DICTIONARY

Aa
abduce
[ ab-doos, -dyoos ]

verb (used with object), ab·duced, ab·duc·ing. Physiology.

to draw or take away; abduct.

absently
[ ab-suhnt-lee ]

adverb
in an absent-minded manner; inattentively.

abmodality
[ ab-moh-dal-i-tee ]

noun, plural ab·mo·dal·i·ties.Statistics.
the differing of a measurable trait in an individual case from the mean for a
population.

aboil
[ uh-boil ]

adverb, adjective
boiling:Make the tea as soon as the water is aboil.
in a state of excited activity:The street was aboil with Saturday shoppers.

absolutive
[ ab-suh-loo-tiv ]

adjective
noting or pertaining to the grammatical case or inflectional form of the subject of
an intransitive verb and the direct object of a transitive verb in an ergative language
such as Inuit.
 Bb
backburn
/ (ˈbækˌbɜːn)

verb (tr)
to clear (an area of scrub, bush, etc) by creating a new fire that burns in the
opposite direction to the line of advancing fire

backblocks
[ bak-bloks ]

noun (used with a plural verb)Australian.

the outback:They live in the backblocks.

backburn
/ (ˈbækˌbɜːn)

verb (tr)
to clear (an area of scrub, bush, etc) by creating a new fire that burns in the
opposite direction to the line of advancing fire

backless
/ (ˈbæklɪs)

adjective
(of a dress) low-cut at the back

backlight
[ bak-lahyt ]

noun
Movies, Television. a light source placed behind an actor, object, or scene
to create a highlight that separates the subject from the background:Put a
backlight on that rain to make it more visible in this evening shot.
 Cc
caber
[ key-ber ]

noun Scot.
a pole or beam, especially one thrown as a trial of strength.

cactus
[ kak-tuhs ]

noun, plural cac·ti  [kak-tahy], cac·tus·es, cac·tus.
any of numerous succulent plants of the family Cactaceae, of warm, arid
regions of the New World, having fleshy, leafless, usually spiny stems, and
typically having solitary, showy flowers.

cacky
/ (ˈkækɪ)

adjective cackier or cackiest informal
of or like excrement
dirty, worthless, or contemptible

cacodyl
[ kak-uh-dil ]

adjective
containing the cacodyl group.

cade
[ keyd ]

noun
a juniper, Juniperus oxycedrus, of the Mediterranean area, whose wood on
destructive distillation yields an oily liquid (oil of cade), used in treating
skin diseases.
 Dd
dabber
[ dab-er ]

noun
a person or thing that dabs.
a cushionlike article used for applying ink, as by printers and engravers.

dabster
[ dab-ster ]

noun
Slang. an expert.
Informal. a person who works in a superficial or clumsy manner; dabbler.

dace
[ deys ]

noun, plural (especially collectively) dace, (especially referring to two or

more kinds or species) dac·es.
a small, freshwater cyprinoid fish, Leuciscus leuciscus, of Europe, having a
stout, fusiform body.

Dakota
[ duh-koh-tuh ]

noun
a former territory in the United States: divided into the states of North
Dakota and South Dakota in 1889.

Daley
[ dey-lee ]

noun
Richard J(oseph), 1902–76, U.S. politician: mayor of Chicago 1955–76.
 Ee
e-address
noun
an e-mail address

eaglet
[ ee-glit ]

noun
a young eagle.

earthmoving
[ urth-moo-ving ]

adjective
of or relating to earthmovers:earthmoving machinery.

earing
[ eer-ing ]

noun Nautical.
a rope attached to a cringle and used for bending a corner of a sail to a
yard, boom, or gaff or for reefing a sail.

