Vocabulary: Batch 57

• occurring or done in an instant

  The response was almost instantaneous.

• occurring immediately, without any delay

  The photo appeared instantaneously on her phone.

Statistical term. Similar: quartile (4 groups), percentile (100 groups).

• any of ten equal groups into which a population can be divided according to the distribution of values of a particular variable

  The top decile of earners pays the majority of taxes.

From Greek pan- ("all") + akos ("cure"). Often used skeptically.

• a remedy or solution claimed to cure all diseases or problems

  Technology is not a panacea for all educational problems.

Formal. Literally a contraction of "all be it". Stress on second syllable.

• although

  The play was a success, albeit a minor one.

• relevant or applicable to a particular matter

  She asked some pertinent questions about the project.

• relevance to the matter at hand

  The judge questioned the pertinence of the evidence.

British, dated/old-fashioned. "Cheerios" is also a popular American breakfast cereal.

• (British informal) used as an expression of good wishes on parting; goodbye

  "Cheerio," he called as he left the pub.

• of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else

  She played a pivotal role in the negotiations.

"Pivot" became business jargon in the 2010s for a startup changing its business model.

1. the central point on which a mechanism turns or oscillates

   The handle rotates on a small pivot.

2. a person or thing on which something depends

   He is the pivot of the team's defense.

1. to turn on a central point

   She pivoted on her heel and walked away.

2. (business) to fundamentally change one's strategy

   The startup pivoted from food delivery to logistics.

From Greek anti- ("against") + dotos ("given").

1. a medicine taken or given to counteract a particular poison

   There is no known antidote for this venom.

2. (figurative) something that counteracts something unpleasant

   Laughter is the best antidote to stress.

Common collocations: "wage disparity", "income disparity", "racial disparity".

• a great difference, especially unfair or unequal

  There is a huge disparity in pay between the two roles.

• essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison

  They inhabit disparate worlds of thought.

Often used of children or pets playing rough.

• to act in a noisy, boisterous, or violent manner

  The boys were roughhousing in the backyard.

• to deceive or trick

  He was duped into investing in a fraudulent scheme.

• a person who has been deceived or tricked

  He felt like a dupe after discovering the scam.

Common collocation: "staunch supporter/ally/defender".

• loyal and committed in attitude

  He is a staunch supporter of the party.

• to stop or restrict (a flow of blood)

  She used a cloth to staunch the bleeding.

Often used to suggest the appearance is misleading: "a semblance of normalcy".

• the outward appearance or apparent form of something

  She tried to maintain a semblance of calm.

1. a gradual accumulation or increase

   There has been a build-up of tension in the region.

2. a period of preparation leading up to an event

   The build-up to the wedding was exhausting.

American preference; British prefer "normality". Popularized by Warren G. Harding's 1920 "return to normalcy" campaign.

• the condition of being normal; the state of being usual or typical

  After the storm, life slowly returned to normalcy.

British preference; American: normalcy.

• the condition of being normal

  Life gradually returned to normality after the crisis.

• a decisive and disorderly defeat

  The game ended in a rout, 6-0.

• to defeat decisively

  The army routed the enemy at the border.

• to coerce by physical force or intimidation

  He was strong-armed into signing the contract.

• using or characterized by force or threats

  The strong-arm tactics of the regime drew international condemnation.

Distinct from "roast" (usually meat) and "broil" (intense top heat).

• to cook (food) by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven

  She bakes bread every Sunday.

From Greek episteme ("knowledge") + logia ("study"). Major branch of philosophy.

• the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge - its nature, sources, and limits

  His thesis is on the epistemology of science.

• relating to the theory of knowledge

  The paper raises deep epistemological questions.

• lacking any obvious principle of organization

  The books were stacked in a haphazard manner.

un- + earth (remove from the earth). Different from 'unearthly' (= eerie).

1. to find something in the ground by digging

   Archaeologists unearthed an ancient tomb.

2. to discover (something hidden, lost, or kept secret)

   Reporters unearthed evidence of corruption.

"Logical fallacy" = a flaw in reasoning. Common examples: straw man, ad hominem, false dichotomy.

• a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument

  It's a common fallacy that adding more lanes reduces traffic.

• based on a mistaken belief or unsound reasoning

  His whole argument rests on a fallacious assumption.

In epidemiology, distinct from "epidemic" (sudden widespread outbreak) and "pandemic" (global epidemic). Endemic = constantly present in a region.

1. (of a disease or condition) regularly found and very common in a particular area or among a particular group

   Malaria is endemic in much of Africa.

2. (of a plant or animal) native to and found only in a particular geographic area

   Kangaroos are endemic to Australia.

