Index of Word Meanings
1)
plumb1
/plʌm/
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Plumbing
verb
1.
measure (the depth of a body of water).
"I plumbed the depth and found the bottom of the shelf to be seven metres down"
2.
test (an upright surface) to determine the vertical.
"they are valuable aids in plumbing the frames and keeping the side of the ship fair"
noun
a ball of lead or other heavy object attached to the end of a line for finding the depth of water or determining the vertical on an upright surface.
~ ~
adverb
1.
INFORMAL
exactly.
"trading opportunities plumb in the centre of central Europe"
Similar:
right
exactly
precisely
directly
dead
straight
without interruption
bang
slap
slap bang
smack
2.
ARCHAIC
vertically.
"drapery fell from their human forms plumb down"
Similar:
vertically
perpendicularly
straight up
straight up and down
adjective
vertical.
"ensure that the skirting is straight and plumb"
Similar:
vertical
perpendicular
straight
Tip
Similar-sounding words
plumb is sometimes confused with plum
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2)
onrush
/ˈɒnrʌʃ/
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noun
a surging rush forward.
"the mesmerizing onrush of the sea"
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3)
fathom
/ˈfað(ə)m/
noun
plural noun: fathoms
a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 metres), chiefly used in reference to the depth of water.
"sonar says that we're in eighteen fathoms"
verb
3rd person present: fathoms
1.
understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought.
"the locals could not fathom out the reason behind his new-found prosperity"
Similar:
understand
comprehend
work out
fathom out
make sense of
grasp
catch
follow
perceive
make out
penetrate
divine
search out
ferret out
puzzle out
take in
assimilate
absorb
get to the bottom of
interpret
decipher
decode
disentangle
untangle
unravel
piece together
make head or tail of
take on board
get a fix on
get/catch the drift of
tumble to
crack
dig
get
get the picture
get the message
see what's what
twig
suss (out)
savvy
cognize
2.
measure the depth of (water).
"an attempt to fathom the ocean"
Similar:
measure the depth of
sound
plumb
probe
gauge
estimate
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4)
grindstone
/ˈɡrʌɪn(d)stəʊn/
noun
a thick disc of stone or other abrasive material mounted so as to revolve, used for grinding, sharpening, or polishing metal objects.
RARE
another term for millstone.
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5)
acrid
/ˈakrɪd/
adjective
unpleasantly bitter or pungent.
"acrid smoke"
Similar:
pungent
bitter
sharp
sour
tart
harsh
acid
acidic
acidulated
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6)
onset
/ˈɒnsɛt/
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noun
noun: onset; plural noun: onsets
the beginning of something, especially something unpleasant.
"the onset of winter"
Similar:
start
beginning
arrival
(first) appearance
opening
outset
inception
outbreak
dawn
birth
infancy
genesis
creation
day one
emergence
rise
commencement
Opposite:
end
termination
ARCHAIC
a military attack.
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7)
postulate
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Ecclesiastical
Law
Logic
Mathematics
verb
3rd person present: postulates
/ˈpɒstjʊleɪt/
1.
suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of (something) as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.
"his theory postulated a rotatory movement for hurricanes"
Similar:
put forward
suggest
advance
posit
hypothesize
take as a hypothesis
propose
assume
presuppose
suppose
presume
predicate
take for granted
theorize
2.
(in ecclesiastical law) nominate or elect (someone) to an ecclesiastical office subject to the sanction of a higher authority.
"the chapter was then allowed to postulate the bishop of Bath"
noun FORMAL
plural noun: postulates
/ˈpɒstjʊlət/
a thing suggested or assumed as true as the basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.
"perhaps the postulate of Babylonian influence on Greek astronomy is incorrect"
MATHEMATICS
an assumption used as a basis for mathematical reasoning.
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8)
scanty
/ˈskanti/
adjective: scanty; comparative adjective: scantier; superlative adjective: scantiest
small or insufficient in quantity or amount.
"they paid whatever they could out of their scanty wages to their families"
h
Similar:
meagre
scant
minimal
limited
modest
restricted
sparse
tiny
small
paltry
negligible
insufficient
inadequate
deficient
sketchy
too small/little/few
not enough
poor
thin
thinning
scarce
in short supply
thin on the ground
few and far between
measly
piddling
mingy
pathetic
exiguous
h
Opposite:
abundant
ample
plentiful
(of clothing) revealing; skimpy.
