a large New World vulture with a bare head and mainly black plumage
An Andean condor.
the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity
A voice of rich timbre.
a leopard, especially a black one; a puma
A black panther.
a large long-tailed game bird native to Asia, the male of which typically has very showy plumage
A roasted pheasant.
a massive and extremely remote celestial object, emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy
Astronomers discovered a new quasar.
acutely distressing
A harrowing experience.
a young, uncastrated male horse, in particular one less than four years old
A frisky colt.
funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way
A wacky comedy.
namely; in other words
The first music reproducing media, viz., the cylinder and the record.
to use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking or to emphasize one's words
They were shouting and gesticulating frantically.
money paid for work or a service
They work in excess of their contracted hours for no extra remuneration.
a brief written record or message
Take a note of his address.
(music) a single tone of definite pitch
She hit a wrong note during the solo.
(British) a banknote
He paid with a ten-pound note.
to notice or pay particular attention to something
Please note that the office is closed on Mondays.
often (used in combination)
An oft-repeated story.
a thin whitish coating consisting of minute fungal hyphae, growing on plants or damp organic material such as paper or leather
There was mildew on the walls.
covered or affected with mildew
Mildewed books.
a doctor having direct contact with and responsibility for patients, rather than one involved with theoretical or laboratory studies
He is a skilled clinician.
advocating legalized abortion (contrasted with pro-life, which opposes legalized abortion)
The pro-choice movement.
opposing legalized abortion (contrasted with pro-choice, which advocates a woman's right to choose)
The pro-life movement.
of the thing just mentioned; of that
The member state or a part thereof.
an electrical device for drying a person's hair by blowing warm air over it
She used a hairdryer.
a brass instrument with a coiled tube, valves, and a wide bell
He plays the French horn.
a cat of a lightly colored breed with dark points and pale blue eyes
She owns a Siamese cat.
'Conjoined twins' is now the preferred, less othering term in medical and everyday use.
conjoined twin
They were born as Siamese twins.
self-indulgently sentimental; mawkish
A soppy love song.
a title of various Muslim (mainly Arab) rulers
The emir of Kuwait.
holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority; denoting a person or thing from whom or which the name of an artistic work or similar is taken
The titular head of the church.
a story or play about a murder in which the identity of the murderer is not revealed until the end
A classic whodunnit.
(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright; tasting sour or bitter
His acerbic wit.
sharpness and directness in speech
He spoke with acerbity.
having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell; angry and bitter
Acrid smoke.
to make (someone) unable to think clearly; confuse
Being in love must have addled your brain.
confused; unable to think clearly
He gave an addled explanation that convinced no one.
very eager or curious to hear or see something
I'm all agog to hear what happened.
extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places
She suffered from agoraphobia.
having an extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places
He is agoraphobic.
relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land
An agrarian society.
the science of soil management and crop production
She studied agronomy at university.
an expert in the science of soil management and crop production
The agronomist studied the soil.
a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority
He must ensure public order in a country threatened with anarchy.
with no controlling rules or principles to give order
An anarchic society.
belief in the abolition of all government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion
He advocates anarchism.
a person who believes in or tries to bring about anarchy
A group of anarchists.
a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass
A beautiful mosaic.
(figurative) a varied combination of elements forming a whole
The city is a mosaic of different cultures and traditions.
a small carnivorous mammal of the weasel family, widespread in Eurasia and North America, with a brown coat that turns white in winter
The stoat is an agile hunter.
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her.
the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Her ambivalence toward the job offer surprised her friends.
relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that followed mannerism and is characterized by ornate detail
Baroque architecture.
a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue; a thing that rouses activity or energy in someone or something
Areas of the brain which respond to auditory stimuli.
without trees
A treeless plain.
a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height
He suffered from vertigo.
causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or steep
Vertiginous drops.
a stringed instrument like a small U-shaped harp with strings fixed to a crossbar, used especially in ancient Greece
He played the lyre.
any of 28 small oblong pieces marked with 0–6 pips in each half, used in playing dominoes
A game of dominoes.
the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events
The collapse of the bank had a domino effect.
a long essay on a particular subject, especially one written as a requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree
She wrote a dissertation on modern poetry.
lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely
A permanent job.
Usually shortened to 'perm'; dated but still used, especially in American English.
(dated, American) a long-lasting hair wave produced by chemical treatment
She got a permanent at the salon downtown.
having a solid, almost unyielding surface or structure
The mattress was firm but comfortable.
(figurative) showing resolve or strength of character
She gave a firm refusal.
a business concern, especially a partnership
A law firm.
a forecast of the likely course of a disease or ailment
The disease has a poor prognosis.
the composition of a particular human population
The demography of the United States.
relating to the study or structure of populations
The demographic trend.
a particular sector of a population, especially defined by age or income
The show is popular with the 18-to-34 demographic.
(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled
Parents who have amenable children.
in exactly the same words as were used originally
Subjects were instructed to read the passage verbatim.
corresponding word for word to the original; exact
She gave a verbatim transcript of the interview.
to omit a sound or syllable when speaking
Some speakers elide the vowel in 'chocolate'.
to join or merge things together, especially so as to obscure a distinction
The film elides the line between fact and fiction.
a large semiaquatic reptile similar to a crocodile but with a broader and shorter head, native to the Americas and China
A Florida alligator.
From Latin torquere ('to twist'), related to torque and distort. Etymologically unrelated to torso despite similar spelling.
the action of twisting or the state of being twisted, especially of one end of an object relative to the other
Torsion of the intestine.
a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze
A labyrinth of passages.
