v. declare to be true; affirm
E.g. The witnesses aver that he was holding a gun.
n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment
E.g. His hobby proved to be so fascinating and profitable that gradually he abandoned his regular occupation and concentrated on his avocation.
v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly
E.g. Lana began to avow that she never meant to steal Debbie's boyfriend.
n. open declaration; frank acknowledgment
E.g. The water stood in my eyes to hear this avowal of his dependence; just as if a royal eagle, chained to a perch, should be forced to entreat a sparrow to become its purveyor.
a. in manner of uncle, pertaining to uncle; kind, genial, benevolent or tolerant
E.g. Avuncular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew's shortcomings.
n. self-evident truth requiring no proof
E.g. Before a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry, he must accept certain principle or axiom.
a. sky blue; light purplish-blue
E.g. Azure skies are indicative of good weather.
a. drunken; relating to reveling and drunkenness
E.g. Emperor Nero attended the bacchanalian orgy.
n. teasing conversation; good-humored, playful conversation
E.g. Her friends at work greeted the news of her engagement with cheerful badinage.
a. portending evil; harmful in intent or effect.
E.g. The fortune teller made baleful predictions of terrible things to come.
a. being in the state of a barbarian; uncivilized; rude
E.g. Their barbarous treatment of prisoners aroused great rage.
a. completely happy and contented; showing or producing exalted joy
E.g. The beatific smile on the child's face made us very happy.
n. blessedness; state of extreme happiness
E.g. Growing closer to God each day, the mystic achieved a state of indescribable beatitude.
v. produce; give rise to
E.g. One good turn may deserve another; it does not necessarily beget another.
v. mislead; delude; deceive by guile
E.g. With flattery and big talk of easy money, the con men beguile Kyle into betting his allowance on the shell game.
v. besiege or attack; harass; surround with troops
E.g. The babysitter is surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats who relentlessly beleaguer her.
a. warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; showing or having impulse to be combative
E.g. His bellicose disposition alienated his friends.
n. blessing; invocation of divine blessing; expression of good wishes
E.g. The appearance of the sun after the many rainy days was like a benediction.
v. surround with armed forces; harass with requests
E.g. When the bandits besiege the village, the villagers hole up in the town hall and prepare to withstand a long siege.
n. large group; a group of animals or birds, especially larks or quail
E.g. The movie actor was surrounded by a bevy of starlets.
a. suffering from indigestion; appearing as if affected by disorder; sickly
E.g. The bilious is indicated by a thin, spare face, dark skin, black hair, firm flesh, moderate stoutness, with rough, harsh, and strongly marked features.
n. loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
E.g. Then there was a louder blare from the organ, and everyone in the church stood up and faced backward.
v. draw back, from lack of courage or resolution; turn pale, as if in fear
E.g. And yet even this New York girl would blench at the idea of approaching total strangers in the streets with a poem.
a. gay; joyous; carefree and lighthearted
E.g. Shelley called the skylark a "blithe spirit" because of its happy song.
a. rough and stormy; loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline
E.g. The unruly crowd became even more boisterous when he tried to quiet them.
a. pompous; using inflated language; high-sounding but with little meaning
E.g. The biggest military power on Earth was acting belligerent and its president was indulging in bombastic nationalistic grandstanding.
a. handsome; beautiful; pretty; attractively lively and graceful
E.g. Her baby has bonny and bright blue eyes.
a. liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts
E.g. I generally contrived to reserve a moiety of this bounteous repast for myself; but the remainder I was invariably obliged to part with.
a. dull, slow-moving, and stolid, like an ox; placid and dull
E.g. Nothing excites Esther; even when she won the state lottery, she still preserved her air of bovine calm.
n. headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins
E.g. Nothing says quality like thick bridle leather, brass rivets, and metal fasteners.
a. full to the brim; completely full; ready to overflow
E.g. He was so brimful of exultation that he could hardly hold himself.
a. of brownish, tawny colour, with streaks, spots, or patterns
E.g. He was disappointed in the litter because the puppies were brindled, he had hoped for animals of a uniform color.
v. cook by direct exposure to heat over fire; subject to great heat; be subjected to the action of heat; be greatly heated
E.g. I have to broil in this hot sun to get them back!
a. rustic; pastoral; agricultural; relating to country affairs, or to shepherd's life and occupation
E.g. Filled with browsing cows and bleating sheep, the meadow was a charmingly bucolic sight.
n. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
E.g. The navy is our principal bulwark against invasion.
v. grow forth; send out buds; grow or develop rapidly
E.g. In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty to come.
v. make shiny by rubbing; polish
E.g. I burnish the brass fixtures until they reflect the lamplight.
v. support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence
E.g. The attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to buttress his weak case.
a. healthily plump and ample of figure; full-bosomed; vigorous; jolly
E.g. A generation ago, fat babies were considered healthy and buxom actresses were popular, but society has since come to worship thinness.
a. past; gone by
E.g. The peaceful face reflected somewhat of peace and healing into own spirit, and his thoughts wandered away to bygone times and dreamy memories.