Learn English Vocabulary - via Word of the Day

Cadge [ kaj ][ intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr.v.) to sponge or beg
2. (intr.v.) to obtain by sponging or beggingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :She cadged the judge to absolve her brother.

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.

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.

Expostulation [ ik-spos-chuh'-LEY-shuh'n ][ noun ]MEANING :1. the act of objecting; remonstrance
2. an exclamation of earnest protestUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :They ignored his expostulations and took him to the hospital for a check-up.

Conscientious [ kon-shee-EN-shuh's ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. scrupulous or controlled by the conscience
2. painstaking or thoroughUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He received the employee of the year award because he was conscientious and hardworking.

Capricious [ kuh'-PRISH-uh's ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. whimsical or subject to whim
2. erratic or impulsiveUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :There was never a dull moment during the absent minded and capricious science professor’s class.

Placebo [ pluh-see-boh ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a substance which does not have any pharmacological effect but is administered to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a real medicine
2. an item of no intrinsic remedial value that is used to appease or reassure another
3. the name given to the vespers of the Office for the deadUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The study indicated that sixty-five percent of the patients recovered when given a placebo.

Scuffle [ SKUHF-uh'l ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr. v.) to put up a struggle with of fight in a confused way
2. (tr. v.) to move in a confused hurry
3. (n.) a fight or confused struggle
4. (n.) the shuffling of feet on the floor
5.(n.) scuffle hoe or a spadelike hoeUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The police were called to put an end to the scuffle in the alley.

Insidious [ in-SID-ee-uh's ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. intended to beguile or entrap
2. stealthily deceitful or treacherous
3. seeming to operate in an inconspicuous or harmless way but actually with grave effectUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His step brother devised an insidious plan to covet the ancestral property.

Dictum [ DIK-tuh'm ][ noun ]MEANING :1. an authoritative pronouncement
2. a judicial assertion
3. an authoritative say-so or formal pronouncementUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The people followed his dictum and assembled at the park even though the police commissioner declared that the rally was illegal.

Augment [ v. awg-MENT; n. AWG-ment ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr. v.) to enlarge or make greater in size, strength or number
2. (tr. v.) to increase
3. (tr. v.) to add an augment to in linguistics
4. (intr. v.) to become larger
5.(n.) the prefixation or lengthening of the initial vowel which accompanies a past tense, especially of Greek and Sanskrit verbsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The body builder augmented the size of his muscles by taking steroids.

Atrocity [ uh-TROS-i-tee ][ noun ]MEANING :1. the quality or state of being shocking or horrifying
2. an extremely evil or cruel act or behaviourUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Many officers from the German army were executed by a military court after being found guilty of atrocities during the Second World War.

Atrocity [ uh-TROS-i-tee ][ noun ]MEANING :1. the quality or state of being shocking or horrifying
2. an extremely evil or cruel act or behaviourUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Many officers from the German army were executed by a military court after being found guilty of atrocities during the Second World War.

Obsolete [ ob-suh'-LEET, OB-suh'-leet  ][ adjective, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (adj.) disuse or no longer in general use
2. (adj.) outmoded or discarded
3. (tr. v.) to cause to become outmoded or fall into disuseUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :During the year the railway replaced all the obsolete steam engines with electric and diesel locomotives.

Entourage [ ahn-too'-RAHZH  ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a group of attendants or associates of an important person
2. environment or surroundingsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The governor and his entourage had arrived at the airport to welcome home the victorious cricket team.

Potent [ POHT-nt  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. strong, mighty or posessing physical strength
2. producing powerful physical or chemical effects
3. persuasive or having influence overUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The drug was potent and, therefore, not recommended for children.

Irrefutable [ ih-REF-yuh'-tuh'-buh'l, ir-i-FYOO-tuh'-buh'l ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. undeniable or that cannot be disproved
2. that cannot be disputedUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The lawyer won the case because his arguments were based on irrefutable facts.

