attribute
4 uses
1 —4 uses as in:
I attribute it to...
Falling into a severe depression attributed to his taking constant doses of purgatives to fight a weight problem he could not beat, he shot himself to death at age twenty-nine.
attributed = credited (pointed to as the cause of something)
Definition
Generally this sense of attribute means:to credit (a source for something)
in two typical senses:
- "I attribute it to her work." — to say who or what made something happen
- "Remember to attribute any quotations in your paper." — indicate the source of a quotation or idea
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.9 |
bequeath
1 use
Hastings passed both speed and malevolence down to his son Fair Play, who in turn bequeathed it to his incomparable son, Man o' War.
bequeathed = passed down
Definition
Generally bequeath means:give or pass down — often upon death in a will
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
contrast (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 3 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
contrast their writing styles
In contrast, Strub's purse was staggering: $100,000, plus a few thousand dollars in entry revenue, to the winner.†
in contrast = in a comparison that shows differences
Definition
Generally this sense of contrast means:point to differences between; or compare to show differences
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.1 |
2 —1 use as in:
there is a contrast
The contrast between the two horses could not have been more glaring.†
contrast = notable difference
Definition
Generally this sense of contrast means:a difference — especially a notable difference; or the side-x-side arrangement of things that draws attention to an unmissable difference
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.14 |
convention
4 uses
1 —4 uses as in:
conventional behavior
But Smith was a radical departure from conventional trainers.†
conventional = normal or typical
Definition
Generally this sense of convention means:something regarded as normal or typical
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.2 |
cultivate
8 uses
He also lived out a fantasy that he had probably cultivated since childhood.†
cultivated = developed, grown, or prepared for growing crops
Definition
Generally cultivate means:enhance growth or development
in various senses, including:
- to grow crops or prepare land for them
- enhance a relationship — especially for a purpose
- develop discernment (better recognition of differences) in taste or judgment
- to grow a culture in a petri dish
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.18 |
deemed
5 uses
Seabiscuit had been a very late foal, born at the end of May 1933, but in January 1935, half a year short of his actual birthday, he was deemed a two-year-old, officially eligible to race.
deemed = believed or judged
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 8 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
despair
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
do not despair
Finally back in his stirrups and straightened out, Woolf despaired over his position.†
despaired = lost hope
Definition
Generally this sense of despair means:to lose hope
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.12 |
diabetes
9 uses
Diabetes has never been easy to live with.†
diabetes = any of several metabolic disorders characterized by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood and marked by excessive urination and persistent thirst
Word Statistics
| Book | 9 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.6 |
dispute
3 uses
1 —3 uses as in:
She disputes his claim.
The other would come home the undisputed champion of American racing.†
undisputed = not challenged, argued about, or fought over
(Editor's note: The prefix "un-" in undisputed means not and reverses the meaning of disputed. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
(Editor's note: The prefix "un-" in undisputed means not and reverses the meaning of disputed. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
Definition
Generally this sense of dispute means:challenge, argue about, or fight over
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
establish (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 6 uses
1 —3 uses as in:
establish a positive tone
As the weekday wonder and the money man, Pollard and Woolf established themselves in the uppermost tier of North American racing.†
established = set (caused acceptance of)
Definition
Generally this sense of establish means:create, start, or set in [a] place
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 25 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.17 |
2 —3 uses as in:
establish that there is a need
Fitzsimmons soon established himself as the most successful conditioner of Thoroughbreds in the nation.†
established = proved
Definition
Generally this sense of establish means:show or determine (cause to be recognized or figure out)
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
malevolent
1 use
Hastings passed both speed and malevolence down to his son Fair Play, who in turn bequeathed it to his incomparable son, Man o' War.
malevolence = the desire to do evil or to hurt others
Definition
Generally malevolent means:evil
- of a person — wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
- of a thing — exerting an evil or harmful influence
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
maxim
1 use
He lived by a single maxim: "Learn your horse."
maxim = 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 1.2 |
mollify
2 uses
To mollify reporters, he would take Seabiscuit out onto the track during the heavily attended morning hours, but only for slow workouts or jogs.
mollify = calm
Definition
Generally mollify means:calm someone who is or may become angry or upset
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.9 |
negative
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
had a negative effect
Fortunately, he suffered no negative consequences.†
negative = bad or harmful
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |
precede
4 uses
Accordingly, expectations for Woolf's career in the saddle preceded him into the world.†
preceded = went or was before
Definition
Generally precede means:to go or do before
Word Statistics
| Book | 4 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.4 |
recession
1 use
Riddle, wrote one spectator, "was accused of everything under the sun save the shooting of Lincoln and the current recession."
recession = a period when the economy does poorly
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 2.14 |
wane
8 uses
He was always alone, even back then, in the waning days of the nineteenth century.†
waning = declining or diminishing
Definition
Generally wane means:a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) — especially the part of the moon that is visible
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 5 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.2 |
yearling
9 uses
It may have been the fastest quarter ever run by a yearling.†
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 | 9 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1.3 |