abase:
v. humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem | abbess:
n. the lady superior of a nunnery. |
abbey:
n. the group of buildings which collectively form the dwelling-place of a society of monks or nuns. | abbot:
n. the superior of a community of monks. |
abdicate:
v. give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim | abdomen:
n. belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis |
abdominal:
n. of, pertaining to, or situated on the abdomen. | abduction:
n. criminal act of capturing and carrying away by force |
abed:
adv. in bed; on a bed. | aberration:
n. deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course. |
abet:
v. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage | abeyance:
n. suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension |
abhorrence:
n. the act of detesting extremely. | abhorrent:
adj. very repugnant; hateful. |
abidance:
n. an abiding. | abject:
a. being of the most miserable kind; wretched; lacking pride; brought low in condition or status |
abjure:
v. renounce upon oath; abandon forever | able-bodied:
adj. competent for physical service. |
ablution:
n. washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite | abnegate:
v. give up or surrender; deny something to oneself |
abnormal:
a. unusual; not typical; not normal | abominable:
a. detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad |
abominate:
v. to hate violently. | abomination:
n. a very detestable act or practice. |
aboriginal:
a. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native | aborigines:
n. the original of earliest known inhabitants of a country. |
abrade:
v. wear away by friction; scrape; erode | abrasion:
n. scratch; friction |
abridge:
v. condense; shorten; reduce length of written text | abridgment:
n. a condensed form as of a book or play. |
abrogate:
a. abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority | abrupt:
a. broken off; very steep; having sudden transitions from one subject to another |
abscess:
n. a collection of pus in a cavity formed within some tissue of the body. | abscission:
n. the act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation. |
abscond:
v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution | absence:
n. state of being absent; state of being away |
absent-minded:
adj. lacking in attention to immediate surroundings or business. | absolution:
n. act of absolving or the state of being absolved; formal remission of sin imparted by a priest |
absolve:
v. let off hook; relieve of requirement or obligation | absorb:
v. assimilate or incorporate; suck or drink up; occupy full attention |
absorption:
n. process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion; state of mental concentration | abstain:
v. refrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practice |
abstemious:
a. sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate | abstinence:
n. restraint from eating or drinking; refraining from indulging appetite or desire |
abstruse:
a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand. | absurd:
a. preposterous; ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable; foolish |
abundant:
a. plentiful; possessing riches or resources | abusive:
a. coarsely insulting; physically harmful; characterized by improper or wrongful use |
abut:
v. border upon; adjoin; touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent | abyss:
n. enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit; any deep, immeasurable space; hell |
academic:
a. related to school; not practical or directly useful; relating to scholarly organization; based on formal education | academician:
n. a scholar who is skilled in academic disputation |
academy:
n. school for special instruction; society of scholars, scientists, or artists | accede:
v. agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede |
accelerate:
v. move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected | accept:
v. to take when offered. |
access:
n. approach; entry; entrance | accessible:
a. easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with |
accession:
n. induction or elevation, as to dignity, office, or government. | accessory:
n. additional object; useful but not essential thing; subordinate or supplementary item |
acclaim:
v. applaud; announce with great approval | accommodate:
v. do a favor or service for; provide for; supply with; make suitable; adapt; allow for |
accompaniment:
n. act of accompanying someone or something | accompanist:
n. one who or that which accompanies. |
accompany:
v. travel with; be associated with | accomplice:
n. partner in crime; associate in wrongdoing |
accomplish:
v. succeed in doing; bring to pass; achieve; reach the end of; complete | accordion:
n. a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; reeds that are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player |
accost:
v. approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request | account:
n. narrative or record of events; reason given for a particular action or event |
accouter:
v. equip; provide with military equipment | accredit:
v. authorize; commission; give credit for |
accumulate:
v. pile up; collect; mount up; increase | accuracy:
n. quality of nearness to the truth or the true value |
accurate:
a. capable of providing a correct reading or measurement; performing with care and precision | accursed:
adj. doomed to evil, misery, or misfortune. |
accusation:
n. indictment; charge of wrongdoing that is made against a person or other party | accusatory:
adj. of, pertaining to, or involving an accusation. |
accuse:
v. blame; condemn | accustom:
v. to make familiar by use. |
acerbity:
n. bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone | acetate:
n. a salt of acetic acid. |
acetic:
a. having properties of vinegar; sour | ache:
v. to be in pain or distress. |
achillean:
adj. invulnerable. | achromatic:
adj. colorless, |
acid:
n. sour; water-soluble compounds having a sour taste; quality of being sarcastic, bitter, or scornful | acidify:
v. to change into acid. |
acknowledge:
v. declare to be true or admit; express obligation, thanks | acknowledgment:
n. recognition. |
acme:
n. the highest point or level, as of achievement or development; maturity or perfection of animal | acoustic:
adj. pertaining to the act or sense of hearing. |
acquaint:
v. inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar | acquiesce:
v. assent; agree without protesting |
acquiescence:
n. passive consent. | acquit:
v. to free or clear, as from accusation. |
acquittal:
n. state of being found or proved not guilty; judgment of not guilty | acquittance:
n. release or discharge from indebtedness, obligation, or responsibility. |
acreage:
n. quantity or extent of land, especially of cultivated land. | acrid:
a. unpleasantly sharp or bitter to taste or smell; bitterly pungent |
acrimonious:
a. bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner | acrimony:
n. sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper. |
actionable:
adj. affording cause for instituting an action, as trespass, slanderous words. | actuality:
n. any reality. |
actuary:
n. an officer, as of an insurance company, who calculates and states the risks and premiums. | actuate:
v. put into motion or action; activate |
acumen:
n. mental keenness; quickness of perception | acute:
a. quickly perceptive; keen; having a sharp point or tip; extremely sharp or severe |
adamant:
a. extremely hard; inflexible; stubbornly unyielding | addendum:
n. something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book |
addle:
v. muddle; drive crazy; become confused | adduce:
v. to bring forward or name for consideration. |
adhere:
v. stick fast; stick to firmly; be compatible or in accordance with | adherence:
n. attachment. |
adherent:
n. person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause | adhesion:
n. the state of being attached or joined. |
adieu:
inter. good-by; farewell. | adjacency:
n. the state of being adjacent. |
adjacent:
a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near | adjudge:
v. to award or bestow by formal decision. |
adjunct:
n. something added on or attached generally nonessential or inferior | adjuration:
n. a vehement appeal. |
adjutant:
adj. auxiliary. | administrator:
n. one who manages a government agency or department |
admissible:
adj. having the right or privilege of entry. | admittance:
