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Click hereWhenever 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.
STATUESQUE
adjective
Pronounced: STA-chew-esk
Meaning: Having a massive dignity or impressiveness; majestic.
Example: Astatuesque sculpture stood in the town square.
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ABSTEMIOUSadjective
Pronounced: ab-STEM-ee-us
Meaning: Sparing in eating and drinking.
Example: Evelyn isabstemious by nature and never orders dessert.
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FINITE
adjective
Pronounced: FI-night
Meaning: Having clear limits.
Example: Phoebe’s creativity was bound by afinite set of resources.
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COMMINATION
noun
Pronounced: kom-in-NA-shun
Meaning: An instance or the action of announcing, warning of, or threatening punishment or vengeance.
Example: The president ended his speech with a severecommination against the rebels.
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WHEREWITHAL
noun
Pronounced: WEAR-with-all
Meaning: Financial resources; money.
Example: Everyone was surprised that Jake had thewherewithal to buy a sailboat.
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LEONINE
adjective
Pronounced: LEE-o-nine
Meaning: Resembling or having the characteristics of a lion.
Example: Portraits of Beethoven and Einstein always depict them withleonine hairstyles.
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EDIFICE
noun
Pronounced: ED-i-fiss
Meaning: Building, especially a large or massive structure.
Example: To Amy, the most beautifuledifice in our nation’s capital is the National Cathedral.
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OCCISION
noun
Pronounced: awk-SIZ-zhun
Meaning: An act or instance of slaughtering.
Example: Ecologists are protesting the wholesaleoccision of sea turtles within national boundaries.
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GESTICULATE
verb
Pronounced: ges-TIC-u-late
Meaning: To make gestures or motions, especially when speaking.
Example: The way public figuresgesticulate while talking is often fodder for comedians.
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JAPERY
noun
Pronounced: JAPE-ery
Meaning: Jesting or joking talk.
Example: Tired of the disk jockey’sjapery, Terry turned the radio off.
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NEOPHYTE
noun
Pronounced: KNEEO-fyt
Meaning: A new convert, especially a convert to the Christian faith in the early church.
Example: In just three years, St. Cyprian of Carthage went from being aneophyte to being the bishop of Carthage.
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DIURNAL
adjective
Pronounced: die-UR-null
Meaning: Active chiefly during the daytime.
Example: Few cats are naturallydiurnal, which can be a problem for light-sleeping owners.
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ULULATION
noun
Pronounced: ul-yoo-LAY-shun
Meaning: A loud, mournful, usually protracted and rhythmical sound; a howl.
Example: Anululation from the deep woods gave Jesse the goosebumps.
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BLEPHERAL
adjective
Pronounced: BLEF-fur-rall
Meaning: Of or relating to the eyelids.
Example: Leroy’sblepheral inflammation was caused by allergies.
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KIBITZER
noun
Pronounced: KIB-bit-zer
Meaning: An outsider or nonparticipant who looks on and may offer unwanted advice or comment.
Example: Officer Morrow ordered thekibitzer to stand back and get out of the way of the rescue squad.
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REPARTEE
noun
Pronounced: RUH-par-tee
Meaning: A succession of clever retorts.
Example: Susie and Josh’srepartee is so excessive that even their friends tire quickly of the constant retorts.
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PERQUISITE
noun
Pronounced: PURR-kwis-it
Meaning: A privilege, gain or profit incidental to an employment in addition to regular salary or wages. (Otherwise known as a PERK!)
Example: Aperquisite attractive to many business executives is unlimited use of a cellular telephone.
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HACKNEYED
adjective
Pronounced: HAK-kneed
Meaning: Commonplace or trite.
Example: The marketing adjective extreme will soon be ashackneyed as super and ultra.
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QUORUM
noun
Pronounced: KWOR-rum
Meaning: The number of members of an organization who, when assembled, can legally transact business in the absence of the other members.
Example: There were not enough members present at the school board meeting to constitute aquorum, so no voting took place.
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VAGRANCY
noun
Pronounced: VAYG-ran-cee
Meaning: The state or offense of being a person who has no established residency and wanders idly from place to place without lawful or visible means of support.
Example: To clear the downtown area of homeless people, the mayor instructed the police to arrest them forvagrancy.
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ILLUSORY
adjective
Pronounced: ill-LU-sore-ree
Meaning: Of, relating to or marked by illusion or deception.
Example: Citizens of both countries hope that the apparent peace between the two nations is notillusory.
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TOCSIN
noun
Pronounced: TALK-sinn
Meaning: An alarm bell or the ringing of a bell for the purpose of alarm.
Example: In the event of a national disaster or civil alert, the fire stations would set off atocsin that could be heard for two miles in any direction.
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