Always intransitive; typically "meddle in/with". Disapproving.

• to interfere in something that is not one's concern

  Stop meddling in my affairs.

• fond of meddling; interfering

  He was a meddlesome neighbor who watched everyone's comings and goings.

• a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation

  He was in a real predicament after missing the train.

"In a state of flux" = constantly changing. Also a key concept in physics.

1. continuous change

   The political situation is in a state of flux.

2. (physics) the rate of flow of a fluid, particles, or energy through a given area

   The magnetic flux through the coil generates the current.

• a large arrival or flow of people or things

  The city saw an influx of tourists.

• severe mental or physical pain or suffering

  He cried out in anguish at the news.

• experiencing or expressing severe mental or physical pain

  She gave an anguished look at her sleeping child.

Formal.

• to reprimand someone severely

  The judge castigated the lawyer for his unprofessional behavior.

• severe criticism or reprimand

  He faced public castigation for his remarks.

1. to make a gesture with the hand or head to encourage someone to come closer

   She beckoned him over to her table.

2. to appear inviting or attractive

   The mountains beckoned the climbers.

"Oxtail soup" and "oxtail stew" are classic dishes valued for the rich gelatin from the bones.

• the tail of a cow, used in cooking

  She made a hearty oxtail soup.

1. relating to the countryside; rural

   They stayed in a rustic cabin in the woods.

2. having a simplicity and charm considered typical of the countryside

   The bread had a rustic, hand-shaped appearance.

• the quality of being rural or rustic

  The cottage's rusticity was its main charm.

From French. Often spelled "purée" with accent. Common: "tomato puree".

• a smooth pulpy mass made from cooked vegetables or fruit

  She added tomato puree to the sauce.

• to make a puree of (fruit or vegetables)

  Puree the soup until smooth.

"Fad diet" = a popular but typically short-lived weight-loss approach.

• an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived

  Disco was a popular fad in the 1970s.

From the literal sense relating to a church parish.

1. having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

   His view of the world is very parochial.

2. relating to a church parish

   He attended a parochial school as a child.

• a limited or narrow outlook, especially focused on a local area

  The party's parochialism has cost it national support.

Plural: hooves or hoofs. "On the hoof" (British) = (1) (of animals) alive, (2) without proper planning.

• the horny part of the foot of an ungulate animal, especially a horse

  The horse's hooves clattered on the cobblestones.

• a factory or building where logs are sawn into planks or boards

  The town grew up around the old sawmill.

Originally the Apollo program (1961-1972). "Moonshot project" is popular tech jargon for ambitious initiatives.

1. the launching of a spacecraft to the moon

   The first successful moonshot was Apollo 11.

2. an extremely ambitious and innovative project

   Curing cancer would be a true moonshot.

Pirate/treasure meaning is older; the buttocks meaning is American slang.

1. (uncountable) valuable stolen goods, especially in war

   The pirates divided the booty.

2. (uncountable, slang) the buttocks

   She loves dancing and shaking her booty.

From Latin bi- ("two") + caput ("head") - the muscle has two attachment points ("heads") at the shoulder. Plural same as singular.

• a large muscle in the upper arm that flexes the forearm

  He flexed his biceps for the photo.

From Latin tri- ("three") + caput ("head") - three attachment points at the shoulder/elbow.

• the large three-part muscle at the back of the upper arm that extends the forearm

  Push-ups work the triceps.

• easily persuaded to believe something; credulous

  He's so gullible, he'll believe anything you tell him.

• the quality of being easily persuaded to believe things

  The scammer took advantage of her gullibility.

In American English, "graft" can mean political corruption (bribes, etc.). In British English, it means hard work.

1. a piece of living tissue surgically transplanted to another part of an organism

   He underwent a skin graft after the burn.

2. a bud or shoot from one plant attached to another

   The gardener attached a graft to the rose bush.

• to attach or insert a graft

  They grafted the orange branch onto the lemon tree.

British/Boston slang: "wicked" can also mean "very" (as an adverb): "wicked smart".

1. evil or morally wrong

   The wicked witch cast a spell on her.

2. (informal) excellent; wonderful

   That movie was wicked!

• the quality of being evil or morally wrong

  The story explores the depths of human wickedness.

Typically "yearn for" something or "yearn to" do something. Literary.

• to have an intense feeling of longing for something

  She yearned for her homeland.

• a feeling of intense longing for something

  She felt a deep yearning for her childhood home.

• the birth of an infant that has died in the womb

  They were devastated by the stillbirth of their child.

Also used figuratively for plans that fail at inception.

1. (of an infant) born dead

   The baby was stillborn.