n. entrance, or the right or permission to enter. |
admonish:
v. warn; counsel someone against something to be avoided | admonition:
n. gentle or friendly reproof; cautionary advice or warning |
ado:
n. doing; bother; troublesome business; fuss; bustle | adoration:
n. act of playing honor to a divine being; worship paid to God; act of addressing as a god |
adroit:
a. skillful and adept under pressing conditions | adulterant:
n. an adulterating substance. |
adulterate:
v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances | adumbrate:
v. give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade |
advent:
n. coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important | adverse:
a. in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose |
adversity:
n. state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune | advert:
v. to refer incidentally. |
advertiser:
n. one who advertises, especially in newspapers. | advisory:
a. having power to advice; containing advice |
advocacy:
n. support; active pleading on behalf of something | advocate:
v. speak, plead, or argue in favour of; plead for; push for something |
aerial:
a. of the air or atmosphere; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air | aeronaut:
n. one who navigates the air, a balloonist. |
aeronautics:
n. the art or practice of flying aircraft | aerostat:
n. a balloon or other apparatus floating in or sustained by the air. |
aerostatics:
n. the branch of pneumatics that treats of the equilibrium, pressure, and mechanical properties. | affable:
a. easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affect:
v. have an emotional or cognitive impact upon | affectation:
n. a studied or ostentatious pretense or attempt. |
affiliate:
v. associate; incorporate | affirmative:
a. confirmative; ratifying; giving assent or approval; confirming |
affix:
v. fasten; append; add on; secure to something | affluence:
n. abundance; a plentiful supply of material goods; wealth |
affront:
n. insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect | afoot:
adv. in progress. |
aforesaid:
adj. said in a preceding part or before. | afresh:
adv. once more, after rest or interval. |
afterthought:
n. a thought that comes later than its appropriate or expected time. | agglomerate:
v. to pile or heap together. |
aggrandize:
v. increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation | aggravate:
v. worsen; make worse or more troublesome |
aggravation:
n. the fact of being made heavier or more heinous, as a crime , offense, misfortune, etc. | aggregate:
v. gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to |
aggress:
v. to make the first attack. | aggression:
n. an unprovoked attack. |
aggrieve:
v. to give grief or sorrow to. | aghast:
a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement |
agile:
a. moving quickly and lightly; mentally quick | agitate:
v. cause to move with violence or sudden force; upset; disturb |
agrarian:
a. pertaining to land or its cultivation; relating to agricultural or rural matters | aide-de-camp:
n. an officer who receives and transmits the orders of the general. |
ailment:
n. sickness; illness; affliction | airy:
adj. delicate, ethereal. |
akin:
a. of the same kin; related by blood | alabaster:
n. a white or delicately tinted fine-grained gypsum. |
alacrity:
n. cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness | albeit:
ad. even though; although; notwithstanding |
albino:
n. a person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright red pupil and usually pink iris. | album:
n. a list of names; a register for visitors; a blank book, in which to insert autographs sketches, memorial writing of friends, photographs |
alchemy:
n. medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming | alcohol:
n. a volatile, inflammable, colorless liquid of a penetrating odor and burning taste. |
alcoholism:
n. a condition resulting from the inordinate or persistent use of alcoholic beverages. | alcove:
n. nook; small, recessed section of a room |
alder:
n. north temperate shrubs or trees having toothed leaves and cone like fruit | alderman:
n. a member of a municipal legislative body, who usually exercises also certain judicial functions. |
aldermanship:
n. the dignity, condition, office, or term of office of an alderman. | alias:
n. assumed name; another name; name that has been assumed temporarily |
alien:
a. dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed in nature; very different place, society, or person | alienable:
adj. capable of being aliened or alienated, as lands. |
alienate:
v. cause to become unfriendly or hostile; transfer property or ownership; isolate or dissociate emotionally | alienation:
n. estrangement. |
aliment:
n. that which nourishes. | alkali:
n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia |
allay:
v. calm; pacify; reduce the intensity of; relieve | allege:
v. state without proof; assert to be true |
allegory:
n. symbolic representation of abstract ideas or principles in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form | alleviate:
v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part |
alley:
n. narrow passage, especially a walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes | alliance:
n. state of being allied; act of allying or uniting; a union or connection of interests between families, states, parties |
allot:
v. parcel out in parts or portions; distribute to each individual concerned; assign as a share or lot | allotment:
n. portion. |
allude:
v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion | allusion:
n. indirect reference; symbolical reference or comparison; metaphor |
alluvion:
n. flood. | ally:
n. confederate; partner; collaborator |
almanac:
n. a series of tables giving the days of the week together with certain astronomical information. | aloof:
a. apart; remote in manner; distant physically or emotionally; reserved and remote |
altar:
n. raised structure on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity | alter:
v. modify; cause to change; make different; convert |
alteration:
n. passage from one form or state to another; change | altercate:
v. to contend angrily or zealously in words. |
alternate:
a. happening or following in turns; succeeding each other continuously; substitute | alternative:
a. one of two or more things, ideas or courses of action that may be used; option; choice |
altitude:
n. elevation especially above sea level; height | alto:
n. the lowest or deepest female voice or part. |
altruism:
n. benevolence to others on subordination to self-interest. | altruist:
n. one who advocates or practices altruism. |
amalgam:
n. an alloy or union of mercury with another metal. | amalgamate:
v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury |
amateur:
a. nonprofessional; lacking the skill of a professional, as in an art | amatory:
adj. designed to excite love. |
ambidextrous:
a. capable of using either hand with equal ease | ambiguous:
a. unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambitious:
a. aspiring; having a strong desire for success or achievement | ambrosial:
adj. divinely sweet, fragrant, or delicious. |
ambulance:
n. field hospital organized as to follow an army in its movements; wagon for conveying the wounded to hospital | ambulate:
v. to walk about |
ambush:
n. disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station | ameliorate:
v. make or become better; improve; grow better |
amenable:
a. responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable | americanism:
n. a peculiar sense in which an english word or phrase is used in the united states. |
amicable:
a. exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; not quarrelsome | amity:
n. friendship; peaceful relations, as between nations |
amorous:
a. moved by sexual love; loving | amorphous:
a. formless; lacking shape or definition |
amour:
n. a love-affair, especially one of an illicit nature. | ampere:
n. the practical unit of electric-current strength. |
amphibious:
adj. living both on land and in water. | amphitheater:
n. oval building with tiers of seats from central open space or arena |
amplitude:
n. largeness. | amply:
adv. sufficiently. |
amputate:
v. cut off part of body, especially by surgery; prune | amusement:
n. diversion. |
anachronism:
n. anything occurring or existing out of its proper time. | anagram:
n. the letters of a word or phrase so transposed as to make a different word or phrase. |
