Vocab Words from NYTimes

Michael F.
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words only definitions & notes
  1. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
    After weeks of equivocating, Mr. Klaus, according to analysts and people close to him, concluded that failing to sign would isolate his country.
  2. monolithic
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    But there have been persistent fears that the treaty would erode national sovereignty and turn Brussels into the capital of a monolithic superstate.
  3. erode
    remove soil or rock
    But there have been persistent fears that the treaty would erode national sovereignty and turn Brussels into the capital of a monolithic superstate.
  4. unifying
    tending to become one
    PRAGUE — The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus , signed the landmark Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making his country the last of the 27 European Union countries to approve it and allowing its unifying, strengthening measures to go into force shortly acr
  5. rotate
    turn on or around an axis or a center
    Fredrik Reinfeldt, prime minister of Sweden, which holds the current European presidency, which rotates among member countries, welcomed the treaty’s final approval.
  6. prime
    of or relating to the first or originating agent
    Fredrik Reinfeldt, prime minister of Sweden, which holds the current European presidency, which rotates among member countries, welcomed the treaty’s final approval.
  7. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
    The signing was a remarkable about-face for Mr. Klaus, a vociferous opponent of the document and of the European Union itself.
  8. briefs
    short tight-fitting underpants (trade name Jockey shorts)
    The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, briefs the media after signing the Lisbon Treaty at the Prague Castle in Prague on Tuesday.
  9. isolate
    place or set apart
    After weeks of equivocating, Mr. Klaus, according to analysts and people close to him, concluded that failing to sign would isolate his country.
  10. unwieldy
    difficult to use or handle because of size or weight
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  11. analyst
    someone who is skilled at interpreting data
    After weeks of equivocating, Mr. Klaus, according to analysts and people close to him, concluded that failing to sign would isolate his country.
  12. clarify
    make clear by removing impurities or solids, as by heating
    Meanwhile, the Conservative opposition leader in Britain, David Cameron , is expected to clarify Wednesday what his policy will be if he is elected next year and the Lisbon Treaty is already in force.
  13. compatible
    able to exist and perform in harmonious combination
    Mr. Klaus signed the treaty just hours after a Czech court concluded that the document was compatible with the country’s Constitution.
  14. unify
    join or combine
    PRAGUE — The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus , signed the landmark Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making his country the last of the 27 European Union countries to approve it and allowing its unifying, strengthening measures to go into force shortly across the bloc of half a billion people.
  15. fracture
    breaking of hard tissue such as bone
    If hydraulic fracturing is safe, the oil and gas industry should not
    fear regulation.
  16. undermine
    weaken or impair, especially gradually
    He had previously warned that the treaty would undermine Czech national interests and had refused to sign it, despite the endorsement of both houses of the Czech Parliament.
  17. enhance
    increase
    The signing raises the prospect of an empowered Europe with an enhanced global stature.
  18. enhanced
    increased or intensified in value or beauty or quality
    The signing raises the prospect of an empowered Europe with an enhanced global stature.
  19. specified
    clearly and explicitly stated
    Mr. Cameron, who is ahead in the opinion polls, had promised a referendum on the accord but has not specified what he would do if he becomes prime minister when the treaty is already in place.
  20. conclude
    bring to a close
    Mr. Klaus signed the treaty just hours after a Czech court concluded that the document was compatible with the country’s Constitution.
  21. landmark
    a prominent or well-known object in a particular place
    PRAGUE — The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus , signed the landmark Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making his country the last of the 27 European Union countries to approve it and allowing its unifying, strengthening measures to go into force shortly across the bloc of half a billion people.
  22. focused
    brought into sharp clarity
    “I am very please President Klaus today has signed the Lisbon Treaty,” he said in a statement, adding that the signature marks the end of a period which has lasted “far too long” in which the bloc had focused on reforming its internal workings.
  23. violate
    fail to agree with; go against
    The Constitutional Court was asked to rule by a group of 17 senators loyal to Mr. Klaus on whether the treaty violated the Czech Republic’s Constitution.
  24. rejected
    rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  25. constitutional
    existing as an essential characteristic
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  26. specify
    be particular about
    Mr. Cameron, who is ahead in the opinion polls, had promised a referendum on the accord but has not specified what he would do if he becomes prime minister when the treaty is already in place.
  27. negotiate
    discuss the terms of an arrangement
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  28. violated
    treated irreverently or sacrilegiously
    The Constitutional Court was asked to rule by a group of 17 senators loyal to Mr. Klaus on whether the treaty violated the Czech Republic’s Constitution.
  29. summit
    the top or extreme point of something
    The decisions will now shift to a special summit meeting expected be called sometime this month.
  30. dismiss
    stop associating with
    The court, which dismissed a similar complaint last year, dismissed the new challenge on Tuesday morning.
