breech
1 use
It was a difficult breech birth.
breech = rear (in this case indicating that the baby came out of the birth canal butt-first)
Definition
Generally breech means:rear
Most commonly used today in the phrase breech birth in reference to a baby who comes out of the birth canal butt-first rather than head-first.
Most commonly used today in the phrase breech birth in reference to a baby who comes out of the birth canal butt-first rather than head-first.
More-archaic senses seen in classic literature include:
- breechcloth — a form of loincloth consisting in a strip of material passed between the thighs and held up in front and behind by a belt or string
- breeches — pants
- a cannon's breech — the rear of a gun
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 13. |
deride
1 use
She relentlessly mocks and derides the younger students.
derides = criticizes with strong disrespect
Definition
Generally deride means:to criticize with strong disrespect — often
with humor
with humor
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3. |
fawn
1 use
She fawns all over her children.
fawns = shows excessive flattery or affection
Definition
Generally this sense of fawn means:showing excessive flattery or affection
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1. |
fodder
8 uses
1 —8 uses as in:
cattle fodder
We have plenty of hay and fodder for the animals.
fodder = food such as hay or straw that is given to domesticated animals
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1. |
grievous
1 use
She suffered grievous bodily harm.
grievous = very serious; or very bad
Definition
Generally grievous means:very serious; or very bad; or causing grief
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3. |
incessant
1 use
She grew annoyed by the child's incessant questions.
incessant = continuous
Definition
Generally incessant means:continuous — often in an annoying way
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 11. |
initiate
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
initiate into the fraternity
The photo is from the ceremony when she was initiated into the sorority.
initiated = accepted into the group in a special ceremony
Definition
Generally this sense of initiate means:to accept someone's membership into an organization — typically in a ceremony — sometimes including a period of instruction and/or test
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 11. |
mane
4 uses
It was a healthy male lion with a golden mane.
mane = long coarse hair growing around the head
Definition
Generally mane means:long coarse hair such as that which grows around a lion's head or on the back of a horse's neck
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7. |
maxim
1 use
The advisor often quotes the maxim that all politics is local.
maxim = short saying that expresses a general truth or principle
Definition
Generally maxim means:a short saying that expresses a general truth or principle
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3. |
monotonous
1 use
We hope to replace people with robots for the most monotonous work.
monotonous = lacking variety and boring
Definition
Generally monotonous means:lacking in variety — typically boring
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1. |
oppress
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
oppressive government
The regime oppresses its people.
oppresses = harshly and unfairly dominates
Definition
Generally this sense of oppress means:to dominate harshly and unfairly; or to make suffer
The meaning of oppress depends upon its context. For example:
- "The authorities oppress political activists," or "The new nation oppressed Native Americans." — to dominate harshly and unfairly
- "She is oppressed by excessive debt." - made to suffer
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3. |
phosphorescence
1 use
She loves to swim in the ocean on nights when phosphorescence shines in her wake.
phosphorescence = a dim glowing light
Definition
Generally phosphorescence means:a dim glowing light
or more technically: a fluorescence (dim light) created by a chemical reaction within a living organism; or a dim light that continues to shine from something after the bombarding radiation (stronger light that fell upon it) has ceased
or more technically: a fluorescence (dim light) created by a chemical reaction within a living organism; or a dim light that continues to shine from something after the bombarding radiation (stronger light that fell upon it) has ceased
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7. |
sheer
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
sheered to the left
The boat sheered to port to avoid a collision.
sheered = turned sharply
Definition
Generally this sense of sheer means:change direction abruptly; or to cause such a change of direction — (usually said of a boat)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 0 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 7. |
shirk
1 use
She began to shirk her duties and turned to drinking to help deal with the pain.
shirk = avoid
Definition
Generally shirk means:to avoid something — such as a duty or responsibility
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 11. |
Shiva
5 uses
It is a Hindu sect that worships Shiva.
Shiva = important Hindu god worshipped as the destroyer (or transformer who destroys in order to re-create)
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 11. |
sloth
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
a sloth in the tree
A sloth moves faster than she does.
sloth = a type of animal that seldom moves and is very slow when it does move
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1. |
utter
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
utter a complaint
I was too shocked to utter a complaint.
utter = say something aloud
Definition
Generally this sense of utter means:say with the voice
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 4. |
wallow
4 uses
1 —4 uses as in:
wallow happily in the mud
The pigs wallowed in the large mud puddle.
wallowed = relaxed and perhaps rolled about
Definition
Generally this sense of wallow means:to relax — especially of an animal rolling about in mud or shallow water
or more rarely: a noun describing the mud puddle or indentation in which an animal relaxes or rolls around
or more rarely: a noun describing the mud puddle or indentation in which an animal relaxes or rolls around
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 5. |
yearling
4 uses
The horse was purchased as a yearling for over a million dollars.
yearling = an animal between one and two years of age
Definition
Generally yearling means:an animal between one and two years of age — (in the case of a race or show horse, the horse is treated as though it's birthday was January 1st of the year prior to its birth)
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 7. |