Earp
[ urp ]

noun
Wy·att Ber·ry Stapp,  [wahy-uht-ber-ee-stap], 1848–1929, U.S.
frontiersman, law officer, and gunfighter.
 Ff
Fabian
[ fey-bee-uhn ]

adjective
seeking victory by delay and harassment rather than by a decisive battle as
in the manner of Fabius Maximus:Fabian policy.
of or relating to the Fabian Society.

fabricant
[ fab-ri-kuhnt ]

noun
a maker or manufacturer.

factory outlet
noun
a store that sells factory-made goods directly to consumers for less than
current retail prices.

face mask
or facemask
noun
Sports. the protective equipment, usually made of steel or plastic, that
guards the face, as the steel cage worn by a baseball catcher or the
molded plastic covering worn by a hockey goalkeeper.

facture
[ fak-cher ]

noun
the act, process, or manner of making anything; construction.
the thing made.
 Gg
gablet
/ (ˈɡeɪblɪt)

noun
a small gable

Galactico
/ (ɡəˈlæktɪˌkəʊ)

noun
informal a famous and highly paid footballer

Gabor
[ gah-bawr, guh-bawr ]

noun
Dennis, 1900–79, British physicist, born in Hungary: inventor of
holography; Nobel Prize 1971.

galilee
[ gal-uh-lee ]

noun
a porch or vestibule, often on the ground floor of a tower, at the entrance of
some English churches.

galaxy
[ gal-uhk-see ]

noun, plural gal·ax·ies.
Astronomy.

1. a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and

isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space.
2. (usually initial capital letter) Milky Way.
 Hh
haircut
[ hair-kuht ]

noun
an act or instance of cutting the hair.

Habana
[ Spanish ah-vah-nah ]

noun
the Spanish name for Havana.

habit
1

[ hab-it ]

noun
an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost
involuntary:the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.

hafiz
[ hah-fiz ]

noun
a title of respect for a Muslim who knows the Quran by heart.

hackberry
[ hak-ber-ee, -buh-ree ]

oun, plural hack·ber·ries.
any of several trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Celtis, of the elm
family, bearing cherrylike fruit.
 Ii
Iceland
[ ahys-luhnd ]

noun
a large island in the northern Atlantic between Greenland and Scandinavia.
39,698 square miles (102,820 square kilometers).

Icelander
/ (ˈaɪsˌlændə, ˈaɪsləndə)

noun
a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Iceland

icemaker
[ ahys-mey-ker ]

noun
an appliance for making ice, especially ice cubes:Some refrigerators have
built-in icemakers.

iceman
[ ahys-man ]

noun, plural ice·men.
a man whose business is gathering, storing, selling, or delivering ice.

ichthyology
[ ik-thee-ol-uh-jee ]

noun
the branch of zoology dealing with fishes.
 Jj
Jabal
[ jey-buhl ]

noun
a son of Lamech, and the progenitor of nomadic shepherds. Genesis 4:20.

Jacobite
[ jak-uh-bahyt ]

noun
a partisan or adherent of James II of England after his overthrow (1688), or
of the Stuarts.

Jamal
or Ja·maal
[ juh-mahl ]

noun
a male given name: from an Arabic word meaning “beauty.”

jackfish
[ jak-fish ]

noun, plural (especially collectively) jack·fish, (especially referring to two

or more kinds or species) jack·fish·es.
any of several pikes, especially the northern pike.
the sauger.

jail delivery
noun
a liberation of persons from prison, especially by force.
the act of clearing a jail of prisoners by bringing them to trial, as at the
assizes in England.
 Kk
Kaaba
Caaba
/ (ˈkɑːbə)

noun
a cube-shaped building in Mecca, the most sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine,
into which is built the black stone believed to have been given by Gabriel to
Abraham. Muslims turn in its direction when praying

kabbalah
or cab·a·la
[ kab-uh-luh, kuh-bah- ]

noun
a system of esoteric theosophy and theurgy developed by rabbis, reaching
its peak about the 12th and 13th centuries, and influencing certain
medieval and Renaissance Christian thinkers. It was based on a mystical
method of interpreting Scripture by which initiates claimed to penetrate
sacred mysteries. Among its central doctrines are: all creation is an
emanation from the Deity and the soul exists from eternity.

kaleyard
or kail·yard
[ keyl-yahrd ]

noun Scot.
a kitchen garden.

kame
1

[ keym ]

noun Physical Geography.
a ridge or mound of stratified drift left by a retreating ice sheet.
 LL
Lachute
[ luh-shoot; French la-shyt ]

noun
a city in S Quebec, in E Canada.