analogous:
a. comparable; similar or alike | analogy:
n. similarity in some respects; comparison based on similarity |
analyst:
n. one who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method. | analyze:
v. diagnose; examine |
anarchy:
n. absence of governing body; state of disorder; political disorder and confusion | anathema:
n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse |
anatomy:
n. detailed analysis; branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals | anecdote:
n. short account of amusing or interesting event; short narrative; secret story of history or biography |
anemia:
n. condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; deficiency of red blood cells; lack of vitality | anemic:
adj. affected with anemia. |
anemometer:
n. an instrument for measuring the force or velocity of wind. | anesthetic:
n. substance that causes loss of sensation; producing temporary loss or impairment of feeling |
anew:
adv. once more. | angelic:
adj. saintly. |
anglophobia:
n. hatred or dread of england or of what is english. | anglo-saxon:
n. the entire english race wherever found, as in europe, the united states, or india. |
angular:
a. sharp-cornered; consisting of an angle or angles; stiff in manner | anhydrous:
adj. withered. |
animadversion:
n. the utterance of criticism or censure. | animadvert:
v. to pass criticism or censure. |
animalcule:
n. an animal of microscopic smallness. | animate:
a. endowed with life; alive; living; animated |
animosity:
n. bitter hostility; active hatred; hostile feeling or act | annalist:
n. historian. |
annals:
n. chronological record of the events of successive years | annex:
v. append or attach; take possession of; incorporate into an existing political unit |
annihilate:
v. destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence | annotate:
v. comment; make explanatory notes |
annual:
a. occurring or payable every year | annuity:
n. annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year |
annunciation:
n. proclamation. | anode:
n. the point where or path by which a voltaic current enters an electrolyte or the like. |
anonymous:
a. having no name; having unknown or unacknowledged name | antagonism:
n. active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor |
antarctic:
a. opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it | ante:
v. in the game of poker, to put up a stake before the cards are dealt. |
antecede:
v. precede; go before in time, and sometimes in place, rank, or logical order | antecedent:
n. one who or that which precedes or goes before, as in time, place, rank, order, or causality. |
antechamber:
n. a waiting room for those who seek audience. | antedate:
v. be earlier in time; go back further |
antediluvian:
a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times | antemeridian:
adj. before noon. |
antenatal:
adj. occurring or existing before birth. | anterior:
a. before in time; antecedent; placed before or in front |
anteroom:
n. a room situated before and opening into another, usually larger. | anthology:
n. book of literary selections by various authors |
anthracite:
n. hard coal. | anthropology:
n. social science that studies origins and social relationships of human beings |
anthropomorphous:
adj. having or resembling human form. | antic:
n. a grotesque, ludicrous, or fantastic action. |
antichrist:
n. any opponent or enemy of christ, whether a person or a power. | anticlimax:
n. letdown in thought or emotion; decline viewed in disappointing contrast with previous rise |
anticyclone:
n. an atmospheric condition of high central pressure, with currents flowing outward. | antidote:
n. medicine to counteract a poison or disease; agent that relieves or counteracts |
antilogy:
n. inconsistency or contradiction in terms or ideas. | antipathize:
v. to show or feel a feeling of antagonism, aversion, or dislike. |
antiphon:
n. a response or alteration of responses, generally musical. | antiphony:
n. an anthem or other composition sung responsively. |
antipodes:
n. a place or region on the opposite side of the earth. | antiquary:
n. one who collects and examines old things, as coins, books, medals, weapons, etc. |
antiquate:
v. make obsolete or old-fashioned | antique:
n. any furniture old and valuable; out of fashion |
antiseptic:
n. substance that prevents infection; substance that restricts the growth of disease-causing microorganisms | antislavery:
adj. opposed to human slavery. |
antispasmodic:
adj. tending to prevent or relieve non-inflammatory spasmodic affections. | antistrophe:
n. the inversion of terms in successive classes, as in "the home of joy and the joy of home". |
antitoxin:
n. a substance which neutralizes the poisonous products of micro-organisms. | antonym:
n. word of opposite meaning; counter term |
anxious:
a. eager; keen; worried; uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter | apathy:
n. lack of caring; indifference |
aperture:
n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole | apex:
n. highest point; vertex; summit; climax |
aphorism:
n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion | apiary:
n. place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey |
apogee:
n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited | apology:
n. acknowledgment expressing regret or asking pardon for a fault or offense; explanation or excuse |
apostate:
n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs | apostle:
n. any messenger commissioned by or as by divine authority. |
apothecary:
n. one who keeps drugs for sale and puts up prescriptions. | apotheosis:
n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something |
appall:
v. depress or discourage with fear; grow faint or become weak | apparent:
a. capable of being seen, or easily seen; open to view; visible to eye |
apparition:
n. ghostly figure; sudden or unusual sight; appearance; state of being visible | appease:
v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve |
appellate:
adj. capable of being appealed to. | appellation:
n. name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy |
append:
v. attach; add as supplement or appendix | appertain:
v. to belong, as by right, fitness, association, classification, possession, or natural relation. |
apposite:
a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited | apposition:
n. the act of placing side by side, together, or in contact. |
appraise:
v. estimate value of; evaluate, especially in official capacity | appreciable:
a. considerable; perceptible |
apprehend:
v. take into custody; arrest a criminal; grasp mentally; perceive | apprehensible:
adj. capable of being conceived. |
approbation:
n. expression of warm approval; praise | appropriate:
v. acquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific use |
aqueduct:
n. a water-conduit, particularly one for supplying a community from a distance. | aqueous:
adj. of, pertaining to, or containing water. |
arbiter:
n. person with power to decide a dispute; judge | arbitrary:
a. randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle |
arbitrate:
v. to act or give judgment as umpire. | arbor:
n. a tree. |
arboreal:
a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees | arborescent:
adj. having the nature of a tree. |
arboretum:
n. place where different tree varieties are exhibited | arboriculture:
n. the cultivation of trees or shrubs. |
arcade:
n. covered passageway, usually lined with shops; simple arched opening in a wall; vault or vaulted place | archaeology:
n. study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
archaic:
a. no longer current or applicable; antiquated | archaism:
n. obsolescence. |
archangel:
n. an angel of high rank. | archbishop:
n. the chief of the bishops of an ecclesiastical province in the greek, roman, and anglican church. |
archdeacon:
n. a high official administrator of the affairs of a diocese. | archetype:
n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned |
archipelago:
n. group of closely located islands | ardent:
a. displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate |
ardor:
n. intensity of passion or affection. | arid:
a. dry; lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or plants |
aristocracy:
n. hereditary nobility; privileged class | aristocrat:
n. one of the aristocracy or people of rank in a community; one of a ruling class; a noble |
armada:
n. a fleet of warships; a large group of moving things | armful:
n. as much as can be held in the arm or arms. |
armory:
n. arsenal; a place where arms are manufactured | aroma:
n. fragrance; scent; pleasant characteristic odor, as of a plant, spice, or food |
arraign:
v. officially charge someone in a court of law | arrange:
v. put in proper order; dispose in the manner intended, or best suited for the purpose |
arrangement:
n. composition; order | arrant:
adj. notoriously bad. |
arrear:
n. something overdue and unpaid. | arrival:
n. a coming to stopping-place or destination. |
arrogant:
a. arising from feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others | arrogate:
v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without right |
artesian:
well n. a very deep bored well. water rises due to underground pressure | artful:
adj. characterized by craft or cunning. |
arthurian:
adj. pertaining to king arthur, the real or legendary hero of british poetic story. | artifice:
n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity |
artless:
a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honest | ascendant:
adj. dominant. |
ascension:
n. the act of rising. | ascent:
n. upward slope or grade; movement upward |
ascetic:
a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere | ascribe:
v. inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality |
asexual:
adj. having no distinct sexual organs. | ashen:
a. ash-colored; very pale; consisting of ashes |
askance:
a. with sideways or indirect look; Turned to side, especially of eyes | asperity:
n. sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climate |
aspirant:
n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position | aspire:
v. seek to attain; long for; strive toward an end |
assailant:
n. one who attacks. | assassin:
n. one who kills, or tries to kill, treacherously or secretly. |
assassinate:
v. to kill, as by surprise or secret assault, especially the killing of some eminent person. | assassination:
n. act of assassinating; killing by treacherous violence; murder of public figure by surprise attack |
assay:
v. analyze; evaluate; examine by trial or experiment; put to test | assent:
v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept |
assess:
v. estimate value; judge worth of something | assessor:
n. an officer whose duty it is to assess taxes. |
assets:
n. pl. property in general, regarded as applicable to the payment of debts. | assiduous:
a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent |
assignee:
n. one who is appointed to act for another in the management of certain property and interests. | assimilate:
v. incorporate and absorb into mind; make similar; cause to resemble |
assonance:
n. resemblance or correspondence in sound. | assonant:
adj. having resemblance of sound. |
assonate:
v. to accord in sound, especially vowel sound. | assuage:
v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease |
astringent:
a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere | astute:
a. wise or keen; shrewd; with sharp intelligence |
atheism:
n. the denial of the existence of god. | athirst:
adj. wanting water. |
athwart:
adv. from side to side. | atomizer:
n. an apparatus for reducing a liquid to a fine spray, as for disinfection, inhalation, etc. |
atone:
v. make amends, as for sin or fault; pay for; turn away from sin | atonement:
n. amends, reparation, or expiation made from wrong or injury. |
atrocious:
adj. outrageously or wantonly wicked, criminal, vile, or cruel. | atrocity:
n. brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness |
attache:
n. a subordinate member of a diplomatic embassy. | attest:
v. testify; authenticate, affirm to be true |
attorney-general:
n. the chief law-officer of a government. | auburn:
adj. reddish-brown, said usually of the hair. |
audacious:
a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold | audible:
a. perceptible; heard or perceptible by the ear |
audition:
v. take part in a trial performance; evaluate in a trial performance | auditory:
a. of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing |
augment:
v. make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity | augur:
v. to predict. |
augustinian:
adj. pertaining to st. augustine, his doctrines, or the religious orders called after him. | aura:
n. pervasive psychic influence supposed to emanate from persons |
aural:
adj. of or pertaining to the ear. | auricle:
n. one of the two chambers of the heart which receives the blood from the veins. |
auricular:
adj. of or pertaining to the ear, its auricle, or the sense of hearing. | auriferous:
adj. containing gold. |
aurora:
n. the first light of day; an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands of light caused by charged solar particles following the earth's magnetic lines of force | auspice:
n. favoring, protecting, or propitious influence or guidance. |
austere:
a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented | autarchy:
n. unrestricted power. |
authentic:
a. not counterfeit or copied; valid; trustworthy | authenticity:
n. the state or quality of being genuine, or of the origin and authorship claimed. |
autocracy:
n. absolute government. | autocrat:
n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power |
automaton:
n. mechanism that imitates actions of humans | autonomous:
a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent |
autonomy:
n. independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination | autopsy:
n. examination of dead body; post-mortem |
autumnal:
adj. of or pertaining to autumn. | auxiliary:
a. helper, additional or subsidiary |
avalanche:
n. great mass of falling snow and ice | avarice:
n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain |
aver:
v. declare to be true; affirm | averse:
a. reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling |
aversion:
n. firm dislike; turning away; avoidance of a thing, situation, or behavior because of dislike | avert:
v. prevent; turn or cause to turn off or away |
aviary:
n. large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept | avidity:
n. greediness. |
avocation:
n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment | avow:
v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly |
awaken:
v. to arouse, as emotion, interest, or the like. | aye:
adv. an expression of assent. |
azalea:
n. a flowering shrub. | azure:
a. sky blue; light purplish-blue |
baconian:
adj. of or pertaining to lord bacon or his system of philosophy. | bacterium:
n. single celled organism with no nucleus |
badger:
v. pester; annoy persistently; persuade through constant efforts | baffle:
v. frustrate as by confusing or perplexing; impede force or movement of |
bailiff:
n. an officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment. | baize:
n. a single-colored napped woolen fabric used for table-covers, curtains, etc. |
bale:
n. a bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for storage or transportation | baleful:
a. portending evil; harmful in intent or effect. |
ballad:
n. popular kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing | balsam:
n. a medical preparation, aromatic and oily, used for healing. |
banal:
a. obvious and dull; commonplace; lacking originality | barcarole:
n. a boat-song of venetian gondoliers. |
baritone:
adj. having a register higher than bass and lower than tenor. | barograph:
n. an instrument that registers graphically and continuously the atmospheric pressure. |
barometer:
n. instrument for determining the weight or pressure of the atmosphere | barring:
prep. apart from. |
bask:
v. luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth | bass:
adj. low in tone or compass. |
baste:
v. to cover with melted fat, gravy, while cooking. | baton:
n. staff or truncheon for various purposes, as one of a conductor in musical performances, one transferred by runners in a relay race |
battalion:
n. a body of infantry composed of two or more companies, forming a part of a regiment. | batten:
n. a narrow strip of wood. |
batter:
v. beat with successive blows; beat repeatedly and with violence | bauble:
n. small, showy ornament of little value; child's plaything or toy |
bawl:
v. cry out with a loud, full sound; cry with vehemence, as in calling or exultation; shout | beatify:
v. to make supremely happy. |
beatitude:
n. blessedness; state of extreme happiness | beau:
n. an escort or lover. |
becalm:
v. keep from motion, or stop progress of; make calm or still | beck:
v. to give a signal to, by nod or gesture. |
bedaub:
v. to smear over, as with something oily or sticky. | bedeck:
v. to cover with ornament. |
bedlam:
n. madhouse. | befog:
v. to confuse. |
befriend:
v. to be a friend to, especially when in need. | beget:
v. produce; give rise to |
begrudge:
v. resent; give or expend with reluctance; be envious of | belate:
v. to delay past the proper hour. |
belay:
v. to make fast, as a rope, by winding round a cleat. | belie:
v. contradict; give a false impression |
believe:
v. to accept as true on the testimony or authority of others. | belittle:
v. disparage or depreciate; put down |
belle:
n. a woman who is a center of attraction because of her beauty, accomplishments, etc. | bellicose:
a. warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; showing or having impulse to be combative |
belligerent:
a. inclined or eager to fight; aggressive | bemoan:
v. regret strongly; express disapproval of |
benediction:
n. blessing; invocation of divine blessing; expression of good wishes | benefactor:
n. gift giver; person who gives people or institutions with financial help |
benefice:
n. a church office endowed with funds or property for the maintenance of divine service. | beneficent:
adj. characterized by charity and kindness. |
beneficial:
a. helpful; tending to promote physical well-being | beneficiary:
n. person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
benefit:
n. advantage; something that aids or promotes well-being ; welfare; gain | benevolence:
n. any act of kindness or well-doing. |
benevolent:
a. generous in providing aid to others; charitable | benign:
a. kindly; favorable; not malignant |
benignant:
adj. benevolent in feeling, character, or aspect. | benignity:
n. kindness of feeling, disposition, or manner. |
benison:
n. blessing. | bequeath:
v. leave to someone by a will; hand down |
bereave:
v. to make desolate with loneliness and grief. | berth:
n. space for ship to dock or anchor; allotted place; place to sleep or stay; appointment or job |
beseech:
v. beg; plead with; ask for or request earnestly | beset:
v. attack from all sides; trouble persistently; hem in |
besmear:
v. to smear over, as with any oily or sticky substance. | bestial:
a. beastlike; brutal; lacking in intelligence or reason |
bestrew:
v. to sprinkle or cover with things strewn. | bestride:
v. to get or sit upon astride, as a horse. |
bethink:
v. to remind oneself. | betide:
v. to happen to or befall. |
betimes:
adv. in good season or time. | betroth:
v. become engaged to marry; promise to marry |
betrothal:
n. engagement to marry. | bevel:
n. any inclination of two surfaces other than 90 degrees. |
bewilder:
v. lead into perplexity or confusion; perplex with mazes | bibliography:
n. list of works of a specific author or publisher; list of writings relating to a given subject |
bibliomania:
n. the passion for collecting books. | bibliophile:
n. one who loves books. |
bibulous:
adj. fond of drinking. | bide:
v. to await. |
biennial:
a. every two years; lasting or living for two years | bier:
n. a horizontal framework with two handles at each end for carrying a corpse to the grave. |
bigamist:
n. one who has two spouses at the same time. | bigamy:
n. the crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living. |
bight:
n. a slightly receding bay between headlands, formed by a long curve of a coast-line. | bilateral:
a. two-sided; mutual |
bilingual:
n. using or able to use two languages, especially with equal or nearly equal fluency | biograph:
n. a bibliographical sketch or notice. |
biology:
n. the science of life or living organisms. | biped:
n. an animal having two feet. |
birthright:
n. a privilege or possession into which one is born. | bitterness:
n. sharp and bitter manner |
blase:
adj. sated with pleasure. | blaspheme:
v. to indulge in profane oaths. |
blatant:
a. flagrant; conspicuously obvious; loudly offensive | blaze:
n. brilliant burst of fire; destructive fire; flame |
blazon:
v. to make widely or generally known. | bleak:
a. cold or cheerless; unlikely to be favorable |
blemish:
v. mark with deformity; injure or impair, as anything which is excellent; make defective, either the body or mind | blithe:
a. gay; joyous; carefree and lighthearted |
blithesome:
adj. cheerful. | blockade:
n. shutting up of a place by troops or ships; obstruction to passage |
boatswain:
n. a subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, anchors, etc. | bodily:
adj. corporeal. |
boisterous:
a. rough and stormy; loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline | bole:
n. the trunk or body of a tree. |
bolero:
n. a spanish dance, illustrative of the passion of love, accompanied by caste nets and singing. | boll:
n. a round pod or seed-capsule, as a flax or cotton. |
bolster:
v. support or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushion | bomb:
n. a hollow projectile containing an explosive material. |
bombard:
v. to assail with any missile or with abusive speech. | bombardier:
n. a person who has charge of mortars, bombs, and shells. |
bombast:
n. inflated or extravagant language, especially on unimportant subjects. | boorish:
a. rude and clumsy in behavior; ungentlemanly; awkward in manners |
bore:
v. drill; make a hole in or through, with or as if with a drill | borough:
n. incorporated town that is not a city; association of men who gave pledges to the king for the good behavior of each other |
bosom:
n. the breast or the upper front of the thorax of a human being, especially of a woman. | botanical:
adj. connected with the study or cultivation of plants. |
botanize:
v. to study plant-life. | botany:
n. science which treats of the structure of plants, the functions of their parts, their places of growth, their classification |
bountiful:
a. abundant; graciously generous; giving freely and generously | bowdlerize:
v. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly |
bowler:
n. in cricket, the player who delivers the ball. | boycott:
v. refrain from buying or using |
brae:
n. hillside. | braggart:
n. boaster; one given to loud, empty boasting; very talkative person |
brandish:
v. move or wave, as a weapon; raise and move in various directions | bravado:
n. defiant or swaggering behavior; pretense of courage; false show of bravery |
bravo:
interj. well done. | bray:
n. a loud harsh sound, as the cry of an ass or the blast of a horn. |
braze:
v. to make of or ornament with brass. | brazier:
n. an open pan or basin for holding live coals. |
breach:
n. breaking of contract or duty | breaker:
n. one who trains horses, dogs, etc. |
breech:
n. the buttocks. | brethren:
n. pl. members of a brotherhood, gild, profession, association, or the like. |
brevity:
n. quality or state of being brief in duration; concise expression | bric-a-brac:
n. objects of curiosity or for decoration. |
bridle:
n. headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins | brigade:
n. a body of troops consisting of two or more regiments. |
brigadier:
n. general officer who commands a brigade, ranking between a colonel and a major-general. | brigand:
n. one who lives by robbery and plunder. |
brimstone:
n. sulfur. | brine:
n. water saturated with salt. |
bristle:
n. one of the coarse, stiff hairs of swine: used in brush-making, etc. | britannia:
n. the united kingdom of great britain. |
briticism:
n. a word, idiom, or phrase characteristic of great britain or the british. | brittle:
a. easily broken; having little elasticity |
broach:
v. introduce; bring up for discussion or debate; announce | broadcast:
n. message that is transmitted by radio or television; radio or television show |
brogan:
n. a coarse, heavy shoe. | brogue:
n. any dialectic pronunciation of english, especially that of the irish people. |
brokerage:
n. the business of making sales and purchases for a commission; a broker. | bromine:
n. a dark reddish-brown, non-metallic liquid element with a suffocating odor. |
bronchitis:
n. inflammation of the bronchial tubes. | bronchus:
n. either of the two subdivisions of the trachea conveying air into the lungs. |
brooch:
n. ornamental clasp; decorative pin worn by women | brotherhood:
n. spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity. |
browbeat:
v. bully; intimidate; discourage or frighten with threats | brusque:
a. abrupt and curt in manner or speech; rudely abrupt, unfriendly |
buffoon:
n. one who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures; droll; mimic; clown | buffoonery:
n. clowning; arts and practices of buffoon, as low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures |
bulbous:
adj. of, or pertaining to, or like a bulb. | bullock:
n. an ox. |
bulrush:
n. any one of various tall rush-like plants growing in damp ground or water. | bulwark:
n. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends |
bumper:
n. something as bars at edges to absorb shock and prevent serious damage | bumptious:
a. offensively self-assertive; liable to give or take offense; forward; pushing |
bungle:
v. mismanage; blunder; work or act in clumsy, awkward, or blundering manner | buoyancy:
n. power or tendency to float on or in a liquid or gas. |
buoyant:
a. able to float; cheerful and optimistic | bureau:
n. a chest of drawers for clothing, etc. |
bureaucracy:
n. over-regulated administrative system | burgess:
n. in colonial times, a member of the lower house of the legislature of maryland or virginia. |
burgher:
n. an inhabitant, citizen or freeman of a borough burgh, or corporate town. | burnish:
v. make shiny by rubbing; polish |
bursar:
n. treasurer or keeper of funds; purser or treasurer of college or other community | bustle:
v. move or cause to move energetically and busily; teem |
butt:
v. to strike with or as with the head, or horns. | butte:
n. a conspicuous hill, low mountain, or natural turret, generally isolated. |
buttress:
v. support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence | by-law:
n. a rule or law adopted by an association, a corporation, or the like. |
cabal:
n. small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests | cabinet:
n. group of persons appointed by a head of state or a prime minister; hut; cottage; small house; small room; closet |
cacophony:
n. a disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or tones. | cadaverous:
a. like corpse; pale; Having appearance or color of dead human body |
cadence:
n. rhythmic rise and fall of words or sounds; beat | cadenza:
n. an embellishment or flourish, prepared or improvised, for a solo voice or instrument. |
caitiff:
adj. cowardly. | cajole:
v. influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering |
cajolery:
n. delusive speech. | calculable:
adj. that may be estimated by reckoning. |
calculus:
n. a concretion formed in various parts of the body resembling a pebble in hardness. | callosity:
n. the state of being hard and insensible. |
callow:
a. youthful; immature; inexperienced; without feathers | calorie:
n. unit of heat; unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree |
calumny:
n. false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation; slander | calvary:
n. the place where christ was crucified. |
calvinism:
n. the system of doctrine taught by john calvin. | calvinize:
v. to teach or imbue with the doctrines of calvinism. |
came:
n. a leaden sash-bar or grooved strip for fastening panes in stained-glass windows. | cameo:
n. piece of jewelry; a small scale used as a jewel for adornment; famous actor's special appearance in a minor role in film |
campaign:
n. battle ;a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end | canaanite:
n. a member of one of the three tribes that dwelt in the land of canaan, or western palestine. |
canary:
n. pale yellowish color; wine made in the Canary Islands; canary bird; quick and lively dance | candid:
a. straightforward; frank; free from prejudice; impartial |
candor:
n. frankness; quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech | canine:
a. related to dogs; dog-like; affecting or derived from dogs |
canon:
n. law or rule; decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by authority; books of the Bible officially accepted; a group of literary works | cant:
n. inclination or slope; slanted or oblique surface; jargon, especially of thieves; dialect |
cantata:
n. story or poem set to music that can be sung by chorus | canto:
n. part or division of poem of some length |
cantonment:
n. the part of the town or district in which the troops are quartered. | capacious:
a. capable of containing a large quantity; spacious or roomy |
capillary:
n. long and slender with a very small internal diameter | capitulate:
v. surrender; end all resistance; give up; go along with or comply |
caprice:
n. sudden, unexpected fancy; impulsive change of mind | caption:
n. title; chapter heading; text under illustration |
captious:
a. intended to confuse in an argument | captivate:
v. charm; enthrall; seize by force, as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to enemy |
carcass:
n. dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food | cardiac:
a. of or relating to the heart |
cardinal:
a. chief; serving as an essential component | caret:
n. a sign (^) placed below a line, indicating where omitted words, etc., should be inserted. |
caricature:
n. representation that is deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic effect | carnage:
n. destruction of life; savage and excessive killing of many people |
carnal:
a. fleshly; of or relating to body or flesh; bodily | carnivorous:
a. eating or feeding on flesh; predatory |
carouse:
v. to drink deeply and in boisterous or jovial manner. | carrion:
n. dead and putrefying flesh. |
cartilage:
n. an elastic animal tissue of firm consistence. | cartridge:
n. a charge for a firearm, or for blasting. |
caste:
n. any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies | castigate:
v. criticize severely; punish; revise or make corrections to publication |
casual:
a. informal; purposeless; occurring by chance | casualty:
n. serious or fatal accident; someone injured or killed in an accident |
cataclysm:
n. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; deluge or overflowing of water | cataract:
n. large or high waterfall; eye abnormality |
catastrophe:
n. calamity; disaster; state of extreme ruin and misfortune | cathode:
n. the negative pole or electrode of a galvanic battery. |
catholicism:
n. the system, doctrine, and practice of the roman catholic church. | catholicity:
n. universal prevalence or acceptance. |
cat-o-nine-tails:
n. an instrument consisting of nine pieces of cord, formerly used for flogging in the army and navy. | caucus:
n. private meeting of members of a party to select officers or determine policy |
causal:
a. implying cause-and-effect relationship | caustic:
a. capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action |
cauterize:
v. to burn or sear as with a heated iron. | cede:
v. yield or formally resign and surrender to another |
censor:
n. overseer of morals; official responsible for removal of objectionable or sensitive content | censorious:
a. critical; addicted to censure; severe in making remarks on others, or on their writings or manners; implying or expressing censure |
census:
n. official examination of the details of a country's population | centenary:
a. relating to a 100-year period; occurring once every 100 years |
centiliter:
n. a hundredth of a liter. | centimeter:
n. a length of one hundredth of a meter. |
centurion:
n. officer of ancient Roman army, in command of a century of soldiers or minor division | cereal:
n. grass such as wheat, oats, or corn, the starchy grains of which are used as food. |
ceremonial:
n. ritual; ceremony or rite | ceremonious:
a. marked by formality; strictly observant of or devoted to ceremony or ritual |
cessation:
n. bringing or coming to end; ceasing | cession:
n. yielding to another; ceding or surrendering |
chameleon:
n. lizard that changes color in different situations | chancery:
n. a court of equity, as distinguished from a common-law court. |
chaos:
n. disorder; condition or place of great disorder or confusion; disorderly mass | characteristic:
n. feature that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably; a distinguishing mark or trait |
characterize:
v. distinguish; be characteristic of; be a distinctive trait or mark of | charlatan:
n. quack; one who pretends to knowledge, skill, or importance |
chasten:
v. rid of excess; refine or purify; correct by punishment or reproof | chastise:
v. punish, as by beating; criticize severely; rebuke |
chastity:
n. state of being chaste; purity of body; freedom from unlawful sexual intercourse | chateau:
n. impressive country house or castle in France; large country house |
chattel:
n. any article of personal property. | check:
v. stop motion; curb or restrain |
chiffon:
n. a very thin gauze used for trimmings, evening dress, etc. | chivalry:
n. courtesy towards women |
cholera:
n. an acute epidemic disease. | choleric:
a. hot-tempered; easily angered; bad-tempered; expressing anger |
choral:
adj. pertaining to, intended for, or performed by a chorus or choir. | christ:
n. a title of jesus |
christen:
v. to name in baptism. | christendom:
n. that part of the world where christianity is generally professed. |
chromatic:
adj. belonging, relating to, or abounding in color. | chronology:
n. time sequence; arrangement of events in time |
chronometer:
n. a portable timekeeper of the highest attainable precision. | cipher:
n. secret code; an Arabic numeral or figure; a number |
circulate:
v. move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point | circumference:
n. boundary line of a circle, figure, area, or object |
circumlocution:
n. indirect or roundabout expression; evasion in speech or writing | circumnavigate:
v. to sail quite around. |
circumscribe:
v. limit narrowly; confine; draw a line around; encircle | circumspect:
a. carefully aware of all circumstances; cautious |
citadel:
n. fortress; fortified place which people could go for shelter during battle | cite:
v. quote; adduce as an instance |
claimant:
n. one who makes a claim or demand, as of right. | clairvoyance:
n. intuitive sagacity or perception. |
clamorous:
a. speaking and repeating loud words; full of clamor; calling or demanding loudly or urgently; vociferous; noisy; bawling; loud | clan:
n. faction; tribe; division of a tribe tracing descent from a common ancestor; a large group of relatives |
clandestine:
a. secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods | clangor:
n. loud, resounding noise; sharp, metallic, ringing sound; resonant, clanging sound |
clarify:
v. make clear and comprehensible; elucidate | clarion:
n. a small shrill trumpet or bugle. |
classify:
v. declare unavailable, as for security reasons; arrange or order by classes or categories | clearance:
n. act of clearing; space cleared; permission to proceed or trust |
clemency:
n. mildness, as of the weather; merciful, kind, or lenient act | clement:
adj. compassionate. |
close-hauled:
adj. having the sails set for sailing as close to the wind as possible. | clothier:
n. one who makes or sells cloth or clothing. |
clumsy:
a. awkward; showing lack of skill or aptitude | coagulant:
adj. producing coagulation. |
coagulate:
v. cause transformation of liquid into or as if into soft, semisolid, or solid mass | coalescence:
n. union of diverse things into one body or form or group; growing together of parts |
coalition:
n. partnership; league; state of being combined into one body | coddle:
v. treat gently; cook in water just below boiling point |
codicil:
n. supplement or appendix, especially to a will | coerce:
v. restrain by force, especially by law or authority; repress; curb |
coercion:
n. use of force to get someone to obey | coercive:
adj. serving or tending to force. |
cogent:
a. reasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasive | cognate:
a. related by blood; having common ancestor; related or analogous in nature, character, or function |
cognizant:
adj. taking notice. | cohere:
v. stick or hold together in a mass that resists separation |
cohesion:
n. tendency to keep together | cohesive:
a. cohering or tending to cohere; well integrated |
coincide:
v. occur at the same time as; correspond | coincidence:
n. two or more things occurring at the same time by chance |
coincident:
a. concerning; simultaneous | collaborate:
v. work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort |
collapse:
v. breakdown; failure | collapsible:
adj. that may or can collapse. |
colleague:
n. fellow worker; associate; co-worker | collective:
a. common; assembled into or viewed as a whole |
collector:
n. one who makes a collection, as of objects of art, books, or the like. | collegian:
n. a college student. |
collide:
v. bump; hit; conflict | collier:
n. one who works in a coal-mine. |
collision:
n. crash; conflict of opposed ideas or attitudes or goals | colloquial:
a. of informal spoken language or conversation; conversational or chatty |
colloquialism:
n. colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | colloquy:
n. conversation. |
collusion:
n. secret agreement for an illegal purpose; conspiracy | colossus:
n. any strikingly great person or object. |
comely:
a. pleasing or attractive to the eye; handsome; graceful | comestible:
adj. fit to be eaten. |
comical:
a. arousing or provoking laughter | commemorate:
v. serve as a memorial to; honor the memory of with a ceremony |
commentary:
n. written explanation or criticism or illustration that is added to a book or other textual material | commingle:
v. to blend. |
commissariat:
n. the department of an army charged with the provision of its food and water and daily needs. | commission:
n. fee for services; group of people appointed to find out about something; authorize |
commitment:
n. pledge, undertaking; act of binding yourself to a course of action | committal:
n. the act, fact, or result of committing, or the state of being |
commodity:
n. goods; article of trade; advantage; benefit. | commotion:
n. disturbed or violent motion; agitation; public disturbance; riot; excitement |
commute:
v. obtain or bargain for exemption or substitution; travel regularly from a place of residence to another place | comparable:
a. similar or equivalent; being of equal regard; worthy to be ranked with |
comparative:
a. relative; based on, or involving comparison | comparison:
n. examination of two or more objects with reference to their likeness or unlikeness. |
compensate:
v. make amends for; reimburse | competence:
n. quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually |
competent:
a. capable; adept | competitive:
a. of or pertaining to competition; producing competition; showing a fighting disposition |
competitor:
n. one who seeks what another seeks, or claims what another claims; one who competes; rival | complacent:
adj. pleased or satisfied with oneself. |
complaisance:
n. politeness. | complaisant:
a. trying to please; showing cheerful willingness to do favors for others |
complement:
v. complete; consummate; make perfect | complex:
a. complicated in structure; a whole structure, as a building, made up of interconnected or related structures |
compliant:
a. yielding to request or desire; ready to accommodate; disposed or willing to comply | complicate:
v. to make complex, difficult, or hard to deal with. |
complication:
n. complexity; intricacy; any disease or disorder that occurs during the course of another disease | complicity:
n. participation; involvement as partner or accomplice, especially in crime or other wrongdoing |
compliment:
n. praise; commendation; say something to someone that expresses praise | component:
n. element; ingredient; abstract part of something |
comport:
v. to conduct or behave (oneself). | composure:
n. mental calmness; calm or tranquil state of mind |
comprehensible:
a. understandable; readily comprehended or understood; intelligible | comprehension:
n. grasp; ability to understand |
comprehensive:
a. thorough; including all or everything; broad in scope | compress:
v. close; squeeze or press together; contract |
compressible:
adj. capable of being pressed into smaller compass. | compression:
n. applying pressure; encoding information while reducing the bandwidth or bits required |
comprise:
v. include; consist of; be composed of | compulsion:
n. act of compelling, or the state of being compelled; act of driving or urging by force or by physical or moral constraint |
compulsory:
a. mandatory; obligatory; required by rule | compunction:
n. feeling of deep regret; strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt |
compute:
v. reckon; make mathematical calculation | concede:
v. admit; yield; give up physical control of another |
conceit:
n. overly high self-esteem; feelings of excessive pride | conceive:
v. form or develop in the mind; devise; become pregnant with; begin or originate in a specific way |
concerto:
n. composition for orchestra and a soloist | concession:
n. act of yielding; point yielded; acknowledgment or admission |
conciliate:
v. to obtain the friendship of. | conciliatory:
a. making or willing to yield, or to make concessions |
conclusive:
a. definitive; decisive; final | concord:
n. agreement of opinions; harmonious state of things |
