Word: DAPPER (adj)

Meaning (of a man) neat in dress and appearance

Root of the
-
word
smart, spruce, trim, debonair, neat, tidy, crisp, well dressed, well turned,
Synonyms
well groomed, elegant,
Antonyms -
The dapper youngman, charmed everyone at the party with his impeccable
Usage
manners.

Sanative, curative, healing, therapeutic

Spinster , noun:
1. A woman who has remained single beyond the usual age of marrying.
2. In law, a woman who has never married.
3. A woman whose occupation is spinning.

Cicatrize

to become healed after an injury by the formation of scar tissue

noun form: cicatrization adjective form: cicatrizant

Ruse, trick, subterfuge, wile or stratagem

Homespun, unsophisticated, rustic, unpolished, natural

Tutelage noun

Definition: instruction, guidance, and supervision provided by a tutor or guardian

Synonyms: instruction, guidance, guardianship, protection, custody

Camelot
PRONUNCIATION:

(KAM-uh-lot)
MEANING:
noun: An idealized time or place, one regarded as enlightened, beautiful, and
peaceful.

enmity

Function: noun

: a very deep unfriendly feeling

Enmity is hatred such as might be felt for an enemy: the wartime enmity of the two nations.
Hostility implies the clear expression of enmity: "If we could read the secret history of our
enemies, we should find . . . enough to disarm all hostility" (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
Antagonism is hostility that quickly results in active resistance, opposition, or contentiousness:
"the early struggles of famous authors, the notorious antagonism of publishers and editors to
any new writer of exceptional promise" (Edith Wharton). Animosity often triggers bitter
resentment or punitive action: overcame her animosity toward her parents. Rancor suggests
vengeful hatred and resentment: filled with rancor after losing his job. Antipathy is deep-seated
aversion or repugnance: an antipathy to social pretension. Animus is distinctively personal,
often based on one's prejudices or temperament: an inexplicable animus against intellectuals.

Word: STATUESQUE (adj)

Meaning (of a woman) attractively tall, graceful and dignified.
Root of the
-
word
tall and dignified, imposing, striking, stately, majestic, noble, magnificent,
Synonyms
splendid, impressive,
Antonyms unimpressive, plain
A statuesque woman and a stickler for discipline, headmistress won the
Usage
admiration of students.

fulminate

Function: verb [no object]

Inflected forms:
fulminates; fulminated; fulminating
Status: formal

Meaning:
: to complain loudly or angrily
Examples:
<She was fulminating about/over/at the dangers of smoking.>
<The editorial fulminated against the proposed tax increase.>

Derived form:
fulmination noun
Plural: fulminations
Examples:
[count] <a fulmination against the proposed tax increase>
[noncount] <The proposed tax increase has been the subject of much anger and fulmination.>

Stolid, unemotional, emotionless, stoic, impassive, unfeeling, staid, indifferent

Word: PRECINCT (noun)

Meaning the area around a place or building, often enclosed by a wall.
Root of the word -
Synonyms area, zone, sector, district, section, quarter, region
Antonyms -
Usage Women are not allowed to enter the precincts of the temple at Sabarimala.

Adjunct: n An additional part

Conflagration: n

Fire, blaze, flames, inferno, firestorm, holocaust

The conflagration claimed several lives and damaged several houses.

usury [ YOO-zhuh'-ree ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the lending of money at very high interest rates
2. an exorbitant amount or rate of interest
 USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The practice of usury is still prevalent in some rural areas of our country.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Forbearance was a way round the notion of usury, because the lender was foregoing
the ability to profit from the sum that had been lent.

enfant terrible
PRONUNCIATION:

(ahn*-fahn* te-REE-bluh)
[* these syllables are nasal]
plural enfants terribles (ahn*-fahn* te-REE-bluh)

MEANING:

noun: A person, especially someone famous or successful, whose

unconventional lifestyle, work, or behavior appears shocking.

