Index of Word Meanings
1. bullwhip /ˈbʊlwɪp/ North American noun noun: bullwhip; plural noun: bullwhips; noun: bull-whip; plural noun: bull-whips a whip with a long heavy lash. verb verb: bullwhip; 3rd person present: bullwhips; past tense: bullwhipped; past participle: bullwhipped; gerund or present participle: bullwhipping; verb: bull-whip; 3rd person present: bull-whips; past tense: bull-whipped; past participle: bull-whipped; gerund or present participle: bull-whipping strike or thrash with a bullwhip. "he was suspected of bullwhipping a fellow to death" --- 2. vis-à-vis /ˌviːzɑːˈviː,French vizavi/ preposition preposition: vis-à-vis in relation to; with regard to. "many agencies now have a unit to deal with women's needs vis-à-vis employment" as compared with; as opposed to. "the advantage for US exports is the value of the dollar vis-à-vis other currencies" adverbarchaic adverb: vis-à-vis in a position facing a specified or implied subject. "he was there vis-à-vis with Miss Arundel" noun noun: vis-à-vis; plural noun: vis-à-vis 1. a person or group occupying a corresponding position to that of another in a different sphere; a counterpart. "his admiration for the US armed services extends to their vis-à-vis, the Russian military" 2. a face-to-face meeting. "the dreaded vis-à-vis with his boss" Origin mid 18th century: French, literally ‘face to face’, from Old French vis ‘face’. --- 3. rumbling Learn to pronounce noun plural noun: rumblings a continuous deep, resonant sound. "the rumbling of wheels in the distance" an early indication or rumour of dissatisfaction or incipient change. "there are growing rumblings of discontent" --- 4. snafu Learn to pronounce informal•North American noun noun: snafu; plural noun: snafus a confused or chaotic state; a mess. "an enormous amount of my time was devoted to untangling snafus" adjective adjective: snafu in utter confusion or chaos. "our refrigeration plant is snafu" verb verb: snafu; 3rd person present: snafus; past tense: snafued; past participle: snafued; gerund or present participle: snafuing throw (a situation) into chaos. "you ignored his orders and snafued everything" Origin 1940s: acronym from situation normal: all fouled (or fucked ) up . SNAFU is an acronym that is widely used to stand for the sarcastic expression Situation normal: all fucked up. It is a well-known example of military acronym slang. It is sometimes bowdlerized to "all fouled up" or similar. It means that the situation is bad, but that this is a normal state of affairs. --- 5. loom1 Learn to pronounce noun plural noun: looms an apparatus for making fabric by weaving yarn or thread. Origin Old English gelōma ‘tool’, shortened to lome in Middle English. loom2 Learn to pronounce verb 3rd person present: looms appear as a vague form, especially one that is large or threatening. "vehicles loomed out of the darkness" h Similar: emerge appear become visible come into view take shape materialize reveal itself appear indistinctly come to light take on a threatening shape (of an event regarded as threatening) seem about to happen. "there is a crisis looming" h Similar: be imminent be on the horizon impend be impending be close be ominously close threaten be threatening menace brew be just around the corner Origin mid 16th century: probably from Low German or Dutch; compare with East Frisian lōmen ‘move slowly’, Middle High German lüemen ‘be weary’. --- 6. farcical Learn to pronounce adjective adjective: farcical relating to or resembling farce, especially because of absurd or ridiculous aspects. "he considered the whole idea farcical" h Similar: ridiculous preposterous ludicrous absurd laughable risible --- 7. prowess distinguished bravery : distinguished bravery. especially : military valor and skill. : extraordinary ability.17-Nov-2022 --- 8. chiding Learn to pronounce adjective adjective: chiding full of rebuke; critical. "a chiding rebuttal" --- 9. dolt stupid person / (dəʊlt) / noun. a slow-witted or stupid person. --- 10. rampant /ˈramp(ə)nt/ Learn to pronounce adjective adjective: rampant 1. (especially of something unwelcome) flourishing or spreading unchecked. "political violence was rampant" h Similar: uncontrolled unrestrained unchecked unbridled widespread pandemic epidemic pervasive out of control out of hand rife spreading like wildfire h Opposite: controlled under control unrestrained in action or performance. "rampant sex" h Similar: vehement strong violent forceful raging wild intense fanatical passionate h Opposite: mild (of a plant) lush in growth; luxuriant. "a rich soil soon becomes home to rampant weeds" h Similar: luxuriant exuberant lush rank rich riotous profuse lavish vigorous productive jungly 2. Heraldry (of an animal) represented standing on one hind foot with its forefeet in the air (typically in profile, facing the dexter side, with right hind foot and tail raised). "two gold lions rampant" h Similar: upright standing (up) erect rearing vertical perpendicular --- 11. yearning /ˈjəːnɪŋ/ Learn to pronounce noun noun: yearning; plural noun: yearnings a feeling of intense longing for something. "he felt a yearning for the mountains" h Similar: longing pining craving desire want wish hankering urge need hunger hungering thirst appetite greed lust ache burning fancy inclination eagerness fervour yen itch cacoethes adjective adjective: yearning involving or expressing yearning. "a yearning hope" yearn /jəːn/ Learn to pronounce verb gerund or present participle: yearning