concordance:
n. harmony. | concur:
v. to agree. |
concurrence:
n. agreement. | concurrent:
a. simultaneous; coincident; occurring or operating at the same time |
concussion:
n. shaking or agitation; shock; injury to an organ, especially the brain, produced by a violent blow | condensation:
n. compression |
condense:
v. change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops; compress or concentrate | condescend:
v. stoop or descend; let one's self down; submit; waive the privilege of rank or dignity |
condolence:
n. expression of sympathy with another in sorrow or grief. | conduce:
v. to bring about. |
conducive:
adj. contributing to an end. | conductible:
adj. capable of being conducted or transmitted. |
conduit:
n. a means for conducting something, particularly a tube, pipe, or passageway for a fluid. | confectionery:
n. the candy collectively that a confectioner makes or sells, as candy. |
confederacy:
n. alliance | confederate:
n. ally; form a group or unite |
confer:
v. bestow; present; have a conference in order to talk something over | conferee:
n. a person with whom another confers. |
confessor:
n. a spiritual advisor. | confidant:
n. one to whom secrets are entrusted. |
confide:
v. disclose; reveal; tell in confidence | confidence:
n. feeling secure or certain about something |
confident:
a. assured; having or marked by assurance | confinement:
n. state of being confined; restraint within limits; any restraint of liberty by force |
confiscate:
v. seize as forfeited to the public treasury; appropriate to the public use | conflagration:
a. large destructive fire; burning; large-scale military conflict |
confluence:
n. act of two things flowing together; junction or meeting place where two things meet | confluent:
n. a stream that unites with another. |
conformable:
adj. harmonious. | conformance:
n. the act or state or conforming. |
conformation:
n. general structure, form, or outline. | conformity:
n. similarity in form or character; agreement |
confront:
v. be face to face with; oppose in hostility or competition; deal with | congeal:
v. to coagulate. |
congenial:
a. compatible | congest:
v. to collect into a mass. |
congregate:
v. assemble; convene; gather | coniferous:
adj. cone-bearing trees. |
conjecture:
v. believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds | conjoin:
v. to unite. |
conjugal:
a. belonging to marriage; suitable or appropriate to the marriage state or to married persons; matrimonial | conjugate:
adj. joined together in pairs. |
conjugation:
n. the state or condition of being joined together. | conjunction:
n. state of being conjoined, united, or associated; union; association; league |
connive:
v. to be in collusion. | connoisseur:
n. specialist; person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts |
connote:
v. to mean; signify. | connubial:
adj. pertaining to marriage or matrimony. |
conquer:
v. gain or acquire by force; take possession of by violent means; gain dominion over | consanguineous:
a. of the same lineage or origin; having common ancestor |
conscience:
n. motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles; source of moral or ethical judgment | conscientious:
a. diligent; responsible; reliable |
conscious:
a. awake; alert | conscript:
v. to force into military service. |
consecrate:
v. to set apart as sacred. | consecutive:
a. following one after another without interruption; sequential |
consensus:
n. general agreement or accord; opinion reached by a group as a whole | conservatism:
n. a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes |
conservative:
a. favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change | conservatory:
n. greenhouse; school of music or dramatic art |
consign:
v. give, transfer, or deliver in a formal manner, as if by signing over into the possession of another | consignee:
n. a person to whom goods or other property has been entrusted. |
consignor:
n. one who entrusts. | consistency:
n. harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts |
console:
v. cheer from distress or depression; alleviate grief and raise spirits of; relieve; comfort | consolidate:
v. make solid; unite or press together into a compact mass; harden or make dense and firm |
consonance:
n. the state or quality of being in accord with. | consonant:
a. compatible; harmonious |
consort:
v. associate; join | conspicuous:
a. noticeable; prominent; easy to notice; obvious |
conspirator:
n. one who engages in a conspiracy; plotter | conspire:
v. make a secret agreement, to do some act, as to commit treason or a crime, or to do some unlawful deed; plot together |
constable:
n. an officer whose duty is to maintain the peace. | constellation:
n. a number of stars seen from the Earth as a group and often having a name |
consternation:
n. intense state of fear or dismay; astonishment combined with terror | constituency:
n. the inhabitants or voters in a district represented in a legislative body. |
constituent:
n. component or part; citizen, voter | constrict:
v. restrict; shrink; make smaller or narrower by binding or squeezing |
consul:
n. an officer appointed to reside in a foreign city, chiefly to represent his country. | consulate:
n. the place in which a consul transacts official business. |
consummate:
a. carried to the utmost extent or degree; of the highest quality; complete; perfect | consumption:
n. eating or drinking of something |
consumptive:
adj. designed for gradual destruction. | contagion:
n. the communication of disease from person to person. |
contagious:
a. infectious; of or relating to communicable diseases | contaminate:
v. make impure or unclean by contact or mixture; pollute; defile |
contemplate:
v. look at attentively and thoughtfully; observe deep in thought | contemporaneous:
adj. living, occurring, or existing at the same time. |
contemporary:
a. modern; belonging to the same period of time | contemptible:
a. worthy of contempt; deserving of scorn or disdain; mean |
contemptuous:
a. scornful; expressing contempt; showing a lack of respect | contender:
n. contestant you hope to defeat |
contiguity:
n. proximity. | contiguous:
a. sharing an edge or boundary; touching; neighboring |
continence:
n. self control; self restraint; partial or complete abstention from sexual activity | contingency:
n. condition of being dependent on chance; uncertainty; possibility |
contingent:
a. possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual. | continuance:
n. permanence. |
continuation:
n. prolongation; extension by which something is carried to a further point | continuity:
n. property of a continuous and connected period of time |
continuous:
adj. connected, extended, or prolonged without separation or interruption of sequence. | contort:
v. to twist into a misshapen form. |
contraband:
n. trade forbidden by law or treaty. | contradiction:
n. assertion of contrary; denial of the truth of a statement or assertion; opposition, whether by argument or conduct |
contradictory:
a. nature of, or being a contradiction; mutually exclusive; opposing | contraposition:
n. a placing opposite. |
contravene:
v. to prevent or obstruct the operation of. | contribution:
n. act of contributing; payment exacted for special purpose; impost or levy |
contributor:
n. one who gives or furnishes, in common with others, for a common purpose. | contrite:
adj. broken in spirit because of a sense of sin. |
contrivance:
n. the act planning, devising, inventing, or adapting something to or for a special purpose. | contrive:
v. form by an exercise of ingenuity; devise; invent; design |
control:
v. to exercise a directing, restraining, or governing influence over. | controller:
n. one who or that which regulates or directs. |
contumacious:
adj. rebellious. | contumacy:
n. contemptuous disregard of the requirements of rightful authority. |
contuse:
v. to bruise by a blow, either with or without the breaking of the skin. | contusion:
n. injury that doesn't break the skin |
convalesce:
v. recover gradually from an illness | convalescence:
n. the state of progressive restoration to health and strength after the cessation of disease. |
convalescent:
adj. recovering health after sickness. | convene:
v. cause to come together formally |
convenience:
n. state of being suitable | converge:
v. approach; tend to meet; come together |
convergent:
adj. tending to one point. | |
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