ETYMOLOGY:
From French enfant terrible (terrible child).

USAGE:
"Once an enfant terrible, who as a young filmmaker challenged censors and
outraged conservative critics, Koji Wakamatsu has not mellowed so much as
ripened."

prude [ prood ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
a person, esp., a woman who is excessively conscious about proper
behaviour and appearance
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Being a prude, she refused to attend her school's Saturday night dance
programme.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
In the blood of the socialist, there should always run a trace of the
anarchist and the libertarian, and not too much of the prig and the
prude.
 Telegraph, Forget the school, it's the teaching that counts, By Susan
Crosland

prudence [ PROOD-ns ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the quality of exercising good judgement
2. careful management of practical matters

prudence, discretion, foresight, forethought, circumspection

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Before contracting to acquire the assets of a firm, prudence is required.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The public rightly expect this Government to exercise some kind of
prudence when the country is in the grip of a recession.
The Telegraph, Whitehall expands 'Twittercrat' empire, Chris Irvine, 2
September 2009

defunct [ di-FUHNGKD ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) not functioning or no longer in use
2. (adj.) having ceased to live or exist
3. (adj.) no longer in existence or dead
4. (n.) a person who is no more or extinct
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The defunct machines in the factory were sold as scrap metal.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The "anti-targets" include defunct armoured vehicles used for target
practice on Cape Wrath in Sutherland.
Volubility: noun
The volubility of the new entrant charmed everyone.
Though your writing skills are wonderful, I think you should
work on your volubility as you stammer a lot when you speak.
Articulateness, fluency, eloquence

Protract verb
We protracted our stay because of the warning of a storm by
meteorological department.
Can we draw out the meeting?
Extend, prolong

Noun: voodoo
1. a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers
2. a religious cult practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries (especially Haiti)
Verb: voodoo
1. bewitch by or as if by a voodoo

Synonyms:
fetich, fetish, hoodoo, hoodooism, juju, vodoun, voodooism,

Type of:
bewitch, charm, cult, cultus, enchant, glamour, good luck
charm, hex, jinx, religious cult, witch,
Noun: frolic
1. Gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement

"Their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly"

Verb: frolic
1. Play boisterously

"The children frolicked in the garden"

Synonyms:

caper, cavort, disport, frisk, gambol, lark, lark

about, play, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, sport,

The actor and actress capered in the rains during the shooting of the song.

The children cavorted in the park.

The children disported in the garden.

The children frisked in the garden.

The gambol of the children in the premises of the building disturbed those
living on ground floor.

The children skylarked in the park.

The toddlers romped in the playground.

The children rollicked in the garden.

Type of:

Diversion, play, recreation,

Types:

Coquetry, craziness, dalliance, flirt, flirtation, flirting, folly, foolery,

Game, horseplay, indulgence, lunacy, teasing, tomfoolery, toying, word

play,
Noun: demulcent
1. A medication (in the form of an oil or salve etc.) that soothes inflamed or
injured skin

Adjective: demulcent
1. Having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin

Having convinced of its demulcent properties, she rubbed the salve on

her chapped hands.

Synonyms:

Emollient, salving, softening,

Nonetheless

Function: adverb

Status: somewhat formal

Meaning:
: in spite of what has just been said :nevertheless
Examples:
<There’s no doubt the city is changing for the better. Nonetheless [=however], no
one has been too surprised by the recent violence.>
<The hike was difficult, but fun nonetheless. [=the hike was fun even though it was
difficult]>

Feculent
PRONUNCIATION: (FEK-yuh-luhnt)
MEANING:

Adjective: Full of filth or waste matter.

Synonyms: fecal

Everyone condemns the state of Indian politics but nobody is ready to clean
up the feculent corruption.
The first reason, call it the ostrich syndrome, is based on the belief that if you bury
your head in the sand, you can fool yourself into believing everything is hunky-dory

The police, however, fall in a different category in their view as they represent the
might of the “bourgeois” state. Killing them, therefore, is a lesser sin for the
proletarian revolutionaries.

