English Language Lessons

English Language Lessons
*Politically Incorrect Opinion Texts: https://drjamesmanos.blogspot.com/2022/03/politically-incorrect-opinion-texts-of.html *Τexts with Ηealth-related Τopics: https://mymedicaltexts.blogspot.com *Herbs & Supplements: https://herbsanddietarysupplementsdatabase.blogspot.com *Source for the image (free to use): Hypothetical flag quartering the British and American flags (January 11, 2009). Author: Lunar Dragoon. Source: Wikipedia Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UK-US_flag.png

Friday, July 5, 2019

TIPS for English (57): Words(II) (X)


Cuban citizens or Cubans (not 'Cubaneze' or ‘Cubanese’)

Distracted (not ‘distructed’ that is a common typo confused with destruction) = (adjective) unable to concentrate because one’s mind is preoccupied; e.g., Jim seemed too distracted to give him much attention.

To a large extent

To a lesser extent/ degree

Riyadh (the capital of Saudi Arabia)

Overthrow (= to defeat or remove someone from power, using force (*)) - overthrew - overthrown

Lead - led - led (not 'leaded')

The quake (abbreviation of ‘earthquake’) cost (cost-cost-cost, not ‘costed’) the lives (not ‘life’) of hundreds.

He was extradited (extradite = hand over a person accused or convicted of a crime to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed; pronounced ˈɛkstrədʌɪt) to the International Criminal Tribunal (= a court of justice’ pronounced trˈbjuː.n(ə)l) to stand trial (= to be tried in a court of law; not ‘stand a trial’) for charges of war crimes

A Norwegian WW2 hero who thwarted (thwart = prevent someone from accomplishing something; pronounced θwɔːt) Nazis’ nuclear ambitions in a daring raid is immortalized in the film ''Heroes of Telemark'' - where he blew up a power plant and escaped on skis! (My comment: the Germans had a nuclear program in the Scandinavia; however, the method they followed was wrong. About the hero, you may read the article at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6300745/Norwegian-WW2-hero-thwarted-Nazis-nuclear-ambitions-dies-aged-99.html )

Encroach (pronounced ɪkroʊtʃ) = (usually as encroach on/upon) =  (verb; no object) intrude on a person’s territory, rights, personal life, etc.; e.g., Rather than encroach on his privacy she might have kept to her room.// e.g., Maybe your cat is insecure, but maybe there really is another cat encroaching on his turf.// e.g., Illegal shops and businesses are encroaching on public land and locals are fighting each other over customers.///  Advance gradually beyond usual or acceptable limits; e.g., The sea has encroached all around the coast.// e.g., ‘I shrugged and threw a rock into the slowly encroaching darkness.’// e.g., The disease came on gradually, it encroached steadily.

Jacked = (informal) (US English) Physically or mentally stimulated from the effects of a drug or stimulant; e.g., A racing car driver, jacked up on amphetamines.// e.g., Even if he wasn’t, he’s too jacked up to hear you right now.// e.g., He was still pretty much jacked up on drugs, and the rest of the team had practically left.///  Full of nervous excitement; e.g., We’re jacked about going to the semifinals.’// e.g., ‘I never fall asleep right away, because I'm so jacked up from the day.’ // e.g., How jacked are the Greeks of their team’s success? /// (of a person) having very well-developed muscles. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxfcD2KDtIE and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpuf27hjLZw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd_pMjTfiL0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaPWO4xZN24 /// e.g., Back in his wrestling prime, he was nicknamed the ‘Anabolic Warrior’ for his jacked-up physique.// e.g., ‘He’s so jacked, I feel like a 9-year-old girl whenever I'm near his presence!’ // e.g., He is a big jacked up guy who looks like he can easily kill anyone with his bare hands.

Lookup (or look-up) = (mass noun, usually as modifier) The action of systematic electronic information retrieval; e.g., This makes lookups faster, which means the databases can be more extensive and more comprehensive.// e.g., The server is set up to send a malformed response to DNS lookups.// e.g., Facebook has gone ahead and resets the access token for the 30 million users who were affected as well as the accounts “that have been subject to a ‘View As’ look-up in the last year (from the media)./// A facility for lookup; e.g., Dictionary with fast phonetic lookup.// e.g., In addition to that, it may be used in practical applications, such as interactive grammatical lookup and intelligent dictionaries, spell checkers, etc.

Look up (phrasal verb) to become better; e.g., ‘I hope things will start to look up in the New Year.’ // e.g., Our financial situation is looking up at last (*).

Brink = (noun) The extreme edge of land before a steep slope or a body or water. For the brink of a cliff See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL35yamaXx8  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=386a4-Ch7Nw   /// e.g., The brink of the cliffs.// e.g., ‘At the brink of the pond I hesitated.’ // e.g., ‘I am now finding myself on a deserted beach on the brink of a saline washout.’ /// A point at which something, typically something unwelcome, is about to happen; the verge; e.g., The country was on the brink of a constitutional crisis.// e.g., The club has come close to the brink, surviving winding-up orders.// e.g., New Zealand is on the brink of another energy crisis.