2. (figurative) ending in failure from the outset

   The project was stillborn due to lack of funding.

From Latin: ex- ("out") + folium ("leaf"). Originally about peeling layers like leaves.

• to wash or rub the skin with a granular substance to remove dead cells

  She exfoliates her face twice a week.

• the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin

  Regular exfoliation can leave skin looking brighter.

Offensive racial slur.

• (offensive) a white person

  The term is generally considered offensive.

Famously associated with Neville Chamberlain's policy toward Hitler in 1938.

• to pacify or placate (someone) by giving in to their demands

  He tried to appease the angry customer with a refund.

• the action or policy of pacifying an aggressive party by giving in to their demands

  The appeasement of the regime did not prevent war.

Also (vulgar) refers to a hole in a wall used for anonymous sexual acts.

• (informal) a place where a lot of unwanted things are kept untidily

  The cupboard under the stairs is a real glory hole.

American homes use furnaces for central heating; British homes use "boilers".

1. an enclosed structure in which material can be heated to very high temperatures

   The blast furnace was used to smelt iron.

2. (American) a heating device for a home

   The furnace broke down in the middle of winter.

Formal or biblical/religious.

• to feel or show great joy

  The townspeople rejoiced at the news of victory.

• the expression of great joy or happiness

  There was much rejoicing when the war ended.

Common in spiritual/philosophical contexts.

• the state of being one or united; unity

  He felt a sense of oneness with nature.

Strong disapproval. From Latin: dis- ("apart") + solvere ("loosen").

• lax in morals; debauched

  He lived a dissolute life of drinking and gambling.

Often when one's mind "goes blank" mid-task.

• an inability to remember something or to think clearly, often due to anxiety

  She had a mental block during the exam.

Distinct from a steer (castrated young male) or bull (uncastrated male).

• a castrated male cow, especially one used for draft work

  The farmer used bullocks to plow the field.

• lacking interest or excitement; dull

  He longed to escape his mundane existence.

Note the unusual pronunciation (4 syllables, not "e-pi-tom"). Common in "the epitome of".

• a perfect example of a quality or type

  She is the epitome of elegance.

• to be a perfect example of something

  Her speech epitomized calm leadership.

"Stealth bomber" = military aircraft designed to evade radar.

• cautious and surreptitious action or movement

  The thief moved with great stealth.

• behaving, done, or made in a cautious and surreptitious manner

  The cat moved with stealthy steps.

Common in political discourse, especially British.

• a tax that is unobtrusively introduced or increased, often included in another transaction

  Critics called the new fee a stealth tax.

• a heraldic device or symbolic object, often representing a country or family

  The eagle is the national emblem of the United States.

• serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept

  The Statue of Liberty is emblematic of freedom.

American informal. Often used as an interjection: "Bummer!".

• (informal) a disappointing or unpleasant situation or experience

  It's a real bummer that you can't come.

1. unable to take effective action; helpless

   The authorities were impotent to stop the violence.

2. (of a man) unable to achieve a sexual erection

   The medication treats impotent men.

Two senses: medical (erectile dysfunction, now usually "ED") and political/general (powerlessness). Antonym: potency.

• the state of being unable to act or take effect

  He felt the impotence of his protest.

Common phrase: "have recourse to" something.

• a source of help in a difficult situation

  His only recourse was to go to court.

In computing, a "jiffy" is a precisely defined small unit of time (e.g., 1/100 second in Linux). "Jiffy Pop" is a brand of popcorn.

• (informal) a moment; a short time

  I'll be there in a jiffy.

• constituting number twenty in a sequence; 20th

  This is the twentieth anniversary of the school's founding.

• constituting number thirty in a sequence; 30th

  She celebrated her thirtieth birthday.

Note the spelling: forty (no "u") and fortieth, distinct from four/fourth which keep the "u".

• constituting number forty in a sequence; 40th

  He's working on his fortieth novel.

"Task force" = a temporary group set up to address a specific problem.

• a piece of work to be done or undertaken

  The first task is to gather information.

Often "task someone with".

• to assign a task or duty to someone

  She was tasked with organizing the event.

Root of registrar.

1. an official list or record of names, items, or events

   The birth was recorded in the register.

2. a cash register

   She rang up the sale on the register.

• to enter one's name officially on a list or record

  Students must register for classes by Friday.

In Britain, also a junior hospital doctor in specialist training.

• an official responsible for keeping a register or official records

  The registrar's office handles all enrollment matters.

Often slightly humorous in tone.

• a lengthy and complicated procedure

  The rigmarole of getting a visa took weeks.

