Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

Inchoate [ IN-koh-yet; in-KOH-it, -eyt  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. not yet formed or developed completely
2. just begun; in a beginning stage
3. not organised; disorderlyUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His inchoate ideas on how to turn the company around did not impress the company's management.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :But even law schools were not totally immune from the trends that were pushing the nation's politics to the right, and a small group of students like Calabresi decided to turn these inchoate tendencies into something more enduring.

Bulwark [ BOO' L-werk, -wawrk, BUHL- ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a solid wall built for defence; a rampart
2. (n.) something serving as a strong support or protection
3. (n.) breakwater
4. (n.) (usu. plural) the side of a ship above the upper deck
5. (tr. v.) to fortify or protect with a bulwarkUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The Great wall of China- built as a bulwark against invading Mongols- is one of the greatest engineering feats of all time.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Clinton hopes Texas will serve as a bulwark against Obama's wave of growing political support.

Obviate [ OB-vee-eyt ][ verb ]MEANING :to anticipate and remove a difficultyUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The risk of serious injury suffered by motorists can be obviated by wearing a helmet.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The system will allow cricketers to challenge the umpire's decision to obviate controversies and bring in greater transparency in the game.

Eschew [ es-CHOO ]
 [ verb ]
 MEANING :
 to avoid or keep away from, esp. from wrongdoings or evil; to shun

 USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
 All religions advise their people to eschew wickedness and evil from their daily lives.

 USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
 If this was not enough, the PMO statement, talking about the meeting of Left leaders with PM, went to the extent of indirectly advising the Left parties to "eschew the temptation of politicising the misery of the people". This is the first time in four years that PMO has reacted so bitterly.

Ersatz [ ER-zahts, -sahts, er-ZAHTS, -SAHTS ][ adjective ]MEANING :an artificial and usually inferior substitute or imitationUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :At the seminar they served us ersatz coffee made of chicory.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The remaining sites would then be rebuilt in traditional style. Such conservation would not be ersatz antiquarianism but merely use appropriate materials to rescue a neighbourhood whose character should be as critical to old Kabul as saving Covent Garden was to London’s West End.

Immure [ i-MYOO’ R  ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to surround or enclose within walls; imprison
2. to build into or entomb in wallUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The dreaded terrorist was immured in a high security prison.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :True, there was a Mughal emperor in Delhi until 1857, but he was emperor in name only, the shadow of a memory, described by Lord Macaulay as 'a mock sovereign immured in a gorgeous state prison'.

Acquiesce [ ak-wee-ES ][ verb ]MEANING :to agree without protest; to consent or comply tacitlyUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The essence of military training is for a young cadet to be able to acquiesce to commands made by a superior officer.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Though adhering to that ideal brought the roof crashing down during the team's Spanish period, McLaren were delighted to acquiesce.

Highbrow [ HAHY-brou ][ noun, verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a person who has or affects a highly cultivated and intellectual taste
2. (v.) of, relating to or being intellectual or cultivatedUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Lawrence Durrell's highbrow tetralogy “The Alexandra Quartet” is widely regarded as one of the most important novels of the twentieth century.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :THE post-apocalyptic seems to be all the rage with readers of novels and short stories, both highbrow and low.

Ignoble [ ig-NOH-buh' l ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. not belonging to the nobility; of humble rank or lineage
2. base; low; of inferior gradeUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His ignoble purposes were soon revealed and he was asked to leave the company.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :A year later he declared himself Emperor Napoleon III, bringing an ignoble end to the Third Republic.

Iconoclast [ ahy-KON-uh'-klast ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a person who destroys religious images or objects to their worship
2. a person who attacks prejudices, beliefs or institutions that are based on superstitions or erroneous rationaleUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Only an iconoclast like Raja Rammohan Roy could have succeeded in abolishing sati from Hindu society.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :A natural-born iconoclast, Fela was a legend in his own lifetime; as infamous for his lifestyle and politics as he was acclaimed for his music.

Innuendo [ in-yoo-EN-doh ][ noun ]MEANING :1. an allusion about a person or a thing esp. in a derogatory fashion
2. a parenthetical explanation or specification present in a legal documentUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The innuendo made by the boss about his subordinate's mental faculties and state of mental health so enraged the subordinate that he immediately tendered his resignation.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :This case must be decided on evidence — not fear and innuendo.

Crone [ krohn ][ noun ]MEANING :an old and withered womanUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :A crone seeking alms is a common sight in our country.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Pip meets a mysterious aged crone who can help him escape from Britain's most terrifying school and the clutches of his evil guardian.

Rapine [ RAP-in, -ahyn ][ noun ]MEANING :the act of forcefully taking away someone else's property; pillageUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The rapine of Hindustan by Nadir Shah has been well documented.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :But Japan’s relations with its nearest neighbours are still bedevilled by problems of acknowledging its rapine wartime past.

Lambast [ lam-BEYST, -BAST ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :to beat or denounce severelyUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Instead of verbally lambasting politicians, the middle class in India would be better served if they were to be active participants in the democratic process and be vigilant citizens at all times.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The prime minister, who lambasts his main rival as a “shallow salesman”, has been unable to sell himself.

Adroit [ uh'-DROIT ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. dextrous; agile
2. skilful; resourcefulUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His adroit debating skills helped our college secure the first rank in the debating competition.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Mr Sullivan become the third “Spitzer boss” to fall, joining two lawyers, Mr Prince and Mr Cherkasky, both of whom were considerably less adroit at running companies than they were at cosying up to Mr Spitzer.

Imprecation [ im-pri-KEY-shuh’ n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. the act of calling upon evil on someone; the act of cursing
2. a curse; maledictionUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Tantriks reputedly have the ability to cast an imprecation.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :She spits the words out like an imprecation, no need to explain why this is such a disaster.

Effete [ i-FEET ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. infertile; sterile; unable to produce
2. depleted of all vitality, effectiveness, or strength
3. characterised by decadence, self-indulgence or triviality
3. over refined; soft due to a pampered upbringingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The actor's effete ways irked the audience.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The figure of Satan appears as a very effete character throughout the film, but not everybody will understand that.