enrapture
vb. (tr).
to fill with delight; enchant
;
cushion
n.1) a bag made of cloth, leather, plastic, etc., filled with feathers, air, or other yielding substance, used for sitting on, leaning against, etc.
2) something resembling a cushion in function or appearance, esp one to support or pad or to absorb shock.
3) the resilient felt-covered rim of a billiard table.
4) another name for pillow 2).
5) short for air cushion.
6) a capital, used in Byzantine, Romanesque, and Norman architecture, in the form of a bowl with a square top.
;vb. (tr).
7) to place on or as on a cushion.
8) to provide with cushions.
9) to protect, esp against hardship or change.
10).
a) to check the motion of (a mechanism) gently, esp by the compression of trapped fluid in a cylinder.
b) to provide with a means of absorbing shock.
;
opportune
adj.1) occurring at a time that is suitable or advantageous.
2) fit or suitable for a particular purpose or occurrence.
;
desist
vb. (intr; often foll by from).
to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain
;
timbre
n.1) phonetics the distinctive tone quality differentiating one vowel or sonant from another.
2) music tone colour or quality of sound, esp a specific type of tone colour.
;
germinate
vb.1) to cause (seeds or spores) to sprout or (of seeds or spores) to sprout or form new tissue following increased metabolism.
2) to grow or cause to grow; develop.
3) to come or bring into existence; originate.
;
demarcate
vb. (tr).
1) to mark, fix, or draw the boundaries, limits, etc., of.
2) to separate or distinguish between (areas with unclear boundaries).
;
plunder
vb.1) to steal (valuables, goods, sacred items, etc.) from (a town, church, etc.) by force, esp in time of war; loot.
2) (tr) to rob or steal (choice or desirable things) from (a place).
;n.3) anything taken by plundering or theft; booty.
4) the act of plundering; pillage.
;
circumference
n.1) the boundary of a specific area or geometric figure, esp of a circle.
2) the length of a closed geometric curve, esp of a circle. The circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter multiplied by π.
;
knead
vb. (tr).
1) to work and press (a soft substance, such as bread dough) into a uniform mixture with the hands.
2) to squeeze, massage, or press with the hands.
3) to make by kneading.
;
crest
n.1) a tuft or growth of feathers, fur, or skin along the top of the heads of some birds, reptiles, and other animals.
2) something resembling or suggesting this.
3) the top, highest point, or highest stage of something.
4) a ridge on the neck of a horse, dog, lion, etc.
5) the mane or hair growing from this ridge.
6) an ornamental piece, such as a plume, on top of a helmet.
7) heraldry a symbol of a family or office, usually representing a beast or bird, borne in addition to a coat of arms and used in medieval times to decorate the helmet.
8) a ridge along the top of a roof, wall, etc.
9) a ridge along the surface of a bone.
10) Also called: cresting.
;vb.11) (intr) to come or rise to a high point.
12) (tr) to lie at the top of; cap.
13) (tr) to go to or reach the top of (a hill, wave, etc.).
;n.an electronic share-settlement system, created by the Bank of England and owned by 69 firms, that began operations in 1996
;
pensive
adj.1) deeply or seriously thoughtful, often with a tinge of sadness.
2) expressing or suggesting pensiveness.
;
axiom
n.1) a generally accepted proposition or principle, sanctioned by experience; maxim.
2) a universally established principle or law that is not a necessary truth.
3) a self-evident statement.
4) logic, mathematics a statement or formula that is stipulated to be true for the purpose of a chain of reasoning: the foundation of a formal deductive system.
;
glacial
adj.1) characterized by the presence of masses of ice.
2) relating to, caused by, or deposited by a glacier.
3) extremely cold; icy.
4) cold or hostile in manner.
5) (of a chemical compound) of or tending to form crystals that resemble ice.
6) very slow in progress.
;
vehement
adj.1) marked by intensity of feeling or conviction; emphatic.
2) (of actions, gestures, etc.) characterized by great energy, vigour, or force; furious.
;
edify
vb. -fies, -fying, -fied (tr).
to improve the morality, intellect, etc., of, esp by instruction
;
myopia
n.inability to see distant objects clearly because the images are focused in front of the retina; short-sightedness
;
caveat
n.1) law a formal notice requesting the court or officer to refrain from taking some specified action without giving prior notice to the person lodging the caveat.
2) a warning; caution.
;
crypt
n.1) a cellar, vault, or underground chamber, esp beneath a church, where it is often used as a chapel, burial place, etc.
2) anatomy any pitlike recess or depression.
;
vacate
vb. (mainly tr).
1) to cause (something) to be empty, esp by departing from or abandoning it.
2) (also intr) to give up the tenure, possession, or occupancy of (a place, post, etc.); leave or quit.
3) law.
a) to cancel or rescind.
b) to make void or of no effect; annul.
;
dank
adj.(esp of cellars, caves, etc.) unpleasantly damp and chilly
;
grope
vb.1) (intr; usually foll by for) to feel or search about uncertainly (for something) with the hands.
2) (intr; usually foll by for or after) to search uncertainly or with difficulty (for a solution, answer, etc.).
3) (tr) to find or make (one's way) by groping.
4) (tr) slang to feel or fondle the body of (someone) for sexual gratification.
;n.5) the act of groping.
;
scrub
vb. scrubs, scrubbing, scrubbed.
1) to rub (a surface) hard, with or as if with a brush, soap, and water, in order to clean it.
2) to remove (dirt), esp by rubbing with a brush and water.
3) (intr; foll by up) (of a surgeon) to wash the hands and arms thoroughly before operating.
4) (tr) to purify (a vapour or gas) by removing impurities.
5) (tr) informal to delete or cancel.
6) (intr) horse racing slang (of jockeys) to urge a horse forwards by moving the arms and whip rhythmically forwards and backwards alongside its neck.
;n.7) the act of or an instance of scrubbing.
;n.1).
a) vegetation consisting of stunted trees, bushes, and other plants growing in an arid area.
b) (as modifier).
2) an area of arid land covered with such vegetation.
3).
a) an animal of inferior breeding or condition.
b) (as modifier).
4) a small or insignificant person.
5) anything stunted or inferior.
6) sport US and Canadian a player not in the first team.
7).
;adj.prenominal
8) small, stunted, or inferior.
9) sport US and Canadian.
a) (of a player) not in the first team.
b) (of a team) composed of such players.
c) (of a contest) between scratch or incomplete teams.
;
squalid
adj.1) dirty and repulsive, esp as a result of neglect or poverty.
2) sordid.
;
foyer
n.1) a hall, lobby, or anteroom, used for reception and as a meeting place, as in a hotel, theatre, cinema, etc.
2) (in Britain) a centre providing accommodation and employment training, etc. for homeless young people.
;
imbibe
vb.1) to drink (esp alcoholic drinks).
2) literary to take in or assimilate (ideas, facts, etc.).
3) (tr) to take in as if by drinking.
4) to absorb or cause to absorb liquid or moisture; assimilate or saturate.
;
shawl
n.a piece of fabric or knitted or crocheted material worn around the shoulders by women or wrapped around a baby
;
subsequent
adj.occurring after; succeeding
;
proactive
<No meaning yet.>
dyspepsia
n.indigestion or upset stomach
;
rejoinder
n.1) a reply or response to a question or remark, esp a quick witty one; retort.
2) law (in pleading) the answer made by a defendant to the claimant's reply.
;
demur
vb. -murs, -murring, -murred (intr).
1) to raise objections or show reluctance; object.
2) law to raise an objection by entering a demurrer.
3) archaic to hesitate; delay.
;n. also demurral [dɪˈmʌrəl].
4) the act of demurring.
5) an objection raised.
6) archaic hesitation.
;
stratagem
n.a plan or trick, esp one to deceive an enemy
;
shirk
vb.1) to avoid discharging (work, a duty, etc.); evade.
;n. also shirker.
2) a person who shirks.
;n. Islam.
a) the fundamental sin of regarding anything as equal to Allah.
b) any belief that is considered to be in opposition to Allah and Islam.
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dossier
n.a collection of papers containing information on a particular subject or person
;
bile
n.1) a bitter greenish to golden brown alkaline fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. It is discharged during digestion into the duodenum, where it aids the emulsification and absorption of fats.
2) irritability or peevishness.
3) archaic either of two bodily humours, one of which (black bile) was thought to cause melancholy and the other (yellow bile) anger.
;vb.a Scot word for boil
;
olfactory
adj.1) of or relating to the sense of smell.
;n., pl -ries.
2) (usually plural) an organ or nerve concerned with the sense of smell.
;
thorn
n.1) a sharp pointed woody extension of a stem or leaf.
2).
a) any of various trees or shrubs having thorns, esp the hawthorn.
b) the wood of any of these plants.
3) short for thorn moth.
4) a Germanic character of runic origin Þ used in Old and Modern Icelandic to represent the voiceless dental fricative sound of th, as in thin, bath. Its use in phonetics for the same purpose is now obsolete.
5) this same character as used in Old and Middle English as an alternative to edh, but indistinguishable from it in function or sound.
6) zoology any of various sharp spiny parts.
7) a source of irritation (esp in the phrases a thorn in one's side or flesh).
;n.the German name for Toruń
;
lubricant
n.1) a lubricating substance, such as oil.
;adj.2) serving to lubricate.
;
tactile
adj.1) of, relating to, affecting, or having a sense of touch.
2) now rare capable of being touched; tangible.
;
regimen
n.1) Also called: regime.
2) administration or rule.
;
truism
n.an obvious truth; platitude
;
stature
n.1) the height of something, esp a person or animal when standing.
2) the degree of development of a person.
3) intellectual or moral greatness.
;
jostle
vb.1) to bump or push (someone) roughly.
2) to come or bring into contact.
3) to force (one's way) by pushing.
;n.4) the act of jostling.
5) a rough bump or push.
;
edgy
adj. -ier, -iest.
1) (usually postpositive) nervous, irritable, tense, or anxious.
2) (of paintings, drawings, etc.) excessively defined.
3) innovative, or at the cutting edge, with the concomitant qualities of intensity and excitement.
;
upswell
vb. -swells, -swelling, -swelled, -swelled or -swollen rare.
to swell up or cause to swell up
;
glum
adj. glummer, glummest.
silent or sullen, as from gloom
;
terse
adj.1) neatly brief and concise.
2) curt; abrupt.
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ambiance
<No meaning yet.>
pediatrician
n.the US spelling of paediatrician
;
mahogany
n., pl -nies.
1) any of various tropical American trees of the meliaceous genus Swietenia, esp S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla, valued for their hard reddish-brown wood.
2) any of several trees with similar wood, such as African mahogany (genus Khaya) and Philippine mahogany (genus Shorea).
3).
a) the wood of any of these trees.
b) (as modifier).
4) a reddish-brown colour.
;
publicize
vb. (tr).
to bring to public notice; advertise
;
oxide
n.1) any compound of oxygen with another element.
2) any organic compound in which an oxygen atom is bound to two alkyl or aryl groups; an ether or epoxide.
;
diocese
n.the district under the jurisdiction of a bishop
;
manure
n.1) animal excreta, usually with straw, used to fertilize land.
2) chiefly Brit any material, esp chemical fertilizer, used to fertilize land.
;vb.3) (tr) to spread manure upon (fields or soil).
;
tenet
n.a belief, opinion, or dogma
;
managerial
adj.of or relating to a manager or to the functions, responsibilities, or position of management
;
umpire
n.1) an official who rules on the playing of a game, as in cricket or baseball.
2) a person who rules on or judges disputes between contesting parties.
;vb.3) to act as umpire in (a game, dispute, or controversy).
;
indicative
adj.1) (usually postpositive; foll by of) serving as a sign; suggestive.
2) grammar denoting a mood of verbs used chiefly to make statements.
;n.3) grammar.
a) the indicative mood.
b) a verb in the indicative mood.
;
condemnation
<No meaning yet.>
para
<No meaning yet.>
molest
vb. (tr).
1) to disturb or annoy by malevolent interference.
2) to accost or attack, esp with the intention of assaulting sexually.
;
sling
n.1) a simple weapon consisting of a loop of leather, etc., in which a stone is whirled and then let fly.
2) a rope or strap by which something may be secured or lifted.
3) a rope net swung from a crane, used for loading and unloading cargo.
4) nautical.
a) a halyard for a yard.
b) (often plural) the part of a yard where the sling is attached.
5) medicine a wide piece of cloth suspended from the neck for supporting an injured hand or arm across the front of the body.
6) a loop or band attached to an object for carrying.
7) mountaineering a loop of rope or tape used for support in belays, abseils, etc.
8) the act of slinging.
;vb. slings, slinging, slung.
9) (tr) to hurl with or as if with a sling.
10) to attach a sling or slings to (a load, etc.).
11) (tr) to carry or hang loosely from or as if from a sling.
12) informal to throw.
13) (intr) Austral informal to pay a part of one's wages or profits as a bribe or tip.
;n.a mixed drink with a spirit base, usually sweetened
;
disposable
adj.1) designed for disposal after use.
2) available for use if needed.
;n.3) something, such as a baby's nappy, that is designed for disposal.
4) (plural).
;
wreath
n., pl wreaths [ri:ðzˌ ri:θs].
1) a band of flowers or foliage intertwined into a ring, usually placed on a grave as a memorial or worn on the head as a garland or a mark of honour.
2) any circular or spiral band or formation.
3) a spiral or circular defect appearing in porcelain and glassware.
;
luncheon
n.a lunch, esp a formal one
;
seductive
adj.tending to seduce or capable of seducing; enticing; alluring
;
haul
vb.1) to drag or draw (something) with effort.
2) (tr) to transport, as in a lorry.
3) nautical to alter the course of (a vessel), esp so as to sail closer to the wind.
4) (tr) nautical to draw or hoist (a vessel) out of the water onto land or a dock for repair, storage, etc.
5) (intr) nautical (of the wind) to blow from a direction nearer the bow.
6) (intr) to change one's opinion or action.
;n.7) the act of dragging with effort.
8) (esp of fish) the amount caught at a single time.
9) something that is hauled.
10) the goods obtained from a robbery.
11) a distance of hauling.
12) the amount of a contraband seizure.
13).
;
norwegian
<No meaning yet.>
aggravate
vb. (tr).
1) to make (a disease, situation, problem, etc.) worse or more severe.
2) informal to annoy; exasperate, esp by deliberate and persistent goading.
;
straddle
vb.1) (tr) to have one leg, part, or support on each side of.
2) (tr) US and Canadian informal to be in favour of both sides of (something).
3) (intr) to stand, walk, or sit with the legs apart.
4) (tr) to spread (the legs) apart.
5) military to fire a number of shots slightly beyond and slightly short of (a target) to determine the correct range.
6) (intr) (in poker, of the second player after the dealer) to double the ante before looking at one's cards.
;n.7) the act or position of straddling.
8) a noncommittal attitude or stand.
9) business a contract or option permitting its purchaser to either sell or buy securities or commodities within a specified period of time at specified prices. It is a combination of a put and a call option.
10) athletics a high-jumping technique in which the body is parallel with the bar and the legs straddle it at the highest point of the jump.
11) (in poker) the stake put up after the ante in poker by the second player after the dealer.
12) Irish a wooden frame placed on a horse's back to which panniers are attached.
;
holistic
adj.1) of or relating to a doctrine of holism.
2) of or relating to the the medical consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease.
