[Word Powers] Today's Words

Locum (noun) (LOH-kuhm): A person filling in for another, especially for a doctor or clergyman.

 

Health authority says they're now able to offer higher rates for locums at rural hospitals to fill vacant shifts..      

 

 McKenzie (noun) (muh-KEN-zee):  Someone who attends a court trial as an adviser to one of the parties. This person works not as a legal representative, but as an informal adviser. Also known as a "McKenzie friend".

 

A measure, of benefit to women especially, would be to permit the litigant to have a McKenzie friend in the course of the case.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Renegade (ren-i-geyd) (noun): A person who abandons a party, movement, etc. and goes over to the other side; traitor; turncoat.

 

China considers Taiwan a renegade province that must be united with the mainland by force if necessary.

 

Epoch (ep-uh k) (noun):

 

1.            The beginning of a distinctive period in the history of anything.

2.            A particular period of time marked by distinctive features or events.

 

His paper, published in 1847, marked an epoch in the history of natural science.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words]

Glib (glib) (adj): Speaking or spoken in a confident way, but without careful thought or honesty

 

No one was convinced by his glib explanations.

                 

Jaded (JEY-did) (adj):

 

1.       Not having interest or losing interest because something has been experienced too many times.

 

2.       Worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse.

 

Flying is exciting the first time you do it, but you soon become jaded.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Internecine (in-ter-nee-seen) (adjective): relating to internal conflict or struggle as within a nation or organization, characterized by bloodshed

 

The internecine feud between the two countries had endured for several generations.              

 Filigree ( fil-i-gree) (noun): a delicate, intricate and fanciful ornamentation

 

He was the best goldsmith in town and had a team of jewellery designers who were experts at filigree work.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Manege(ma-nezh) (Noun): The art of training or riding horses

 

Andy's skills in manege enable him to pacify and bring even the wildest of steeds under his able control.

 

The action, movements, or paces of a trained horse

 

The winner of this year's national equestrian championships rode a horse that wowed all with its graceful manege.

 

Duenna(doo-en-uh) (Noun): An older woman serving as an escort or chaperon of a young lady [esp. in Spain and Portugal]; a governess

 

When Jane recently went to visit her Spanish friend in Brazil, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the duenna was easily able to take care of all her needs in addition to the numerous daily chores.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Poignant (adjective) [poi-nuhnt]: Arousing affect, Keenly distressing to the mind or feelings.

 

One of the most poignant sights was of a little girl, burnt but alive, being pulled from the wreckage and carried away in a fireman’s arms.                 

 Empty nester (noun): A parent whose child or children have reached adulthood and moved away from home.

 

The count of the empty nesters is drastically growing in numbers.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Subpoena (suh-pee-nuh) (noun):  The usual writ for the summoning of witnesses or the submission of evidence, as records or documents, before a court or other deliberative body.

 

Toyota received subpoenas asking it to produce documents relating to problems that led to the recall of millions of its vehicles.             

 Matriculate (muh-trik-yuh-leyt) (verb): To enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.

 

In India, matriculation (sometimes called "matric") is a term commonly used to refer to the final year of high school.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Inerrancy (in-er-uhn-see) (noun): without any error

 

 Many pious people believe in the inerrancy of scriptures.          

 Gustatory (guhs-tuh-tawr-ee) (adjective): pertaining to the sense of taste, relating to taste or tasting

 

The aroma of spicy food was a gustatory stimulation for the hungry people.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Confabulate (kuhn-fab-yuh-leyt) (verb): To converse informally.

 

I like to sit with my friends and confabulate about movies, politics and day to day happenings.  

 Regurgitate (ri-gur-ji-teyt) (verb): To give back or repeat, esp. something not fully understood or assimilated.

 

All that we are taught in school is to regurgitate the teacher's lectures on the exam.  

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Pandemonium (pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm) (Noun):

 Wild or riotous uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or utter chaos; a place or scene displaying the same.

 The Indian Parliament house represents a scene of total pandemonium whenever sensitive issues come up.

Irrepressible (ir-i-pres-uh-buhl) (Adj): Difficult or incapable of being repressed or restrained; uncontrollable

Every year in Australia, several irrepressible bushfires break out which lead to a huge damage of property.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Venerate (verb) [ven-uh-reyt] : To honor, admire, and regard with respect.

 

We celebrate Arbor day to venerate all the tree planting days and events.             

  

Tirade (noun) [tahy-reyd] : A prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation.

 

He's famous for his tirades, and no one ever takes them seriously anymore.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Remnant (rem-nuhnt):

1.      (noun) A remaining, usually small part, a fragment or scrap.

2.      (Adj)  Remaining; leftover

Landmines and other explosive remnants of war continue to pose a threat and kill people indiscriminately long after hostilities have ended.
   
Accord (uh-kawrd):

 1.   (verb) To be in agreement or harmony; agree.

2.   (noun) Consent or concurrence of opinions or wills; agreement.

 The Shimla Accord is a treaty signed between India (Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) and Pakistan (Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) after their 1971 war.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Frantic (FRAN-tik) (adj):

 1.       Almost out of control because of extreme emotion, such as worry.

 Where on Earth have you been? We've been frantic with worry.

