DEF - vocab

Question 1

daunt

Answer 1

cause to lose courage - [v]

The Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz appeared at first to be easily daunted, but, in fact, he showed unusual courage. Still, his efforts to daunt Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man were less than successful.

When bringing a new kitten home you don’t want to daunt it by forcing it out of its carrier too soon—open the door and let it come out when it’s ready. Daunt means to frighten or scare off and, conveniently, it rhymes with haunt, another word which means to frighten, thought in a creepier sense. Daunt often shows up as part of the adjective undaunted, which describes someone who remains unafraid or perseveres in the face of scary circumstances.

Question 2

dearth

Answer 2

an insufficient quantity or number - [n]an acute insufficiency - [n]

If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it. A dearth of affordable housing is bad, but a dearth of bed bugs is a blessing.

Dearth is an Old English noun formed from the adjective deore “precious, costly” and the noun-forming suffix -th. Though the relationship of dearth meaning “lack, insufficient amount” to the adjective dear is not so obvious, it is still easy to imagine that something precious is probably also in short supply. Dearth is used almost exclusively in the phrase “a dearth of.”

Question 3

decorum

Answer 3

propriety in manners and conduct - [n]

Decorum is proper and polite behavior. If you let out a big belch at a fancy dinner party, you’re not showing much decorum.

This noun is from Latin decōrus “proper, becoming, handsome,” from décor “beauty, grace,” which is also the source of English décor. The corresponding adjective is decorous, meaning “well-behaved in a particular situation.” Both decorum and decorous are often used to describe behavior in a classroom or courtroom.

Question 4

defame

Answer 4

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone - [v]

The journalists have defamed me!” “The article in the paper sullied my reputation”

Even though Joan Jett sang about not minding her bad reputation, most of us don’t want others to defame us. To defame is to gossip, even if the story is made-up, with the goal of hurting someone’s image.

We usually think of fame as a positive thing. Love, admiration, and people wanting to be like you — it all comes with the territory. The de- in defame means “remove.” So if someone tries to defame a person, fame — or a good reputation — is taken away. Celebrities protect themselves from those who want to defame them, arming themselves with lawyers.

Question 5

default

Answer 5

an option that is selected automatically unless an alternative is specified - [n]loss due to not showing up - [n]

he lost the game by default

As a setting, a default is automatic. You weren’t sure why your new TV kept returning to the factory defaults until you realized you were sitting on the remote.

Default can also refer to a lack of other options. You shop at Green’s by default; it’s the only grocery store in town. Default is also a failure to pay a financial obligation. The number of loan defaults was down this month. As a verb, it means “to fail to pay.” Your credit score will go down if you default on a loan.

Question 6

defer

Answer 6

yield to another’s wish or opinion - [v]hold back to a later time - [v]

Defer means to put off or delay. You can try to defer the inevitable by pushing “snooze” and falling back asleep, but eventually you’re going to have to get up.

If you’re excellent at pushing things to a later date and a master at procrastination, then you already know how to defer. But defer can also mean to comply with another person’s opinion or wishes. So when your boss finds out you deferred your work to shop online instead, you should probably defer when she asks you to come in and finish everything up over the weekend.

Question 7

deference

Answer 7

courteous regard for people’s feelings - [n]a courteous expression (by word or deed) of esteem or regard - [n]a disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others - [n]

in deference to your wishes
“his deference to her wishes was very flattering”

Sure you wear ripped jeans to school every day, but you don’t wear them to your grandmother’s house out of deference to her. When you show deference to someone, you make a gesture of respect.

The noun deference goes with the verb defer, which means “to yield to someone’s opinions or wishes out of respect for that person.” If you and your dad disagree about the best route to the grocery store, you might defer to him, and take his route. You’re taking his route out of deference to his opinion and greater experience.

Question 8

defunct

Answer 8

no longer in force or use; inactive - [adj]having ceased to exist or live - [adj]

a defunct law
“a defunct organization”
“the will of a defunct aunt”

Defunct describes something that used to exist, but is now gone. A magazine that no longer publishes, like Sassy, the girl-power mag from the ’90s, is defunct, for example.

Although defunct comes from the Latin word defunctus meaning “dead,” it’s not usually used to describe a person who’s no longer with us, but rather institutions, projects, companies and political parties — you know, the boring stuff. Keep digging and you’ll find that defunctus comes from defungi, meaning, “to finish,” which is closer to how it’s used today. Defunct can also refer to a rule or law that’s no longer used or has become inactive, like prohibition.

Question 9

delineate

Answer 9

represented accurately or precisely - [adj]show the form or outline of - [v]trace the shape of - [v]make a mark or lines on a surface - [v]determine the essential quality of - [v]

Though you pronounce it duh-LIN-ee-ate, there is a “line” in the middle of delineate. This might help you remember that to delineate is to outline and define something in detail or with an actual marking of lines and boundaries.

When you create an outline for a paper it usually summarizes what you will detail later. You delineate the sections, or mark the heading lines, and when you write the details, you delineate the subject of each heading. So, to delineate is both to mark lines and to fill in the lines. Using a fence to divide properties or a carpet to claim your side of the bedroom also is a way to delineate, or mark, physical boundaries.

Question 10

demographic

Answer 10

a statistic characterizing human populations (or segments of human populations broken down by age or sex or income etc.) - [n]of or relating to demography - [adj]

demographic surveys

Advertising agencies like to schedule their commercials in television shows that appeal to the 18-49 demographic, because this segment of the population has a lot of spending power.

Demographic is a word companies use when they’re trying to sell their products to a particular group of consumers. A movie studio that wants to promote its new film, “Revenge of the Senior Kitties,” might aim for the 65-to-85-year-old cat-lover . A demographic can consist of people who are in the same age group, such as 18-to-29-year-olds, or ethnic group, such as African-Americans.

Question 11

demotic

Answer 11

of or for the common people - [adj]

demotic entertainments
“demotic speech”
“a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms”

A demotic saying or expression is casual, colloquial, and used by the masses. Some forms of the Greek and Egyptian languages are also called demotic, which will be relevant to you when you get your PhD in Classics.

Demotic comes from the Greek word demotikos, meaning “of or for the common people” or “in common use.” Members of the aristocracy don’t typically use demotic idioms, but it is often the elite who will point out that something is demotic. Of course, in a classless society, everything ought to be demotic, therefore making it obsolete to designate sayings as demotic. So far, however, demotic is still a relevant term.

Question 12

demur

Answer 12

take exception to - [v](law) a formal objection to an opponent’s pleadings - [n]enter a demurrer - [v]

he demurred at my suggestion to work on Saturday

Your mother asks you to pick up your room. You refuse: you demur. Your friend wants to go to the Death Metal Forever concert, but you hesitate: you demur. Whether you strongly object, politely disagree, or hesitate to agree, you demur.

If Aunt Tilly offers to knit you a sweater, you might politely demur, being reluctant to accept. When she describes the bunnies she plans for the sweater, you would want to strongly demur, explaining that you plan to move to Texas next week and will no longer need sweaters. And if you find yourself the defendant in a civil suit, you might file a demurrer to object to the plaintiff’s complaint. When you file that demurrer, you demur.

Question 13

denigrate

Answer 13

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone - [v]cause to seem less serious; play down - [v]

To denigrate is to say bad things — true or false — about a person or thing. Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded.

The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means “to blacken.” To sully or defame someone’s reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it. Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan. Denigrate can also mean that you’re making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements.

Question 14

denizen

Answer 14

a plant or animal naturalized in a region - [n]a person who inhabits a particular place - [n]

denizens of field and forest
“denizens of the deep”

A denizen is an inhabitant or frequenter of a particular place: a citizen of a country, a resident in a neighborhood, a maven of a museum, a regular at a bar, or, even, a plant that is naturalized in a region.

The noun denizen comes from words that mean “from” and “within” and is related to “citizen.” Denizen can be used when talking about any person or group of people that have a specific relationship with a place. It was historically used to refer to foreigners who were either naturalized or becoming citizens but now it is used much more generally, as in: “The denizens of my aunt’s neighborhood all have contracts with the same gardener.”

Question 15

denouement

Answer 15

the outcome of a complex sequence of events - [n]the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work - [n]

You know that part of every movie after the big action scene, where things get explained, and the characters tie up loose ends? That’s called the denouement, or the showing of how the plot eventually turns out.

Denouement is a French word that literally means the action of untying, from a verb meaning to untie. The English word is pronounced like the French: day-noo-MON. The last syllable has a nasalized vowel instead of the n sound. You can use it outside the context of plays or novels, too: you might describe the denouement of an argument between two friends.

Question 16

deride

Answer 16

treat or speak of with contempt - [v]

He derided his student’s attempt to solve the biggest problem in mathematics

The verb deride means to show a low opinion of someone or something. The jerk would deride the other kids on the bus by calling them names or pulling their hair until the driver decided to de-ride him by kicking him off the bus.

To “ride” people is to get on their case or give them a hard time, and to deride is to do the same with insulting language or poor treatment. Deride comes from the Latin root dērīdēre, meaning “to ridicule, to scorn,” and it’s often used to express dislike or even hatred. Criticizing something with words is a common way to deride, and politicians often deride each other in their speeches during election campaigns.

Question 17

derivative

Answer 17

a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound - [n]the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx - [n]a financial instrument whose value is based on another security - [n](linguistics) a word that is derived from another word - [n]resulting from or employing derivation - [adj]

electricity' is a **derivative** of electric’
“a derivative process”
“a highly derivative prose style”

Alert: shifting parts of speech! As a noun, a derivative is kind of financial agreement or deal. As an adjective, though, derivative describes something that borrows heavily from something else that came before it.

The economic meltdown of the last decade is due largely to the mismanagement of derivatives, which are deals based on the outcome of other deal. A movie plot might be described as derivative if it steals from another film — say, if it lifts the tornado, the witch, and the dancing scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz.

Question 18

desiccate

Answer 18

lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless - [adj]remove water from - [v]lose water or moisture - [v]preserve by removing all water and liquids from - [v]

a desiccate romance

The verb desiccate means to dry out, dry up and dehydrate. It’s helpful to desiccate weeds but certainly not crops.

As anyone who’s been stuck in the desert will tell you, being desiccated by the burning sun isn’t much fun. Stemming from the Latin word desiccare, which means to “dry up,” desiccate also means to preserve something by drying it out. Without desiccation, raisins or beef jerky would not be possible!

Question 19

desultory

Answer 19

marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another - [adj]

desultory thoughts
“the desultory conversation characteristic of cocktail parties”

If you lack a definite plan or purpose and flit from one thing to another, your actions are desultory. Some people call such desultory wanderings spontaneous. Others call it “being lost.”

The adjective desultory comes from the word desultor, which was a circus rider who would leap from the back of one galloping horse onto another. From this literal sense of jumping from one thing to another, we get the modern meaning of desultory as jumping between things without a logical purpose.

Question 20

deterrent

Answer 20

something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress - [n]tending to deter - [adj]

the deterrent effects of high prices

A deterrent makes you not want to do something. Let’s say there’s a giant pile of cookies being guarded by an angry dog — the dog is a deterrent.

People talk about deterrents most often when discussing crime. The death penalty is supposed to be a deterrent — the idea is that people will be so scared of the death penalty that they won’t commit certain crimes. Jail is another deterrent. Teachers also use deterrents — the possibility of getting detention is a deterrent that should encourage students to behave. A deterrent is the opposite of a reward. A reward encourages you to do the right thing, while a deterrent discourages you from doing the wrong thing.

Question 21

detraction

Answer 21

a petty disparagement - [n]the act of discrediting or detracting from someone’s reputation (especially by slander) - [n]

let it be no detraction from his merits to say he is plainspoken

A detraction is the opposite of an attraction––it is something bad about someone or something. If you love peace and quiet and you’re thinking about buying a house, a location on a major road would be a detraction.

Detraction comes from detract, which means to diminish, or to speak badly of someone or something. If you run for office, it is bad form to spew detractions of your opponent’s character. Unfortunately, this is exactly how many political campaigns work. Detractions can also be interferences. The noise of the party next door might be a detraction from your attention while you’re studying.