Automakers taking potshots at each other is pretty common in Germany —among

BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Vigor, energy, dynamism, heartiness, vim

He is full of vim and vigor, has right kind of energy and dynamism needed
for this daunting task.

Epigraph- epi: upon, on ; graph: writing

Epigraph in the beginning of each chapter, epigraph on the statue

Inscription, citation, quotation

Spangle:

spangle [ SPANG-guh'l ]
[ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a small circular piece of glittering metal or other material
2. (n.) any small, bright drop, spot, or the like
3. (tr. v.) to stud or sprinkle with small, bright pieces
4. (intr. v.) to sparkle or glitter like decorative spots

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The room looked bright due to the sparkle and spangle of her evening gown.

The banner was spangled to make it attractive in moon light.

Ratify, confirm, approve, and give consent to

Haggle:

She would always haggle with the vegetable vendors before buying.

Wrangle, chaffer

Doodle:

She doodled in the notebook without taking notes.

Scrabble, scribble

Plutocracy:

Pluto: wealth cracy: govt

Government by the wealthy

Capitalism was thought as plutocracy by the socialists.

Covetousness:

Thinking about profits is another thing, but a covetousness attitude can kill
your good will.

Cupidity, rapacity, avarice, greed

Indolent, lazy, slothful

Tessellated:

A tessellated floor

I want a room which well furnished walls and hangings, smooth floor
tessellated with marbles and a window facing sea.

upshot [ uhp-shot ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
 1. the result or the conclusion of
2. the gist or central theme
3. Consequence

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The upshot of their tiff was that they were not talking to each other.

The upshot of the meeting was that we again have to meet.

Abut :
The house we buy doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be in a peaceful
neighborhood and it must abut a park with running trails.

The shop abuts on the highway road where it is illegal.

Betoken, foretell, auspicate, predict, presage, prefigure, prognosticate, augur,

hortatory [ HAWR-tuh'-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. encouraging or urging to some course of action
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The team went on to win the match after listening to the hortatory
speech delivered by their coach.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
What we don't want is another six-party meeting that just turns into
hortatory exchanges of view.
CNN, Powell: Serious talks over N Korea, 7 January 2004.

Conjure: on the surface it appears peaceful but it only needs a slight

provocation to conjure up the anger.

v.tr.

1.
a. To summon (a devil or spirit) by magical or supernatural power.
b. To influence or effect by or as if by magic: tried to conjure away the doubts that
beset her.
 2.
a. To call or bring to mind; evoke:

"Arizonaconjures up an image of stark deserts for most

Americans" (American Demographics).

b. To imagine; picture: "a

sight to store away, then conjure up
someday when they were no longer together" (Nelson DeMille).
3. Archaic. To call on or entreat solemnly, especially by an oath.

v.intr.

1. To perform magic tricks, especially by sleight of hand.

2.
a. To summon a devil by magic or supernatural power.
b. To practice black magic.

tantamount [ TAN-tuh'-mount ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
equivalent in force, significance or effect
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The strike was tantamount to a declaration of war.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
North Korea's KCNA news agency quoted an official as saying a recent
remark by President Lee that he wanted unification of the two Koreas
under democracy was tantamount to declaring he would use war to
rejoin the two Koreas.
Philosophically having few good friends is tantamount to having a huge fan
following.

Studying for 2 hours seriously is tantamount to sitting in front of books for 8

hours.

Ham- handling approach of a tricky problem.

The proverbial red flag- widely known and talked about.

Her proverbial lateness has harmed her reputation.

Prudery: the character of the actor in the movie suffers from prudery and so is
unable to find a match.

 Prudery,
 primness,
 Grundyism

In the science fiction movie the protagonist was a cyborg.

Derelict:

Aver

Incest: khap panchayats see same gotra marriages as incest and force already
married couples to treat each other as brother-sister,

Polyandry: polyandry was a practice in ancient times as suggested in

Mahabharata epic where draupadi had 5 husbands.

Promiscuity: in highly industrialized cities people suffer from paranoia and

promiscuity is the new fashion to know people quickly.

Polemic: he is deliberately giving comments on polemic issues to garner public

attention.

Talisman: she wears the cross as a talisman after the plane crash.

She wears the ring as a amulet as told by his religious guru.

Copious , ample, plentiful, voluminous, rich.

Totemism:

The belief that people are descended from animals, plants, and other natural objects. Symbols
of these natural ancestors, known as totems, are often associated with clans (groups of families
tracing common descent). By representing desirable individual qualities (such as the swiftness
of a deer) and helping to explain the mythical origin of the clan, totems reinforce clan identity
and solidarity.
Jeu d’espirit: cyrus brocha is known for his natural wit, and his journal on family
management was a jeu d’espirit laughing off the parents who treat their children
as their future bank balance.

Esprit de corps: noun [noncount]

Meaning:
: feelings of loyalty, enthusiasm, and devotion to a group among
people who are members of the group

The troops showed great esprit de corps.

Though the neighbors are staunch enemies, but whenever there is a cricket match
of India they are united by esprit de corps.

Tawdry, cheap, garish, gaudy,

Her tawdry dressing sense was criticized.

We should not dictate our children but rather give them latitude to choose
things they want to do.

non sequitur [ noun ]

MEANING :
1. a fallacy or a conclusion or inference that is illogical or not derived from the
premises
2. a statement that logically does not succeed its predecessor
USAGE :
Andrew Shouler's related point (Letters, January 12) that the current global
recession was caused by government mistakes is a non sequitur.

His point that they couldn’t organize the function due to lack of funds is a non
sequitur and there are other reasons totally different from it.

plaintiff [ noun ]
MEANING :
1. complainant, defendant or the parson who is the injured party in a court case
USAGE :
Beth Kaeding with the Northern Plains Resource Council — a plaintiff in the 2005
lawsuit — said her group wants "to see that coal-bed methane development is
 done right" under the new plan.

The testimony of the plaintiff in this case is not valid unless supported by strong
evidence.

He is a miracle child when other children are barely able to read at this stage, he
can enunciate whole verses of the Vedas.

Enunciate, articulate, pronounce, say, sound.

gaunt [ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. thin, bony, haggard or emaciated
2. desolate, barren, grim or bleak
USAGE :
What remains is the immensity of the sky, gaunt slopes scrubby with
thistles and wild grasses, the roar of glacial torrents in dark ravines,
and the powerful pull of the first gods ever feared by men.

expatriate [ adjective, transitive verb ]

MEANING :
1. (adj.) exiled or banished
2. (n.) one who has been exiled or banished
3 (tr.v.) to banish one from one's native country
4. (tr.v.) to withdraw oneself from one's native land
USAGE :
He bought most of the land with money he earned in Saudi Arabia as
an expatriate worker, like many others in his village.

Aphorism: “as he thinks so he does” an apt aphorism for the capricious minded.

Prima facie: at prima facie it may seem that he is a haughty person, but when u
spent some time with him u realize that he is really a nice guy.

Approbation: before giving approbation to the gene mapping project we should

realize its social implication.
Plenitude: plentifulness, plenty

We don’t have plenitude of funds that we give money to every novice and
experienced idea.

Affliction: poor suffer from affliction and badly need insurance cover from gov.

Finitude: finitude limits us to think only in some set terms only.

Fallibility: the fallibility of the committee on this issue is more as it is very

subtle.

Hermeneutic : hermeneutic interpretation of religious texts

Eugenic: The study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of future generations. It may
be thought of as both a science and a social movement. Eugenics proposes to improve humanity's
future by increasing the number of children produced by persons who are, by some definition, superior
and by reducing the number produced by persons who are physically or mentally deficient

Vilification, abuse, insult

Invidious: Invidious practices in nursery schools towards white children

undermine the confidence of the black ones.

