[Word Powers] Daily Words - December

Gusto (gus′tō) (noun): keen enjoyment; enthusiastic appreciation; zest; relish They sing their praises to God with great gusto - or in a quieter meditative manner.
Gusty (gŭs'tē)(Adjective): 1. Blowing in or marked by gusts: a gusty storm. 2. Characterized by sudden outbursts. In many areas there were gusty winds for much of the day.
Hypochondria (hahy-puh-KON-dree-uh) (noun): A state in which a person continually worries about their health without having any reason to do so She's a terrible hypochondriac - she's always at the doctor's. Recently, she read about an illness, which kills its victim within one month, and claimed to have its symptoms for last one year.
Hypocrisy (hi-POK-ruh-see) (noun): 1. insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have 2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude. He's a hypocrite - he's always lecturing other people on the environment but never switches off the air conditioner.
Indict (in-dahyt) (Verb): (Of a grand jury) to bring a formal accusation against, as a means of bringing to trial: The grand jury indicted him for murder. To charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; castigate; criticize. One of the most important developments in international criminal law has been the indictment of leaders of states or armed groups for war crimes during the course of the conflict.
Indigenous (in-dij-uh-nuhs) (Adj): Originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country. Inherent; natural. India is now on the verge of testing a new indigenous rocket the GSLV-3, which has the capability to transfer up to 8000 Kg into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Junket (ˈjəŋ-kət) (Noun): 1. A cheese cake; a sweetmeat; any delicate food. 2. A trip made by an official at public expense; A promotional trip made at another's expense Though she maintained she had gone abroad to collect firsthand data on the common market, the opposition claimed that her trip was merely a political Junket
Junta (ˈhu̇n-tə) (Noun): A council or committee for political or governmental purposes ; especially : a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power As soon as he learned of its existence, the dictator ordered the execution of all of the members of the Junta
PDCA – Plan Do Check Act PDCA is an iterative four-step problem-solving process typically used in quality control. It is also known as the Deming Cycle, Shewhart cycle, Deming Wheel, or Plan-Do-Study-Act. ü PLAN Establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the specifications. ü DO Implement the processes. ü CHECK Monitor and evaluate the processes and results against objectives and Specifications and report the outcome. ü ACT Apply actions to the outcome for necessary improvement. Review all steps (Plan, Do, Check, Act) and modify the process to improve it before its next implementation. “If you don't know where you are a map won't help”
TQM – Total Quality Management As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): "TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society." ISO 8402:1994 TQM is composed of three paradigms: v Total: Involving the entire organization v Quality: High degree of excellence v Management: System of managing with steps like Plan, Organize, Control, Lead, Staff, provisioning and organizing. TQM requires that the company maintain this quality standard in all aspects of its business. This requires ensuring that: “Things are done right the first time and that defects and waste are eliminated from operations” “Q_AL_TY is incomplete without U and I”
Hyperbaton (hahy-PUR-buh-ton) (noun): Figure of speech in which the natural order of words or phrases is inverted, especially for the sake of emphasis "Cheese I love" is a hyperbaton. More hyperbatons: "Whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad." - Euripides, Greek tragedian "Sorry I be but go you must." - Yoda (picture) in the movie Star Wars
Hyperbole (hahy-PUR-buh-lee) (noun): A way of speaking or writing that makes someone or something sound bigger, better, more, etc. than they actually are. The blurb on the back of the book was full of the usual hyperbole - 'enthralling', 'fascinating' and so on.
Travel (travul) (verb / noun): Change location; move or proceed; Undertake a journey or trip; the act of going from one place to another. * The word “travel” comes from the old French word “travail” which means to work. When ‘travel’ was first introduced into the English language it meant something that was hard and difficult. It was work, one never travelled for pleasure! * Usage: traveler (US) or traveller (UK) * Travel 2.0 is a term that represents the extension and customization of the concept of Web 2.0 into a form that applies to the world’s largest industry: travel and tourism. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_2.0 / http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/oed/surgeon/travel/?view=
