 intr. produce sounds of thunder {it is thundering). 2 intr. make a noise like thunder. 3 tr. utter (approval, dis¬ approval, etc.) loudly. 4 intr. [foil, by against, etc.] make violent threats, etc., against. □ steal a person’s thunder spoil the effect of another’s idea, action, etc., by expressing or doing it first. □□ thun'der*er n. m n. 1,2 rumble, rumbling, reverberation, boom, roar, peal. • v. 2 roll, resound; crash, crack. 3 shout, yell, scream, bellow. 4 {thun¬ der against or at) threaten, intimidate; swear at. thun*der*bolt /thundarbolt/ n. 1 flash of lightning with a simultaneous crash of thun¬ der. 2 unexpected occurrence or item of news. ■ 2 see shock* 1 n. 2. thun*der»clap /thundarklap/ n. crash of thunder. thun*der*clOUd /thundarklowd/ n. cumulus cloud charged with electricity and producing thunder and lightning. thun»der*head /thundarhed/ n. rounded cu¬ mulus cloud projecting upward and herald¬ ing a thunderstorm. thun*der*OUS /thundaras/ adj. 1 like thun¬ der. 2 very loud. □□ thun'der*ous»ly adv. thun'der*ous*ness n. ■ roaring, booming, noisy, ear-splitting, deafening. thun»der*show*er /thandarshowar/ n. brief rain shower accompanied by thunder and sometimes lightning. thun»der*Storm /thundarstawrm/ n. storm with thunder and lightning and usu. heavy rain or hail. thun»der*Struck/thundarstruk/ adj. amazed; surprised. ■ dumbfounded, astonished, astounded, speechless, stunned, shocked, dazed, colloq. flabbergasted. Thur. abbr. Thursday. Thurs. abbr. Thursday. Thursday /'tharzday, -dee/ n. fifth day of the week, following Wednesday, thus /thus/ adv. 1 a in this way. b as indicat¬ ed. 2 a accordingly, b as a result or infer¬ ence. 3 to this extent; so. ■ 1 as follows, colloq. like so. 2 therefore, ergo, consequently, as a result, hence, that being so. thwart /thwawrt/ •v.tr. frustrate or foil (a person or purpose, etc.). • n. rower’s seat. ■ v. impede, check, stymie, baffle, stop, hinder, obstruct, block, oppose. • n. brace; bench.

synonym study:

thwart

BAFFLE, BALK, FOIL, FRUSTRATE, INHIBIT. These verbs refer to the various ways in which we can outwit or overcome opposing forces. Thwart suggests using cleverness rather than force to bring about the defeat of an enemy or to block progress toward an ob¬ jective {to thwart a rebellion; to have one’s goals thwarted by lack of education). Balk also em¬ phasizes setting up barriers {a sudden reversal that balked their hopes for a speedy resolution), but it is used more often as an intransitive verb meaning to stop at an obstacle and refuse to proceed {he balked at appearing in front of the angry crowd). To baffle is to cause defeat by bewildering or confusing {the police were baffled by the lack of evidence), while foil means to throw off course so as to discour¬ age further effort {her plan to arrive early was foiled by heavy traffic). Frustrate implies rendering all attempts or efforts useless, so that nothing ever comes of them (frustrated by the increasingly bad weather, they decided to work indoors), while inhibit suggests forcing something into inaction (to inhibit wage in¬ creases by raising corporate taxes). Both frus¬ trate and inhibit are used in a psychological context to suggest barriers that impede nor¬ mal development or prevent the realization of natural desires (he was both frustrated by her refusal to acknowledge his presence and inhibited by his own shyness).

thy /thi/ poss.pron. [attrib.] (also thine /thin/ before a vowel) of or belonging to thee,

thyme /tim/ n. any of several aromatic herbs used for flavoring.

thy*mi pi. of thymus. thy'mus /thfmas/ n. {pi. -mus*es or -mi /-mi/) Anat. lymphoid organ situated in the neck of vertebrates. thy»roid /thlroyd/ n. (in full thy'roid gland) 1 large ductless gland in the neck of verte¬ brates, secreting a hormone that regulates growth and development. 2 extract pre¬ pared from the thyroid gland of animals and used in treating goiter, etc. thy*self /thlself/ pron. archaic emphat. & refl. form of thou1, thee. Ti symb. Chem. titanium, ti /tee/ n. (also te) seventh note of a major scale. ti*ar*a /teeara, -a'ara, -airs/ n. 1 jeweled orna¬ mental band worn on the front of a woman’s hair. 2 three-crowned diadem worn by a pope. Ti»bet*an /tibet’n/ • n. la native of Tibet, b person of Tibetan descent. 2 language of Tibet. • adj. of or relating to Tibet or its lan¬ guage. tib*i*a /tibeea/ n. {pi. tib*i*ae /-bee-ee/) Anat. inner of two bones extending from the knee to the ankle. □□ tib'i*al adj. tic /tik/ n. 1 habitual spasmodic contraction of the muscles, esp. of the face. 2 behavioral quirk. tick1 /tik/ • n. slight recurring click, esp. that of a watch or clock. • v. 1 intr. a (of a clock, etc.) make ticks, b [foil, by away] (of time, etc.) pass. 2 intr. (of a mechanism) function

(see how it ticks). □ tick off si. annoy; anger. tick-tack-toe (also tic-tac-toe) game of marking Xs or Os in a nine-square grid, what makes a person tick colloq. person’s motivation. ■ v. 1b (tick away) see go1 v. 9. 2 see work v. 4. □ tick off see annoy 1. tick2 /tik/ n. parasitic arachnid on the skin of warm-blooded vertebrates. tick3 /tik/ n. 1 cover of a mattress or pillow. 2 = TICKING. tick»er /tfkar/ n. colloq. 1 heart. 2 machine that receives and prints telegraphed mes¬ sages onto paper tape. □ ticker tape 1 pa¬ per strip from a ticker. 2 this or similar ma¬ terial thrown from windows, etc., to greet a celebrity. tick*et /tfkit/ • n. 1 written or printed piece of paper or card entitling the holder to ad¬ mittance, travel by public transport, etc. 2 notification of a traffic offense, etc. 3 label giving price, etc. 4 list of a political party’s candidates. 5 [prec. by the] colloq. what is correct or needed, • v.tr. attach or serve a ticket to. □□ tick'et*ed adj. m n. 3 see TAG1 n. 1. • v. see TAG1 v. 1. ticking /tiking/ n. stout, usu. striped material used to cover mattresses, etc. tick*le /tiksl/ • v. 1 a tr. apply light touches or strokes to (a person, etc.) so as to produce laughter and spasmodic movement, b intr. feel this sensation (my foot tickles). 2 tr. excite agreeably; amuse. • n. 1 act of tickling. 2 tickling sensation. □ tickled pink (or to death) colloq. extremely amused or pleased. □□ tick'ler n. tick'ly adj. m v. la titillate. 2 delight, please, gratify, thrill. • n. 2 see itch n. 1. o tickled pink (or to death) see glad adj. 1. tick'lish /tiklish/ adj. 1 sensitive to tickling. 2 (of a matter or person) requiring careful handling. □□ tick'lish*ly adv. tick'lish* ness n. ■ 2 uncertain, unstable, touch and go; deli¬ cate, precarious, risky, thorny, awkward, dif¬ ficult, tricky; sensitive, touchy. □□ ticklish¬ ness see delicacy 3. tid*al /tid’l/ adj. relating to, like, or affected by tides. □ tidal wave 1 = tsunami. 2 wide¬ spread manifestation of feeling, etc. □□ tid' al*ly adv. ■ □ tidal wave 2 see FLOOD n. 2b. tid'bit /tidbit/ n. 1 small morsel. 2 choice item of news, etc. ■ 1 delicacy, treat, goody. tid*dly-winks /tidleewingks/ n. game played by flicking counters into a cup, etc. tide /tid/ n. 1 a periodic rise and fall of the sea due to the attraction of the moon and sun. b water as affected by this. 2 time or season (usu. in comb.: Yuletide). 3 marked trend of opinion, fortune, or events. □ tide over enable (a person) to deal with a diffi¬ cult period, etc. ■ n. 3 see trend n. tide*ta*ble /tidtaybal/ n. table indicating the times of high and low tides at a place. tide*wa*ter /tldwawtsr, -wotar/ n. 1 water brought by or affected by tides. 2 [attrib.] af¬ fected by tides (tidewater region).

877

tick ~ tiger

findings /tfdingz/ n. [as sing, or pi] news; in¬ formation.

ti*dy /tidee/ • adj. (ti*di*er, ti*di*est) 1 neat; orderly. 2 colloq. considerable (tidy sum). • v. tr. (-dies, -died) [also absol. ] put in good order; make tidy. □□ ti'di'ly adv. ti'dbness n. m adj. 1 trim, shipshape, spick-and-span, clean; organized. 2 respectable, sizable, sig¬ nificant, substantial, appreciable, handsome, ample. • v. straighten (out or up), fix (up), spruce up; see also GROOM v. 1. □□ tidiness see order n. 1. tie /ti/ • v. (typing) 1 tr. a attach or fasten with string, cord, etc. b link conceptually. 2 tr. a form (a string, ribbon, shoelace, neck¬ tie, etc.) into a knot or bow. b form (a knot or bow) in this way. 3 tr. restrict (a person) as to conditions, place, etc. (tied to his job). 4 intr. achieve the same score or place as an¬ other competitor. • n. 1 cord, line, etc., used for fastening. 2 strip of material worn around the collar and tied in a knot at the front. 3 bond (family ties). 4 draw, dead heat, or equality of score among competitors. 5 beam laid horizontally as a support for rail¬ road rails. □ fit to be tied colloq. very angry, tie down = tie v. 3 above, tie-dye method of producing irregular dyed patterns by tying string, etc., to the fabric, tie in [foil, by with] bring into or have a close association or agreement, tie-in n. connection or associa¬ tion. tie the knot colloq. get married, tie up 1 bind securely with cord, etc. 2 invest or re¬ serve (capital, etc.) so that it is not immedi¬ ately available for use. 3 secure (a boat, ani¬ mal, etc.). 4 complete (an undertaking, etc.). 5 [usu. in passive] fully occupy (a person). ■ v. la make fast, lash, truss (up), tether, b connect, associate, join, affiliate, ally, team (up). 3 confine, restrain; limit, curb. 4 (tie with) equal, match, be neck and neck with. • n. 1 lace, rope, thong, band, leash. 2 cravat, bow tie, necktie. 3 relationship, affiliation, involvement, entanglement. 4 deadlock, stalemate. □ fit to be tied see angry 1. tie in coordinate; correspond, coincide, tie-in relationship, link, tie up 1,3 see tie v. la above. 2 commit, sink, obligate. 4 clinch, wrap up, nail down. 5 engage, (keep) busy, engross. tie*pin /tfpin/ n. ornamental pin for holding a tie in place. tier /teer/ n. vertical or sloped row, rank, or unit of structure. □□ tiered adj. [also in comb.]. m line, level, stratum, story. □□ tiered see SERRIED. tiff /tif/ n. slight or petty quarrel. ■ n. disagreement, dispute, argument, squabble, colloq. spat. ti»ger /tfgsr/ n. 1 large Asian feline with a yel¬ lowish brown coat with black stripes. 2 do¬ mestic cat with similar striping. 3 fierce, en¬ ergetic, or formidable person. □ tiger-eye (or tiger’s-eye) lustrous, yellowish brown, striped gem. tiger lily tall garden lily with dark-spotted orange flowers.

tight ~ time

878

tight /tit/ • adj. 1 closely held, drawn, fas¬ tened, etc. 2 too closely fitting. 3 imperme¬ able; impervious, esp. [in comb.] to a speci¬ fied thing (watertight). 4 tense; stretched. 5 colloq. drunk. 6 colloq. stingy. 7 (of money or materials) not easily obtainable. 8 a (of precautions, etc.) stringent, b presenting difficulties {tight situation). 9 colloq. friendly; close. • adv. tightly {hold tight!). □ tight-fisted stingy, tight-lipped secre¬ tive; taciturn. □□ tight'ly adv. tight'ness n. m adj. 1 secure, firm, fast, fixed, snug. 2 constricting, (too) small. 3 sealed, leakproof, impenetrable, airtight, water¬ proof. 4 taut. 5 tipsy, intoxicated, colloq. high, woozy. 6 niggardly, mean, miserly, penny-pinching. 7 scarce, rare; dear, expen¬ sive. 8 a strict, restrictive, severe, tough, rig¬ orous, stern, harsh, inflexible, b trying, dan¬ gerous, risky, hazardous, touchy, tricky, precarious, colloq. sticky. □ tight-lipped closemouthed, silent, quiet, reticent, re¬ served, colloq. mum. □□ tightly closely, tensely; densely; firmly, fast, tightness see tension n. 1. tighten /rit’n/ v. make or become tighter. ■ strengthen; stiffen; fasten, fix, secure. tight*rope /ritrop/ n. rope stretched tightly high above the ground, on which acrobats perform. tights /tits/ n.pl. thin but not sheer closefitting wool or nylon, etc., garment covering the legs and lower body. tight'Wad /ritwod/ n. colloq. person who is mi¬ serly or stingy. ti*gress /rfgris/ n. 1 female tiger. 2 fierce or passionate woman, tike var. of TYKE. tihde /tilda/ n. mark (~), put over a letter, e.g., over a Spanish n when pronounced ny (as in sehor). tile /til/ • n. 1 thin slab of concrete, baked clay, etc., used for roofing, paving, etc. 2 similar slab of glazed pottery, cork, lino¬ leum, etc., for covering a floor, wall, etc. 3 thin flat piece used in a game (esp. mahjongg). • v.tr. cover with tiles. □□ til'er n. tilling /riling/ n. 1 process of fixing tiles. 2 area of tiles. till1 /til/ •prep. 1 up to or as late as {wait till six o’clock). 2 up to the time of {waited till the end). • conj. 1 up to the time when {wait till I return). 2 so long that {laughed till I cried). till2 /til/ n. drawer for money in a store, bank, etc. ■ cash register. till3 /til/ v.tr. cultivate (land). □□ till'a*ble adj. till'er n. ■ plow, farm, work, dig, hoe, harrow, tillage /tilij/ n. 1 preparation of land for bearing crops. 2 tilled land, tilber /tilar/ n. horizontal bar fitted to the head of a boat’s rudder to turn it in steering, tilt /tilt/ •!/. 1 a intr. & tr. assume or cause to assume a sloping position; heel over, b lean or cause to lean toward one side of an opin¬ ion, action, etc. 2 intr. [foil, by at] strike, thrust, or run at with a weapon. 3 intr. [foil.

by with] engage in a contest. • n. 1 tilting. 2 sloping position. 3 inclination or bias. 4 (of medieval knights, etc.) charging with a lance against an opponent or at a mark. □ full (or at full) tilt 1 at full speed. 2 with full force, no tilt'er n. ■ v. 1 a slant, incline, tip, pitch, list. 2 {tilt at) lunge at, attack. 3 {tilt with) compete with, contend with, cross swords with. • n. 2 inclination. 4 tournament, match, contest; dispute, o full (or at full) tilt 2 see at full blast (blast). tim'ber /timbar/ n. 1 standing trees suitable for lumber. 2 [esp. as int.] warning cry that a tree is about to fall. 3 piece of wood or beam, esp. as the rib of a vessel. □ limber wolf large N. American gray wolf. □□ tim' berring n. m 1 see wood 2. 3 board, plank, lumber. tim*ber»line /timbarlin/ n. line or level above which no trees grow. tim*bre /tambar, taNbra/ n. distinctive char¬ acter of a musical sound or voice apart from its pitch and intensity. ■ tone (color or quality), tonality, color, res¬ onance. Tim*buk*tu /timbuktob/ n. colloq. any distant or remote place. time /tim/ • n. 1 indefinite continued prog¬ ress of existence, events, etc., in past, pres¬ ent, and future, regarded as a whole. 2 prog¬ ress of this as affecting persons or tilings {stood the test of time). 3 portion of time; pe¬ riod (prehistoric times). 4 allotted or available portion of time {no time to visit). 5 point of time, esp. in hours and minutes {the time is 7:30). 6 [prec. by a] indefinite period {wait¬ ed for a time). 7 particular reckoning of time {in record time, eight o’clock Eastern time). 8 occasion {last time). 9 opportune occasion or moment {shall we set a time?). 10 [in pi] expressing multiplication (five times six is thirty). 11 [in sing, or pi. ] a the conditions of life or of a period (hard times), b [prec. by the] the present age, or that being consid¬ ered. 12 colloq. prison sentence (is doing time). 13 period of apprenticeship or mili¬ tary service. 14 date or expected date of childbirth or death. 15 any of several rhyth¬ mic patterns of music. • v. tr. 1 choose the time for. 2 do at a chosen or correct time. 3 arrange the time of arrival of. 4 ascertain the time taken by. 5 regulate the duration or interval of. □ against time with utmost speed, ahead of time earlier than expected, ahead of one’s time having ideas too ad¬ vanced to be accepted by one’s contempo¬ raries. all the time 1 throughout. 2 con¬ stantly. at one time 1 in a known but unspecified past period. 2 simultaneously, at the same time 1 simultaneously. 2 nev¬ ertheless. for the time being until some other arrangement is made, have no time for 1 be unable or unwilling to spend time on. 2 dislike, have the time 1 be able to spend the time needed. 2 know from a watch, etc., what time it is. in no (or less than no) time 1 very soon. 2 very quickly, in time 1 punctual. 2 eventually. 3 in ac¬ cordance with a given rhythm or tempo.

know the time of day be well informed, lose no time act immediately, on (also in) one’s own time outside working hours, pass the time of day colloq. exchange a greeting or casual remarks, time after time repeatedly; on many occasions, time and (or time and time) again on many occasions, time and a half rate of payment for work at one and a half times the normal rate, time bomb bomb designed to explode at a preset time, time capsule box, etc., containing ob¬

jects typical of the present time, buried for discovery in the future, time clock clock with a device for recording workers’ hours of work, time exposure exposure of photo¬ graphic film for longer than the maximum normal shutter setting, time-honored es¬ teemed by tradition or through custom, time immemorial longer time than anyone can remember or trace, time off time for rest or recreation, etc. time of one’s life oc¬ casion of exceptional enjoyment, time out brief intermission in a game, etc. timeshare share in a property under a time¬ sharing arrangement, time-sharing use of a vacation home at agreed different times by several joint owners, time warp imaginary distortion of space in relation to time, time was there was a time (time was when I could do that), time zone range of longitudes where a common standard time is used. ■ n. 3 age, epoch, era, lifetime. 4, 6 inter¬ val, stretch, spell, span, phase, season, term, session, duration. 5, 9 point, instant, junc¬ ture, date. 8 opportunity, chance. 11 cir¬ cumstances, conditions, culture. 15 tempo, beat, meter, measure. • v. 2, 3 schedule, program, organize, adjust, fix. 4 colloq. clock, o ahead of time prematurely, be¬ forehand. all the time 2 always, ever, con¬ tinuously. at one time 1 previously, for¬ merly. 2 all together, in unison, at the same time 1 see at one time 2 (time) above. 2 all the same, yet, even so, but, however, be that as it may, just the same, for the time being for now, for the present, meanwhile, temporarily, in no (or less than no) time 1 at once, immediately, before you know it, right away. 2 swiftly, rapidly, in an instant, in time 1 in timely fashion, in the nick of time. 2 soon, one of these days, sometime, someday, one day. time and (or time and time) again repeatedly, (over and) over again, frequently, often, time-honored es¬ tablished, traditional, conventional, age-old; respected, time off see break n. 2. time was see formerly. time*keep*er /tlmkeepar/ n. 1 person who records time, esp. of workers or in a game. 2 watch or clock as regards accuracy. □□ time'keep'ing n. time*less /timlis/ adj. not affected by the pas¬ sage of time; eternal. □□ time'lessdy adv. time'lessmess n.

■ everlasting, immortal, undying, endless, unending, perpetual. □□ timelessness see ETERNITY 1,3.

time'ly /tfmlee/ adj. (time*li*er, time*li*est) opportune; coming at the right time. □□ time'li*ness n.

