Word Meanings 20191217


communal
/ˈkɒmjʊn(ə)l,kəˈmjuːn(ə)l/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
shared by all members of a community; for common use.
"a communal bathroom and kitchen"
Similar:
shared
joint
common
general
public
collective
cooperative
community
communalist
united
combined
pooled
mass
Opposite:
private
individual
2.
(of conflict) between different communities, especially those having different religions or ethnic origins.
"violent communal riots"

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parasympathetic
/ˌparəsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk/
Learn to pronounce
adjectivePHYSIOLOGY
adjective: parasympathetic
relating to the part of the autonomic nervous system which balances the action of the sympathetic nerves. It consists of nerves arising from the brain and the lower end of the spinal cord and supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands.
Origin

early 20th century: from para-1 ‘alongside’ + sympathetic, because some of these nerves run alongside sympathetic nerves.


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murmur
/ˈməːmə/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1.
a low continuous background noise.
"the distant murmur of traffic"
Similar:
burble
babble
purl
gurgle
plash
hum
humming
buzz
buzzing
whir
thrum
thrumming
drone
sigh
susurration
murmuration
susurrus
2.
a softly spoken or almost inaudible utterance.
"a quiet murmur of thanks"
verb
1.
say something in a low or indistinct voice.
"Nina murmured an excuse and hurried away"
2.
make a low continuous sound.
"the wind was murmuring through the trees"
Similar:
mutter
mumble
whisper
talk under one's breath
speak in an undertone

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impervious
/ɪmˈpəːvɪəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
not allowing fluid to pass through.
"an impervious layer of basaltic clay"
Similar:
impermeable
impenetrable
impregnable
waterproof
watertight
water-resistant
water-repellent
sealed
hermetically sealed
imperviable
Opposite:
permeable
2.
unable to be affected by.
"he worked, apparently impervious to the heat"
Similar:
unaffected by
untouched by
immune to
invulnerable to
insusceptible to


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in vivo
/ɪn ˈviːvəʊ/
adverb · adjectiveBIOLOGY
adverb: in vivo; adjective: in vivo
(of processes) performed or taking place in a living organism.
"fluid transport was measured in vivo"
Origin

early 20th century: Latin, literally ‘in a living thing’.

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collate
/kəˈleɪt/
Learn to pronounce
verb
verb: collate; 3rd person present: collates; past tense: collated; past participle: collated; gerund or present participle: collating
1.
collect and combine (texts, information, or data).
"all the information obtained is being collated"
Similar:
collect
gather
accumulate
assemble
combine
aggregate
put together
arrange
organize
order
put in order
sort
categorize
systematize
structure
Opposite:
separate
compare and analyse (two or more sources of information).
"these accounts he collated with his own experience"
Similar:
compare
contrast
set side by side
juxtapose
weigh against
set against
balance
differentiate
discriminate
PRINTING
verify the number and order of (the sheets of a book).
2.
appoint (a member of the clergy) to a benefice.
Origin

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jingoism
/ˈdʒɪŋɡəʊɪz(ə)m/
Learn to pronounce
nounDEROGATORY
extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.
"the popular jingoism that swept the lower–middle classes"
Similar:
extreme patriotism
blind patriotism
chauvinism
extreme nationalism
flag-waving

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infelicitous
/ɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
unfortunate; inappropriate.
"his illustration is singularly infelicitous"
Similar:
unfortunate
regrettable
unsuitable
inappropriate
inapposite
inapt


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alexithymic
/əˌlɛksɪˈθʌɪmɪk/
adjectivePSYCHIATRY
adjective: alexithymic
relating to or having alexithymia (the condition of being unable to recognize or describe one's own emotions).
"to achieve a diagnosis of alexithymic symptoms, a person would need to receive evaluation"
Origin

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for whom the bell tolls
An expression from a sermon by John Donne. Donne says that because we are all part of mankind, any person's death is a loss to all of us: “Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” The line also suggests that we all will die: the bell will toll for each one of us. (See No man is an island.)

