n. branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds
E.g. Audubon's studies of American birds greatly influenced the course of ornithology.
v. swing back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm; vibrate pendulum like; waver
E.g. It is interesting to note how public opinions oscillate between the extremes of optimism and pessimism.
v. change or form into bone; become set in a rigidly conventional pattern; change from soft tissue to hard bony tissue
E.g. When he called his opponent a "bonehead," he implied that his adversary's brain might ossify to the point that he was incapable of clear thinking.
a. put forth or held out as real, actual, or intended; proper or intended to be shown
E.g. Although the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products.
n. making ambitious display; unnecessary show; pretentious parade
E.g. As for the painters who commanded these extraordinary prices, they rivaled each other in ostentation and vanity.
v. exclude from community or group; banish by popular vote
E.g. As soon as the newspapers carried the story of his connection with the criminals, his friends began to ostracize him.
a. no longer usable or practical; obsolete; not in fashion
E.g. Unconcerned about keeping in style, Lenore was perfectly happy to wear outmoded clothes as long as they were clean.
v. exceed or surpass; leave behind
E.g. Jesse Owens easily will outstrip his white competitors to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games.
v. throw a shadow, or shade, over; to darken; obscure; cover with a superior influence
E.g. His recent death would overshadow the family gathering.
n. song of praise or joy; loud and joyous song; song of triumph
E.g. At present the same form of paean is employed at the beginning and at the end, whereas the end should differ from the beginning.
a. of nature of palace, as in spaciousness or ornateness
E.g. After living in a cramped studio apartment for years, Alicia thought the modest one bedroom looked downright palatial.
v. lessen violence of disease; moderate intensity; gloss over with excuses
E.g. Not content merely to palliate the patient's sores and cankers, the researcher sought a means of wiping out the disease.
a. abnormally pale; lacking intensity of color or luminousness
E.g. Because his job required that he work at night and sleep during the day, he had an exceptionally pallid complexion.
v. beat rapidly; shake with fast, tremulous movements
E.g. As he became excited, his heart began to palpitate more and more erratically.
n. remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
E.g. The rich youth cynically declared that the panacea for all speeding tickets was a big enough bribe.
a. widespread; affecting majority of people
E.g. They feared the AIDS epidemic would soon reach pandemic proportions.
n. formal or high praise; formal eulogistic composition intended as public compliment
E.g. Blushing at all the praise heaped upon him by the speakers, the modest hero said, "I don't deserve any panegyric.".
v. complete view in every direction.
E.g. The 360 degree panorama from the top of Mt Everest is just awesome to look at.
n. communication by means of gesture and facial expression
E.g. Because he worked in pantomime, the clown could be understood wherever he appeared.
n. ancient paper made from stem of plant
E.g. The ancient Egyptians were among the first to write on papyrus.
v. burn surface of; roast over fire, as dry grain; dry to extremity
E.g. The fierce sun will parch the bare earth next month.
n. sudden outburst of emotion or action; sudden attack, recurrence, or intensification of a disease
E.g. When he heard of his son's misdeeds, he was seized by a paroxysm of rage.
a. excessively unwilling to spend; excessively sparing or frugal
E.g. At no point in their history had the Dreevers been what one might call a parsimonious family.
n. inclination; favorable prejudice or bias; special fondness
E.g. As a judge, not only must I be unbiased, but I must also avoid any evidence of partiality when I award the prize.
a. any of various pale or light colors; lacking in body or vigor
E.g. The fake cakes made to look freshly iced in pastel shades sit under glass displays.
n. imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing
E.g. We cannot even say that her music is a: pastiche of this composer or that; it is, rather, reminiscent of many musicians.
a. rural; relating to shepherds or herders; relating to the country or country life
E.g. In these stories of pastoral life, we find an understanding of the daily tasks of country folk.
n. green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
E.g. Judging by the patina on this bronze statue, we can conclude that this is the work of a medieval artist.
a. belong to noble origin; having high birth
E.g. We greatly admired her well-bred, patrician elegance.
n. scarcity; smallness of number; fewness
E.g. They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate.
n. slight offense; small sin or fault
E.g. When Peter Piper picked a peck of Polly Potter's pickles, did Pete commit a major crime or just a peccadillo?.
v. embezzle; appropriate fraudulently to one's own use; steal public moneys intrusted to one's care
E.g. These days in the news, we read more and more about workers to peculate the system.
a. relating to money; requiring payment of money
E.g. Seldom earning enough to cover their expenses, folk dance teachers work because they love dancing, not because they expect any pecuniary reward.
n. teaching; art of education; science of teaching
E.g. Though Maria Montessori gained fame for her innovations in pedagogy, it took years before the methods were common practice in American.
n. one who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning
E.g. Her insistence that the book be memorized marked the teacher as a pedant rather than a scholar.
a. tending to make or become worse; disparaging or belittling
E.g. Instead of criticizing Clinton's policies, the Republicans made pejorative remarks about his character.
a. transparent; limpid; easy to understand
E.g. After reading these stodgy philosophers, I find Bertrand Russell's pellucid style very enjoyable.
a. supported from above; suspended; depending; pendulous; hanging
E.g. From bent wood pendent lights to sculptural steel plant walls, their portfolio is chalk full of inventive and inspiring pieces.
n. a body suspended from fixed point as to swing freely to and fro by the alternate action of gravity and momentum
E.g. There was a clock on the middle of the mantelpiece, with a picture of a town painted on the bottom half of the glass front, and a round place in the middle of it for the sun, and you could see the pendulum swinging behind it.
a. feeling or expressing deep regret for misdeeds
E.g. When he realized the enormity of his crime, he became remorseful and penitent.