"the women looked cold in their scanty bodices"
h
Similar:
skimpy
revealing
short
brief
low
low-cut
indecent
h
Opposite:
modest
nouninformal
plural noun: scanties; plural noun: scanty
women's skimpy knickers or pants.
Origin
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9)
skimpy
/ˈskɪmpi/
adjective: skimpy; comparative adjective: skimpier; superlative adjective: skimpiest
1.
(of clothes) short and revealing.
"a skimpy dress"
Similar:
revealing
short
brief
scanty
insubstantial
low
low-cut
flimsy
thin
see-through
indecent
Opposite:
modest
2.
providing or consisting of less than is needed; meagre.
"my knowledge of music is extremely skimpy"
Similar:
meagre
scanty
scant
sketchy
limited
restricted
inadequate
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10)
antithetical
/ˌantɪˈθɛtɪk(ə)l/
adjective: antithetical
1.
directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.
"people whose religious beliefs are antithetical to mine"
Similar:
(directly) opposed to
contrary to
contradictory to
conflicting with
incompatible with
irreconcilable with
inconsistent with
at variance with
at odds with
contrasting with
different from/to
differing from
divergent from
unlike
opposing
poles apart
polar
obverse
oppugnant
Opposite:
same
identical
like
2.
connected with, containing, or using the rhetorical device of antithesis.
Origin
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11)
aphorism
/ˈafərɪz(ə)m/
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noun
noun: aphorism; plural noun: aphorisms
a pithy observation which contains a general truth.
"the old aphorism ‘the child is father to the man’"
h
Similar:
saying
maxim
axiom
adage
precept
epigram
epigraph
dictum
gnome
pearl of wisdom
proverb
saw
tag
motto
expression
phrase
formula
apophthegm
a concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by a classical author.
"the opening sentence of the first aphorism of Hippocrates"
Origin
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12)
rampart
/ˈrampɑːt/
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architecture
military history
military
noun
noun: rampart; plural noun: ramparts
a defensive wall of a castle or walled city, having a broad top with a walkway and typically a stone parapet.
"a castle with ramparts and a moat"
h
Similar:
defensive wall
embankment
earthwork
parapet
breastwork
battlement
stockade
palisade
bulwark
bastion
barbican
outwork
fortification
vallum
bartizan
circumvallation
a defensive or protective barrier.
"the open Pacific broke on the far-off ramparts of the reef"
verb
verb: rampart; 3rd person present: ramparts; past tense: ramparted; past participle: ramparted; gerund or present participle: ramparting
fortify or surround with or as if with a rampart.
"the town's streets were ramparted with tall mounds of rubble"
Origin
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13)
succour
/ˈsʌkə/
noun: succor
assistance and support in times of hardship and distress.
"the wounded had little chance of succour"
Similar:
aid
help
a helping hand
assistance
ministration
comfort
ease
relief
support
guidance
backing
easement
archaic
reinforcements of troops.
plural noun: succours; plural noun: succors
verb
verb: succor
give assistance or aid to.
"prisoners of war were liberated and succoured"
Similar:
help
aid
bring aid to
give help to
give/render assistance to
assist
lend a (helping) hand to
be of service to
minister to
care for
comfort
bring comfort to
bring relief to
support
be supportive of
sustain
protect
take care of
look after
attend to
serve
wait on
Origin
Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin succursus, from Latin succurrere ‘run to the help of’, from sub- ‘from below’ + currere ‘run’.
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14)
piquancy
/ˈpiːk(ə)nsi/
noun
noun: piquancy; plural noun: piquancies
a pleasantly sharp and appetizing flavour; spiciness.
"the tangy soy dip gave them a slightly Asian piquancy"
h
Similar:
spiciness
tang
spice
tastiness
savouriness
pungency
edge
sharpness
tartness
pepperiness
saltiness
bite
zest
zing
kick
punch
relish
interest
fascination
excitement
vigour
vitality
liveliness
spirit
colour
sparkle
raciness
provocativeness
pizzazz
the quality of being pleasantly stimulating or exciting; interest.
"the tragedy only adds piquancy to the tale"
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