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rambunctious
/ramˈbʌŋ(k)ʃəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjectiveINFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
adjective: rambunctious
uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous.
"a rambunctious tyke"
Similar:
boisterous
unrestrained
irrepressible
exuberant
uproarious
rollicking
roisterous
rackety
noisy
loud
clamorous
unruly
disorderly
rowdy
badly behaved
riotous
undisciplined
ill-disciplined
unmanageable
uncontrollable
ungovernable
uncontrolled
obstreperous
disruptive
wild
rough
rumbustious
rampageous
robustious
Opposite:
restrained
quiet
Origin
mid 19th century: of unknown origin.

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one-upmanship
/wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/
nounINFORMAL
the technique or practice of gaining an advantage or feeling of superiority over another person.
"the one-upmanship of who can get the best presents"

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rambunctious
/ramˈbʌŋ(k)ʃəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjectiveINFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN
adjective: rambunctious
uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous.
"a rambunctious tyke"
Similar:
boisterous
unrestrained
irrepressible
exuberant
uproarious
rollicking
roisterous
rackety
noisy
loud
clamorous
unruly
disorderly
rowdy
badly behaved
riotous
undisciplined
ill-disciplined
unmanageable
uncontrollable
ungovernable
uncontrolled
obstreperous
disruptive
wild
rough
rumbustious
rampageous
robustious
Opposite:
restrained
quiet
Origin
mid 19th century: of unknown origin.

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indignation
/ɪndɪɡˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
Learn to pronounce
noun
noun: indignation
anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment.
"the letter filled Lucy with indignation"
Similar:
resentment
umbrage
affront
disgruntlement
anger
distress
unhappiness
discontent
dissatisfaction
displeasure
hurt
pain
upset
offence
pique
spleen
crossness
exasperation
vexation
irritation
annoyance
chagrin
aggravation
ire
Opposite:
contentment




Origin

late Middle English (also in the sense ‘disdain, contempt’): from Latin indignatio(n- ), from indignari ‘regard as unworthy’.

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imperturbable
/ˌɪmpəˈtəːbəb(ə)l/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
adjective: imperturbable
unable to be upset or excited; calm.
"an imperturbable tranquillity"
Similar:
self-possessed
composed
collected
calm
cool
and collected
as cool as a cucumber
cool-headed
self-controlled
poised
tranquil
serene
relaxed
easy-going
unexcitable
even-tempered
placid
sedate
phlegmatic
unperturbed
unflustered
untroubled
unbothered
unruffled
undismayed
unagitated
undisturbed
unmoved
nonchalant
at ease
unflappable
unfazed
together
laid-back
nonplussed
equanimous
Opposite:
edgy
excitable
Origin

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all mouth and no trousers. Full of boastful, arrogant, or shallow talk, usually by a male, who then cannot deliver on his claims. 

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androgynous
/anˈdrɒdʒɪnəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex.
"a stunningly androgynous dancer"
DATED
having the physical characteristics of both sexes; hermaphrodite.

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run (oneself or something) into the ground
1. To work oneself to the point of illness or exhaustion.
If you keep working 80-hour weeks, you'll run yourself into the ground sooner than later.
2. To overuse or poorly maintain something, resulting in its destruction or loss of functionality.
If you would just remember to get your oil changed, you wouldn't keep running your cars into the ground.
3. To continue to discuss or address something—especially an issue or topic—that is no longer of any use or relevance.
We've all moved on from that problem, so there's no use running it into the ground.
See also: ground, run
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
run into the ground
1. Pursue a topic until it has been thoroughly discussed or exhausted, as in They've run the abortion issue into the ground.
2. Ruin or destroy, as in During her brief time as chief executive Marjorie just about ran the company into the ground . Both usages allude to pushing something so far that it is, in effect, buried. [Early 1800s]
See also: ground, run
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
run somebody/something into the ˈground use something so much that it breaks; make somebody work so hard that they are no longer able to work: In just one year, she managed to run her new car into the ground. ♢ These children are running me into the ground.
See also: ground, run, somebody, something
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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Royal pain. New Word Suggestion. American expression for someone who is exceedlingly troublesome or irritating to have around. Submitted By: DavedWachsman

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Motor mimicry is the classical name for a phenomenon that has appeared in the literature for over 250 years. A good example of motor mimicry is when a person winces at someone else's injury. The person wincing is not hurt, so the wince does not fit his or her own situation.

