Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

Gust [ guhst ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. a sudden blast of wind
2. a burst of water or an abrupt rush of
3. an out burst of feelings or emotions
4. to blow all of a suddenUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He tried to hold onto his hat but it was blown off his head by a sudden gust.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Keep both hands on the wheel, particularly if you're being buffeted by the wind or the slipstreams of other vehicles, and anticipate stronger winds and gusts on exposed stretches of road or when passing high-sided vehicles.

Unearthly [ uhn-URTH-lee ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. seeming not to belong to this world
2. supernatural
3. unreasonable or uncustomaryUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She screamed in such and unearthly voice that it scared the entire household.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :His bemused clients were then asked to sign statements confirming that they witnessed him "controlling a voice or set of voices that are unearthly in nature".

Expedite [ Ek-spi-dahyt ][ verb ]MEANING :1. to speed up or hasten the progress of
2. to accomplish or execute promptly
3. to issue or dispatch, say, an official letterUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The minister's decision to expedite the project proved beneficial to the people.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The messages request personal information that supposedly would expedite the turnaround time of either a tax refund or a stimulus rebate check.

Solace [ SOL-is ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to comfort someone or cheer someone up
2. (tr.v.) to allay or relieve someone of their misery or grief
3. (n.) comfort, alleviation or consolation
4. (n.) a source of alleviation, comfort or consolationUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She solaced the grieving widow by offering words of comfort.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :But its buoyancy is a solace to Asian countries, several of which enjoy trade surpluses with China, and to the European Union, for which China is the fastest-growing market—albeit, as the Europeans like to point out when they complain about Chinese trade barriers, still no bigger than Switzerland.

Elicit [ i-LIS-it ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :to bring out, educe, evoke or arrive atUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Illegal migration from Bangladesh into India numbers in the millions but it barely elicits any mention in the major Indian newspapers.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Routine violence there exceeds anything seen in Bangkok, but it elicits barely a peep from the news media in the Thai capital.

Chronicle [ KRON-i-kuh'l ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a history or an extended narrative report of historical events presented in a time sequence
2. (n.) a detailed record of events
3. (tr. v.) to record in historical formatUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Many who start reading the chronicle of the knight in shining armour find it so interesting that they cannot stop till they reach the end.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The girl had chronicled two years of the emotions and fears that gripped her during hiding, as well as candid thoughts on her family, her feelings for friend-in-hiding Peter van Pels, and dreams of being a professional writer.

Sham [ sham ][ noun, verb, adjective ]MEANING :1. (n.) something false that is alleged to be genuine
2. (n.) a person who feigns illness or pretends
3. (n.) a cover up or giving a false outward appearance
4. (adj.) feigned or pretended
5. (v.) to pretend or put on false appearancesUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The investigation was a sham as the detectives were not keen on catching the culprit.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :A man jailed for arranging sham marriages in Northern Ireland has launched a legal bid to avoid deportation to Nigeria.

Harbinger [ HAHR-bin-jer ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :(n.) someone or something that indicates or announces what is to come
(tr. v.) to indicate the approach ofUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The by elections in August could well prove to be the harbinger of the voters mood before the assembly elections early next year.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The significance of Mr Besley’s vote is that it could prove a harbinger of the MPC’s stance when it next meets, in August.

Gorge [ gawrj ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a ravine or narrow passage or cleft that has rocky sides
2. (n.) one's gullet or throat
3. (tr.v.) to eat, stuff or devour food greedily
4. (intr.v.) to greedily consume foodUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :This particular gorge was considered to be the deepest in the world.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Hundreds of tourists filed out of tour buses, trains and other vehicles Thursday, destined to view the mile-deep gorge well known around the world.

Flair [ flair ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a knack or natural aptitude
2. discernment, a tendency to be inclined towards or keenness
3. elegance or styleUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She had a flair for fashionable dressing.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Federer's victories are achieved with a combination of flair, fight and fire.

Banter [ BAN-ter ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to playfully ridicule or tease
2. (intr.v.) to tease playfully
3. (n.) a playful exchange of teasing remarksUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :They bantered all through the night.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :I don't mind a bit of the friendly banter going on but I've said right from the start that I don't like, and won't like, any personal barrages towards anyone. Pointing said.

Refurbish [ ree-fur-bish ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to renovateUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He refurbished his apartment so that he could sell it at a higher price.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The films are being refurbished as part of an international effort to preserve his film heritage

Archive [ AHR-kahyv ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. a record or document relating to various activities
2. a place where historical documents and public records are kept
3. a large collection of data
4. to put records in an archiveUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The author searched the cultural archives for content on Indian folklore for his new novel.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Starting out on the family history trail can be difficult enough without the added complication of the fact that you'll probably have to visit an archive, record office or similar institution.

