Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

deft [ deft ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. nimble
2. skillful and quick
3. adeptUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The sculptor chiseled away at the block of marble with deft strokes.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The star of the day was Nishi Sheikh, who attracted the most attention with her electric blue dress and deft dance moves.

surmise [ v. ser-MAHYZ; n. ser-MAHYZ, SUR-mahyz ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to infer or guess without any logical or conclusive evidence
2. (intr.v.) to guess or deduce without evidence
3. (n.) a conjecture, idea or opinion that has been formed without any evidence or logical explanationUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He surmised the conclusion of the story to everyone's astonishment.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Some Syria-watchers have surmised that the American attack was carried out with the complicity of the Syrian authorities, even though it was incumbent on them to complain after the event.

surly [ SUR-lee ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. ill-tempered, rude or churlish
2. threatening or menacing
3. dismal or gloomyUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His surly temper made everyone wary of him.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :I have travelled extensively in the Caribbean, and while I haven’t always found it as friendly as it’s painted – service is often surly and I’ve yet to meet anyone remotely helpful at Antigua airport – I’ve never encountered any crime or felt threatened.

supplant [suh’-PLANT, -PLAHNT][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to supersede or usurp one's place by trickery or plotting
2. to uproot, displace or substituteUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The general tried to supplant the king by planning a military coup.USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :David Miliband, the man who is thought to want to supplant Gordon Brown at 10, Downing Street, leaves the Labour Party conference as damaged goods, largely caused by self-inflicted wounds.

molten [ MOHL-tn ][ adjective, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (adj.) melted or liquefied by means of applying heat
2. (adj.) produced as result of heating or liquefaction
3. (adj.) brilliant glowing as a result of heating
4. (tr.v.) past participle of melt
5. (intr.v.) past participle of meltUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The molten lava that was spewed from the volcano scattered, destroying everything in its path.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The volcano is one of Japan's most active and last erupted in September 2004 when molten rock and ash blanketed areas more than 125 miles from the crater.

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stilted [ STIL-tid ][ adjective, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (adj.) (architecture) having an arch begin at a distance above an impost
2. (adj.) stiff, formal or pompously dignified
3. (tr.v.) to raise or elevate on stiltsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The stilted platform was termed dangerous.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :For centuries the seminomadic Moken people have lived as hunter-gatherers, dwelling on boats or stilted dwellings along the coasts of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.

slaked [ sleyk ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to quench or satiate a desire or craving
2. (tr.v.) to rejuvenate or invigorate
3. (tr.v.) to disintegrate lime by hydrating it
4. (tr.v.) to curb or diminish
5. (intr.v.) to cause lime to undergo slaking by hydration
6. (intr.v.) to abate or curbUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He slaked his thirst by drinking an entire bottle of cold water.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :This unstable material is then "slaked" in a water bath (a violent chemical reaction during which the rock turns to lime putty).

scurrilous [ SKUR-uh-luh s, SKUHR- ]
     [ adjective ]
MEANING :
     foul, vulgar, indecent or obscene
USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
     The scurrilous behaviour displayed by the teenagers caused them to be arrested.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
     Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said Ms Lewsley had made "scurrilous and ill-informed allegations against the NASUWT".

rustic [ RUHS-tik ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. (adj.) rural or pertaining to the countryside
2. (adj.)simple, unsophisticated or lacking elegance
3. (adj.) made by using rough wood
4. (n.) persons who belong to rural locales
5. (n.) unsophisticated or simple personsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The rustic countryside was attractive.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Stepping into the Grassroots Cafe's minimalist interior, you find beige brick walls, rustic wooden tables, a flagstone floor, and not much else.