Washout = (informal) (nounan event that is spoiled by constant or heavy rain. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyjmSqCaGz8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JamhlDxH77k  and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3H9wsbxwH8 /// Through no fault of the organizers, last year’s River Festival was a total washout, with torrential rain and flooding./// e.g., What had looked in the grey morning to be a washout turned into a great day.// (as modifier) e.g., The washout summer has hit trade./// A sporting event canceled due to rain; also known as rainout (*****). See  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/First_energy_stadium_rainout.jpg  ///  A disappointing failure; e.g., The film was branded a colossal washout.// e.g., The first trip was a real washout with the river actually being in the farmers’ field in most places./// A breach in a road or railroad track caused by flooding. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Washout_on_the_RGN.jpg  // e.g., Freezing temperatures, blowing snow, landslides and washouts all keep the maintenance of way crews busy on the pass.// e.g., There were burned trees felled along the way and six foot deep washouts.// e.g., What had actually happened was that he had encountered an unseen, unmarked washout across the road more than three feet wide./// (medicine) The removal of material or a substance from the body or a part of it, either by washing with a fluid or by allowing it to be eliminated over a period; e.g., The abdomen was left open to allow for additional debridements and washouts of necrotizing fasciitis of the abdominal wall./// (Geology) A channel cut into a sedimentary deposit by rushing water and filled with younger material.

Bench (as a verb) = (verb with object) Exhibit a dog at a show; e.g., Affenpinschers and Afghans were benched side by side.// e.g., Open Class dogs will not be benched unless space is available./// (US English) Withdraw a sports player from playSee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDu6t56VoRk and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3U5sH1940 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81x2S-9WXTY  // e.g., At one point, the coach benched him for a game for poor defensive play.// e.g., The coach benched quarterback Smith in favor of Jones.// e.g., One of the world’s highest-paid athletes is now benched.// Short for bench press (verb) raise a weight in a bench press (= a bodybuilding and weightlifting exercise in which a lifter lies on a bench with the feet on the floor and lifts a weight with both arms). For the machine See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Bench_press_1.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Bench_Press-_Almog_Dayan.JPG and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Bench_press.png  For the bench press exercise See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKN7o4-Lvo0  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJjSP2fqFxk // e.g., He benched almost 500 pounds.

Intransigence (or intransigency) (pronounced ɪnˈtranzɪdʒ(ə)ns) = (mass noun) refusal to change one’s views or to agree about something; e.g., His intransigence was a refusal to bend within the social sciences.// e.g., In the face of government intransigence, he resigned in disgust.// e.g., The agreement’s authors call it a purposeful end-run around the intransigence of national governments.

Prenuptial (pronounced prˈnʌpʃ(ə)l) = (adjective) Existing or occurring before marriage; e.g., Prenuptial pregnancy.// e.g., The courts are also likely to be influenced by another English judgment relating to prenuptial contracts.// e.g., One, who was 67 years old, had had a routine prenuptial test in the USA./// (Zoology) Existing or occurring before mating; e.g., Just let me show you a male and a female worm in a prenuptial mating display.

Prenup (pronounced ˈprnʌp) = (informal) (US English) A prenuptial agreement (also known as antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement) a contract entered into prior to marriage, civil union, or any agreement before the main agreement by the people intending to marry or contract with each other. The content of a prenuptial agreement can vary widely, but commonly includes provisions for division of property and spousal support in the event of divorce or breakup of a marriage (*****).// e.g., Did you get him to sign a prenup? // e.g., The couple signed a prenup on September 10, 2014.// e.g., Jim wants me to sign a prenup and I need an attorney.

Usury (pronounced ˈjʒ(ə)ri) = (mass nounthe action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest; e.g., The medieval prohibition on usury.// e.g., As Mongolian incomes tended to be seasonal, there was ample (=plentifulopportunity for usury.// e.g.,  Yet for hundreds of years, there were denunciations (denunciation = public condemnation of someone or something) of usury and severe punishments inflicted for its practice.

Denunciation (or denouncement) (noun; the verb is ‘denounce’) (pronounced dɪˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n) = (noun) public condemnation of someone or something; e.g., Litigation, public denunciations, and even bribery proved fruitless.// e.g., Denunciation of his reckless methods.// (countable noun) e.g., A denunciation of the bombing./// The action of informing against someone; e.g.,  Even after George ordered that false denunciations should be punished, the flood of accusations continued.// e.g., He wrote out carefully and with a steady hand that denunciation of Citizen-Deputy Déroulède which has become a historical document and is preserved in the chronicles of France.

Co-religionist (or coreligionist) = (noun) An adherent of the same religion as another person; e.g., Hindu fundamentalists are admired by many of their co-religionists as virtuous people.// e.g., Many wanted him to continue paganism, but he got Christian, and his land was taken over by German co-religionists.

Dual-use = (US English) (of technology or equipment) designed or suitable for both civilian and military purposes; e.g., It was confident none of the dual-use equipment was being used in any unauthorized way.// e.g., The dual-use equipment, which has applications in nuclear weapons construction, has disappeared.// e.g., It has failed to curb (= restrain or keep in check; pronounced kɜːbits exports of dual-use technology.

Curb (pronounced kɜːb) = (noun) A check or restraint on something; e.g., Curbs on the powers of labor unions.// e.g., Plans to introduce tougher curbs on insider dealing./// A type of bit with a strap or chain attached which passes under a horse's lower jaw, used as a check. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Spade_shank.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/SaddleSeatCurb2.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/WesternCurb.jpg  // e.g., ‘Too often I see people with track horses, who they are afraid of, sticking a big curb bit in their mouth.’/// A swelling on the back of a horse’s hock, caused by spraining a ligament./// (US English) Variant spelling of Kerb = a stone or concrete edging to a street or path. See  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/LoveItaly_Pompei.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Curb_gutter_storm_drain.JPG and  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/UptownMagazineTileGutterWoodBricks.jpg // e.g., He had to sit on the hard concrete curb to collect himself.//// (verb with object) Restrain or keep in check; e.g., He promised he would curb his temper.// e.g., In order to curb inflation, money growth must fall below the increase in economic output./// Restrain a horse using a curb; e.g., Both men were instinctively curbing their horses./// (US English) Lead a dog being walked near the curb to urinate or defecate, to avoid soiling buildings, pavements, etc.

Bit (as a noun related to horses and boring metal & as a verb) = (noun) a mouthpiece, typically made of metal, that is attached to a bridle and used to control a horse. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Hunt_bridle_head.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/WesternSnaffle.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Harshbituse.JPG   // e.g., You can also go shopping at the C Quarter Circle Saddlery for saddles, bridles, bits, spurs and much more!’ //// A tool or piece for boring or drilling, typically of metal. For a drill bit See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Pistol-grip_drill.svg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Drillbits.jpg  and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Installer_bit_closeup_2.jpg  // e.g., A drill bit./// (informal; with an adjective) A set of actions or ideas associated with a specific group or activity; e.g., Georgia could go off and do her theatrical bit.// e.g., ‘Each main dancer got to do a little solo bit in the middle of the semi-circle.’/// (informal) A girl or young woman; e.g., He went and married some young bit half his age.// e.g., He must have a young bit on the side./// Bits = (informal) (UK English) A person’s genitals; e.g., ‘You could see everything! All her bits!’ /// The cutting or gripping part of a plane, pincers, or other tools. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Tool_bits.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Form-tool.jpg  /// The part of a key which engages the locking mechanism (*****). See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Lever_lock_key_parts.svg  /// The copper head of a soldering iron (= a tool used for melting solder and applying it to metals that are to be joined).//// (verb with object) Put a bit into the mouth of a horse; e.g., However, they can experience behavioral problems when ridden, many coming back to bad experiences with what type of bit was used and how they were initially bitted./// (past of bite) (of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into something to eat it; e.g., Rose bit into a cupcake./// Restrain; e.g., My own hysteria was bitten by upbringing and respect.’

Glut (pronounced ɡlʌt) = (noun) an excessively abundant supply of somethinge.g., There is a glut of cars on the market.// e.g., And the geostationary-satellite market already had a glut of capacity.// e.g., With the growth in grape production outpacing wine sales, farmers now face a glut of grapes, particularly red varieties, according to analysts./// (verb with object) Supply or fill to excess; e.g., The roads are glutted with cars.// e.g., Western banks were glutted with revenues (revenue = income, especially when of a company or organization and of a substantial nature) from oil-producing countries as oil prices rose.// e.g., This turned out to be quite affordable, since the used gun market is glutted with traded-in service revolvers these days.

Pollster = (nouna person who conducts or analyses opinion polls; e.g., Certainly there is broad public support for educational reform, or so the pollsters tell us.

Consul (pronounced ˈkɒns(ə)l) = (noun) an official appointed by a state to live in a foreign city and protect the state's citizens and interests there; e.g., The British consul in Israel.// e.g., Appointed a Chilean consul, Neruda went first to Barcelona and then to Madrid in 1935.// e.g., Rumors of corruption and controversies with foreign consuls caused him to be recalled.///  (in ancient Rome) each of the two annually elected chief magistrates who jointly ruled the republic./// Any of the three chief magistrates of the first French Republic (1799-1804). See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/3consuls.jpg

Consulate (pronounced ˈkɒnsjʊlət) = (noun) The building in which a consul’s duties are carried out. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/IndonesiaConsulateHouston.JPG and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Consulate_of_Kazakhstan_in_Omsk.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Klopstockstrasse_27.JPG   // e.g., He called at the consulate in Palestine to pick up a visa.// e.g., ‘Is it not possible for us to achieve the same mission by establishing consulates in some of the places? // e.g., Saudi Arabia said that the Saudi journalist died in a ‘fistfight’ inside its Istanbul consulate (from the media)./// The office or position of a consul./// (historical) The period of office of a Roman consul./// The consulate = the system of government by consuls in ancient Rome.

Loyalist = (noun) A person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt; e.g., Tory (= (in the UK) a member or supporter of the Conservative Party) loyalists.// e.g., The only delegates from the Russian side were Kremlin loyalists.// e.g., Now all but (= all except) the most unquestioning loyalists are having serious second thoughts./// A supporter of union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland; e.g., The Catholics had been under siege from two sectarian police forces and Loyalist mobs.// e.g., Top politicians and the press try to claim that Loyalists and Republicans are equally to blame for the violence in Northern Ireland./// A colonist of the American revolutionary period who supported the British cause; e.g., After the American Revolution, many British Loyalists settled in Canada.// e.g., The history of the American Revolution and the settlement of various Loyalists in Nova Scotia are thoroughly investigated.

Cede (pronounced sd) = (verb with object) Give up power or territory; e.g., In 1874, the islands were ceded to Britain.// e.g., No wars were fought, and no territory was ceded in the opening of the country to western influences. // e.g., In 1921 the region was ceded to Poland, of which it continued to form part until 1939.

Cession (pronounced ˈsɛʃ(ə)n) = (mass noun) The formal giving up of rights, property, or territory by a state; e.g., The cession of eighteen important towns.// e.g., Strategically speaking, the Florida cession closed a vulnerable point in American coastal defenses.// e.g., During the Hundred Days in 1810, the British once more occupied the island, but, in spite of its cession to Sweden by the treaty of 1813 and a French invasion in 1814, they did not withdraw until 1816.

Acquisition = (pronounced ˌakwɪˈzɪʃ(ə)n) (related to the verb ‘acquire’) = (noun)  An asset or object bought or obtained, typically by a library or museum; e.g., The legacy will be used for new acquisitions.// e.g., The government gives the National Library an acquisitions budget of $1 m a year.// e.g.,  The University of Melbourne alone spends more on acquisitions than the National Library of Australia.///  A purchase of one company by another; e.g., There were many acquisitions among travel agents.// (mass noun) e.g., The company intends to grow within itself rather than by acquisition.// e.g.,  Investors don’t generally like talk of acquisitions so soon after a big deal./// (mass noun) The buying or obtaining of assets or objects; e.g., Western culture places a high value on material acquisition.// e.g., Material prosperity and acquisition of wealth add a new dimension to your social standing.// e.g., Farmers are concerned that land acquisition on small holdings will reduce the value of their farms./// (mass noun) The learning or developing of a skill, habit, or quality; e.g., The acquisition of management skills.// e.g.,  There are opportunities in team building, leadership and skill acquisition.// e.g.,  Primary education now emphasizes skills acquisition rather than knowledge.

$1M (or $1m) = 1 million dollars; e.g., Durham (= a city in North Carolina, USA) gets a $1M grant for a program to encourage employees not to drive to work (from the media).

$1B (or $1b) = 1 billion dollars; e.g., World Bank to give Ethiopia $1b in budget help (from the media)

Skillful (American English) (skilful in British English)

Carve something out (carve = cut a hard material in order to produce an aesthetically pleasing object or design) (phrasal verb) Take something from a larger whole, especially with difficulty; e.g., The company hopes to carve out a greater share of the $20 bn (= billion) market.// e.g.,  Train services were carved up into 20 franchises and offered to new companies on seven-year contracts./// Establish or create something through painstaking effort; e.g., He managed to carve out a successful photographic career for himself.///  To create or obtain something that helps you by skillful activities; e.g., He carved out a reputation for himself as a high-powered lawyer ((*) for this definition & example).

Carveout (1 word) =  (noun) (US English) A small company created from a larger one; e.g., Companies that are breaking up—through spin-offs, split-offs, and carveouts./// A class of medical procedures treated separately concerning insurance coverage; e.g., The system of mental health carveouts should be challenged.// e.g., In the early days of carveouts, the medical profession watched them with a wary (= feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems; pronounced ˈweə.ri) - if trusting - eye./// A class of employees treated separately concerning benefits./// The activity of effecting a carveout; e.g., In the spiral that operated in respect of WC (Workers’  Compensation) carveout and related business, losses were inevitable, year in, year out.// e.g.,  It’s better to work with us than to make a statement that carveouts are bad and then just leave.’

Franchise = (pronounced ˈfræn.tʃaɪz) = (noun) an arrangement in which a company sells another business the right to sell its products or services in return for payment; e.g., The bank is trying a scheme to let local managers work under franchise.// e.g., A fast-food franchise.// e.g., A franchise holder.// e.g., The company expanded rapidly during the 1990s using franchises./// A business that has bought the right to sell the products and services of another company; e.g., He returned to London where she now owns a Beauty Shop franchise.// e.g., A rail/ fast food/ television franchise./// The franchise the right to vote in an election, especially to elect a parliament or similar law-making organization; e.g., American women worked for decades to win the franchise.// e.g., Women in the US won the franchise in 1920./// A series of films that have the same or similar titles and are about the same characters; e.g., The next installment (= any of several parts of something which are published, broadcast, or made public in sequence at intervals) in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise is out soon.// e.g., The ‘Spiderman’ movie franchise./// (transitive verb) To sell a person or company the right to sell the products and services of your company; e.g., They made the decision to franchise the stores (*).

Attrition = (pronounced əˈtrɪʃ.(ə)nThe action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure; e.g., The council is trying to wear (= damage, erode, or destroy by friction or use) down the opposition by attrition.// e.g., The squadron suffered severe attrition of its bombers.// e.g., Research on graduate attrition shows that only 50 percent of Ph.D. students complete their degree.///  (North American, Australian & New Zealand English) The gradual reduction of a workforce by employees’ leaving and not being replaced rather than by their being laid off; e.g., With so few retirements since May, the year’s attrition was insignificant.// e.g., They are committed to ensuring that any reduction of staff will be achieved through a process of ‘natural attrition.’ // e.g., The firm’s staff numbers have been reduced through attrition - some departing employees have not been replaced, and others have taken on new responsibilities/// Wearing (wear = damage, erode, or destroy by friction or use) away by friction; abrasion; e.g., The skull shows attrition of the edges of the teeth.// e.g., There is no gold found more perfect than this, as the current polishes it thoroughly by attrition.// e.g., Needless to say, there is nothing pleasurable about the ailments caused by muscle attrition or a lack of bone density.

Stringent (pronounced ˈstrɪn.dʒənt) = (adjective) (of regulations, requirements, or conditions) strict, precise, and exacting; e.g., California’s air pollution guidelines are stringent.// e.g., ‘Discourage or restrict the use of private vehicles through stringent conditions.’ // e.g., All information provided by the pharmaceutical industry must satisfy stringent regulations.// e.g., The most stringent laws in the world are useless unless there is the will to enforce them ((**) for the last example). 

Astringent (pronounced əˈstrɪn.dʒ(ə)nt) = (adjective) Causing the contraction of body tissues, typically of the skin; e.g., An astringent skin lotion.// e.g., To detoxify and tone the liver after a meat-laden diet, he prescribed astringent greens like dandelion.// e.g., Putting cool compresses soaked in an astringent liquid on the blisters and sores might also make them hurt or itch less./// Sharp or severe in manner or style; e.g., Her astringent words had their effect.// e.g., The final chapter is nicely astringent and melancholic.// e.g., ‘They wanted us to talk about our problems,’ His voice was astringent with sarcasm and cynicism (= an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism; pronounced ˈsɪn.ɪ.sɪ.z(ə)m)./// (of taste or smell) sharp or bitter; e.g., An astringent smell of rotting (= decomposing) apples.// e.g., Before processing, cocoa has a rather astringent taste.// e.g., The anticarcinogenic (anticarcinogen = a substance that counteracts the effects of a carcinogen or inhibits the development of cancer (*****)) compounds that taste astringent to us are actually toxins too - poisonous to the insects that chew on the plants./// (noun) A substance that causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to protect the skin and to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions; e.g., A range of ointments is available that contain local anesthetics, mild astringents, or steroids.// e.g.,  Fruits like Granny Smith apples and grapefruit act as astringents and help cut down on excessive cravings.// e.g.,  Hawthorn berry and flower, for example, are considered excellent cardiac tonics, diuretics, and astringents. (My comment: studies have revealed that hawthorn berries may benefit the heart, especially in heart failure!)

Medley (pronounced ˈmed.li) = (noun) a varied mixture of people or things; a miscellany; e.g., An interesting medley of flavors.// e.g., The workshops vary (= differ in size, amount, degree, or nature from something else of the same general class; pronounced ˈveə.ri) and include a medley of things, most of which involve paper and what is called ‘mindful’ artistry.// e.g., Besides, a medley of reasons such as malnutrition, lack of hygiene (= conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness; pronounced ˈhaɪ.dʒn) and awareness-all caused by illiteracy-contributes to the cases./// A collection of songs or other musical items performed as a continuous piece. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGyFrEcPYlI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFfUCaQV_nU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUSc81ADx0  /// e.g., A medley of Beatles songs.// e.g., They stop halfway down for a military marching band playing a medley of all the songs you might predict they would play.// e.g., This group of 10 singers will perform a medley of Christmas songs (= carols) and classical pieces.// e.g., The French army band medleys ‘Daft Punk’ (song) for the US and the French president at Bastille Day Event (from the media). You may watch the awesome video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhQkku7jLfo and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmvrKx9DH3c  /// A swimming race in which contestants swim sections in different strokes, either individually or in relay (= a race between teams usually of sprinters or swimmers, each team member, in turn, covering part of the total distance; pronounced ˈriː.leɪ) teams. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-XGSYnhUjg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw-HPBQZlCc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIYanq5gH8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tkUuQKXac8 /// e.g., The individual medley provided the Games with the first ever swimming champion from Zimbabwe.// e.g., They both won the four main swimming strokes as well as the 100m freestyle and individual medley.

Excoriate (pronounced ekˈskɔː.ri.eɪt) = (verb with object) (formal) Censure (= express severe disapproval of someone or something, typically in a formal statement; pronounced ˈsensjə(r)) or criticize severely; e.g., Some of them have been extremely strong, excoriating the president.// e.g., The papers that had been excoriating him were now lauding (= praising publicly) him.// e.g., The president excoriated the Western press for their biased views ((**) for this example)./// (Medicine) Damage or remove part of the surface of the skin. [Note: dermatillomania or excoriation disorder is a mental disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pick at one’s own skin, often to the extent that damage is caused (*****). Seehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Derma_me.JPG andhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/25/Excoriation_disorder_affecting_face.jpg andhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Fingers-dermatillomania.jpg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga-uYscbFww andhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuAP22oIvnw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieSBwEzbe-s  ] // e.g., The habit of excoriating the acne may go on for decades.// e.g., Mucopurulent (= containing or composed of mucus and pus) otorrhea (= a discharge from the external ear) and excoriated skin may also be present.// e.g., Rarely, patients excoriate their skin in response to delusional ideation; in such cases, the appropriate diagnosis would be psychosis.

Laud (pronounced lɔːd) =(verb with object) (formal) Praise a person or their achievements highly, especially in a public context; e.g., The obituary (= a notice of a death, especially in a newspaper, typically including a brief biography of the deceased person; pronounced əˈbɪtʃ.ʊə.ri) lauded him as a great statesman and soldier.// e.g., Their achievements will be lauded in the hills around Killawalla for many years.// e.g., She is lauded as the beloved elder stateswoman of the tournament.// e.g., The German leadership lauded the Russian initiative (=  the ability to assess and initiate things independently) ((**) for the last example).

Musing (pronounced ˈmjuzɪŋ) = (noun) (usually as musingsA period of reflection or thought; e.g., His musings were interrupted by the sound of the mobile phone.// e.g., I found myself both laughing at her recent musings, agreeing with some and hating others.’// e.g., ‘ I decided to lie down, relax, ponder (= think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion) the most recent musings of life, and try to nap’ (= sleep lightly or briefly, especially during the day).///(adjective) Characterized by reflection or deep thought; e.g., The sad musing gaze.// e.g., For all its casual, musing style, this is an ambitious book.// e.g., He brings a deep musing regret to her recital (recite = repeat aloud or declaim a poem or passage from memory before an audience) of a sad poem about true love untimely slain, how it will never rise from the grave again.

Muse (pronounced mjuːz= (noun) (in Greek and Roman mythology) each of nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences. Seehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Muse_reading_Louvre_CA2220.jpg andhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Moreau%2C_Gustave_-_H%C3%A9siode_et_la_Muse_-_1891.jpg andhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Musas01.jpg /// A person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist; e.g., The landscape was Gorky’s primary muse.// e.g., ‘I was suffering without them, my artists, my muses.’ // e.g., Harriet Smithson may have been the muse who inspired Berlioz’s most celebrated symphonybut she dies in obscurity (= the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant; pronounced əbˈskjʊə.rə.ti) and misery./// An instance or period of reflection; e.g., It’s not only his pet muse these days, but the very definition of his work.// e.g., ‘In the same way that I turned in my external muse a few weeks ago, it’s time for me to stop beating myself up over the way I broke his heart.’ /// (verb; no object) Be absorbed in thought; e.g., While I mused, I had mechanically chewed all my food because I had barely tasted it.’// e.g., He was musing on the problems he faced.// e.g., As I left the office today, I was musing on how much I laughed today.’ /// Thoughtfully say to oneself; e.g., I think I’ve seen him somewhere before,’ mused Margaret.// e.g., ‘And at least he’s not dead,’ Sarah mused thoughtfully.// e.g., ‘Well, that’s what love does to you,’ mused Anna./// Muse on = gaze thoughtfully at; e.g., With binoculars and a picnic lunch, one can spend endless hours here, musing on the leviathans (leviathan = (in biblical use) a sea monster, identified in different passages with the whale and the crocodile) that approach almost to the base of the cliffs.

Despot (pronounced ˈdɛspɒt) = (noun) A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it cruelly or oppressively; e.g., The Party’s charter called for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government, and its officials took orders from Soviet despots.// e.g., ‘I wonder to myself if the delusions of world leaders, tyrants (pronounced ˈtaɪə.r(ə)nts), despots and even elected officials work the same way.’// e.g., Here’s a case where a POW (= prisoner of warwas likely murdered, yet they are the same ones insisting that we leave the despot in power.

Despotism (pronounced ˈdɛspətɪz(ə)m) = (mass noun) The exercise of absolute power, especially cruelly and oppressivelye.g., The ideology of enlightened despotism.// e.g., The primary cause of all this danger is the Arab world’s endemic despotism, corruption, poverty, and economic stagnation (= a situation in which something stays the same and does not grow and develop (*)).// e.g., Some believe that the only solution for government in parts of the world is for there to be tyrann(pronounced ˈtɪr(.ə)n.i) or despotism./// (countable noun) A country or political system where the ruler holds absolute power; e.g., Some nations are democracies, others are despotisms.// e.g., Of course, history has been characterized by despotisms and petty (= of little importance; trivial) dictatorships.// e.g., Stalin’s paranoid nature turned the regime into a dangerous despotism. 

Dampen = (verb with object) Make slightly wet; e.g., I turned on the water faucet (‘tap’ in British English) in the tub slightly and dampened the washcloth.’ // e.g., The fine rain dampened her face.// e.g., Clouds sped by, sometimes a fresh drizzle (= light rain falling in very fine drops) of rain would fall, dampening her skin.//// Make less strong or intense; e.g., Nothing could dampen her enthusiasm.// e.g., Although antihypertensive (= blood pressure lowering) drugs reduce blood pressure, some may also dampen exercise performance. (My comment as a medic: they do it because of lowering the blood pressure. However, aerobic exercise may help reducing blood pressure as well as salt avoidance).// e.g., That dampens competition, reduces choice, and could retard innovation./// Reduce the amplitude of a sound source; e.g., Slider switches on the mixers can dampen the drums.// e.g., Sound is well dampened, and only the occasional flute, violin or oboe can be heard when a door is opened.// e.g., Heavy curtains can be drawn to dampen acoustics (= the properties or qualities of a room or building that determine how sound is transmitted in it) for amplified music, speech, and movies.

Primordial (pronounced prʌɪˈmɔːdɪəl) = (adjective) Existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval; e.g., Life seems to have originated in the primordial oceans that covered the Earth four billion years ago.// e.g., It was the daring of visionaries that has brought us this far - from gloomy primordial marshes (= swamps) to where we are today - reaching for the galaxies reaching for immortality.// e.g., That verse (= writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme) describes the initial conditions of primordial Earth: its surface was dark, covered with water, empty of life, and unfit for life.//// (especially of a feeling or state) basic and fundamental; e.g., The primordial needs of the masses.// e.g., Water access is so primordial, the United Nations (UN) already recognizes it as a fundamental human right.// e.g., Levitt would say: ‘Cheating is a primordial economic act: getting more for less.’ //// Biology (of a cell, part, or tissue) in the earliest stage of development; e.g., Primordial germ cells. (My comment as a medic: these are the common origins of spermatozoa (= sperm cells) and oocytes (= egg cells), and they represent the ancestors of the germline).// e.g., Embryonic stem cells are primordial cells with the ability to morph into any type of cell in the body.

Primeval (pronounced prʌɪˈmv(ə)l) = (adjective) of the earliest time in history; e.g., Mile after mile of primeval forest.// e.g., Genesis (the 1st book of the Bible) (verse) 12 marks a shift from primeval history to the stories of the patriarchs (= any of those biblical figures regarded as fathers of the human race, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their forefathers, or the sons of Jacob// the male head of a family or tribe). // e.g., As the sun sets over Kanha, the forest reverts to its primeval magic./// (of emotion or behavior) strongly instinctive and unreasoning (= not guided by or based on good sense; illogical)e.g., A primeval desire.// e.g., This is a very primeval shame, deeply seated in man’s psyche (= the human soul, mind, or spirit; pronounced ˈsaɪ.ki).// e.g., Extraordinarily, the staff seemed to understand his primeval form of communication.

Psyche (pronounced ˈsaɪ.ki) = (countable noun; usually singular) the human soul, mind, or spirit/// the mind, or the deepest thoughts, feelings, or beliefs of a person or group; e.g., the male/ female psyche.// e.g., Peru is a very traditional country, and embedded in its psyche is a love of ceremony.// e.g., In this way, the concepts of evolution and the future of man were embedded ever deeper into the public psyche.// e.g., Women have different organizing principles around which their psyches are structured ((*) for the 2nd definition and all the examples)).

Fallout (pronounced ˈfɔːlaʊt) = (Nuclear fallout) = (mass noun) Radioactive particles that are carried into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion and gradually fall back as dust or in precipitation. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNe12CrYw-U and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvGlBFjxvgY  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7n7nKbbK3Q // e.g., (as modifier) A fallout shelter.// e.g., A serious accident at Sellafield could shower Ireland with radioactive fallout.// e.g., Winds routinely carried radioactive fallout to communities in Utah, Nevada, and northern Arizona.//// (usually with modifier) Airborne substances resulting from an industrial process or accident; e.g., The acid fallout from power stations.// e.g., The dust was found on analysis to contain ‘significant quantities’ of power station fallout.// e.g., They mainly aim at containing the fallout of carbon dioxide but fail to deal with the volume of carbon-intensive inputs in the first place.//// The adverse results of a situation or action.; e.g., He’s prepared to take calculated risks regardless of political fallout.// e.g., Alternately naïve and sinister (= giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen), the children reflect the emotional fallout resulting from decades of unrest in the region.

Amicable (pronounced ˈæm.ɪ.kə.b(ə)l) = (adjective) Characterized by friendliness and absence of discord (= the state of not agreeing or sharing opinions; pronounced ˈdɪs.kɔːd); e.g., An amicable settlement of the dispute.// e.g., The meeting was relatively amicable.// e.g., But, at least in the beginning, relations between the neighboring states were mostly amicable.

Attaché (pronounced əˈtaʃ) = (noun) A person on the staff of an ambassador having a specialized area of responsibility; e.g., Naval and air attachés.// e.g., Between 1940 and 1945, Krapf was a legation secretary and attaché with the German embassy in Tokyo and was active as an informant for the security agency.// e.g., The Ambassador thought that his attaché lacked objectivity and analytical skill./// (North American English) short for attaché case = a small, flat, rigid, rectangular case used for carrying documents. [Note: It was traditionally carried by an attaché (e.g., cultural attaché; military attaché). ((*****) for this)]. See https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Briefcase-photo.jpg and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfiipmOLYOw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqmbOF4E2OY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9u6TDOx6to

Flagrant (pronounced ˈfleɪɡr(ə)nt) = (adjective) (of an action considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously (= prominently) or obviously offensive; e.g., He is someone that shows flagrant disregard for the orders.// e.g., A flagrant violation of the law.// e.g., It’s a flagrant breach (= an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct) of the unwritten rules.// e.g., It’s difficult to imagine a more flagrant violation of our founding principles than that.

Racketeer (pronounced rakɪˈtɪə) = (noun) A person who engages in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings; e.g., ‘Before I was a journalist, I worked for a living as an investigator of corporate (= of or relating to a corporation, especially a large company or group) racketeers.’ // e.g., Years of sanctions have left behind an economy dominated by racketeers and smugglers.// e.g., The German authorities are fearful that thousands of illegal immigrants, including drugs and prostitution racketeers, could use the country’s fast-lane visa regulations to enter the country.// e.g., ‘In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.’ // e.g., The area is closely monitored by the police so there is no chance for dealers, pimps (pimp = a man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking a percentage of their earnings in return) and protection racketeers to move in.

Stronghold = (noun) A place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack; e.g., Their mountain strongholds fell to enemy attack.// e.g., Civilians in Syria’s last rebel stronghold brace (= prepare someone for something difficult or unpleasant) for the final battle (with the jihadist rebels) (from the media).// e.g., The government deployed (deploy = move troops or equipment into position for military action) additional military forces to attack terrorist strongholds./// A place where a particular cause or belief is vigorously defended or upheld; e.g., A Labor stronghold./// e.g., The worst slums (slum = an impoverished and crowded area, especially of a city (*)) tend to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, and the fanciest suburbs tend to be Republican strongholds./// e.g., Trade union strongholds in the public sector are further threatened by ongoing privatization. 