;
ethnographic
<No meaning yet.>
cynicism
n.1) the attitude or beliefs of a cynic.
2) a cynical action, remark, idea, etc.
;n.the doctrines of the Cynics
;
obscene
adj.1) offensive or outrageous to accepted standards of decency or modesty.
2) law (of publications) having a tendency to deprave or corrupt.
3) disgusting; repellent.
;
turbulent
adj.1) being in a state of turbulence.
2) wild or insubordinate; unruly.
;
longitudinal
adj.1) of or relating to longitude or length.
2) placed or extended lengthways.
3) psychology (of a study of behaviour) carried on over a protracted period of time.
;
mantle
n.1) archaic a loose wrap or cloak.
2) such a garment regarded as a symbol of someone's power or authority.
3) anything that covers completely or envelops.
4) a small dome-shaped or cylindrical mesh impregnated with cerium or thorium nitrates, used to increase illumination in a gas or oil lamp.
5) Also called: pallium.
a) a protective layer of epidermis in molluscs that secretes a substance forming the shell.
b) a similar structure in brachiopods.
6) ornithology the feathers of the folded wings and back, esp when these are of a different colour from the remaining feathers.
7) geology the part of the earth between the crust and the core, accounting for more than 82% of the earth's volume (but only 68% of its mass) and thought to be composed largely of peridotite.
8) a less common spelling of mantel.
9) anatomy another word for pallium 3).
10) a clay mould formed around a wax model which is subsequently melted out.
;vb.11) (tr) to envelop or supply with a mantle.
12) to spread over or become spread over.
13) (tr) (of the face, cheeks) to become suffused with blood; flush.
14) (intr) falconry (of a hawk or falcon) to spread the wings and tail over food.
;
proprietary
adj.1) of, relating to, or belonging to property or proprietors.
2) privately owned and controlled.
3) medicine of or denoting a drug or agent manufactured and distributed under a trade name.
;n., pl -taries.
4) medicine a proprietary drug or agent.
5) a proprietor or proprietors collectively.
6).
a) right to property.
b) property owned.
7) Also called: lord proprietary.
;
swoop
vb.1) (intr; usually foll by down, on, or upon) to sweep or pounce suddenly.
2) (tr; often foll by up, away, or off) to seize or scoop suddenly.
;n.3) the act of swooping.
4) a swift descent.
;
hippie
n.a variant spelling of hippy I
;
statutory
adj.1) of, relating to, or having the nature of a statute.
2) prescribed or authorized by statute.
3) (of an offence).
a) recognized by statute.
b) subject to a punishment or penalty prescribed by statute.
;
vinyl
n.1) (modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group of atoms CH2CH-.
2) (modifier) of, consisting of, or made of a vinyl resin.
3) any vinyl polymer, resin, or plastic, esp PVC.
4) (collectively) conventional records made of vinyl as opposed to compact discs.
;
mileage
n.1) a distance expressed in miles.
2) the total number of miles that a motor vehicle has travelled.
3) allowance for travelling expenses, esp as a fixed rate per mile.
4) the number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on one gallon of fuel.
5) informal use, benefit, or service provided by something.
6) informal grounds, substance, or weight.
;
snag
n.1) a difficulty or disadvantage.
2) a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump.
3) a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object.
4) engineering a projection that brings to a stop a sliding or rotating component.
5) chiefly US and Canadian a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation.
6) US and Canadian a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle.
7) (plural) Austral slang sausages.
;vb. snags, snagging, snagged.
8) (tr) to hinder or impede.
9) (tr) to tear or catch (fabric).
10) (intr) to develop a snag.
11) (intr) chiefly US and Canadian (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag.
12) (tr) chiefly US and Canadian to clear (a stretch of water) of snags.
13) (tr) US to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc.).
;
pundit
n.1) an expert.
2) (formerly) a learned person.
3) Also called: pandit.
;
abdomen
n.1) the region of the body of a vertebrate that contains the viscera other than the heart and lungs. In mammals it is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm.