Archaic on its own; survives almost exclusively in "newfangled" = (often pejorative) newly invented and fashionable.

• (archaic) a fashion, especially a foolish or undesirable new fashion

  He distrusted all the latest fangles in technology.

(often disapproving) newly invented and fashionable.

• new and often needlessly novel or unfamiliar

  He refused to use any newfangled gadgets.

Root of engorged.

• to swell or cause to swell with fluid, especially blood

  The tick's body engorges as it feeds.

Often medical or biological context.

• swollen with fluid, especially blood

  The tick was engorged with blood.

• a short joke or witty remark

  The comedian is famous for his one-liners.

"Gumball machine" - the coin-operated dispenser is iconic in American culture.

• a small ball of chewing gum, typically colorful and sold from a vending machine

  She put a quarter in the gumball machine.

From Greek phleps ("vein") + tomia ("cutting"). Historically also referred to bloodletting.

• the surgical opening or puncture of a vein in order to withdraw blood

  She trained as a phlebotomy technician.

From Latin manus ("hand") + cura ("care"). Foot version: pedicure.

• a cosmetic treatment of the hands and fingernails

  She gets a manicure every two weeks.

• having had a manicure; (of a lawn or garden) carefully trimmed and tidy

  The estate has a beautifully manicured lawn.

• a person who gives manicures

  The manicurist applied a fresh coat of polish.

Pronunciation differs: verb /prɪˈsɪpəteɪt/, adjective/noun /prɪˈsɪpətət/.

1. to cause (an event or situation, typically a bad one) to happen suddenly

   The scandal precipitated his resignation.

2. (chemistry) to cause to be deposited in solid form from a solution

   The salt precipitated out of the solution.

• done or acting suddenly and without careful consideration

  His precipitate decision was widely criticized.

• rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground

  The forecast shows precipitation throughout the weekend.

In grammar, German and Latin have three genders: masculine, feminine, neuter.

1. (grammar) of or relating to a gender of nouns and pronouns that is neither masculine nor feminine

   German has neuter nouns, like "das Mädchen" (the girl).

2. (of an animal) having no developed sexual organs, or having had them removed

   The shelter neuters all the cats before adoption.

• to castrate or spay (a domestic animal)

  We had our dog neutered last month.

"In the loop" / "out of the loop" = informed/uninformed. In programming, a "loop" is a control structure for repetition.

1. a shape produced by a curve that bends round and crosses itself

   She tied the rope in a loop.

2. a structured set of instructions that is repeated until a specified condition is met (in programming)

   The function uses a for loop to iterate through the array.

• to form into a loop or loops

  She looped the scarf around her neck.

From Latin: ad- ("to") + nihil ("nothing").

• to destroy utterly; obliterate

  The army annihilated the enemy forces.

• total destruction or obliteration

  The city faced complete annihilation during the siege.

Rare. The female equivalent is "daughterhood". Most often discussed in Christian theology.

• the state of being a son

  His sonhood was tested by the years of estrangement.

• honest and respectable

  He is an upstanding member of the community.

Almost always used in the phrase "in lieu of". From French "lieu" (place).

• in the phrase "in lieu of" - in the place of; instead of

  She accepted the gift in lieu of payment.

Often confused: in English, sensible = practical/wise; sensitive = easily affected emotionally. (In some other languages, the cognate of "sensible" means "sensitive".)

• done or chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence; likely to be of benefit

  It's sensible to save some money each month.

Past tense same as present: let. Many phrasal verbs: let down, let go, let in, let off, let up.

1. to allow or permit

   She let me borrow her car.

2. (British) to allow someone to use a room or property in exchange for rent

   They let the apartment to a young couple.

British spelling; American: woolen.

• made of wool

  She wore a heavy woollen coat.

American spelling of woollen.

• American spelling of woollen

  She wore a heavy woolen coat.

Originated from old fairground organs that had bells and whistles for decoration. Modern usage applies especially to tech products.

• attractive but unnecessary features or accessories, especially of a piece of equipment

  The new model has all the bells and whistles.

"Impulse buy" = a purchase made without prior planning.

1. a sudden strong urge or desire to act

   She bought the dress on impulse.

2. a brief burst of energy or signal

   The nerve sends impulses to the brain.

• acting or done without forethought

  She made an impulsive decision to quit her job.

• a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used

  A black residue had built up in the pan.

"Residuals" (plural noun) in entertainment = ongoing payments to actors for reruns.

• remaining after the greater part or quantity has gone

  There is still some residual pain in his knee.

Refers to magicians' tricks using actual smoke and mirrors.

• the obscuring or embellishing of the truth with misleading information

  Their financial statements were all smoke and mirrors.