Lackawanna
[ lak-uh-won-uh ]

noun
a city in W New York, on Lake Erie, near Buffalo.

lackey moth
noun
a bombycid moth, Malacosoma neustria, whose brightly striped larvae live
at first in a communal web often on fruit trees, of which they may become a
pest

Labor Day
noun
(in the U.S.) a legal holiday, commonly the first Monday in September, in
honor of labor.

lack
[ lak ]

noun
deficiency or absence of something needed, desirable, or customary:lack of
money; lack of skill.
something missing or needed:After he left, they really felt the lack.
 LL
lac insect
[ lak ]
S
noun
a scale insect, Laccifer lacca, of southeast Asia, the female of which
secretes lac, a substance used in the preparation of shellac, wax, etc.

Laclos
[ la-kloh ]

noun
Pierre Am·broise Fran·çois Cho·der·los de  [pyer ahN-brwazfrahN-
swashaw-der-lohduh], 1741–1803, French general and writer.

Laborite
[ ley-buh-rahyt ]

noun
a member of a political party promoting the interests of labor.

lack
[ lak ]

noun
deficiency or absence of something needed, desirable, or customary:lack of
money; lack of skill.
something missing or needed:After he left, they really felt the lack.

lacrimal
[ lak-ruh-muhl ]

adjective
lachrymal (defs. 1-3).
Also lachrymal. Anatomy. of, relating to, or situated near the organs that
secrete tears.
 Mm
Macao
[ muh-kou ]

noun
a Portuguese overseas territory in S China, in the delta of the Zhu Jiang
River and including two small adjacent islands. 6 sq. mi. (16 sq. km).

macintosh
[ mak-in-tosh ]

noun
a variant of mackintosh.

machinable
or ma·chine·a·ble
[ muh-shee-nuh-buhl ]

adjective
(of a material) capable of being cut or shaped
with machine tools.Compare free-machining.

mack
1

[ mak ]

verb (used without object)

to flirt with or make sexual advances toward someone (often followed
by on):They spend their nights macking on the ladies.

mackle
[ mak-uhl ]

noun
a blur in printing, as from a double impression.

Nn
Nabal
[ ney-buhl ]

noun
a wealthy Calebite, husband of Abigail, who refused rightful tribute to King
David for protecting Nabal's flocks. 1 Samuel 25.

nametag
or name tag
[ neym-tag ]

noun
an identification tag or label showing one's name and sometimes one's
address or business affiliation, attached to an article of clothing or worn
around the neck or wrist.

Nancy
[ nan-see; French nahn-see ]

noun
a city in and the capital of Meurthe-et-Moselle, in NE France: battles 1477,
1914, 1944.

nail polish
noun
a polish of quick-drying lacquer, either clear or colored, used to paint the
fingernails or toenails.

name tape
noun
a fabric tape on which a person's name is written, woven, or printed: for
affixing to garments and other personal belongings to identify ownership.

Oo
Oakdale
[ ohk-deyl ]

noun
a town in E Minnesota.

objectivism
[ uhb-jek-tuh-viz-uhm ]

noun
a tendency to lay stress on the objective or external elements of cognition.

Oakland
[ ohk-luhnd ]

noun
a seaport in W California, on San Francisco Bay.

obligee
[ ob-li-jee ]

noun
Law.

1. a person to whom another is obligated or bound.

2. a person to whom a bond is given.

obligative
[ ob-li-gey-tiv ]

adjective
implying or involving obligation:an obligative commitment.
 Pp
paddy
[ pad-ee ]

noun, plural pad·dies.
a rice field.
rice, especially in the husk, either uncut or gathered.

Padre Island
[ pah-dree ]

the longest U.S. barrier island, in the Gulf of Mexico, off the S coast of
Texas. 115 miles (185 km) long: national seashore.