Supererogatory, excess, redundant, superfluous

Vicissitude: the vicissitudes of life teach us to deal failure and success with equal
acceptance. Fluctuation, variation

Epistemology:

Incantation:

Fratricidal: Mahabharata is a story of a fratricidal war for power.

Extolled: lauded, praised, exalted

Transcendentalism:

Contrarian:
nugatory [ NOO-guh’-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, NYOO- ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
of no worth or meaning

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
If the government is unable to tackle corruption, the very substance of government
becomes nugatory.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Eventually the mortgage which starts out as a dreadful burden becomes nugatory.
Telegraph, Tide turns on ludicrous boom in house prices, By Roger Bootle,
24/04/2008

anomaly [ uh'-NOM-uh'-lee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. divergence or deviation from a rule or form
2. something that is strange odd or peculiar
3. (astronomy) the angular deviation of a planet orbiting the Sun from its perihelion
(as observed from the Sun)

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The case was termed as an anomaly and filed for future reference.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The Ten Thousand Things model remains something of an anomaly in the theater
world – a well-respected organization, staffed by a rotating cast of professional
actors, that eschews traditional stages altogether.
abcNEWS, Theater for an unlikely audience, By Matthew Shaer

proscenium [ proh-SEE-nee-uh’ m, pruh’- ]

[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the area that is located between the orchestra and the curtain as part of a
modern theatre
2. the foreground or the stage itself
3. the proscenium arch
 USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
She tripped on some loose wiring that was carelessly left on the proscenium.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Sarah Crompton describes how the Old Vic's grand old proscenium-arch auditorium
has been transformed into a spanking new theatre in the round.
abcNews, Attention to Bones Important in Women With Lupus, December 26, 2008

paradigm [ PAR-uh'-dahym ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) something that serves as a standard pattern or role model
2. (n.) an arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word in sequence

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The changes introduced changed the paradigm for the better.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Perhaps most importantly, though, is the simple fact that we have no other choice
but to move toward a new paradigm for water.
BBC, Water policies suffer sinking feeling, Brian Richter, 18 August 2009

subtlety [ SUHT-l-tee ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. the state or quality of being elusive or abstruse
2. delicacy of character or meaning
3. acuteness of mind or refinement of reasoning

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The subtlety with which he handled the situation put everyone at ease.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
His uncanny depiction of women's psyche, subtlety and strength remains one of the
Vietnamese filmmaker's most potent weapons and one he uses to great effect in this,
his third feature.

Mephitic
PRONUNCIATION:

(muh-FIT-ik)
MEANING:

adjective: Poisonous or foul-smelling.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin mephitis (foul smell).

USAGE:
"Jack Black is a sterling example of the actor who starts out seeming like a
breath of fresh air, and then turns into something stale, fetid, mephitic,
nauseating."

In that case it is the American people who stand to lose most of all, as
their government increasingly obfuscates its way out of serious
blunders committed, and a pliant press happily amplifies
propagandistic messages.

However the core reason behind this form of reporting may not be
restricted to an incestuous relationship between government and
media.

Hoary

Function: adjective

Comparative and superlative forms:hoarier; hoariest

Meanings:
1 a : very old
Examples:
<hoary [=ancient] legends>
<a hoary tale of revenge>

1 b : not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often : not fresh
or original
Example:
<a hoary cliché/joke>

2 literary : having gray or white hair

Examples:
<He bowed his hoary head.>
<a man hoary with age>
Risible, laughable, ludicrous, funny, comical, amusing

Piquant, engaging, spicy, interesting, intriguing, appealing

Voluble, garrulous, talkative,

voluble [ VOL-yuh'-buh'l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
marked by a ready and continuous flow of words

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Despite voluble protests from the Human rights commission, crimes against women
and minorities are on the increase.

All that transpired in these closed 4 walls should not be kept a secret.