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wince
/wɪns/
Learn to pronounce
verb
3rd person present: winces
make a slight involuntary grimace or shrinking movement of the body out of pain or distress.
"he winced at the disgust in her voice"

Similar:
grimace
pull a face
flinch
blench
start
draw back
shrink away
recoil
cringe
squirm
noun
plural noun: winces
an instance of wincing.
Similar:
grimace
flinch
start

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withering
/ˈwɪðərɪŋ/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
intended to make someone feel humiliated; scornful.
"a withering look"
Similar:
scornful
contemptuous
full of contempt
mocking
sneering
scathing
stinging
searing
blistering
biting
devastating
supercilious
disdainful
superior
dismissive
humiliating
mortifying
Opposite:
encouraging
admiring
2.
(of heat) intense; scorching.
"protective cover to escape withering heat"

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macabre
/məˈkɑːbr(ə)/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
adjective: macabre
disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death.
"a macabre series of murders"
Similar:
gruesome
grisly
grim
gory
morbid
ghastly
unearthly
lurid
grotesque
hideous
horrific
horrible
horrifying
horrid
horrendous
terrifying
frightening
frightful
fearsome
shocking
dreadful
appalling
loathsome
repugnant
repulsive
sickening
black
weird
unhealthy
sick
Origin

late 19th century: from French macabre, from Danse Macabre ‘dance of death’, from Old French, perhaps from Macabé ‘a Maccabee’, with reference to a miracle play depicting the slaughter of the Maccabees.

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Why are gumboots called gumboots?
They also fashioned rubber capes for wet weather. In Australia, the boots are called "gumboots" meaning made from the rubber tree "gum" or sap. Wellington boots were so named after the Duke of Wellington's long leather riding boots. Long riding boots are still called welllingtons both here and in England.Jun 18, 2005

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Red tape is an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments, corporations, and other large organizations.

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reticent
/ˈrɛtɪs(ə)nt/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.
"she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs"
Similar:
reserved
withdrawn
introverted
restrained
inhibited
diffident
shy

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defer1
/dɪˈfəː/
Learn to pronounce
verb
verb: defer; 3rd person present: defers; past tense: deferred; past participle: deferred; gerund or present participle: deferring
put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone.
"they deferred the decision until February"
Similar:
postpone
put off
adjourn
delay
hold over/off
put back
carry over
shelve
suspend
stay
hold in abeyance
prorogue
pigeonhole
mothball
put over
table
lay on the table
take a rain check on
continue
put on ice
put on the back burner
put in cold storage
remit
respite
LAW
(of a judge) postpone (a sentence) so that the circumstances or conduct of the defendant can be further assessed.
"the judge deferred sentence until 5 April for background reports"
HISTORICAL•US
postpone the conscription of (someone).
"he was no longer deferred from the draft"
Origin

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facelift
/ˈfeɪslɪft/
Learn to pronounce
noun
a cosmetic surgical operation to remove unwanted wrinkles by tightening the skin of the face.
Similar:
cosmetic surgery
plastic surgery
rhytidectomy

a procedure carried out to improve the appearance of something.
"the station has undergone a multimillion pound facelift"
Similar:
renovation
redecoration
refurbishment
revamp
revamping
makeover

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adjourn
[əˈjərn]

VERB
adjourned (past tense) · adjourned (past participle)
break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of resuming it later.
"the meeting was adjourned until December 4" · [more]
synonyms:
end · bring/come to an end · conclude · finish · terminate · wind up · break off · halt · call a halt to · discontinue · dissolve · suspend · prorogue · recess
(of people who are together) go somewhere else, typically for refreshment.
"they adjourned to a local bar"
synonyms:
withdraw · retire · retreat · beat a retreat · take oneself · decamp · depart · go out · go off · go away · exit · repair · remove · betake oneself · abstract oneself
put off or postpone (a resolution or sentence).
"the sentence was adjourned"
synonyms:
suspend · break off · discontinue · interrupt · postpone · put off · put back · defer · delay · hold over · hold in abeyance · shelve · pigeonhole · [more]
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ruckus
[ˈrəkəs]

NOUN
a disturbance or commotion.
"a child is raising a ruckus in class" · [more]
synonyms:
disturbance · racket · uproar · tumult · clamor · brouhaha · furor · hue and cry · palaver · fuss · stir · to-do · storm · maelstrom · melee · turmoil · disorder · confusion · chaos · mayhem · havoc · pandemonium · upheaval · unrest · [more]

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Behaviorism (or behaviourism) is a systematic approach to understanding the behavior of humans and other animals. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex evoked by the pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that individual's history, including especially reinforcement and punishment contingencies, together with the individual's current motivational state and controlling stimuli. Although behaviorists generally accept the important role of heredity in determining behavior, they focus primarily on environmental events.