Pacific Islands
[ puh-sif-ik ahy-luhndz ]

plural noun
the islands and island groups of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia,
located in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

packager
[ pak-uh-jer ]

noun
a person or business firm that packages a product or merchandise for
commercial sale:a soap packager.

packhorse
[ pak-hawrs ]

noun
a horse used for carrying goods, freight, supplies, etc.
a person who works hard or bears a heavy load of responsibility.

Qq
quadriad
[ kwod-ree-ad ]

noun
a group of four, especially a group of four persons with an interest or task in
common.

quadriga
[ kwo-dree-guh, -drahy- ]

noun, plural quad·ri·gae  [kwo-dree-gahy, -drahy-jee]. Classical Antiquity.

a two-wheeled chariot drawn by four horses harnessed abreast.

quaere
[ kweer-ee ]

verb (imperative)
ask; inquire (used to introduce or suggest a question).

qualitative analysis
noun Chemistry.
the analysis of a substance in order to ascertain the nature of its chemical
constituents.

quantifier
[ kwon-tuh-fahy-er ]

noun
Logic. an expression, as “all” or “some,” that indicates the quantity of a
proposition.Compare existential quantifier, universal quantifier.
 Rr
rabal
[ rey-buhl ]

noun Meteorology.
the measurement and computation of the speed and direction of winds aloft
by theodolitic tracking of a radiosonde.

radar gun
noun
a small, handheld Doppler radar device used to measure the speed of
vehicles or other moving objects.

radiocarbon
[ rey-dee-oh-kahr-buhn ]

noun Chemistry.
Also called carbon 14. a radioactive isotope of carbon with mass number
14 and a half-life of about 5730 years: widely used in the dating of organic
materials.

racing
/ (ˈreɪsɪŋ)

adjective
denoting or associated with horse racesthe racing fraternity; a racing man

racquetball
[ rak-it-bawl ]

noun
a game similar to handball, played on a four-walled court but with a short-
handled, strung racket and a larger, somewhat softer ball.
 Ss
Sabah
[ sah-bah ]

noun
a state in Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo: formerly a British crown
colony. 29,347 sq. mi. (76,008 sq. km). Capital: Kota Kinabalu.

sacring
/ (ˈseɪkrɪŋ)

noun
archaic the act or ritual of consecration, esp of the Eucharist or of a bishop

sacralize
[ sey-kruh-lahyz, sak-ruh- ]

verb (used with object), sa·cral·ized, sa·cral·iz·ing.

to make sacred; imbue with sacred character, especially through ritualized
devotion:a society that sacralized science.

saddler
[ sad-ler ]

noun
a person who makes, repairs, or sells saddlery.

saddlebill
/ (ˈsædəlˌbɪl)

noun
a large black-and-white stork, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, of tropical
Africa, having a heavy red bill with a black band around the middle and a
yellow patch at the baseAlso called: jabiru

Tt
tactus
[ tahk-toos ]

noun
the basic metrical unit in medieval music.

tacker
/ (ˈtækə)

noun
a person or thing that tacks
Australian slang a young person; child

tactual
[ tak-choo-uhl ]

adjective
of or relating to the sense of touch.

tactless
[ takt-lis ]

adjective
lacking tact; showing no tact; undiplomatic; offendingly blunt:a tactless
remark.

tag boat
noun
a small rowboat usually towed astern of a larger vessel.
 Uu
ulcerative
[ uhl-suh-rey-tiv, -ser-uh-tiv ]

adjective
causing ulceration.

ulcer
[ uhl-ser ]

noun
Pathology. a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the
disintegration of tissue, the formation of pus, etc.

ultralight
[ adjective uhl-truh-lahyt, uhl-truh-lahyt; noun uhl-truh-lahyt ]

adjective
extremely lightweight in comparison with others of its kind:a car with an
ultralight engine.

Ukraine
[ yoo-kreyn, -krahyn, yoo-kreyn ]

noun
a republic in southeastern Europe: rich agricultural and industrial region.
223,090 sq. mi. (603,700 sq. km). Capital: Kyiv.

ultrasound
[ uhl-truh-sound ]
noun
Physics. sound with a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz, approximately the
upper limit of human hearing.