879

timekeeper ~ tincture

■ well-timed, propitious, favorable, auspi¬ cious. synonym study: timely OPPORTUNE, PROPITIOUS, SEASONABLE. Some

people seem to have a knack for doing or say¬ ing the right thing at the right time. A time¬ ly act or remark is one that comes at a mo¬ ment when it is of genuine value or service (a timely interruption), while an opportune one comes in the nick of time, as if by accident, and exactly meets the needs of the occasion {the taxi pulled up at an opportune moment, saving her the embarrassment of a prolonged farewell). Seasonable applies to whatever is suited to the season of the year or fits in per¬ fectly with the needs of the moment or the character of the occasion {seasonable weather; a seasonable menu for a cold winter day). Pro¬ pitious means presenting favorable condi¬ tions. While a warm day in December might not be seasonable, in other words, it might very well be propitious for the sailor setting off on a round-the-world cruise. time*piece /timpees/ n. clock or watch. tim*er /rimar/ n. 1 person or device that mea¬ sures or records time taken. 2 automatic mechanism for activating a device, etc., at a preset time. time»ta*ble /timtaybal/ n. list of times on a schedule, esp. arrivals and departures of buses, trains, etc. tim*id /timid/ adj. easily frightened; appre¬ hensive; shy. □□ ti*mid'i*ty n. tim'icbly adv. tim'id'ness n. ■ shy, retiring, bashful, fearful, faintheart¬ ed, mousy, scared, nervous, cowardly, chickenhearted, colloq. yellow. □□ timidity, tim¬ idness see cowardice, timidly see fearfully (fearful). tim*ing /timing/ n. 1 way an action or process is timed. 2 regulation of the opening and closing of valves in an internal combus¬ tion engine. tim*0«r0US /timaras/ adj. timid; fearful. □□ tim or*ous*ly adv. tim'or*ous*ness n. ■ see timid, afraid. □□ timorously see fearfully (fearful), gingerly adv. timorous¬ ness see cowardice, humility. tim*pa»ni /timpanee/ n.pl. (also tym'pami) kettledrums. □□ tim'pamist n. tin /tin/ • n. 1 Chem. silvery white metallic el¬ ement used esp. in alloys and to form tin plate. IjSymb.: Sn. 2 = tin plate, •n.tr. (tinned, tin*ning) cover or coat with tin. □ tin can tin-plated container, esp. an empty one. tin foil foil made of tin, aluminum, or tin alloy, used for wrapping food. Tin Pan Alley the world of composers and publishers of popular music, tin plate sheet iron or sheet steel coated with tin. tin-plate v.tr. coat with tin. tincture /tingkchar/ • n. 1 slight flavor or trace. 2 tinge (of a color). 3 medicinal solu¬ tion (of a drug) in alcohol {tincture of qui¬ nine) . tv.tr. 1 color slightly; tinge, flavor. 2 [often foil, by with] affect slightly (with a quality).

tinder ~ tired

880

■ n. 1,2 see TINT n. 1,2. tin*der /tindar/ n. dry substance that readily catches fire from a spark. tin*der*box /tindarboks/ n. 1 hist, box con¬ taining tinder, flint, and steel, for kindling fires. 2 potentially explosive or violent per¬ son, place, situation, etc. tine /tin/ n. prong, tooth, or point of a fork, comb, antler, etc. □□ tined adj. [also in comb.]. tinge /tinj/ • v.tr. (tinge*ing or ting*ing) 1 color slightly. 2 affect slighdy. • n. 1 ten¬ dency toward or trace of some color. 2 slight admixture of a feeling or quality. ■ v. 1 see color v. 1. • n. 1 see tint n. 1. 2 see shade n. 5. tin«gle /tinggal/ • v. intr. feel or cause to feel a slight prickling, stinging, or throbbing sensa¬ tion. • n. tingling sensation. □□ tin'gly adj. ■ v. see prickle v. • n. see prickle n. 3. tin*ker /tingkar/ • n. itinerant mender of ket¬ tles, pans, etc. • v. intr. [foil, by at, with] work or repair in an amateurish or desultory way. □□ tin'ker*er n. ■ v. trifle, dabble, toy, fiddle (around), monkey (around). tin*kle /tingkal/ • v. 1 intr. & tr. make or cause to make a succession of short light ringing sounds. 2 intr. colloq. urinate. • n. tinkling sound. ■ ■o.l see ring2 v. 1. 2 see urinate2. • n. see ring n. 1. tin*ni*tUS /tinftas, tini-/ n. Med. ringing in the ears. tin»ny /tinee/ adj. (tin*ni*er, tin*ni*est) 1 of or like tin. 2 flimsy; insubstantial. 3 (of sound) thin and metallic. □□ tin'ni*ly adv. tin'ni'ness n. u adj. 2 shabby, shoddy, inferior, cheap. 3 harsh, twangy. tin»sel /tinsal/ n. 1 glittering metallic strips, threads, etc., used as decoration. 2 superfi¬ cial brilliance or splendor. □□ tin seled adj. tint /tint/ • n. 1 light or delicate variety of a color. 2 tendency toward or admixture of a different color (red with a blue tint). 3 hair dye. • v.tr. apply a tint to; color. □□ tint'er n. • n. 1 hue, cast, shade, tone. 2 tincture, tinge, touch, hint, trace, dash, suggestion. 3 rinse, coloring. tin»tin*nab*U*la»tion /tintinabyalayshan/ n. ringing or tinkling of bells. ti»ny /tinee/ adj. (ti*ni*er, ti*ni*est) very small or slight. See synonym study at small. □□ ti'nbness n. ■ microscopic, infinitesimal, minute, mi¬ nuscule, little, miniature, micro-, mini-, pe¬ tite, elfin; trifling, paltry, puny, colloq. pintsize, wee, teeny, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy. -tion /shan/ suffix forming norms of action, condition, etc. (see -ion, -ation, -ition, -ution). tip1 /tip/ »n. 1 extremity or end, esp. of a small or tapering thing. 2 small piece or part attached to the end of a thing. • v. tr. (tipped, tip*ping) provide with a tip. □ on the tip of one’s tongue about to be said,

esp. after difficulty in recalling to mind, tip of the iceberg small evident part of some¬ thing much larger. ■ n. 1 peak, apex, summit, top, pinnacle, head, point, finial. 2 cap, nib. • v. top, cap, crown. tip2 /tip/ • v. (tipped, tip»ping) 1 intr. lean or slant. 2 tr. cause to do this. • n. slight push or tilt. □ tip the balance make the critical difference. ■ v. 1 incline, list, tilt; upend; discharge, spill, pour out. • n. see list2 n. tip3 /tip/ • v. (tipped, tip*ping) 1 tr. make a small present of money to, esp. for a service given. 2 tr. strike or touch lightly. • n. 1 small gift of money, esp. for a service given. 2 piece of private or special information, esp. regarding betting or investment. 3 small or casual piece of advice. □ tip off give (a per¬ son) helpful information or warning, tip-off hint or warning, etc. □□ tip'per n. ■ v. 1 reward, remunerate. • n. 1 gratuity, colloq. little something. 2 clue, hint, predic¬ tion. 3 suggestion, recommendation, colloq. pointer. □ tip off advise, caution, alert, fore¬ warn, notify, tip-off see tip3 n. 2 above. tip*ple /tipal/ v.intr. drink intoxicating liquor habitually. □□ tip'pler n. tip*sy /tipsee/ adj. (tip*si*er, tip*si*est) slightly intoxicated. □□ tip'si'ly adv. tip'si* ness n. m see tight adj. 5. tip»toe /tipto/ • n. tips of the toes. • v.intr. (tip*toes, tip*toed, tip*toe*ing) walk on tiptoe, or very stealthily. • adv. (also on tip¬ toe) with the heels off the ground. tip-top /tiptop/ colloq. • adj. & adv. highest in excellence. • n. highest point of excel¬ lence. ■ adj. see excellent. ti*rade /tirayd, tirayd/ n. long vehement de¬ nunciation or declamation. ■ harangue, diatribe, outburst, onslaught, rant. tire1 /tJr/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or grow weary. 2 tr. bore. 3 tr. [in passive; foil, by of] have had enough of (tired of arguing). ■ 1 tire out, fatigue, exhaust, wear out, drain, sap, enervate, debilitate, weaken. 2 exasperate, irritate, annoy, bother. 3 (be tired of) be fed up (to here) with, colloq. be sick (and tired) of. tire2 /trr/ n. rubber covering, usu. inflatable, that fits around a wheel rim. tired /tlrd/ adj. 1 weary; ready for sleep. 2 hackneyed. □□ tired'ly adv. tired'ness n. ■ 1 exhausted, worn out, fatigued, sleepy, drowsy, spent, drained, all in, colloq. bushed, pooped, beat, tuckered out, si. wiped out. 2 overworked, overused, stereotypic(al), unimaginative, trite, stale, unoriginal, com¬ monplace. □□tiredness see fatigue n. 1. synonym study:

tired

exhausted, fatigued, tuckered, weary. Tired is what you are after you’ve cleaned the house, spent two hours reading a dull re¬ port, or trained for a marathon; it means that you are drained of your strength and energy, without any indication of degree. Weary, on

the other hand, is how you feel after you’ve had to interrupt your dinner five or six times to answer the phone. It implies not only a de¬ pletion of energy but also the vexation that accompanies having to put up with some¬ thing that is, or has become, disagreeable. Exhausted means that you are totally drained of strength and energy, a condition that may even be irreversible (exhausted by battling a terminal disease). Fatigued is a more precise word than either tired or weary, it implies a loss of energy through strain, ill¬ ness, or overwork to the point where rest or sleep is essential (fatigued after working a 24hour shift). Tuckered comes close in mean¬ ing to fatigued or exhausted, but often carries the suggestion of loss of breath (tuckered out after running up six flights of stairs).

881

tireless ~ toast

ignation, epithet, form of address; office, rank. 6 crown. 7 a interest, privilege, enti¬ tlement, possession, tenure, b right. • v. call, designate, label, term, christen, baptize, nickname, dub. □ title role see protago¬ nist. tidied /rit’ld/ adj. having a title of nobility or rank. tit»mouse /titmows/ n. (pi. tit*mice /-mis/) any of various small birds. titder /titar/ •v.intr. laugh furtively; giggle. • n. furtive laugh. mv. & n. chuckle, snicker, chortle, giggle, snigger. titdle /tit’l/ n. 1 small stroke or dot. 2 par¬ ticle. tit*udar /tichalar/ adj. 1 of or relating to a ti¬ tiredess /tirlis/ adj. having inexhaustible en¬ de. 2 in name or tide only (titular ruler). ergy. an tire'lessdy adv. tire'lessmess n. □□ tit'udardy adv. • energetic, vital, vigorous, dynamic, spir¬ m adj. 2 nominal, so-called, token, theoret¬ ical. ited, lively, industrious, untiring, persistent, tenacious, diligent. □□ tirelessly see non¬ tiz»zy /tizee/ n. (pi. -zies) colloq. state of ner¬ stop adv. tirelessness see perseverance (per¬ vous agitation (in a tizzy). severe). m see stew n. 2, flap n. 3. tire*SOme /rirsam/ adj. wearisome; tedious. TKO abbr. Boxing technical knockout. □□ tire'somedy adv. tire'somemess n. TI symb. Chem. thallium. ■ boring, dull, monotonous, tiring, bland, TLC abbr. colloq. tender loving care. no tiresomeness see tedium. Tlin*git /tlingkat, -gat, kling-/ n. 1 a N. ’tis /tiz/ archaic it is. American people native to southern Alaska, tiS’SUe /tishoo/ n. 1 any coherent mass of b member of this people. 2 language of this specialized cells of which animals or plants people. are made. 2 = tissue paper. 3 disposable TM abbr. transcendental meditation. Tm symb. Chem. thulium. piece of thin, soft, absorbent paper for wip¬ ing, drying, etc. 4 fine, gauzy fabric. □ tis¬ TN abbr. Tennessee (in official postal use). sue paper thin, soft paper for wrapping, etc. TNT abbr. trinitrotoluene, a high explosive. to/too; ta (when unstressed)/ »prep. 1 intro¬ tit1 /tit/ n. any of various small birds. ducing a noun expressing: a what is tit2 3 /tit/ n. □ tit for tat /tat/ blow for blow; re¬ reached, approached, or touched (fell to the taliation. Ti»tan /rit’n/ n. (often titan) person of very ground), b what is aimed at (throw it to me). C as far as (went on to the end). d what is fol¬ great strength, intellect, or importance. lowed (made to order), e what is considered ti*tan*ic /tltanik/ adj. gigantic; colossal. or affected (am used to that). 1 what is caused □□ ti'tan'bcably adv. or produced (turn to stone), g what is com¬ ■ see GIGANTIC. ti*ta»ni#um /titayneeam, tee-/ n. Chem. gray pared (won by three to two), h what is in¬ creased (add it to mine), i what is involved or metallic element. fSymb.: Ti. composed as specified (there is nothing to it). tithe /tlth/ • n. one tenth of the annual prod¬ 2 introducing the infinitive: a as a verbal uct of land or labor, formerly taken as a noun (to get there), b expressing purpose, church tax. • v. intr. pay tithes. □□ tith'ing consequence, or cause (we eat to live). C as a n. substitute for to + infinitive (wanted to come titdMate /tit’layt/ v.tr. 1 excite pleasantly. but was unable to). • adv. 1 in the normal or 2 tickle. □□ tit il*lat*ing*ly adv. tit»il»la* required position or condition (come to, heave tion /-layshan/ n. to). 2 (of a door) in a nearly closed position. ■ 1 see excite 1. □□ titillation see thrill □ to and fro backward and forward. n. la. toad /tod/ n. 1 froglike amphibian breeding ti*tle /tft’l/ • n. 1 name of a book, work of art, in water but living chiefly on land. 2 repul¬ etc. 2 heading of a chapter, document, etc. sive or detestable person. □□ toad'ish adj. 3 book, etc., regarded in terms of its title toad*Stool /tOdstobl/ n. poisonous mush¬ (published 20 new titles). 4 caption or credit rooms. in a movie, broadcast, etc. 5 nomenclature toad*y /tOdee/ • n. (pi. -ies) sycophant. indicating a person’s status (e.g., professor, • v.tr. & [foil, by to] intr. (-ies, -ied) behave queen) or used as a form of address (e.g., servilely to; fawn upon. □□ toad'ynsh adj. Mr.). 6 championship. 7 Law a right to toad'y'ism n. ownership of property with or without pos¬ m n. see flunky 2. • v. see truckle v. session. b [foil, by ro] just or recognized □□ toadyish see obsequious, servile, toady¬ claim. • v.tr. give a title to. □ title role part ism see servility (servile) . in a play, etc., that gives it its name (e.g., toast /tost/ • n. 1 sliced bread browned on Othello). both sides by radiant heat. 2 a person or m n. 2 inscription, headline, subtitle. 5 des-

toaster ~ tolerant

882

thing in whose honor a company is request¬ ed to drink, b call to such a drink or an in¬ stance of it. • v. 1 tr. cook or brown by radi¬ ant heat. 2 intr. (of bread, etc.) become brown in this way. 3 tr. warm (one’s feet, oneself, etc.) at a fire, etc. 4 tr. drink to the health or in honor of (a person or thing). mn. 2 a heroine, hero, favorite, b health, pledge. • v. 1 grill. 4 pay tribute to, salute, raise one’s glass to. tOast*er /tOstar/ n. electrical device for mak¬ ing toast. toast*mas*ter /tOstmastar/ n. (Jem. toast* mispress /-mistris/) person who announces toasts at a public occasion. tO*baC*CO /tabako/ n. (pi. -cos) 1 plant with narcotic leaves used for smoking, chewing, or snuff. 2 its leaves, esp. as prepared for smoking. tO*bog*gan /tabogan/ • n. narrow, runner¬ less sled curled up at the front, for use on snow. • v.intr. ride on a toboggan. □□ to* bog'gan*er n. to*bog'gan*ing n. to*bog' gan'ist n. tO*COph*er*ol /tokofarawl, -rol/ n. any of sev¬ eral closely related vitamins, found in wheat germ oil, egg yolk, and leafy vegetables. (Also called vitamin E). to*day /taday/ • adv. 1 on this present day. 2 nowadays. • n. 1 this present day. 2 mod¬ ern times. tod'dle /tod’l/ •v.intr. walk with short un¬ steady steps. • n. toddling walk. ■ v. see waddle v. tOd*dler /todlar/ n. child who is just begin¬ ning to walk. tod'dy /todee/ n. (pi. -dies) drink of liquor with hot water, sugar, etc. to-do /tadt. la tr. change the form of by rotating one end and not the other, or the two ends in opposite directions, b intr. un¬ dergo such a change. C tr. wrench or pull out of shape with a twisting action (twisted my ankle). 2 tr. wind (strands, etc.) around each other. 3 a tr. give a spiral form to. b intr. take a spiral form. 4 tr. [foil, by off] break off by twisting. 5 tr. misrepresent the meaning of (words). 6 a intr. take a winding course, b tr. make (one’s way) in a winding manner. 7 intr. dance the twist. • n. 1 act of twisting. 2 twisted state. 3 thing formed by twisting. 4 point at which a thing twists or bends. 5 unexpected turn in a story, etc. 6 curled peel of lemon, etc., to flavor a drink. 7 [prec. by the] dance with a twisting movement, popular in the 1960s. □ twist a person’s arm colloq. apply coercion, esp. by moral pressure. □□ twist'y adj. (twist*i*er, twist* best). ■ v. 1 a, b contort, screw up, buckle, warp; crumple, c turn, sprain. 2 plait, braid, weave, entwine, intertwine, splice, interlace, tangle, entangle. 3 see wind2 v. 4. 4 see wrench v. la. 5 distort, pervert, alter, change, color, falsify, misquote; misinterpret, misunderstand, misconstrue. 6 a snake, me¬ ander, zigzag, b wriggle, worm, squirm, writhe, wiggle. • n. 1 rotation, turn, roll, twirl, spin. 2 see tangle n. 1.4 coil, spiral, corkscrew, helix, convolution, skew, curve, angle, bend, bow, kink, loop, curl. □ twist a person’s arm coerce or bully or pressure a person, colloq. put the squeeze on. twist*er /'twistar/ n. colloq. tornado, water¬ spout, etc. ■ cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, whirlwind. twit1 /twit/ n. si. silly or foolish person.

■ nincompoop, ass, idiot, simpleton, colloq. nitwit, halfivit, moron, lamebrain, si. jerk. twit2 /twit/ v.tr. (twit*ted, twifting) re¬ proach or taunt, usu. good-humoredly. ■ tease, cajole, jeer (at), make fun of, rag, mock; berate, deride, scorn, censure, revile, upbraid, colloq. kid. twitch /twich/ • v. 1 intr. (of features, mus¬ cles, etc.) move or contract spasmodically. 2 tr. pull sharply at. • n. 1 sudden involun¬ tary contraction or movement. 2 sudden pull or jerk. ■ v. 1 see jerk1 v. 1. 2 see jerk1 v. 2. • n. see jerk1 n. 1, 2. twit'ter /'twitar/ • v. 1 intr. (of or like a bird) emit a succession of light tremulous sounds. 2 tr. utter or express in this way. • n. 1 act of twittering. 2 colloq. tremulously excited state. □□ twit'ter *y adj. a v. peep, cheep, tweet, chirp, warble, trill; chatter, prattle, titter, snicker. • n. 2 flutter, whirl, agitation, colloq. dither, tizzy, two /too/ • n. 1 one more than one. 2 sym¬ bol for this (2, ii, II). • adj. that amount to two. □ in two in or into two pieces, put two and two together infer from known facts, that makes two of us colloq. that is true of me also, two-bit colloq. cheap; petty, twodimensional 1 having or appearing to have length and breadth but no depth. 2 lacking depth or substance; superficial, two-faced 1 having two faces. 2 insincere; deceitful, two-ply of two strands, webs, or thicknesses, two-step dance in march or polka time, two-time colloq. 1 be unfaithful to (a lover). 2 swindle, two-timer colloq. one who twotimes. two-tone having two colors or sounds, two-way 1 involving two ways or participants. 2 (of a radio) capable of trans¬ mitting and receiving signals. ■ adj. a couple or pair. □ put two and two together see reason v. 1. two-bit see cheap adj. 3. two-dimensional 2 see superficial 1, 3. two-faced 2 double-dealing, duplici¬ tous, treacherous, dishonest, untrustworthy, scheming, crafty, two-time see deceive 1,2. two-timer see traitor. tWO*fold /tobfold/ adj. & adv. 1 twice as much or as many. 2 consisting of two parts. ■ adj. 1 double. 2 dual. two*some tohssm/ n. two persons together. ■ couple, pair, duo. ’tWOUld /twOOd/ archaic it would, twp. abbr. township. TX abbr. Texas (in official postal use). -ty1 /tee/ suffix forming nouns denoting qual¬ ity or condition (cruelty, plenty). -ty2 /tee/ suffix denoting tens (twenty, thirty, ninety). tycoon /tlkobn/ n. business magnate. ■ baron, financier, (multi)millionaire, bil¬ lionaire, colloq. wheeler-dealer, mogul, big shot. typing pres. part, of tie. tyke /tik/ n. (also tike) small child. tym*pa*ni var. of timpani. tym*pa»num /timpanam/ n. (pi. tym«pa* nums or tym*pa*na l-nsl) 1 middle ear. 2 eardrum. □□ tym*pan'ic adj. type /tip/ • n. 1 class; kind; sort. 2 person,

thing, or event exemplifying a group or class. 3 [in comb.] made of, resembling, or func¬ tioning as (ceramic-type material). 4 colloq. person, esp. of a specified character (quiet type, not my type). 5 object, conception, or work serving as a model for subsequent artists. 6 Printing a piece of metal, etc., with a raised letter or character on its upper sur¬ face for printing, b kind or size of such pieces (printed in large type). See synonym study at emblem. • v. 1 tr. & intr. write with a typewriter or keyboard. 2 tr. esp. Biol. & Med. assign to a type; classify. 3 tr. = type¬ cast.

■ n. 1 category, classification, genre, run, order, variety, breed, race, species, strain, ge¬ nus; brand, make, line, version. 2 prototype, paradigm, archetype, epitome, embodiment, model, specimen, illustration, example, sym¬ bol, pattern, personification, standard. 6 Printing typeface, font, lettering. type*cast /ripkast/ v.tr. (past and past part. -cast) assign (an actor or actress) repeatedly to the same type of role. type*face /ripfays/ n. Printing 1 set of type or characters in one design. 2 inked surface of type. type*script /tipskript/ n. typewritten docu¬ ment. type«set»ter /ripsetar/ n. Printing 1 person who composes type. 2 composing machine. □□ type'seating n. type»writ*er /ripritar/ n. machine with keys for producing prmdike characters on paper inserted around a roller. type*writ»ten /riprit’n/ adj. produced with a typewriter. ty»phoid /tifoyd/ n. (in full ty'phoid fe'ver) infectious bacterial fever attacking the in¬ testines. ty*phoon /tlfobn/ n. violent hurricane in E. Asia. ■ see HURRICANE 1. ty*phus /rifas/ n. infectious fever with a pur¬ ple rash, headaches, and usu. delirium. □□ ty'phous adj. typ*i*cal /tipikal/ adj. 1 serving as a charac¬ teristic example; representative. 2 character¬ istic; to be expected. See synonym study at normal. □□ typ*i*cal*i*ty /-kalitee/ n. typ' i*cal*ly adv.