Question 22

diaphanous

Answer 22

so thin as to transmit light - [adj]

a hat with a diaphanous veil

If a dress is so see-through that light shines through it revealing the goods beneath, it’s diaphanous. Also known as “sheer,” “transparent,” or just plain “sexy,” but diaphanous is so much classier.

If you want a classic example of diaphanous clothing check out all those nineteenth century Romantic paintings of voluptuous Goddesses clad in clearly insufficient lightweight gowns flouncing around in the middle of forests at night or storm-tossed fields. Those gowns are diaphanous all right, but because it’s a classical allusion there’s obviously nothing naughty about it. From the ancient Greek word diaphanes, meaning “transparent” — a style the Greeks were much in favor of.

Question 23

diatribe

Answer 23

thunderous verbal attack - [n]

It’s totally overwhelming when you ask someone a seemingly innocuous question, like “Do you like hot dogs?” and they unleash a diatribe about the evils of eating meat. A diatribe is an angry speech that strongly criticizes a person or thing.

This noun is from Latin diatriba “learned discourse,” from Greek diatribē “pastime, lecture,” from diatrībein “to waste time, wear away,” from the prefix dia- “thoroughly” plus trībein “to rub.” So the origin of the word diatribe is connected to both serious study and the spending or wasting of time. In English, the original meaning of diatribe was a long and formal debate or discussion.

Question 24

dichotomy

Answer 24

being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses - [n]

the dichotomy between eastern and western culture

A dichotomy is an idea or classification split in two. When you point out a dichotomy, you draw a clear distinction between two things.

A dichotomy is a contrast between two things. When there are two ideas, especially two opposed ideas — like war and peace, or love and hate — you have a dichotomy. You often hear about a “false dichotomy,” which occurs when a situation is unfairly represented as an “either/or” scenario. For example, the statement “All cars are either small and efficient or large and polluting” creates a false dichotomy because there are some cars that don’t fit into either category.

Question 25

diffidence

Answer 25

lack of self-confidence - **[n]** ## Footnote The noun *diffidence* refers to a lack of self-confidence. Your *diffidence* might be the reason why you never say "hi" to the cute guy or gal in the elevator or why you never ask for a raise. The noun *diffidence* comes from the Latin word *diffidere* meaning "to mistrust" or "to lack confidence." *Diffidence* is often mistaken for snootiness because people don't understand that the diffident person is shy and lacking in confidence. "They asked him to be the team leader, but he expressed *diffidence*, saying that he didn't think he had enough time to do the job justice, nor did he think he had enough experience."

Question 26

diffuse

Answer 26

spread out; not concentrated in one place - **[adj]**lacking conciseness - **[adj]**(of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected - **[adj]**move outward - **[v]**spread or diffuse through - **[v]** ## Footnote a large **diffuse** organization "a **diffuse** historical novel" *Diffuse* mean spread out, or the action of spreading out. If lots of people in school believe invisible angels are everywhere, you could say that opinion is *diffuse*. You might even think angels are *diffuse* as well. As a verb, *diffuse* means to spread something out, but also applies to spreading things such as ideas or culture so that they become widely known. When something is diffused, it's mixed in, and when you drop propaganda pamphlets out of airplanes you're diffusing the propaganda. The adjective comes from Latin *diffusus*, from *diffundere* "to pour in different directions," from the prefix *dis-* "apart" plus *fundere* "to pour."

Question 27

digression

Answer 27

a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern) - **[n]**wandering from the main path of a journey - **[n]**a message that departs from the main subject - **[n]** ## Footnote a **digression** into irrelevant details When your essay about French cooking starts describing a childhood trip to Disneyland, it's taken a *digression* — it's strayed from the main topic. But I digress is a phrase often used by people when they realize they're no longer "on-topic." A digression is like a tangent, only *digression* often describes speech patterns, whereas *tangent* comes to us from mathematics. Another trick to remembering the meaning of *digression* is its relationship to the word *progression*. A *pro*gression is a series of ideas which proceeds in the same direction; a *di*gression, logically enough, is an idea that goes off in another direction.

Question 28

dirge

Answer 28

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person - **[n]** ## Footnote A *dirge* is a song of mourning, performed as a memorial to someone who’s died. As you might imagine, a *dirge* is usually quite sad. Another word with a similar meaning that you might know is "requiem." The noun *dirge* comes from the Latin *dirige*, which means "direct," and is the beginning of a prayer that translates as "Direct my way in your sight, O Lord my God." *Dirge* can still have a religious meaning, but it can also be any sad and mournful song, poem, or hymn composed or performed in memory of someone who has died. You can also say that something mournful sounds like a dirge, using the word in a more poetic sense.

Question 29

disabuse

Answer 29

free somebody (from an erroneous belief) - **[v]** ## Footnote * Disabuse* means to free someone of a belief that is not true. Many teachers of health find that when they teach, they spend as much energy *disabusing* kids of false beliefs as they do giving them the facts. * Disabuse* is often connected to the word notion or idea. In singing lessons, you must disabuse young singers of the idea that they can sing better by singing louder. In the first year of college, many people are disabused of the idea that they way they are is "normal," by meeting so many people who represent other ways to be.

Question 30

discerning

Answer 30

having or revealing keen insight and good judgment - **[adj]**quick to understand - **[adj]**unobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic - **[adj]**able to make or detect effects of great subtlety; sensitive - **[adj]** ## Footnote a **discerning** critic "a **discerning** reader" "a **discerning** editor" * Discerning* people pick up on subtle traits and are good judges of quality — they're the ones that can tell if your cupcakes are homemade from the finest ingredients or totally from a box mix. * Discerning* is an adjective that comes from the Old French *discerner*, meaning to "distinguish (between), separate (by sifting)." Which makes sense, because someone with discerning tastes or a discerning eye is good at distinguishing the good from the bad and sifting out the gems from the junk. If you're an ace at picking out fabulous fabrics, accessories, and shoes when you get dressed each morning, you probably have *discerning* fashion sense.

Question 31

discomfit

Answer 31

cause to lose one's composure - **[v]** ## Footnote To *discomfit* someone is to make them feel uncomfortable or upset. An easy way to *discomfit* another person is to use the age-old, childish trick of ignoring them. (Of course, we’re sure you would never do that, right? Right?) If you make someone blush, sweat, and generally want to disappear, you’ve *discomfited* her. Centuries ago, *discomfit* was used to mean "destroy completely in battle" — an experience that surely left the defeated armies feeling something more than mere discomfort. Some scholars have suggested that the contemporary meaning of *discomfit* arose due to confusion with the word *discomfort*. Don’t be *discomfited* by choosing the wrong word; use this word to mean "embarrass."

Question 32

discordant

Answer 32

not in agreement or harmony - **[adj]**lacking in harmony - **[adj]** ## Footnote views **discordant** with present-day ideas If you believe that movies should entertain, but your friend insists that movies should inspire, then the two of you hold *discordant* views on the purpose of movies. That means your opinions are in conflict. You can see the word *discord* in *discordant*. *Discord* is tension felt between people who strongly disagree about something. So *discordant* describes experiencing discord, a lack of harmony. A discordant conversation at your dinner table may make some people upset — they want everyone to get along. *Discordant* can also describe harsh and unpleasant sounds, like the blaring horns in city traffic.

Question 33

discredit

Answer 33

the state of being held in low esteem - **[n]**damage the reputation of - **[v]**reject as false; refuse to accept - **[v]**cause to be distrusted or disbelieved - **[v]** ## Footnote your actions will bring **discredit** to your name "This newspaper story **discredits** the politicians" "The paper **discredited** the politician with its nasty commentary" *Discredit* means to cause mistrust or cast the accuracy of something into doubt. If you say that schooling is important to you, but you never study, your actions *discredit* you and your words. You discredit what someone says when you choose not to believe it. You can discredit the rumors going around about your boyfriend if you are sure of his love. On a more personal level, you discredit people when you cast their authority or reputation into doubt. If you're running a tough race for class president, your opponent may try to discredit you by talking about your failures or even making up lies about you. But this would be to the discredit of your opponent — his or her own reputation would suffer for this bad behavior.

Question 34

discrepancy

Answer 34

a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions - **[n]**an event that departs from expectations - **[n]** ## Footnote A *discrepancy* is a lack of agreement or balance. If there is a *discrepancy* between the money you earned and the number on your paycheck, you should complain to your boss. There is a *discrepancy* when there is a difference between two things that should be alike. For example, there can be a wide *discrepancy* or a slight *discrepancy* between two objects, stories, or facts. The noun *discrepancy* is from Latin *discrepare* "to sound differently," from the prefix *dis-* "from" plus *crepare* "to rattle, creak."

Question 35

discrete

Answer 35

constituting a separate entity or part - **[adj]** ## Footnote a government with three **discrete** divisions *Discrete* means separate or divided. A *discrete* unit is a separate part of something larger. A room is a *discrete* space within a house, just as the transmission is a *discrete* part of a car engine. If something is discrete, it has its own space. An ice cube comes from an ice tray, but it has its own discrete compartment. A student government might have discrete committees for different projects. Don't confuse *discrete* with its close cousin *discreet*, which means "appropriately private." Billionaire Bruce Wayne, for example, is very discreet about his secret life as Batman. You could say Batman is a discrete, or separate, part of Bruce Wayne’s identity. Anything distinct and separated is discrete.

Question 36

discretion

Answer 36

the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies - **[n]**freedom to act or judge on one's own - **[n]**the trait of judging wisely and objectively - **[n]**knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress - **[n]**refined taste; tact - **[n]** ## Footnote the servants showed great tact and **discretion** If you have the freedom to decide something on your own, the decision is left to your *discretion.* You're in charge. *Discretion* traces back to the Latin verb *discernere* "to separate, to discern" from the prefix *dis-* "off, away" plus *cernere* "separate, sift." If you use discretion, you sift away what is not desirable, keeping only the good. If you have the freedom to choose, something is "at your *discretion*." Watch out when you hear the phrase, "viewer *discretion* advised" on TV or at the movies, you will be watching something quite violent or explicitly sexual.

Question 37

disingenuous

Answer 37

not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness - **[adj]** ## Footnote an ambitious, **disingenuous**, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine" "a **disingenuous** excuse" Use the adjective *disingenuous* to describe behavior that's not totally honest or sincere. It's *disingenuous* when people pretend to know less about something than they really do. *Disingenuous* combines *dis-*, meaning not, with *ingenuous* (from the Latin *gen-*, meaning born) which was originally used to distinguish free-born Romans from slaves, and later came to mean honest or straightforward. So *disingenuous* means dishonest. *Ingenuous* is less common now than *disingenuous*, but we still use it for someone who is sincere to the point of naiveté. A good synonym is *insincere*.

Question 38

disinterested

Answer 38

unaffected by self-interest - **[adj]** ## Footnote If you can't decide whether to purchase the shirt with orange polka dots or the purple paisley-patterned one, you might seek input from a *disinterested*, or unbiased, party (who will probably tell you not to buy either one). Depending on whom you ask, *disinterested* is either one of the most commonly misused words in the English language, or a perfect example of usage experts and English teachers being way too uptight. While everyone agrees that *disinterested* can mean "unbiased," the debate rages on as to whether it can also mean "uninterested" or "indifferent." Sticklers are vehemently opposed to this secondary meaning. (Of course, you’ll also find the disinterested — or uninterested? — folks who couldn’t care less.)

Question 39

disjointed

Answer 39

taken apart at the joints - **[adj]**separated at the joint - **[adj]**lacking orderly continuity - **[adj]** ## Footnote a **disjointed** fowl * Disjointed* isn’t when you can bend your thumb all the way backwards — that’s *double-jointed*. *Disjointed* means "unorganized" or "disconnected." * Disjointed* is an adjective that describes something as disconnected, illogical, or just messed up. A disjointed argument is an argument that doesn’t make a lot of sense. The same can be said for a disjointed sentence or a disjointed speech. In a medical sense, *disjointed* means "dislocated," or "separated at the joint." When someone gets injured, they may end up with a disjointed shoulder or a disjointed hip.

