N.C.372 Word Bank

Mandy C.
102 words 6 learners

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words only definitions & notes
  1. utterance
    the use of spoken sounds for auditory communication
    That person's every facial expression, utterance or normal behavior can be interpreted as a tip.
  2. contiguity
    the attribute of being so near as to be touching
    Hitherto stood everything; now sat down in contiguity to Carson. Various
  3. encapsulate
    put in a short or concise form; reduce in volume
    These five words – the title of a 2005 New York Times article by John Rockwell – pretty much encapsulate Brown's whole career.
  4. guy
    an informal term for a youth or man
    Like you guys last week, I’ve found the second season to be funnier so far, but also a bit too broad. Slate (Jan 20, 2013)
  5. ostensibly
    from appearances alone
    In some Olympic events, athletes help each other, even though they are ostensibly competitors.
  6. contour
    any spatial attributes, especially as defined by outline
    The revamped sports car will have sharper contours, more comfort and better performance than the current model, Maier said. BusinessWeek (Jul 10, 2011)
  7. scaffold
    provide with a temporary arrangement for support
    Overhead in every gallery of the exhibition are scaffolding pipes running between walls. New York Times (Jul 12, 2012)
  8. concatenation
    the state of being linked together as in a chain
    Within the logical concatenation of cause and effect there was no room for any other supposition, and it followed that his course was perfectly clear. Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
  9. prime
    first in rank or degree
    Money laundering through banks has become a prime target for U.S. law enforcement. New York Times (Jan 14, 2013)
  10. modality
    the manner or style in which something is done
    Teachers using this method try to assist students and set goals based on that students’ preferred modality for learning. New York Times (Jan 18, 2012)
  11. sufficient
    of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement
    Sufficient consensus needs to be established beforehand so that a final debate doesn't end up on a knife edge.
  12. impose
    inflict something unpleasant
    Mr. Hagel, 66, has also received criticism for opposing several bills to impose unilateral sanctions on Iran.
  13. implicate
    impose or involve as a necessary result
    Pesticide residues may or may not "cause" ADHD, but they are at least implicated by association.
  14. nullify
    declare invalid
    Twelve states have introduced bills to nullify President Obama’s health care law.
  15. register
    an official written record of names or events
    letters written in a formal register
    2
    language style
    [uncountable and countable]technicalthe words, style, and grammar used by speakers and writers in a particular situation or in a particular type of writing
    formal/informal register
    letters written in a formal register
    http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/register_1
  16. contend
    maintain or assert
    Opponents contend Bush's reforms never deserved much credit for the gains in the first place. Reuters (Nov 27, 2012)
  17. fiduciary
    relating to or of the nature of a legal trust
    But, like other any entity, the cooperative has well-established fiduciary duties to keep its shareholders fully informed of material changes in its financial conditions.
  18. explicate
    make plain and comprehensible
    He urged judges to resist the rigid guidelines and to write opinions explicating their reasons for doing so. New York Times (Jan 22, 2010)
  19. recess
    a pause from doing something (as work)
    You should also make longer school recesses so there is less childhood obesity.
  20. profile
    analysis representing how something exhibits characteristics
    John Hanke keeps a low profile around Silicon Valley, but his creations speak for themselves.
  21. distort
    make false by mutilation or addition
    Excessive borrowing and ultra-low interest rates are now distorting all the debt markets.
  22. docile
    willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed
    When domesticated, they are in youth docile and teachable, and also, at times, like all children, disobedient. Various
  23. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
    "People mostly think they're mundane and would be easily forgotten." Scientific American (Jan 24, 2013)
  24. mire
    cause to get stuck as if in a soft wet area
    The move was seen as an image building exercise for the group mired in controversy.
  25. repose
    freedom from activity
    The exciting events above recorded, as occurring in quick succession, are followed by a period of repose lasting for days. Reid, Mayne
  26. parry
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    The boys asked a few guarded questions, but gained no information whatever, their questions being parried in every instance. Mears, James R.