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Harbour [ HAHR-ber ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a shelter, retreat or a place where one can seek refuge
2. (n.) an inlet of the sea or water body where ships can be safely anchored
3. (tr.v.) to conceal, protect or provide shelter
4. (intr.v.) to anchor or seek shelter in a harbourUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Every city block should have a safe haven, a harbour for those in need.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The popular sunbathing destination is less than half a mile off the coast from the old town of Budva, whose harbour can be reached by boat in only a few minutes.

Panache [ puh’-NASH, -NAHSH ][ noun ]MEANING :1. flair, style or flamboyance
2. a tuft or plume of tassels or feathers esp. on a cap or helmet
a pendentive's surface (in architecture)USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The count had panache which attracted people from different walks of life.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :A disc containing CIA material, Malkovich's character is using to write his memoirs, falls into the hands of Pitt and McDormand who set out to blackmail him with all the panache of the Keystone Kops.

Benediction [ ben-i-DIK-shuh'n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a blessing or an expression good wishes
2. the invocation of divine blessing or the blessing pronounced by an officiating ministerUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The old man’s benediction was misinterpreted by the ignorant villagers as a curse because he spoke with a lisp.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Henry is supposed to have abased himself before his father in a cloak full of needles to signify thrifty intentions and to have earned, in return, a touching benediction.

Vendetta [ ven-DET-uh' ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a personal feud between two families in which the wronged one seeks vengeance
2. a long-drawn-out series of vengeful acts or quarrelsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The vendetta has gone on for almost a century.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :In truth, Mr Mompesson just wanted to fulfil a vendetta against the drummer.

Berserk [ ber-SURK ][ noun, adjective ]MEANING :1. (adj.) crazed or deranged
2. (adj.) violently disturbed or frenziedUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The young, berserk man was caught by the police before he could cause any harm.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :According to a Xinhua report, the local farmer went berserk after the local police told him that the family house he had just built using 110,000 yuan (US$16,110) of family savings had to be torn down because it had been built on farmland, which is illegal in China.

Placid [ PLAS-id ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. peaceful, tranquil or serene
2. complacentUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His placid nature seemed to calm the frenzied crowd.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :In a further twist, the normally placid Switzerland announced on May 23 that it had secretly destroyed highly technical blueprints for producing nuclear weapons.

Hamper [ HAM-per ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to hinder, impede or curb
2. (n.) equipment on a ship that hinders despite being necessary
3. (n.) a large basket that usually has a coverUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The manager made it clear that all factors that hamper productivity must be dealt with.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The Grampian Joint Police Board has criticised the consultation process and is concerned the move will hamper investigations in the north east.

Collate [ kuh'-LEYT, koh-, ko-, KOH-leyt, KOL-eyt ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to collect, arrange in an order and then examine carefully in order to integrate
2. to appoint or admit (a cleric or clergyman) to a benefice
3. to examine the presence of all pages before printingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The files have to be collated before the presentation.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :If an analyst will collate all the positions to which all the candidates move, he will find himself close to the true center of national politics.

Aversion [ uh'-VUR-zhuh' n, -shuh' n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a deep repugnance, dislike or antipathy
2. the cause of repugnance or dislike
3. an evasion or dodging of something unpleasantUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She had a deep seated aversion towards sea food.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :Kids like that have extreme aversion to any changes.

Blanch [ blanch, blahnch ][ intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to whiten or bleach
2. (tr.v.) to make pale or devoid of colour
3. (tr.v.) to scald in order to remove skin or prepare for freezing
4. (intr.v.) to turn or become pale or whiteUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :They blanched the cloth to suit their needs.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :When the plants are about 30cm (12in) tall, tie the stems loosely and gradually earth them up as they grow to blanch them.

Monolithic [ mon-uh’-LITH-ik ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. pertaining to or of a monolith
2. carved out of only one stone
3. massive, monumental or huge
4. composed of a single piece, unbroken or solidUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The monolithic architecture was a famous tourist attraction.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :NMP's appointment marks the end of British Nuclear Fuels, better known as BNFL, the monolithic government body that for years was synonymous with the UK nuclear industry.

Char [ chahr ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr. v.) to scorch or burn only the surface of
2. (tr. v.) to reduce to charcoal by partial combustion
3. (intr. v.) to become burnt or reduced to charcoal
4. (n.) material that has been burnt or reduced to charcoalUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :None of the artifacts were recognizable, everything was charred to a cinder by the blaze.
USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :The photos showed heavy damage, with charred furniture, peeling wallpaper and floors strewn with broken glass, debris and ashes.