907

typecast ~ -ubly

■ conventional, normal, standard, ordinary, average, regular, run-of-the-mill, orthodox, classic; in character, in keeping, usual, cus¬ tomary, common; see also symbolic (sym¬ bol). □□ typically see ordinarily (ordi¬ nary).

typ*i*fy /tipifi/ v.tr. (-fies, -fied) 1 be typical of. 2 represent by or as a type or symbol. □□ typ*i*fi*ca'tion n. typ'i*fi*er n. • 1 exemplify, epitomize, personify, charac¬ terize, embody. 2 symbolize, stand for, sug¬ gest. □□ typification see soul 3, type n. 2. typ*ist /ti’pist/ n. person who types. ty*po /ripe/ n. (pi. -pos) colloq. typographical error. ■ see misprint n. ty*pog*ra*phy /tlpografee/ n. 1 printing as an art. 2 style and appearance of printed matter. □□ ty*pog'ra*pher n. ty*po*graph' i*cal adj. typo*graph' i*cal*ly adv. ty*ran»ni*cal /tiranikal/ adj. despotic. □□ ty* ran'ni*cal*ly adv. ■ oppressive, dictatorial, autocratic, author¬ itarian, imperious, unjust, harsh, heavyhanded. □□ tyrannically see severely (se¬ vere),

arbitrarily (arbitrary).

tyr*an*nize /tiraniz/ v.tr. & [foil, by over] intr. treat despotically or cruelly. a bully, subjugate, dominate, intimidate, browbeat, oppress, persecute, subdue, sup¬ press. ty*ran»no»sau*rus /tiranasawras/ n. (also ty* ran'no*saur) carnivorous dinosaur with short front legs and a long well-developed tail. tyr»an»ny /tiranee/ n. (pi. -nies) 1 cruel and arbitrary use of authority. 2 rule by a tyrant. □□ tyr'an*nous adj. tyr’an*nous*ly adv. m autocracy, authoritarianism, despotism, dictatorship; oppression, suppression, subju¬ gation; fascism. □□ tyrannous see tyranni¬ cal.

ty*rant /tfrant/ n. 1 oppressive or cruel ruler. 2 person exercising power arbitrarily or cru¬ elly. ■ dictator, despot, autocrat, martinet. Hit¬ ler, bully, oppressor, authoritarian, slave driver. ty*ro /tiro/ n. (pi. -ros) beginner; novice.

Uu U1 /yoo/ n. (also u) (pi. Us or U’s; u’s) 1 twenty-first letter of the alphabet. 2 Ushaped object or curve. U2 abbr. (also U.) university. U3 symb. Chem. uranium. -ubility /yoobilitee/ suffix forming nouns from, or corresponding to, adjectives in -uble (solubility, volubility). U*biq*ui*tOUS /yoobikwitas/ adj. 1 present eve¬ rywhere or in several places simultaneously.

2 often encountered. □□ u*biq'ui*tous*ly adv. u*biq'ui*tous*ness n. u*biq'ui*ty n. ■ see pervasive. □□ ubiquitously see everywhere, ubiquitousness, ubiquity see prevalence (prevalent). -uble /yabal/ suffix forming adjectives mean¬ ing ‘that may or must be’ (see -able) (soluble, voluble). -ubly /yablee/ suffix forming adverbs corre¬ sponding to adjectives in -uble.

U-boat ~ umbrella

908

U-boat /yobbot/ n. hist. German submarine. ud*der /udar/ n. baglike mammary gland of cattle, sheep, etc., with several teats.

UFO /yob-ef-6, yoofo/ n. (also ufo)

(pi. UFOs

or ufos) unidentified flying object. u»fol*0*gy /yoofolajee/ n. the study of UFOs. □□ u*fol'o»gist n. ugh /akh. ug, ukh/ int. expressing disgust or horror. ug*ly /uglee/ adj. (ug*li*er, ugtihest) 1 un¬ pleasing or repulsive to see or hear. 2 unpleasandy suggestive (ugly rumors are about). 3 threatening; dangerous (the sky has an ugly look). 4 morally repulsive (ugly vices). □□ ug'li*ly adv. ug'li*ness n.

• 1 unattractive, unlovely, unshapely, un¬ sightly, hideous, grotesque, offensive, horri¬ ble, horrid. 3 hostile, nasty; forbidding, sin¬ ister, ominous, menacing, perilous, hazardous. 4 objectionable, offensive, nasty, loathsome, repellent, repugnant, revolting, sickening, disgusting, obnoxious, rotten, cor¬ rupt, filthy, vile, heinous, sordid, evil, foul, perverted, immoral, depraved, degenerate. UHF abbr. ultrahigh frequency. U K abbr. United Kingdom. Ukrai*ni*an /yookrayneean/ • n. 1 native of Ukraine. 2 language of Ukraine. • adj. of or relating to Ukraine or its people or language. u*ku*le»le /yobkalaylee/ n. small, four¬ stringed Hawaiian (orig. Portuguese) guitar. -Ular /yalar/ suffix forming adjectives, some¬ times corresp. to nouns in -ule (pustular) but often without diminutive force (angular, granular). □□ -ularity /-laritee/ suffix form¬ ing nouns ul'Cer /lilsar/ n. 1 open sore on or in the body, often forming pus. 2 a moral blemish, b corroding or corrupting influence, etc. □□ ul'cered adj. ul'cer*ous adj.

■ 1 lesion, abscess, canker, chancre, boil, eruption, carbuncle, inflammation, Med. fu¬ runcle. 2 cancer, canker, blight, scourge, pestilence, plague. ul*cer*ate /ulsarayt/ v. form into or affect with an ulcer. □□ ul'cer»a*ble adj. ul*cer*a* tion /-rayshan/ n. ul'cer*a»tive adj. -ule /al, y(5ol/ suffix forming diminutive nouns (capsule, globule).

-ulent /yalant/ suffix forming adjectives mean¬ ing ‘abounding in; full of’ (fraudulent). □□ -ulence suffix forming nouns ul*na /ulna/ n. (pi. ul*nae /-nee/) the thinner and longer of the two forearm bones (cf. ra¬ dius 3). □□ ul'nar adj. -ulous /yalas/ suffix forming adjectives (fabu¬ lous, populous).

ul'Ster /ulstar/

n. long, loose overcoat of rough cloth. Ult. abbr. 1 ultimo. 2 ultimate. Ul»te*ri»or /ulte'ereear/ adj. existing in the background; hidden; secret (esp. ulterior mo¬ tive). □□ ul'te'ri*or*ly adv. ■ concealed, covert, unrevealed, undis¬ closed, unexpressed, underlying, surrepti¬ tious, underhand (ed). ul*ti»mate /ultimat/ •adj. 1 last or last possi¬ ble; final. 2 fundamental; primary (ultimate

truths). 3 maximum (ultimate tensile strength). • n. 1 best achievable or imagina¬ ble. 2 final or fundamental fact or principle. □□ ul'ti*mate*ly adj. ul'ti*mate*ness n. m adj. 2 elemental, basic, underlying, root, essential, unanalyzable, final. 3 final, great¬ est, supreme, utmost, paramount. □□ ulti¬ mately finally, eventually, in the end, when all is said and done, in the long run. ul»ti»ma*tum /ultimaytam/ n. (pi. ul*ti*ma* turns or ul*ti‘ma*ta /—ta/) final demand or statement of terms in negotiations. ■ condition(s), stipulation(s), require¬ ment (s). ul*ti*mo /ultimo/ adj. Commerce of last month (the 28th ultimo). ul*tra /ultra/ adj. favoring extreme views or measures, esp. in religion or politics. ■ die-hard, rabid, fundamentalist, extrem¬ ist, prejudiced, opinionated, bigoted, colloq. hard-nosed. Ultra- /ultra/ comb, form 1 beyond; on the other side of. 2 extreme(ly), excessive(ly) (ultraconservative, ultramodern). ul*tra*high /ultrahi/ adj. 1 (of a frequency) in the range 300 to 3,000 megahertz. 2 ex¬ tremely high (ultrahigh prices). ul*tra*ma*rine /ultramare'en/ • n. brilliant blue pigment or color. • adj. 1 of this color. 2 archaic situated beyond the sea. ul»tra*mon*tane /ultramontayn/ adj. situated on the other side of the mountains (esp. the Alps) from the point of view of the speaker. ul*tra»son»ic /ultrasonik/ adj. of or involving sound waves with a frequency above the upper limit of human hearing. □□ ul*tra* son'i'caltiy adv. ul*tra*SOund /ultrasownd/ n. ultrasonic waves, esp. as used in medicine. ul*tra*vi*o*let /ultravialat/ adj. Physics 1 hav¬ ing a wavelength (just) beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum. 2 of or using such radiation. Ul*U*late /ulyalayt, yobl-/ v.intr. howl; wail; make a hooting cry. □□ ul'utiant adj. ul*u* la'tion /-layshan/ n. um /urn, am/ int. expressing hesitation or a pause in speech. um*bel /umbal/ n. Bot. flower cluster in which stalks nearly equal in length spring from a common center and form a flat or curved surface, as in parsley. □□ um beltiar adj. um*bel*lif*er*ous /-ifaras/ adj. um»ber /umbar/ • n. natural pigment or color like ocher but darker and browner. • adj. 1 of this color. 2 dark; dusky. um*bil*i*cal /umbilikal/ adj. of, situated near, or affecting the navel. □ umbilical cord flexible, cordlike structure attaching a fetus to the placenta. um»bil*i*cus umbilikns n. (pi. um’biFi'ci /—bilisi/ or um*bil*i*cus*es) Anat. navel. um*bra /umbra/ n. (pi. um»bras or um*brae /-bree/) Astron. 1 total shadow usu. cast on the earth by the moon during a solar eclipse. 2 dark central part of a sunspot. □□ um' bral adj. um»brage /umbrij/ n. offense; sense of slight or injury. um»brel*la /umbrela/ n. 1 light, portable de-

vice for protection against rain, strong sun, etc., consisting of a usu. circular canopy of cloth mounted by means of a collapsible metal frame on a central stick. 2 protection or patronage. 3 coordinating or unifying agency (umbrella organization). □□ um*brel* laed /—lad/ adj. um*brel'la*like adj. ■ 1 parasol, sunshade. 2 cover, coverage, aegis, shield, screen. u»mi»ak /bomeeak/ n. Inuit skin-and-wood open boat propelled with paddles. urrMaut /cfomlowt/ n. 1 mark (["]) used over a vowel, esp. in Germanic languages, to indi¬ cate a vowel change. 2 such a vowel change, ump /ump/ n. colloq. umpire. um*pire /umplr/ • n. person chosen to en¬ force the rules and settle disputes esp. in var¬ ious sports. • v. act as umpire. ■ n. referee, arbiter, judge, adjudicator, ar¬ bitrator; official; colloq. ref. • v. officiate; ref¬ eree, arbitrate, judge, moderate, adjudicate. ump*teen /umpteen/ si. • adj. indefinitely many; a lot of. •pron. indefinitely many. □□ ump’teenth' adj. ■ adj. a lot of, many, innumerable, count¬ less, numerous. UN abbr. United Nations. un-1 /uni prefix 1 added to adjectives and par¬ ticiples and their derivative nouns and ad¬ verbs, meaning: a not: denoting the absence of a quality or state (unusable, unhappiness). b reverse of, usu. with an implication of ap¬ proval or disapproval (unselfish, unscientific). 2 (less often) added to nouns, meaning ‘a lack of’ (unrest, untruth). un-2 /un/ prefix added to verbs and (less often) nouns, forming verbs denoting: 1 reversal or cancellation of an action or state (undress, unsettle). 2 deprivation or separation (unun*a*bashed' adj. un*ab'le adj. un*ac*cept'a*ble adv. un*ac*cept’a*bly adv. un*a*chiev'a*ble adj. un*ac*knowl’edged adj. un*ac*quaint'ed adj. un*ad'ver*tised adj. un*af*fil'i*at*ed adj. un*a*fraid' adj. un*aid'ed adj. un*al'ter*a*ble adj. un*al'ter*a*bly adv. un*al'tered adj. un*am*bi*gu’i*ty n. un*am*big'u*ous adj. un*am*big'u*ous*ly adv. un*am*bi'tious adj. un*an*nounced' adj. un*an'swered adj. un*an*tic'i*pat*ed adj. un*ap*peal'ing adj. un*ap*peal’ing*ly adv. un*ap'pe*tiz*ing adj. un*ap*pre'ci*at*ed adj. un*ap*pre’cia*tive adj. un*ap*proved’ adj. un*ar'gu*a*ble adj. un*asked' adj. un*as*sail'a*ble adj.

un*as*sist'ed adj. un*at*tain’a*ble adj. un*at*trac'tive adj. un*at*trac'tive*ly adv. un*au'thor*ized adj. un*a*vail'a*ble adj. un*a*vail*a*bil'i*ty n. un*a*void'a*ble adj. un*a*void'a*bly adv. un*bear'a*ble adj. un*bear'a*bly adv. un*beaf a*ble adj. unbiased adj. un*bleached' adj. umblem'ished adj. un*bound' adj. un*break'a*ble adj. un’buckle v. un*but'ton v. un*ceas'ing adj. un*ceas’ing*ly adv. un*cen'sored adj. un*chal'lenged adj. un*change’a*ble adj. unchanged' adj. un*chang’ing adj. un*chaper*oned* adj. un*char*ac*ter*is'tic adj. un*char*ac*ter*is'ti*cal*ly adv.

909

umiak ~ unaccustomed

mask). 3 release from {unburden). 4 causing to be no longer {unman). ’un /an/ pron. colloq. one {that’s a good ‘un). un»a*bat*ed /unabaytid/ adj. not abated; undiminished. □□ un*a*bat'ed*ly adv. un*a*bridged Ainabrijd/ adj. (of a text, etc.) complete; not abridged. ■ uncut, whole, full-length, entire; unex¬ purgated; extensive, thorough, comprehen¬ sive, full, exhaustive, all-encompassing, (all)inclusive. un*ac»a*dem*ic /unakademik/ adj. 1 not ac¬ ademic (esp. not scholarly or theoretical). 2 (of a person) not suited to academic study. un*ac*COm*pa*nied /unakumpaneed/ adj. 1 not accompanied. 2 Mus. without accom¬ paniment. ■ 1 alone, solo, lone, on one’s own, by one¬ self, archaic sole. 2 solo, Mus. a cappella. un»ac*COm*plished /unakomplisht/ adj. 1 not accomplished; uncompleted. 2 lacking accomplishments. un»ac»COUnt»a»ble /unakowntabal/ adj. 1 unable to be explained. 2 unpredictable or strange in behavior. 3 not responsible. □□ un*ac*count*a*bil'i*ty n. un*ac*count' a*ble*ness n. un*ac*count 'a*bly adv. ■ 1,2 unexplained, inexplicable, unexplain¬ able, mysterious, strange, puzzling, baffling, mystifying, peculiar, odd, bizarre. un*ac»COUnt*ed /unakowntid/ adj. of which no account is given. un*ac*CUS*tomed /unakustamd/ adj. 1 [usu. foil, by to] not accustomed. 2 not custom¬ ary; unusual {unaccustomed silence). □□ un* ac*cus'tomed*ly adv. ■ 1 {unaccustomed to) unused to, inexperiun*checked’ adj. un*civ’i*lized adj. unclaimed' adj. un*claimed' adj. un*clas'si*fied adj. un*clean' adj. un*clear* adj. un*cloud'ed adj. un*clut'tered adj. un*combed' adj. un*com*plain'ing adj. un*com*plain ing*ly adv. un*com*plet'ed adj. un*com'pli*cat*ed adj. un*com*pli*men'ta*ry adj. un*com*pre~hend'ing adj. un*con*cealed’ adj. un*con*fined’ adj. un*con*firmed' adj. un*con’quer*a*ble adj. un*con’quered adj. un*con*strained' adj. un*con*tam'i*nat*ed adj. un*con*tesf ed adj. un*con*trol’la*ble adj. un*con*trol’la*bly adv. un*con*trolled' adj. un*con*vinced' adj. un*con*vin’cing adj. un*con*vin'cing*ly adv.

unbooked' adj. un*co*op'er*a*tive adj. un*cor*rob'o*rat*ed adj. un*crit'i*cal adj. un*cross' v. un*cul'ti*vat*ed adj. un*cured' adj. un*dam'aged adj. un*dat'ed adj. un*daunt'ed adj. un*de*clared' adj. un*de*feaf ed adj. un*de*fend'ed adj. un*de*fined’ adj. un*de*mand'ing adj. un*de*mo*cra’tic adj. un*de*pend'a*ble adj. un*de*served’ adj. un*de*serv'ed*ly adv. un*de*serv'ing adj. un*de*tect a*ble adj. un*de*tect'a*bly adv. un*de*tecf ed adj. un*de*ter'mined adj. un*de*terred' adj. un*de*vel'oped adj. un*di*gest'ed adj. un*dig'ni*fied* adj. un*di*luf ed adj. un*di*min'ished adj.

unadorned ~ unarticulated 910

loyed; pure.

2 complete; utter (unalloyed

joy).

enced in or at, unfamiliar widi, uninitiated in. 2 unfamiliar, rare, unwonted, curious, peculiar, atypical, untypical. un*a*dorned /unadawrnd/ adj. not adorned; plain. ■ simple, unembellished, undecorated, un¬ ornamented, stark, bare, austere. Ufl'a^duMer^at^ed /unadultaraytid/ adj. 1 not adulterated; pure; concentrated. 2 sheer; complete; utter. ■ 1 see pure1 1. 2 see sheer adj. 1. un*ad*vis*a*ble /unadvizabal/ adj. 1 not open to advice. 2 (of a thing) inadvisable. un*ad*vised /unadvl'zd/ adj. 1 indiscreet; rash. 2 not having had advice. □□ un-advis'ed-ly /-zidlee/ adv. un-ad-vis'ed-ness n. ■ 1 see ill-advised 2. un»af»fect*ed /unafektid/ adj. 1 [usu. foil, by by] not affected. 2 free from affectation; genuine; sincere. □□ un-af-fect'ed-ly adv. un-af-fected-ness n. ■ 1 (unaffected by) impervious to, immune to, untouched by, unmoved by, unresponsive to, above, aloof from. 2 real, natural, simple, unpretentious, unassuming, ingenuous, un¬ studied, honest, guileless, artless, unfeigned. □□ unaffectedly see naturally 1. unaf¬ fectedness see sincerity (sincere). un*a*lien*a*ble /unayleeanabal/ adj. Law INALIENABLE.

un»a»ligned unalind/ adj. 1 = nonaligned. 2 not physically aligned. un*a»live /unalfv/ adj. 1 lacking in vitality. 2 [foil, by to] not fully susceptible or awake to. un»aMoyed /unaloyd, unal-/ adj. 1 not al¬ un*dip*lo*mat*ic adj. un*dis’ci*plined adj. un*dis*closed' adj. uredis-co'vered adj. un"dis*guised' adj. un*dis-mayed' adj. un*dis*put’ed adj. un*dis*tin'guished adj. un*di*sturbed' adj. un*di*vid'ed adj. un*dressed' adj. un*drink'a*ble adj. unbeat en adj. un*ec»o*nom'ic adj. un*ec*o*nom'i*cal adj. un*ec*o*nom'i*cal*ly adv. un*ed'it*ed adj. un*ed'u-cat*ed adj. un*em*phat'ic adj. un*en*cum'bered adj. un*end'ing adj. un*en"dur a«ble adj. un«en«dur’a»bly adv. un*en*light ened adj. un*en*thu*si*as'tic adj. un»en*thu*si»as’ti*cal*ly adv.

un*en'vi*a*ble adj. un*e*ver\t'ful adj. un*e*vent'ful*ly adv.

un*ex*plain a«ble adj. un*ex*plain a»bly adv. un»ex*plained' adj. un*ex-plored' adj. un*ex*posed’ adj. un-ex-pressed adj. un*fad'ing adj. un*fal'ter»ing adj. un*fa*mil'iar adj. un*fa*mil*i*ar>ty n. un*fash'ion«a*ble adj. un*fash ion*a*bly adv. unfas tened adj. un-fath'0"ma*ble adj. un*fa'vor*a«ble adj. un*fa'vor*a»bly adv. un«fit' adj. un«flat'ter*ing adj. un"flat'ter*ing*ly adv. unflinch ing adj. un*flinch'ing»ly adv. un*fore-see'a*ble adj. un-fore-seen' adj. un-for-giv'a-ble adj. un-for-giv'a-bly adv. un-for-giv'en adj. un-for-giv'ing adj. un-for-got'ten adj. un-ful-filled' adj. un-fur'nished adj.

■ see

pure

1.

un-A*mer*i*can /unamerikan/

adj. 1 not in accordance with American characteristics, etc. 2 contrary to the interests of the US. □□ un-A-mer'i-can-ism n. U*nan»i»mous /yoonanimas/ adj. 1 all in agreement (the committee was unanimous). 2 (of an opinion, vote, etc.) held or given by general consent (the unanimous choice). □□ u'na-nim'i-ty /-nanimitee/ n. u-nan'imous-ly adv. • □□ unanimity see accord n. 1. un-an-swer*a*ble /unansarabal/ adj. 1 unable to be refuted. 2 unable to be answered (an unanswerable question). □□ un-an'swera-bly adv. un*ap*proach*a*ble /unaprOchabal/ adj. 1 not approachable; remote; inaccessible. 2 (of a person) unfriendly. □□ un-approach-a-bil'i-ty n. un-ap-proach'a-bly adv.

■ 2 distant, remote, aloof, reserved, stand¬ offish, austere, withdrawn, unsociable, an¬ tisocial, forbidding, chilly, cool, cold, frigid. un*ap*pro*pri*at*ed /unaprOpreeaytid/ adj. 1 not allocated or assigned. 2 not taken into possession by anyone. un-apt /unapt/ adj. 1 [usu. foil, by for] not suitable. 2 [usu. foil, by to + infin.] not apt. □□ un-apt'ly adv. un-apt'ness n. m 2 see extraneous 2. unharmed /unaarmd/ adj. not armed; without weapons. ■ unprotected, defenseless, weaponless. un*ar»tic»u*lat»ed /unaartikyalaytid/ adj. not articulated or distinct. un-gen'tle-man-ly adj. un-grace'ful adj. un-grace'ful-ly adv. un-gram-mat’i-cal adj. un-gram-mat'i-cal-ly adv. un-grate'ful adj. un-grate'ful-ly adv. un-grudg'ing adj. un-grudg'ing-ly adv. un-ham'pered adj. un-harmed' adj. un-help’ful adj. un-help’ful-ly adv. un-hes'i-tat-ing adj. un-hes-i-tat'ing-ly adv. un-hin’dered adj. un-hook' v. un-hoped -for- adj. un-hur'ried adj. un-hurt’ adj. un-i-den ti-fi-a-ble adj. un-i-den'ti-fied- adj. un-i-ma'gi-na-ble adj. un-im-paired' adj. un-im-ped'ed adj. un-im-por’tant adj. un-im-pressed’ adj. un-im-pres’sive adj. un-im-proved' adj. un-in-cor'po-rat-ed adj.

un-in-formed' adj. un-in-hab it-a-ble adj. un-in-hab it-ed adj. un-in-hib it-ed adj. un-in jured adj. un-in-sured’ adj. un-in-tel ’li-gi-ble adj. un-in-tend ed adj. un-in-ten tion-al adj. un-in-ten’tion-al-ly adv. un-in-ter-rupt’ed adj. un-just' adj. un-just'ly adv. un-jus-ti-fi'a-ble adj. un-jus-ti-fi'a-bly adv. un-jus'ti-fied- adj. un-la'beled adj. un-lace' v. un-li'censed adj. un-lined’ adj. un-list'ed adj. un-lit' adj. un-made' adj. un-man age-a-ble adj. un-man'age-a-bly adv. un-man'ly adj. un-marked’ adj. un-mar'ried adj. un-matched' adj. un-mer'it-ed adj.

un*ar*tis»tic /unaartistik/ adj. not artistic, esp. not concerned with art. □□ un*ar*tis' ti*cal*ly adv. un*a*Shamed /unoshaymd/ adj. 1 feeling no guilt; shameless. 2 blatant; bold. □□ un*a* sham'ed*ly adv. un»a*sham'ed*ness n. • 1 see shameless. 2 see blatant 1. un»as»sum»ing /unasobming/ adj. not pre¬ tentious or arrogant; modest. □□ un*as* sum'ingdy adv. • see modest 1,2. urratdached /unstacht/ adj. 1 not attached, esp. to a particular body, organization, etc. 2 not engaged or married. ■ 1 separate, unconnected, detached, inde¬ pendent, unaffiliated, self-governing, selfregulating, autonomous, self-reliant, selfsustaining, self-sustained. 2 single, unmarried, uncommitted, not spoken for. un»at*tend*ed /tinstendid/ adj. 1 not attend¬ ed. 2 (of a person, vehicle, etc.) not accom¬ panied; alone; uncared for. ■ 2 see unaccompanied 1. un»aWrib«Ut»a*ble /unatribystsbal/ adj. (esp. of information) that cannot or may not be at¬ tributed to a source, etc. □□ un*at*trib'uf a«bly adv. un^a'vaihing Ainovayling/ adj. not availing; achieving nothing; ineffectual. □□ un*avail' ing'ly adv. un«a*ware /unawair/ • adj. 1 not aware; ig¬ norant (unaware of her presence). 2 (of a per¬ son) insensitive; unperceptive. • adv. = una¬ wares. oo un*a*ware'ness n. m adj. 1 oblivious, unknowing, unsuspect¬ ing, unwitting, unconscious, uninformed, unenlightened. 2 see thoughtless 1. □□ unawareness see ignorance. un«a*wares /unswairz/ adv. 1 unexpectedly unmindful adj. unsamed' adj. unheed ed adj. un*no'tice»able adj. unso'ticesbly adv. unso'ticed adj. un»ob»jec'tionsble adj. unsblig'ing adj. unobservant adj. unobserved’ adj. unobstructed adj. unobtainable adj. unoccupied- adj. unof-fi'cial adj. unoWi'cialty adv. unopened adj. unopposed' adj. un-ortho-dox- adj. unpaid' adj. un-paint'ed adj. unpardonable adj. un-par'don-a-bly adv. unpat-ri-o'tic adj. un-paved' adj. unperturbed' adj. unplanned' adj. unpol'ished adj. unpol-lut'ed adj. unpredictable adj. unpre-dict-abifity n.

un-pre-dicf ably adv. un-pre-dicf ed adj. un-pre'ju-diced adj. un-premed'i-tatsd adj. unprepared' adj. unproductive adj. un-profit-a-ble adj. unpro-nounce'a-ble adj. unpro-pi'tious adj. unprotected adj. un-pro-voked' adj. unpublished adj. unpunished adj. unquenchable adj. un-re-a-lisf ic adj. un-re-a-lisf i-cal-ly adv. unre-a-liz'able adj. un-rea-lized- adj. unrec-og-niz'able adj. unreconciled adj. un-re-cord'ed adj. un-retined' adj. unreg istered adj. unrehearsed’ adj. unrelated' adj. un-re-penf ant-ly adv. unrespon sive adj. unrestrained' adj. unrestricted adj. unsafe' adj.

911

unartistic ~ unbelievable

(met them unawares). 2 inadvertently {dropped it unawares). u 1 abruptly, by surprise, suddenly, off

(one’s) guard. 2 unconsciously, uninten¬ tionally, unknowingly, unwittingly. un»bal*ance /unbalans/ v.tr. 1 upset the physical or mental balance of {unbalanced by the blow, the shock unbalanced him). 2 (as un¬ balanced adj.) a not balanced, b (of a mind or a person) unstable or deranged. ■ 2 (unbalanced) a uneven, unsymmetric(al), lopsided, wobbly, unsteady; one¬ sided, biased, b mad, certifiable, crazy, in¬ sane, eccentric, disturbed, of unsound mind, si. daffy, nuts, bananas, out of one’s head. un*bear*a»ble /unbairabal/ adj. not bearable. □□ un‘bear'a*bly adv. ■ intolerable, unendurable, insufferable, oppressive, overwhelming, colloq. too much. un»be»COm*ing /unbikuming/ adj. 1 not flat¬ tering a person. 2 not fitting; unsuitable. □□ un*be*coming*ly adv. ■ 1 unsuitable. 2 unbefitting; indecorous, improper, offensive, tasteless; inappropriate, out of place. un*be»known /unbinOn/ adj. (also un*be* knownst /-nOnst/) without the knowledge of {was there all day unbeknown to us). n. lack of belief, esp. in

un*be*lief /linbile'ef/

religious matters. □□ un*be*liev*er /-le'evar/ n. un*be*liev'ing adj. ■ see skepticism (skeptic). □□ unbelieving incredulous, doubting, mistrusting, suspi¬ cious; faithless. un*be*liev»a*ble /unbile'evabal/ adj. not be¬ lievable; incredible. □□ un»be»liev'a*bly adv. unsaid' adj. unsalt'ed adj. un-san'itar-y adj. unsat-is-fac'to-ry adj. unsat-is-fac'tori-ly adv. unscarred’ adj. unsche duled adj. unsea soned adj. unsee'ing adj. un-self-con’scious adj. un-self-con'scious-ly adv. unselfson'scious-ness n. unselfish adj. unself'ishty adv. unselfishness n. unsentimental adj. unsigned' adj. unsink'a-ble adj. unskillful adj. unsliced' adj. unsold' adj. unsolved' adj. unspesif'ic adj. un-spe'citied- adj. unspectac ular adj. unspectac'u-lar-ly adv. unspoiled' adj. unsportsmanlike- adj. unstated adj. un-stop'pa-ble adj.

un-substan'ti-atsd adj. unsuc-cess'ful adj. unsucsess'fulty adv. unsuitable adj. un-suit-abil'ity n unsuitable adj. unsuit'ably adv. unsul lied adj. unsu'per-vised- adj. unsupported adj. unsure' adj. unsurpassed' adj. unsuspected adj. unsuspecting adj. unsweetened adj. untested adj. untir ing adj. untrained' adj. untreated adj. untrustworthy adj. untrust'worthiness n. un-us'a-ble adj. un-var'y-ing adj. unwanted adj. un-waver-ing adj. un-waver-ing-ly adv. unwel come adj. unworkable adj. un-work'a-bly adv. un*zip' v.

unbend ~ unconcern

912

■ preposterous, inconceivable, unimagin¬ able, improbable, unthinkable; amazing, ex¬ traordinary, fantastic, colloq. mind-boggling, si. mind-blowing. □□ unbelievably see ter¬ ribly 1. un*bend /unbend/ v. (past and past part, un* bent) 1 tr. & imr. straighten. 2 intr. relax from strain or severity; become affable. un*bend*ing /unbending/ adj. 1 inflexible. 2 firm; austere (unbending rectitude). ■ 1 see inflexible 1. 2 see inflexible 2. un*blink»ing /unblingking/ adj. 1 not blink¬ ing. 2 steadfast; not hesitating. 3 stolid; cool. □□ un*blink'ing*ly adv. m 1, 3 see steady adj. 4. 2 see steadfast. un'bolt /unbolt/ v.tr. release (a door, etc.) by drawing back the bolt. un*born /unbawrn/ adj. 1 not yet born (an unborn child). 2 never to be brought into be¬ ing (unborn hopes). un*bos*om /unbobzam/ v.tr. 1 disclose (thoughts, etc.). 2 [re/7.] unburden (oneself) of one’s thoughts, etc. un*bound*ed /unbowndid/ adj. infinite (un¬ bounded optimism). ■ see limitless (limit) . un*bri*dle /unbri'd’l/ v.tr.

1 remove a bridle from (a horse). 2 remove constraints from (one’s tongue, a person, etc.). 3 (as unbri¬ dled adj.) unconstrained (unbridledinsolence). un*bro*ken /unbrOkan/ adj. 1 not broken. 2 not tamed (unbroken horse). 3 not inter¬ rupted (unbroken sleep). 4 not surpassed (un¬ broken record). m 1 see intact 1. 3 see continuous. un*bur»den /linburd’n/ v.tr. 1 relieve of a

burden. 2 [esp. re/7.] relieve (oneself, one’s conscience, etc.) by confession, etc. ■ 1 (unburden of) see relieve 4. Uncalled /linkawld/ adj. not summoned or invited. □ uncalled-for (of an opinion, ac¬ tion, etc.) impertinent or unnecessary (an uncalled-for remark).

un*can*ny /unkanee/ adj. (un*can*ni*er, un*can*ni*est) seemingly supernatural; mysterious. □□ un*can'ni*ly adv. m see eerie. un*cared-for /unkairdfawr/ adj. disregarded; neglected. un*car*ing /unkairing/ adj. lacking compas¬ sion for others. un*cer*e*mo*ni*ous /unserimCneeas/ adj. 1 informal. 2 abrupt; discourteous. □□ un* cer*e*mo'ni*ous*ly adv. ■ 1 see informal. 2 see curt. un*cer*tain /'unsart’n/ adj. 1 not certainly knowing or known (the result is uncertain). 2 unreliable (his aim is uncertain). 3 change¬ able; erratic (uncertain weather). □ in no un¬ certain terms clearly and forcefully. □□ un*cer'tain*ly adv. un*cer'tain*ty n. • 1 unsure, undecided, unclear, hesitant; indeterminate, unpredictable, unforeseeable, unresolved, unsettled, speculative, debata¬ ble, doubtful, questionable. 2 unpre¬ dictable, haphazard, random. 3 variable, in¬ constant, irregular, fickle, wavering, unreliable; unsystematic.

un*char*i*ta*ble /uncharitabal/ adj. censori¬ ous; severe in judgment. □□ un*char'i*ta* bly adv. m see unkind.

un*chart*ed /unchaartid/ adj. not mapped or surveyed. ■ unknown, unexplored, strange, virgin, trackless. un*chris*tian /unkrischan/ adj. 1 contrary to Christian principles, esp. uncaring or selfish. 2 not Christian. un*ci*al /unsheeal, unshal/ • adj. of or writ¬ ten in rounded, unjoined letters found in manuscripts of the 4th-8th c., from which modern capitals are derived. • n. 1 uncial letter. 2 uncial style or manuscript. un*civ*il /unsivil/ adj. ill-mannered; impolite. See synonym study at rude. □□ un*civ'il*ly adv. un*cle /lingkal/ n. la brother of one’s father or mother, b aunt’s husband. 2 colloq. name given by children to a male family friend. □ Uncle Sam colloq. federal government personified (will fight for Uncle Sam). Uncle Tom derog. black person considered to be servile, cringing, etc. (from the hero of H. B. Stowe’s UncleTom’s Cabin, 1852). un*Clean /unkle'en/ adj. 1 not clean. 2 reli¬ giously impure. 3 Bibl. (of a spirit) wicked. ■ 1 see dirty adj. 1. 2 profane, adulterated, not kosher.

un*clear /unkle'er/ adj. 1 not clear or easy to understand; obscure. 2 (of a person) doubt¬ ful; uncertain (I’m unclear as to what you mean). □□ un*clear'ly adv. un*clOUd*ed /unklowdid/ adj. 1 not cloud¬ ed; clear; bright. 2 untroubled (unclouded se¬ renity) . un*COil /unkoyl/ v. unwind. un«COm«fort*a*ble /unkumftabal, -kumfarta—/ adj. 1 not comfortable. 2 uneasy; dis¬ quieting (uncomfortable silence). □□ un*com' fort*a*bly adv. ■ 1 see cramped (cramp 4b), oppressive 2. 2 see awkward 3, 4. un»Com»mit*ted /unkamitid/ adj. 1 not com¬ mitted. 2 unattached to any specific political cause or group. ■ see neutral adj. 1, nonaligned. un*Com»mon /unkoman/ adj. 1 unusual; re¬ markable. 2 remarkably great, etc. (uncom¬ mon fear of spiders). □□ un*com'mon*ly adv. un*com*mon*ness /-man-nis/ n. • 1 see unusual. 2 see extreme adj. 1. □□ uncommonly see especially, uncom¬ monness see rarity 1, singularity (singu¬ lar).

un*com*mu*ni*Ca*tive /imkamyoonikativ/ adj. not wanting to communicate; taciturn. ■ see TACITURN.

un*com*pro*mis*ing /unkompramizing/ adj. unwilling to compromise; stubborn; un¬ yielding. □□ un*com'pro*mis*ing*ly adv. ■ see resolute. □□ uncompromisingly see downright adv. un»Con»cern /unkansarn/ n. indifference; ap¬ athy. □ □ un*con*cerned’ adj. un*con* cern'ed*ly /-nidlee/ adv. ■ see indifference (indifferent), oa uncon¬ cerned see indifferent 1.

un*Con*di»tion»al /unkandishanal/

adj. not subject to conditions; complete (uncondi¬ tional surrender). □□ un*con»di'tion*al*ly adv.

■ see unqualified 1 3, full adj. 5.

un*con*di*tioned /unkandishand/ adj. 1 not subject to conditions or to an antecedent condition. 2 (of behavior, etc.) not deter¬ mined by conditioning; natural. un*cc>n*nec*ted /unkanektid/ adj. 1 not physically joined. 2 not connected or associ¬ ated. 3 (of speech, etc.) disconnected; not joined in order or sequence (unconnected ideas). • 1 see loose adj. 2.

2 see extraneous 2.

3 see DISCONNECTED 2.

un»COn»SCion*a*ble /unkonshanabal/ adj. 1 a having no conscience, b contrary to con¬ science. 2 excessive (an unconscionable length of time). □□ un*con'scion*a*bly adv. ■ 1 unscrupulous, amoral, unprincipled. 2 egregious, extreme, unwarranted, unrea¬ sonable, outrageous. un*COn»SCious /unkonshas/ • adj. not con¬ scious (unconscious of any change, fell uncon¬ scious on the floor). • n. that part of the mind that is inaccessible to the conscious mind but that affects behavior, emotions, etc. □□ un* consciously adv. un*con'scious*ness n. ■ adj. insensible, knocked out, stunned, co¬ matose, colloq. out (cold); heedless, insensi¬ tive, unmindful, involuntary, mechanical; unaware, oblivious. • n. see subconscious n. □□ unconsciously see unawares 2. uncon¬ sciousness see faint n., stupor. un*con*sti»tu*tion*al /unkonstitobshanal, -tyoo-/ adj. not in accordance with the polit¬ ical constitution or with procedural rules. □□ un*con*sti*tution*al*ly adv. un*con*ven*tion*al /unkanvenshanal/ adj. unusual; unorthodox. □□ un*con*ven*tion* al*i*ty /-nalitee/ n. un*con*ven'tion*al*ly adv.

un*CO*or*di*nat»ed /unko-awrd’naytid/ adj. 1 not coordinated. 2 (of a person’s move¬ ments, etc.) clumsy. ■ 1 see indiscriminate 2. 2 see clumsy 1. un»COrk /unkawrk/ v.tr. 1 draw the cork from (a bottle). 2 allow (feelings, etc.) to be vent¬ ed. un*COUnt»ed /unkowntid/ adj. 1 not count¬ ed. 2 very many; innumerable. un*COU*pie /unkupal/ v.tr. 1 release from couplings. 2 unfasten. un«COUth /unkofeth/ adj. (of a person, man¬ ners, appearance, etc.) lacking in ease and polish; uncultured; rough (uncouth voices, be¬ havior was uncouth). See synonym study at RUDE.

■ see rough adj. 3.

un»COV*er /linkuvar/

v. 1 tr. a remove a cover or covering from, b make known; dis¬ close. 2 intr. remove one’s hat, cap, etc. 3 tr. (as uncovered adj.) a not covered by a roof, clothing, etc. b not wearing a hat. ■ 1 a see bare v. b see bare v., discover 1. 3 a (uncovered) see bare adj. 1. unc'tion /ungkshan/ n. la anointing with oil, etc., as a religious rite, b oil, etc., so used. 2 a soothing words or thought, b ex-

913

unconditional ~ underarm

cessive or insincere flattery. 3 a anointing for medical purposes, b ointment so used. unc«tu*ous /ungkchooas/ adj. 1 (of behav¬ ior, speech, etc.) unpleasantly flattering; oily. 2 (esp. of minerals) having a greasy or soapy feel; oily. □□ unc'tu*ous*ly adv. un*cut /unkut/ adj. 1 not cut. 2 (of a book, film, etc.) complete; uncensored. 3 (of a stone, esp. a diamond) not shaped by cut¬ ting. ■ 1 see intact 1. 2 see entire. un»de*cid»ed /undisidid/ adj. 1 not settled or certain. 2 hesitating; irresolute. ■ 1 see unresolved 2. 2 see irresolute 1. un*de*mon*stra*tive /undimonstrativ/ adj. not expressing feelings, etc., outwardly; re¬ served. un»de*ni»a*ble /undimabal/ adj. 1 unable to be disputed; certain. 2 excellent {of undenia¬ ble character). □□ un*de*ni'a*bly adv. ■ 1 see certain adj. lb. □□ undeniably see undoubtedly (undoubted). un*der /undar/ • prep. 1 a in or to a position lower than; below; beneath (fell under the ta¬ ble). b on the inside of (a surface, etc.) (vest under his jacket). 2 a inferior to; less than (a captain is under a major, is under 18). b at or for a lower cost than (under $20). 3 a sub¬ ject to; controlled by (lives under oppression, the country prospered under him), b undergo¬ ing (is under repair), c classified or sub¬ sumed in (that book goes under biology). 4 at the foot of or sheltered by (hid under the wall, under the cliff). 5 powered by (sail, steam, etc.). • adv. 1 in or to a lower position or condition (kept him under). 2 colloq. in a state of unconsciousness (put her under for the operation). • adj. lower (the under jaw). □ under the sun anywhere in the world, under way in motion; in progress. □□ un' dertmost adj. m prep. 1 a underneath, b within, covered by, beneath. 2 a second to, subservient to, below, subordinate to, answerable to. b less than. 3 a liable to, at the beck and call of, at the mercy of, directed or supervised or bound by; under the protection or care of. c included in or under, comprised in or un¬ der. 4 under the lee of. • adv. 1 below, be¬ neath, down, out of sight; underwater. • adj. inferior. □ under way proceeding, on the move, advancing, going, started, in the pipe¬ line, operating, functioning, colloq. in the works. under- /undar/ prefix in senses of under: 1 below; beneath (underground). 2 lower in status; subordinate (undersecretary). 3 insuf¬ ficiently; incompletely (undercook, underde¬ veloped).

un*der*a*Chieve /undarache'ev/ v.inlr. do less well than might be expected (esp. scho¬ lastically). □□ un*der*a*chiev'er n. un*der»act /undarakt/ v. 1 tr. act (a part, etc.) with insufficient force. 2 intr. act a part in this way. un*der*age /undarayj/ adj. not old enough, esp. not yet of adult status. un*der*arm /undara'arm/ • adj. & adv.

underbelly ~ underpay

914

1 Sports with the arm below shoulder level. 2 under the arm. 3 in the armpit. • n. armpit. un»der*beMy /undarbelee/ n. (pi. -lies) un¬ derside of an animal, vehicle, etc., esp. as an area vulnerable to attack. un*der*bid /undarbid/ v.tr. (-bid-ding; past and past part, -bid) 1 make a lower bid than. 2 [also absol.] Bridge, etc., bid less on (one’s hand) than warranted. □□ un'derbid-der n. un-der-brush /undarbrush/ n. undergrowth in a forest. un-der-car-riage /undarkarij/ n. 1 wheeled, retractable structure beneath an aircraft used for landing, etc. 2 supporting frame of a ve¬ hicle. un-der-charge /undarchaarj/ v.tr. 1 charge too little for (a thing) or to (a person). 2 give too little charge to (a gun, battery, etc.). un*der*class /undarklas/ n. subordinate so¬ cial class. un*der*clothes /undarklOz, -klothz/ n.pl. clothes worn under others, esp. next to the skin. ■ underwear, lingerie, colloq. underthings, joc. unmentionables. un-der-coat /undarkOt/ • n. 1 layer of paint under a topcoat. 2 animal’s under layer of hair or down. • v. tr. seal the underpart of a car against rust, etc., with an undercoat. □□ un'der-coat-ing n. un*der*COV*er /undarkuvar/ adj. [usu. attrib.] 1 surreptitious. 2 spying, esp. by infiltration (undercover agent). m secret, private,

clandestine,

covert,

stealthy.

un*der»cur*rent /undarkarant, -kur-/

n.

1 current below the surface. 2 underlying, often contrary, feeling, activity, or influence (undercurrent of protest).