  27. obstinate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
    Lincoln was an immense personality—firm but not obstinate. Ingersoll, Robert Green
  28. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    "Climate change has added to that, making farmers more aware of risks as rains seem more erratic than before."
  29. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
    Sometimes even small, seemingly innocuous items can be deadly. New York Times (Jul 25, 2011)
  30. contingent
    determined by conditions or circumstances that follow
    But the financing was contingent on Mr. Damon’s directing.
  31. barrage
    address continuously or persistently
    Almost four years after the meltdown, he's relieved that customers are no longer barraged with negative images of bankers and of banks undoing the economy.
  32. adjunct
    something added to another thing but not essential to it
    But this generation of older people grew up before the computer, and technology should be at most an adjunct to personal care.
  33. convert
    change the nature, purpose, or function of something
    Flat World began efforts to convert more students into paying customers.
  34. obtrusively
    in an undesirably noticeable manner
    He was not obtrusively hard about money matters, but he never neglected his own interests. Alexander, Mrs.
    The definition "in an obtrusive manner" does not tell readers the meaning of the word since it involves the word to be explained in it.
  35. configured
    organized so as to give arrangement to
    The equipment can also be configured to look in exquisite detail at the immune system.
    The definition "in an obtrusive manner" does not tell readers the meaning of the word since it involves the word to be explained in it.
  36. fourfold
    four times as great or many
    Far from it, foreign direct investment increased fourfold over the same period.
  37. conducive
    tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
    Practice good “sleep hygiene” — habits that are conducive to sleeping well. New York Times (Mar 12, 2012)
  38. overload
    place too much a burden on
    Global Times , drunk driving and poor road conditions for the fatal accidents and calls for stiffer penalties for overloading transport vehicles with fireworks.
  39. itemize
    specify individually
    “It came to about fifty-five dollars, wholesale,” said Helen, looking down at the itemized list she held. Widdemer, Margaret
  40. apperception
    the process whereby an object is related to past experiences
    In apperception we never pass from the known to things which are entirely new. McMurry, Charles Alexander
  41. proximal
    situated nearest to point of attachment or origin
    He made wide leaps from observed phenomena to imagined causes, quite overlooking the proximal causes that were near to hand. Williams, Henry Smith
    synonyms:nearest, proximate
  42. retention
    the power of remembering past experience
    Deterioration of a specific brain region impairs sleep quality as people age, leading to poorer memory retention, according to research published today in Nature Neuroscience.  Scientific American (Jan 28, 2013)
    v. retain
  43. annotation
    the act of adding notes
    They are sorted by subject and each site has a short annotation giving some information about it. Lebert, Marie
    (ˌænəˈteɪʃən ; ˌ ænoʊˈteɪʃən )
  44. onomatopoeia
    using words that imitate the sound they denote
    In fact, the word Okobo is an onomatopoeia, that is it represents the sound of walking in them.
    (ˌɑnoʊˌmætoʊˈpiə ; ˌɑnoʊˌmɑtoʊˈpiə )
    Word Origin
    LL < Gr onomatopoiia < onoma (gen. onomatos), name + poiein, to make
  45. interface
    a point of interaction between a computer system and a user
    As part of the press conference, Migicovsky demonstrated some of Pebble’s software features and user interface elements.
    Word Frequency: 4 stars out of 5
  46. incorporate
    formed or united into a whole
    Headquartered in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood, Sense Networks was founded in 2003 and incorporated in early 2006. Forbes (Jan 4, 2013)
    incorporation, incorporative
  47. epitome
    a standard or typical example
    Nearly one hundred years ago, therefore, he discovered and developed the principle which is now one of the most popular epitomes of social science. Rameur, E.
    (iˈpɪtəˌmi ; ɪˈpɪtəmi )
  48. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    Spanish bankers working for British financial institutions say they have been hit with a barrage of questions about how to open savings accounts in London.
    (bəˈrɑʒ ; bəˈrɑdʒ )
  49. contour
    any spatial attributes, especially as defined by outline
    In broad terms, Chinese foreign policy will continue to follow the contours outlined above.
