9 posts tagged “dictionary”

suss
–verb (used with object)
Chiefly British Slang.
to investigate or figure out (usually fol. by out). 
[Origin: 1965–70; earlier, to suspect, a suspect, shortening of suspect]

heft
–noun
1.  the property of being large in mass 
–verb
1.  lift or elevate [syn: heave] 
2.  test the weight of something by lifting it 

furtive
–adj.  
1.  Characterized by stealth; surreptitious.
2.  Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty. See Synonyms at secret.

feral
–adj.  
1.  Existing in a wild or untamed state.
2.  Having returned to an untamed state from domestication.
3.  Of or suggestive of a wild animal; savage: a feral grin. 

fey
–adjective
1.  British Dialect. doomed; fated to die. 
2.  Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil. 
3.  supernatural; unreal; enchanted: elves, fairies, and other fey creatures. 
4.  being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death. 
5.  whimsical; strange; otherworldly: a strange child with a mysterious smile and a fey manner. 

odious
–adjective
1.  deserving or causing hatred; hateful; detestable. 
2.  highly offensive; repugnant; disgusting. 

quotidian 
–adj.  
1.  Everyday; commonplace: "There's nothing quite like a real . . . train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute" (Anita Diamant).
2.  Recurring daily. Used especially of attacks of malaria.

languish
–verb
1.  lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief; "After her husband died, she just pined away" [syn: pine away] 
2.  have a desire for something or someone who is not present; "She ached for a cigarette"; "I am pining for my lover" [syn: ache] 
3.  become feeble; "The prisoner has be languishing for years in the dungeon" 

+확실히 같은 영어라지만 발음도 그렇고 쓰는 단어들도 그렇고 나라에 따라 다른 점이 정말 많다.
++그치만 영국 영어도 영어고, 미국 영어도 영어고, 인도 영어도 영어고, 싱가폴 영어도 영어고...다른 점은 많아도 영어는 영어인거다. 안그래?

insidious
–adjective
1. intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan.
2. stealthily treacherous or deceitful: an insidious enemy.
3. operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect: an insidious disease.

—Related forms
insidiously, adverb
insidiousness, noun

—Synonyms 1. corrupting. 2. artful, cunning, wily, subtle, crafty.

beguile
–verb (used with object), -guiled, -guil·ing.
1. to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude.
2. to take away from by cheating or deceiving (usually fol. by of): to be beguiled of money.
3. to charm or divert: a multitude of attractions to beguile the tourist.
4. to pass (time) pleasantly: beguiling the long afternoon with a good book.

—Related forms
beguilement, noun
beguiler, noun

—Synonyms 1. deceive, cheat. 3. amuse, entertain.

incredulous
–adjective
1. not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical.
2. indicating or showing unbelief: an incredulous smile.

—Related forms
incredulously, adverb
incredulousness, noun

—Synonyms unbelieving, doubtful.

iconoclast
–noun
1. a breaker or destroyer of images, esp. those set up for religious veneration. 
2. a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc., as being based on error or superstition. 

venerate
-verb
To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference

plethora
–noun
1. overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance. 
2. Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood. 

surreptitious
–adjective
1. obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance. 
2. acting in a stealthy way. 
3. obtained by subreption; subreptitious. 

subreption
-noun
1. A calculated misrepresentation through concealment of the facts.
2. An inference drawn from such a misrepresentation.

clandestine
-adjective
characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, esp. for purposes of subversion or deception; private or surreptitious: Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years. 

dilettante
noun pl. dilettantes, dilettanti

1. A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge. See Synonyms at amateur.
2. A lover of the fine arts; a connoisseur.

adj.   Superficial; amateurish.
[Italian, lover of the arts, from present participle of dilettare, to delight, from Latin dēlectāre]

connoisseur
noun
1. a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste: a connoisseur of modern art. 
2. a discerning judge of the best in any field: a connoisseur of horses.
[Obsolete French, from Old French connoisseor, from connoistre, to know, from Latin cognōscere, to learn, know; cognition]

aficionado
noun pl. aficionados 
An enthusiastic admirer or follower; a fan.
[Spanish, past participle of aficionar, to induce a liking for, from afición, liking, from Latin affectiō, affectiōn-; affection]

litigious
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to litigation. 
2. excessively or readily inclined to litigate: a litigious person. 
3. inclined to dispute or disagree; argumentative. 

parlance
–noun
1. a way or manner of speaking; vernacular; idiom: legal parlance. 
2. speech, esp. a formal discussion or debate. 
3. talk; parley. 

parley
–noun
1. a discussion or conference. 
2. an informal conference between enemies under a truce, esp. to discuss terms, conditions of surrender, etc. 
–verb (used without object)
3. to hold an informal conference with an enemy under a truce, as between active hostilities. 
4. to speak, talk, or confer. 

vernacular
-noun  
1. The standard native language of a country or locality.