■ 1 undertow, riptide. 2 undertone, trend, tendency, suggestion, trace, implication, sense; vibrations, colloq. vibes. un»der*cut /undarkut/ v.tr. (-cut-ting; past and past part, -cut) 1 sell or work at a lower price than. 2 cut away the part below or un¬ der (a thing). 3 render unstable or less firm; undermine. ■ 1 undercharge, sell cheaply or at a loss. 2 undermine, excavate, hollow out. 3 weak¬ en, sabotage, impair, disable. un-der-de-vel-oped /undardivelapt/ adj. 1 not fully developed; immature. 2 (of a country, etc.) below its potential economic level. □□ un-der-de-vel'op-ment n. un-der-dog /undardawg, -dog/ n. 1 op¬ pressed person. 2 person whose loss in a contest, etc., is expected. ■ loser, scapegoat, victim; si. fall guy. un»der»done /undardun/ adj. (of food) not sufficiently cooked. un*der*em*ployed /undarimployd/ adj. hav¬ ing employment inadequate to one’s abili¬ ties, education, etc. □□ un-der-em-ploy' ment n. un*der*es*ti*mate •v.tr. /undarestimayt/ form too low an estimate of. • n. /undares-

timat/ estimate that is too low. □□ un-deres-ti-mation /-mayshan/ n. m v. undervalue, underrate, misjudge, trivi¬ alize, not do justice to, fail to appreciate, un-der-ex-pose /undarikspSz/ v.tr. Photog. expose (film) for too short a time, oa under-ex-po-sure /-pozhar/ n. un-der-foot /undarfobt/ adv. 1 under one’s feet. 2 in the way. un-der-gar-ment /undargaarmant/ n. piece of underwear. un-der-go /undargS/ v.tr. (3rd sing, present -goes; past -went; past part, -gone) be sub¬ jected to; suffer; endure. ■ bear, experience, live or go through, weather, withstand. un-der-grad-u-ate /undargrajooat/ n. stu¬ dent at a college or university who has not yet taken a degree. un-der-ground • adv. /undargrownd/ 1 be¬ neath the ground. 2 in or into secrecy or hiding. • adj. /undargrownd/ 1 situated un¬ derground. 2 secret; subversive. 3 uncon¬ ventional; experimental (underground press). • n. /undargrownd/ 1 secret subversive group or activity. 2 Brit, subway system. ■ adv. 1 see beneath adv. • adj. 1 subter¬ ranean, buried, covered. 2 clandestine, hid¬ den, undercover. 3 alternative, radical, non¬ conformist. • n. 1 resistance, partisans, freedom fighters, guerrillas, revolutionaries; fifth column, saboteurs. 2 metro, colloq. tube. un-der-growth /undargroth/ n. dense growth of shrubs, etc., esp. under large trees. un*der»hand • adj. /undarhand/ 1 secret; deceptive; crafty. 2 Sports underarm. • adv. /undarhand/ in an underhand manner. ■ adj. 1 see furtive 1, 2, dishonest. un-der-lie /undarli/ v.tr. (-ly-ing; past -lay; past part, -lain) 1 [also absol.] lie under (a stratum, etc.). 2 [also absol.] (esp. as under¬ lying adj.) be the basis of (a doctrine, law, conduct, etc.). 3 exist beneath the superfi¬ cial aspect of. ■ 2 (underlying) see basic adj. 2. un-der-line /undarlin/ v.tr. 1 draw a line un¬ der. 2 emphasize; stress. ■ 1 underscore. 2 see emphasize. un*der*ling /undarling/ n. usu. derog. subor¬ dinate. un-der-ly-ing pres. part, of underue. un*der*mine /undarmfn/ v.tr. 1 injure, weaken, or wear out secretly or insidiously. 2 wear away the base of (rivers undermine their banks). 3 make an excavation under. ■ 1 drain, disable, debilitate, threaten, sab¬ otage, damage. 2 wash away, erode. 3 un¬ dercut, mine or dig or burrow under, hollow out. UI1*der*neath /undarne'eth/ • prep. 1 at or to a lower place than, below. 2 on the inside of, within. • adv. 1 at or to a lower place. 2 in¬ side. • n. lower surface or part. • adj. lower. ■ adv. 1 see below adv. 2a. un*der«pants /undarpants/ n.pl. undergar¬ ment covering the lower part of the torso. un*der*pass Aindarpas/ n. road, etc., passing under a railroad, another road, etc. un»der»pay /underpay/ v.tr. (past and past

part, -paid) pay too little to (a person) or for (a thing). □□ un*der*pay'ment n. un*der*pin /undarpin/ v.tr. (-pinned, -pin*

ning) 1 support from below with masonry, etc. 2 support; strengthen. ■ 2 see sustain 2. un*der*play /undarplay/ v. 1 tr. play down the importance of. 2 intr. & tr. Theatr. un¬ deract. un*der*pop*u*lat*ed /undarpopyalaytid/ adj. having an insufficient or very small pop¬ ulation. un»der*priv»i«leged /undarprivilijd, -privlijd/ adj. not enjoying the normal standard of living or rights in a society. ■ see deprived (deprive 2). un*der*rate Aindarayt/ v.tr. have too low an opinion of. un*der*score /undarskawr/ v.tr. = underline v.

un*der*sea /undarsee/

adj. below the sea or

its surface.

un*der*sec*re*tar*y /undarsekrateree/ n.

(pi.

-ies) subordinate official, esp. a junior min¬ ister or senior civil servant. un*der*sell /undarsel/ v.tr. (past and past part, -sold) sell at a lower price than (an¬ other seller). ■ see undercut v. 1. un*der»shirt /undarshart/ n. undergarment worn under a shirt. un*der*shoot /undarshoot/ v.tr. (past and past part, -shot) 1 land short of (a runway, etc.). 2 shoot short of or below. un»der*shorts /undarshawrts/ n. short un¬ derpants; trunks. un»der*shot /undarshot/ adj. (of a water¬ wheel) turned by water flowing under it. un»der*side /undarsi’d/ n. lower or under side or surface. un*der»signed /undarsind/ adj. whose signa¬ ture is appended (we, the undersigned, wish to state . . . ).

un*der*skirt /undarskart/ n. skirt worn under another; petticoat.

un«der»staffed /lindarstaft/

adj. having too few staff. ■ short-staffed, undermanned, shorthanded. un*der*Stand /undarstand/ v. (past and past part, -stood /-stobd/) 1 tr. perceive the meaning of (words, a person, a language, etc.) (understood you perfectly, cannot under¬ stand French). 2 tr. perceive the significance or explanation or cause of (do not understand why he came). 3 tr. sympathize with; know how to deal with (understand your difficulty, cannot understand him at all). 4 tr. a infer esp. from information received; take as im¬ plied; take for granted (I understand that it be¬ gins at noon), b [absol.] believe or assume from knowledge or inference (he is coming to¬ morrow, I understand). 5 tr. supply (a word) mentally (the verb may be either expressed or understood). □□ un*der*stand'a*ble adj. un*der*stand'a*bly adv. ■ 1,2 grasp, comprehend, see, make sense of, follow, appreciate, interpret, know, appre¬ hend, fathom, colloq. get, catch on to, get a handle on, si. dig. 3 empathize with, show

915

underpin ~ undertow

compassion for; accept, tolerate. 4 hear, gather, be told or informed or advised, have found out or learned, interpret, assume, con¬ clude. □ □ understandable see intelligi¬ ble. un*der*stand*ing /understanding/ • n. 1 a ability to understand or think; intelli¬ gence. b power of apprehension; power of abstract thought. 2 individual’s perception of a situation, etc. 3 agreement, esp. infor¬ mally (had an understanding with the rival company). 4 sympathy or tolerance. • adj. 1 having understanding or insight or good judgment. 2 sympathetic. □□ un*der* stand'ing*ly adv. m n. 1 intellect, mind, brain, sense, reason, wisdom, insight, si. savvy; comprehension, awareness, knowledge; conception, mastery. 2 reading, interpretation, judgment. 3 con¬ tract, arrangement, accord, treaty, alliance, settlement. 4 empathy, rapport, feeling, compassion, sensitivity. • adj. 1 see judi¬ cious. 2 see sympathetic adj. 1. un*der*state /undarstayt/ v.tr. (often as un¬ derstated adj.) 1 express in greatly re¬ strained terms. 2 represent as being less than it actually is. □□ un*der*state'ment n. ■ understated 1 subtle, low-key, simple, basic, unadorned. un*der*Stood past and past part, of under¬ stand. un»der»stud*y /undarstudee/ esp. Theatr. n. (pi. -ies) person ready to act at short notice in the absence of another. • v. tr. (-ies, -ied) 1 study (a role, etc.) as an understudy. 2 act as an understudy to (a person). ■ n. second, substitute, stand-in, colloq. sub. • v. 2 substitute for, back up, double for, re¬ place. un*der»take /undartayk/ v.tr. (past -took; past-part. -tak*en) 1 bind oneself to per¬ form; make oneself responsible for; engage in; enter upon (work, an enterprise, a re¬ sponsibility). 2 accept an obligation; prom¬ ise. 3 guarantee; affirm. ■ 1 assume, take on, accept, begin, tackle, try. 2 agree, consent, contract, pledge. 3 see swear v. la, 2. un*der»tak»er /undertaykar/ n. person whose business is to make arrangements for funer¬ als. ■ funeral director, mortician. un*der*tak»ing /undartayking/ n. 1 work, etc., undertaken; enterprise (a serious under¬ taking). 2 pledge or promise. ■ 1 affair, business, project, effort. 2 com¬ mitment, assurance, contract, agreement, vow, guarantee. un*der*things /undarthingz/ n.pl. colloq. un¬ derclothes. un*der*tone /undartbn/ n. 1 subdued tone of sound or color. 2 underlying quality. 3 undercurrent of feeling. ■ 1 see murmur n. 1, tint n. 2. 2,3 see un¬ dercurrent 2. un*der*tOW /undarto/ n. current below the surface of the sea moving in the opposite di¬ rection to the surface current.

undervalue ~ unequaled un*der«val»ue undarvalydo/'

916

v.tr. (-val*ues, -valued, -val*u*ing) 1 value insufficiently. 2 underestimate. □□ un'der’vabu’ation n. m 2 see underestimate v. un»der*wa»ter /undsrwawtar, -wotar/ • adj. situated or done under water. • adv. in and covered by water. ■ adj. submarine; see also sunken 1. • adv. undersea, submerged, flooded. un»der»wear /undarwair/ n. underclothes. un*der»weight /undarwayt/ adj. weighing less than is normal or desirable. ■ see light2 adj. 2. un*der*whelm /undarhwelm, -welm/ v.tr. joc. fail to impress. un*der«world /undarwarld/ n. 1 those who live by organized crime and immorality. 2 mythical abode of the dead under the earth. ■ 1 syndicate, Mafia, Cosa Nostra, crimi¬ nals, colloq. mob, gangland. 2 nether regions or world, lower regions or world, Hades, hell. un*der»write /undar-rit/ v. (past -wrote; past part, -writ'ten) law. sign and accept lia¬ bility under (an insurance policy, etc.), b tr. accept (liability) in this way. C intr. practice (marine) insurance. 2 tr. undertake to fi¬ nance or support. 3 tr. engage to buy all the unsold stock in (a company, etc.). □□ un' der*writ*er n. ■ 1 a, b subscribe to, endorse, sign, ap¬ prove, validate, colloq. OK, okay. 2 back (up), invest in, subsidize, guarantee. un*de*signed /undizind/ adj. unintentional. un*de*sir»a*ble /undizirabal/ • adj. objec¬ tionable; unpleasant, •n. undesirable per¬ son. □□ un*de»sir»a*bil'i*ty n. • adj. unwanted, offensive, unwelcome, dis¬ liked, repugnant. • n. pariah, outcast, exile, reject, leper. un*did past of undo. un*dies /lindeez/ n.pl. colloq. (esp. women’s) underclothes. un»diMer*en*ti*at»ed /undifarensheeaytid/ adj. not differentiated; amorphous. un*dO /undoo/ v.tr. (3rd sing, present -does; past -did; past part, -done) 1 unfasten or untie (a coat, button, package, etc.). 2 an¬ nul; cancel (cannot undo the past). 3 ruin the prospects, reputation, or morals of. ■ 1 loosen, open, unzip, unbutton, unbuck¬ le; unlock, unbolt, unlatch; unwrap, uncover; unravel; disconnect, release, unscrew, un¬ plug. 2 rescind, void, reverse, invalidate. 3 see ruin v. 1. un*doc*U*ment»ed /undokyamentid/ adj. 1 not having the appropriate document. 2 not supported by written evidence. ■ 2 unrecorded. un*do*ing /undobing/ n. 1 ruin or cause of ruin. 2 reversing what has been done. 3 opening or unfastening. ■ 1 destruction, defeat, downfall, over¬ throw, fall, collapse, humiliation, shame, dis¬ grace; curse, misfortune, poet. bane. un*done /undun/ adj. 1 not done; incom¬ plete (left the job undone). 2 not fastened (left the buttons undone). 3 ruined.

■ 1 unfinished, omitted, neglected, missed, forgotten. 2 open, loose, untied, detached. 3 lost, wrecked, destroyed, defeated. un«doubt*ed /undowtid/ adj. certain; not questioned. □□ un’doubt'ed*ly adv. ■ see certain adj. lb. □□ undoubtedly without (a) doubt, unquestionably, beyond (a or the shadow of a) doubt, definitely, un¬ mistakably, clearly, of course. un*dreamed /undre'emd, undremt/ adj. (also un'dreamt /undremt/) not dreamed or thought of or imagined. un»dress /undres/ • v. 1 intr. take off one’s clothes. 2 tr. take the clothes off (a person). • n. 1 ordinary dress as opposed to full dress or uniform. 2 casual or informal dress. un*due /undoo, -dyob/ adj. excessive; dispro¬ portionate. □□ un'du'ly adv. ■ see excessive (excess) . un»du*late • v. /unjalayt, -dya-, -da-/ have or cause to have a wavy motion or look. • adj. /unjalat, -dya-, -da-/ wavy (leaves with undulate margins). □□ un‘du*la*tion /-layshan/ n. m v. see wave v. 2. un*dy*ing /undi-ing/ adj. 1 immortal. 2 never-ending (undying love). □□ un'dy'ing* ly adv. • see immortal adj. la. oo undyingly see ALWAYS 1. unlearned /unarnd/ adj. not earned, a un¬ earned income income from investments, etc., as opposed to salary, etc. un«earth /unarth/ v.tr. discover by searching, digging, or rummaging. ■ exhume; excavate, dredge up, mine. un*earth»ly /unarthlee/ adj. 1 supernatural; mysterious. 2 colloq. absurdly early or incon¬ venient (unearthly hour). □□ un*earth'li* ness n. m 1 unnatural, psychic(al); weird, bizarre, macabre, colloq. spooky, creepy. 2 strange, unusual, out of the ordinary, outrageous; ri¬ diculous, unreasonable, colloq. ungodly, si. god-awful. un*ease /une'ez/ n. lack of ease; discomfort; distress. un*eas*y /une'ezee/ adj. (un»eas'i*er, un* eas'i'est) 1 nervous; anxious. 2 disturbing (had an uneasy suspicion). □□ un*eas'i*ly adv. un*eas'i*ness n. m 1 see anxious 1, restless 2. 2 see distur¬ bing (disturb). un*e*mo*tio*nal /unimbshonal/ adj. not emotional; lacking emotion. ■ see cold adj. 4, cool adj. 2. un»em»ploy»a»ble /unimploysbal/ adj. unfit for paid employment. □□ un*em'ploy*a* bil'i'ty n. un*em*ployed /unimployd/ adj. 1 out of work. 2 not in use. □□ un*em»ploy'ment n. u 1 jobless, laid off, unoccupied, between assignments, at leisure. 2 unused, inactive. un*e*qual /uneekwal/ adj. 1 not equal. 2 of varying quality. 3 unfair (an unequal bar¬ gain). □□ un*e'qual*ly adv. un*e*qualed /une'ekwald/ adj. superior to all others. ■ see peerless (peer2) .

un*e*quiv»0*cal /unikwivakal/ adj. not am¬ biguous; plain; unmistakable. □□ un*e* quiv'o*cal*ly adv. ■ see plain2 adj. X, 2, categorical. □□ un¬ equivocally see expressly (express). un*err»ing /unering/ adj. not erring; true; cer¬ tain. □□ un*err'ing*ly adv. un*err'ing* ness n. m see certain adj. 3, true adj. 6. □□ unerr¬ ingly see exactly 1. UNESCO /yoonesko/ abbr. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Orga¬ nization. un»eth*i»cal /unethikal/ adj. not ethical, esp. unscrupulous in business or professional conduct. □□ un*eth'i*cal*ly adv. un*e*ven /uneevan/ adj. 1 not level or smooth. 2 not uniform. 3 (of a contest) un¬ equal. □□ un*e’ven*ly adv. un*even*ness n. • 1,2 see irregular adj. 1, 2. 3 see dispro¬ portionate. □□ unevenness see irregularity (irregular), disproportion. un»ex*am*pled /unigzampald/ adj. without precedent. un*ex*cep*tion*a*ble /uniksepshanabal/ adj. entirely satisfactory. □□ un*ex*cep'tion*a* bly adv. ■ see faultless. un*ex»cep*tion*al /uniksepshanal/ adj. not out of the ordinary; usual; normal, no un* ex*cep'tion*al*ly adv. un*ex*pect»ed /unikspektid/ adj. not expect¬ ed; surprising. □□ un*ex*pect'ed*ly adv. un*ex*pect'ed*ness n. ■ unexpectedly see suddenly (sudden) . un*ex*pur*gat*ed /unekspargaytid/ adj. (esp. of a text) complete. un*fail*ing /unfayling/ adj. 1 not failing. 2 not running short. 3 constant. 4 reliable, □o un*fail'ing*ly adv. • 1 see certain adj. 3. 2 see inexhaustible 1. 3 see constant adj. 3. 4 see reliable. □□ unfailingly see consistently (consistent). un*fair /unfair/ adj. 1 not equitable or honest (iobtained by unfair means). 2 not impartial or according to the rules. □□ un*fair'ly adv. un'fair'ness n. ■ 1 see dishonest. 2 see irregular adj. 3, prejudiced (prejudice). □□ unfairly see ill adv. 1. unfairness see injustice 1. un*faith«ful /unfaythfOOl/ adj. 1 not faithful, esp. adulterous. 2 not loyal. 3 treacherous. □□ un*faith'ful*ly adv. un*faith'ful*ness n.

■ see untrue 2. □□ unfaithfulness see in¬ fidelity 1, PERFIDY. un*fas*ten /unfasan/ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become loose. 2 tr. open the fastening(s) of. 3 tr. detach. ■ see loosen, undo 1. un*feel*irtg /unfeeling/ adj. unsympathetic; harsh. □□ un*feel'ing*ly adv. un'feigned /unfaynd/ adj. genuine; sincere. ■ see SINCERE. un*fin*ished /unfinisht/ adj. not finished; in¬ complete. ■ see incomplete. un»fit»ting /unfiting/ adj. not suitable; unbe¬ coming. on un*fit'ting*ly adv.

917

unequivocal ~ ungracious

un*fix /unfiks/ v.tr. 1 release or loosen. 2 de¬ tach.

un»flag*ging /linflaging/ adj. tireless; persist¬ ent. □□ un*flag ging*ly adv.

un»flap*pa»ble /imflapabal/

adj. colloq. im¬ perturbable; calm. □□ un*flap*pa*bil'i*ty n. un*flap'pa*bly adv. ■ see cool adj. 2. un*fold /unfold/ v. 1 tr. open the fold(s) of; spread out. 2 tr. reveal (thoughts, etc.). 3 intr. become opened out. 4 intr. develop. ■ 1,3 unfurl, stretch out, extend, straighten out. 2 see bare v. 4 evolve, take place, be di¬ vulged. un*forced /unfawrst/ adj. 1 easy; natural. 2 not compelled or constrained. ■ 1 see spontaneous 2. 2 see optional. un*for*get*ta*ble /unfargetabal/ adj. that cannot be forgotten; memorable; wonderful {an unforgettable experience). □□ un*for*get' ta*bly adv. ■ see memorable. uniformed /unfawrmd/ adj. 1 not formed. 2 shapeless. 3 not developed. un*for»tu*nate /unfawrchanat/ • adj. 1 hav¬ ing bad fortune; unlucky. 2 unhappy. 3 re¬ grettable. 4 disastrous. • n. unfortunate per¬ son. □□ un*for’tu*nate*ly adv. m adj. 1 hapless; cursed, poor, doomed, illfated, colloq. jinxed. 2 miserable, wretched, dismal. 3 deplorable, lamentable, distur¬ bing. 4 catastrophic, grievous, terrible, dire; inauspicious. • n. see wretch 1. □□ unfor¬ tunately sadly. un*found*ed /unfowndid/ adj. having no foundation {unfounded hopes, unfounded ru¬ mor). • baseless, unwarranted, unjustified, un¬

supported.

un»friend«ly /unfrendlee/

adj. (un*friend'li* er, un*friend'li*est) not friendly. □□ un* friend'li*ness n. un*fun*ny /unfunee/ adj. (un*fun*ni*er, un* fun*ni*est) not amusing (though meant to be), do un*fun'ni*ly adv. un*furl /unfarl/ v. 1 tr. spread out (a sail, etc.). 2 intr. become spread out. ■ 1 see spread v. la. un*gain*ly /ungaynlee/ adj. awkward; clumsy. □□ un*gain'li*ness n. • see AWKWARD 2. un*god*ly /ungodlee/ adj. 1 impious; wicked. 2 colloq. outrageous {ungodly hour). □□ un*god'li*ness n. ■ 1 sinful, blasphemous, heretical, athe¬ istic), irreverent; depraved, corrupt, im¬ moral, evil. 2 awful, indecent, monstrous, colloq. unearthly, beastly, si. god-awful. □□ ungodliness see sin1 n. 1. un*gov*ern»a»ble /unguvarnabal/ adj. un¬ controllable; violent. □□ un*gov*ern*a*bil' i*ty n. un*gov'ern*a*bly adv. ■ unruly, intractable, unmanageable, rebel¬ lious, wild. un*gra*CiOUS /ungrayshas/ adj. not kindly or courteous; unkind. □□ un*grac'ious*ly adv. un*gra'cious*ness n. m overbearing, rude, uncivil, impolite,

unguarded ~ union

918

ill-bred, ill-mannered, gruff, abrupt, incon¬ siderate. un*guard*ed /unga'ardid/ adj. 1 incautious; thoughtless (unguarded remark). 2 not guarded. □□ un*guard'ed*ly adv. un* guard'ed*ness n. ■ 1 indiscreet, careless, imprudent; inatten¬ tive, inadvertent. 2 defenseless, unprotect¬ ed, open, vulnerable. un«guent /unggwsnt/ n. soft substance used as ointment or for lubrication. ■ see OINTMENT. un*gu*late /ungyalat, -layt/ • adj. hoofed. • n. hoofed mammal. un*haWowed /unhalod/ adj. 1 not conse¬ crated. 2 not sacred; unholy; wicked. un*hand /unhand/ v.tr. rhet. or joc. 1 take one’s hands off (a person). 2 release from one’s grasp. un*hap*py /unhapee/ adj. (un*hap*pi*er, un*hap*pi*est) 1 miserable. 2 unsuccess¬ ful; unfortunate. 3 disastrous. □□ un*hap’ pi*ly adv. un*hap'pi*ness n. m 1 sad, depressed, blue, dejected, melan¬ choly, gloomy, downhearted, sorrowful, crest¬ fallen, glum, tearful, colloq. down. 2 unlucky, cursed, frustrated, disappointed, colloq. jinxed. 3 see unfortunate adj. 2. □□ un¬ happily sadly, unhappiness see misery 1. un*health*y /unhelthee/ adj. (un*health*i* er, un*health*i*est) 1 not in good health. 2 a (of a place, etc.) harmful to health, b un¬ wholesome. C si. dangerous to life. □□ un* health'i*ly adv. un*health'i*ness n. m 1 ailing, unwell, ill, frail, unsound, in poor condition. 2 a, b sickly, noxious, detrimen¬ tal. C risky, perilous. un»heard /unhbrd/ adj. 1 not heard. 2 (usu. unheard-of) unprecedented; unknown. ■ 2 (unheard-of) unfamiliar, obscure, unidentified; unbelievable, inconceivable, unusual; shocking, offensive, outrageous. un*hinge /unhinj/ v.tr. 1 take (a door, etc.) off its hinges. 2 (esp. as unhinged adj.) un¬ settle or disorder (a person’s mind, etc.), make (a person) crazy. ■ 1 see undo 1. 2 (unhinged) see crazy 1. un*hitch /unhich/ v.tr. 1 release from a hitched state. 2 unhook; unfasten. ■ see DISCONNECT, UNDO 1. un*ho*ly /unholee/ adj. (un*ho'li*er, un* hol'i*est) 1 impious; wicked. 2 colloq. dreadful; outrageous (made an unholy ordeal out of nothing). □□ un*ho li*ness n. m 1 see impious. 2 see dreadful adj. 1. uni- /yOoni/ comb, form one; having or consist¬ ing of one. u*ni*cam*er*al /yoonikamsral/ adj. with a single legislative chamber. UNICEF /yobnisef/ abbr. United Nations Children’s (orig. International Children’s Emergency) Fund. u»ni*ceMu*lar /yobniselyabr/ adj. (of an or¬ ganism, organ, tissue, etc.) consisting of a single cell. U»ni»Corn /yflbnikawrn/ n. mythical animal with a horse’s body and a single straight horn.