    POS: n.,v. adj.
  50. ostensibly
    from appearances alone
    They then gave a short speech, ostensibly to test an online course in public speaking. Salon (Feb 11, 2013)
    Synonyms
    apparent, outward, pretended, seeming, so-called, superficial, supposed
  51. append
    fix to; attach
    She appended a note at the end of the letter.
    Synonymns: add, attach
  52. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
    I thought this film would be a perfect paradigm for viewing aging.
    (ˈpærəˌdaɪm )
  53. offset
    compensate for or counterbalance
    Retailers today are looking for ways to offset increasing competition, pricing pressure and operating costs. Forbes (Feb 15, 2013)
    = counterbalance, balance, compensation, counterweight
  54. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Likewise, across the nation’s middle, many communities have invoked water restrictions to protect shrinking supplies. Washington Post (Aug 11, 2012)
    Invoke is sometimes wrongly used where evoke is meant: this proposal evoked (not invoked) a strong reaction
  55. accompany
    go or travel along with
    The hope is getting wages to rise will help spark the "good" inflation cycle that accompanies an increase in consumer spending.
    Accompany sth. or sb.
    No "with" follows it.
  56. fraternity
    a social club for male undergraduates
    But school rules and drinking laws often are ignored — and not just by fraternity members. Washington Post (Mar 11, 2012)
    fratenal, comes from Latin, meaning "brother"
  57. intrinsic
    belonging to a thing by its very nature
    European governments still believe that defense policy and defense spending are intrinsic elements of national sovereignty.
    intrinsic or intrinsical: = essential
  58. discrete
    constituting a separate entity or part
    Almost every chapter could be sliced out and consumed as a discrete essay. Slate (Aug 3, 2012)
    discretely, discreteness
  59. detach
    cause to become separated
    I told her to attach herself to her work and detach herself from the results, and she actually did it. India Today(1997)
    detach from
  60. cognitive
    relating to or involving the mental process of knowing
    If cognitive training strengthens working memory then participants should improve their performance on divergent thinking tasks. Scientific American (Feb 5, 2013)
    (ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv )
  61. consent
    permission to do something
    Written consent should also be required before surgery so people have time to reflect before making a decision, the report says.
    v. (informal) - give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to;
    e.g. I was a little surprised when she consented to my proposal.
  62. simulate
    reproduce someone's behavior or looks
    Her study used new computer models to simulate the climate in 60 to 100 years as carbon dioxide levels soar.
    adj simulated: artificial; having the appearance of
    e.g. simulated leather; a simulated accident.
  63. convene
    meet formally
    On Monday, the UN Security Council convened in New York for an emergency meeting at France's request.
    intervene: To come, appear, or lie between two things
    -vene: come
  64. scheme
    an elaborate and systematic plan of action
    An initial document outlines schemes ranging from helping children with learning difficulties to reducing domestic violence.
    scheme sometimes implies something dishonest
    v. to make (especially dishonest) schemes e.g. He was punished for scheming against the President; They have all been scheming for my dismissal.
    n schemer e.g. He's a dangerous schemer.
    adj scheming e.g. having or making (usually secret) dishonest plans a scheming woman.
  65. innovative
    introducing new ideas or creative methods
    But in difficult times we often see the best, most innovative solutions to problems.
    synonyms: new, original, novel
  66. justification
    the act of defending or explaining by reasoning
    "There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way," Mr Cameron said.
    justify v. to be a good excuse for
    e.g. Your state of anxiety does not justify your being so rude to me.
  67. phase out
    terminate gradually
    The Postal Service announced on Wednesday that it will phase out Saturday delivery to cut costs.
    Phrasal Verbs:
    phase in: To introduce, one stage at a time.
    phase out: To bring or come to an end, one stage at a time.
    Idioms:
    in phase: In a correlated or synchronized way.
    out of phase: In an unsynchronized or uncorrelated way.