2.       Done or arranged in a hurry and a state of excitement or confusion

Rescuers were engaged in a frantic all-night effort to reach the survivors before their supply of air ran out.

 Auspices (AW-spuh-siz) (noun):

1.       With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization

 Financial aid is being provided to the country under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund.

 2.       A favorable sign or propitious circumstance.

 Auspices for the venture seemed favorable.

 
   

 

 

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Dissident (dis-i-duhnt)(noun): A person who disagrees with an opinion or an attitude.

 

The king issued an order that all dissidents would be hanged.   

 Plutocracy (ploo-tok-ruh-see)(noun): The rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy; A class or group ruling, or exercising power or influence, by virtue of its wealth.

 

The peasants called for an uprising against the reigning plutocracy.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Ruminate (roo-muh-neyt) (Verb):
 
1)    To chew the cud, as a ruminant

Cows have to ruminate as it takes a lot of time to digest the cellulose content in their food.

2)    To meditate or muse; ponder

 We often ruminate about our loved ones when they depart for their next life.
 
Providence (prov-i-duhns) (Noun):

 1)    (Often initial capital letter) The foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth; God

 Unflinching faith in Providence can help us surpass any obstacles thrown at us by destiny.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Sisyphean [sis-uh-fee-uhn] (adjective): Endlessly laborious and fruitless.

 

For many CIOs, however, delivering new and innovative BI apps has been a bit of a Sisyphean challenge.               

  

Accrete [uh-kreet] (verb): To grow together; adhere

 

Particles in the gas and dust cloud collide, and gradually accrete into larger objects, eventually becoming planets.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Acrobat (ak-ruh-bat) (noun): A skilled performer of gymnastic feats, as walking on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze.

 

The crowd was treated to a two hour show of acrobats during the closing ceremony of the Turin Winter Olympics.          

Acropolis (uh-krop-uh-lis) (noun): The fortified upper part of an ancient Greek city.

 

The walls had three gates and in the center of the city was a fortified acropolis with a single gate.

 

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Embark (em-BAHRK) (verb):

 

1.       To board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle, as for a journey.

2.       To start something new or important.

 

Today, we bid farewell to Monish, one of the founding Word Power Adjudicators, as he embarks upon a new phase in his career.

 

Retrofit (re-troh-fit) (verb):

 

1.       To fit into or onto existing equipment.

2.       To replace existing parts, equipment, etc., with updated parts or systems.

 

To retrofit solar heating to a poorly insulated house.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Cataclysm(kat-uh-kliz-uhm) (noun):  Any violent upheaval, esp. one of a social or political nature.

 

The movie 2012 is about a global cataclysm that causes massive destruction to our planet.

                 

Castigate (kas-ti-geyt) (verb): To criticize or reprimand severely.

 

President Obama castigated Senate Republicans last week for opposing Sen. Chris Dodd’s “Wall Street" reform bill.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Vicissitude (vi-sisi-t(y)-ood) (Noun):

 

1.            A variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something.

 

2.            Mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another).

 

The project was subject to the usual vicissitudes of exploratory research.           

 Acquittal (u-kwitl) (Noun):

 

1. A judgment of not guilty.

 

If the court sets aside the order it may also reinstate the original acquittal.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Unprecedented (uhn-pres-i-den-tid) (Adj):  Without previous instance; never before known or experienced.

 

President Barack Obama says the Gulf oil slick is a "potentially unprecedented" environmental disaster.               

 

Omniscient (om-nish-uh nt) (Adj): Having total knowledge; knowing everything

 

The teachings of Gautam Buddha are considered to reveal a step-by-step path to lasting happiness & omniscient wisdom.

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[Word Powers] Today's Words

Reign (reyn):

 1.       (verb) To be ruling a country. To be the main feeling or quality in a situation or person

The bomb attacks produced a panic which reigned over the city.

 2.       (noun) A period when a particular person, feeling, or quality is very important or has a strong influence

 His successful reign as manager of the team.
   
Rein (reyn):

1.       (verb) To control an emotion, activity or situation to prevent it from becoming too powerful. Followed by "in"

 We tried to rein in our excitement and curiosity.

2.       (noun) A strapped used on something, usually on a horse, to control it.

 You pull on both reins to stop or slow a horse, but only the left rein to turn left.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Erstwhile (urst-hwahyl)  (adj):  Former, at one time.

Mohammed Ali and erstwhile Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev have endorsed pizza hut in the past.

 Erudite(er-oo-dahyt) (adj): characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly.

 Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, was an erudite man and an avid reader.

[Word Powers] Today's Words

Gazebo (guh-zey-boh) (Noun):

 A small roofed structure like an open pavilion or summerhouse whence a view(attractive) may be had, a belvedere

 Gloge was lost in thoughts staring out at the expanse of the ocean from the overlooking gazebo.

 Sanguinary (sang-gwuh-ner-ee) (Adj):

 1)     Full of or characterized by bloodshed, bloody

 The war of Indian independence was one long, sanguinary struggle for the people of India – though the British historians would not admit this.

 2)     Eager or delighted to shed blood, murderous, bloodthirsty

 In the movie 'Hannibal' Anthony Hopkins portrays the role of a highly intelligent, sanguinary psychopath who also indulges in cannibalism.