Transportation (‘transpor’teyshun) (noun): A facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods; the act of moving something from one location to another; the commercial enterprise of moving goods and materials * Transportation is performed by various modes, such as air, rail, road and water. Other uncommon modes of transportation are Pipeline transport, Cable transport and Space transport. * Transportation was a form of punishment devised in England to exile convicted criminals to the American colonies from c. 1650 and after the War of Independence to Australia between 1788 and 1868, when it was abolished. The system arose out of England's lack of state-organized prisons and the overcrowding of what few prisons there were, including converted warships (hulks) anchored in the river Thames. [More Info] : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport / http://www.answers.com/topic/transportation
Carol (kar-uhl) (Noun): 1. A song of praise or joy, especially for Christmas. 2. An old round dance often accompanied by singing. All the family hold hands to form a ring around the tree, and walk around the tree singing carols.
Egg-nog (eg′näg′) (Noun): Traditional Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk They listen to Christmas music, have eggnog and hot cider, eat nuts and spend time with family and friends in the evening.
Tinsel (tin-suhl) (Noun): 1. a glittering metallic substance, as copper or brass, in thin sheets, used in pieces, strips, threads, etc., to produce a sparkling effect 2. anything showy or attractive with little or no real worth; showy pretense The decorations come out, the tinsel gets hung and houses get lit up with a multitude of tiny colored lights on Christmas day.
Scrooge (skrooj) (Noun): A mean-spirited miserly person; a skinflint. A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend is called a scrooge, after Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly protagonist of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Yuletide (YOOL-tahyd): 1. (noun) the Christmas season. Period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6. 2. (adj) of or pertaining to the Christmas season. Yule or Yuletide was a Germanic midwinter festival involving a sacrificial feast that was absorbed into Christmas. The pagan Germanic peoples celebrated Yule from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. In picture, Juletræslys, a Danish Yule Tree Candle.
Tidings (TAHY-dingz) (Noun): A piece of news, information, or intelligence. ¯...Good tidings to you wherever you go, Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year... ¯
Epiphany (i'pifunee) (Noun): Twelve days after Christmas; celebrates the visit of the three wise men to the infant Jesus; Twelfth day; January 6 For Western Christians’ Epiphany primarily commemorates the coming of the Magi (sages), while in the East the feast celebrates the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. However, in both cases the essence of the feast is the same: the manifestation of Christ to the world, and the Mystery of the Incarnation.
Wassail (wósul) (Noun): 1. A punch made of sweetened ale or wine heated with spices and roasted apples; especially at Christmas 2. Good wishes, Make merry ¯.. Wassail! wassail! all over the town, Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown; Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee. ..¯
Wreath (rēth) (Noun): A ring or circlet of flowers, boughs, or leaves worn on the head, placed on a memorial, or hung as a decoration. A representation of this ring or circlet, as in woodwork. People hang wreaths on their front door around Christmas time
Windfall (wĭnd'fôl') (Noun): A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or personal gain. Something, such as a ripened fruit, that has been blown down by the wind. There had been an unexpected windfall of half a million pounds more in License Fee income than expected.
Inter (in'tur) (verb): Bury, Put in the ground, Put to rest Joseph Stalin’s embalmed corpse was put into a coffin and interred behind the Kremlin wall.
Intern (inturn) (noun): 1. A junior doctor undergoing training in a hospital 2. Trainee or assistant at a job in order to gain practical experience; 'houseman' British term Interns at the city hospital were warned by senior doctor for not taking care of the old man.
Doyen (doy'en) (noun): A man who is the senior member of a group; Dean; Krishna Kumar Birla, doyen of Indian industry, popularly known as K K Babu, was a builder of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani Rajasthan, his birthplace.
Don (dón) (noun): 1. The head of an organized crime family 2. Teacher at a university of college (British) Amitabh Bachchan acted as Don in “Don” movie was first remade in Telugu as Yugandhar, starring N.T. Rama Rao. Another remake was made in Tamil titled Billa, starring Super star Rajnikanth. Also the movie was remade in Malayalam as Sobharaj, starring Mohanlal.