Shun (pronounced ʃʌn) = (verb with object) Persistently avoid, ignore, or reject someone or something through antipathy (= a feeling of intense dislike, opposition, or anger; pronounced ænˈtɪp.ə.θi) or caution; e.g., She shunned fashionable society.// e.g., It’s a case of the more you attempt to avoid a public or shun publicity, the more it makes you enigmatic (= mysterious; pronounced ˌɛnɪɡˈmatɪk).// e.g., She was a divorced woman was shunned by society and treated as an outcast (= a person who has been rejected by society or a social group).

Suffrage (pronounced ˈsʌfrɪdʒ) = (mass noun) The right to vote in political elections; e.g., Universal adult suffrage.// e.g., (as modifier) The women’s suffrage movement.// e.g., In England, the outbreak of war in 1914 brought about a crisis in the militant suffrage campaign.//// (countable noun) (archaic) A vote given in assent to a proposal or in favor of the election of a particular person; e.g., The suffrages of the community./// usually as suffrages = (in the Book of Common Prayer) the intercessory petitions (petition = an appeal or request to a deity or a superior) pronounced by a priest in the Litany./// A series of petitions pronounced by the priest with the responses of the congregation. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga4fEqAY734 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKfTtNloHLg /// (archaic) Intercessory (intercession = the action of saying a prayer on behalf of another) prayers, especially those for the dead. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU9TXPaXeRU

Instigate (pronounced ˈɪnstɪɡt) = (verb with object) Bring about or initiate an action or event; e.g., They instigated a reign (= the period of time when a king or queen rules a country; pronounced reɪn (*)) of terror.// e.g., ‘I will be instigating legal proceedings.’// e.g., After all, the goal is to address issues, instigate debate and implement change.//// Instigate someone to/ to do something = incite (= encourage or stir up a violent or unlawful behavior) someone to do something, especially something bad; e.g., Instigating men to refuse allegiance (= loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause; pronounced əˈl.dʒ(ə)ns ) to the civil powers.// e.g., He instigated them to fight a war.// e.g., It is believed that the people were disappointed with the compensation given to them for their expropriated (expropriate = to take away money or property especially for public use without payment to the owner, or for personal use illegally; pronounced ɪkˈsprəʊ.pri.eɪt (*)) land, thus instigating them to commit arson (= the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property (pronounced ˈɑː.sə)n).

Instigator (pronounced ˈɪnstɪɡtə) (My comment: beware the pronunciation) = (noun) A person who brings about or initiates something; e.g., He was not the instigator of the incident.// e.g., Any instigators of violence will be punished.// e.g., The instigators of the disturbance have not yet been identified ((**) for this example).

Terse (pronounced təːs) = (adjective) Sparing in the use of words; abrupt; e.g., Naturally, the major agencies have all issued terse statements rejecting the allegations.// e.g., He will also be fondly remembered for terse and often humorous phrases, anecdotes (anecdote = a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person; pronounced ˈanɪkdəʊt) and gems (gem = jewel// someone or something you value the quality or beauty highly (*)) of wisdom.  // e.g., His work is a collection of many short, terse sentences which convey the barest minimum of teaching about yoga.

Replete (pronounced rɪˈplt) (the noun is repletion; pronounced rɪˈpliːʃ(ə)n) (My comment: replete is an adjective; not a verb! However, many of my med colleagues say e.g., ‘oral iron is prescribed to replete iron stores’) = (adjective) (predicative) Filled or well-supplied with something; e.g., New York politics is replete with ironies, but perhaps the choicest in the past decade was the crusade to teach the city good manners.// e.g., // e.g., The show is replete with simple, haunting images.// e.g., What’s documented here is that personal warfare, replete with bursting explosions and a splattering of machine-gun notes./// Very full of or sated (sate = satisfy a desire or an appetite to the full; pronounced seɪt) by food; e.g., ‘I went out into the sun-drenched streets again, replete and relaxed.’

Puke (pronounced pjuːk) = (noun) (slang) Vomit; throw up. See (the least disgusting videos) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxZc0Hg9kEk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXjjcyx3qqw  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTUo9eW92xs   /// e.g., (verb no object) Wild with shame at puking up like a baby.// e.g., (verb with object) He puked up his pizza.// e.g., ‘I just remember feeling sick or actually puking up all the time.’ /// (mass noun) (informal)  Vomit; e.g., ‘Then I was sick in the night, no puke but sick to my stomach and again I screamed to the black walls.’// e.g., Walking around the house, I discovered kitty puke in several places.// e.g., The floor was covered with puke ((**) for the last example).

Crown prince = (in some countries) a male heir to a throne; e.g., Queen Victoria intended her to marry the British Crown prince, who was reportedly very pleased with the prospect.// e.g., ‘You’re the Crown prince of an Empire so far ahead of us I suspect you could wipe out the entire kingdom with what you’ve got here!’

Crown princess = the wife of a crown prince; e.g., While the First Crown prince of Jurai, the First and Second Crown princesses, and the First Crown prince’s successor (= a person or thing that succeeds another) are present at the Masaki residence, their ‘friends’ also reside (= have one's permanent home in a particular place) there and are considered to be family as well./// (in some countries) a female heir to a throne.

Indices or indexes = the plural of index; e.g., Parsimony (= extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources)-based fit indices for multiple-indicator models: do they work? // e.g., The final section covers the development of phosphorus indices and challenges to their implementation.// e.g., The notes and indexes are carefully done, and there are two maps.// e.g., Both indexes were computed using as base 100 the average nominal rent of the 20 years 1460-1479 (*).

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