Desultory
If you lack a definite plan or purpose and flit from one thing to another, your actions are desultory.
Some people call such desultory wanderings spontaneous. Others call it "being lost." @WordCzar
The adjective desultory comes from the word desultor, which was a circus rider who would leap from the back of one galloping horse onto another.
From this literal sense of jumping from one thing to another, we get the modern meaning of desultory as jumping between things without a logical purpose.
If you lack a definite plan or purpose and flit from one thing to another, your actions are desultory.
Some people call such desultory wanderings spontaneous. Others call it "being lost." @WordCzar
The adjective desultory comes from the word desultor, which was a circus rider who would leap from the back of one galloping horse onto another.
From this literal sense of jumping from one thing to another, we get the modern meaning of desultory as jumping between things without a logical purpose.
Effrontery
If you rudely behave as if you have a right to something that you have no right to, you're committing effrontery.
When a couple stroll into a crowded restaurant, demand the best table, and threaten the staff unless they're seated right away, that's effrontery.
People have been guilty of outrageously self-centered behavior at least since 1715, when effrontery was coined.
Tracing to the French word effrontรฉ, meaning "shameless," the word effrontery is also connected to brazen, which means "of brass," and describes someone so accustomed to effrontery that he's hardened to it and has no concern for the harm done to others.
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Join @Electricly if you are interested in Electrical and Electronics
If you rudely behave as if you have a right to something that you have no right to, you're committing effrontery.
When a couple stroll into a crowded restaurant, demand the best table, and threaten the staff unless they're seated right away, that's effrontery.
People have been guilty of outrageously self-centered behavior at least since 1715, when effrontery was coined.
Tracing to the French word effrontรฉ, meaning "shameless," the word effrontery is also connected to brazen, which means "of brass," and describes someone so accustomed to effrontery that he's hardened to it and has no concern for the harm done to others.
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Join @Electricly if you are interested in Electrical and Electronics
Bolshie :
Emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals or revolutionaries
Synonyms:Bolshevik, Marxist, bolshy, red
Emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals or revolutionaries
Synonyms:Bolshevik, Marxist, bolshy, red
Distend
A soda and pizza binge might make your stomach distend, meaning your stomach will swell as a result of pressure from the inside.
If youโve ever eaten too much food it wonโt surprise you to learn that the verb distend traces back to the Latin words dis-, meaning โapart,โ and tendere, meaning โto stretch.โ @WordCzar
Your stomach will certainly feel stretched out if you do something โ like overeat โ that causes it to distend.
The word distend often applies to stomachs โ a pregnancy would also cause a stomach to distend โ but it can also refer to anything that is stretched out as a result of internal pressure.
A soda and pizza binge might make your stomach distend, meaning your stomach will swell as a result of pressure from the inside.
If youโve ever eaten too much food it wonโt surprise you to learn that the verb distend traces back to the Latin words dis-, meaning โapart,โ and tendere, meaning โto stretch.โ @WordCzar
Your stomach will certainly feel stretched out if you do something โ like overeat โ that causes it to distend.
The word distend often applies to stomachs โ a pregnancy would also cause a stomach to distend โ but it can also refer to anything that is stretched out as a result of internal pressure.
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Immutable
If you can't change it, it's immutable.
There are many things in life that are immutable; these unchangeable things include death, taxes, and the laws of physics.
The adjective immutable has Latin roots that mean "not changeable."
The Latin prefix for not is in, but the spelling changes when the prefix is put before the consonant m.
It is imbefore a root word starting with m as in immutable. If you learn this rule, you'll know the immutable fact that immutable begins with i-m-m.
If you can't change it, it's immutable.
There are many things in life that are immutable; these unchangeable things include death, taxes, and the laws of physics.
The adjective immutable has Latin roots that mean "not changeable."
The Latin prefix for not is in, but the spelling changes when the prefix is put before the consonant m.
It is imbefore a root word starting with m as in immutable. If you learn this rule, you'll know the immutable fact that immutable begins with i-m-m.
Stopgap
A stopgap is a temporary solution to a problem, like a piece of cardboard taped over the broken window in your car.
Until you can get it fixed, you need a stopgap.
This sturdy English native dates to the early 16th century, and like its semantic cousin makeshift, it seems to have been cobbled together by the two closest words at hand.
Both words actually originated from phrasal use of their components: stop a gap for the first, and make shift for the second. Not that they're jury-rigged in any way!
A stopgap is a temporary solution to a problem, like a piece of cardboard taped over the broken window in your car.
Until you can get it fixed, you need a stopgap.
This sturdy English native dates to the early 16th century, and like its semantic cousin makeshift, it seems to have been cobbled together by the two closest words at hand.
Both words actually originated from phrasal use of their components: stop a gap for the first, and make shift for the second. Not that they're jury-rigged in any way!
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Occlude
Occlude means to obstruct, as with an opening.
You hear this a lot in a medical context. Heart surgeons are looking for occlusions in blood vesselsโโthings that occlude the flow of blood.
Occlude does not exist only in a medical context.
If you close the bathroom door so your little brother won't come in while you're trying out makeup with your friends, you're occluding the bathroom.
Meanwhile, your makeup occludes your pores.
Occlude means to obstruct, as with an opening.
You hear this a lot in a medical context. Heart surgeons are looking for occlusions in blood vesselsโโthings that occlude the flow of blood.
Occlude does not exist only in a medical context.
If you close the bathroom door so your little brother won't come in while you're trying out makeup with your friends, you're occluding the bathroom.
Meanwhile, your makeup occludes your pores.