[Word Powers] Daily Words - November

Esoteric (ee-so-ter-rik)(Adjective): understood by only a small number of people, esp. because they have special knowledge The temple is an esoteric spiritual hideaway where a select few monks go to seek enlightenment.

Eugenics (yew-jen-iks) (Noun): The study of methods of improving the human race, esp. by selective breeding 1883, coined by Eng. scientist Francis Galton (1822-1911) on analogy of ethics, physics, etc. from Gk. eugenes "well-born, of good stock," from eu- "good" + genos "birth"

Vindicate (vin-di-keyt) (verb): To clear, as from an accusation, suspicion, or the like: to vindicate someone's honor. To uphold or justify by argument or evidence: to vindicate a claim. The attorney had no chance of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state.

Vindictive (vin-dik-tiv ) (adjective): 1. Disposed or inclined to revenge; vengeful: a vindictive person. 2. Proceeding from or showing a revengeful spirit: vindictive rumors. The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small.

Allegory (AL-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee) (noun): The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form. A symbol. The blindfolded figure with scales is an allegory of justice.

Paregoric (par-i-GAWR-ik): 1. (noun) A soothing medicine. 2. (adj) assuaging pain; soothing. The medication had a paregoric effect on the painful wound.

Dally (dalee) (verb): 1. Waste time 2. Behave carelessly or indifferently During election rally, he did not dally, spending 30 minutes at each stop, with his argument boiled down to fit the frenzied moment.

Sally (salee) (noun): 1. An action of rushing or bursting forth ; especially : a sortie of troops from a defensive position to attack the enemy 2. Humorous remark A major sally by the defenders of Gloucester had only limited success.

Turpitude (tur-pi-tood) (noun): A corrupt or depraved or degenerate act/practice A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.

Titular (tich-uh-ler, tit-yuh-) (adjective): 1. Existing or being such in title only; nominal; having the title but none of the associated duties, powers, etc. 2. From whom or which a title or name is taken Media and the public have the impression that Manmohan Singh is merely the titular head, while the real decisions are taken by Sonia Gandhi.

Bull Market (bull market) (Noun): A market in which securities or commodities are persistently rising in value Usage. A bull market tends to be associated with increasing investor confidence, motivating investors to buy in anticipation of future price increases and future capital gains.
Bear Market (bear market) (Noun): A market in which securities or commodities are persistently declining in value usage A bear market is described as being accompanied by widespread pessimism. Investors anticipating further losses are often motivated to sell, with negative sentiment feeding on itself in a vicious circle
idee fixe (ee-day-FEEKS) (noun): An idea that dominates the mind; a fixed idea; an obsession. It became an idee fixe that he stubbornly adhered to in spite of the plain evidence . . . that obviously contradicts it.
prima facie (PRY-muh-FAY-shee)(Adverb): At first view; on the first appearance. (Adjective): 1. True, valid, or adequate at first sight; as it seems at first sight; 2. Self-evident; obvious. "Based on prima facie video evidence as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Mr Farokh Engineer from the tapes provided by Sony & TWI, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28, 2008," IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said in a statement.
Atheist (ey-thee-ist) (noun): A person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings. You claim that atheists can be moral - yet I happen to know that you abandoned your wife and children.
Agnostic (ag-nos-tik) (noun): 1. A person who doubts or questions the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study. 2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something. Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.
Manumission (man-yuh-MISH-uhn) (noun): The act of manumitting, or of liberating a slave from bondage. The legal term for the freeing of a slave, the word "manumission" is sometimes used interchangeably with "emancipation," although the latter implies a more universal and unconditional release of slaves. He believed in the manumission of the slaves
Strident (STRAHYD-nt) (adj): 1. Making or having a harsh sound or expression which has an irritating quality or character. People are put off by his strident voice. 2. Expressing in forceful language which does not try to avoid upsetting other people. They are becoming increasingly strident in their criticism of government economic policy.