Hail [ heyl  ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr. v.) to greet, salute or acclaim enthusiastically
2. (tr. v.) to call out so as to attract attention
3. (tr. v.) to pour down or shower with
4. (intr. v.) to call out a greeting
5. (n.) a greeting or salutation
6. (n.) a shout or call to draw attention
7. (n.) a showery precipitation in the form of irregular pellets of ice or a shower of anything that falls like pellets of iceUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He was hailed as a mighty warrior throughout the land.

Unprecedented [ uhn-PRES-i-den-tid  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. unparalleled or without having been previously experienced
2. unique or not having any previous example
3. exceptionalUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The unprecedented rise in the share price of certain companies, just before the announcement of a rights issue to raise capital, is being investigated by SEBI.

Welt [ welt  ][ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (n.) a ridge on the skin caused by whip or cane
2. (n.) a strip of leather stitched into a shoe between the upper and the sole
3. (n.) a blow or lash which produces a ridge on the body
4. (tr. v.) to flog or beat soundly
5. (tr. v.) to reinforce with a welt
6. (intr. v.) to be marked with weltsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The jockey was fined for indiscriminately whipping his horse during the race thereby causing welts on its flanks.

Laud [ lawd  ][ noun, transitive verb ]MEANING :1. (tr. v.) to extol or sing one's praise
2. (tr. v.) to honour or glorify
3. (n.) a song of praise
5. (n.) praiseUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :People lauded the good work done by volunteers in the tsunami hit area.

Pragmatic [ prag-MAT-ik  ][ noun, adjective ]MEANING :1. (adj.) practical or matter-of-fact
2. (adj.) pertaining to facts and actual incidents
3. (n.) practical sanctionsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The government has devised a pragmatic solution to the problem of the steep rise in food prices.

Bout [ bout  ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a match or contest of strength
2. a period or an interval of time
3. a turn or chance to do somethingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Once when he had a bout of hiccups he was advised to hold his breath until cured.

Philatelist [ fi-LAT-l-ist  ][ noun ]MEANING :1. one who is a collector and student of postage stamps
2. one who accumulates and studies stampsUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :He said that he was not really a philatelist and that the collection of rare stamps had been gifted to him by his grandfather.

Belie [ bih-LAHY  ][ transitive verb ]MEANING :1. to refute, contradict or prove to be false
2. to misrepresent or give a false impressionUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :His nervous gesticulations belied the confidence with which he spoke.

Urbane [ ur-BEYN  ][ adjective ]MEANING :polite, refined and sophisticated in manner.USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :At the start of the new term the teacher addressed the children in an urbane tone so as to befriend rather than intimidate the class.

Implicit [ im-PLIS-it  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. implied, rather than being clearly stated
2. understood though not directly expressed
3. having no reservations about or absolute or unquestioningUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :They had an implicit agreement to remain silent about the affair.

Apolitical [ ey-puh'-LIT-i-kuh'l  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. not involved in the governmental or public affairs of a state
2. having no interest in or association with governmental affairs
3. of no relevance or importance to the governing of a stateUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :A famous actor claimed to be apolitical because, according to him, politics was a dirty game.

Ingrained [ in-GREYND, IN-greynd  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. deep-rooted or firmly established
2. implanted or firmly fixed
3. made of fiber or yarn dyed before weavingUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :Due to their ingrained superstition and prejudices the villagers refused to be treated by the doctor at the government hospital.

Prelate [ PREL-it  ][ noun ]MEANING :1. a church dignitary of a high order or a high priest
2. an ecclesiastical dignitary or clergyman of high rankUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :A prelate was sent to offer guidance to the seminarians on matters of theology.

Compliant [ kuh'm-PLAHY-uh'nt  ][ adjective ]MEANING :1. obeying or yielding in a submissive way
2. produced in accordance with a specified set of rules
3. meekly willing to obligeUSAGE EXAMPLE 1 :The compliant child always respected the wishes of his elders.