n. quack; one who pretends to knowledge, skill, or importance
E.g. When they realized that the Wizard didn't know how to get them back to Kansas, Dorothy and her companions were indignant that they'd been duped by a charlatan.
a. morally pure in thought or conduct; decent and modest
E.g. If, however, he remarried or did not remain chaste, the money would pass to her mother.
n. state of being chaste; purity of body; freedom from unlawful sexual intercourse
E.g. The culture that encourages chastity is seriously misrepresented in the mainstream media.
n. position in the game of chess when a king is in check and cannot be released; utter defeat; complete victory
E.g. Game is over, but Obama is too inexperienced a player to realize that checkmate is now unavoidable.
n. courtesy towards women
E.g. In truth there was no such code; chivalry as a set of ideals and duties changed throughout the Middle Ages to meet new socio-economic realities.
n. a structure in the cell nucleus that contains DNA
E.g. The team suspects that a double dose of a particular gene on the Z chromosome is instead crucial for maleness, and that this gene is inactivated by high temperatures.
v. call, as a hen to her chickens; fondle; cocker; laugh in a suppressed or broken manner
E.g. I could hear him chuckle to himself as he read that funny article.
a. short and thick; stocky; containing small thick pieces
E.g. Author and illustrator, Peter McCarty, recognizes the trend in chunky pets.
n. firm hold or grip on anything; something easy to accomplish; sure thing; a certainty
E.g. While I had to purchase it, it was VERY easy to setup, and recording was a cinch that is actually the first time that I have.
n. act of showing regard for others; courteous behavior; politeness; citizenship
E.g. I believe deeply in civility, and generally insist upon it at my place.
n. process of making things clearer or easier to understand
E.g. But a minor point of clarification is not the same thing as a countering argument.
v. make noise by striking against something; dash noisily together; meet in opposition
E.g. I clash the pan down on the stone floor.
n. act of cleaving or splitting; breaking of a chemical bond in a molecule resulting in smaller molecules
E.g. It splits in narrow strata, and the cleavage is so sharp that it appears machine-cut.
n. one who cleaves, or that which cleaves, especially a butcher's instrument for cutting animal bodies into joints or pieces; cutting-tool with a sharp edge
E.g. A chef's knife or cleaver is as sharp as a rapier, but it is not an instrument meant for killing.
n. mildness, as of the weather; merciful, kind, or lenient act
E.g. The lawyer was pleased when the case was sent to Judge Smith's chambers because Smith was noted for her clemency toward first offenders.
n. group; bunch; group of the same or similar elements gathered or occurring closely
E.g. The powerful earthquake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale, struck a cluster of small villages and towns in the remote region of Xinjiang.
n. one who mends or makes boots and shoes; deep-dish fruit pie with a thick top crust; iced drink made of wine or liqueur
E.g. Plus the sugar free peach cobbler is a rare treat for a diabetic like me.
n. use of force to get someone to obey
E.g. The inquisitors used both physical and psychological coercion to force Joan of Arc to deny that her visions were sent by God.
a. adhesive; cohesive; sticking together ; logical; sound; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner
E.g. If the EU is to form any kind of coherent common foreign policy, it needs France and Britain singing from the same song sheet.
n. work of art put together from fragments
E.g. Scraps of cloth, paper doilies, and old photographs all went into her collage.
n. security pledged for repayment of loan
E.g. The sum you wish to borrow is so large that it must be secured by collateral.
v. bump; hit; conflict
E.g. Two small planes collide over Florida Everglades and crash into swamp, no survivors.
a. in coma; extremely sleepy; unconscious
E.g. We would expect a reasonable adult, if a kid is in comatose, to call an ambulance.
n. act of burning something
E.g. The soup and fish were in the last stage of projection, and the cook hung over her crucibles in a frame of mind and body threatening spontaneous combustion.
n. order or injunction given by authority; command; charge; act of commanding; exercise of authority
E.g. Jesus said the second highest commandment is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
v. commit, entrust, or give in charge for care or preservation; recommend as worthy of confidence or regard
E.g. I will commend the child to her sister's care.
a. worthy of being commended or praised; laudable; praiseworthy
E.g. What I find remarkable and commendable is how many chances she was given to retract, amend or otherwise clarify.
n. goods; article of trade; advantage; benefit.
E.g. While some world stock and commodity markets show signs of calming down, China is usually an exception.
v. make amends for; reimburse
E.g. He said improved trade would compensate for the jobs lost to competition from India's world beating out-sourcing and computer software industries.
n. state of being complex; complexity; combination; complex
E.g. Both her cast of form and feature, her complexion and her general air, suggested the idea of princess; and such was doubtless the character she intended to represent.
n. readiness to yield; happy friendly agreement
E.g. Bullheaded Bill was not noted for easy compliance with the demands of others.
a. expressing of praise, admiration, or congratulation; given free to repay a favor or as an act of courtesy
E.g. There he said that he was simply trying to be complimentary toward Obama, but wasn't artful in doing so.
v. yield assent; accord; agree, or acquiesce; adapt one's self; fulfill; accomplish
E.g. Everyone should comply with the law.
a. made up of distinct parts or elements; compounded
E.g. The Living area is a rectangular space with a polished concrete floor, eighty percent enclosed by retractable glass walls, and single-span composite timber beams supporting the sub-roof ceiling.
a. thorough; including all or everything; broad in scope
E.g. Mr. Skubel has since completed what he describes as a comprehensive two-week training program and is now setting up his franchise in his hometown.
v. close; squeeze or press together; contract
E.g. She has to compress the package under her arm.
n. act of compelling, or the state of being compelled; act of driving or urging by force or by physical or moral constraint
E.g. I will pay nothing under compulsion.
v. reckon; make mathematical calculation
E.g. He failed to compute the interest, so his bank balance was not accurate.
a. endowed with fancy or imagination; entertaining a flattering opinion of one's self; vain
E.g. Tom Sawyer stepped forward with conceited confidence and soared into the unquenchable and indestructible "Give me liberty or give me death" speech.
a. capable of being conceived, imagined, or understood
E.g. It is conceivable that there will be a new economic crisis throughout the world, but we hope it won't happen.