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Sluggish schizophrenia or slow progressive schizophrenia (Russian: вялотеку́щая шизофрени́я, vyalotekushchaya shizofreniya) was a diagnostic category used in the Soviet Union to describe what was claimed to be a form of schizophrenia characterized by a slowly progressive course; it was diagnosed even in patients who showed no symptoms of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, on the assumption that these symptoms would appear later. It was developed in the 1960s by Soviet psychiatrist Andrei Snezhnevsky and his colleagues, and was used exclusively in the USSR and several Eastern Bloc countries, until the fall of Communism starting in 1989. The diagnosis has long been discredited because of its scientific inadequacy and its use as a means of confining dissenters. It has never been used or recognized outside of Soviet Union, or by international organizations such as the World Health Organization. It is considered a prime example of the political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union.

Sluggish schizophrenia was the most infamous of diagnoses used by Soviet psychiatrists, due to its usage against political dissidents. After being discharged from a hospital, persons diagnosed with sluggish schizophrenia were deprived of their civic rights, credibility and employability. The usage of this diagnosis has been internationally condemned.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluggish_schizophrenia

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Rosenhan experiment:

The Rosenhan experiment or Thud experiment was an experiment conducted to determine the validity of psychiatric diagnosis. The experimenters feigned hallucinations to enter psychiatric hospitals, and acted normally afterwards. They were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and were given antipsychotic drugs. The study was conducted by psychologist David Rosenhan, a Stanford University professor, and published by the journal Science in 1973 under the title "On being sane in insane places". It is considered an important and influential criticism of psychiatric diagnosis.

Rosenhan's study was done in eight parts. The first part involved the use of healthy associates or "pseudopatients" (three women and five men, including Rosenhan himself) who briefly feigned auditory hallucinations in an attempt to gain admission to 12 psychiatric hospitals in five states in the United States. All were admitted and diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. After admission, the pseudopatients acted normally and told staff that they felt fine and had no longer experienced any additional hallucinations. All were forced to admit to having a mental illness and had to agree to take antipsychotic drugs as a condition of their release. The average time that the patients spent in the hospital was 19 days. All but one were diagnosed with schizophrenia "in remission" before their release.

The second part of his study involved an offended hospital administration challenging Rosenhan to send pseudopatients to its facility, whom its staff would then detect. Rosenhan agreed and in the following weeks out of 250 new patients the staff identified 41 as potential pseudopatients, with 2 of these receiving suspicion from at least one psychiatrist and one other staff member. In fact, Rosenhan had sent no pseudopatients to the hospital.

While listening to a lecture by R. D. Laing, who was associated with the anti-psychiatry movement, Rosenhan conceived of the experiment as a way to test the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses. The study concluded "it is clear that we cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals" and also illustrated the dangers of dehumanization and labeling in psychiatric institutions. It suggested that the use of community mental health facilities which concentrated on specific problems and behaviors rather than psychiatric labels might be a solution, and recommended education to make psychiatric workers more aware of the social psychology of their facilities.

