Words of the Week (2005) 06

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Weekly vocabulary for writers: Feb. 28, 2005.
930 words
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Part 6 of the 16 part series

Updated 11/01/2022
Created 06/04/2004
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velvetpie
velvetpie
1,283 Followers

Whenever I read, I keep a pencil handy and I underline words that I don't know and dog ear the page so that I can go back and look them up in the dictionary. I have always been interested in etymology and even took Latin for three years. I hope that these words can help all of us in our writings. Be sure to check out your dictionary for additional usages of the words and spellings associated with changing the word from adjective to adverb to noun ... etc.

ASPERITY
noun

Pronounced: ah-SPER-ih-tee

Meaning: Harshness or sharpness of tone, temper or manner; severity; hardship; acrimony.

* * * * *

BLANDISHMENT
noun

Pronounced: BLAN-dish-mint

Meaning: Something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax or entice.

* * * * *

CONSTERNATE
verb

Pronounced: KON-stir-nate

Meaning: To dismay, confuse or terrify; to unsettle or throw into confusion.

* * * * *

DEBACLE
noun

Pronounced: deh-BAHK-l

Meaning: A disaster or fiasco; a general rout or dispersal of troops.

* * * * *

EVINCE
verb

Pronounced: ee-VINCE

Meaning: To show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove;to reveal the possession of a quality, trait, etc.

* * * * *

FLORID
adjective

Pronounced: FLOOR-id

Meaning: Reddish; ruddy; rosy; flowery or excessive ornate.

* * * * *

GELID
adjective

Pronounced: JEL-id

Meaning: Very cold; icy.

* * * * *

HARANGUE
noun

Pronounced: huh-RANG

Meaning: A scolding or a verbal attack; diatribe; a long, passionate and vehement speech, especially one delivered before a public gathering.

* * * * *

INVOLUTE
adjective

Pronounced: IN-vol-oot

Meaning: Intricate; complex; curled or curved inward or spirally; rolled inward from the edge as a leaf.

* * * * *

JITNEY
noun

Pronounced: JIT-knee

Meaning: A small bus or car following a regular route along which it picks up and discharges passengers.

* * * * *

KLEPTOMANIA
noun

Pronounced: KLEP-toe-main-ee-ah

Meaning: A compulsion to steal having no relation to need or the monetary value of the object.

* * * * *

LUCULENT
adjective

Pronounced: LOO-cue-lent

Meaning: Clear or lucid; convincing or cogent.

* * * * *

MALLEABLE
Adjective

Pronounced: MAL-ee-uh-bull

Meaning: Capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers; adaptable.

* * * * *

NUTATION
noun

Pronounced: noo-TAY-shun

Meaning: An act or instance of nodding one's head, especially involuntarily or spasmodically.

* * * * *

OBTRUSIVE
adjective

Pronounced: ahb-TROO-siv

Meaning: Having a disposition to impose oneself or one's opinions on others.

* * * * *

PALLIATE
verb

Pronounced: PAL-lee-ate

Meaning: To relieve without curing; mitigate; alleviate; to try to conceal the gravity of an offense by excuses, apologies, etc.

* * * * *

QUODLIBET
noun

Pronounced: KWOAD-lih-bet

Meaning: A subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a theological or scholastic subject.

* * * * *

ROISTER
verb

Pronounced: ROY-stir

Meaning: To act in a swaggering, boisterous or uproarious manner; to revel noisily or without restraint.

* * * * *

STENTORIAN
adjective

Pronounced: sten-TORE-ree-en

Meaning: very loud or powerful in sound.

* * * * *

TAUTOLOGY
noun

Pronounced: tah-TOL-oh-gee

Meaning: Needless repetition of an idea in different words; an instance of such repetition.

* * * * *

UBIQUITOUS
adjective

Pronounced: you-BICK-kwit-tuss

Meaning: Existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent.

* * * * *

VINTNER
noun

Pronounced: VENT-ner

Meaning: A person who sells or makes wines.

* * * * *

WORRYWART
noun

Pronounced: WORRY-whart

Meaning: A person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly.

* * * * *

XERISCAPE
noun

Pronounced: ZEAR-rih-scape

Meaning: The environmental design of residential and park land using various methods for minimizing the need for water use.

* * * * *

YELLOW DOG
noun

Pronounced: YELL-oh dog

Meaning: A cowardly, despicable person; craven.

* * * * *

ZAIBATSU
noun

Pronounced: zai-BAHT-su

Meaning: A great industrial or financial combination of Japan.

* * * * *

PREVARICATE
verb

Pronounced: pre-VARE-ih-kate

Meaning: To speak falsely, misleadingly, or so as to avoid the truth; deliberately misstate; equivocate; lie.

* * * * *

QUIDDITY
noun

Pronounced: KWIH-dih-tee

Meaning: The quality that makes a thing what it is; essential nature.

* * * * *

REDOUBTABLE
adjective

Pronounced: ree-DOW-tuh-bull

Meaning: Evoking fear; fearsome; formidable; commanding respect or reverence.

* * * * *

STAUNCH (also STANCH)
verb

Pronounced: STAW-nch

Meaning: To stop the flow of a liquid, especially blood from a wound, leak, etc.

* * * * *

TEMERITY
noun

Pronounced: the-MER-ih-tee

Meaning: Reckless boldness; rashness; an instance of reckless boldness.

* * * * *

UXORIOUS
adjective

Pronounced: ooks-SORE-ree-uss

Meaning: Doting upon or affectionately submissive toward one's wife.

* * * * *

VOLANT
adjective

Pronounced: VO-lant

Meaning: Engaged in or having the power of flight; moving lightly, nimble.

* * * * *

WYVERN
noun

Pronounced: WEE-vern

Meaning: A mythical creature often depicted heraldically as a two-legged winged dragon with a barbed tail.

* * * * *

ABJURE
verb

Pronounced: ab-JOOR

Meaning: To repudiate or retract, especially with formal solemnity; recant; to renounce or give up under oath.

* * * * *

BURNISH
verb

Pronounced: BURR-nish

Meaning: To polish a surface by friction; to make smooth and bright especially by rubbing with a tool.

* * * * *

CONTEMN
verb

Pronounced: kon-TEM

Meaning: To treat or regard with contempt.

* * * * *

DEPRECATE
verb

Pronounced: DEPP-ree-kate

Meaning: To express earnest disapproval of; to urge reasons again; protest against a scheme, purpose, etc.; to belittle or depreciate.

velvetpie
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