U*ni*cy*cle /yobnisiksl/ n. single-wheeled cy¬ cle, esp. as used by acrobats. □□ u'ni*cy* clist n. U*ni*form /yoonifawrm/ • adj. 1 not chang¬ ing in form or character; unvarying (present a uniform appearance, of uniform size). 2 con¬ forming to the same standard, rules, or pat¬ tern. • n. distinctive clothing worn by mem¬ bers of the same body, e.g., by soldiers, police, and schoolchildren. □□ u'ni*formed adj. u*ni*for'mi*ty n. u'ni*form*ly adv. ■ adj. 1, 2 homogeneous, consistent, con¬ stant; regimented, standard; ordered, equal, identical; even, unbroken, regular. • n. liv¬ ery, habit, costume, outfit. □□ uniformity regularity, similarity, consistency, agree¬ ment; harmony; dullness, monotony, lack of variety, uniformly see alike adv. U*ni»fy /yobnifi/ v.tr. [also absol.] (-fies, -fied) reduce to unity or uniformity, oo u* ni*fi*ca'tion n. u'ni*fi*er n. ■ consolidate, combine, bring together, join, merge, incorporate, integrate. □□ uni¬ fication see union 1. U*ni*lat*er*al /yobnilataral/ adj. 1 performed by or affecting only one person or party (uni¬ lateral disarmament). 2 one-sided. □□ u*ni* lat'er*al*ly adv. un*i*mag*i*na*tive /unimajinativ/ adj. lack¬ ing imagination; stolid; dull. □□ un*i*mag' i*na*tive*ly adv. ■ see PROSAIC.

un*im»peach*a»ble /unimpe'echsbal/ adj. be¬ yond reproach or question. □□ un*im* peach'a*bly adv. • see IRREPROACHABLE.

un*i»ni«ti»at*ed Aininisheeaytid/ adj. not ini¬ tiated; not admitted or instructed. un*in»spired /uninspird/ adj. 1 not inspired. 2 (of oratory, etc.) commonplace. ■ 2 see prosaic.

un*in*ter*est*ed /unintrsstid, -tsristid, -tares-/ adj. 1 not interested. 2 uncon¬ cerned; indifferent. □□ un*in'ter*est*ed*ly adv.

■ see indifferent 1. un»in»vit*ing /uninviting/ adj. unattractive; repellent. □□ un*in*vit'ing*ly adv. ■ repulsive, offensive, unappealing, un¬ pleasant, disagreeable, sickening. un*ion /yobnysn/ n. 1 uniting; being united. 2 a whole resulting from the combination of parts or members, b political unit formed in this way, esp. (Union) the US (esp. as dis¬ tinct from the Confederacy during the Civil War), the UK, or South Africa. 3 = labor union. 4 marriage. 5 concord; agreement (lived together in perfect union). 6 Math, total¬ ity of the members of two or more sets. □ Union Jack national flag of the United Kingdom formed by the union of the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick. ■ 1 unification, combination, junction, as¬ sociation, coalition, bond, marriage, confed¬ eration, synthesis, blend, mixture. 2 alli¬ ance, society, club, team, syndicate, coalition, party, federation, consortium, car¬ tel. 4 matrimony, wedlock, partnership. 5 accord, harmony, coherence, compatibil¬ ity, unanimity.

un»ion*ize /ydbnyanlz/

v. bring or come un¬ der labor-union organization or rules. □□ un*ion*i*za'tion n. urnique /yoOneek/ adj. 1 of which there is only one; unequaled; having no like, equal, or parallel (this vase is considered unique). 2 disp. unusual; remarkable (the most unique man I ever met). □□ u*nique'ly adv. u* nique'ness n. ■ 1 single, (one and) only, solitary, individ¬ ual, distinctive; unrivaled, incomparable, second to none. 2 see exceptional. □□ uniqueness see singularity (singular). u*ni»sex /y(5bniseks/ adj. (of clothing, hair¬ styles, etc.) designed to be suitable for both sexes. U*ni#son /'yobnisan/ n. 1 Mus. coincidence in pitch of sounds or notes. 2 agreement; con¬ cord (acted in perfect unison). ■ 2 see UNITY 2; (in unison) in harmony, to¬ gether, as one, harmonious; (in unison with) corresponding exactly to or with, in (perfect) accord with. U*nit /yobnit/ n. la individual thing, person, or group regarded as single and complete, b each of the (smallest) separate individuals or groups into which a complex whole may be analyzed (the family as the unit of society). 2 quantity as a standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed (unit of heat, mass per unit volume). 3 device with a specified function forming part of a complex mechanism. 4 group of buildings, wards, etc., as in a hospital. 5 the number ‘one’. □ unit cost cost of producing one item, unit price price charged for each unit of goods supplied. ■ 1,3 element, component, entity, part, item, constituent, piece, portion, segment, member, section, module. un»i»tard /yobnataard/ n. one-piece leotard that covers the legs as well as the torso. U*ni*tar»i*an /ydbnitaireean/ • n. 1 person who believes that God is not a Trinity but one being. 2 member of a religious body maintaining this and advocating freedom from formal dogma or doctrine. • adj. of or relating to the Unitarians. □□ U*ni»tar'i* an*ism n. U»ni»tar*y /yooniteree/ adj. 1 of a unit or units. 2 marked by unity or uniformity. U*nite /yobnit/ v. 1 join together; combine. 2 join in marriage. 3 form or cause to form a physical or chemical whole (oil will not unite with water).

■ 1,3 bond, fuse or stick or tie or bind or fas¬ ten or fix or fit (together); integrate, incorpo¬ rate, blend, mix, consolidate. 2 marry, link, connect, colloq. get hitched. U*ni*ty /yobnitee/ n. (pi. -ties) 1 oneness; be¬ ing one, single, or individual; being formed of parts that constitute a whole (disturbs the unity of the idea, national unity). 2 harmony or concord between persons, etc. 3 thing forming a complex whole (a person regarded as a unity). 4 Math, the number ‘one,’ the factor that leaves unchanged the quantity on which it operates. ■ 1 singularity, integrity, identity, similarity; cohesion, union. 2 consistency, unanimity.

919

unionize ~ university

uniformity, consensus, accord, solidarity, compatibility, sympathy, like-mindedness. Univ. abbr. University. u*ni*va*lent /yoonivaylant/ adj. Chem. having a valence of one. U*ni*valve /yoonivalv/ Zool. • adj. having one valve. • n. univalve mollusk. u*ni*ver*sal /yobnivarsal/ • adj. of, belong¬ ing to, or done, etc., by all; applicable to all cases (met with universal approval). • n. 1 Logic universal proposition. 2 Philos. a term or concept of general application, b nature or essence signified by a general term. □ universal joint (or coupling) joint or coupling that can transmit rotary power by a shaft at any angle. Universal Product Code bar code on products that can be read by an electronic scanner, usu. providing price and product identification. □□ u*ni* ver*sal*i*ty /-salitee/ n. u*ni*ver'sal*ize v.tr. u*ni*ver'sal*ly adv. ■ adj. 1 prevailing, general, global, wide¬ spread; infinite, limidess, all-inclusive, wideranging. □□ universality see prevalence (prevalent) . universally in every case or in¬ stance, without exception, always, exten¬ sively, widely, everywhere. synonym study: CATHOLIC,

universal

COMMON,

COSMIC, ECUMENICAL,

general, generic. Something that is uni¬ versal applies to every case or individual in a class or category (a universal practice among aboriginal tribesmen; a universal truth). Gen¬ eral, on the other hand, is less precise; it im¬ plies applicability to all or most of a group or class, whether the members of that group are clearly defined or only casually associated (a drug that has come into general use among women but has not yet won the universal accep¬ tance of doctors). Generic is often used in place of general when referring to every member of a genus or clearly-defined scien¬ tific category (a generic characteristic of insects)', with reference to language, it means referring to both men and women (a generic pronoun). Common implies participation or sharing by all members of a class (a common interest in French culture) or frequently occur¬ ring (a common complaint). Catholic implies a wide-ranging or inclusive attitude (known for his catholic tastes in music), while ecu¬ menical means pertaining to the whole Christian church or promoting unity among religious groups or divisions (an ecumenical marriage ceremony).

U*ni»verse /yobnivars/ n. la all existing things; the cosmos, b sphere of existence, in¬ fluence, activity, etc. 2 all humankind. 3 Statistics & Logic all the objects under con¬ sideration. ■ 1 a creation; world, b world, province, domain, circle, territory, microcosm. 2 hu¬ manity, people, society. U*ni*ver*si*ty /yobnivarsitee/ n. (pi. -ties) educational institution designed for instruc¬ tion, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning, confer-

unkempt - unmerciful

920

ring degrees in various faculties, and often embodying colleges and similar institutions. un»kempt /unkempt/ adj. 1 untidy; of ne¬ glected appearance. 2 disheveled. □□ un* kempt'ly adv. un*kempt’ness n. m 1 ungroomed, messy, bedraggled, rum¬ pled, slovenly, colloq. scruffy, mussed (up). 2 uncombed, tousled, disordered, messedup, colloq. scruffy. un*kind /unkind/ adj. 1 not kind. 2 harsh; cruel. 3 unpleasant. □□ un*kind'ly adv. un'kind'ness n. m inconsiderate, thoughtless, unfeeling, un¬ sympathetic, unchristian, hard-hearted, rigid, callous, tough, inflexible, stern, mali¬ cious, inhuman, brutal, colloq. beastly. □□ unkindness see disservice. un*know»a»ble /un-nOsbal/ • adj. that can¬ not be known. • n. 1 unknowable thing. 2 (the Unknowable) the postulated abso¬ lute or ultimate reality. un*know*ing /un-n6ing/ adj. not knowing; ignorant; unconscious. □□ un*know'ing*ly adv. » see unaware adj. 1. □□ unknowingly see

UNAWARES 2.

un»known /un-n6n/ • adj. not known; unfa¬ miliar (his purpose was unknown to me). • n. 1 unknown thing or person. 2 unknown quantity (equation in two unknowns). □ Un¬ known Soldier unidentified soldier killed in war, given burial with special honors in a na¬ tional memorial. ■ adj. unrecognized, strange, anonymous, incognito, unspecified; obscure, unheard-of, undistinguished; unexplored, mysterious, uncharted, dark. • n. 1 see nobody n. un»law»ful /unlawfdOl/ adj. illegal; not per¬ missible. □□ un*law'ful*ly adv. unlawful* ness n. • illicit, against the law, illegitimate, crimi¬ nal; outlawed, banned, prohibited; unautho¬ rized, colloq. crooked. un»lead*ed /linledid/ adj. 1 (of gasoline, etc.) without added lead. 2 not covered, weighted, or framed with lead. urMearn /unlorn/ v.tr. {past and past part, un* learn*ed or un*learnt) 1 discard from one’s memory. 2 rid oneself of (a habit, false information, etc.). un»learn*ed /unlarnid/ adj. not well edu¬ cated; untaught; ignorant. urMeash /unleesh/ v.tr. release from a leash or restraint. ■ see release v. 1, loose v. 3. un*leav*ened /unlevand/ adj. made without yeast or other raising agent. urMess Andes, on-/ conj. if not; except when {shall go unless I hear from you, always walked unless I had a bicycle).

un*let*tered /unletard/ adj. 1 illiterate. 2 not well educated.

un*like /unlik/ • adj. 1 not like; different from {is unlike both his parents). 2 uncharac¬ teristic of {such behavior is unlike him). 3 dis¬ similar; different. • prep. differently from {acts quite unlike anyone else).

■ adj. 1 dissimilar to, distinct from, oppo¬

site from or to, separate from, far from. 2 atypical of. 3 unalike, distinct, opposite, contrasting, incompatible, ill-matched, une¬ qual. • prep, in contrast with or to, as op¬ posed to. un»like*ly Ainliklee/ adj. (un*like*li*er, un* like*li*est) 1 improbable {unlikely tale). 2 not expected {he’s unlikely to be available). 3 unpromising {unlikely candidate). □□ un* like'li'hood n. un*like'li*ness n. • 1 doubtful, dubious, remote, unthinka¬ ble, unimaginable. 3 unpropitious, inauspi¬ cious. un*lim*it*ed /unllmitid/ adj. without limit; unrestricted; very great in number or quan¬ tity {unlimited possibilities, unlimited expanse of sea), on un*lim'it*ed*ness n. m unrestrained, unqualified, indefinite, farreaching; boundless, vast, immense, innu¬ merable, never-ending, infinite, extensive. urMoad Ainlod/ v.tr. 1 [also absol.] remove a load from (a vehicle, etc.). 2 remove the charge from (a firearm, etc.). 3 colloq. get rid of. 4 [often foil, by on] colloq. a divulge (in¬ formation) . b [also absol. ] give vent to (feel¬ ings). □□ un*load'er n. m 1 empty, dump, unpack; unburden. 3 see dump1 v. 1. 4 a see disclose 1. b see free v. 2, vent v. 2. urHock /unlok/ v.tr. la release the lock of (a door, box, etc.), b release or disclose by un¬ locking. 2 release thoughts, feelings, etc., from (one’s mind, etc.). ■ 1 a see open v. 1,2, undo 1. 1 b, 2 see re¬ lease v. 1. urMooked-for /unldbktfawr/ adj. unex¬ pected; unforeseen. urMoose /unldbs/ v.tr. (also un*loos’en) loose; set free. un*luck*y Ainlukee/ adj. (un*luck'i*er, un* luck'i*est) 1 not fortunate or successful. 2 wretched. 3 bringing bad luck. 4 illjudged. □□ un*luck'i*ly adv. un*luck'i* ness n. • 1 see unfortunate adj. 1. 2 see tragic. 4 see ill-advised 2. □□ unluckily sadly. un»make /unmayk/ v.tr. {past and past part. un*made) undo the making of; destroy; de¬ pose; annul. un*man /unman/ v.tr. (unmanned, un* man*ning) deprive of supposed manly qual¬ ities (e.g., self-control, courage); cause to weep, etc.; discourage. un*mask /unmask/ v. 1 tr. a remove the mask from, b expose the true character of. 2 intr. remove one’s mask. □□ un*mask'er n.

■ 1 b see expose 5. un«men*tion*a*ble Ainmenshanabal/ • adj. that cannot (properly) be mentioned. • n. 1 [in pi] joc. undergarments. 2 person or thing not to be mentioned. □□ un*men' tion*a*bly adv. ■ adj. unspeakable, unprintable, taboo, scandalous, forbidden; disgraceful, rude, shameful, shocking, obscene. • n. 1 (unmen¬ tionables) underclothes, underwear, lingerie, colloq. undies. un*mer*ci*ful /unmbrsifool/ adj. merciless. □□ un*mer'ci*ful*ly adv.

■ pitiless, unsparing, unkind, relentless, heartless, unfeeling, inhuman, harsh, savage, barbarous. □□ unmercifully see roughly (rough). un»mis*tak»a*ble /unmistaykobal/ adj. that cannot be mistaken or doubted; clear. □□ un*mis*tak'a*bly adv. m see clear2 adj. 6, obvious. □□ unmis¬ takably see obviously (obvious), expressly (express), undoubtedly (undoubted). un*mit*i*gat* ed /unmitigaytid/ adj. 1 not mitigated or modified. 2 absolute; unquali¬ fied (an unmitigated disaster). See synonym study at severe, do un*mit'i*gat*ed*ly adv. n 1 undiluted, untempered, unabated, op¬ pressive, relentless. 2 out-and-out, thor¬ ough, downright, sheer, complete, total, perfect, utter. □□ unmitigatedly see down¬ right adv. un*mor»al /unmawral, -mor-/ adj. not con¬ cerned with morality (cf. immoral), do un* mo*ral*i*ty /- ralitee/ n. un*mor'al*ly adv. umrnoved /unmobvd/ adj. 1 not moved. 2 not changed in one’s purpose. 3 not af¬ fected by emotion. □□ un*mov'a*ble adj. (also un*move'a*ble). ■ 2 see relentless 1. 3 cool, aloof, calm, unsympathetic, apathetic, dispassionate, in¬ different, stony, hard-hearted. □□ unmova¬ ble see immovable adj. un*nat*u*ral /lin-nacharal/ adj. 1 contrary to nature; not normal. 2 a lacking natural feel¬ ings. b extremely cruel or wicked. 3 artifi¬ cial. 4 affected, no un*nat'u*ral*ly adv. m 1 outlandish, weird, peculiar, strange, su¬ pernatural, grotesque, bizarre, extraordi¬ nary; unexpected, uncharacteristic. 2 abnor¬ mal, perverse, monstrous, improper; deviant, depraved; unfeeling, callous, inhuman, colloq. kinky, si. bent. 3 see artificial 1, 2. 4 labored, forced, stilted, insincere, con¬ trived, self-conscious, theatrical, colloq. phony. un*nec*es*sar*y /un-nesaseree/ adj. 1 not necessary. 2 more than is necessary (with unnecessary care). □□ un*nec*es*sar'i*ly adv. m 1 unneeded, dispensable, disposable, ex¬

pendable, unwanted, nonessential. 2 sur¬ plus, superfluous, redundant, extra. □□ un¬ necessarily unduly. un*nerve /lin-narv/ v.tr. deprive of strength or resolution. □□ un*nerv'ing*ly adv. ■ upset, agitate, fluster, unsettle, intimi¬ date, stun, shatter, colloq. shake (up), rattle, faze, throw. un»num»bered /un-numbard/ adj. 1 not marked with a number. 2 not counted. 3 countless. ■ 3 see umpteen adj. un*ob*tru»sive /unabtrobsiv/ adj. not making oneself or itself noticed. □□ un*ob*tru'sive* ly adv. un*ob*tru'sive*ness n. ■ inconspicuous, low-key, modest, unpre¬ tentious, quiet, nonassertive, subdued, dis¬ creet. □□ unobtrusively see quietly (QUIET). un*or*gan*ized /linawrganlzd/ adj. 1 not or¬ ganized (cf. disorganize). 2 not represented by a labor union. un*pack /unpak/ v.tr. 1 [also absol.] open

921

unmistakable ~ unqualified

and remove the contents of (a package, lug¬ gage, etc,). 2 take (a thing) out from a pack¬ age, etc. □□ un*pack'er n. un*pal*at*a*ble /unpalatabal/ adj. 1 not pleasant to taste; inedible. 2 (of an idea, sug¬ gestion, etc.) disagreeable; distasteful. □□ un*pal*at*a*bLTi*ty n. ■ unsavory, unattractive, repugnant, nasty, offensive, objectionable. un*par»aMeled /unparaleld/ adj. having no parallel or equal. ■ incomparable, unrivaled, unmatched, su¬ perior, special, singular, rare, unique, excep¬ tional. un*pleas*ant /unplezant/ adj. not pleasant; disagreeable. □□ un*pleas'ant*ly adv. un* pleas'ant*ness u. ■ see nasty 1,3. □□ unpleasantly see aw¬ fully 1. unpleasantness see trouble n. 1. Ureplug /unplug/ v.tr. (un*plugged, un* plug*ging) 1 disconnect (an electrical de¬ vice) by removing its plug from the socket. 2 unstop. urpplumbed /unplumd/ adj. 1 not plumbed. 2 not fully explored or understood. □□ un* plumb 'a*ble adj. un*pop*U*lar /unpopyalar/ adj. not popular; not liked by the public or by people in gen¬ eral. □□ un*pop*u*lar*i*ty /-laritee/ n. un* pop'u*lar*ly adv. u out of favor, avoided, snubbed, ignored, rejected, outcast, despised; unloved, friend¬ less. un*prac*ticed /unpraktist/ adj. 1 not experi¬ enced or skilled. 2 not put into practice. ■ 1 see inexperienced (inexperience). un*prec*e*dent»ed /unpresidentid/ adj. 1 having no precedent; unparalleled. 2 novel. □□ un*prec'e*dent*ed*ly adv. ■ 1 see extraordinary 1, 2. 2 see original adj. 2. un*pre*pos*sess*ing /unpreepazesing/ adj. unattractive. un*pre*ten»tious /unpritenshas/ adj. not making a great display; simple; modest. □ □ un*pre*ten'tious*ly adv. un*pre*ten' tious*ness n. • see modest 1, 2, 4. un*prin*ci*pled /unprinsipald/ adj. lacking or not based on good moral principles. ■ see unscrupulous. un*print*a*ble Ainprintabal/ adj. that cannot be printed, esp. because too indecent or li¬ belous or blasphemous. □□ un*print'a*bly adv.