Plants transpire water vapour.

transpire [ tran-spahyuhr ]
[ intransitive verb, transitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (intr. v.) to occur; happen; take place.
2. (tr. v.) to emit or give off (waste matter, watery vapor, an odor, etc.)

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He made a note of everything that transpired in the courtroom.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Monthly arguments regarding his disheveled clothes and overdue haircut now
transpire only during semester breaks.
The Times of India, It's goodbye time, 25 January 2010

Ostracized, banished, shun, cast out

Folderol
PRONUNCIATION:

(FOL-duh-rol)
MEANING:
noun:
1. Nonsense; foolishness.
2. A trifle; gewgaw.

ETYMOLOGY:
From a nonsense refrain in some old songs. The word is also spelled as
falderal.

USAGE:
"Canonization is a slow business in the Catholic church: all that folderol about
miracles and devil's advocates."

spartan [ SPAHR-tn ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to or like Sparta or its people
2. characterized by rigorously self-discipline or self-restrain
3. undaunted or courageous in the face of adversity
ascetic, austere
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
He was an idealistic person and lived a spartan lifestyle.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The reluctance to leave the university flats might also be because
parents, with memories of more spartan student accommodation, are
often taken aback by the relative luxury, says Mr Hicks.

passe [ pahs ]
[ noun, adjective ]
MEANING :
1. (adj.) outdated, outmoded or no longer in fashion
2. (adj.) faded, aged or past one's prime
3. (n.) (roulette) numbers nineteen through thirty six
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Wearing a passe wardrobe is considered to be a social faux pas.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
 For someone who was written off as passe long before he died in 1953,
Eugene O'Neill still has an uncanny ability to grab headlines and spark
debate among theater critics.

Pontificate

Function: verb [no object]

Inflected forms:
pontificates; pontificated; pontificating

Status: disapproving

Meaning:
: to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you
think you are always right
Example:
<We had to listen to her pontificate about/on the best way to raise children.>

Contumely
PRONUNCIATION:

(KON-too-muh-lee, kuhn-TOO-muh-lee, KON-tuhm-lee, -tyoo-, -tyoom-)

MEANING:

noun: Contemptuous or insulting treatment arising from arrogance.

Abuse, insult, revilement, vilification

ETYMOLOGY:
Via French from Latin contumelia (insult), probably from con- (with) + tumere
(to swell).

USAGE:
"Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot was greeted mostly with boos,
bafflement, and contumely when it was first seen in 1955."

"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely?"
blandishment [ BLAN-dish-muh' nt ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
pleasing and flattering actions or words

cajolery, palaver, wheedling

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The businessman's blandishments about the present administration left
the Prime Minister unmoved.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Perhaps the 14 years he managed Ipswich Town, winning the FA Cup,
UEFA Cup and supervising the creative mischief of captain Terry
Butcher, grounded him so thoroughly that no amount of blandishment
nor brickbat could corrupt him.

(noun)

[REV-ah-nahnt]

1. one that returns after a long absence: "Bingo Fridays at Jill's Whack-n-Fry
had been floundering since its founder left town, but upon her return, the
revenant mastermind was able to bring back its original excitement."

2. one who returns after death, especially as a ghost

platonic [ pluh’-TON-ik, pley- ]

[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. characteristic of or pertaining to Plato
2. pertaining to or characteristic of a relationship that is non-sexual
3. nominal, theoretical or speculative
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Theirs was a platonic relationship built on trust and mutual admiration.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The concept of platonic friendship that arose and was largely talked and
 written from the time of Greek Philosopher Plato still remains as unclear
and confusing as ever.

Nebbish
PRONUNCIATION:

(NEB-ish)
MEANING:

noun: A pitifully timid or ineffectual person.

The nebbish son-in-law did not have courage to speak in front of his shrewd
wife.

