abstract
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
abstract thought
Mission, for Lieutenant Corson, was an abstract notion that took meaning in concrete situations, and it was this that most separated him from other officers. Lieutenant Corson did not order his men into the tunnels. He simply ordered the tunnels blown, or blew them himself, and he saw no incompatibility between this and his mission as a soldier.
abstract = of a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 22 |
accommodate
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
moved to accommodate her
Whether to flee or fight or seek an accommodation.
accommodation = arrangement to satisfy competing interests
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
Definition
Generally this sense of accommodate means:adjust something to provide for a need; or help
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 12 |
banal
1 use
Was this so banal? Was this so unprofound and stupid?
banal = uninteresting due to a lack of anything original or unusual
Definition
Generally banal means:uninteresting due to a lack of anything original or unusual
(editor's note: This word is correctly pronounced differently by various educated speakers of American English.)
(editor's note: This word is correctly pronounced differently by various educated speakers of American English.)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 39 |
benign
1 use
His intentions were benign.
benign = kindly, mild, or harmless
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 39 |
bronze
3 uses
1 —3 uses as in:
bronze won't corrode in salt water
Like winning the Bronze Star for shooting out a dink's front teeth.
bronze = made of a brownish metal
(editor's note: The bronze Star is a medal awarded to selected members of the United States military for heroism or other merit.)
(editor's note: The bronze Star is a medal awarded to selected members of the United States military for heroism or other merit.)
Definition
Generally this sense of bronze means:a brownish-colored metal with red or yellow hues that is made of copper and (usually) tin
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
censure
3 uses
He went to the war because it was expected. Because not to go was to risk censure, and to bring embarrassment on his father and his town.
censure = harsh or formal criticism
Definition
Generally censure means:harsh criticism; or formal criticism from an organization — such as the U.S. Senate
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 39 |
dispassionate
1 use
He spilled some wine and stared down at it dispassionately.
dispassionately = without concern (without emotion)
Definition
Generally dispassionate means:unaffected by strong emotion or bias
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 23 |
empirical
1 use
...it meant the rigorous verification of hypotheses by means of repeated empirical observation,
empirical = based on experience or observation rather than theory
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 22 |
endure (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 5 uses
1 —4 uses as in:
endured the pain
How, with luck and courage and endurance, they might have found a way.
endurance = the ability to suffer through (or put up with) something difficult or unpleasant
Definition
Generally this sense of endure means:to suffer through (or put up with something difficult or unpleasant)
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 18 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 7 |
2 —1 use as in:
endure through the ages
We want a peace that endures.
endures = continues to exist
Definition
Generally this sense of endure means:to continue to exist
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 13 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 44 |
fastidious
1 use
No one cared much for Sidney Martin—too fastidious, too skinny, hair too blond and fine. The way he kept pushing. A believer in mission, a believer in searching tunnels and bunkers. Too disciplined. Too clearheaded for such a lousy war.
fastidious = too careful to do everything right
(editor's note: Fastidious does not have to have a negative connotation, but it usually does. In this case Martin's fellow soldiers think he should relax instead of being careful to do everything according to procedure.)
(editor's note: Fastidious does not have to have a negative connotation, but it usually does. In this case Martin's fellow soldiers think he should relax instead of being careful to do everything according to procedure.)
Definition
Generally fastidious means:giving careful attention to detail
or:
excessively concerned with cleanliness or matters of taste
or:
excessively concerned with cleanliness or matters of taste
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 16 |
indifferent
4 uses
Beside him, indifferent to it all, the captain in tiger fatigues unwrapped a thin cigar and lit it with a kitchen match.
indifferent = without interest (unconcerned and unsympathetic)
Definition
Generally indifferent means:without interest
in various senses, including:
- unconcerned — as in "She is indifferent to what is served to eat."
- unsympathetic — as in "She is indifferent to his needs."
- not of good quality (which may imply average or poor quality depending upon context) — as in "an indifferent performance"
- impartial — as in "We need a judge who is indifferent."
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 15 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 33 |
nostalgia
6 uses
"Time," Doc said. He put his glasses on. "It's the only antidote for nostalgia. Just give the man time."
nostalgia = longing for something from the past
Definition
Generally nostalgia means:happiness that come with the memory of good times combined with a hint of sadness that those times are over
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 29 |
obligation
16 uses
Obligation is more than a claim imposed on us; it is a personal sense of indebtedness.
obligation = duty
Definition
Generally obligation means:a duty
Word Statistics
| Book | 16 uses |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 26 |
persist
5 uses
When First Lieutenant Sidney Martin persisted in making them search tunnels before blowing them, and after Frenchie Tucker and Bernie Lynn died in tunnels, the disobedience became fully organized.
persisted = continued (here as is often the case) despite difficulty
Definition
Generally persist means:to continue — often despite difficulty
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
poignant
1 use
A little girl with gold hoops in her ears and ugly scabs on her brow—did she feel, as he did, goodness and warmth and poignancy when he helped Doc dab iodine on her sores?
poignancy = deep emotion
Definition
Generally poignant means:sharp or intense — typically arousing deep emotion such as sadness, but possibly having or creating a sharp smell, taste, or insight
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 2000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 39 |
pragmatic
1 use
A theoretician, a pragmatist, Doc Peret believed deeply in science. ... "The main thing," Doc once said, "is to find what works. That's real science—what works."
pragmatist = someone concerned with practical matters
Definition
Generally pragmatic means:concerned with practical matters — especially where quick results and/or practical experience triumph over theory
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 22 |
refugee
20 uses
For many months now she had been a refugee, traveling west from Saigon with her two aunts.
refugee = someone who fled their homeland; or related to such people
Definition
Generally refugee means:someone who has fled their homeland to getaway from a dangerous or difficult situation; or related to such people
Word Statistics
| Book | 20 uses |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
speculate
5 uses
1 —5 uses as in:
don't know, but I'll speculate
It is one thing to speculate about what might be. It is quite another to act in behalf of our dreams, to treat them as objectives that are achievable and worth achieving.
speculate = think or consider
Definition
Generally this sense of speculate means:to think about, wonder, guess or theorize with much uncertainty
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
tranquil
4 uses
We all want dignity and domestic tranquillity. But we want these to be honorable and lasting. We want a peace that endures.
tranquillity = peace (calmness)
(editor's note: This is a British spelling. Americans use tranquility.)
(editor's note: This is a British spelling. Americans use tranquility.)
Definition
Generally tranquil means:calm and undisturbed
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |