n. exhibition; part of a play that provides the background information; opening section of a fugue
E.g. We would have understood the play better if there had been some initial exposition of the background.
v. eliminate; eradicate; kill on a large scale; kill man
E.g. Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe.
n. death of all its remaining members
E.g. Almost a quarter of the world's mammals face extinction within thirty years, according to a United Nations report on the state of the global environment.
v. obtain from another by coercion; get money by threats
E.g. The Fed should control price stability alone, and should not be allowed to extort from the general economy by printing money.
a. wandering beyond one's bounds; exceeding due bounds; wild; excessive; unrestrained
E.g. Don't be so extravagant; spend your money more carefully.
n. front of building; superficial or false appearance
E.g. I believe the Religious Right's thin facade is being revealed.
v. help bring about; make less difficult
E.g. Rest and proper nourishment should facilitate the patient's recovery.
n. a party of persons having a common end in view
E.g. This faction is aligned with the NY and regional board members; in combination, they now have a thin majority on the National Board.
n. fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; craze
E.g. I would imagine laptop sales will tank once the net-book fad is over.
n. birds of prey having long pointed powerful wings adapted for swift flight
E.g. I think the contrast could not be much greater between a sleek gander and a fierce falcon: between a meek sheep and the rough-coated keen-eyed dog, its guardian.
a. extremely hungry; exhausted through want of food or drink
E.g. Panic quickly settled in, as I thought of serving cold food to hordes of famished family members, day after day and for weeks.
n. person who is zealously enthusiastic for some cause; showing evidence of possession by a god or demon
E.g. What the papers report is that he was an extreme right-wing fanatic with psychological delusions.
n. capacity to attract intense interest
E.g. The continuing fascination for World War Two among TV executives was shown in two awards.
v. measure the depth; come to understand
E.g. I find his motives impossible to fathom; in fact, I'm totally clueless about what goes on in his mind.
n. physical or mental weariness; exhaustion
E.g. When it came to my turn, I drank, for I was thirsty, but did not touch the food, excitement and fatigue rendering me incapable of eating.
n. a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid from a reservoir
E.g. Each faucet had a corner immediately preceding the opening through which the water came out.
a. capable of being accomplished or brought about
E.g. Now, the expert that would have to come in and examine "Baby R.B." and decide whether that's feasible is just now being scheduled.
n. achievement; accomplishment
E.g. My favorite seat was a smooth and broad stone, rising white and dry from the very middle of the beck, and only to be got at by wading through the water; a feat I accomplished barefoot.
v. response to an inquiry or experiment
E.g. Please select the appropriate feedback form from the list below so that your comments will be directed to the appropriate staff for a quick response.
n. catlike; animal of the family Felidae
E.g. In other words, there's little evidence that the feline is anything more than a very large domestic cat.
n. one who advocates equal rights for women
E.g. Hughes broke his silence over his relationship with Plath; she committed suicide in 1963 and her many feminist supporters have held Hughes responsible for her death.
n. a barrier that serves to enclose an area
E.g. Garden Adventure will be pleased to supply and fit garden fencing to your specification.
n. a barrier that surrounds something to protect it
E.g. In a room without a window, there burnt a fire guarded by a high and strong fender, and a lamp suspended from the ceiling by a chain.
a. fierce; savage; wild; indicating cruelty
E.g. The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.
v. drive or hunt out of hiding; uncover and bring to light by searching
E.g. Immediately you see these symptoms that ferret from the others, as this is, I think, the worst disease one has to contend with.
a. rich; fruitful; inventive; creative; intellectually productive
E.g. It provides a fertile idea for a group of entrepreneurs.
n. a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers; excessive or irrational devotion to some activity
E.g. The 3 day expo will feature dozens of vendor booths displaying the best in fetish clothing, adult toys, erotica, art, jewelry, and even smoking accessories.
n. bitter quarrel between two parties
E.g. "Why, where were you raised? Don't you know what a feud is?" "Never heard of it before--tell me about it."
a. not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind
E.g. Shoppers remain fickle and disloyal and are still shifting to retailers who offer the most immediate savings.
n. faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances
E.g. By doing this, we condition people to feel that fidelity is unimportant on the Web.
n. small fruit tree with large leaves, known from the remotest antiquity
E.g. The liberals you're trying to impress simply need some thin fig leaf to grab on to and hide behind.
n. something invented, made up; imaginary thing
E.g. That incident never took place; it is a figment of your imagination.
n. refinement and delicacy of performance; skillful, subtle handling
E.g. The pilot's flying finesse is the hot topic in offices, restaurants and shops across the nation.
a. pertaining to the public treasury or revenue; revenue
E.g. We are trying to get a thorough understanding of the government's fiscal policy.
n. natural talent or aptitude
E.g. He'd been slim with a full head of wavy Black-Irish hair and a certain flair for fashion and humor.
n. intense adverse criticism; artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes; public-relations spokesperson
E.g. Considering the flak from the left and right, I'd say Obama's got it just about right.
a. easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly; inflammable
E.g. It's highly flammable, which is why firefighters had to finish extinguishing hotspots before investigators could get to the dead men inside.
n. a small bottle-shaped vessel for holding fluids; narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass
E.g. I want to drink a flask of wine.
v. display proudly or shamelessly; show oneself off
E.g. And all the information they did flaunt is easily obtainable.
a. free from flaws; being entirely without flaw or imperfection; perfect
E.g. As he told a story, he often imitated the players, speaking in flawless dialect.