  68. undertake
    enter upon an activity or enterprise
    The council said it has undertaken work in recent years to help protect the town from flooding.
    synonyms: take on,attempt
  69. undergo
    pass through
    She said Gulbis has undergone blood tests but has not been hospitalized. Seattle Times (Mar 2, 2013)
    synonyms: experience, suffer
  70. boost
    increase
    New drilling techniques have boosted domestic production of both oil and natural gas.
    In linguistics, it refers to use words or phrases to strengthen opinions.
    e.g. still, even, It is clearly shown...
  71. hedge
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    Recently some buyers have followed one bargain hunting hedge fund into the stock.  Forbes (Feb 28, 2013)
    Hedge (linguistics)
    A hedge is a mitigating device used to lessen the impact of an utterance. Typically, they are adjectives or adverbs, but can also consist of clauses. It could be regarded as a form of euphemism.
    He is a slightly stupid person. (adverb)
    There might just be a few insignificant problems we need to address. (adjective)
    The party was somewhat spoiled by the return of the parents. (adverb)
    I'm not an expert but you might want to try restarting your computer. (clause)
  72. prefabricate
    produce synthetically, artificially, or stereotypically and unoriginally
    Offices and hotels are pieced together like Lego blocks of prefabricated container units, imported from abroad. New York Times (Jan 13, 2011)
    pre·fab·ri·cate (pr-fbr-kt)
    tr.v. pre·fab·ri·cat·ed, pre·fab·ri·cat·ing, pre·fab·ri·cates
    1. To manufacture (a building or section of a building, for example) in advance, especially in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled.
    2. To make up, construct, or develop in an artificial, unoriginal, or stereotypic manner.
  73. concordance
    an index of all words in a book along with their contexts
    Concordances in this last sense were first made for the Bible. Various
    also means: the state of harmony or agreement: in concordance with
  74. off the hook
    freed from danger or blame or obligation
    The scientists let hair dyes off the hook, at least so far: they found no evidence that personal use of hair dye increases risk. New York Times (Dec 8, 2011)
    let/take/get ...off the hook
  75. turn over
    cause to overturn from an upright or normal position
    After Ajit was released from prison, he decided to turn over a new leaf and become an honest man.
    turn over a new leaf: To change, as one's attitude or conduct, for the better.
  76. pull up
    remove, usually with some force or effort
    Rajesh scored only forty on his English mid-term exams. He needs to pull up his socks if he wants to do well in his finals.
    pull up one's socks:To make an effort to improve
  77. hit
    deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument
    The candidate of the opposition party spread false rumours about the Minister. People felt that he was hitting below the belt.
    hit below the belt:To act in an unfair manner
  78. gift
    something acquired without compensation
    Pooja was able to keep the audiences amused with her stories. She surely has the gift of the gab.
    gift of the gab:The ability to speak well
  79. wild-goose chase
    the fruitless pursuit of something unattainable
    Searching for hidden gold in the village field is nothing but a wild goose chase.
    Futile search
  80. second thought
    thinking again about a choice previously made
    Rajiv began to have second thoughts about his decision to study Economics when he realised that he could not even pay attention during the lectures.
    have a second thought: Reconsider a decision
  81. take to task
    censure severely or angrily
    Payal was taken to task by her mother when she failed her Mathematics exam.
    take to task: To reprimand someone
  82. face the music
    accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions
    I lost my father’s pen. I will have to face the music when I reach home.
    face the music:To face the consequences of one’s action
  83. break
    destroy the integrity of
    The teacher asked the students to introduce themselves to each other to break the ice.
    break the ice:Overcome initial shyness
  84. mountain
    a land mass that projects well above its surroundings
    Manoj stopped talking to Rupa because she did not lend him her notebook. I think he is making a mountain out of a molehill.
    make a mountain out of a molehil:To give great importance to minor things
  85. at loggerheads
    in a dispute or confrontation
    The two brothers can never work together. They are always at loggerheads.
    at loggerheads: To differ strongly
  86. make hay
    turn to one's advantage
    Mr. Sharma got the big contract to supply machine parts to a big Japanese company. He should make hay while the sun shines.
    make hay while the sun shines:Make the best of a good situation while it lasts
  87. bygone
    well in the past; former
    We have not spoken to each other since the time we had a fight a few months back. We should let bygones be bygones and become friends again.
    let bygones be bygones:Ignore the bad things of the past
  88. hit
    deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument
    Ram is a genius. He hit the nail on the head when he said that the car was overheating because of a leaking radiator.
    hit the nail on the head:Be exact or accurate
  89. throw in the towel
    give up or quit in the face of defeat
    I am unable to solve this question. I am ready to throw in the towel.
    throw in the towel: To accept defeat
  90. leave no stone unturned
    search thoroughly and exhaustively
    Ramesh has joined two coaching classes. He is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to get into an engineering college.
    no stone unturned: Make all possible efforts
  91. paradigm
    the generally accepted perspective of a discipline
    Samsung is probably taking its last steps with Apple’s paradigm. Forbes (Mar 10, 2013)
    It means: a pattern or model
    In linguistics:a set of all the inflected forms of a word based on a single stem or root, as boy, boy's, boys, boys'.
  92. tamper
    play around with, alter, or falsify, usually dishonestly
    To prevent tampering, all documents are encrypted on the DocuSign network. Forbes (Jan 3, 2013)
    (usu. fol. by with): to tamper with official records.
  93. offset
    compensate for or counterbalance
    Losses on one investment can be "harvested" and used to offset gains on other investments, even in different years. Wall Street Journal (Feb 15, 2013)
    vb [ˌɒfˈsɛt] -sets, -setting, -set
    n. something that counterbalances or compensates for something else
  94. scenario
    a postulated sequence of possible events
    A few days after stocks bottomed, a BusinessWeek cover story laid out three scenarios for regaining the losses. Time (Mar 5, 2013)
    n., pl. -nar•i•os.
  95. aggregate
    composed of a dense cluster of separate units
    Over 30 years, the company has aggregated 12 million professional customers. Forbes (Jan 23, 2013)
    adj., n., v. -gat•ed, -gat•ing.
    adj.formed by the conjunction or collection of particulars into a whole mass or sum; total; combined.
    n. a sum, mass, or assemblage of particulars; a total or gross amount.
    Idioms: in the aggregate, considered as a whole.
  96. confer
    present
    Learning to play an instrument may confer some unexpected benefits, recent studies suggest. —New York Times (Sep 10, 2012) The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated
    v. have a conference in order to talk something over; "We conferred about a plan of action"
  97. notwithstanding
    despite anything to the contrary
    Notwithstanding his victory, Jackson prudently determined to retreat. Headley, Joel Tyler
    prep (often immediately postpositive) in spite of; despite e.g.Notwithstanding the bad weather, the ship arrived on time.
    conj (subordinating) despite the fact that; although
    sentence connector, adv. in spite of that; nevertheless e.g. We proceeded, notwithstanding.
  98. invoke
    request earnestly; ask for aid or protection
    Likewise, across the nation’s middle, many communities have invoked water restrictions to protect shrinking supplies. Washington Post (Aug 11, 2012)
    synonym: to call on
  99. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
    Persons and corporations are equivalent entities under the law.
    en′ti•ta`tive adj.
  100. rectify
    make right or correct
    They had not even been opened to rectify small inaccuracies. Scientific American (Nov 16, 2012)
    en′ti•ta`tive adj.
    recti·fi·cation n.
  101. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
    The scientific method demands systematic analysis based on empirical observation. Slate (Mar 18, 2013)
    synonyms： first-hand, direct, observed, practical, actual, experimental, pragmatic, factual, experiential
  102. protocol
    code of correct conduct
    Press criticism was fierce, but certain protocols were observed. Newsweek (Mar 19, 2013)
Created on Mon Jan 21 14:08:39 EST 2013 (updated Sun Apr 07 14:01:02 EDT 2013)

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