Words and their Definitions

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Doodoo
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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 2, 2025, 1:11 pm

tittle
noun
tit·​tle ˈti-tᵊl
Synonyms of tittle
1
: a point or small sign used as a diacritical mark in writing or printing
2
: a very small part

The dot above the letter "i"



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jackspratt
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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by jackspratt » January 2, 2025, 7:38 pm

Doodoo wrote:
January 2, 2025, 1:11 pm
tittle
A cross between tit and nipple?

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 3, 2025, 5:45 pm

addlepated
adjective | AD-ul-pay-tud

What It Means

Someone described as addlepated is mixed-up or confused. Addlepated can also be used as synonym of eccentric.

// Some addlepated clerk confused our hotel reservation with that of another, similarly named, party.

Perfect

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 4, 2025, 11:24 am

addlepated

adjective
ˈa-dᵊl-ˌpā-təd

as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
some addlepated clerk had confused our hotel reservation with that of another, similarly named, party

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 5, 2025, 10:08 pm

cerulean
adjective | suh-ROO-lee-un

What It Means

Cerulean describes things whose blue color resembles the blue of a clear sky.

// The painting depicts leafless trees bordering a cerulean lake.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 6, 2025, 8:35 pm

tome
noun | TOHM

What It Means

Tome is a formal word for a book, and especially a very large, thick, often scholarly book.

// We picked up a tome on the Ghana Empire for our history project.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 7, 2025, 10:04 pm

beleaguer
verb | bih-LEE-gur

What It Means

To beleaguer a person, business, etc. is to cause them constant or repeated trouble. Beleaguer is also sometimes used as a synonym of besiege.

// The coach, beleaguered by the media and fans for his poor decision-making during games, has been fired.

// The novel is set in a city beleaguered by military forces.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 9, 2025, 6:45 am

beleaguer
verb | bih-LEE-gur

What It Means

To beleaguer a person, business, etc. is to cause them constant or repeated trouble. Beleaguer is also sometimes used as a synonym of besiege.

// The coach, beleaguered by the media and fans for his poor decision-making during games, has been fired.

// The novel is set in a city beleaguered by military forces

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 11, 2025, 5:17 pm

cozen
verb | KUZ-un

What It Means

To cozen someone is to deceive, win over, or induce them to do something by coaxing or trickery.

// The organization cozened scores of people by persuading them to participate in a fraudulent investment scheme.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 11, 2025, 7:48 pm

The helots (/ˈhɛləts, ˈhiːləts/; Greek: εἵλωτες, heílotes) were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their exact characteristics, such as whether they constituted an Ancient Greek tribe, a social class, or both. For example, Critias described helots as "slaves to the utmost", whereas according to Pollux, they occupied a status "between free men and slaves". Tied to the land, they primarily worked in agriculture as a majority and economically supported the Spartan citizens.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 13, 2025, 7:35 am

leitmotif

noun | LYTE-moh-teef

What It Means

A leitmotif is a dominant recurring theme—something (such as a melody, an idea, or a phrase) repeated many times throughout a book, story, opera, etc.

// The overcoming of obstacles and a love of theater are the two leitmotifs of her autobiography.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 13, 2025, 7:36 pm

secular
adjective | SEK-yuh-ler

What It Means

Secular describes things that are not spiritual; that is, they relate more to the physical world than the spiritual world. The word also carries the closely related meaning of "not religious."

// Each year, Ian directed his charitable giving toward secular concerns like affordable housing and arts programming for teens.

// In her autobiography, the actor mentions that her education in parochial school was not so different from that of secular institutions.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 14, 2025, 5:16 pm

deus ex machina


noun | DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh

What It Means

A deus ex machina is a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve.

// The introduction of a new love interest in the final act was the perfect deus ex machina for the main character's happy ending.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 15, 2025, 9:53 pm

hackneyed
adjective | HAK-need

What It Means

Something is considered hackneyed when it is not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often; in other words, it's neither fresh nor original.

// The new crime drama's characters are shallow stereotypes who engage one another in hackneyed dialogue.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 17, 2025, 6:27 pm

apprehension
noun | ap-rih-HEN-shun

What It Means

Apprehension most often refers to the fear that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; it’s a feeling of being worried about the future. The word can also refer to seizure by legal process.

// There is growing apprehension that next quarter’s profits will be lower than expected.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 18, 2025, 6:40 pm

minuscule Audio
adjective | MIN-uh-skyool

What It Means

Something described as minuscule is very small. Minuscule can also mean "written in, or in the size or style of, lowercase letters," in which case it can be contrasted with majuscular.

// The number of bugs in the latest version of the video game is minuscule compared to the number that surfaced in the beta version.

// The ancient manuscripts on display are all in minuscule script

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 20, 2025, 5:24 pm

inimitable

adjective | in-IM-it-uh-bul

What It Means

Inimitable describes someone or something that is impossible to copy or imitate.

// Courtnay delivered the speech in her own inimitable style.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 22, 2025, 6:01 pm

opine

verb | oh-PYNE

What It Means

To opine is to express an opinion about something.

// Many people opine that social media platforms should be better regulated.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 25, 2025, 7:37 pm

nomenclature

noun | NOH-mun-klay-cher

What It Means

Nomenclature is a formal word that refers to a system of names that is used in specialized fields and especially in science. Nomenclature is also used more broadly as a synonym of name and designation.

// It took Faith, a trained herpetologist, a while to become familiar with the nomenclature used at the entomology conference.

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Re: Words and their Definitions

Post by Doodoo » January 26, 2025, 6:36 pm

circuitous
adjective | ser-KYOO-uh-tus

What It Means

If something—such as a path, route, or journey—is described as circuitous, it is not straight, short, and direct, but rather takes a circular or winding course. Circuitous can also describe speech or writing that is not said or done simply or clearly.

// He took a circuitous route to town, stopping at several of his favorite shops even though it added minutes and miles to his trip.

// While either method will yield the correct answer, one is far less circuitous and therefore considered superior.

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