n. formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom
E.g. A swearing in ceremony is set for this afternoon for a man who will replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy.
n. document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts; document issued to a person completing a course
E.g. A diploma or certificate is given on graduation from university.
v. assert a right; raise a formal objection; take exception to
E.g. Nowadays no one will challenge the fact that the earth is round.
n. cell; compartment; room
E.g. Before being taken to the execution chamber he acknowledged that he deserved punishment, but he said it was unfair that he was paying the ultimate price while his co-defendant, his girlfriend, who was charged as a juvenile, had the chance of a normal life.
n. light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France
E.g. Why don't we crack open a bottle of champagne to celebrate?
v. protect or fight for as first place
E.g. Martin Luther King, Jr., they believe he could champion the oppressed in their struggle for equality.
n. passage for water or other fluids to flow through; bed of a stream or river; route of communication or access
E.g. You should take her request through official channel, there is no private room for her issue.
n. disorder; condition or place of great disorder or confusion; disorderly mass
E.g. Their job is to stop a repeat of the chaos that blighted the last election in 2002.
n. place of worship that is smaller than and subordinate to a church; service conducted in a chapel
E.g. Slightly smaller than the shrine, the chapel is also a domed structure cruciform in plan.
n. division of a book or treatise; assembly of monks; bishop's council; organized branch of some society
E.g. A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play.
v. set or ask for a certain price; load to capacity; fill; instruct or urge authoritatively; command
E.g. The barbers share same service price of haircut: they charge six dollars for boy and ten for girl.
n. activity or gift that benefits the public at large
E.g. This is potentially embarrassing for those involved in the concerts, as the rock stars use charity to disguise self promotion.
n. power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness; item worn for its supposed magical benefit
E.g. Her spirit and charm is going to be a great lesson to all young women and teens
n. graph; diagram; map showing coastlines, water depths, or other information of use to navigators
E.g. A fisherman's chart may be the crucial evidence which finally help to put to rest the mystery of what happened to Roald Amundsen.
v. pursue for the purpose of killing or taking; hunt; follow as if to catch
E.g. He saw the policeman chase the mugger down the alley.
n. talk without exchanging too much information; informal conversation
E.g. Inviting others into the chat is as simple as sending them a human-readable URL, and nobody has to sign up or answer an invitation email.
v. stop motion; curb or restrain
E.g. "Young man," she said, "you'd better check your temper.".
n. ticket or slip of identification; written order to bank to pay from deposit
E.g. He paid all his bills by check.
n. lightness of spirits or mood; source of joy or happiness; festive food and drink; refreshment
E.g. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for everyone to hear!
v. harbor; treasure; treat with affection and tenderness; hold dear
E.g. One aspect of my marriage that I truly cherish is the way Darrell and I work together as a team.
v. bite and grind with the teeth
E.g. You must chew your food well before you swallow it.
a. highest in office or rank; principal; head
E.g. The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo.
a. cool; freeze
E.g. When mists as chill as death wandered to the impulse of east winds along those purple peaks, and rolled down "ing" and holm till they blended with the frozen fog of the beck!
n. central forward portion of the lower jaw; bottom of face
E.g. The face is mild and weak, especially in the thin short chin and feeble mouth.
v. cut small pieces from; diminish or reduce to shape; break or crack
E.g. The snow stopped and they began to chip ice from the windows.
n. band or organized company of singers, especially in church service
E.g. TSome people will say that being in choir is lots of involvement because you have both rehearsals and services, which is true.
v. breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion; reduce the air supply
E.g. He so worked upon his feelings with the pathos of these dreams, that he had to keep swallowing, he was so like to choke; and his eyes swam in a blur of water, which overflowed when he winked, and ran down and trickled from the end of his nose.
n. electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
E.g. But, on rare occasions, microscopic metal particles can lead to a short circuit within the cell, causing overheating and potentially flames.
n. public entertainment of performances by acrobats, clowns, and trained animals
E.g. I am not an animal rights person, but training animals to perform in a circus is cruelty.
a. having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite
E.g. Although Internal Revenue Service agents are civil servants, they are not always courteous to suspected tax cheats.
a. of or relating to nonmilitary life
E.g. The first is integrating former rebels back into civilian life.
n. demand for something as rightful or due
E.g. They struck in support of their claim for a shorter work day.
n. work of acknowledged excellence and authority, or its author; creation of the highest excellence
E.g. His face was like a Greek face, very pure in outline: quite a straight, classic nose; quite an Athenian mouth and chin.
ad. out of the way; completely away
E.g. Read the book clear to the end.
n. act of clearing; space cleared; permission to proceed or trust
E.g. Professors who wish to work with human genetic material need clearance from their university's review board.
v. make a slight, sharp noise by gentle striking; tick
E.g. Students prefer to click mouse rather than to strike keyboard.
n. someone who pays to get goods or services
E.g. Gentlemen, my plan is broken up: what this lawyer and his client say is true: I have been married, and the woman to whom I was married lives!
n. healthcare facility for outpatient care
E.g. In one of the worst-hit villages in the Bachu area, authorities say about a thousand homes collapsed and at least one school and a clinic.
n. small section of filmed or filed material
E.g. Phil's job at Fox Sports involved selecting the most important clip of the day's sporting highlights for later broadcast.
n. small room or apartment; room for privacy
E.g. Please put the coats back into the closet.