Useful Word of the Day 2020

equity  
n. the value of the shares issued by a company
email chain  
n. an email message that includes a running list of all the succeeding replies starting with the original email
Joe Biden is the person referred to as the 'the big guy' who would receive 10 percent equity in a deal with a Chinese energy firm, as referenced in an email chain including his son Hunter.

haptic  
a. relating to the sense of touch
acoustic  
a. relating to sound or the sense of hearing
The system needs to be accepted by drivers, which supports the most flexible approach, with a cascaded warning system - first visual, then acoustic or haptic.

render  
v. cause to be or become; make
bleeping  
a. making a short high-pitched sound or sounds
The EU is proposing a kit that renders the accelerator pedal temporarily unresponsive, whereas car makers suggest the cheaper option of a bleeping light on the dashboard.

dieback  
n. a condition in which a tree begins to die from the tip of its leaves or roots backwards
severity  
n. fact or condition of being severe
Our landscapes are irrevocably changing, and this year's combination of a dry spring and late frost may have dramatically sped up the severity of ash dieback.

meadow  
n. a piece of grassland, especially one used for hay
ranger  
n. a keeper of a park, forest, or area of countryside
We were not able to undertake regular conservation, such as managing flower-rich meadows, and rangers now forced to spend time to manage safety.

creaky  
a. bad in some way because it is old or old-fashioned
ill-timed  
a. occurring at or planned for an unsuitable time
A high number of cases in a vast country with a creaky public health system was inevitable; but, such a high number is blaming an ill-timed lockdown.

adherence  
n. attachment or commitment to a person, cause, or belief
soar  
v. quickly increases by a great deal
With increased mobility and reduced adherence to social distancing, mask wearing, and personal hygiene, the virus will soar again.

terrace  
v. make sloping land into a number of level flat areas resembling a series of steps
irrigation  
n. supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels
The Maya connected their cities with raised highways; and they made the land usable, and sustainable, with complex irrigation and terracing systems.

prick  
v. make a small hole in (something) with a sharp point
electrified  
a. having a sudden sense of great excitement, thrilled
wriggle  
v. twist and turn with quick writhing movements
Despite my caution, I soon feel a sensation on my back, somewhere between being pricked and electrified and wriggle in shock.

vilification  
n. abusively disparaging speech or writing
frenzied  
a. wildly excited or uncontrolled
prime-time  
n. regularly occurring time at which a television audience is expected to be greatest
The frenzied coverage of his death and vilification of his actor-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty has dominated prime-time in India.

circus  
n. something noisy and confused
at a time  
ad. during one particular moment
The media circus around the case comes at a time when India faces a host of critical issues.

stipend  
n. a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance
collaborator  
n. a person who works jointly on an activity or project; an associate
Zhang received a monthly stipend of $1,900; and was also required to submit a report every six months, which his collaborator would read and sign.

indictment  
n. a thing that serves to illustrate that a system or situation is bad and deserves to be condemned
grounds  
n. (pl) factors forming a basis for action or the justification for a belief
A series of indictments against these researchers suggest the suspicions of US authorities have some grounds.

enshrine  
v. place a revered or precious object in an appropriate receptacle
infringe  
v. actively break the terms of a law or agreement