Question 40

dismiss

Answer 40

stop associating with - **[v]**bar from attention or consideration - **[v]**end one's encounter with somebody by causing or permitting the person to leave - **[v]**cease to consider; put out of judicial consideration - **[v]**terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position - **[v]** ## Footnote She **dismissed** his advances "I was **dismissed** after I gave my report" "This case is **dismissed**!" At the end of a lesson period, your teacher says, "class dismissed." This means that you and the rest of the students are free to go. *Dismiss* means to let go. If a judge dismisses a case, it means he's saying it has no merit, and is throwing it out of court. If you are dismissed from your job, it means you've been fired. And if you've been ignoring your friends' warnings that your boyfriend is cheating, you've been dismissing their concerns. "Don't *dismiss* me!" is something you say when the person you're talking to is not taking you and your comments seriously.

Question 41

disparage

Answer 41

express a negative opinion of - **[v]** ## Footnote She **disparaged** her student's efforts If you haven't got anything nice to say, then it's time to *disparage* someone. It means to belittle or degrade a person or idea. *Disparage* is a specific way to describe a certain kind of insult, the kind that secures the insulter's place as superior. It often refers to an opinion or criticism lobbed in print or via word of mouth, not necessarily an act done to someone's face. If someone or something is being disparaged, you will often find a competing interest in the wings.

Question 42

disparate

Answer 42

fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind - **[adj]**including markedly dissimilar elements - **[adj]** ## Footnote such **disparate** attractions as grand opera and game fishing "**disparate** ideas" "a **disparate** aggregate of creeds and songs and prayers" The trunk of some people's cars may contain items as *disparate* as old clothes, rotting food, and possibly a missing relative. *Disparate* things are very different from each other. Near synonyms are *unequal* and *dissimilar.* The adjective *disparate* is from Latin *disparātus,* from *disparāre* "to separate, divide," from the prefix *dis-* "apart" plus *parāre* "to prepare." *Disparate* in the sense of "very different" probably developed by association with the Latin adjective *dispar* "unequal, different."

Question 43

dissemble

Answer 43

behave unnaturally or affectedly - **[v]**make believe with the intent to deceive - **[v]**hide under a false appearance - **[v]** ## Footnote To *dissemble* is to hide under a false appearance, to deceive. "When confronted about their human rights record, the Chinese government typically *dissembles*." *Dissemble* is a little more complicated than a straight lie or denial. When you *dissemble*, you disguise your true intentions or feelings behind a false appearance. To *dissemble* is to pretend that you don't know something, to pretend that you think one way when you act another way. "My boyfriend was *dissembling* the whole time. He was a married father of two."

Question 44

disseminate

Answer 44

cause to become widely known - **[v]** ## Footnote *Disseminate* means to spread information, knowledge, opinions widely. *Semin-* derives from the Latin word for seed; the idea with *disseminate* is that information travels like seeds sown by a farmer. Think about a teacher distributing a hand out at the beginning of a class. The *dis-* of *disseminate* and *distribute* come from the same Latin, which means "abroad." But unlike papers distributed in class, information cannot be pulled back in. Think about false rumors or political smear campaigns and you'll understand that dissemination is usually a one-way process.

Question 45

dissident

Answer 45

a person who dissents from some established policy - **[n]**characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards - **[adj]**disagreeing, especially with a majority - **[adj]** ## Footnote If you are a *dissident*, you are a person who is rebelling against a government. *Dissidents* can do their work peacefully or with violence. *Dissident* is closely related to the word, dissent, which means objecting. People who are dissidents show their dissent. Catholic priests who advocate allowing women into the priesthood could be called dissidents, as could the Puritans who left England to live in colonial America. As an adjective, a dissident member of a group is one who disagrees with the majority of members.

Question 46

dissolution

Answer 46

separation into component parts - **[n]**dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure - **[n]**the process of going into solution - **[n]** ## Footnote The *dissolution* of a relationship means that it's broken up or ended. The *dissolution* of your band means you better get started on your solo album. *Dissolution* comes from the Latin word *dissolutio*, meaning "a dissolving of something." *Dissolution* looks very similar to "dissolve," so to help you remember the meaning, think about what happens if you put paper in water — it breaks apart. A *dissolution* of a marriage is the same thing as divorce. Although it sounds like *disillusion*, if you try to use them interchangeably, your logic will fall apart.

Question 47

dissonance

Answer 47

disagreeable sounds - **[n]**the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience - **[n]**a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters - **[n]** ## Footnote Disagreeable sounds can be called *dissonance*. You know it's *dissonance* if you have the strong desire to cover your ears with your hands. Racket, noise, dissonance — all can describe sounds that are not pleasant. While some musicians purposely add a little dissonance into their melodies to create an unexpected sound, others, like someone who just started drum lessons, creates dissonance by accident. *Dissonance* can also be a conflict between people or opinions, like the dissonance you feel when you want to do something but your parents say "no."

Question 48

distend

Answer 48

cause to expand as it by internal pressure - **[v]**swell from or as if from internal pressure - **[v]**become wider - **[v]** ## Footnote The gas **distended** the animal's body "The **distended** bellies of the starving cows" A soda and pizza binge might make your stomach *distend*, meaning your stomach will swell as a result of pressure from the inside. If you’ve ever eaten too much food it won’t surprise you to learn that the verb *distend* traces back to the Latin words *dis-*, meaning "apart," and *tendere*, meaning "to stretch." Your stomach will certainly feel stretched out if you do something — like overeat — that causes it to distend. The word *distend* often applies to stomachs — a pregnancy would also cause a stomach to distend — but it can also refer to anything that is stretched out as a result of internal pressure.

Question 49

distill

Answer 49

undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops - **[v]**remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation - **[v]**undergo the process of distillation - **[v]**extract by the process of distillation - **[v]**give off (a liquid) - **[v]** ## Footnote The acid **distills** at a specific temperature "**distill** the essence of this compound" When you *distill* something, you are boiling it down to its essence — its most important part. Whether it's alcohol or ideas, the *distilled* part is the most powerful. The original meaning of *distill* comes from the process of making alcohol, known as *distilling,* in which all the impurities of a substance are vaporized and its pure, high-alcohol condensation collected. *Distill* eventually came to mean any process in which the essence of something is revealed. If you take notes at a lecture and then turn them into an essay for your professor, you're distilling your notes into something more pure and exact. At least, that's what you hope you're doing.

Question 50

distrait

Answer 50

having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety - **[adj]** ## Footnote *Distrait* means "preoccupied with worry." If you can't concentrate on the hot gossip your friend is sharing with you because you can't stop thinking about what your mom is going to say about the window you accidentally broke, you're *distrait*. The adjective *distrait* comes from the Latin word *distrahere*, meaning "pull apart," which describes what happens to your thoughts when you are *distrait*. It looks and sounds like *distract*, another word that has to do with the ability to pay attention. But while anything can make you feel distracted — a noise outside your window, a phone call that comes when you are supposed to be studying — *distrait* always has to do with worry and anxiety.

Question 51

diverge

Answer 51

move or draw apart - **[v]**extend in a different direction - **[v]**be at variance with; be out of line with - **[v]**have no limits as a mathematical series - **[v]** ## Footnote The two paths **diverge** here "The lines start to **diverge** here" "Their interests **diverged**" When two roads *diverge*, they split and go in different directions. If your opinion *diverges* from mine, we do not agree. To *diverge* means to move apart or be separate. The poet, Robert Frost, wrote: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -/ I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference." The word *diverge* in the poem carries both the meaning of separating and of being apart from the main. As a poet, it was Frost's job to use words properly. Here he does not diverge from this role.

Question 52

divest

Answer 52

take away possessions from someone - **[v]**remove (someone's or one's own) clothes - **[v]** ## Footnote The company decided to **divest**"the board of trustees **divested** $20 million in real estate property" "he was **divested** of his rights and his title" It could be your wine portfolio, your stake in a mining company, or even the extra coats that are taking up space in your closet. Whatever it is, when you *divest* something, you get rid of it. *Divest* is sort of a fancy way to say "dispose of." It’s often used in a business context to describe companies or governments that divest some of their holdings by selling them off. It can also be used in the sense of taking something away from someone. For example if your boss becomes insane and power mad, his handlers may divest him of his title, meaning his position is taken away from him.

Question 53

divulge

Answer 53

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret - **[v]** ## Footnote If you've been sneaking around with your best friend's boyfriend, that's probably one secret you don't want to *divulge*, because revealing that tidbit of information will probably cut your friendship short. *Divulge* often precedes the word *secret,* because it means to reveal something, and that something is often of a personal or private nature. A gossip columnist's job is to divulge which celebrities are secretly dating and which ones have been caught in embarrassing situations. Although the word comes from the Latin word for making something public to the masses, it can also be used to describe information passed from one person to another. For example, a mother could divulge to her daughter that she was adopted.

Question 54

doctrinaire

Answer 54

a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions - **[n]**stubbornly insistent on theory without regard for practicality or suitability - **[adj]** ## Footnote You've doubtless met someone *doctrinaire* at some point. You know them by their complete unwillingness to accept any belief other than their own. If you're familiar with the noun "doctrine" — a formal idea or system of belief — you'll have no problem with the adjective *doctrinaire*. It's a just a way of describing a person or group of people who are set in their ways. The Pope and his cardinals are unfailingly doctrinaire: they won't allow any ideas beyond those they've already approved. Parents can start out doctrinaire, but children soon force them to be flexible in how they bring them up.

Question 55

document

Answer 55

anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks - **[n]**writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature) - **[n]**a written account of ownership or obligation - **[n]**(computer science) a computer file that contains text (and possibly formatting instructions) using seven-bit ASCII characters - **[n]**record in detail - **[v]** ## Footnote The parents **documented** every step of their child's development "Can you **document** your claims?" A *document* is a piece of paper that contains official information. Don't you wish you had a *document* saying that the bank owed you $5 million? *Document* comes from the Latin verb meaning "to teach," so a document instructs you with the information it contains. Legal documents such as contracts contain instructions on how the people signing it will act. Passports, driver’s licenses and birth certificates are all official documents. As a verb, *document* means "to record in detail," or "offer supporting evidence for." If you call a company to complain about something, make sure to document your phone calls by noting the date you called, who you spoke to and what was said.

Question 56

doggerel

Answer 56

a comic verse of irregular measure - **[n]** ## Footnote he had heard some silly **doggerel** that kept running through his mind We're not sure why poor dogs always seem to get used to describe something really dreadful, but it's the case with *doggerel* — meaning irregularly rhyming, really bad poetry, usually comic in tone and fit only for dogs. Sometimes *doggerel* has a non-critical meaning: plenty of popular comic poets (like Lewis Carroll or any limerick inventor) had no aim to make great art, just great light verse, and they succeeded brilliantly. They were masters of doggerel. But pity the earnest highbrow poet like the immortal Scotsman William McGonagall whose doggerel was so bad his audience frequently pelted him with eggs and rotting vegetables. Now his poetry was only fit for the dogs.

Question 57

dogmatic

Answer 57

of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative - **[adj]**relating to or involving dogma - **[adj]**characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles - **[adj]** ## Footnote **dogmatic** writings Someone who is *dogmatic* has arrogant attitudes based on unproved theories. If you *dogmatically* assert that the moon is made of green cheese, you'll just get laughed at. The most basic definition of the adjective *dogmatic* is that it is related to *dogma* — doctrines relating to morals and faith — but what it has come to mean is attitudes that are not only based on unproved theories but are also arrogant in nature. The root of *dogmatic* is the Greek word *dogmatikos*. A synonym of *dogmatic* is "dictatorial" and because there are religious associations to the root word *dogma*, someone who is *dogmatic* tends to "pontificate."

