n. predicament; state of uncertainty or between equally unfavorable options
E.g. It could create a painful dilemma for the group's members: either accept a lower price or give up additional production quotas they have just given themselves.
a. relating to diplomacy; marked by tact and sensitivity in dealing with others
E.g. Well, the secretary of state's trip to Canada is putting a brand new spin on the term diplomatic relations.
n. a kind of dagger or poniard
E.g. The dirk mentioned by Wolf Larsen rested in its sheath on my hip.
n. catastrophe; misfortune
E.g. He's asked President Bush to declare the area a disaster zone to free up federal funds.
a. extremely bad; terrible; dreadful
E.g. The Haddan School was built in 1858 on the sloping banks of the Haddan River, a muddy location that had proven disastrous from the start.
v. relieve of a burden or of contents; unload; pour forth or release; complete or carry out; give off
E.g. There is a local warm water to discharge from a power plant.
a. free from ostentation or pretension; distinct; distinguishable
E.g. Some areas for the ladies to consider: hair cut, color, makeup, shoes, purses, clothing, jewelry and certain discreet cultural factors.
n. knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; trait of judging wisely and objectively
E.g. The servants showed great tact and discretion.
n. dress or exterior put on for purposes of concealment or of deception
E.g. The ring, Adele, is in my breeches-pocket, under the disguise of a sovereign.
n. act of sending off something; property of being prompt and efficient; message usually sent in haste
E.g. He sent a dispatch to headquarters informing his commander of the great victory.
n. excellence or eminence; note or mark of difference
E.g. A slave, of course, in distinction from a free woman, is not permitted complaints.
a. prominent; celebrated, well-known or eminent because of past achievements
E.g. Lord Oxburgh is a geologist; at the end of a long and distinguished career in science, he has now found himself in the Shell chairman's seat.
a. having the attention diverted; suffering conflicting emotions; distraught
E.g. His face was wan and his expression distracted, his eyes darting from face to face.
a. deeply agitated, as from emotional conflict; mad; insane
E.g. Her father had recently died and her mother was still distraught from the loss.
n. discomfort; cause strain, anxiety, or suffering to
E.g. Nations have been in distress from the days of Julius Caesar.
n. disorder; turmoil; mental or emotional unbalance or disorder
E.g. The disturbance comes just as India's government is trying to reform the country's police services.
v. deprive someone of benefits; remove or shorten the tail of an animal
E.g. They will dock us of two days of our annual leave.
v. avoid a blow by moving or shifting quickly aside; shifty or ingenious trick
E.g. Before summer, one challenge lawmakers can't dodge is the budget.
n. building or house, especially as great hall, church, or temple; anything shaped like cupola
E.g. There is a transparent dome on the top of the aircraft, through which celestial observations are made for navigation.
v. put clothing on one's body
E.g. When Clark Kent has to don his Superman outfit, he changes clothes in a convenient phone booth.
n. quantity of medicine given; sufficient quantity; portion
E.g. Since the additional dose is not harmful and provides extra protection, everyone is recommended to get the second one.
v. drivel, or drop saliva; let run from the mouth; talk nonsense; silly talk or write
E.g. Here is the chance for him to make much more money, so much that even his peers will drool in envy.
n. crowd of people in motion; a number of oxen, sheep
E.g. We are discreet sheep; we wait to see how the drove is going.
v. cause to seem small; check natural growth or development of
E.g. The giant redwoods and high cliffs dwarf the elegant Ahwahnee Hotel, making it appear a modest lodge rather than an imposing hostelry.
a. energetic; vigorously active
E.g. The dynamic aerobics instructor kept her students on the run.
n. explosive substance consisting of nitroglycerin
E.g. Abortion issues are political dynamite.
n. ornament consisting of a ring passed through the lobe of the ear, with or without a pendant
E.g. It also points up the earring, which is important as a symbol.
v. stand under eaves, near window or at door, to listen what is said within doors; listen secretly
E.g. A new bill is due to be introduced Thursday in the Canadian House of Commons that will give police the ability to eavesdrop on online communications.
a. departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern
E.g. People came up with some eccentric ideas for dealing with the emergency: someone even suggested tieing a knot in the comet's tail!.
n. intense joy or delight; any overpowering emotion
E.g. A researcher a year ago published startling research showing that the drug commonly known as ecstasy can cause Parkinson's-like brain damage.
a. pertaining to, or caused by, ecstasy or excessive emotion
E.g. She remained absorbed in ecstatic contemplation.
n. swirling current of water, air; flow in circular current
E.g. The water in the tide pool was still, except for an occasional eddy.
a. marked by complexity and richness of detail; done with care and in minute detail
E.g. Fulton's strengths are in elaborate detail and delicate construction.
a. qualified; desirable and worthy of choice, especially for marriage
E.g. But turnout was extremely disappointing, only around forty five per cent of eligible voters.
v. eradicate; abolish; rule out
E.g. So the EU’s offer to eliminate the subsidy was almost universally welcomed.
n. a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status
E.g. House-hunting with the new Russian elite is a disconcerting experience.
n. tree of the genus ulmus, of several species, much used as a shade tree, particularly in America
E.g. The farmhouse is dignified by the great elm around it.
v. run away, or escape privately, from place or station to which one is bound by duty; run away with a lover
E.g. There is a company in Japan whose business is helping people disappear to elope or to escape moneylenders or abusive situations.
a. of precious stone of a rich green color; of a rich green color
E.g. That emerald curtain doesn't match the brown floor.
n. sudden unforeseen crisis; condition of urgent need for action or assistance
E.g. An air traffic manager reported to the Air Force that he had a signal from an emergency beacon.