  31. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  32. dominant
    most frequent or common
    “Europe can now move forward,” added Joseph Daul, leader of the dominant center-right group in the European Parliament.
  33. create
    bring into existence
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  34. document
    a representation of a person's thinking with symbolic marks
    Mr. Klaus signed the treaty just hours after a Czech court concluded that the document was compatible with the country’s Constitution.
  35. persistent
    stubbornly unyielding
    But there have been persistent fears that the treaty would erode national sovereignty and turn Brussels into the capital of a monolithic superstate.
  36. emerge
    come out into view, as from concealment
    A French candidate could also emerge.
  37. reject
    refuse to accept or acknowledge
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  38. expel
    eliminate
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  39. include
    have as a part; be made up out of
    Some leaders, including President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, insisted there could be no significant further enlargement of the European Union without the Lisbon Treaty in effect.
  40. plunge
    dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  41. policy
    a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  42. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    The signing raises the prospect of an empowered Europe with an enhanced global stature.
  43. global
    involving the entire earth
    The signing raises the prospect of an empowered Europe with an enhanced global stature.
  44. urgent
    compelling immediate action
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  45. replace
    put something back where it belongs
    The rulebook the treaty replaces was out of date, created before the bloc began to expand broadly across Europe; it has taken in 12 new nations since 2004.
  46. elect
    choose by a vote for an office or membership
    It also gives more power to the directly elected European Parliament .
  47. approve
    judge to be right or commendable; think well of
    PRAGUE — The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus , signed the landmark Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making his country the last of the 27 European Union countries to approve it and allowing its unifying, strengthening measures to go into force shortly across the bloc of half a billion people.
  48. former
    the first of two or the first mentioned of two
    Unofficial discussions in Brussels last week indicated that the prospect of the presidential job going to Tony Blair , the former British prime minister once considered a front runner, had faded.
  49. center
    an area that is in the middle of some larger region
    “Europe can now move forward,” added Joseph Daul, leader of the dominant center-right group in the European Parliament.
  50. area
    the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  51. accord
    concurrence of opinion
    After weeks of equivocating, Mr. Klaus, according to analysts and people close to him, concluded that failing to sign would isolate his country.
  52. fundamental
    serving as an essential component
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  53. focus
    the concentration of attention or energy on something
    “I am very please President Klaus today has signed the Lisbon Treaty,” he said in a statement, adding that the signature marks the end of a period which has lasted “far too long” in which the bloc had focused on reforming its internal workings.
  54. obstacle
    something that stands in the way and must be surmounted
    Because of the huge political obstacles that the Lisbon Treaty has had to overcome, most analysts believe it will be the last attempt to overhaul the European Union’s ground rules for many years to come.
  55. reduce
    make smaller
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  56. draft
    a current of air
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  57. significant
    rich in implication
    Some leaders, including President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, insisted there could be no significant further enlargement of the European Union without the Lisbon Treaty in effect.
  58. regulation
    the act of bringing to uniformity
    If hydraulic fracturing is safe, the oil and gas industry should not
    fear regulation.
  59. effect
    a phenomenon that is caused by some previous phenomenon
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  60. nation
    a politically organized body of people under a government
    The rulebook the treaty replaces was out of date, created before the bloc began to expand broadly across Europe; it has taken in 12 new nations since 2004.
  61. expand
    extend in one or more directions
    The rulebook the treaty replaces was out of date, created before the bloc began to expand broadly across Europe; it has taken in 12 new nations since 2004.
  62. internal
    located inward
    “I am very please President Klaus today has signed the Lisbon Treaty,” he said in a statement, adding that the signature marks the end of a period which has lasted “far too long” in which the bloc had focused on reforming its internal workings.
  63. climate
    the weather in some location averaged over a period of time
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  64. network
    an open fabric woven together at regular intervals
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  65. challenge
    a call to engage in a contest or fight
    The court, which dismissed a similar complaint last year, dismissed the new challenge on Tuesday morning.
  66. job
    a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty
    Mr. Reinfeldt said he would begin discussions immediately on filling the jobs and would call a summit “as soon as possible.”
  67. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  68. permanent
    continuing or enduring without marked change in status
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  69. cease
    put an end to a state or an activity
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  70. version
    something a little different from others of the same type
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  71. settle
    become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  72. solution
    a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  73. medium
    the surrounding environment
    The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, briefs the media after signing the Lisbon Treaty at the Prague Castle in Prague on Tuesday.
  74. shift
    move very slightly
    The decisions will now shift to a special summit meeting expected be called sometime this month.
  75. remaining
    not used up
    Though Ireland originally rejected the accord in 2008, it passed in a second vote last month, opening the way for the remaining nations to complete ratification.
  76. financial
    involving fiscal matters
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  77. constitution
    the act of forming or establishing something
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  78. respect
    regard highly; think much of
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  79. flood
    the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto land
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  80. court
    an assembly to conduct judicial business
    Mr. Klaus signed the treaty just hours after a Czech court concluded that the document was compatible with the country’s Constitution.
  81. sovereign
    a nation's ruler usually by hereditary right
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  82. scale
    an ordered reference standard
    In many respects the treaty is a scaled down version of the draft European Union constitution, which took years to negotiate but was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005, plunging the bloc into a political crisis.
  83. despite
    contemptuous disregard
    He had previously warned that the treaty would undermine Czech national interests and had refused to sign it, despite the endorsement of both houses of the Czech Parliament.
  84. brief
    of short duration or distance
    The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, briefs the media after signing the Lisbon Treaty at the Prague Castle in Prague on Tuesday.
  85. reflect
    throw or bend back from a surface
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  86. raise
    move upwards
    The signing raises the prospect of an empowered Europe with an enhanced global stature.
  87. element
    a substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  88. final
    an exam administered at the end of an academic term
    Fredrik Reinfeldt, prime minister of Sweden, which holds the current European presidency, which rotates among member countries, welcomed the treaty’s final approval.
  89. economic
    of or relating to production and management of wealth
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  90. population
    the people who inhabit a territory or state
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  91. energy
    forceful exertion
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  92. current
    occurring in or belonging to the present time
    Fredrik Reinfeldt, prime minister of Sweden, which holds the current European presidency, which rotates among member countries, welcomed the treaty’s final approval.
  93. insist
    be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
    Some leaders, including President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, insisted there could be no significant further enlargement of the European Union without the Lisbon Treaty in effect.
  94. similar
    having the same or nearly the same characteristics
    The court, which dismissed a similar complaint last year, dismissed the new challenge on Tuesday morning.
  95. warn
    notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
    He had previously warned that the treaty would undermine Czech national interests and had refused to sign it, despite the endorsement of both houses of the Czech Parliament.
  96. complete
    having all necessary qualities
    Though Ireland originally rejected the accord in 2008, it passed in a second vote last month, opening the way for the remaining nations to complete ratification.
  97. capital
    a large alphabetic character used in writing or printing
    But there have been persistent fears that the treaty would erode national sovereignty and turn Brussels into the capital of a monolithic superstate.
  98. consider
    think about carefully; weigh
    Unofficial discussions in Brussels last week indicated that the prospect of the presidential job going to Tony Blair , the former British prime minister once considered a front runner, had faded.
  99. content
    satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
    Making little effort to hide his contempt for the treaty, Mr. Klaus said Tuesday that he had decided to sign out of respect for the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court, but that he could not “agree with its contents, because once the Lisbon Treaty will come into effect the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state.”
  100. property
    something owned
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  101. measure
    determine the dimensions of something or somebody
    PRAGUE — The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus , signed the landmark Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making his country the last of the 27 European Union countries to approve it and allowing its unifying, strengthening measures to go into force shortly across the bloc of half a billion people.
  102. period
    an amount of time
    “I am very please President Klaus today has signed the Lisbon Treaty,” he said in a statement, adding that the signature marks the end of a period which has lasted “far too long” in which the bloc had focused on reforming its internal workings.
  103. mention
    make reference to
    Prime Minister François Fillon of France has also been mentioned.
  104. support
    the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening
    The treaty, which may go into effect as early as Dec. 1, creates a permanent presidential post and sets up a more powerful foreign policy chief supported by a network of diplomats around the world.
  105. figure
    alternate name for the body of a human being
    Several lower-profile figures appeared to be likely contenders, including the prime ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands, Herman Van Rompuy and Jan Peter Balkenende; and the former Austrian prime minister, Wolfgang Schüssel .
  106. attempt
    make an effort
    Because of the huge political obstacles that the Lisbon Treaty has had to overcome, most analysts believe it will be the last attempt to overhaul the European Union’s ground rules for many years to come.
  107. seek
    try to locate, discover, or establish the existence of
    It seeks to make an increasingly unwieldy bloc more workable by putting in place a new voting system, which reflects countries’ population size, while reducing the number of areas where one country alone can block a proposal.
  108. action
    something done (usually as opposed to something said)
    “The treaty will allow effective European action in areas where solutions are urgent, such as the financial and economic crisis, climate change and energy,” he said.
  109. lead
    take somebody somewhere
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
  110. minute
    a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
    They said another crucial element in his decision was that European leaders agreed to his last-minute demand to give the Czech Republic an effective exemption from the treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which he had argued could lead to a flood of property claims by Germans expelled from the country after World War II.

    Because of the Czech delays, European leaders have been unable to settle on who would be president and foreign affairs chief.
Created on Tue Nov 03 14:58:23 EST 2009 (updated Tue Nov 03 14:58:32 EST 2009)

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