n. belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis
E.g. He always feels pain in his abdomen.
v. carry off by force; kidnap
E.g. Japan sanctions and financially rewards these parents to abduct these children.
a. being of the most miserable kind; wretched; lacking pride; brought low in condition or status
E.g. On the streets of New York the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from the wind.
n. magical charm or incantation having the power to ward off disease or disaster; foolish or unintelligible talk
E.g. And remember that this is the only consistently abracadabra ring.
n. act of absolving or the state of being absolved; formal remission of sin imparted by a priest
E.g. Nor do I mean someone I must find to gain absolution from sin.
a. theoretical; not concrete; not applied or practical; difficult to understand
E.g. To him, hunger was an abstract concept; he had never missed a meal.
n. great or plentiful amount; fullness to overflowing
E.g. It is good for those who have in abundance to share with those who suffer from want.
n. enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit; any deep, immeasurable space; hell
E.g. Are we to believe that the only thing between us and the abyss is the size of the deficit, and the more the government borrows, the better off we shall be?
v. move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected
E.g. Demand for Taiwanese goods likely will accelerate from the second quarter, as strong Asian demand offsets the effects of a U.S. slowdown.
a. easily approached or entered; obtainable; easy to talk to or get along with
E.g. Simon and James will no longer be posting to The Hearing; however, all previous posts will remain accessible here.
a. helpful in bringing about a harmonious adaptation
E.g. The warden was always accommodating in allowing visitors in.
n. settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions; written agreement between two states
E.g. Although the accord is a small step forward, politicians around the world have their work cut out for them.
n. a portable box-shaped free-reed instrument; reeds that are made to vibrate by air from the bellows controlled by the player
E.g. This web includes an excellent page describing in technical detail the differences between different accordion keyboards - piano, chromatic, and uniform.
n. the highest point or level, as of achievement or development; maturity or perfection of animal
E.g. His success in this role marked the acme of his career as an actor.
n. skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents, characterized by red pimples, caused by inflammation
E.g. General Hospital, said The root cause of acne is a lipid-rich gland, the sebaceous gland, which sits a few millimetres below the surface of the skin.
n. state of being found or proved not guilty; judgment of not guilty
E.g. His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty.
a. causing or characterized by addiction
E.g. That worries the department because of the addictive nature of nicotine.
v. stick fast; stick to firmly; be compatible or in accordance with
E.g. That is why the claying is necessary; it makes the grain adhere to the earth, otherwise it would float.
a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near
E.g. Philip's best friend Jason lived only four houses down the block, close but not immediately adjacent.
n. opponent in contest; someone who offers opposition
E.g. The young wrestler struggled to defeat his adversary.
n. state of misfortune, hardship, or affliction; misfortune
E.g. A young boy who's strength in adversity is an inspiration to all who know him.
a. proper to be advised or to be done; expedient; prudent; ready to receive advice
E.g. It is advisable to take an open minded approach to new idea.
a. having power to advice; containing advice
E.g. Don't worry, his opinion is merely advisory.
a. having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; kindly inclined; zealous
E.g. He enfolded the child in an affectionate embrace.
n. written statement made under oath
E.g. This is an official affidavit from the court and it is saying that the whole thing was a hoax.
n. cause or condition of pain, suffering, or distress
E.g. Even in the midst of her affliction, Elizabeth tried to keep up the spirits of those around her.
a. impermeable to air or other gases; having no weak points; sound
E.g. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.
a. isolated; excluded; estranged; having become indifferent or hostile to one's peers or social group
E.g. If you just implement this disaster then the blame becomes yours as well and the police will become alienated from the public.
v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part
E.g. This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.
n. large carnivorous reptile of the Crocodile family, peculiar to America
E.g. We can see similar feature from the male of certain other large animals, such as the alligator, elephant, or moose.
v. combine; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate
E.g. Our concern for Dwight Gooden, who injured his pitching arm in the game, will alloy our delight at the Yankees' victory.
n. deciduous tree, native to Asia and northern Africa and having alternate, simple leaves, pink flowers, and leathery fruits
E.g. In cocktails and food you can taste a sweet flavoring of orange and almond.
n. noisy quarrel; contention in words; dispute carried on with heat or anger; controversy
E.g. So loud were their voices raised in altercation that the storm without was scarce heeded.
n. general pardon granted by government, especially for political offenses
E.g. If the amnesty is approved by parliament, it will apply to capital stashed in off-shore tax havens up to the end of last year.
a. lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong.
E.g. Compared with evil immorality, being amoral is more like being naughty.
a. more than enough in size or scope or capacity; fairly large
E.g. They insist that food are being provided to the Palestinians in ample supplies, and that the only way to weaken Hamas is to maintain the blockade.
n. similarity in some respects; comparison based on similarity
E.g. This analogy is almost always noted without further comment, although in fact it may be taken further.
n. absence of governing body; state of disorder; political disorder and confusion
E.g. One might say that eastern Congo is already in anarchy, but Congo has faded from the headlines in recent months.
n. short account of amusing or interesting event; short narrative; secret story of history or biography
E.g. Of all the millions who are moved by this historic occasion, while I am amongst these, my anecdote is and would be far less remarkable.
n. substance that causes loss of sensation; producing temporary loss or impairment of feeling
E.g. His monotonous voice acted like an anesthetic; his audience was soon asleep.