In a 2019 popular book on Rosenhan by author Susannah Cahalan, The Great Pretender, the veracity and validity of the Rosenhan experiment has been questioned.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment

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battery
/ˈbat(ə)ri/
Learn to pronounce
noun
noun: battery; plural noun: batteries; noun: the battery
1.
a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of power.
"a camera battery"
Similar:
cell
accumulator
power unit
2.
a fortified emplacement for heavy guns.
"anti-aircraft missile batteries"
an artillery subunit of guns, men, and vehicles.
Similar:
gun emplacement
artillery unit
artillery
cannonry
ordnance
heavy weapons
heavy weaponry
guns
cannons
3.
a set of similar units of equipment, typically when connected together.
"a battery of equipment to monitor blood pressure"
Similar:
array
set
bank
group
row
line
line-up
raft
collection
assortment
an extensive series, sequence, or range of things.
"children are given a battery of tests"
Similar:
series
sequence
range
set
cycle
chain
string
progression
succession
4.
BRITISH
a series of small cages for the intensive rearing of farm animals, especially calves and poultry.
"battery farming"
5.
LAW
the infliction of unlawful personal violence on another person, even where the contact does no physical harm.
"any act which puts a person in immediate and reasonable fear of battery"
Similar:
violence
assault
mugging
grievous bodily harm
GBH
actual bodily harm
ABH
beating
striking
thumping
thrashing
bashing
aggression
6.
BASEBALL
the pitcher and the catcher.
Origin

Middle English: from Old French baterie, from battre ‘to strike’, from Latin battuere . The original sense was ‘metal articles wrought by hammering’, later ‘a number of pieces of artillery used together’, whence ‘a number of Leyden jars connected up so as to discharge simultaneously’ (mid 18th century), giving rise to battery (sense 1).

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Lobotomy
Other names Leukotomy, leucotomy
A lobotomy, or leucotomy, is a form of psychosurgery, a neurosurgical treatment of a mental disorder that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, are severed. It was used for psychiatric and occasionally other conditions as a mainstream procedure in some Western countries for more than two decades, despite general recognition of frequent and serious side effects. While some people experienced symptomatic improvement with the operation, the improvements were achieved at the cost of creating other impairments. The procedure was controversial from its initial use in part due to the balance between benefits and risks. Today, lobotomy has become a disparaged procedure, a byword for medical barbarism and an exemplary instance of the medical trampling of patients' rights.

The originator of the procedure, Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz, shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine of 1949 for the "discovery of the therapeutic value of leucotomy in certain psychoses", although the awarding of the prize has been subject to controversy.

The use of the procedure increased dramatically from the early 1940s and into the 1950s; by 1951, almost 20,000 lobotomies had been performed in the United States and proportionally more in the United Kingdom. The majority of lobotomies were performed on women; a 1951 study of American hospitals found nearly 60% of lobotomy patients were women; limited data shows 74% of lobotomies in Ontario from 1948–1952 were performed on women. From the 1950s onward lobotomy began to be abandoned, first in the Soviet Union and Europe. The term is derived from Greek: λοβός lobos "lobe" and τομή tomē "cut, slice".

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reference
/ˈrɛf(ə)r(ə)ns/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1.
the action of mentioning or alluding to something.
"he made reference to the enormous power of the mass media"
Similar:
mention of
allusion to
comment on
remark about
citation of
instance of
2.
the use of a source of information in order to ascertain something.
"popular works of reference"
verb
1.
provide (a book or article) with citations of sources of information.
"each chapter is referenced, citing literature up to 1990"
2.
mention or refer to.
"the media referenced our association in almost 40 articles"

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footing
/ˈfʊtɪŋ/
Learn to pronounce
noun
1.
a secure grip with one's feet.
"he suddenly lost his footing"
Similar:
foothold
toehold
hold
grip
anchorage
purchase
secure position
firm contact
support
steadiness
stability
balance
equilibrium
2.
the basis on which something is established or operates.
"attempts to establish the shop on a firm financial footing"
Similar:
basis
base
foundation
underpinning
support
cornerstone

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plumb-crazy. Adjective. (comparative more plumb crazy, superlative most plumb crazy) (informal) Thoroughly crazy; quite mad.

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mule
/mjuːl/

noun
1.
the offspring of a donkey and a horse (strictly, a male donkey and a female horse), typically sterile and used as a beast of burden.

2.
a hybrid plant or animal, especially a sterile one.

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Definition of blot out. transitive verb. 1 : to make obscure, insignificant, or inconsequential. 2 : wipe out, destroy.

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orderly
/ˈɔːd(ə)li/
Learn to pronounce
noun
plural noun: orderlies
1.
an attendant in a hospital responsible for the non-medical care of patients and the maintenance of order and cleanliness.
2.
a soldier who carries out orders or performs minor tasks for an officer.

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