un*pro*fes*sion*al /unprafeshanal/ adj. 1 contrary to professional standards of be¬ havior, etc. 2 not belonging to a profession; amateur. □□ un*pro*fes'sion*al*ly adv. m 1 unbecoming, improper, unethical, neg¬ ligent; incompetent, second-rate, inefficient, low-quality. 2 lay, unspecialized, inexperi¬ enced, untrained, unskilled. □□ unprofessionally see poorly adv. un*prompt*ed /unpromptid/ adj. sponta¬ neous. ■ see voluntary adj. 1. un*qual*i*fied /unkwolifid/ adj. 1 not com-

unquestionable ~ unsavory 922 petent (unqualified to give an answer). 2 not legally or officially qualified (unqualified practitioner). 3 complete (unqualified suc¬ cess) . m 1 ineligible, unfit, unable. 2 untrained, unprepared, amateur. 3 unrestricted, un¬ conditional, categorical, outright, pure (and simple), true, perfect, absolute. un*ques*tion*a*ble /unkweschanabal/ adj. that cannot be disputed or doubted. □□ un* questionably adv. ■ undeniable, certain, positive, irrefutable, obvious, clear, definite, unmistakable, con¬ clusive. oo unquestionably see undoubtedly (undoubted). un*ques*tioned /unkweschand/ adj. 1 not disputed or doubted; definite; certain. 2 not interrogated. un*ques*tion#ing /unkweschaning/ adj. 1 asking no questions. 2 done, etc., without asking questions. □□ un*ques'tion*ing*ly adv. ■ 2 see implicit 2. □□ unquestioningly see willingly (willing), implicitly (implicit). un*qui*et /unkwiat/ adj. 1 restless; agitated. 2 perturbed; anxious, oo un*qui'et*ly adv. un*qui’et*ness n. un*quote /unkwSt/ v.tr. [as int.] (in reading aloud, etc.) indicate the presence of closing quotation marks (cf. quote v. 3). un*rav*el /unraval/ v. 1 tr. cause to be no longer raveled, tangled, or intertwined. 2 tr. probe and solve (a mystery, etc.). 3 tr. undo (a fabric, esp. a knitted one). 4 intr. become disentangled or unknitted. ■ 1 unsnarl, sort out. 2 see solve. 3 see UNDO 1. unvead /unred/ adj. 1 (of a book, etc.) not read. 2 (of a person) not well-read. un»read*a»ble /unre'edabal/ adj. 1 too dull or too difficult to be worth reading. 2 illegible. □□ un*read*a*bil'i*ty n. un*read'a*bly adv. m 2 see illegible. unneal /unre'eal/ adj. 1 not real. 2 imagi¬ nary; illusory. 3 si. incredible. □□ un*re*al* i*ty /-reealitee/ n. un*re'al*ly adv. ■ 1 artificial, synthetic, mock, false, coun¬ terfeit, make-believe. 2 theoretical, hypo¬ thetical, mythical, fabulous, fanciful, dream¬ like, nonexistent. 3 see incredible. un*rea*SOn /unre'ezan/ n. lack of reasonable thought or action. un*rea*SOn*a*ble /unre'ezanabal/ adj. 1 go¬ ing beyond the limits of what is reasonable or equitable (unreasonable demands). 2 not guided by or listening to reason. See syno¬ nym study at absurd. □□ un*rea'son*a*ble* ness n. un*rea'son*a*bly adv. • 1 excessive, outrageous, exorbitant, ex¬ travagant, unjust, unwarranted, improper, unjustified; inappropriate, unrealistic. 2 ir¬ rational, illogical, absurd, foolish, mindless, mad, moronic, stupid, ridiculous; unperceptive, short-sighted. □□ unreasonableness see absurdity (absurd), folly 1. unreasona¬ bly unduly. un*re*gen*er*ate unrijenarat/ adj. not re¬

generate; obstinately wrong or bad. □□ un* re*gen'er*a*cy n. un*re*gen'er*ate*ly adv. un*re*lent»ing /unrilenting/ adj. 1 not re¬ lenting or yielding. 2 unmerciful. □□ un*re* lent'ing'ly adv. m see relentless 1. un*re*li*a*ble /unriliabal/ adj. not reliable; erratic. □□ un*re*li*a*bil'i*ty n. un*re*li’a* bly adv. m untrustworthy, undependable, irresponsi¬ ble, uncertain, fickle, inconsistent, tempera¬ mental, treacherous, flimsy, risky, si. dicey, iffy. □□ unreliability see inconstancy (in¬ constant2). unreliably see by fits and starts (fit). un«re*lieved /unrile'evd/ adj. 1 lacking the relief given by contrast or variation. 2 not aided or assisted. ■ 1 see UNMITIGATED 1. un*re*mit*ting /unrimiting/ adj. never relax¬ ing or slackening; incessant. □□ un*re*mit' ting*ly adv. un*re*mit'ting*ness n. m see relentless 2. un*re»quit*ed /unrikwftid/ adj. (of love, etc.) not returned. □□ un*re*quit'ed*ly adv. un»re*served /linrizarvd/ adj. 1 not reserved (unreserved seats). 2 without reservations; absolute (unreserved confidence). □□ un*re* serv'ed'ly adv. m 1 see free adj. 7. 2 see wholehearted. □□ unreservedly see absolutely 1. un*re»solved /unrizolvd/ adj. 1 a uncertain how to act; irresolute, b undecided. 2 (of questions, etc.) undetermined; undecided; unsolved. ■ 1 unsure, ambivalent, wavering, hesitant. 2 unsetded, open, up in the air, moot, pend¬ ing, debatable, questionable, unanswered. u rarest /unrest/ n. restiessness; disturbance; agitation. ■ uneasiness, distress, anxiety, anguish, concern, turmoil, rioting, trouble, strife. un»right»eouS /unrfchas/ adj. not righteous; unjust; wicked; dishonest. □□ un*right' eous*ly adv. un*right'eous*ness n. un»ri»valed /unrivald/ adj. having no equal; peerless. ■ see peerless (peer2). un*roll /unrOl/ v. 1 open out from a rolled-up state. 2 display or be displayed in this form. un*ruf*fled /unrufald/ adj. 1 not agitated or disturbed; calm. 2 not physically ruffled. ■ 1 see calm adj. 2. un»rul*y /unroblee/ adj. (un*rul*i*er, un* rul*i*est) not easily controlled or disci¬ plined; disorderly. □□ un*rul'i*ness n. m unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrol¬ lable, lawless, insubordinate, rebellious, headstrong, stubborn, uncooperative, wild, violent, stormy, colloq. rambunctious. un*sad*dle /unsad’l/ v.tr. 1 remove the sad¬ dle from (a horse, etc.). 2 dislodge from a saddle. un*sat*u*rat*ed /unsacharaytid/ adj. 1 Chem. (of a compound, esp. a fat or oil) having double or triple bonds in its molecule and therefore capable of further reaction. 2 not saturated. □□ un*sat*u*ra*tion /-rayshan/ n. un*sa*vor*y /unsayvaree/ adj. 1 disagreea-

ble; disgusting. 2 morally offensive. □□ un* sa'vor*i*ness n. m unappetizing, inedible; distasteful, objec¬ tionable, unpleasant, repugnant, nasty, sick¬ ening, noxious. un*scathed /unskaythd/ adj. without suffer¬ ing any injury. ■ unhurt, undamaged, safe and sound, in¬ tact, whole, as new, colloq. like new. un*schooled /unskoold/ adj. 1 uneducated; untaught. 2 untrained; undisciplined. ■ 2 see inexperienced (inexperience). un*sci»en*tif*ic /unslontifik/ adj. not in ac¬ cordance with scientific principles. □□ un* sci*en*tifi*cal*ly adv. un*scram*ble /unskrambal/ v.tr. restore from a scrambled state, esp. interpret (a scrambled transmission, etc.). □□ un*scramb'ler n. u see DECIPHER 1. un*SCrew /unskrob/ v. 1 tr. & intr. unfasten or be unfastened by removing a screw or screws or by twisting like a screw. 2 tr. loosen (a screw). un»SCript»ed /unskriptid/ adj. (of a speech, etc.) delivered without a prepared script. ■ See EXTEMPORANEOUS. un*SCru*pu*louS /'unskrobpyalss/ adj. having no scruples; unprincipled. □□ un*scru'pu* lous*ly adv. un*scrupu*lous*ness n. m unconscionable, amoral, unethical, im¬ moral, dishonorable, corrupt, dishonest, col¬ loq. shifty, crooked. un*seal /unse'el/ v.tr. break the seal of; open (a letter, receptacle, etc.). un*sea*SOn»a*ble /unseezanabal/ adj. 1 not appropriate to the season. 2 untimely; inop¬ portune. □□ un*season*a*bly adv. • 2 unsuitable, inappropriate, ill-timed, in¬ expedient. un*seat /unseet/ v.tr. 1 remove from a seat, esp. in an election. 2 dislodge from a seat, esp. on horseback. ■ 1 see topple 2. un*seem*ly /unse'emlee/ adj. (un*seem*li* er, un*seem*li*est) 1 indecent. 2 unbe¬ coming. □□ un*seem'li*ness n. m 1 improper, indelicate, in poor or bad taste, risque, naughty, obscene, off-color. 2 unrefined, undignified, disreputable, inap¬ propriate. □□ unseemliness see impropri¬ ety 1. un*seen /unseen/ adj. 1 not seen. 2 invis¬ ible. ■ 1 see background 2. 2 see invisible 1, 2. un»self*ish /unselfish/ adj. mindful of others’ interests. □□ un*self ish*ly adv. un*selF ish*ness n. • unsparing, giving, bighearted, magnani¬ mous, considerate, thoughtful, selfless, self-sacrificing. □□ unselfishness see al¬ truism. un*seMle /unset’l/ v. 1 tr. disturb the settled state or arrangement of; discompose. 2 tr. derange. 3 intr. become unsetded. □□ un* set'ding adj. m 1 upset, agitate, perturb, fluster, dismay, colloq. shake (up), rattie; see also disorder v. 2 see upset v. 3. □□ unsetding unnerving, upsetting, disturbing, disconcerting. un*set*tled /unset’ld/ adj. 1 not (yet) setded.

923

unscathed ~ unsteady

2 liable or open to change or further discus¬ sion. 3 (of a bill, etc.) unpaid. ■ 1 unfixed, unstable, changing, variable, unpredictable, uncertain; disoriented, con¬ fused; disturbed, turbulent, agitated, colloq. rattled, riled. 2 see unresolved 2. un*shak*a*ble Ainshaykobol/ adj. (also un* shake*able) firm; obstinate. □□ un*shak*a* bil'i*ty n. un*shak'a*bly adv. ■ see firm1 adj. 2a, b. un*shrink*ing /unshringking/ adj. unhesitat¬ ing; fearless. □□ un*shrink'ing*ly adv. un*SighWy /unsitlee/ adj. unpleasant to look at; ugly. □□ un*sight'li*ness n. • hideous, awful-looking, horrible, gro¬ tesque, offensive, unattractive. unskilled Ainskild/ adj. lacking or not need¬ ing special skill or training. ■ see menial adj., amateur adj., inexperi¬ enced (inexperience). un*SO*lic»it*ed /unsalisitid/ adj. not asked for; given or done voluntarily. ■ unlooked-for, gratuitous, free, voluntary, uninvited, unbidden. un*SO*phis*ti*cat*ed /unssfistikaytid/ adj. 1 artless; simple; natural; ingenuous. 2 not adulterated or artificial. See synonym study at gullible. □□ un*so*phis'ti*cat*ed*ly adv. m 1 naive, inexperienced, callow, childlike,

unworldly, innocent, unaffected, guileless. 2 simple, crude, undeveloped, primitive, un¬ complicated. un'SOUght /unsawt/ adj. 1 not searched out or sought for. 2 unasked; without being re¬ quested. ■ 1 see gratuitous 2. un*SOUnd /unsownd/ adj. 1 unhealthy; dis¬ eased. 2 rotten; weak. 3 a ill-founded; falla¬ cious. b unorthodox; heretical. □□ un* sound'ly adv. un*sound'ness n. m 1 ill, afflicted, delicate, injured. 2 frail, flimsy, shaky, unstable, wobbly, decrepit, de¬ fective. 3 a illogical, faulty, flawed, invalid, groundless, unfounded, erroneous, defec¬ tive. un*sparking /unspairing/ adj. 1 lavish; pro¬ fuse. 2 merciless. □□ un*spar'ing*ly adv. m 1 see lavish adj. 1, 2. 2 see merciless. un*speak*a*ble /unspe'ekabal/ adj. 1 that cannot be expressed in words. 2 indescriba¬ bly bad or objectionable. □□ un*speak'a* ble*ness n. un*speak’a*bly adv. ■ see inexpressible, outrageous 3. □□ un¬ speakably see BADLY 1. un»sta*ble /unstaybal/ adj. (un*sta*bler, un* sta*blest) 1 not stable. 2 changeable. 3 showing a tendency to sudden mental or emotional changes. □□ un*sta'ble*ness n. un*sta'bly adv. ■ 1 see shaky. 2, 3 variable, unsteady, in¬ consistent, capricious, fickle, unpredictable, unreliable, erratic, volatile, moody, in¬ decisive, irresolute, unsettled, unbalanced, twisted. un*Stead*y /unstedee/ adj. (un*stead*i*er, un*stead*i*est) 1 not steady or firm. 2 changeable; fluctuating. 3 not uniform or

unstinting ~ untrue

924

regular. □□ un*stead'i*ly adv. un*stead'i* ness n. m 1 see SHAKY, doddering (dodder), faint adj. 2. 2 see variable adj. 2. □□ unsteadi¬ ness see fluctuation (fluctuate), inconstancy (inconstant). un»stint*ing /unstinting/ adj. ungrudging; lavish. □□ un-stint'ing’ly adv. ■ See GENEROUS 1, WHOLEHEARTED. un*Stop /unstop/ v.tr. (un-stopped, un* stop*ping) 1 free from obstruction. 2 re¬ move the stopper from. un»stressed /unstrest/ adj. 1 (of a word, syl¬ lable, etc.) not pronounced with stress. 2 not subjected to stress. un*String /unstring/ v.tr. (past and past part. un*strung) 1 remove or relax the string(s) of (a bow, harp, etc.). 2 remove from a string. 3 (esp. as unstrung adj.) unnerve. un*struc*tured /unstnikchsrd/ adj. 1 not structured. 2 informal. ■ 1 see incoherent 2. 2 see informal. un*Stud*ied /unstudeed/ adj. easy; natural; spontaneous. un*sub«stan*tial /unsabstanshal/ adj. having little or no solidity, reality, or factual basis. □□ un*sub*stan*tial*i*ty /-sheealitee/ n. un*sub*stan'tial*ly adv. un*suit»ed /unsobtid/ adj. 1 [usu. foil, by for] not fit for a purpose. 2 [usu. foil, by to] not adapted. ■ see UNQUALIFIED 1, INCOMPATIBLE 1,3. Ufl'SUng /unsung/ adj. 1 not celebrated; un¬ known. 2 not sung. ■ 1 unrecognized, unglorified, unnoticed, disregarded, unheard-of, anonymous, ob¬ scure, insignificant, inconspicuous. un*swerv*ing /unswerving/ adj. 1 steady; constant. 2 not turning aside. □□ un* swerv'ingriy adv. m 1 see constant adj. 3. □□ unswervingly see consistently (consistent). un*tan»gle/untanggal/ v.tr. disentangle. ■ see STRAIGHTEN, EXTRICATE, unmapped /untapt/ adj. not (yet) tapped or used. un*taught /untawt/ adj. 1 not instructed by teaching; ignorant. 2 not acquired by teach¬ ing; natural; spontaneous. ■ 2 see inborn, natural adj. 4. un»ten*a»ble /lintenobal/ adj. not tenable; that cannot be defended, on un*ten*a*bil'i* ty n. un*ten'a*bly adv. m unsupportable, indefensible, unjustified, baseless, unfounded, flawed, weak, illogical, unreasonable, unsound, invalid. un*think*a*bie /unthingkabsl/ adj. 1 that cannot be imagined or grasped by the mind. 2 colloq. highly unlikely or undesirable. □□ un*think'a*bly adv. ■ 1 inconceivable, unbelievable, incompre¬ hensible, extraordinary, colloq. mindboggling, si. mind-blowing. 2 unacceptable, unattractive, absurd, illogical, out of the question, ridiculous. un*think*ing /unthingking/ adj. 1 thought¬ less. 2 unintentional; inadvertent. □□ un* think'ing*ly adv.

m 1 inconsiderate, impolite, tacdess, rude, undiplomatic, discourteous, uncivil, indis¬ creet, negligent, careless, mindless, unrea¬ sonable, illogical, foolish, rash, impetuous, stupid, silly, shortsighted, colloq. crazy, mo¬ ronic. 2 see inadvertent 1. on unthink¬ ingly see blindly (blind) . un*ti#dy /untidee/ adj. (un*ti*di*er, un*ti*di* est) not neat or orderly. □□ un*ti'di*ly adv. un*ti'di*ness n. u messy, disheveled, unkempt, slovenly, bedraggled, rumpled, sloppy, colloq. scruffy; littered, cluttered, chaotic, disorganized, topsy-turvy, messed-up. □□ untidiness see disorder n. 1. un*tie /unri/ v.tr. (pres. part. un*ty*ing) 1 undo (a knot, the cords of a package, etc.). 2 release from bonds or attachment. ■ 1 see undo 1. 2 see release v. 1. un*til /antil, un-/prep. & conj. till; before; up to the time that. fUsed esp. when beginning a sentence and in formal style, e.g., until you told me, I had no idea; he resided there until his decease.

un*time*ly /untimlee/

adj. 1 inopportune. 2 (of death) premature. □□ un*time'li*ness

n. m 2 see premature 1. un*tO /untoo, lints/ prep, archaic - TO prep, (in

all uses except as the sign of the infinitive); (do unto others, faithful unto death, take unto oneself). un*told /untdld/ adj. 1 not told. 2 not (able to be) counted or measured (untold misery). m 1 unpublished, unrevealed, unreported,

private, hidden, secret. 2 innumerable, in¬ calculable, inestimable; unlimited; inex¬ pressible, unimaginable, inconceivable, un¬ thinkable, unspeakable. un*tQUCh*a*ble /untuchabal/ • adj. that may not or cannot be touched. • n. member of a hereditary Hindu group held to defile members of higher castes on contact. □□ un*touch*a*bil'i*ty n. un*touch'a*ble* ness n. untouched /untiicht/ adj. 1 not touched. 2 not affected physically. 3 not affected by emotion. ■ 2 see unused lb, unscathed. 3 see un¬ moved 3. un*to*ward /untawrd, -tswawrd/ adj. 1 in¬ convenient; unlucky. 2 awkward. 3 un¬ seemly. □□ un*to*ward'ly adv. un*toward' ness n. m 1 adverse, unfavorable, discouraging, bad, unfortunate. 3 unbecoming, inappro¬ priate, unsuitable, impolite, rude, indelicate, unwarranted, undiplomatic, tactless; illconceived, silly, foolish, stupid, ill-timed. un*tram*meled /untramald/ adj. unham¬ pered. un*tried /untrid/ adj. 1 not tried or tested. 2 inexperienced. ■ 1 unproved, unproven, new. 2 see raw adj. 3. un*trou*bled /untnibald/ adj. not troubled; calm; tranquil. ■ see TRANQUIL. un*true /untrob/ adj. 1 not true; contrary to what is the fact. 2 [often foil, by to] not faith-

ful or loyal. 3 deviating from an accepted standard. □□ un*tru'ly adv. m 1 wrong, false, inaccurate, misleading, mistaken, distorted. 2 disloyal, fickle, unde¬ pendable, untrustworthy, false, dishonest, insincere, two-faced, devious, deceitful, treacherous. 3 inexact, imprecise, imperfect. un*truth /untrooth/ n. (pi. un*truths /-troothz, -trobths/) 1 state of being untrue; falsehood. 2 false statement (told me an un¬ truth). □□ un*truth'ful adj. un*truth'ful*ly adv. un*truth'ful*ness n. m 2 see lie2 n. □□ untruthful FALSE adj. 1, 2b, DECEITFUL. un»tu*tOred /untootord, -tyob-/ adj. unedu¬ cated; untaught. un*twist /untwist/ v. open from a twisted or spiraled state. un*used adj. 1 /unyoozd/ a not in use. b never having been used. 2 /unyoost/ [foil, by to] not accustomed. ■ 1 a abandoned, neglected, idle, vacant, empty, free, b (brand-)new, untouched, original, fresh, firsthand; leftover, remaining, surplus. 2 (unused to) unfamiliar with, inex¬ perienced in or at. un*u»su*al /unyobzhooal/ adj. 1 not usual. 2 exceptional; remarkable. □□ un*u'su*al*ly adv.

1 uncommon, rare, unexpected, surpris¬ ing, unconventional. 2 atypical, different, singular, abnormal, irregular, extraordinary, odd, curious, bizarre, eccentric, colloq. wayout, disp. unique, si. off-the-wall. □□ unusu¬ ally see ESPECIALLY. un»ut»ter*a»ble /linutarabal/ adj. inexpressi¬ ble; beyond description (unutterable torment). □□ un*ut'ter*a*bly adv. n see inexpressible. un*var«nished /unva'arnisht/ adj. 1 not var¬ nished. 2 plain and straightforward (the un¬ varnished truth).

■ 2 simple, pure, unembellished, direct, honest, naked, stark, sincere, frank, candid, outspoken. un*veil /unvayl/ v. 1 tr. remove a veil from. 2 tr. remove a covering from (a statue, plaque, etc.) as part of the ceremony of the first pub¬ lic display. 3 tr. disclose; reveal; make pub¬ licly known. 4 intr. remove one’s veil. ■ 1-3 expose, uncover; divulge, bring to light. _ un*VOiced /unvoyst/ adj. 1 not spoken. 2 Phonet. not voiced. ■ 1 see TACIT, sneaking (SNEAK v. 3a). un«war*rant*ed /unwawrantid, -wor-/ adj. 1 unauthorized. 2 unjustified. ■ 2 uncalled-for, indefensible, unfair, un¬ worthy, improper, inexcusable, undeserved, excessive. un*wary /unwairee/ adj. 1 not cautious. 2 [often foil, by of] not aware of possible dan¬ ger, etc. □□ un*war'i*ly adv. un*war'i*ness n. • 1 heedless, careless, hasty, unsuspecting,

foolhardy, unthinking, unwise. 2 see una¬ ware adj. 1. un*washed /unwosht, -wawsht/ adj. not washed or clean. □ the great unwashed colloq. the masses; the common people.

