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VOCABULARY#9

abominateverb[trans.]formal

detest;loathe :theyabominatedtheveryideaofmonarchy.

DERIVATIVES

abominator|-ntr|noun

ORIGINmid17thcent.:fromLatinabominat-

deprecated,fromtheverbabominari,fromab-away,from+omen,omin-omen.

anomalynoun(pl.-lies)

1somethingthatdeviatesfromwhatisstandard,normal,

orexpected:thereareanumberofanomaliesinthepresent

system|alegalanomaly|[withclause]theapparent

anomalythatthosewhoproducedthewealthwerethepoorest|thepositionaboundsinanomaly.

2Astronomytheangulardistanceofaplanetorsatellite

fromitslastperihelionorperigee.

ORIGINlate16thcent.:viaLatinfromGreekanmalia,fromanmalos(seeanomalous).

auspiciousadjective

conducivetosuccess;favorable :itwasnotthemost

auspiciousmomenttoholdanelection.

givingorbeingasignoffuturesuccess :theysaiditwas

anauspiciousmoonitwasrising.

archaiccharacterizedbysuccess;prosperous:hewas

respectfultohisauspiciouscustomers.

DERIVATIVES

auspiciouslyadverb

auspiciousnessnounORIGINlate16thcent.:fromauspice+-ous.

banal[buh-nal]adjective

solackinginoriginalityastobeobviousandboring :songs

withbanal,repeatedwords.

DERIVATIVES

banality|bnalit|noun(pl.-ties)

banallyadverb

ORIGINmid18thcent.(originallyrelatingtofeudalservice

inthesense[compulsory,]hence[commontoall]):from

French,frombanaproclamationorcalltoarms;

ultimatelyofGermanicoriginandrelatedto ban1.

compunctionnoun[usu.withnegative]

afeelingofguiltormoralscruplethatfollowsthedoingof

somethingbad:spendthemoneywithoutcompunction.Seenoteatqualm.

aprickingoftheconscience :hehadnocompunction

aboutbehavingblasphemously.

DERIVATIVES

compunctionlessadjective

compunctious|-shs|adjective

compunctiously|-shsl|adverb

ORIGINMiddleEnglish:fromOldFrenchcomponction,

fromecclesiasticalLatin compunctio(n-),fromLatin

compungerepricksharply,fromcom-(expressingintensiveforce)+pungeretoprick.

discernverb[trans.]

perceiveorrecognize(something) :Icandiscernno

differencebetweenthetwopolicies|[withclause]students

quicklydiscernwhatisacceptabletotheteacher.

distinguish(someoneorsomething)withdifficultyby

sightorwiththeothersenses :shecouldfaintlydiscernthe

shapeofaskull.

Seenoteatdistinguish.

DERIVATIVES

discernernoun

discernibleadjective

discernibly|-bl|adverb

ORIGINlateMiddleEnglish:viaOldFrenchfromLatin

discernere,fromdis-apart+cerneretoseparate.

elucidateverb[trans.]

make(something)clear;explain:worksuchastheirswill

helptoelucidatethismatterSeenoteatclarify.:[with

clause]inwhatfollowsIshalltrytoelucidatewhatIbelieve

theproblemstobe|[intrans.]theywouldnotelucidate

further.DERIVATIVES

elucidation|ilosidshn|noun

elucidative|-dtiv|adjective

elucidator|-dtr|noun

elucidatory|-dtr|adjective

ORIGINmid16thcent.:fromlateLatinelucidat-made

clear,fromtheverbelucidare,frome-(variantofex-)out+luciduslucid.

euphemismnoun

amildorindirectwordorexpressionsubstitutedforone

consideredtobetooharshorbluntwhenreferringtosomethingunpleasantorembarrassing:downsizingasaeuphemismforcuts.Theoppositeofdysphemism.