Podgy: short and fat

Bleak, grim, gloomy, dismal, dreary
The scourge of war and social tension
Scourge, bane, curse, nemesis
Coterminous: adjective
coextensive

having the same boundaries or extent in space , time , or meaning

the coterminous Borough and Parliamentary Constituency of Blyth Valley

Apostolic:

parley [ PAHR-lee ]
[ noun, intransitive verb ]
MEANING :
1. (n.) a talk or meeting with the enemy
2. (intr. v.) to negotiate with the enemy
 USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The troops asked for a parley after they were captured by the enemy.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
He never partied, he never parleyed with the studio bosses.

quidnunc [ KWID-nuhngk ]
[ noun ]
MEANING :
a person who is nosy and inquisitive

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
My room mate is an inveterate quidnunc.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Let a mutual friend introduce to him a stranger, and the quidnunc rides impatiently
over the first sentence of salutation.
Historical and Biographical Essays By John Forster

equivocal [ i-KWIV-uh'-kuh' l ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. ambiguous or being open to multiple interpretations
2. having a doubtful or uncertain character
3. having a dubious, suspicious or questionable disposition

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Many old texts are open to equivocal interpretations.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
The relatively equivocal statement differs from most human rights groups who have
blamed Zanu-PF party thugs for the vast majority of the violence.
BBC, Tough call for Zimbabwe opposition, By Peter Greste, 2 May 2008

roseate [ ROH-zee-it, -eyt ]

[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. rosy or rose-coloured
2. extremely optimistic or cheerful
 USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The roseate tinge found in the painting was added while restoring the painting.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
At the J.N. Ding Darling refuge on Florida's Sanibel Island and two other Florida
refuges, the colorful roseate spoonbill is out in force.
BBC, Freezing fog creates 'snowy' feel, 22 December 2006

plaintive [ PLEYN-tiv ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. sorrowful
2. grief-stricken

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
Her plaintive cries echoed with the misery of her existence.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Where hand in hand, their bodies gently lay, and croon upon the wind their plaintive
song, calling the children to come out and play.
BBC, Girls and Boys Come Out to Play, 14 September 2009

gustatory [ GUHS-tuh'-tawr-ee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. pertaining to the sense of taste
2. relating to taste or tasting

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
The aroma of spicy food was a gustatory stimulation for the hungry people.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It has given the world the gustatory delights of the cream tea.
The Telegraph, Devon is declared cream of the crop, 28 January 2009.
Cupid:
Compunction: remorse, feeling of deep regret, repentance,
contriteness, penitence
Acronym: like AIDS

Pique:
noun

Extreme displeasure caused by an insult or slight: dudgeon, huff, miff, offense,

resentment, ruffled feathers, umbrage.

verb

1. To cause resentment or hurt by callous, rude behavior: affront, huff, insult, miff, offend,
outrage. Idioms: add insult to injury, give offense to.
2. To stir to action or feeling: egg on, excite, foment, galvanize, goad, impel, incite,
inflame, inspire, instigate, motivate, move, prick, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, set off,
spur, stimulate, touch off, trigger, work up.

Did the lecture pique your interest in physics?

prosaic [ proh-ZEY-ik ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. matter-of-fact or uninteresting
2. pertaining to or in the form of prose rather than poetry

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
His excuse for losing the elocution competition was that he had been given a prosaic
topic.
 USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
Perhaps a beautiful question is sometimes better than a prosaic answer.
BBC, Days like this, G. P. Jackson, 17 September 2009

rickety [ RIK-i-tee ]
[ adjective ]
MEANING :
1. shaky or unsteady
2. not firm or feeble in the joints
3. dilapidated
4. suffering from rickets or pertaining to the nature of rickets

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
They had engaged a contractor to replace the rickety old fence between their
properties.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
It was perhaps Gold’s favourite memory — of sneaking at half-time into the old
'Chicken Run’, a rickety wooden terrace that formed part of the modern-day East
Stand — that featured uppermost in his mind as the first half petered out.

convene

Function: verb

Inflected forms:
convenes; convened; convening

Meaning:
: to come together in a group for a meeting
Examples:
[no object] <The students convened[=assembled] in the gym.>
<We convened at the hotel for a seminar.>
<This class convenes twice a week.>
[with object] <convene a meeting>
<A panel of investigators was convened by the president to review the case.>

CYNOSURE:

(noun)

[SIE-nah-shoor', SIN-ah-shoor']
 1. something that is a center of attention and admiration or attraction: "Dave may have been
the cynosure of the league in high school, but at the college level, he's going to have to
learn to share the ball."