Tautology (taw-tol-uh-jee) (noun): Needless repetition of an idea, esp. in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness The phrase “return back” is an example of tautology.

Blasé (BLAH-zey, blah-ZEY) (adj): 1. Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence. She eats chocolate so often, she's become blasé about it. 2. Very sophisticated especially because of excess; versed in the ways of the world. The blasé traveler refers to the ocean he has crossed as 'the pond'.

Ambit (AM-bit) (noun): 1. boundary; limit. 2. a sphere of operation or influence; range; scope They believe that all the outstanding issues should fall within the ambit of the talks.

Ambidextrous (am-bi-dek-struhs) (Adjective): 1. Able to use both hands equally well. 2. Unusually skillful. Leonardo da Vinci was ambidextrous, and he wrote his notes backwards with his left hand.

Anthropology (an-thruh-pol-uh-jee) (Noun): 1. The science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind. 2. The study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals. Physical anthropology describes and interprets the evolutionary changes in man’s bodily structure and the classification of modern races.

Elixir (i'liksur) (noun): 1. A substance believed to cure all ills 2. A sweet flavored liquid used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste Of all the reasons to celebrate Obama's victory, it is this-how his extraordinary, audacious rise from anonymity to the highest office in the world can be an inspiration to billions of people, to believe that change is indeed possible. Hope is the ultimate elixir.

Unenviable (ún'enveeubul) (Adj): Hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment So undesirable as to be incapable of arousing envy England cricket captian Kevin Pietersen truly has an unenviable task in the ongoing ODI series against India, where England is already in back foot.

Book value (buk’valyoo) (noun):The value at which an asset is carried on a balance sheet; equals cost minus accumulated depreciation. * In some countries like the U.K., book value is known as "net asset value". * Example: X Corporation purchases a building for $1,000,000, and then Depreciates it by $100,000 on its financial statements. The book value was $1,000,000 and is now $900,000. [More Info] : http://www.answers.com/topic/book-value

Market value (‘maa(R)kit’valyoo) (noun): The price at which buyers and sellers trade the item (merchandise, securities, or commodities) in an open marketplace * For example, if you bought a house 10 years ago for $300,000, its book value for your entire period of ownership will remain $300,000. If you can sell the house today for $500,000, this would be the market value. * Book values are useful to help track profits and losses. If you have owned an investment for a long period of time, the difference between book and market values indicates the profit (or loss) incurred. [More Info] : http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/183.asp

Fungible (FUHN-juh-buhl) (adj): (especially of goods) Being of such nature or kind as to be freely exchangeable or replaceable, in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind. "Are you acting funny? A new one rupee coin is fungible. I don't care which one of these you will give me, as long as you give me one to make this phone call!"

Autarky (AW-tahr-kee) (noun): 1. The condition of self-sufficiency, esp. economic, as applied to a nation. 2. A national policy of economic independence. India had a policy of near-autarky that began after its establishment as an independent state, around 1950, and ended in 1991. "India was emerging at that time from a long spell of economic autarky and stagnation, in which one had to reserve long-distance telephone calls as if they were tables at a posh restaurant, days in advance." - The New York Times, December 25, 2007

Barter (bahr-ter) (verb): To trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money. To bargain away unwisely or dishonorably (usually fol. by away): bartering away his pride for material gain. The worldwide organized barter exchange and trade industry has grown to an $8 billion a year industry and is used by thousands of businesses and individual.

Monopsony (muh-nop-suh-nee) (noun): A market situation in which the product or service of several sellers is sought by only one buyer. Not all monopsonies are as obvious or as overtly damaging to suppliers as that of Walmart, but Apple's iPhone and iTunes appstore looks like a benign monopsony.

Kiting (kIt-ing) (adj): Get credit or money by using a bad check (Cheque). The businessman kited millions of dollars

Deficit (defisit) (noun): An excess of liabilities over assets (usually over a certain period); shortage “One of the major problems facing the Indian economy is its large budget deficit and the resulting high level of national debt” – Martin Feldstein. Harvard University George F. Baker Professor of Economics