Question 58

dormant

Answer 58

inactive but capable of becoming active - **[adj]**in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation - **[adj]**(of e.g. volcanos) not erupting and not extinct - **[adj]**lying with head on paws as if sleeping - **[adj]** ## Footnote her feelings of affection are **dormant** but easily awakened "**dormant** buds" "a **dormant** volcano" That old dog was *dormant* for so long he was confused for a furry doormat, but a doormat is likely to stay *dormant*, or inactive, because it is lifeless: that old dog has some life in him yet. Volcanoes are described as *dormant* when they stay cool for a long time, without spewing hot lava and ash. They may have the ability to come to life, but they remain dormant, or inactive. *Dormant* comes from French *dormir,* "to sleep," and it refers to living things that are on a break rather than things that have died. Being dormant is being temporarily at rest, although sometimes, as with some cancer cells, things become permanently — and thankfully — dormant.

Question 59

dross

Answer 59

worthless or dangerous material that should be removed - **[n]**the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals - **[n]** ## Footnote Things that are a total loss — really worthless or damaging — are *dross.* You could call that gunk between your teeth that comes out when you floss, *dross.* No one wants it, and it's harmful if it stays. While *dross* is a noun for stuff that's physically left over or useless, like the nonmetallic stuff left when metal gets refined, it's also used for people and forms of art. A really bad movie can be called *dross,* and a low or despicable person can be dross. Debris, or trash, is another form of dross. "Searching the backyard for unexploded fireworks — the dross of Chinese New Year celebrations — was a tradition for the kids and a safeguard for the dogs."

Question 60

dupe

Answer 60

fool or hoax - **[v]**a person who is tricked or swindled - **[n]** ## Footnote The immigrant was **duped** because he trusted everyone A *dupe* is a furry, ceremonial hat occasionally worn during ancient pagan rituals... or not. *Dupe* actually means "trick or deceive." We’re sorry we tried to *dupe* you into believing the wrong definition. *Dupe* can also refer to the victim of a trick or hoax, and — used in this sense — it sometimes conveys the idea that the victim is easily fooled. *Dupe* comes from the French word for a type of bird called the *hoopoe*, which has an extravagant crest and a reputation for being dim-witted. (And no, that's not another attempt to dupe you; it's the truth!)

Question 61

ebullient

Answer 61

joyously unrestrained - **[adj]** ## Footnote More than chipper, more than happy, more than delighted is *ebullient* — meaning bubbling over with joy and delight. There are two senses of the word of *ebullient.* One describes an immediate, and ultimately short-lived, reaction to a particular event — for example if you've just won the lottery, you are ebullient. The other describes someone who is perpetually upbeat and cheerful, for example, as in "an *ebullient* personality." Watch out for ebullient personalities: they can often be "over the top" as well.

Question 62

eclectic

Answer 62

selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas - **[adj]**someone who selects according to the eclectic method - **[n]** ## Footnote She listens to hip-hop, Gregorian chant, and folk music from the '60s. He's been seen wearing a handmade tuxedo jacket over a thrift-store flannel shirt. They both have *eclectic* tastes. The English word *eclectic* first appeared in the seventeenth century to describe philosophers who did not belong to a particular school of thought, but instead assembled their doctrines by picking and choosing from a variety of philosophical systems. Today, the word can refer to any assemblage of varied parts. You can have an eclectic group of friends (friends from diverse groups), eclectic taste in furniture (a mixture of 18th-century French chairs, Andy Warhol paintings, and Persian rugs), or enjoy eclectic cuisine (fusion cooking that uses ingredients from different national cuisines).

Question 63

effervescence

Answer 63

the process of bubbling as gas escapes - **[n]**the property of giving off bubbles - **[n]** ## Footnote Soda has *effervescence*. How can you tell? Just look for bubbles. Things that bubble have *effervescence*. *Effervescence* derives from French. To pronounce it correctly, say "eff er VES ence." Originally it meant "the action of boiling up," but it has also come to mean "lively," such as the effervescence of someone who has energy and charisma. It is the opposite of flatness, in which things seem slow, dead, or just "off," like all the air — or energy — is gone.

Question 64

effete

Answer 64

marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay - **[adj]** ## Footnote a group of **effete** self-professed intellectuals *Effete* is a disapproving term meaning decadent and self-indulgent, even useless. The stereotype of the rugged Westerner is just as false as the one of the *effete* East Coast liberal. The origin of the word *effete* is a little unexpected. Coming from the Latin *effetus* "out of, past childbearing," *effete* meant "exhausted, spent" long before it acquired the sense of morally exhausted and overly refined. This is the main use of the word today. Do you ever wonder why some effete party girls are considered celebrities? Star athletes run the risk of losing their edge and becoming effete posterboys for their sports.

Question 65

efficacy

Answer 65

capacity or power to produce a desired effect - **[n]** ## Footnote concern about the safety and **efficacy** of the vaccine The degree to which a method or medicine brings about a specific result is its *efficacy.* You might not like to eat it, but you can't question the *efficacy* of broccoli as a health benefit. *Efficacy* is a more formal way to say effectiveness, both of which stem from the Latin verb *efficere* "to work out, accomplish." The effectiveness, or efficacy, of something is how well it works or brings the results you hoped for. A scientist does research to determine the efficacy of a vaccine or medicine under development. If it is efficacious, it will cure or prevent a disease.

Question 66

effrontery

Answer 66

audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to - **[n]** ## Footnote If you rudely behave as if you have a right to something that you have no right to, you're committing *effrontery*. When a couple stroll into a crowded restaurant, demand the best table, and threaten the staff unless they're seated right away, that's *effrontery*. People have been guilty of outrageously self-centered behavior at least since 1715, when *effrontery* was coined. Tracing to the French word *effronté*, meaning "shameless," the word *effrontery* is also connected to *brazen*, which means "of brass," and describes someone so accustomed to effrontery that he's hardened to it and has no concern for the harm done to others.

Question 67

egoism

Answer 67

concern for your own interests and welfare - **[n]**(ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare in the basis of morality - **[n]** ## Footnote Someone who is full of himself and doesn't give a darn about other people has a healthy supply of *egoism*. *Egoism* means "me me me me me-ism." *Egoism* has a lot to do with selfishness, which sounds like a bad thing, right? Not necessarily. Some people think that being selfish is the best thing to do for the world as a whole. In other words, if everyone is selfish, everyone will be better off. So egoism can be considered positive or negative — it all depends how someone uses the word. This makes *egoism* different from *egotism* — an always yucky type of selfishness.

Question 68

egotistical

Answer 68

characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance - **[adj]**characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **egotistical** disregard of others Someone who is *egotistical* is full of himself; completely self-absorbed. Like the *egotistical* actor who blocks the audience's view of every other actor in the play during the curtain call so that he can hog the applause. The prefix *ego* refers to a person's sense of self, or self-importance. To be *egotistical* is to have an inflated view of your self-importance — basically to think you're better than everyone else. You might express this egotism by constantly reminding your friends that you have a fantastic figure or a magnificent mind.

Question 69

elegy

Answer 69

a mournful poem; a lament for the dead - **[n]** ## Footnote An *elegy* is a sad poem, usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead. Although a speech at a funeral is a eulogy, you might later compose an *elegy* to someone you have loved and lost to the grave. The purpose of this kind of poem is to express feelings rather than tell a story. Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a poem that reflects on the lives of common people buried in a church cemetery, and on the nature of human mortality. The noun *elegy* was borrowed in the 16th century from Middle French *élégie*, from Latin *elegīa*, from Greek *elegeia*, from *elegos* "mournful poem or song."

Question 70

elicit

Answer 70

call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses) - **[v]**deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning) - **[v]** ## Footnote **elicit** a solution When you *elicit*, you're bringing out a response of some sort. A good comedian *elicits* a lot of laughs. *Elicit* has to do with creating or provoking a response. A great speech will elicit cheers — a bad speech will elicit boos. Teachers try to elicit responses from students. If a friend smiles at you, it will probably elicit a smile of your own. In court, a lawyer might try to elicit mistakes and inconsistencies in the testimony of a witness. In all cases, whatever is elicited is some kind of response.

Question 71

elixir

Answer 71

a substance believed to cure all ills - **[n]**hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold - **[n]** ## Footnote Miraculous, magical, and maybe a little mysterious, an *elixir* is a sweet substance or solution that cures the problem at hand. *Elixir* is a word often used with a knowing wink — a sort of overstatement of a product's effectiveness, or a decision maker's policy. With linguistic roots in the long-ago alchemists' search for the philosophers' stone, the word has an element of fantasy to spice up anything, like a remedy for the common cold. The mythic fountain of youth is certainly an elixir, but it can also refer to a real liquid, concept, or plan.

Question 72

elysian

Answer 72

relating to the Elysian Fields - **[adj]**being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **elysian** meal The adjective *elysian* describes a blissful state, like the one most people hope to enjoy on a Hawaiian vacation. The word *elysian* comes from the idyllic Greek mythological place called Elysian Fields. While it might seem at first like a place a tourist might want to see, don’t try to book airline tickets! Although the term is now often equated with a paradise, the Greek Elysian Fields were a heavenly resting place to go in the afterlife. The concept was probably originally conceived to encourage valor in soldiers during battle. Nowadays, people tend to use *elysian* to describe any heavenly scene — even a golf resort or a spa.

Question 73

emaciated

Answer 73

very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold - **[adj]** ## Footnote Someone who is dangerously skinny and skeletal-looking can be described as *emaciated*. It's probably how you'd start to look after a few weeks in the wilderness with only berries and bugs for dinner. The adjective *emaciated* evolved from the Latin *emaciatus*, meaning to "make lean, waste away." An *emaciated* person or animal isn't just thin. They're bony, gaunt, and most likely undernourished, often from illness. So if an emaciated stray cat shows up on your doorstep, give it a bowl of milk and maybe pay a visit to the vet.

Question 74

embellish

Answer 74

make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc. - **[v]**make more beautiful - **[v]**add details to - **[v]**be beautiful to look at - **[v]** ## Footnote The word "bell" shows up in the middle of *embellish,* and bells are something that decorate, or *embellish* something, making it more attractive. If you *embellish* speech, though, it can get ugly if you add a lot of details that aren't true. *Embellish* often has the positive meaning of adding something to make it more handsome or beautifully decorated. But, while adding bells to something looks great at first, after a couple of hours of bells ringing in the ears, what was meant to embellish and beautify can get annoying. That's what can happen when you embellish by adding too many false or exaggerated details to a story. Embellishing with true, colorful details and vivid descriptions is what can really enhance the beauty of a story.

Question 75

emollient

Answer 75

toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin - **[n]**having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin - **[adj]** ## Footnote An *emollient* is a cream or ointment with a thick, gooey texture. When your hands are dry and cracked in the winter, you probably apply an *emollient* to make them softer. *Emollient* comes from a Latin word with the same spelling, which means "to make soft." The noun form of *emollient* refers to a substance that makes something soft. However, *emollient* can also be an adjective used to describe something with a softening or soothing effect. For example, the annoying child on the airplane might be soothed by the emollient sound of the pilot’s voice over the intercom.

Question 76

empirical

Answer 76

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory - **[adj]**relying on medical quackery - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **empirical** basis for an ethical theory "**empirical** laws" "**empirical** data" If knowledge is *empirical*, it's based on observation rather than theory. To do an *empirical* study of donut shops, you'll need to visit every one you can find. *Empirical* looks like *empire* comes from a completely different origin: it is from the Greek *empeirikos*, meaning experienced. It was originally used in medicine for doctors making choices based on observation and experiment rather than theoretical ideas. It's now used for any kind of knowledge that comes from experience. Meditate all day on the origins of donuts, but until you visit the donut bakery you'll lack empirical knowledge of donut creation.

Question 77

emulate

Answer 77

strive to equal or match, especially by imitating - **[v]**compete with successfully; approach or reach equality with - **[v]**imitate the function of (another system), as by modifying the hardware or the software - **[v]** ## Footnote He is **emulating** the skating skills of his older sister "This artist's drawings cannot **emulate** his water colors" When you *emulate* someone, you imitate them, especially with the idea of matching their success. When someone is impressive because of their great skills, brains, strength, or accomplishments, other will emulate. To emulate is to imitate and model yourself after someone. People emulate role models — people they want to be like. After Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, player after player tried to emulate Jordan's game and success. It's hard to be as good as someone like that, but having a hero to emulate can be helpful in many areas of life.

Question 78

encomium

Answer 78

a formal expression of praise - **[n]** ## Footnote An *encomium* is a fancy word for a formal speech or piece of writing that warmly praises someone or something. *Encomium* comes from the Greek word *enkomion* which, in a nutshell, is to honor someone or something at a party in a poetic speech. It used to refer to the song for the winner of the Olympic Games, sung at a victory celebration. You might hear an encomium at a retirement party, after you publish a fabulous book, or even at a funeral (a eulogy, or speech at a funeral about the person who died, is a kind of encomium). It's pronounced with a long O, *en-CO-mium*.

Question 79

endemic

Answer 79

native to or confined to a certain region - **[adj]**originating where it is found - **[adj]**of or relating to a disease (or anything resembling a disease) constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality - **[adj]**a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location - **[n]**a plant that is native to a certain limited area - **[n]** ## Footnote the islands have a number of interesting **endemic** species "**endemic** folkways" "diseases **endemic** to the tropics" If you want to underscore just how commonly found and present something is within a particular place, try the word *endemic*. Tight pants are *endemic* in my lunch room! Although *endemic* meaning "prevalent" often describes a plant or disease, it can also refer to something less tangible and more unwanted such as violence or poverty. Many complain of endemic corruption in the local government. Despite its *-ic* ending, *endemic* can also be used as a noun to signify a plant or animal that is prevalent in a certain region. If an endemic is brought to another area which it takes over, destroying the local population, it's classified as an invasive species. And researchers have cataloged several new African endemics.

Question 80

enervate

Answer 80

weaken mentally or morally - **[v]**disturb the composure of - **[v]** ## Footnote When you *enervate* something, you disturb it, possibly weakening it mentally or morally. Perhaps knowing that its gambling and nightlife has been known to *enervate* some visitors, a certain desert city's slogan is a promise to keep their antics a secret. The verb *enervate* can mean "to faze or unnerve," like public speaking, which is known to enervate many people, or "make weak," like crazy bargains that enervate holiday shoppers. Don't confuse *enervate* with *innervate*. The words are antonyms: something that *enervates* saps your energy, while something that *innervates* stimulates, or gives you energy.

Question 81

engender

Answer 81

make children - **[v]**call forth - **[v]** ## Footnote *Engender* is a fancy way of saying "to make happen," like when you *engender* the spirit of teamwork and cooperation by encouraging others and doing your share of the group's work. The verb *engender* has nothing to do with being male or female, though originally, it did mean "beget, procreate." Today, *engender* means "to produce or bring about." When students come to class prepared, meaning they've read their assignment, this engenders better class discussions, just as mutual trust and the desire to help each other engenders a meaningful friendship.

Question 82

enhance

Answer 82

increase - **[v]**make better or more attractive - **[v]** ## Footnote This will **enhance** your enjoyment "This sauce will **enhance** the flavor of the meat" Many people use the expression "enhance your chance" to point out ways to increase your chances of winning or earning a contest or prize. When you *enhance* something, you heighten it or make it better. Hance is not a word, but the addition of "en-" does something to *enhance* it and improve its sound. You can enhance the size of something, too, by altering it or raising it, which is what the word original meant (the "hance" part came via French from Latin *altus*, meaning "high"). When you *enhance* something you take it to a higher level, like adding salt to French fries to enhance flavor or adding words to enhance your vocabulary.

Question 83

entomology

Answer 83

the branch of zoology that studies insects - **[n]** ## Footnote *Entomology* is the study of insects. If you want to know all about ants, roaches, scorpions, and skeeters, *entomology* is for you. From the Greek word for "knowledge," the suffix *-logy* literally means "the study of," and you see it often. *Theology* is the study of divine beings, *anthropology* is the study of human cultures, *psychology* is the study of the mind. Add the Greek prefix *entomon*, for insect, and you have the branch of biology that focuses on bugs.

Question 84

ephemeral

Answer 84

anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form - **[n]**lasting a very short time - **[adj]** ## Footnote the **ephemeral** joys of childhood Something that is fleeting or short-lived is *ephemeral*, like a fly that lives for one day or text messages flitting from cellphone to cellphone. *Ephemeral* (ə-FEM-ər-əl) was originally a medical term with the specific meaning "lasting only one day," as a fever or sickness (*Hemera* means "day" in Greek.) The word became more general, coming to mean "lasting a short time," covering the life spans of plants or insects and then eventually anything that is fleeting or transitory. A related word is the plural noun *ephemera*, meaning "things that are meant to last for only a short time." Posters for a rock concert are often ephemera, unless the band is so famous that they get saved and sold on eBay.

Question 85

equable

Answer 85

not varying - **[adj]**not easily irritated - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **equable** climate "an **equable** temper" The adjective *equable* means "not easily irritated" or "steady," like someone's *equable* manner that makes everyone instantly feel comfortable. To correctly pronounce *equable*, accent the first syllable: "EK-wah-bul." It comes from the Latin word *aequabilis*, meaning "equal, consistent, uniform." An equable person isn't moody. You wouldn't expect him or her to fly into a rage one minute and be humming a happy tune the next. Instead, someone who is equable takes things in stride — the good, the bad, and the ugly, with a smile and the occasional reminder that "this too shall pass."

Question 86

equanimity

Answer 86

steadiness of mind under stress - **[n]** ## Footnote If you take the news of your brother's death with *equanimity*, it means you take it calmly without breaking down. *Equanimity* refers to emotional calmness and balance in times of stress. If equanimity reminds you of equal, that's because the words have a lot in common. The noun *equanimity* was borrowed from Latin *aequanimitās*, from *aequanimus* "even-tempered, fair," formed from *aequus* "even, level, equal" plus *animus* "mind." The archaic phrase *to bear with equal mind* means "to bear with a calm mind," and is a translation from the Latin. The phrase *a level mind* also refers to calmness. A near synonym is *composure*.

Question 87

equitable

Answer 87

fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience - **[adj]** ## Footnote **equitable** treatment of all citizens "an **equitable** distribution of gifts among the children" If you work on a group project in class, you want an *equitable* share of the credit, you want as much credit as you deserve for your work. *Equitable* distribution means each party gets the share of something that they deserve. When you look at *equitable*, you might think you see the word, equal, but it doesn't mean fair in the sense of exactly the same. If you worked ten hours at a lemonade stand and your friend worked five, you'd want an equitable share of the profits rather than an equal share. Equitable would take into account the amount of work you did, equal would not.

Question 88

errant

Answer 88

straying from the right course or from accepted standards - **[adj]**uncontrolled motion that is irregular or unpredictable - **[adj]** ## Footnote **errant** youngsters "an **errant** breeze" Something or someone described as *errant* has gone astray or done wrong by going in an unexpected direction. An *errant* bird might end up in northern Canada while his friends fly to southern Mexico for the winter. Although *errant* is commonly used as a synonym for "misbehaving" or "naughty," it also refers to things that are just out of place. An errant bomb can hit a house instead of an army base, and an errant lock of hair can get in your eyes. *Errant* can be intentional, as in "the *errant* boys skipped school to go to the movies," or unintentional, as in "an *errant* snowball hit your neighbor instead of your arch enemy."

Question 89

erudite

Answer 89

having or showing profound knowledge - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **erudite** professor If you call someone *erudite*, that means they show great learning. After you've earned your second Ph.D., you will be truly *erudite*. *Erudite* is from Latin verb *erudire*, "to teach," which comes from *rudis* for "raw, unskilled, ignorant" (the source of our word *rude*). If you bring someone out of a raw state, you educate them, so someone who is erudite is very educated indeed (and perhaps a bit of a showoff). You can say either ER-oo-dite or ER-yoo-dite; the second one, being a bit harder to say, can seem a bit more erudite.

Question 90

esoteric

Answer 90

confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle - **[adj]** ## Footnote a compilation of **esoteric** philosophical theories Pssst... do you know the secret handshake? If you haven't been brought into the inner circle of those with special knowledge, *esoteric* things will remain a mystery to you. In the olden days, achieving *esoteric* knowledge meant getting initiated into the mystical arts, learning secrets unknown to regular folks. Now when a subject is called *esoteric* it's usually something not so mystical but still hard to penetrate: financial accounting might seem esoteric for people who get easily stumped filling out their tax forms. Americans might find the sport of cricket to be esoteric, but the rules of baseball can be just as impenetrable to outsiders. The infield fly rule? Totally esoteric.

Question 91

etymology

Answer 91

a history of a word - **[n]**the study of the sources and development of words - **[n]** ## Footnote Since you're reading this, then you probably have some interest in *etymology*, because it's the study of the history and derivations of words. What *genealogy* is to a family, *etymology* is to words. A genealogist studies the history of a family. A person who studies etymology does the same thing with words. Etymology looks at the roots of words — for example, whether they started out as Latin, Greek, or as some other language — and how they took on their current meaning. When you learn that the *-logy* part of *etymology* almost always means "the study of," that is, in itself, etymology.

Question 92

eulogy

Answer 92

a formal expression of praise for someone who has died recently - **[n]**a formal expression of praise - **[n]** ## Footnote At every funeral, there comes a moment when someone who knew the dead person speaks about their life. They are delivering what is known as a *eulogy*. A *eulogy* is a formal speech that praises a person who has died. Usually a eulogy makes the dead person sound a lot more impressive than they really were. A couple of less common synonyms for this kind of "praise the dead" speech are *panegyric* and *encomium*. Sometimes the dead person was so unimpressive that there's nothing nice to say. And sometimes they were so awful that the only appropriate speech is a *dyslogy* that describes their faults and failings.

Question 93

euphemism

Answer 93

an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh - **[n]** ## Footnote Pardon me, but when a polite term is substituted for a blunt, offensive one, you should call it a *euphemism*. *Euphemism* is from Greek *euphemismos*, meaning "good speech," and it's a way that we paper over uncomfortable things with more pleasant-sounding words. These days we tend to use euphemisms when talking about anything having to do with elimination of bodily waste: *toilet*, *bathroom*, and *water closet* were all originally euphemisms. The military is also notorious for using euphemisms, like saying "neutralizing the target" instead of "killing someone."

Question 94

euphoria

Answer 94

a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation - **[n]** ## Footnote Use *euphoria* to describe a feeling of great happiness and well-being, but know that *euphoria* often more than that––it's unusually, crazy happy, over the top. *Euphoria* can even be classified as a mental illness. The earliest use of *euphoria* was to describe the relief provided by a medical procedure. The word was borrowed from New Latin, from the Greek word meaning "ability to bear easily, fertility," from *euphoros* "healthy," from the prefix *eu-* "good, well" plus *pherein* "to bear."

Question 95

euthanasia

Answer 95

the act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable illness) - **[n]** ## Footnote *Euthanasia* is the act of causing a person or animal's death, without inflicting pain, to end suffering, like when a veterinarian performs *euthanasia* on a dog that is in great pain and has no chance of recovery. To correctly pronounce *euthanasia*, remember that it sounds like "youth in Asia." *Euthanasia* is sometimes referred to as mercy killing, meant to spare a living thing a slow, painful death. Originally a Greek word, *euthanasia* means "an easy or happy death," as *eu-* means "good" and *thanatos* means "death." The use of the word as "legally sanctioned mercy killing" is first recorded in English in 1869.

Question 96

evince

Answer 96

give expression to - **[v]** ## Footnote The verb *evince* means to show or express clearly; to make plain. Evidence can *evince* the innocence of the accused, and tears can *evince* the grief of the mourning. *Evince* is a rather formal word that reveals the presence of something hidden — usually a feeling. So, if you are happy, your smile might evince your happiness. And if you are angry, the skull and crossbones on your tee shirt might evince your anger. Evincing is about expressing. If you are keeping your feelings inside, there's not a lot of evincing going on.

Question 97

evocative

Answer 97

serving to bring to mind - **[adj]** ## Footnote Use the adjective *evocative* when you want to describe something that reminds you of something else. If your mom baked a lot when you were a kid, the smell of cookies in the oven is probably *evocative* of your childhood. *Evocative* comes from the Latin word *evocare*, which means to "call out" or "summon." Think of a batch of cookies summoning a memory from your childhood. To summon something you need a voice, and indeed, the Latin word for voice is *vocare*. Other related words include the noun *vocation*, which means "a calling."

Question 98

exacerbate

Answer 98

make worse - **[v]**exasperate or irritate - **[v]** ## Footnote For a formal-sounding verb that means to make worse, try *exacerbate*. If you're in trouble, complaining about it will only *exacerbate* the problem. *Exacerbate* is related to the adjective *acrid*, often used to describe sharp-smelling smoke. Think of *exacerbate* then as a sharp or bitter thing that makes something worse. A drought will exacerbate a country's food shortage. *Worsen*, *intensify*, *aggravate* and *compound* are similar, but *exacerbate* has the sense of an irritant being added in to make something bad even worse.

Question 99

exculpate

Answer 99

pronounce not guilty of criminal charges - **[v]** ## Footnote To *exculpate* means to find someone not guilty of criminal charges. If you've been wrongly convicted of robbery, you better hope a judge will *exculpate* you, unless you want to go to jail because you've heard prison food is amazing. *Exculpate* comes from two Latin words: *ex-*, meaning "from," and *culpa*, meaning "blame." *Exculpate* is similar in meaning to *exonerate*. When you exonerate someone, you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it. *Exculpate* usually refers more directly to clearing the charges against someone. So if that judge exculpates you from the robbery charge, everyone in town might still think you did it. Get him to exculpate and exonerate you.

Question 100

execrable

Answer 100

unequivocally detestable - **[adj]**of very poor quality or condition - **[adj]**deserving a curse - **[adj]** ## Footnote **execrable** crimes If something's *execrable* it's really and truly, unbelievably, absolutely the worst. *Execrable* is often used as a harshly critical term in the arts, when a reviewer really wants to throw the book at something. Not surprisingly, the word comes from a Latin word meaning "to utter a curse; to hate or abhor." Tough words for bad art. Perhaps part of the power and nastiness of *execrable* lies in the word's similarity to *excrement* — but that's a vocabulary word we're not touching in this entry!

Question 101

exhort

Answer 101

spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts - **[v]**force or impel in an indicated direction - **[v]** ## Footnote French roots for the word *exhort* mean "thoroughly encourage," so to *exhort* is to fill up with encouragement! "When he heard the crowd *exhort* him with stomping and cheers, he knew that he could finish the marathon." Some synonyms for *exhort* include *stimulate*, *excite*, and *urge on*. Words and shouts can exhort, and this is especially true when the recipient of those chants fears coming up short with an effort. Exhortations may make the difference between winning or losing and marching on or giving up. A sergeant might exhort his troops after a defeat just as a dad can exhort his daughter after a missed note during a piano recital.

Question 102

exigency

Answer 102

a pressing or urgent situation - **[n]**a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action - **[n]** ## Footnote the health-care **exigency** Think of a mix of excitement and emergency, and you have *exigency*, a sudden, urgent crisis. The very word conjures up danger and intrigue that demand a cool head and an immediate effort at a solution. The meaning of *exigency* is obvious from its source, the Latin noun *exigentia*, which means "urgency" and comes from the verb *exigere*, meaning "to demand or require." An emergency situation, or exigency, is urgent and demands immediate action. Our lives are filled with exigencies, both large and small, from a child stuck in a tree to lightning striking your house to catastrophic river flooding. Each is an exigency — it's all a matter of perspective.

Question 103

existential

Answer 103

relating to or dealing with existence (especially with human existence) - **[adj]**of or as conceived by existentialism - **[adj]**derived from experience or the experience of existence - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **existential** moment of choice ""formal logicians are not concerned with **existential** matters"- John Dewey" If something is *existential*, it has to do with human existence. If you wrestle with big questions involving the meaning of life, you may be having an *existential* crisis. *Existential* can also relate to existence in a more concrete way. For instance, the objections of your mother-in-law may pose an *existential* threat to the continuation of your Friday night card game. Often the word carries at least a nodding reference to the philosophy of *existentialism* associated with Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and others, which emphasizes the individual as a free agent responsible for his actions.

Question 104

exorcise

Answer 104

expel through adjuration or prayers - **[v]** ## Footnote **exorcise** evil spirits To *exorcise* is to cast out a devil or evil spirit, using prayer and other religious tools. You're probably familiar with the name of the person who does this: an exorcist. Don't try to *exorcise* a demon yourself. Call an exorcist. One way to remember the word *exorcise* is that it sounds like "exercise," which means to work out or train your body or mind. Casting out devils it hard work, so be sure to exercise before you exorcise. A boxer doesn't box without exercising first. And an exorcist doesn't exorcise without getting ready first either. The devil is a tough opponent, so you'd better get warmed up before you try to exorcise him from that little girl.

Question 105

expatiate

Answer 105

add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing - **[v]** ## Footnote The verb *expatiate* means "to add details to in order to clear up." If your story is confusing to everyone who hears it, certain key parts must be missing. Better *expatiate* so that people can understand it. To pronounce *expatiate* correctly, accent the second syllable: "ex-PAY-she-ate." When you expatiate, you add details, usually to something you are writing. The goal is to make your ideas clearer to readers, perhaps by offering an example to help them understand. Teachers can tell when you are expatiating and when you are just adding to what you've written, say, reach a certain length requirement. That's usually called "padding."

Question 106

expatriate

Answer 106

a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country - **[n]**expel from a country - **[v]**move away from one's native country and adopt a new residence abroad - **[v]** ## Footnote American **expatriates** An *expatriate* is someone who lives in another country by choice. If you leave your split-level ranch in Ohio and move to a writers' commune in Paris for good, you've become an *expatriate*. *Expatriate* can also be a verb, so that American in Paris has *expatriated*. There was a scene of *expatriates*, or *expats*, living in Paris in the roaring '20s that included writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. The word used to mean to get kicked out of your native country — it's from the French word *expatrier* which means "banish." The prefix *ex* means "out of" and the Latin *patria* "one's native country," but the word took a turn and now refers to people who left without getting shoved out.

Question 107

expiate

Answer 107

make amends for - **[v]** ## Footnote **expiate** one's sins In the fairy tale, the baker must *expiate* his father’s sins by bringing the witch three ingredients for a magic potion: a cow, a cape and a slipper. *Expiate* means to make amends or atone for a wrong you or someone else has committed. After the incident on the hill, a mortified Jill *expiated* her guilt by buying Jack a brand new crown. The shiny new crown served as compensation, or *expiation*, for the broken one. That it cost her so dearly made the *expiatory* gesture especially meaningful to poor Jack.

Question 108

explicate

Answer 108

elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses - **[v]**make plain and comprehensible - **[v]** ## Footnote To *explicate* is to explain or interpret something, maybe putting it in plain terms to make it more comprehensible for others. It might help to remember that it begins with "ex-," like the word *explain*, which is similar in meaning. The verb *explicate* comes from the Latin *explicāre*, which means "to unfold or unravel." This is a good description of a word that means to explain something to make it clearer and more easily understandable. Think of a puzzle or mystery: when you solve it, you sometimes have to explicate how you arrived at the solution, telling how you used the clues given to find the answer.

Question 109

expository

Answer 109

serving to expound or set forth - **[adj]** ## Footnote clean **expository** writing The first few minutes of a first date typically consist of *expository* chit-chat, meaning that that's when people fill each other in on the basics: where they're from, what they studied in school, and what they want to be when they grow up. It's background info. A synonym for *expository* is *explanatory*. It might help to relate the words, as expository dialogue usually exists to give the audience an explanation of a character's previous actions. The challenge for a playwright is to communicate exposition by crafting expository dialogue that isn't boring. It's often a sign of amateur writing when the expository information stands out as just that. The experienced writer can hide the expository information inside the action and other speeches.

Question 110

extant

Answer 110

still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost - **[adj]** ## Footnote **extant** manuscripts ""specimens of graphic art found among **extant** barbaric folk"- Edward Clodd" Use the adjective *extant* to describe old things that are still around, like your *extant* diary from third grade or the only *extant* piece of pottery from certain craftspeople who lived hundreds of years ago. *Extant* is the opposite of *extinct*: it refers to things that are here — they haven't disappeared or been destroyed. Use *extant* to describe things that it may be surprising to learn are still around — you wouldn't say jeans you bought last year are extant, but a pair of jeans worn by Marilyn Monroe back in the 1950s? Definitely extant.

Question 111

extemporaneous

Answer 111

with little or no preparation or forethought - **[adj]** ## Footnote an **extemporaneous** piano recital *Extemporaneous* means spoken without preparation. The orator's performance was impressive, but only after we learn that his speech was *extemporaneous* did we realize the true depth of his talent. Some politicians are so skilled that even their prepared remarks have an *extemporaneous* quality. As opposed to policy debates where teams know the resolution in advance, extemporaneous debate is judged on style and nimble argumentation, as the participants receive the resolution minutes before debating begins.

Question 112

extirpate

Answer 112

destroy completely, as if down to the roots - **[v]**surgically remove (an organ) - **[v]** ## Footnote The verb *extirpate* originally literally meant "to weed out by the roots." Now you'd use it when you want to get rid of something completely as if pulling it up by the root. Use the verb *extirpate* when you mean to destroy completely or get rid of completely. You can try to *extirpate* all the bedbugs that came home with you from your vacation, but you will probably be afraid that some resisted the exterminator to munch on you later.

Question 113

extraneous

Answer 113

not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source - **[adj]**coming from the outside - **[adj]**not pertinent to the matter under consideration - **[adj]**not essential - **[adj]** ## Footnote water free of **extraneous** matter "**extraneous** light in the camera spoiled the photograph" "relying upon an **extraneous** income" *Extraneous* means coming from or belonging to the outside—*extraneous* noise is what you hear when you're in a theater and a train passes by, *extraneous* wires bring your cable connection into the house. In Latin, *extra* means outside, as in *extraordinary* "outside the ordinary," or *extraterrestrial* 'coming from outside earth.' (Bonus points––ding! ding!––if you knew that *terra* is Latin for "earth.") The meaning of *extraneous* also extends to more abstract things that come from the outside: extraneous details are ones that don't matter.

Question 114

extrapolation

Answer 114

an inference about the future (or about some hypothetical situation) based on known facts and observations - **[n]**(mathematics) calculation of the value of a function outside the range of known values - **[n]** ## Footnote An *extrapolation* is kind of like an educated guess or a hypothesis. When you make an *extrapolation*, you take facts and observations about a present or known situation and use them to make a prediction about what might eventually happen. *Extrapolation* comes from the word *extra*, meaning "outside," and a shortened form of the word *interpolation*. *Interpolation* might sound like a made-up word, but it’s not. An interpolation is an insertion between two points. So an extrapolation is an insertion outside any existing points. If you know something about Monday and Tuesday, you might be able to make an extrapolation about Wednesday.

Question 115

extrinsic

Answer 115

not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside - **[adj]** ## Footnote **extrinsic** evidence "an **extrinsic** feature of the new building" "that style is something **extrinsic** to the subject" Extrinsic means not connected to the essential nature of something. New cleats are *extrinsic* to making the soccer team. How you play is what gets you on the team, whether your cleats are old or new. If the *ex* in *extrinsic* makes you think of *external* or *extra* you’re on the right track––all these *ex* words are talking about something that is outside, or above and beyond. You often hear *extrinsic* paired with its opposite, *intrinsic*, which means part of something or someone's essential nature. If being sweet-tempered is intrinsic to your personality, you might not even know how to get mad.

Question 116

facetious

Answer 116

cleverly amusing in tone - **[adj]** ## Footnote **facetious** remarks Someone who is *facetious* is only joking: "I was being *facetious* when I told my mother I want Brussels sprouts with every meal, but she took me seriously!" *Facetious* is a useful word to describe something that's humorous, or meant to be humorous. If a joke falls flat, then you can back off from it by saying you're only being facetious. There are limits to this use of the word: if you stage an elaborate prank on your friend, making him run out into the street in his underwear because he thinks his house is on fire, calling the joke *facetious* will probably earn you a punch in the face.

Question 117

facilitate

Answer 117

make easier - **[v]**increase the likelihood of (a response) - **[v]**be of use - **[v]** ## Footnote you could **facilitate** the process by sharing your knowledge "The stimulus **facilitates** a delayed impulse" To *facilitate* means to make something easier. If your best friend is very shy, you could *facilitate* her efforts to meet new people. *Facilitate* comes from the Latin *facilis*, for easy. It means to make something easier or more likely to happen. You facilitate growth or a process, as opposed to, say, dinner. Often in business meetings someone will be assigned to facilitate a discussion so people don't just sit in awkward silence. Synonyms are *ease, simplify, expedite*, and *assist*.

Question 118

factotum

Answer 118

a servant employed to do a variety of jobs - **[n]** ## Footnote If you're running late and still need to iron your clothes and make breakfast, but can't find your shoes, you may wish you had a *factotum,* or a servant who does a variety of odd jobs for their employer. *Factotum* sounds like the two words "fact" and "totem" spliced together, but this curious noun originally comes from the Latin words that mean "do" and "everything." In current times, since servants aren’t typical anymore, we might call someone who has a paid job like this a jack-of-all-trades or possibly a personal assistant.

Question 119

fallacious

Answer 119

containing or based on a fallacy - **[adj]**based on an incorrect or misleading notion or information - **[adj]**intended to deceive - **[adj]** ## Footnote **fallacious** reasoning "**fallacious** hope" "**fallacious** testimony" Something *fallacious* is a mistake that comes from too little information or unsound sources. Predictions that the whole state of California will snap off from the rest of North America and float away have proven to be *fallacious* — for now, anyway. *Fallacious* comes ultimately from the Latin *fallax,* "deceptive." The word *fallacious* might describe an intentional deception or a false conclusion coming from bad science or incomplete understanding. "Her assumption that anyone that old — over 20 — could understand her tween dilemma was *fallacious*; her sister had been young once too."

Question 120

fallow

Answer 120

left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season - **[adj]**undeveloped but potentially useful - **[adj]**cultivated land that is not seeded for one or more growing seasons - **[n]** ## Footnote **fallow** farmland "a **fallow** gold market" Something that is *fallow* is left unused. If you’re smart but lazy, someone might say you have a *fallow* mind. We use the word to talk about any unused resource, it started as a work about land. *Fallow* comes from the old English word for plowing, and refers to the practice of leaving fields unplowed in rotation––when a field lies fallow, the soil regains nutrients that are sucked up by over-planting.

Question 121

fatuous

Answer 121

devoid of intelligence - **[adj]** ## Footnote * Fatuous* means lacking intelligence. When your mother outlaws calling your brother stupid, use *fatuous* instead. * Fatuous* derives from the Latin *fatuus* meaning "foolish." It sounds like it should have something to do with being fat, but it actually has no relation to size. Back in Old English times, when the word *fat* was emerging, food was a lot more scarce than it is today, and the word *fat* meant simply plump or well-fed. Times have changed, and now that we have more food than we know what to do with, fat people are thought to lack self control, which makes them seem foolish, or even fatuous, which is hardly the case.

Question 122

fauna

Answer 122

all the animal life in a particular region or period - **[n]**a living organism characterized by voluntary movement - **[n]** ## Footnote the **fauna** of China When you go on a nature walk in a school setting, you teacher might tell you to observe the flora and *fauna* in the woods. Flora is plant life; *fauna* refers to animals. *Fauna* derives from the name of a Roman goddess, but the handiest way to remember flora and *fauna* is that "flora" sounds like flowers, which are part of the plant world, and *fauna* sounds like "fawn," and fawns are part of the animal kingdom.

Question 123

fawning

Answer 123

attempting to win favor by flattery - **[adj]**attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery - **[adj]** ## Footnote Use *fawning* to describe someone who's over the top in the flattery department. Like a *fawning* admirer who just won't stop complimenting your looks, showering you with gifts and otherwise kissing the ground you walk on. From the Old English *fægnian*, meaning "rejoice, exult, be glad," *fawning* can be both an adjective and a noun form of the verb *fawn*. Fawning people are often trying to win favor with the person being flattered, and it sometimes comes off as sucking up. So do everyone a favor and don't try to boost your poor grades by fawning over your professor’s every word.

Question 124

felicitous

Answer 124

exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style - **[adj]**marked by good fortune - **[adj]** ## Footnote a **felicitous** speaker "a **felicitous** life" * Felicitous* describes something that's really pleasant. If someone behaves in a *felicitous* manner, she's being agreeable and appropriate. You know, the way you should behave when your great aunt offers you those stale candies. * Felicitous* also describes something that's happy or lucky. When you plan a trip to the amusement park and it turns out that the sun is shining, that’s felicitous. If you need to mail a package by a certain date and you make it to the post office just in time, that’s also felicitous. *Felicitous* can also describe something that's well chosen. Planning an outdoor wedding for the dead of winter would not be felicitous.

Question 125

feral

Answer 125

wild and menacing - **[adj]** ## Footnote a pack of **feral** dogs When animal control finds a *feral* dog, they have to handle it very carefully because the animal is so wild that it's probably afraid of humans and likely to bite. *Feral* is often used to describe a wild, untamed animal, like the feral cat with its claws and sharp teeth menacingly bared, ready to strike. Qualities that are similar to a wild animal can also be called *feral*. The child who grew alone up in a cabin in the woods, and who didn't go to school, was called feral when she ran away from the orphanage.

Question 126

fervor

Answer 126

feelings of great warmth and intensity - **[n]**the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up - **[n]** ## Footnote Use *fervor* to describe an intensity of emotion or expression. Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers show so much *fervor* that they "bleed Dodger blue." This noun comes to us from Latin *fervere*, meaning "to boil, glow." In the English word *fervor*, the suffix *–or* means "a condition or property of something." There is another *–or* suffix that means "a person or thing that does the thing expressed by the verb." A corresponding adjective is *fervent*; synonyms of the noun and adjective are *ardor* and *ardent*.

Question 127

fetid

Answer 127

offensively malodorous - **[adj]** ## Footnote If you want to understand the true meaning of *fetid*, leave your sweaty gym clothes in your locker for a few days. *Fetid* is a fancy way of saying that something smells really bad. From the Latin word meaning "stinking," this adjective has been in use since the early 15th century, which was a particularly *fetid* time in history — showers, laundry detergent, and deodorant had not yet been invented. Here's an easy way to remember it: "the fe(e)t (d)id stink." It's sometimes spelled *foetid*.

Question 128

fetter

Answer 128

a shackle for the ankles or feet - **[n]**restrain with fetters - **[v]** ## Footnote A *fetter* is a shackle or chain that is attached to someone’s ankles. To *fetter* someone is to restrict their movement, either literally or metaphorically. You might feel *fettered* by your parents' rules, even without the chains. A *fetter* is anything that secures and limits the movement of the feet and legs of a prisoner. To *fetter*, the verb, could be used literally: the prison wardens would fetter the chain gangs who built many of the railroads in the US., but it usually means something has been done to restrain someone’s behavior: "we finally managed to *fetter* our sons’ computer use with bribery."

Question 129

fiat

Answer 129

a legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge) - **[n]** ## Footnote You might think a *fiat* is just an Italian car, but it actually means a legal, authoritative decision that has absolute sanction. From the Latin for "let it be done," the word *fiat* is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done." So let it be a fiat.

Question 130

fidelity

Answer 130

the quality of being faithful - **[n]**accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal - **[n]** ## Footnote * Fidelity* is the quality of being faithful or loyal. Dogs are famous for their *fidelity*. * Fidelity* comes from the Latin root *fides*, which means faith, so *fidelity* is the state of being faithful. Marital fidelity is faithfulness to your spouse. If you're a journalist, your reports should have fidelity to the facts. Someone without fidelity to a religion or group belief is called an *infidel*.

Question 131

filibuster

Answer 131

(law) a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches - **[n]**a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes - **[n]**obstruct deliberately by delaying - **[v]** ## Footnote As a verb, *filibuster* means "to obstruct legislation by talking at great length." As a noun, it can refer to that oppositional speech. "The Senator prevented a vote on the bill by reading the dictionary from *aardvark* to *zyzzyva*." As a parliamentary tactic, the *filibuster* dates back to at least the first century B.C.E. The rules of the Roman Senate required that all business must be completed by nightfall, and, on more than one occasion, the senator Cato the Younger spoke until dark to delay a vote. In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, a minister may "talk out" a bill, but his speech must pertain to the bill. In the United States, by contrast, a Senator may forestall action on a bill by speaking on any topic.

Question 132

finesse

Answer 132

subtly skillful handling of a situation - **[n]** ## Footnote Having *finesse* means you can handle difficult situations with diplomacy and tact, like the *finesse* it takes to help two friends work out their differences — without taking sides or alienating either one. Finesse is having grace under pressure. It's handling the rantings of an angry customer with a smile and a calm tone. Someone who has finesse says the right thing at the right time — or knows when to say nothing at all. *Finesse* looks like *fineness* and in fact comes from the Middle French word that means exactly that — delicate in nature. People with finesse can handle anything — with a delicate approach that really works.

Question 133

fissure

Answer 133

a long narrow depression in a surface - **[n]**a long narrow opening - **[n]**(anatomy) a long narrow slit or groove that divides an organ into lobes - **[n]**break into fissures or fine cracks - **[v]** ## Footnote A long fine crack in the surface of something is called a *fissure*. If you see a *fissure* in the ice on a frozen lake, you'll want to take off your skates and head back to the car. *Fissure* has its roots in the Latin word *fissura*, meaning a cleft or crack. If something breaks into fine cracks, you can describe the action with the verb form of *fissure*. For example, "She watched in horror as the earth *fissured* beneath her feet, recognizing the signs of an earthquake but powerless to do anything to save herself except throw herself to the ground and hang on."

Question 134

flag

Answer 134

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design - **[n]**a listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc. - **[n]**plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals - **[n]**stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones - **[n]** ## Footnote **Flag** this file so that I can recognize it immediately "the building was **flagged** for the holiday" Stopping for a snack may help when your energy or attention begin to *flag*, meaning you are getting tired or losing your focus. *Flag* describes a person’s waning energy level after a sustained effort. For example, you may begin to flag after a long afternoon sightseeing in a strange city. It can also be used to describe diminishing success, such as a movie career that seems to flag after the actor stops landing big roles, *flag* can also refer to something that seems to drop off, like gym attendance that flags — along with those New Year's resolutions.

Question 135

fledgling

Answer 135

young bird that has just fledged or become capable of flying - **[n]**any new participant in some activity - **[n]** ## Footnote a **fledgling** robin "a **fledgling** enterprise" "a **fledgling** skier" A *fledgling* is a fuzzy baby bird just learning to fly, or someone (like a baby bird) who's brand new at doing something. Awww. If you're not talking about a baby bird, *fledgling* is often used as an adjective describing a new participant in something, like a fledgling senator still learning the ropes of how to legislate, or a fledgling drama program trying to build audiences for its plays. It can also mean inexperienced and young, like the fledgling photographer for the school paper who accidentally erases all the pictures. If you're British, spell it *fledgeling* if you like, both spellings are correct.

Question 136

flora

Answer 136

all the plant life in a particular region or period - **[n]**(botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion - **[n]** ## Footnote the **flora** of southern California The *flora* of a particular area consists of its plant species, considered as a whole. The word also refers to the plant life of a particular era — for example, fossilized plants can help us determine the *flora* at the time of dinosaurs. The use of the word *flora* as referring to a particular area's vegetation has been used by botanists since the 1640s, but it became common with Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who in 1745 wrote "Flora Suecica," a study of the plant life of Sweden. The word was a natural fit, as Flōra was the name of the Roman goddess of flowers. When scientists study a region's flora, they classify their findings and create a descriptive list, which is also called a *flora*.

Question 137

florid

Answer 137

elaborately or excessively ornamented - **[adj]**inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life - **[adj]** ## Footnote the senator's **florid** speech When people are red-cheeked with good health they are *florid.* Spending most of the year in the college library can give you a colorless, weary face, but after a mountain vacation, you'll be *florid* with the reddish color that comes from exercise and living well. *Florid* is an adjective that entered English in the 17th century, via the French *floride*, from the Latin *flōridus,* "blooming." You can probably guess how *Florida* and *flourish* are related! Something overly decorated, such as a really ornate living room, is florid in the flowery sense, while people with rosy cheeks and a look of healthiness are florid because they are flourishing with a fullness of life. Your florid complexion matched your florid red drapes as you came in from the cold and plunked down on the couch near the window.

Question 138

flourish

Answer 138

grow vigorously - **[v]**the act of waving - **[n]**(music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments - **[n]** ## Footnote she entered with a great **flourish**"he entered to a **flourish** of trumpets" A *flourish* is an extra touch — a trumpet's "ta-ta-da!" announcing a king's entrance, a fancy carving atop an otherwise utilitarian pillar, a wave of a flag or a cheerleader's pompom. *Flourish* can also mean "growth": "With the right teacher, a child will *flourish*." To understand how the two meanings of *flourish* connect, remember that the word "flower" (spelled *flour-*) is hiding inside it. Flowers are used for decoration and ornamentation, but they also grow. Get it? Good for you! Imagine a cheerleader shouting out your name, flourishing her pom-poms.

Question 139

flout

Answer 139

treat with contemptuous disregard - **[v]**laugh at with contempt and derision - **[v]** ## Footnote **flout** the rules To *flout* is to scorn or show contempt for. "I *flout* the law and the concept of civilian safety by making a concerted effort to jaywalk every time I cross a street." Oddly enough, when *flout* came into existence in the 1550s, it had a much different sense to it than it does now; it's believed that it evolved from the Middle English *flowten* "to play the flute." As a verb, it means to scorn, as in, for example, to scorn a law, person, or social norm by defying it. As a noun, it is a contemptuous remark or insult. Wrote William Shakespeare, "*Flout* 'em, and scout 'em; and scout 'em and *flout* 'em; Thought is free."

Question 140

flux

Answer 140

a flow or discharge - **[n]**a substance added to molten metals to bond with impurities that can then be readily removed - **[n]**a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) preceding the establishment of a new direction of action - **[n]**mix together different elements - **[v]** ## Footnote the **flux** following the death of the emperor "his opinions are in **flux**" "the newness and **flux** of the computer industry" The noun *flux* describes something that constantly changes. If your likes, dislikes, attitudes, dreams, and even friends are changing all the time, you may be in *flux*. *Flux* can also describe being unsure about how to respond to something while you're waiting for something else to happen. Suppose you just had a great job interview and feel confident that you'll get an offer. In the meantime, your friend invites you to go to Australia with her. You don't know what to do because you don't want to miss that call — or Sydney! You're in flux until you hear from the potential employer.

Question 141

foment

Answer 141

try to stir up public opinion - **[v]**bathe with warm water or medicated lotions - **[v]** ## Footnote His legs should be **fomented** Stand outside the school cafeteria passing out flyers with nutritional details on school food, and you may *foment* a revolution––*foment* means stirring up something undesirable, such as trouble. You would never say, "Hooray, we *fomented* a revolution." Instead you'd say, "Those good for nothing scalawags fomented the rebellion." Don't confuse *foment* and *ferment*. *Ferment* can mean "to stir up" in a good way––a football game can ferment excitement in a town, or foment trouble through traffic tie-ups and litter.

Question 142

forbearance

Answer 142

a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges; refraining from acting - **[n]**good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence - **[n]** ## Footnote his **forbearance** to reply was alarming When a teacher says, "Bear with me for a moment," while he writes on the board, he is asking for the class's *forbearance*. He wants them to wait patiently during the delay. *Forbearance* also has a more technical, legal meaning — if you are owed money and you give someone extra time to get it to you, you're showing them forbearance. The word has nothing to do with actual bears, but if you think of one slumbering through its winter hibernation, that might help remember its meaning.

Question 143

forestall

Answer 143

keep from happening or arising; make impossible - **[v]**act in advance of; deal with ahead of time - **[v]** ## Footnote It takes a bit of planning to *forestall* something, meaning stop it from happening. To *forestall* the effects of aging, exercise and take care of your health all your life. You can break the word *forestall* into parts to figure out its meaning. The prefix *fore* is one you've seen in words like *forewarn*, which means "to warn in advance." And you probably know that *stall* means "delay." So to forestall is to stall in advance, or put another way, to try to prevent or put off something you don't want to happen.

Question 144

formidable

Answer 144

extremely impressive in strength or excellence - **[adj]**inspiring fear - **[adj]** ## Footnote a **formidable** opponent "the challenge was **formidable**" "had a **formidable** array of compositions to his credit" What do the national debt, your old gym teacher, and your mother-in-law have in common? They're all *formidable* — that is, they inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities. (Or possibly all three in the case of your mother-in-law.) What's interesting about *formidable* is that we often tend to use it about things that, while they may scare us, we can't help being pretty impressed by all the same. A formidable opponent is almost by definition a worthy one; a formidable challenge almost by definition one worth rising to. Not surprisingly, this word is derived from the Latin *formidare,* "to fear."

Question 145

forswear

Answer 145

formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure - **[v]** ## Footnote To *forswear* is to give up an idea, belief, or habit that you’ve had previously. New Year’s is a popular time to *forswear* anything from sweets to bad relationships. When you *forswear*, you abandon something completely. In *Romeo and Juliet*, Romeo is at first smitten by the maiden Rosaline, but once he lays eyes on Juliet, Rosaline is history. He says of Juliet, "Did my heart love till now? *Forswear* it, sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty till this night."

Question 146

founder

Answer 146

a person who founds or establishes some institution - **[n]**sink below the surface - **[v]**a worker who makes metal castings - **[n]**inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse - **[n]** ## Footnote The project **foundered**"the horses **foundered**" The person who creates an organization or a company is known as the *founder*. *Founder* is also a verb meaning "fail miserably," which is something a company's *founder* hopes the company will never do. As a noun, *founder* means "the beginner or originator of something." You might talk about the founder of a nation, the founder of club, or the founder of a website. As a verb, *founder* can mean "stumble," like when you trip and fall, but more generally it means "collapse or fall apart." A sports team might founder by slumping on a ten-game losing streak; a ship that sinks in a bad storm can be said to have foundered at sea.

Question 147

fracas

Answer 147

noisy quarrel - **[n]** ## Footnote If your marching band gets into a fight with another school's pep squad, your principal might say the *fracas* was uncalled for and undignified. A *fracas* is a noisy quarrel. *Fracas* comes from an Italian word meaning uproar or crash. Two people in a quiet little spat is not a fracas, but a schoolyard rumble definitely qualifies as one! Sometimes *fracas* means the large amount of outraged discussion that an event causes. Imagine the fracas if your school decided to ban sneakers!

Question 148

fractious

Answer 148

easily irritated or annoyed - **[adj]**stubbornly resistant to authority or control - **[adj]**unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be troublesome - **[adj]** ## Footnote an incorrigibly **fractious** young man "a **fractious** animal that would not submit to the harness" "rockets were much too **fractious** to be tested near thickly populated areas" If you're prone to picking fights, making snarky comments, and being frustratingly stubborn, you're *fractious*. And odds are you're not invited to too many parties. Someone who is *fractious* is cranky, rebellious and inclined to cause problems. Tempers and children are commonly described as such. In *To Kill A Mockingbird*, author Harper Lee uses the word to describe the trouble-making Calpurnia: "She had always been too hard on me, she had at last seen the error of her *fractious* ways, she was sorry and too stubborn to say so."

Question 149

fresco

Answer 149

a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster - **[n]**a durable method of painting on a wall by using watercolors on wet plaster - **[n]**paint onto wet plaster on a wall - **[v]** ## Footnote Whether you've studied art history or not, you're probably familiar with the world's most famous *fresco:* Michelangelo's paintings on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. To paint a fresco, you must apply paint to still wet plaster, and you better get it right the first time. Too slow and the plaster hardens, and then you've got a lot of chipping away to do. *Fresco* comes from the Italian *fresco,* meaning "cool" or "fresh," which describes exactly the fast, unlabored technique required of fresco painting.

Question 150

frieze

Answer 150

an architectural ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band between the architrave and the cornice - **[n]**a heavy woolen fabric with a long nap - **[n]** ## Footnote A *frieze* is a decorative band, usually, but not always, above a doorframe or on the wall near the ceiling. You may find a *frieze* of sculptured angels too formal for the trim of your bedroom wall. You might not think of a frieze in the same category as a painting or a statue, but it can be a true work of art. One famous frieze is painted in a large circle on the inside of the United States Capitol building; it shows famous events in American history. Another is at the Parthenon, a temple from ancient Greece. Don’t confuse *frieze* with the more common term *freeze*, though they are pronounced the same way.

Question 151

frugality

Answer 151

prudence in avoiding waste - **[n]** ## Footnote If you try to avoid waste by reusing and repurposing items that most people would throw away, your *frugality* will save you money. Some people use this word interchangeably with cheapness, but cheapness is an unwillingness to spend, while *frugality* is an unwillingness to waste. People who show frugality often find ways of making things useful that others do not. Even after the Depression ended, those who lived through it maintained their frugality, using old t-shirts for rags and washed-out cottage cheese containers instead of Tupperware.

Question 152

fulminate

Answer 152

cause to explode violently and with loud noise - **[v]**a salt or ester of fulminic acid - **[n]** ## Footnote the disease **fulminated**"He **fulminated** against the Republicans' plan to cut Medicare" Watch a bomb *fulminate* or explode and hope you're under safe cover. Have your parents *fulminate* or blow up at you for coming home past curfew and hope you're not grounded for too long. The word fulminate is made up of the Latin root *fulmen* meaning "lightning flash." Look up at the sky during a violent thunderstorm and chances are you'll catch thunder and lightning *fulminate* or explode loudly and violently overhead. But you needn't look to the sky alone for this kind of intensity. If you find yourself in a room with passionate Republicans and Democrats debating, you might see them *fulminate* or severely rail against each other's beliefs.

Question 153

fulsome

Answer 153

unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech - **[adj]** ## Footnote gave him a **fulsome** introduction Compliments usually make you feel pretty good, but *fulsome* compliments, which are exaggerated and usually insincere, may have the opposite effect. Hundreds of years ago *fulsome* used to mean "abundant," but now it's more often used to describe an ingratiating manner or an excess of flattery that might provoke an onlooker to mime gagging. If you find *fulsome* to be a rather clunky word, there are several fun (if vaguely stomach-churning) synonyms, including *buttery,* *oily,* *oleaginous,* and *smarmy*.

Question 154

fusion

Answer 154

the act of fusing (or melting) together - **[n]**a nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy - **[n]** ## Footnote *Fusion* is the process of combining two or more things together into one. If your favorite genres are Westerns and reality dating shows, maybe when you become a TV executive, you'll create a *fusion* of the two, where competing dates have shoot-outs in saloons. The noun *fusion* comes from the Latin word *fundere*, meaning melt, so *fusion* is the act of melting things together. In science, *fusion* is the process of merging atoms together to create energy. Fusion is also used as an adjective. Fusion cuisine is the combination of at least two different ways of cooking. Fusion music is usually the combination of jazz and rock.

Question 155

futile

Answer 155

producing no result or effect - **[adj]**unproductive of success - **[adj]** ## Footnote a **futile** effort "**futile** years after her artistic peak" When something fails to deliver a useful result, you can call it *futile*. Hopefully all the time you're spending studying vocabulary won't turn out to be *futile*! *Futile* comes from the Latin *futilis*, which originally meant "leaky." Although we use *futile* to talk about more than buckets, the image of a leaky vessel is a good illustration of the adjective. Pouring water into a leaky bucket is futile. Your exercise program will be futile if you don't stop chowing down on chocolate. *Futile* fancier than its synonym *useless*. Other synonyms are *fruitless* or *vain*. The *i* can be either short (FYOO-t'l) or long (FYOO-tile).