ORIGINlate16thcent.:fromGreekeuphmismos,from

euphmizeinuseauspiciouswords,fromeuwell+

phmspeaking.

fulsomeadjective

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VOCABULARY#9

1complimentaryorflatteringtoanexcessivedegree:they

arealmostembarrassinglyfulsomeintheirappreciation.

2oflargesizeorquantity;generousorabundant :a

fulsomeharvest.

DERIVATIVES

fulsomelyadverb

fulsomenessnounORIGINMiddleEnglish(inthesense[abundant]):from

full1+-some1.

USAGETheearliestrecordeduseoffulsome,inthe13th

century,hadthemeaning'abundant,'butinmodernuse

thisisheldbymanytobeincorrect.Thecorrectcurrent

meaningis'disgustingbecauseoverdone,excessive.'The

wordisstilloftenusedtomean'abundant,copious,'but

thisusecangiverisetoambiguity:foronespeaker,

fulsomepraisemaybeagenuinecompliment;forothers,

itwillbeinterpretedasaninsult.Forthisreasonalone,it

isbesttoavoidthewordaltogetherifthecontextislikely

tobesensitive.

macabre[muh-kah-bruh]adjective

disturbingandhorrifyingbecauseofinvolvementwithor

depictionofdeathandinjury :amacabreseriesofmurders.

ORIGINlate19thcent.:fromFrenchmacabre,fromDanse

Macabredanceofdeath,fromOldFrench,perhapsfrom

MacabaMaccabee,withreferencetoamiracleplaydepictingtheslaughteroftheMaccabees.

nebulousadjective

intheformofacloudorhaze;hazy :agiantnebulousglow.

(ofaconceptoridea)unclear,vague,orill-defined :

nebulousconceptslikequalityoflife.

anothertermfornebular.

DERIVATIVES

nebulosity|nebylsit|noun

nebulouslyadverb

nebulousnessnoun

ORIGINlateMiddleEnglish(inthesense[cloudy]):from

FrenchnbuleuxorLatinnebulosus,fromnebulamist.Thesense[cloudlike,vague]datesfromtheearly19th

cent.

perditionnoun(inChristiantheology)astateofeternalpunishmentand

damnationintowhichasinfulandunpenitentperson

passesafterdeath.

ORIGINlateMiddleEnglish:fromOldFrenchperdiciun,fromecclesiasticalLatinperditio(n-),fromLatinperderedestroy,fromper-completely,todestruction+the

baseofdareput.

querulousadjective

complaininginapetulantorwhiningmanner :shebecame

querulousanddemanding.

DERIVATIVES

querulouslyadverb

querulousnessnounORIGINlate15thcent.:fromlateLatin querulosus,fromLatinquerulus,fromquericomplain.

recantverb[intrans.]

saythatonenolongerholdsanopinionorbelief,esp.one

consideredheretical:hereticswereburnediftheywould

notrecant|[trans.]Galileowasforcedtorecanthis

assertionthattheearthorbitedthesun.

DERIVATIVES

recantation|rkantshn|noun

recanternoun

ORIGINmid16thcent.:fromLatinrecantarerevoke,fromre-(expressingreversal)+cantaresing,chant.

relegateverb[trans.]

consignordismisstoaninferiorrankorposition :theyaim

topreventwomenfrombeingrelegatedtoasecondaryroleDERIVATIVES

relegation|relgshn|noun

ORIGINlateMiddleEnglish(inthesense[sendintoexile]

):fromLatinrelegat-sentaway,referred,fromtheverb

relegare,fromre-again+legaresend.

stentorianadjective

(ofaperson'svoice)loudandpowerful :heintroducedme

tothestaffwithastentorianannouncement.

WordOrigin&History

"ofpowerfulvoice,"1605,fromStentor,legendaryGk.

heraldintheTrojanWar,whosevoice(describedinthe

"Iliad")wasasloudas50men.HisnameisfromGk.

stenein"groan,moan,"fromPIEimitativebase*(s)ten-,

sourceofO.E.unor"thunder."