have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from. "she yearned for a glimpse of him" h Similar: long pine crave desire want want badly wish have/feel a longing covet lust pant hunger thirst ache be aching itch be itching hanker after dream of fancy have one's heart set on be bent on eat one's heart out over have a yen yen be dying be athirst for be desirous suspire for archaic be filled with compassion or warm feeling. "no fellow spirit yearned towards her" Origin Old English giernan, from a Germanic base meaning ‘eager’. --- 12. bugle1 /ˈbjuːɡ(ə)l/ See definitions in: all instrument plant fashion noun noun: bugle; plural noun: bugles; noun: bugle-horn; plural noun: bugle-horns a brass instrument like a small trumpet, typically without valves or keys and used for military signals. "the bugle sounded the charge" verb verb: bugle; 3rd person present: bugles; past tense: bugled; past participle: bugled; gerund or present participle: bugling sound a bugle. sound (a note or call) on a bugle. "he bugled a warning" Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin buculus, diminutive of bos ‘ox’. The early English sense was ‘wild ox’, hence the compound bugle-horn, denoting the horn of an ox used to give signals, originally in hunting. bugle2 /ˈbjuːɡ(ə)l/ noun: bugle; plural noun: bugles; noun: bugleweed; plural noun: bugleweeds a creeping Eurasian plant of the mint family, with blue flowers held on upright stems. Origin Middle English: from late Latin bugula . bugle3 /ˈbjuːɡ(ə)l/ noun: bugle; plural noun: bugles an ornamental tube-shaped glass or plastic bead sewn on to clothing. Origin late 16th century: of unknown origin. --- 13. enmesh /ɪnˈmɛʃ,ɛnˈmɛʃ/ Learn to pronounce verb past tense: enmeshed; past participle: enmeshed cause to become entangled in something. "whales enmeshed in drift nets" h Similar: entangle ensnare snare trap entrap ensnarl embroil involve catch up mix up bog down mire trammel involve (someone) in a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape. "he is enmeshed in an adulterous affair" --- 14. quintuplet /ˈkwɪntjʊˌplɪt,kwɪnˈtjuːplɪt/ Learn to pronounce noun plural noun: quintuplets 1. each of five children born at one birth. 2. Music a group of five notes to be performed in the time of three or four. Origin late 19th century: from quintuple, on the pattern of words such as triplet . --- 15. chump Learn to pronounce noun noun: chump; plural noun: chumps 1. informal a foolish or easily deceived person. "I was left feeling a bit of a chump" 2. British the thick end of something, especially a loin of lamb or mutton. Phrases off one's chump — mad. "I was beginning to think he'd gone off his chump" Origin early 18th century (in the sense ‘thick lump of wood’): probably a blend of chunk1 and lump1 or stump. --- 16. shorthand Learn to pronounce noun noun: shorthand; plural noun: shorthands; noun: short-hand; plural noun: short-hands a method of rapid writing by means of abbreviations and symbols, used especially for taking dictation. The major systems of shorthand currently in use are those devised in 1837 by Sir Isaac Pitman and (in the US) in 1888 by John R. Gregg (1867–1948). "he took notes in shorthand" a short and simple way of expressing or referring to something. "poetry for him is simply a shorthand for literature that has aesthetic value" --- 17. misconstrue Learn to pronounce verb verb: misconstrue; 3rd person present: misconstrues; past tense: misconstrued; past participle: misconstrued; gerund or present participle: misconstruing interpret (a person's words or actions) wrongly. "my advice was deliberately misconstrued" Similar: misunderstand misinterpret put a wrong interpretation on misconceive --- 18. fender bender Learn to pronounce nouninformal•North American noun: fender bender; plural noun: fender benders a minor collision between motor vehicles. "he was involved in a fender bender while driving without a license" --- 19. bricks and mortar phrase of brick buildings, typically housing. "untold acres are being buried under bricks and mortar" a house considered in terms of its value as an investment. "a simple re-mortgage can release the value tied up in your bricks and mortar" used to denote a business that operates conventionally rather than (or as well as) over the internet. "the bricks-and-mortar banks" --- 20. sordid adjective: sordid 1. involving immoral or dishonourable actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt. "the story paints a sordid picture of bribes and scams" h Similar: sleazy seedy seamy unsavoury shoddy vile foul tawdry louche cheap base low low-minded debased degenerate corrupt dishonest dishonourable disreputable despicable discreditable contemptible ignominious ignoble shameful wretched abhorrent abominable disgusting sleazoid h Opposite: high-minded respectable 2. dirty or squalid. "the overcrowded housing conditions were sordid and degrading" Similar: dirty filthy mucky grimy muddy grubby shabby messy soiled stained smeared smeary scummy slimy sticky sooty dusty unclean foul squalid flea-bitten slummy cruddy grungy yucky icky crummy scuzzy manky gungy grotty bogging scungy besmirched Opposite: immaculate Origin late Middle English (as a medical term in the sense ‘purulent’): from French sordide or Latin sordidus, from sordere ‘be dirty’. The current senses date from the early 17th century. Tip Similar-sounding words sordid is sometimes confused with sorted
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