Set 5 Flashcards
invariably
in‧var‧i‧a‧bly
/ɪnˈveəriəbli $ -ˈver-/
If something invariably happens or is invariably true, it always happens or is always true: ALWAYS, every time, each time, on every occasion, at all times, without fail, without exception, whatever happens, universally, regularly, constantly
…It invariably rains when I go there.
…They almost invariably get it wrong.
…Their teamwork was invariably good.
…Invariably, he keeps the refrigerator well stocked.
> in- (“not, opposite of”) + variabilis “changeable”, Borrowed into Middle English in the 14th century from Old French variable, from Latin variare (“to change”), from varius (“different, various”). Equates to English vary + -able + -ly
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
voracious
voracious
> mid 17th century: from Latin vorax, vorac- (from vorare ‘devour’) + -ious.
> Oxford Dictionary of English
incongruity
in·con·gru·i·ty
/ˌinkənˈɡro͞oədē,ˌinkäNGˈɡro͞oədē/
[countable, uncountable] the fact that something is strange, unusual, or unsuitable in a particular situation; The incongruity of something is its strangeness when considered together with other aspects of a situation: INAPPROPRIATENESS, discrepancy, inconsistency, disparity
…She smiled at the incongruity of the question.
→ incongruity between
…the almost absurd incongruity between her wealth and her lifestyle
—incongruous adjective SYNONYMS out of place, out of keeping, inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited
> early 17th century: from Latin incongruus (from in- ‘not’ + congruus “suitable, agreeing,” from congruere “to agree, correspond with,” literally “to come together,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” (see con-) + a lost verb *gruere, *ruere “fall, rush”) + -ity.
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
trope
trope
/trōp/
TECHNICAL
words, phrases, images etc that are used for an unusual or interesting effect; (art, literature) Something recurring across a genre or type of art or literature, such as the ‘mad scientist’ of horror movies or the use of the phrase ‘once upon a time’ as an introduction to fairy tales; a motif.
…cinematic tropes
…My sense that philosophy has become barren is a recurrent trope of modern philosophy.
USAGE NOTES:
In the art or literature sense, the word trope is similar to archetype and cliché, but is not necessarily pejorative /pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv $ -ˈdʒɔː-, -ˈdʒɑː-/.
> 1530s, from Latin tropus “a figure of speech,” from Greek tropos “a turn, direction, course, way; manner, fashion,” in rhetoric, “turn or figure of speech,” related to trope “a turning” and trepein “to turn,” from PIE root *trep- “to turn.” Technically, in rhetoric, “a figure of speech which consists in the use of a word or phrase in a sense other than that which is proper to it” [OED], “as when we call a stupid fellow an ass, or a shrewd man a fox” [Century Dictionary].
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline
veterinarian
veterinarian
/veh·tr·uh·neh·ree·uhn/
indigestion
in‧di‧ges‧tion
/in·duh·jes·chn/
1 inability to digest or difficulty in digesting something
2 a case or attack of indigestion marked especially by a burning sensation or discomfort in the upper abdomen
Examples:
…The patient complained of indigestion and nausea.
…I like spicy foods but they always give me indigestion.
…Eating more than that can come with not-so-fun side effects like heartburn, indigestion, or diarrhea, Poulson says.
—Ashia Aubourg, SELF, 9 Oct. 2023
> late 14c., “difficulty or inability in digesting food,” from Old French indigestion (13c.), from Late Latin indigestionem (nominative indigestio), from in- “not, opposite of” (see in- (1)) + digestionem “arrangement, distribution” (see digestion).
> digestion (n.): late 14c., digestioun, “conversion of food to a state in which it can be absorbed into the blood from the alimentary canal,” from Old French digestion (13c.) and directly from Latin digestionem (nominative digestio) “digestion, arrangement,” noun of action from past-participle stem of digerere “to separate, divide, arrange,” etymologically “to carry apart,” from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + gerere “to carry” (see gest).
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline
pacify
pacify
1 to make someone calm, quiet, and satisfied after they have been angry or upset.
2 to stop groups of people from fighting or protesting, often by using force.
> late 15th century (earlier (late Middle English) as pacification ): from Old French pacefier, from Latin pacificare, based on pax, pac- ‘peace’.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English
kaput
ka‧put
/kəˈpʊt/
INFORMAL
If you say that something is kaput, you mean that it is completely broken, useless, or finished: BROKEN, malfunctioning, broken-down, inoperative; ruined, destroyed
…‘What’s happened to your car?’—’It’s kaput.’
…The TV’s gone kaput.
…He finally admitted that his film career was kaput.
> From German kaputt (“broken, out of order”), from French capot (“to be without a trick in the card game Piquet”). Cognate to Dutch kapot.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
to run for cover
to run for cover
a) to run towards a place where you will be safe, especially to avoid bullets.
b) to attempt to avoid the fallout from some negative outcome or encounter.
…The company had one of the highest stock prices on the market, but the recent scandal has sent many investors running for cover.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, The Free Dictionary
indiscretion
in‧dis‧cre‧tion
/ˌɪndɪˈskreʃən/
[countable, uncountable] an action or remark that shows a lack of good judgment, especially one that is morally unacceptable: IMPRUDENCE, injudiciousness, lack of caution, incaution, irresponsibility; recklessness
…Occasionally they paid for their indiscretion with their lives.
…Earl describes his past links with the racist group as a youthful indiscretion.
…rumors of the former president’s sexual indiscretions
> Middle English: from late Latin indiscretio(n- ), from in- (expressing negation) + discretio ‘separation’ (in late Latin ‘discernment’), from discernere ‘separate out, discern’: From Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, discern”), from dis- (“apart”) + cernere (“to separate”)
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
quibble
quib‧ble
/ˈkwɪbəl/
verb
to argue about small unimportant details: SPLIT HAIRS, carp about, cavil at /ˈkævəl/, prevaricate
quibble about
quibble over
…Let’s not quibble over minor details.
…Council members spent the day quibbling over the final wording of the resolution.
noun
a small complaint or criticism about something unimportant: MINOR CRITICISM, trivial objection, trivial complaint
> quib + -le. Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary
veterinarian
veterinarian
solidarity
sol‧i‧dar‧i‧ty
/ˌsɒləˈdærəti $ ˌsɑː-/
/saa·luh·deh·ruh·tee/
: unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards; If a group of people show solidarity, they show support for each other or for another group, especially in political or international affairs: UNITY, harmony, unification, accord
…The vote was a show of solidarity.
show/express/demonstrate your solidarity (with sb)
…Supporters want to march tomorrow to show solidarity with their leaders.
…I come before you today to express my solidarity with the people of New York.
…As protesters passed by, some motorists raised fists in the air and honked in solidarity.
—Author: Bruce Schreiner, Sophia Tulp, Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2020
> English solidary + -ity, from French solidarité (“solidarity”), from solidaire (“characterized by solidarity”), from Latin solidum (“whole sum”), neuter of solidus (“solid”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary
admonition
ad‧mo‧ni‧tion
/ˌædməˈnɪʃən/
/ad·muh·ni·shn/
FORMAL
Bringing a skateboard to school is a great way to get an admonition from a teacher not to ride it down the halls. An admonition is advice with a hint of scolding, a warning not to do something.
a criticism or warning about behavior; a warning or expression of disapproval about someone’s behavior; An admonition is a warning or criticism about someone’s behavior.
…The most common parental admonition must surely be “Don’t stay out late”.
…She ignored the admonitions of her mother.
…Many illiterates can not read the admonition on a pack of cigarettes.
…The remarks came after months of public and private admonitions from the Biden administration for Israel to take a more surgical approach in a conflict that has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.
—Erica L. Green, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024
—admonitory /ədˈmɒnətəri $ -ˈmɑːnətɔːri/ adjective
…an admonitory glance
…admonitory remarks
> admonition (n.): late 14c., amonicioun “reminding, instruction,” from Old French amonicion “admonition, exhortation,” from Latin admonitionem (nominative admonitio) “a suggestion, a reminding; an admonition,” noun of action from past-participle stem of admonere “to advise, warn” (see admonish).
> admonish (v.): From Middle English admonesten, admonissen, from Old French amonester (modern French admonester), from an unattested Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *admonestrāre, from Latin admoneō (“remind, warn”), from ad- (“to”) + moneō (“warn, advise”). (see premonition).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
edifice
ed‧i‧fice
/ˈedɪfɪs/
/eh·duh·fuhs/
1 FORMAL
An edifice is a large and impressive building: BUILDING, structure, construction, erection, pile, complex, assembly; property, development, premises, establishment, place
…a magnificent edifice with a domed ceiling
…The U.S. Capitol is one of our nation’s most impressive edifices.
…The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.
…The town hall is the only edifice surviving from the 15th century.
2 FORMAL
a complex system of beliefs; a large abstract structure; a system that has been established for a long time; You can describe a system of beliefs or a traditional institution as an edifice.
…an edifice of British constitutional tradition
…the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built
…holds together the social edifice
—R. H. Tawney
…It looks as if the whole political edifice of the country is about to collapse.
> late 14c., from Old French edifice “building” (12c.), from Latin aedificium “building,” from aedificare “to build, establish,” from aedis, variant of aedes “temple, sanctuary,” usually a single edifice without partitions, also, in the plural, “dwelling house, building,” originally “a place with a hearth” + combining form of facere “to make, to do” (from PIE root dhe- “to set, put”).
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
dicey
dic‧ey
/ˈdaɪsi/
Something that’s dicey is unpredictable — and it may even be risky or downright dangerous. Bringing up controversial subjects like politics at Thanksgiving dinner with your relatives can be dicey.
slightly dangerous or uncertain : RISKY, UNPREDICTABLE
…The company’s finances look a little dicey.
…The future looks pretty dicey for small businesses.
…Starting a business can be quite a dicey proposition.
…The weather looks a little dicey this morning. I hope it doesn’t rain.
…Consulting firms face an even dicier future, as the Bain and Mintz raids underscore.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2024
…To make things even dicier for the Biden administration, the Supreme Court recently gutted a major policy tool that could limit the EPA’s authority over power plant operations.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 11 May 2023
> If you fix your motorcycle yourself, you may feel like it’s a pretty dicey vehicle for riding on the highway, and when you’re not at all sure how you did on your biology final, you might say, “Phew, that was dicey.” Dicey is an informal word that comes from the idea of the unknown outcome of “a roll of the dice,” from aviator’s jargon around 1940.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster
capitulate
ca‧pit‧u‧late
/kəˈpɪtʃəleɪt/
To capitulate means to give in to something. If your parents refuse to raise your allowance, you might try to argue until they capitulate. Good luck!
1a FORMAL
to surrender often after negotiation of terms
…The enemy was forced to capitulate unconditionally.
…The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources.
1b FORMAL
to cease resisting; to accept defeat, or to give up or give in; If you capitulate, you stop resisting and do what someone else wants you to do: SURRENDER, give in, yield, admit defeat, concede defeat, give up the struggle, submit, back down, climb down, give way, cave in, succumb; relent, acquiesce, accede, come to terms; be beaten; lay down one’s arms, raise/show the white flag; informal throw in the towel, throw in the sponge
…The club eventually capitulated and now grants equal rights to women.
…The company capitulated to the labor union to avoid a strike.
…I capitulated and let my daughter go with her friends.
…In less than two hours Cohen capitulated to virtually every demand.
…Now the union has forced Sanders to capitulate on wages and health care.
—Marc A. Thiessen, The Mercury News, 24 July 2019
USAGE NOTES:
-
Capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.
- officials capitulated to the protesters’ demands
> 1590s, “to draw up a writing in chapters or articles” (i.e., under “headings”), in part a back-formation from capitulation (q.v.), in part from Medieval Latin capitulatus, past participle of capitulare “to draw up in heads or chapters,” hence “arrange conditions,” from capitulum “chapter,” in classical Latin “heading,” literally “a little head,” diminutive of caput (genitive capitis) “head” (from PIE root kaput- “head”). ~ Etymonline
> To capitulate is to surrender outright or to give in under certain terms. Either way, you’re agreeing to something you don’t really want. The word comes from the Latin roots caput (“head”) and capitulum (“headings”), a reference to the official agreement drawn up when someone formally surrendered. ~ Vocabulary.com
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
zenith
zen‧ith
/ˈzenəθ $ ˈziː-/
1 the best, highest, or most successful point or time; The zenith of something is the time when it is most successful or powerful: HIGHEST POINT, high point, crowning point, height, top, acme, peak, pinnacle, apex, apogee, vertex, tip, crown, crest, summit, climax, culmination, maximum, optimum, prime, meridian, flower; informal high noon
…at the zenith of her career as a dancer
…The Roman Empire reached its zenith around the year 100.
…His career is now at its zenith.
…Their popularity reached its zenith in the mid-1990s.
…In the 1860s, Tolstoy was at the zenith of his achievement.
…The zenith of Perugia’s influence came with the defeat of Siena in 1358.
2 The zenith is the point at which the sun or moon is directly above you and seems to be at its highest.
…The sun rises, reaches its zenith and sets.
…The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.
…A pall of cloud muffled the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon.
> “point of the heavens directly overhead at any place,” late 14c., from Old French cenith (Modern French zénith), from Medieval Latin cenit, senit, bungled scribal transliterations of Arabic samt “road, path,” abbreviation of samt ar-ras, literally “the way over the head.” Letter -m- misread as -ni-.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
communal
com‧mu‧nal
/ˈkɒmjənəl, kəˈmjuːnl $ ˈkɑː-/
1 You use communal to describe something that is shared by a group of people: SHARED, joint, common, general, public
…We each have a separate bedroom but share a communal kitchen.
2 (of conflict) between different communities, especially those having different religions or ethnic origins;
…Communal violence broke out in different parts of the country.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
queasy
quea‧sy
/ˈkwiːzi/
1 INFORMAL
feeling that you are going to vomit; If you feel queasy or if you have a queasy stomach, you feel rather ill, as if you are going to be sick: NAUSEOUS /ˈnɔːziəs, -siəs $ -ˈnɒːziəs, -ʃəs/, nauseated, bilious, sick; seasick, carsick, trainsick, airsick, travel-sick, suffering from motion sickness, suffering from altitude sickness; ill, unwell, poorly, bad, out of sorts, dizzy, peaky, liverish, green around the gills; British off, off colour; North American sick to one’s stomach; informal funny, peculiar, rough, lousy, rotten, awful, terrible, dreadful, crummy; vulgar slang crappy
…The sea got rougher, and I began to feel queasy.
…The boat ride made me a little queasy.
…Just the thought of blood makes me queasy.
…She complained of a queasy stomach.
2 INFORMAL
feeling worried, unhappy, or uncertain about something; If you feel queasy about something, you are a little worried about it: UNEASY, concerned, worried, troubled
…Her descriptions of extreme poverty and deprivation can give you a queasy feeling.
queasy about
…Some people feel queasy about how their names and addresses have been obtained.
…Many Democrats felt queasy about the issue.
…He feels queasy about taking the test.
> Perhaps from or influenced by Anglo-French queisier, from Old French coisier “to wound, hurt, make uneasy,” which seems to be from the same Germanic root as kveisa.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline
spellbound
spell‧bound
/ˈspelbaʊnd/
held by or as if by a spell; having your attention completely held by something, so that you cannot think about anything else; If you are spellbound by something or someone, you are so fascinated that you cannot think about anything else: ENTHRALLED, fascinated, rapt, riveted, transfixed, gripped, entranced, captivated, bewitched, under someone’s spell, enraptured, enchanted, mesmerized, hypnotized; informal hooked
…The children were spellbound by the puppet show.
…At the circus, the children are spellbound, watching the acrobats perform.
…She’s a storyteller that will hold you spellbound.
…‘King Lear’ still holds audiences spellbound.
…His audience had listened like children, spellbound by his words.
…He was in awe of her; she held him spellbound.
…The images from the National Mall and Rev. King’s speech left him spellbound.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
byword
by‧word
/ˈbaɪwɜːd $ -wɜːrd/
1 → be a byword for sth
to be so well known for a particular quality that your name is used to represent that quality; Someone or something that is a byword for a particular quality is well-known for having that quality: PERFECT EXAMPLE OF, classic case of, model of, exemplar of, embodiment of, incarnation of, personification of, epitome of, typification of; synonymous with
…His name has become a byword for honesty in the community.
…His name became a byword for luxury.
…the Rolls-Royce brand name, a byword for quality
…For Americans, Benedict Arnold is a byword for treason.
…As a result of heavy-handed and improvident state intervention in the economy for the better part of a century, Argentina has become a byword for economic decline.
—The Editors, National Review, 23 Jan. 2024
2 a word or expression summarizing a thing’s characteristics or a person’s principles; a word, phrase, or saying that is very well known; A byword is a word or phrase which people often use: SLOGAN, motto, maxim, axiom, dictum, mantra, catchword, watchword, formula, cry, battle cry, rallying cry; nickname, middle name
…“Small is beautiful” may be the byword for most couturiers.
…Caution should be a byword for investors.
> From Middle English byword, byworde (“proverb”), from Old English bīword, bīwyrd, bīwyrde (“proverb, household word, word or phrase used proverbially”); see by + word (n.). Formed on the model of Latin proverbium or Greek parabole. The meaning “something that has become proverbial” (usually in a satirical or bad sense) is from 1530s.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline
wiggle
wig‧gle
/ˈwɪɡəl/
verb
to move with small movements from side to side or up and down, or to make something move like this; If you wiggle something or if it wiggles, it moves up and down or from side to side in small quick movements: JIGGLE, wriggle, twitch, flutter, shimmy, joggle, wag, wobble, shake, twist, squirm, writhe, wave, quiver, jerk, bobble; informal waggle
…Henry wiggled his toes.
…The baby wiggled in her sleep.
…He tried wiggling the control stick but nothing happened.
…She wiggled her toes in the water.
…Her hips wiggle as she walks.
…Renewable energy now wiggles its way around via pipes cleverly hidden in the eaves.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024
noun
a wiggling movement
…a slight wiggle of the hips
…With a wiggle of her hips, she pulled up her trousers.
> wiggle (v.): From Middle English wiglen, probably from Middle Dutch wigelen (“to wiggle”) and perhaps Middle Low German wigelen, frequentative of wiegen (“to rock”), from wiege (“cradle”), from PIE root wegh- “to go, move, transport in a vehicle.” Related: Wiggled; wiggling. The noun is attested from 1816.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline
squander
squan‧der
/ˈskwɒndə $ ˈskwɑːndər/
to spend extravagantly or foolishly; to carelessly waste money, time, opportunities etc; If you squander money, resources, or opportunities, you waste them: WASTE, misspend, misuse, throw away, dissipate, fritter away, run through, lose, lavish, spend recklessly, spend unwisely, make poor use of, be prodigal with, spend money like water; informal blow, splurge, pour/throw money down the drain; British informal blue, splash out
…The home team squandered a number of chances in the first half.
…He vowed not to squander this opportunity.
…Government should not squander the taxpayers’ money.
…Don’t squander your opportunities when you are young.
…squandered all her money gambling in casinos
…Tuesday marked the second time in three games the Panthers have squandered a lead in the third period, also doing so in their shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
…And Bayern only won the Bundesliga title last year because Borussia Dortmund squandered its chance on the final day.
—Ciarán Fahey, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
squander sth on sth
…They squandered the profits on expensive cars.
USAGE NOTES:
- Squander used to mean scatter, and the way we use it now implies throwing something (like money) all over the place. You can squander time as well as money. If you have a big deadline but you are chatting away or looking at social networking sites, you are squandering your time. If you have an opportunity to play for a major league baseball team but show up late to tryouts and criticize the coach, you have probably squandered your chance.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