2) the front or surface of this region; belly.
3) (in arthropods) the posterior part of the body behind the thorax, consisting of up to ten similar segments.
;
oust
vb. (tr).
1) to force out of a position or place; supplant or expel.
2) property law to deprive (a person) of the possession of land.
;
sly
adj. slyer, slyest or slier, sliest.
1) crafty; artful.
2) insidious; furtive.
3) playfully mischievous; roguish.
;n.4).
;
prom
<No meaning yet.>
marrow
n.1) the fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones.
2) the vital part; essence.
3) vitality.
4) rich food.
5) Brit short for vegetable marrow.
;n. Northeastern English dialect chiefly Durham.
a companion, esp a workmate
;
platinum
n.1) a ductile malleable silvery-white metallic element, very resistant to heat and chemicals. It occurs free and in association with other platinum metals, esp in osmiridium: used in jewellery, laboratory apparatus, electrical contacts, dentistry, electroplating, and as a catalyst. Symbol: Pt; atomic no.: 78; atomic wt.: 195.08; valency: 1-4; relative density: 21.45; melting pt.: 1769°C; boiling pt.: 3827±100°C.
2).
a) a medium to light grey colour.
b) (as adjective).
;
orbital
adj.1) of or denoting an orbit.
;n.2) a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function.
;
stitch
n.1) a link made by drawing a thread through material by means of a needle.
2) a loop of yarn formed around an implement used in knitting, crocheting, etc.
3) a particular method of stitching or shape of stitch.
4) a sharp spasmodic pain in the side resulting from running or exercising.
5) (usually used with a negative) informal the least fragment of clothing.
6) agriculture the ridge between two furrows.
7).
8).
;vb.9) (tr) to sew, fasten, etc., with stitches.
10) (intr) to be engaged in sewing.
11) (tr) to bind together (the leaves of a book, pamphlet, etc.) with wire staples or thread.
;n., vb.
12) an informal word for suture 1b), 6).
;
berth
n.1) a bed or bunk in a vessel or train, usually narrow and fixed to a wall.
2) nautical a place assigned to a ship at a mooring.
3) nautical sufficient distance from the shore or from other ships or objects for a ship to manoeuvre.
4).
5) nautical accommodation on a ship.
6) informal a job, esp as a member of a ship's crew.
;vb.7) (tr) nautical to assign a berth to (a vessel).
8) nautical to dock (a vessel).
9) (tr) to provide with a sleeping place, as on a vessel or train.
10) (intr) nautical to pick up a mooring in an anchorage.
;
seminary
n., pl -naries.
1) an academy for the training of priests, rabbis, etc.
2) US another word for seminar 1).
3) a place where something is grown.
;
semifinal
n.a) the round before the final in a competition.
b) (as modifier).
;
chaplain
n.a Christian clergyman attached to a private chapel of a prominent person or institution or ministering to a military body, professional group, etc
;
populist
adj.1) appealing to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people.
;n.2) a person, esp a politician, who appeals to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people.
;n.1) US history a member of the People's Party, formed largely by agrarian interests to contest the 1892 presidential election. The movement gradually dissolved after the 1904 election.
;adj. also Populistic.
2) of, characteristic of, or relating to the People's Party, the Populists, or any individual or movement with similar aims.
;
pant
vb.1) to breathe with noisy deep gasps, as when out of breath from exertion or excitement.
2) to say (something) while breathing thus.
3) (intr; often foll by for) to have a frantic desire (for); yearn.
4) (intr) to pulsate; throb rapidly.
;n.5) the act or an instance of panting.
6) a short deep gasping noise; puff.
;
greasy
adj. greasier, greasiest.
1) coated or soiled with or as if with grease.
2) composed of or full of grease.
3) resembling grease.
4) unctuous or oily in manner.
;n., pl greasies Austral slang.
5) a shearer.
6) an outback cook, esp cooking for a number of men.
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