Educational
deprecate
[dep-ri-keyt]
to express earnest disapproval of
choleric
[kol-er-ik]
extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible
pretermit
[pree-ter-mit]
to let pass without notice; disregard
synecdoche
[si-nek-duh-kee]
a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in Texas won by six runs (meaning “Texas's baseball team”)
vernal
[vur-nl]
of, in, or appropriate to spring
polemic
[puh-lem-ik]
a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.
perpetuate
[per-pech-oo-eyt]
to enable or allow the continuation of into the future; keep alive (used most often in reference to something considered harmful or false)
tergiversate
[tur-ji-ver-seyt]
to turn renegade
imbricate
[im-bri-keyt]
overlapping in sequence, as tiles or shingles on a roof
diatribe
[dahy-uh-trahyb]
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
heuristic
[hyoo-ris-tik]
encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error
logophile
[law-guh-fahyl]
a lover of words
abridge
[uh-brij]
to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.
quisling
[kwiz-ling]
a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; a traitor
blatant
[bleyt-nt]
brazenly obvious; flagrant
scuttle
[skuht-l]
to sink (a vessel) deliberately, especially by opening seacocks or making openings in the hull
imprecate
[im-pri-keyt]
to invoke or call down (evil or curses), as upon a person
exoneration
[ig-zon-uh-rey-shuhn]
the act of clearing someone of blame or of an accusation or criminal charge
prescient
[presh-uhnt]
having prescience, or knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight
endemic
[en-dem-ik]
natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous
petty
[pet-ee]
of little or no importance or consequence
risible
[riz-uh-buhl]
causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous
incriminate
[in-krim-uh-neyt]
to accuse of or present proof of a crime or fault
limivorous
[lahy-miv-er-uhs]
of or relating to animals, usually worms or bivalves, that ingest earth or mud to extract the organic matter from it