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Cauterize
To cauterize is to seal off a wound or incision by burning it or freezing it, usually with a hot iron, electricity, or chemicals.
Metaphorically, cauterize means to make less sensitive to feelings and emotions.
@WordCzar
Cauterize is usually a medical term. In surgery, using an electrical tool to cauterize the incision seals off blood vessels, resulting in a cleaner operation that heals more easily.
Extreme cold, electricity, and chemicals are also used outside the body cauterize, or "burn off," warts and vessels that cause nosebleeds.
To cauterize is to seal off a wound or incision by burning it or freezing it, usually with a hot iron, electricity, or chemicals.
Metaphorically, cauterize means to make less sensitive to feelings and emotions.
@WordCzar
Cauterize is usually a medical term. In surgery, using an electrical tool to cauterize the incision seals off blood vessels, resulting in a cleaner operation that heals more easily.
Extreme cold, electricity, and chemicals are also used outside the body cauterize, or "burn off," warts and vessels that cause nosebleeds.
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Intractable :
Can't manage your stubborn little brother who won't do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother.
Problems are intractable when they can't be solved.
Intractable means not tractable.
Helpful, right? No? Let's break it down.
In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together.
When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
Can't manage your stubborn little brother who won't do what anyone says? You could call him intractable, or you could call your mother.
Problems are intractable when they can't be solved.
Intractable means not tractable.
Helpful, right? No? Let's break it down.
In both words you see the word tract. A contract is a written document that explains how a legal situation is to be managed together.
When someone is tractable they are able to be managed or handled. When they are intractable, they are as unmanageable as a hungry two-year old.
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Exculpate :
To exculpate means to find someone not guilty of criminal charges.
If you've been wrongly accused of robbery, you'd better hope a judge will exculpate you, unless you want to go to jail because you've heard prison food is amazing.
Exculpate comes from two Latin words: ex-, meaning "from," and culpa, meaning "blame." Exculpate is similar in meaning to exonerate.
When you exonerate someone, you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it.
Exculpate usually refers more directly to clearing the charges against someone. So if that judge exculpates you from the robbery charge, everyone in town might still think you did it. Get him to exculpate and exonerate you.
To exculpate means to find someone not guilty of criminal charges.
If you've been wrongly accused of robbery, you'd better hope a judge will exculpate you, unless you want to go to jail because you've heard prison food is amazing.
Exculpate comes from two Latin words: ex-, meaning "from," and culpa, meaning "blame." Exculpate is similar in meaning to exonerate.
When you exonerate someone, you clear a person of an accusation and any suspicion that goes along with it.
Exculpate usually refers more directly to clearing the charges against someone. So if that judge exculpates you from the robbery charge, everyone in town might still think you did it. Get him to exculpate and exonerate you.
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A judge is most likely to exculpate which of the following criminals?
Anonymous Poll
8%
one who only committed a single crime
10%
one who felt very guilty for his crimes
74%
one who was found to be innocent
8%
one who committed many terrible crimes
Specious
Use specious to describe an argument that seems to be good, correct, or logical, but is not so.
We live on the earth, therefore the earth must be the center of the universe has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system.
Specious is pronounced "SPEE-shuhs."
Something that is specious is attractive in a deceptive way, and if you follow the word's etymology, you'll see why.
In Middle English, this adjective meant "attractive," from Latin speciลsus "showy, beautiful," from speciฤs"appearance, kind, sort." Latin speciฤs is also the source of English species.
Use specious to describe an argument that seems to be good, correct, or logical, but is not so.
We live on the earth, therefore the earth must be the center of the universe has been proven to be a specious theory of the solar system.
Specious is pronounced "SPEE-shuhs."
Something that is specious is attractive in a deceptive way, and if you follow the word's etymology, you'll see why.
In Middle English, this adjective meant "attractive," from Latin speciลsus "showy, beautiful," from speciฤs"appearance, kind, sort." Latin speciฤs is also the source of English species.
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Obviate :
To obviate means to eliminate the need for something or to prevent something from happening.
If you want to obviate the possibility of a roach infestation, clean your kitchen regularly.
The prefix ob means "to go against."
That makes sense when you look at the words obstruct and obstacle, but how about obstetrics? Why does the name of the branch of medicine dealing with birth have the same root as words that mean "stop" or "get in the way"? Because a midwife stands opposite to, or against, the woman giving birth.
To obviate means to eliminate the need for something or to prevent something from happening.
If you want to obviate the possibility of a roach infestation, clean your kitchen regularly.
The prefix ob means "to go against."
That makes sense when you look at the words obstruct and obstacle, but how about obstetrics? Why does the name of the branch of medicine dealing with birth have the same root as words that mean "stop" or "get in the way"? Because a midwife stands opposite to, or against, the woman giving birth.
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Denigrate
To denigrate is to say bad things โ true or false โ about a person or thing.
Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded.
The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means โto blacken.โ To sully or defame someoneโs reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it.
Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan.
Denigrate can also mean that you're making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements
To denigrate is to say bad things โ true or false โ about a person or thing.
Your reputation as a math whiz might be hurt if your jealous classmate manages to denigrate you, even though the accusations are unfounded.
The verb denigrate comes from the Latin word denigrare, which means โto blacken.โ To sully or defame someoneโs reputation, or to spread negative or hurtful information about a company or a situation, is to denigrate it.
Your neighbors may denigrate your proposal for mandatory recycling in an attempt to stop your plan.
Denigrate can also mean that you're making something seem less important, like when your brother tries to denigrate your athletic achievements