Vv
valedictory
[ val-i-dik-tuh-ree ]

adjective
bidding goodbye; saying farewell:a valedictory speech.

vacant
[ vey-kuhnt ]

adjective
having no contents; empty; void:a vacant niche.

Valentine's Day
noun
February 14, observed in honor of St. Valentine as a day for the exchange
of valentines and other tokens of affection.

valerian
[ vuh-leer-ee-uhn ]

noun
any plant of the genus Valeriana, as the common valerian V.
officinalis, having small, fragrant flowers of white, lavender, or pink and a
root that is used medicinally.

vacuum
[ vak-yoom, -yoo-uhm, -yuhm ]

noun, plural vac·u·ums for 1, 2, 4-6, vac·u·a  [vak-yoo-uh] for 1, 2, 4, 6.
a space entirely devoid of matter.

Ww
wacke
[ wak-uh ]

noun
a poorly sorted sandstone containing fragments of rock and minerals in a
clayey matrix.

wait
[ weyt ]

verb (used without object)

to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected
happens (often followed by for, till, or until):to wait for the bus to arrive.

waistline
[ weyst-lahyn ]

noun
the circumference of the body at the waist:exercises to reduce the waistline.

waive
[ weyv ]

verb (used with object), waived, waiv·ing.

to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up; forgo:to waive one's right;to
waive one's rank;to waive honors.

walkout
or walk-out
[ wawk-out ]

noun
a strike by workers.

Xx
Xinjiang
[ shin-jyahng ]

noun
Official name Xin·jiang Uy·ghur Au·ton·o·mous Re·gion  [shin-jyahng -
wee-ger aw-ton uh muhs ree juhn] . an autonomous region in northwestern
China, bordering Tibet, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan,
Pakistan, and India: formerly a province. 635,830 sq. mi. (1,646,800 sq.
km). Capital: Ürümqi.

x-ray
or X-ray
[ eks-rey ]

noun Also x ray, X ray.

Physics.

1. Often x-rays. a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to light

but of shorter wavelength and capable of penetrating solids and of
ionizing gases.
2. such radiation having wavelengths in the range of approximately
0.1–10 nanometers.

xenon
[ zee-non, zen-on ]

noun Chemistry.
a heavy, colorless, chemically inactive, monatomic gaseous element used
for filling radio, television, and luminescent tubes. Symbol: Xe; atomic
weight: 131.30; atomic number: 54.
Xerox
[ zeer-oks ]

Trademark.
a brand name for a copying machine for reproducing printed, written, or
pictorial matter by xerography.

Yy
yashmak
or yash·mac
[ yahsh-mahk, yash-mak ]

noun
the veil worn by Muslim women to cover the face in public.

yacht
[ yot ]

noun
a vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial
purposes.

Yasht
[ yasht, yuhsht ]

noun Zoroastrianism.
a hymn to a deity.

year
[ yeer ]

a period of approximately the same length in other calendars.

yellow
[ yel-oh ]

noun
a color like that of egg yolk, ripe lemons, etc.; the primary color between
green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a
wavelength between 570 and 590 nanometers.

Zz
zafu
[ za-foo ]

noun
a round cushion used in Zen meditation.

Zamboanga
[ zam-boh-ahng-guh ]

noun
a seaport on SW Mindanao, in the S Philippines.

zero
[ zeer-oh ]

noun, plural ze·ros, ze·roes.
the figure or symbol 0, which in the Arabic notation for numbers stands for
the absence of quantity; cipher.

zarf
[ zahrf ]

noun
(in the Levant) a holder, usually of ornamental metal, for a coffee cup
without a handle.
zebra
[ zee-bruh; British also zeb-ruh ]

noun, plural ze·bras, (especially collectively) ze·bra.
any of several horselike African mammals of the genus Equus, each
species having a characteristic pattern of black or dark-brown stripes on a
whitish background: all zebra species are threatened or endangered.