n. restraint; avoiding excesses
E.g. The temperance movement attempted to greatly reduce the amount of alcohol consumed or even prohibit its production entirely.
n. extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence, and commonly attended with rain, hail, or snow; furious storm
E.g. The tempest rose higher and higher, and presently the sail tore loose from its fastenings and went winging away on the blast.
n. firmness of hold or of purpose; persistence
E.g. Jean Valjean could not believe the tenacity of Inspector Javert.
a. long and thin; slender; having little substance
E.g. The allegiance of our allies is held by rather tenuous ties; we all should see it's in dangerous.
a. moderately warm; lacking in emotional warmth or enthusiasm; halfhearted
E.g. During the summer, I like to take a tepid bath, not a hot one.
n. vocabulary of technical terms used in a particular field, subject, science, or art
E.g. The special terminology developed by some authorities in the field has done more to confuse the layman than to enlighten him.
n. last stop of railroad; final point or end; boundary or border
E.g. After we reached the railroad terminus, we continued our journey into the wilderness on saddle horses.
a. earthly, as opposed to celestial; pertaining to the land
E.g. In many science fiction films, alien invaders from outer space plan to destroy all terrestrial life.
n. writing or certificate which bears testimony in favor of one's character, good conduct, ability
E.g. This testimonial I accordingly received in about a month, forwarded a copy of it to Mrs. Fairfax, and got that lady's reply, stating that she was satisfied.
n. science of God or of religion
E.g. In the Middle Ages, philosophy and theology were inextricable.
n. book of synonyms, often including related and contrasting words and antonyms
E.g. A lot of people think the ability to use a thesaurus is all it takes to be a good writer.
a. relating to drama and acting; dramatic, theatrical
E.g. Her success in the school play convinced her she was destined for a thespian career.
n. wood or collection of trees, shrubs
E.g. The fox hid in the thicket where the dog could not reach it.
n. slave; bondman; slavery; bondage
E.g. Her beauty held him in thrall; he never saw such a girl before.
v. beat severely; discuss or examine repeatedly; use a machine or flail to separate grain or seeds from straw
E.g. Let's thrash the matter over before putting it on the agenda.
a. careful about money; economical
E.g. A thrifty shopper compares prices before making major purchases.
n. turning or twisting force
E.g. In physics, a torque is a vector that measures the tendency of a force to rotate an object about some axis.
a. passionate; hot or scorching; hurried or rapid
E.g. Harlequin Romances publish torrid tales of love affairs, some set in hot climates.
v. destroy; step on
E.g. It is better, therefore, for the insignificant to keep out of his way, lest, in his progress, he should trample them down.
a. free from disturbance; pacific
E.g. Though I look comfortably accommodated, I am not very tranquil in my mind.
v. surpass; exceed; pass beyond the limits of
E.g. To transcend is to go beyond and penetrate the mundane into a deeper truth or trust.
v. pour, as liquid, out of one vessel into another; transfer by pouring
E.g. "I think that to transfuse emotion," he writes, "to set up in the reader's sense a vibration corresponding to what was felt by the writer's is the peculiar function of poetry."
a. momentary; temporary; staying for short time
E.g. Lexy's joy at finding the perfect Christmas gift for Phil was transient, she still had to find presents for the cousins and Uncle Bob.
a. existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary
E.g. Fame is transitory: today's rising star is all too soon tomorrow's washed-up has-been.
v. go through or across, often under difficult conditions
E.g. When you traverse this field alone, be careful of the bull.
n. shaking or vibrating movement; slight quiver
E.g. She had a nervous tremor in her right hand.
n. art of dressing up; practice or use of tricks; deception by stratagem
E.g. All in all, this bit of trickery is just a bad idea plain and simple.
v. flow in drops; run or flow slowly; drip
E.g. That wealth has yet to trickle down to Indian villages where over sixty percent of Indians live.
n. cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
E.g. Whenever she traveled abroad, Ethel would pick up costume jewelry or trinket as souvenirs.
n. organization of performers and associated personnel
E.g. A troupe of authentic belly dancers has been performing in the Cleveland, Ohio area since 2002.
a. characterized by unrest or disorder
E.g. Tony Blair's entering a turbulent week.
n. a little tower, frequently a merely ornamental structure at one of the angles of a larger structure; movable building, of a square form
E.g. I saw an armored protective cylinder around a revolving gun turret on that warship.
n. capacity of guardian; guardianship; capacity or activity of tutor; instruction or teaching
E.g. Under the tutelage of such masters of the instrument, she made rapid progress as a virtuoso.
a. of or pertaining to typhus; resembling typhus; of serious infection marked by intestinal inflammation
E.g. It is one of their proudest boasts that they have halved the death rate from typhoid fever.
a. being or existing everywhere; omnipresent
E.g. That Christmas "The Little Drummer Boy" seemed ubiquitous; we heard the tune everywhere.
n. one who settles dispute or controversy between parties; referee or judge, especially, one chosen to see that the rules of a game
E.g. A good answer by every umpire is to say that 'I saw it.'
a. lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
E.g. Most biographers portray Lincoln as an uncouth and ungainly young man.
a. not likely to please; objectionable; not wanted
E.g. Military intervention is highly undesirable at this country.
v. bring up out of earth; dig up; bring to public notice; uncover
E.g. When they unearth the city, the archeologists find many relics of an ancient civilization.
a. lacking protection or a guard; vulnerable
E.g. Never leave you luggage unguarded at the airport.