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Word Of The Day Archives - April 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
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| alcove (n) |
recessed room |
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| Sentence: |
Our living room has an alcove in the back for private reading. |
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| Similar Words: |
nook |
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Monday, April 2, 2007
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| innocuous (adj) |
harmless |
| innocuousness |
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| Sentence: |
We witnessed an angry, but innocuous, demonstration in the town square. |
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| Similar Words: |
painless, inoffensive |
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Tuesday, April 3, 2007
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| juncture (n) |
important point in time |
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| Sentence: |
At this juncture, it is perhaps time for us to step back and reconsider all our options. |
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| Similar Words: |
crossroads |
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Wednesday, April 4, 2007
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| wastrel (n) |
wasteful person |
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| Sentence: |
Winning a lottery can turn a thrifty, prudent person into a wastrel overnight. |
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| Similar Words: |
spendthrift |
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Thursday, April 5, 2007
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| erratic (adj) |
lacking consistency |
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| Sentence: |
The child's erratic, unpredictable behavior concerned us all. |
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| Similar Words: |
fickle, mercurial |
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Friday, April 6, 2007
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| intransigent (adj) |
stubborn, uncompromising |
| intransigence |
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| Sentence: |
My uncle's intransigent views on social issues revealed his shallow intellect. |
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| Similar Words: |
intractable, obdurate, obstinate |
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Saturday, April 7, 2007
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| abrade (v) |
rub away |
| abrasion |
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| Sentence: |
The relentless wind abraded the surface of the rock into a glassy smoothness. |
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| Similar Words: |
chafe |
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Sunday, April 8, 2007
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| eddy (n) |
swirling winds or water |
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| Sentence: |
Caught in the eddy, I was spinning wildly until the currents took me past the jetty. |
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| Similar Words: |
whirlpool |
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Monday, April 9, 2007
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| lithe (adj) |
flexible |
| litheness |
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| Sentence: |
Exceptionally lithe his whole life, my father could do a full backbend at age 60. |
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| Similar Words: |
lissome, supple, limber |
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007
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| grovel (v) |
behave in a subservient manner |
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| Sentence: |
When you grovel to the boss, you alienate all your fellow employees. |
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| Similar Words: |
fawn |
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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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| factious (adj) |
hostile, dissenting |
| factiousness |
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| Sentence: |
After learning that Joe was factious and belligerent almost all the time, the civic group barred him from further meetings. |
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| Similar Words: |
seditious, insurgent |
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Thursday, April 12, 2007
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| redress (v) |
set right |
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| Sentence: |
Our town plans to redress the bigotry of the past. |
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| Similar Words: |
correct |
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Friday, April 13, 2007
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| abstruse (adj) |
hard to understand |
| abstruseness |
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| Sentence: |
The mathematician offered an abstruse proof of an ancient theorem. |
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| Similar Words: |
recondite |
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Saturday, April 14, 2007
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| cavil (v) |
raise trivial objections |
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| Sentence: |
If you have an important objection, I would like to hear it; but please do not cavil. |
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| Similar Words: |
carp, quibble |
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Sunday, April 15, 2007
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| savory (adj) |
flavorful |
| savoriness |
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| Sentence: |
The cook set out a savory dinner of turkey and dressing. |
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| Similar Words: |
pleasing |
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Monday, April 16, 2007
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| imperious (adj) |
arrogantly domineering |
| imperiousness |
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| Sentence: |
Our imperious boss terrified us all with his dictatorial attitude. |
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| Similar Words: |
overbearing, authoritarian, dictatorial |
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
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| meretricious (adj) |
attractive in a vulgar or insincere way |
| meretriciousness |
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| Sentence: |
The old curmudgeon's meretricious display of lust on the solemn occasion annoyed all his neighbors. |
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| Similar Words: |
gaudy, flashy, specious |
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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| swaggering (adj) |
strutting, boastful |
| swagger |
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| Sentence: |
With his nose in the air and a swaggering look on his face, the movie star truly thought he was a demigod. |
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| Similar Words: |
haughty, disdainful, supercilious, arrogant |
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Thursday, April 19, 2007
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| buttress (v) |
support |
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| Sentence: |
Are you able to buttress your argument with real-life examples? |
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| Similar Words: |
shore up, strengthen |
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Friday, April 20, 2007
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| yen (n) |
desire |
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| Sentence: |
Do you have a yen to play hooky from school today? |
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| Similar Words: |
itch, urge |
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Saturday, April 21, 2007
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| lugubrious (adj) |
mournful, gloomy |
| lugubriousness |
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| Sentence: |
The star athlete's funeral marked a lugubrious day in our town's history. |
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| Similar Words: |
dismal, melancholy |
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Sunday, April 22, 2007
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| ascetic (adj) |
severely self-denying |
| asceticism |
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| Sentence: |
The hermit led an ascetic lifestyle in a small room in the monastery. |
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| Similar Words: |
austere |
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Monday, April 23, 2007
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| alias (n) |
assumed name |
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| Sentence: |
The crook operated his flim-flam business under several aliases. |
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| Similar Words: |
pseudonym |
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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| articulate (adj) |
well-spoken |
| articulateness |
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| Sentence: |
The new press secretary was an articulate spokesman for the President. |
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| Similar Words: |
fluent |
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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| obsequious (adj) |
fawning, compliant |
| obsequiousness |
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| Sentence: |
The obsequious young aide never stopped trying to ingratiate himself with the boss. |
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| Similar Words: |
sycophantic |
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
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| gainsay (v) |
deny |
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| Sentence: |
Do you gainsay your prediction of only one week ago? |
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| Similar Words: |
dispute, contradict |
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Friday, April 27, 2007
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| nexus (n) |
link |
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| Sentence: |
Do you think is a nexus between crime and poverty? |
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| Similar Words: |
connection |
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Saturday, April 28, 2007
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| fastidious (adj) |
careful, exacting |
| fastidiousness |
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| Sentence: |
A fastidious proofreader, the administrative aide would tolerate no typos. |
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| Similar Words: |
meticulous |
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Sunday, April 29, 2007
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| sedition (n) |
treason |
| seditious |
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| Sentence: |
Sedition against one's country is usually a capital offense. |
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| Similar Words: |
insurrection |
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Monday, April 30, 2007
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| adduce (v) |
cite as proof |
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| Sentence: |
What evidence did you adduce to substantiate your client's alibi? |
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| Similar Words: |
produce, offer |
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