(of a person or their body) strongly and solidly built; strong enough to withstand rough work or treatment
A sturdy table.
a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required
A recipe for chocolate cake.
'A recipe for disaster/success' (idiom) = a situation likely to lead to a bad or good outcome
Mixing alcohol and driving is a recipe for disaster.
each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored
Rose petals.
to move forward in a purposeful way; to make progress
The troops advanced.
an amount of money paid before it is due, or for incomplete work
He asked for an advance on his salary.
done or provided ahead of time
Guests are asked to give advance notice of their arrival.
a group of people who work on and operate a ship, aircraft, etc.
The ship's crew.
Stress the verb on the second syllable; the noun "indent" (an official order for goods) stresses the first.
to begin (a line of text) further from the margin than the others
Indent the first line of each paragraph.
Stress the noun on the first syllable; the verb "indent" (to indent a line of text) stresses the second.
an official order or requisition for goods
He submitted an indent for new office supplies.
the action of indenting or the state of being indented; a deep recess or notch on the edge or surface of something
An indentation in the coastline.
a device that makes a loud prolonged sound as a signal or warning
Ambulance sirens.
(mythology) a dangerously seductive woman, from the Greek myth of sea nymphs who lured sailors to their deaths with song
'Siren song' = an alluring but deceptively dangerous appeal.
excessively praising or admiring
An adulatory review.
obsequious flattery; excessive admiration or praise
He found it difficult to cope with the adulation of the fans.
the simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset
Profitable arbitrage opportunities.
Also: "arbitrageur" (French form). Hedge funds employ arbitragers. Modern: high-frequency trading firms exploit microsecond price differences.
a person who profits from price differences in markets
The arbitrager bought low in one market and sold high in another.
(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually
Deciduous forests.
a small bed with high barred sides for a baby or very young child; a camp bed (US)
The baby is asleep in his cot.
Coined by French philosopher Auguste Comte from Latin "alter" (other). Antonym: egoism.
the belief in or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others
She was praised for her altruism in donating a kidney to a stranger.
showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish
Altruistic motives.
relating to, involving, or requiring an absence of free oxygen
Anaerobic bacteria.
of or containing water, typically as a solvent or medium
An aqueous solution.
a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter
An arbiter of taste.
(of an independent person or body) to reach an authoritative judgment or settlement
The board has the power to arbitrate in disputes.
settling a dispute by using an independent third party
The contract requires arbitration before any lawsuit.
a botanical garden devoted to trees
We walked through the arboretum.
(chiefly of animals) living in trees; relating to trees
Arboreal monkeys.
an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce
They called an armistice.
a small rocky body orbiting the sun
The asteroid belt.
clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others
An industry dominated by artifice.
having or showing great knowledge or learning
An erudite scholar.
the quality of having or showing great knowledge or learning; scholarship
He was known for his wit and erudition.
From Latin: aequus ("equal") + vox ("voice"). To speak with equal-sounding but misleading words.
to use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself
When asked directly, the minister equivocated.
Adverb: "unequivocally". A common emphatic, e.g. "an unequivocal yes".
leaving no doubt; unambiguous
The answer was an unequivocal no.
open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous; uncertain or questionable in nature
The equivocal nature of her remarks.
a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word
'Water' has two syllables.
a word of one syllable
He answered in monosyllables.
the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property
Police are treating the fire as arson.
a person who commits arson
Police suspect an arsonist.
recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources
Profligate consumers of energy.
a recklessly extravagant or dissolute person
He was condemned as a profligate who squandered his inheritance.
the branch of mathematics dealing with the relations of the sides and angles of triangles and with the relevant functions of any angles
He studies trigonometry.
to think or speak very highly of someone or something
The party continues to exalt its hero.
to raise someone to a higher rank or position of greater power
He was exalted to the rank of general.
a friendly relationship
International amity and goodwill.
having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner
An amiable, unassuming fellow.
a secret or illicit love affair or lover
He is known for his amours.
tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile
Actions inimical to our interests.
(of a man or his behavior) courteous and gallant, especially toward women
Shall I be chivalrous and offer you my coat?
excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
A garrulous cab driver.
to spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of something
Development programs have been vitiated by the rise in population.
(law) to destroy or impair the legal validity of something
Fraud vitiates a contract.
censure or criticize severely
He excoriated the government's censorship.
(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse
The book is full of recondite information.
an abundance; the condition of being full or complete
An agricultural plenitude.
eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
His public statements became increasingly pugnacious.
superficially plausible, but actually wrong; misleading in appearance, especially misleadingly attractive
A specious argument.
looking or sounding sad and dismal
His face looked even more lugubrious than usual.
very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself
She should be magnanimous in victory.
alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive
I had for a time vacillated between teaching and journalism.
(of a phrase or idea) lacking significance through having been overused; unoriginal and trite
Hackneyed old sayings.
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive
A didactic novel.
a beautiful girl or woman, especially the most beautiful at a particular event or in a particular group
The belle of the ball.
(formal or humorous) to drink, especially alcohol
Guests were imbibing freely at the reception.
to absorb or take in ideas, knowledge, or a mood
She imbibed a love of literature from her grandmother.
a small gadget or mechanical device, especially one whose name is unknown or unspecified
The factory produces widgets of various kinds.
(computing) a small application or interface element displayed on a screen
She added a weather widget to her home screen.
a popular cultivated viola with flowers in rich colors, with both summer- and winter-flowering varieties
A bed of pansies.
(dated, offensive slang) a derogatory term for an effeminate man
The word was once used as a schoolyard insult, and is now considered offensive.
a small four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian origin
Playing the ukulele.
relating to the air, aviation, or aeronautics
Aerodynamics.