925

untruth ~ unwrap

■ dirty; filthy, grimy, soiled. □ the great unwashed the rabble, the hoi polloi, people (at large or in general), the population, the man in the street, the working class(es), most people, the (silent) majority, Middle America. un*wea»ry*ing /unwe'ereeing/ adj. 1 persist¬ ent. 2 not causing or producing weariness. □□ un*wea'ry*ing*ly adv. un*well /unwel/ adj. not in good health; (somewhat) ill. un*whole*SOme /unholsam/ adj. 1 not pro¬ moting, or detrimental to, physical or moral health. 2 unhealthy-looking. □□ un*whole' some*ly adv. un*whole'some*ness n. • 1 unhealthy, deleterious, unhygienic, in¬ sanitary, harmful, toxic, injurious, destruc¬ tive; corrupt, immoral, sinful; demoralizing, degrading, corrupting. 2 ill, ailing, sickly, pale. un*wield*y /unweeldee/ adj. (un*wield*i*er, un*wield*i*est) cumbersome, or hard to manage, owing to size, shape, etc. □□ un* wield'i*ness n. ■ awkward, bulky, burdensome, ungainly, inconvenient. □□ unwieldiness see incon¬ venience n. 1. un*will*ing /unwiling/ adj. not willing or in¬ clined; reluctant. □□ un*will'ing*ly adv. un*will'ing*ness n. m see reluctant. □□ unwillingly see under protest (PROTEST). un*wind /unwind/ v. (past and past part. un* wound' /-wownd/) 1 a tr. draw out (a thing that has been wound). b intr. become drawn out after being wound. 2 intr. & tr. colloq. relax. ■ 2 see relax 1. Ufl'Wise /unwiz/ adj. foolish; imprudent. □□ un*wise'ly adv. ■ see IMPRUDENT. un«wit*ting /unwiting/ adj. 1 unaware (un¬ witting offender). 2 unintentional. □□ un* wit'ting*ly adv. un*wit'ting*ness n. • 1 see unaware adj. 1. 2 see inadvertent 1. □□ unwittingly see unawares 2. un*wont*ed /unwawntid, -won-, -wun-/ adj. not customary or usual. □□ un*wont'ed*ly adv. un*wont'ed*ness n. m infrequent, uncommon, unfamiliar, rare, abnormal, peculiar, strange, unconventional, unorthodox. un*WOrld*ly /unworldlee/ adj. 1 spiritual. 2 naive. □□ un*world'li*ness n. • 1 see spiritual adj. un»WOr»thy /unwurthee/ adj. (un*wor*thi* er, un*wor*thi*est) 1 [often foil, by of not worthy or befitting the character of a person, etc. 2 discreditable; unseemly. 3 contempt¬ ible; base. □□ un*wor'thi*ly adv. un*wor' thi*ness n. u 1 unmerited, inferior, menial, mediocre, unqualified, ineligible; (unworthy of) inap¬ propriate to, unfit for, beneath. 2 dishonor¬ able, improper, undignified, shameful. 3 see contemptible. un*wrap /unrap/ v. (un*wrapped, un*wrap*

unwritten ~ upland

926

ping) 1 tr. remove the wrapping from. 2 tr. open or unfold. 3 intr. become unwrapped. ■ undo, open. un*writ*ten /unrit’n/ adj. 1 not written. 2 (of a law, etc.) resting originally on custom or ju¬ dicial decision, not on statute. ■ 1 see verbal adj. 2. un*yield*ing /unye'elding/ adj. 1 not yielding to pressure, etc. 2 firm; obstinate. □□ un* yield'ing'ly adv. un*yield'ing*ness n. ■ 1 see firm1 adj. 1. 2 see firm1 adj. 2, ob¬ stinate. up /up/ • adv. 1 at, in, or toward a higher place or position (jumped up in the air, what are they doing up there?). 2 to or in a place regard¬ ed as higher, esp. northward (up in New Eng¬ land). 3 colloq. ahead, etc., as indicated (went upfront). 4 a to or in an erect position or con¬ dition (stood it up). b to or in a prepared or re¬ quired position (wound up the watch). C in or into a condition of efficiency, activity, or progress (stirred up trouble, the house is up for sale). 5 in a stronger or winning position or condition (our team was three goals up). 6 (of a computer, machine, etc.) running and availa¬ ble for use. 7 to the place or time in question or where the speaker, etc., is (a child came up to me, has been fine up till now). 8 at or to a higher price or value (our costs are up). 9 a completely or effectually (burn up, eat up, use up), b more loudly or clearly (speak up). 10 completed; past (time is up). 11 into a compact, accumulated, or secure state (pack up, save up, tie up). 12 a awake, b out of bed (are you up yet?). 13 (of the sun, etc.) having risen. 14 happening, esp. unusually or unex¬ pectedly (something is up). 15 [usu. foil, by on] informed about. 16 Baseball at bat (he struck out his last time up). • prep. 1 upward along, through, or into (climbed up the ladder). 2 from the bottom to the top of. 3 along (walked up the road). 4 a at or in a higher part of (is situated up the street), b toward the source of (a river). • adj. [often in comb.] di¬ rected upward (upstroke). • n. spell of good fortune. • v. (upped, up*ping) 1 intr. colloq. start up; begin abruptly to say or do some¬ thing (upped and hit him). 2 tr. increase or raise, esp. abruptly (upped all their prices). □ on the up and up colloq. honest(ly); on the level, up against 1 close to. 2 colloq. con¬ fronted with (up against a problem), up and about (or doing) having risen from bed; ac¬ tive. up-and-coming colloq. making good progress and likely to succeed, up and down 1 in every direction. 2 colloq. in varying health or spirits, up for available for or being considered for (office, etc.), up-front adv. (usu. up front) 1 at the front; in front. 2 (of payments) in advance, adj. 1 honest; open; frank. 2 (of payments) made in advance. 3 at the front or most prominent, ups and downs mixed fortune, up to 1 until (up to the pre¬ sent). 2 less than or equal to (adds up to $10). 3 incumbent on (it is up to you to say). 4 capa¬ ble of or fit for (am not up to a long walk). 5 occupied or busy with (what have you been up to?).

• adv. 15 see informed. □ on the up and up see sincere, aboveboard, up and down 1 see about adv. 3. up- /up/ prefix in senses of up, added: 1 as an adverb to verbs and verbal derivations, = ‘upward’ (update). 2 as a preposition to nouns forming adverbs and adjectives (upcountry, uphill). 3 as an adjective to nouns (upland, upstroke).

up*beat /upbeet/ • n. unaccented beat in music. • adj. colloq. optimistic or cheerful. ■ adj. positive, favorable, encouraging, heartening. up*braid /upbrayd/ v.tr. chide or reproach (a person). See synonym study at scold. □□ up'braid ing n. ■ scold, rebuke, reprimand, berate, casti¬ gate, haul a person over the coals, colloq. tell off, dress down, jump on, bawl out. □□ up¬ braiding see reprimand n. up*bring»ing /upbringing/ n. care and educa¬ tion of a child. ■ raising, parenting, nurture, instruction, cultivation, breeding. UPC abbr. = Universal Product Code (univer¬ sal). up*chuck /upchuk/ v. si. vomit. up*COm»ing /upkuming/ adj. forthcoming; about to happen. ■ see FORTHCOMING 1. up*date • v.tr. /updayt/ bring up to date. • n. /updayt/ 1 updating. 2 updated informa¬ tion, etc. □□ up*dat'er n. u v. see modernize, revise v. 1. up*end /upend/ v. set or rise up on end. up-grade •v.tr. /upgrayd/ 1 raise in rank, etc. 2 improve (equipment, etc.). • n. /up¬ grayd/ 1 upgrading. 2 improvement. 3 up¬ ward slope. □□ up'grad*er n. • v. 1 see promote 1. 2 see improve la. • n. 1 see promotion (promote) . up*heav*al /upheeval/ n. violent or sudden change or disruption. ■ upset, unrest, commotion, revolution, cataclysm, turbulence, disturbance, disorder, confusion, chaos, uproar, furor. up-hill /liphil/ • adv. up a hill, slope, etc. • adj. 1 sloping up; ascending. 2 arduous; difficult (an uphill task). ■ adj. 2 see laborious 1. up*hold /uphold/ v.tr. (past and past part, up* held' /-held/) 1 confirm. 2 support (a per¬ son, practice, etc.). □□ up'hold'er n. m 1 see confirm 1,2. 2 maintain, sustain, defend, protect, back, champion, stick up for. □□ upholder see proponent n. up*hol*Ster /'upholstar, ap6l-/ v.tr. provide (furniture) with upholstery. □□ up*hol' ster*er n. up*hol*Ster*y /upholstaree, ap6l—/ n. 1 cov¬ ering, padding, springs, etc., for furniture. 2 upholsterer’s work. up*keep /upkeep/ n. 1 maintenance in good condition. 2 cost or means of this. ■ 1 repair, preservation, conservation, oper¬ ation. 2 (operating) costs, (running) expens¬ es, outlay, expenditure, overhead. up*land /upland/ • n. the higher or inland parts of a country. • adj. of or relating to these parts.

■ n. see hill n. 1, interior n. 2. up*lift • v. tr. /uplift/ 1 raise; lift up. 2 elevate morally or spiritually. • n. /uplift/ colloq. morally or spiritually elevating influence. od up’lift'er n. up*lift’ing adj. (esp. in sense 2 of v.). mv. 1 see raise v. 1. 2 see inspire 1, 2. oo uplifting see exhilarating (exhilarate). up*mar*ket /upmaarkit/ adj. & adv. = up¬ scale. up»on /apon, spawn/ prep. = ON. *|Upon is sometimes more formal, and is preferred in once upon a time and upon my word, and in uses such as row upon row of seats and Christ¬ mas is almost upon us.

Up'per1 /upsr/ • adj. 1 higher in place; situ¬ ated above (upper lip). 2 higher in rank or dignity, etc. (upper class). • n. part of a boot or shoe above the sole, o on one’s uppers colloq. extremely short of money, upper class highest class of society, upper crust colloq. high society, upper hand dominance or control, upper house the higher house in a legislature, e.g., the U.S. Senate. ■ adj. 1 loftier, topmost, superior. 2 see su¬ perior adj. 1. □ on one’s uppers poor, des¬ titute, penniless, needy, down and out, colloq. strapped (for cash), flat broke, si. stonebroke; see also broke, upper class, upper trust elite, aristocracy, nobles, the blueblooded. upper hand advantage, authority, power, superiority, edge. up*per2 3 /upar/ n. si. stimulant drug, esp. an amphetamine. Up*per*case /uparkays/ • adj. (of letters) capital. • n. capital letters. • v.tr. set or print in uppercase. up«per*cut /uparkut/ • n. upward blow deliv¬ ered with the arm bent. • v. tr. hit with an up¬ percut. up»per*most Aiparmost/ • adj. (also up* most /upmost/) 1 highest. 2 predominant. • adv. at or to the uppermost position. ■ adj. 1 topmost, loftiest, supreme. 2 fore¬ most, first, most important or influential, principal, paramount, preeminent. up*pi*ty /upitee/ adj. colloq. arrogant; snob¬ bish. ■ see snobbish (snob) . up»right/uprit/ • adj. 1 erect; vertical (an up¬ right posture). 2 (of a piano) with vertical strings. 3 honorable or honest. • adv. verti¬ cally. • n. 1 post or rod fixed upright, esp. as a structural support. 2 upright piano. □□ up'right*ly adv. up'rightmess n. ■ adj. 1 perpendicular, on end, straight up and down. 3 moral, principled, ethical, vir¬ tuous, righteous, colloq. straight. • adv. per¬ pendicularly, straight up (and down). • n. 1 pole, column, pillar, vertical. □□ up¬ rightly see upright adv. above, honestly 1. uprightness see rectitude. up*ris*ing /uprizing/ n. rebellion or revolt. ■ mutiny, revolution, insurrection, coup d’etat. synonym study:

uprising

INSURGENCY, INSURRECTION, MUTINY, PUTSCH, rebellion, revolution. There are a number of ways to defy the established order or over-

927

uplift ~ upset

throw a government.You can stage an upris¬ ing, which is a broad term referring to a small and usually unsuccessful act of popular resistance (uprisings among angry workers all over the country). An uprising is often the first sign of a general or widespread rebellion, which is an act of armed resistance against a government or authority; this term is usually applied after the fact to describe an act of re¬ sistance that has failed (a rebellion against the landowners). If it is successful, however, a re¬ bellion may become a revolution, which often implies a war or an outbreak of vio¬ lence {the American Revolution). Although a revolution usually involves the overthrow of a government or political system by the peo¬ ple, it can also be used to describe any dras¬ tic change in ideas, economic institutions, or moral values {the sexual revolution). An in¬ surrection is an organized effort to seize power, especially political power, while an insurgency is usually aided by foreign pow¬ ers. If you’re on a ship, you can stage a mutiny, which is an insurrection against mil¬ itary or naval authority. But if you’re relying on speed and surprise to catch the authori¬ ties off guard, you’ll want to stage a putsch, which is a small, popular uprising or planned attempt to seize power. up»roar /uprawr/ n. tumult; violent disturb¬ ance. ■ clamor, hubbub, commotion, pandemo¬ nium, turmoil, outburst, chaos; fracas, brawl; colloq. row, rumpus, si. hoopla. up*roar*i*ous /uprawreeas/ adj. 1 very noisy. 2 provoking loud laughter. □□ up*roar'i* ous*ly adv. • 1 clamorous, deafening, frenzied, rowdy, wild. 2 hilarious, sidesplitting, colloq. hyster¬ ical. up*root /uproot, r

greater than

o

< >

less than

'


0 # > 4F Cf) >

%

\p

.

Proofreading Marks

& { y

^

delete delete and close up delete and leave space

€

3

quotation marks parentheses square brackets

— hyphen 1 em-dash K \ en-dash

insen space period

N

n

comma

dicfiot\jary

semicolon

❖

colon

new paragraph break line or word set as superscript set as subscript

apostrophe

cHction\j/o^

transpose transpose (note in margin)

© (S£) dictionary

spell out spell out (note in margin) capitalize set as capitals (note in margin)

pid\ot)oxy

make lower case

© d ictionqvy

set in lower case (note in margin) make boldface set in boldface (note in margin)

dictionary

make italic set in italic (note in margin) small caps

© © (ton£>

set in small caps (note in margin) lightface (note in margin) set in roman (note in margin)

1003

Area Codes 201 New Jersey 202 District of Columbia 203 Connecticut 204 Manitoba 205 Alabama 206 Washington 207 Maine 208 Idaho 209 California 210 Texas 212 New York 213 California 214 Texas 215 Pennsylvania 216 Ohio 2J7 Illinois 218 Minnesota 219 Indiana 224 Illinois 225 Louisiana 228 Mississippi 229 Georgia 231 Michigan 234 Ohio 239 Florida 240 Maryland 242 Bahamas 246 Barbados 248 Michigan 250 British Columbia 251 Alabama 252 North Carolina 253 Washington 254 Texas 256 Alabama 260 Indiana 262 Wisconsin 264 Anguilla 267 Pennsylvania 268 Antigua/Barbuda 269 Michigan 270 Kentucky 276 Virginia 281 Texas

284 British Virgin Islands 289 Ontario 301 Maryland 302 Delaware 303 Colorado 304 West Virginia 305 Florida 306 Saskatchewan 307 Wyoming 308 Nebraska 309 Illinois 310 California 312 Illinois 313 Michigan 314 Missouri 315 New York 316 Kansas 317 Indiana 318 Louisiana 319 Iowa 320 Minnesota 321 Florida 323 California 325 Texas 330 Ohio 334 Alabama 336 North Carolina 337 Louisiana 339 Massachusetts 340 US Virgin Islands 345 Cayman Islands 347 New York 351 Massachusetts 352 Florida 360 Washington 361 Texas 386 Florida 401 Rhode Island 402 Nebraska 403 Alberta 404 Georgia 405 Oklahoma 406 Montana 407 Florida

408 409 410 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 423 425 430 432 434 435 440 441 443 450 469 473 478 479 480 484 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519

California Texas Maryland Pennsylvania Massachusetts Wisconsin California Ontario Missouri Quebec Ohio Tennessee Washington Texas Texas Virginia Utah Ohio Bermuda Maryland Quebec Texas Grenada Georgia Arkansas Arizona Pennsylvania Arkansas Kentucky Oregon Louisiana New Mexico New Brunswick Minnesota Massachusetts Washington California Texas Ohio Quebec Iowa New York Michigan New York Ontario

1004 520 530 540 541 551 559 561 562 563 567 570 571 573 574 580 585 586 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 623 626 630 631 636 641 646 647 649

Arizona California Virginia Oregon New Jersey California Florida California Iowa Ohio Pennsylvania Virginia Missouri Indiana Oklahoma NewYork Michigan Canada Mississippi Arizona New Hampshire British Columbia South Dakota Kentucky NewYork Wisconsin New Jersey Pennsylvania Minnesota Ontario Ohio Tennessee Michigan Massachusetts Illinois California Kansas Arizona California Illinois NewYork Missouri Iowa NewYork Ontario Turks & Caicos Islands 650 California 651 Minnesota

660 661 662 664 670 671 678 682 684 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 724 727 731 732 734 740 754 757 758 760 763 765 767 769 770 772 773 774 775 778 780

Missouri California Mississippi Montserrat Northern Marianas Guam Georgia Texas AS North Dakota Nevada Virginia North Carolina Ontario Georgia California Illinois Newfoundland Iowa Texas California Wisconsin NewYork Pennsylvania NewYork Colorado Colorado Pennsylvania Florida Tennessee New Jersey Michigan Ohio Florida Virginia St. Lucia California Minnesota Indiana Dominica Mississippi Georgia Florida Illinois Massachusetts Nevada British Columbia Alberta

781 Massachusetts 784 St.Vincent& Grenadines 785 Kansas 786 Florida 787 Puerto Rico 800 NANP area 801 Utah 802 Vermont 803 South Carolina 804 Virginia 805 California 806 Texas 807 Ontario 808 Hawaii 809 Dominican Republic 810 Michigan 812 Indiana 813 Florida 814 Pennsylvania 815 Illinois 816 Missouri 817 Texas 818 California 819 Quebec 828 North Carolina 829 Dominican Republic 830 Texas 831 California 832 Texas 843 South Carolina 845 NewYork 847 Illinois 848 New Jersey 850 Florida 856 New Jersey 857 Massachusetts 858 California 859 Kentucky 860 Connecticut 862 New Jersey 863 Florida 864 South Carolina 865 Tennessee 867 "Yukon, NW Terr., Nunavut"

1005 868 Trinidad & Tobago 869 St. Kitts & Nevis 870 Arkansas 876 Jamaica 878 Pennsylvania 901 Tennessee 902 Nova Scotia 903 Texas 904 Florida 905 Ontario 906 Michigan 907 Arkansas 908 New Jersey 909 California 910 North Carolina

912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 925 928 931 936 937 939 940

Georgia Kansas New York Texas California New York Oklahoma North Carolina Wisconsin California Arizona Tennessee Texas Ohio Puerto Rico Texas

941 947 949 951 952 954 956 970 971 972 973 978 979 980 985 989

Florida Michigan California California Minnesota Florida Texas Colorado Oregon Texas New Jersey Massachusetts Texas North Carolina Louisiana Michigan

International Time Zones

1007

United States Time Zones

Dictionary Games There are several fun games that you can play with just a dictionary and a group of friends. A few are listed here.

What’s Next? One player chooses a word from the dictionary and everyone takes turns guessing what the next main entry in the dictionary is. If you want to keep score, give one point for each main entry that comes between the given word and the word a player guesses. The lowest number of points wins, and the winner chooses the next word to play.

Fractured Phrases Take turns flipping through the dictionary to find pairs of guidewords (the words at the top of each page) that make funny phrases. Then, challenge the other players to make up a sentence using (or explaining) the phrase.

Examples Fractured phrase electronic ~ elite

Sentence “The electronic elite—the people who IM me.”

flout ~ flunky

“Don’t flout the flunky or you’ll never see the big boss!”

impolite ~ impregnate

“It’s definitely impolite to impregnate on the first date.”

pickle ~ pied-a-terre

“No one is allowed to eat a pickle in his pied-a-terre.”

southpaw ~ spank

“Only southpaws really know how to spank.”

wrongdoer ~ xylophone

“Every wrongdoer wants a xylophone.”

Word Chains Look up any word in the dictionary, and choose one word in the definition to look up in turn. Then, look up a word in that second word’s definition to look up. Keep going until you hit the original word. There are two ways to score: one is to make the shortest chain the winner, and the other is to make the longest chain the winner. (Looking up a, an, the is not allowed in the longest chain version.)

Thesaurus Sleuth One player chooses a synonym block from this dictionary and reads off the synonyms aloud. The first person to guess the entry word is the winner

Oxford Pocket

Dictionary and Thesaurus

A

unique reference that combined the best features of both dictionary and thesaurus, the Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus was the first American reference work to offer inte-

grated entries. Now this revolutionary, best-selling volume is available in a completely revised edition that is perfect for students, business people, writers, and anyone else who finds themselves frequently in need of an amplified vocabulary. New entries for this edition include “burka,” “cargo pants,” “light rail,” “old economy,” “Splitsville,” and “weaponize." Additions to the backmatter include: proofreading marks, a punctuation guide, “Sports” and “Rock and Roll” Hall of Fame lists and a page of dictionary games. Light and portable, sized to fit easily into a backpack, briefcase, or on any student or office desk the Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus is guaranteed to be the most frequently used reference work you own. Combining a comprehensive and thoroughly reliable dictionary of American English with full thesaurus coverage, this is an essential tool for anyone who wants to write with more variety, color, and precision.

Features: Completely revised edition Over 150,000 entries, each with full definition and related words Two indispensable language tools for the price of one Definitions and related words within the same entry Hundreds of new words and meanings 13 quick reference appendices Cover design by Kathleen M. Lynch

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