2. something that serves to guide or direct

The center of attention.

The wonderful singer became the cynosure of all of the people on the plaza

adjective form: cynosural

Hairless, tonsure, alopecia, Glabrous

rancid [ RAN-sid ] [ adjective ] MEANING : 1. unpleasant, stale smell or taste

2. offensive, disagreeable USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : If left in the open air for too long, butter can turn rancid.

repartee [ rep-er-TEE, -TEY, -ahr- ] [ noun ] MEANING : 1. a witty and quick or swift reply
2. a conversation involving witty and quick replies
3. skill or expertise in repartee USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Obama's repartee was followed by a burst of
laughter from the journalists present.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Mr Snow, the president's third chief spokesman in six years, has been notable for
his cheerful tone and sharp repartee with reporters at White House briefings.

snippy

Function: adjective

Comparative and superlative forms: snippier; snippiest also more snippy; most snippy

Status: US, informal

Meaning:
: feeling or showing irritation
Examples:
<I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get snippy with you.>
<snippy comments>

flagrant [ FLEY-gruh' nt ] [ adjective ]

MEANING : evidently unpleasant; shockingly bad

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : Flagrant errors in the case of air traffic controllers can lead to disaster in the skies.

peroration [ per-uh’-REY-shuh’ n ] [ noun ]

MEANING : 1. the concluding part of an oration where the orator summarises the entire speech or
discourse emphatically
2. a lofty speech adorned with bombastic or grandiloquent words

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : The peroration prepared for the CEO was witty and concise.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Helms went on to equate New Labour with Neville Chamberlain finishing with a
lyrical peroration on the wonders of Margaret Thatcher.

slush fund

Function: noun [count]

Plural: slush funds

Meaning:
: an amount of money that is kept secretly for illegal or dishonest purposes
Examples:
<a political slush fund>
<a secret slush fund for paying bribes>

macerate
PRONUNCIATION:

(MAS-uh-rayt)

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.:

1. To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid.
2. To separate into parts by soaking.
3. To weaken or to become thin; to emaciate.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin macerare (to make soft, weaken). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mag-/mak- (to
knead, to fit) that is also the source of make, mason, mass, match, among, mongrel, mingle, and
maquillage.
USAGE:
"The plastic rubbish has been macerated by marine forces and is composed of small particles that float
just below the surface, killing fish that mistake it for food."

philistine [ FIL-uh'-steen ] [ noun, adjective ]

adj

anti-cultural, Lacking in delicacy or refinement: barbarian, barbaric, boorish, churlish, coarse,

crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, indelicate, rough, rude, tasteless, uncivilized, uncouth, uncultivated,
uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar. See courtesy/discourtesy, smooth/rough.

noun

An unrefined, rude person: barbarian, boor, chuff, churl, vulgarian, yahoo

MEANING : 1. (n.) a person who is arrogantly indifferent to things like cultural values, intellectual and
artistic pursuits etc.
2. (n.) an inhabitant of ancient Philistia
3. (adj.) uncultured
4. (adj.) ordinary or plane in a self satisfied way

USAGE EXAMPLE 1 : He was termed a philistine by the art critics because of his lack of knowledge about
art.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 : Mr Mitterrand is a friend of Carla Bruni, the French first lady, who has been
credited with trying to transform her husband's image from philistine to art lover who sprinkles his
conversations with highbrow literary quotes.