2. a)The everyday language spoken by a people as distinguished from the literary language.
    b)A variety of such everyday language specific to a social group or region: the vernaculars of New York City.
3. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: in the legal vernacular.
4. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression.
5. The common, nonscientific name of a plant or animal.

-adjective 
1. Native to or commonly spoken by the members of a particular country or region.
2. Using the native language of a region, especially as distinct from the literary language: a vernacular poet.
3. Relating to or expressed in the native language or dialect.
4. Of or being an indigenous building style using local materials and traditional methods of construction and ornament, especially as distinguished from academic or historical architectural styles.
5. Occurring or existing in a particular locality; endemic: a vernacular disease.
6. Relating to or designating the common, nonscientific name of a plant or animal.

burgeon
–verb (used without object)
1. to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor. 
2. to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often fol. by out, forth). 
–verb (used with object)
3. to put forth, as buds. 
–noun
4. a bud; sprout. 

exacerbate
–verb (used with object), -bat·ed, -bat·ing.
1. to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate. 
2. to embitter the feelings of (a person); irritate; exasperate. 

ambivalence
–noun
1. uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. 
2. Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions. 

lethargy
–noun, plural -gies.
1. the quality or state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy; apathetic or sluggish inactivity. 
2. Pathology. an abnormal state or disorder characterized by overpowering drowsiness or sleep. 

boon
–noun
1. something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit. 
2. something that is asked; a favor sought. 
You can describe something as a boon when it makes life better or easier for someone.

–adjective
1. jolly; jovial; convivial: boon companions. 
2. Archaic. kindly; gracious; bounteous. 

-noun Textiles.
the ligneous waste product obtained by braking and scutching flax. 

interoperable
–adjective
capable of being used or operated reciprocally: interoperable weapons systems. 
pertaining to systems that work together or communicate.
able to exchange and use information.
Etymology:   inter- 'between' + operable

etymology
–noun
Etymology is the study of origins and historical development of words.
The etymology of a particular word is its history.

pundit
–noun
1. a learned person, expert, or authority. 
2. a person who makes comments or judgments, esp. in an authoritative manner; critic or commentator. 
A pundit is a person who knows a lot about a subject and is often asked to give information or opinions about it to the public.
    a well known political pundit = expert 

relegate
–verb (used with object), -gat·ed, -gat·ing.
1. to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition: He has been relegated to a post at the fringes of the diplomatic service. 
2. to consign or commit (a matter, task, etc.), as to a person: He relegates the less pleasant tasks to his assistant. 
3. to assign or refer (something) to a particular class or kind. 
4. to send into exile; banish. 

hindsight
–noun
recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence. 

self-efficacy
An individual's estimate or personal judgment of his or her own ability to succeed in reaching a specific goal, e.g., quitting smoking or losing weight or a more general goal, e.g., continuing to remain at a prescribed weight level.

efficacy
–noun, plural -cies.
capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness: a remedy of great efficacy. 

philanthropy
–noun, plural -pies.
1. altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes. 
2. the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way: to devote one's later years to philanthropy. 
3. a particular act, form, or instance of this activity: The art museum was their favorite philanthropy. 
4. a philanthropic organization. 

visceral
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the viscera. 
2. affecting the viscera. 
3. of the nature of or resembling viscera. 
4. characterized by or proceeding from instinct rather than intellect: a visceral reaction. 
5. characterized by or dealing with coarse or base emotions; earthy; crude: a visceral literary style. 

abhorrent
–adjective
1. causing repugnance; detestable; loathsome: an abhorrent deed. 
2. utterly opposed, or contrary, or in conflict (usually fol. by to): abhorrent to reason. 
3. feeling extreme repugnance or aversion (usually fol. by of): abhorrent of waste. 
4. remote in character (usually fol. by from): abhorrent from the principles of law. 

cerebral
–adjective
1. Anatomy, Zoology. of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain. 
2. betraying or characterized by the use of the intellect rather than intuition or instinct: His is a cerebral music that leaves many people cold. 
3. Phonetics. retroflex (def. 2). 
–noun 4. Phonetics. a cerebral sound.

gregarious
–adjective
1. fond of the company of others; sociable. 
2. living in flocks or herds, as animals. 
3. Botany. growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together. 
4. pertaining to a flock or crowd. 

ebullient
–adjective
1. overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited: The award winner was in an ebullient mood at the dinner in her honor. 
2. bubbling up like a boiling liquid.

repugnance
–noun
1. the state of being repugnant. 
2. strong distaste, aversion, or objection; antipathy. 
3. contradictoriness or inconsistency. 

aversion
–noun
1. a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy (usually fol. by to): a strong aversion to snakes and spiders. 
2. a cause or object of dislike; person or thing that causes antipathy: His pet aversion is guests who are always late. 
3. Obsolete. the act of averting; a turning away or preventing.