n. art of training by athletic exercises; games and sports of athletes
E.g. Sarah is very keen on athletics and can trot out the names of all the leading runners and their record times.
n. brutal deed; atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness
E.g. Unfortunately, the normal social reaction to atrocity is to banish it from our awareness.
n. wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease
E.g. It confirms earlier research showing a link between brain atrophy and low levels of B12.
n. essential quality; reputation; honor
E.g. His outstanding attribute was his kindness.
a. of or relating to hearing, the organs of hearing, or the sense of hearing
E.g. Short-term auditory memory in particular doesn't seem to last longer than around 10 seconds.
n. hand tool for boring holes; hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice
E.g. It was amazing what they could make just using an axe and an auger.
v. make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity
E.g. Armies augment their forces by calling up reinforcements.
a. attended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperous
E.g. With favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail.
a. having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial
E.g. Impressed by the young researcher's well-documented presentation, we accepted her analysis of the experiment as authoritative.
n. independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination
E.g. The study also called for the three thousand Rapa Nui people of Easter Island to be given greater autonomy.
a. reluctant; disinclined; turned away or backward; unwilling
E.g. The reporter was averse to revealing the sources of his information.
n. large cage, building, or enclosure in which birds are reared or kept
E.g. The aviary at the zoo held nearly 300 birds.
a. greedy; eager for; marked by keen interest and enthusiasm
E.g. He was avid for learning and read everything he could get.
n. roof-like cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the sun, rain, or wind
E.g. Boggs rode up before the biggest store in town, and bent his head down so he could see under the curtain of the awning.
ad. in a position that is turned toward one side; away from correct course
E.g. He held his head awry, giving the impression that he had caught cold in his neck during the night.
n. pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel; transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage
E.g. The back axle of the bus was broken.
v. frustrate as by confusing or perplexing; impede force or movement of
E.g. The new code will baffle the enemy agents.
n. a bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for storage or transportation
E.g. The room Jacques and I occupied, though large, was dwarfed by an immense feather bed. It was a bed to end all beds, almost as big as a tennis court and as thick as a bale of hay.
v. stop short and refuse to go on; refuse obstinately or abruptly
E.g. When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt.
n. heavy substance used to add stability or weight
E.g. The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get her back on an even keel.
a. obvious and dull; commonplace; lacking originality
E.g. The writer made his comic sketch seem banal, only a few people liked it.
a. having barbs; cutting; stinging
E.g. You pin some animals inside a barbed wire closure, then allow people to come in there and take shots at them with arrows.
n. instrument for determining the weight or pressure of the atmosphere
E.g. So far our country's barometer is National Bookstore's and Powerbooks' bestsellers list.
a. complex or bizarre, especially in ornamentation; irregular in shape
E.g. Accustomed to the severe lines of contemporary buildings, the architecture students found the flamboyance of baroque architecture amusing.
n. artificial obstruction; heavy curtain of artillery fire; rapid, concentrated discharge of missiles
E.g. The company was forced to retreat through the barrage of heavy cannons.
n. hastily put together defensive barrier; obstacle
E.g. Marius and his fellow students hurriedly improvised a rough barricade to block police access to the students' quarter.
a. abashed; daunted; very modest, or modest excess; constitutionally disposed to shrink from public notice
E.g. The bashful boy was nervous with strangers.
v. luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth
E.g. Relaxing on the beach, they bask so completely that fell asleep.
n. small, showy ornament of little value; child's plaything or toy
E.g. The child was delighted with the bauble she had won in the grab bag.
a. indecent; obscene; humorously coarse
E.g. Jack took offense at Jill's bawdy remarks. What kind of young man did she think he was?
v. cry out with a loud, full sound; cry with vehemence, as in calling or exultation; shout
E.g. I heard the sergeant bawl out a command to his men.
n. market consisting of a street lined with shops and stalls, especially one in the Middle East
E.g. Every other week here in Kabul, a bazaar is held on our base where local products are sold.
a. having much beef; of the nature of beef; resembling beef; fleshy; muscular in build; strong or muscular
E.g. Their buzz of activity led me to look around for some evidence of a beefy security detail but if any were there, they were invisible.
n. biennial plant of the genus Beta, which produces an edible root the first year and seeds the second year
E.g. A plant cultivated for an edible part, such as the root of the beet, the leaf of spinach, or the flower buds of broccoli or cauliflower.
v. contradict; give a false impression
E.g. His coarse, hard-bitten exterior does belie his inner sensitivity.
a. inclined or eager to fight; aggressive
E.g. Whenever he had too much to drink, he became belligerent and tried to pick fights with strangers.
v. leave to someone by a will; hand down
E.g. Though Maud had intended to bequeath the family home to her nephew, she died before changing her will.
n. inheritance; legacy; act of giving, leaving by will, or passing on to another
E.g. Now the wealth did not weigh on me: now it was not a mere bequest of coin, it was a legacy of life, hope, enjoyment.
v. rebuke or scold angrily and at length
E.g. He feared she would berate him for his forgetfulness.
a. deprived of; lacking; desolate because of loss
E.g. The foolish gambler soon found himself bereft of funds.