Words of the day

2/21(Fri.)

1. consciousness[n.]/ ˋkɑnʃəsnɪs/

Definition: the state of understanding and realizing something

Origin: 1630s, "internal knowledge," from conscious + -ness. Meaning "state of being aware" is from 1746.

Sentence: It seems that music has a powerful effect on the human consciousness.

Part of speech: conscious [adj.] consciously [adv.]

 

2. function[n.][v.] /ˋfʌŋkʃən/

Definition: special activity or purpose of a person or thing.

Origin: 1530s, "proper work or purpose," from Middle French fonction

Sentence: In fact, Petr Janata, a cognitive neuroscientist who has studied music and the brain, says that music can function like a movie soundtrack.

Part of speech: functional [adj.] functionary [n.](people who work in the government)

 

3. infect[v.]/ɪnˋfɛkt/

Definition: Cause sb/sth to have a disease; contaminate sb/sth

Origin: late 14c., from Latin infectus, past participle of inficere "to spoil, stain," literally "to put in to, dip into"

Sentence: Earworms can also infect other people.

Part of speech: infection [n.] infectious [adj.] infective [adj.]

 

4. invade[v.]/ɪnˋved/

Definition: interfere with (sth), intrude on

Origin: late 15c., from Middle French invader "to invade," and directly from Latin invadere "to go into, enter upon; assail, assault, attack".

Sentence: It is entirely possible that some day consumers will need to defend themselves against music that seems to invade private mental space.

Part of speech: invader [n.]

 

5. susceptible[adj.]/səˋsɛptəb!/

Definition: easily influenced by feelings; impressionable

Origin: c.1600, from Late Latin susceptibilis "capable, sustainable, susceptible," from Latin suscept-, past participle stem of suscipere "to take, catch, take up, lift up; receive, admit; submit to; sustain, support, bear; acknowledge, accept." Susceptive in the same sense is recorded from early 15c.

Sentence: Kellaris says that musicians tend to be more susceptible to earworms, perhaps because of their sensitivity to music.

Part of speech: susceptibility [n.] susceptive [adj.]
 

2/24(Mon.)

1. acoustic[adj.]/əˋkustɪk/

Definition: of sound or the sense of hearing

Origin: c.1600, from French acoustique, from Greek akoustikos "pertaining to hearing," from akoustos "heard, audible," verbal adjective from akouein "to hear."

Sentence: Amazingly, the thief isn’t hurt because the officer hasn’t used a real gun, but rather something called a Ling Range Acoustic Device(LRAD).

Part of speech: =acoustical [adj.]

 

2. activate[v.]/ˋæktəˏvet /

Definition: make (sth) active

Origin: 1620s; see active + -ate (2).
active (adj.)  "working, effective, in operation" is from 1640s.

Sentence: The officer pulls out a special device, points it at the suspect, and activates it.

Part of speech: activation [n.] activated [adj.]

 

3. innovation[n.]/ˏɪnəˋveʃən/

Definition: instance of this; new technique, idea, etc

Origin: mid-15c., "restoration, renewal," from Latin innovationem (nominative innovatio), noun of action from past participle stem of innovare .

Sentence: The following are just a few of the surprising innovations based on the phenomenon we call sound.

Part of speech: innovate [v.] innovational [adj.] innovator [n.]

 

4. lethal[adj.]/ ˋliθəl /

Definition: causing or able to cause death;
damaging; harmful

Origin: 1580s, from Late Latin lethalis, alteration of Latin letalis "deadly, fatal," from letum "death," of uncertain origin. Form altered in Late Latin by association with lethe hydor "water of oblivion" in Hades in Greek mythology, from Greek lethe "forgetfulness."

Sentence: Unfortunately, the LRAD may cause some hearing loss, which makes it controversial, but it is not lethal.

Part of speech: lethality [n.]

 

5. offensive[adj.]/ əˋfɛnsɪv /

Definition: upsetting or annoying; insulting
disgusting; repulsive

Origin: "attacking" (1540s), "insulting" (1570s), both from Middle French offensif (16c.) and directly from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offens-, past participle stem of offendere "offend".

Sentence: Thanks to the Silence Machine, an invention by British scientist Selwyn Wright, you can get rid of the offensive tune without offending the little girl or her parents.

Part of speech: offend [v.] offense [n.] offenseless (offenceless) [adj.]

 

2/25(Tue.)

1. affectionately[adv.]/ əˋfɛkʃənɪtlɪ/

Definition: showing feelings of liking or love

Origin: 1580s, from affectionate + -ly .
affectionate : 1580s, "fond, loving," from affection + -ate (1). Early, now mostly obsolete, senses included "inclined" (1530s), "prejudiced" (1530s), "passionate" (1540s), "earnest" (c.1600).

Sentence: Instead, he goes up to the roof and spends his days on his knees, affectionately caring for a field of sweet potatoes fifty stories above the ground.

Part of speech: affection [n.] affectionate [adj.]
affectionateness [n.]

 

2. clamor[n.][v.]/ ˋklæmɚ /

Definition: to make a loud complaint or demand

Origin: late 14c., from Old French clamor "call, cry, appeal, outcry" (12c., Modern French clameur), from Latin clamor "a shout, a loud call" (either friendly or hostile), from clamare "to cry out"

Sentence: When the sunlight fades into twilight, he changes his clothes and rides the elevator back down to the bright lights and clamor of the big city.

Part of speech: clamorous [adj.]

 

3. drudgery[n.]/ ˋdrʌdʒərɪ /

Definition: hard boring work

Origin: 1540s, from drudge + -ery.
late 15c., "one employed in mean, servile, or distasteful work," missing in Old English and Middle English, unless it is represented by Middle English druggen "do menial or monotonous work

Sentence: What is drudgery anyway?

Part of speech: drudge [n.] [v.]

 

4. shade[n.][v.]/ ʃed /

Definition: comparative darkness and often coolness caused by sth blocking direct light or heat, esp of the sun
block off light from sb/sth

Origin: c.1400, "to screen from light or heat," from shade (n.). From 1520s as "to cast a shadow over;" figurative use in this sense from 1580s.

Sentence: The sweet potatoes across Kenji’s roof garden provide food, and their broad leaves also provide shade, which keeps the roof cooler.

Part of speech: shadeless [adj.] shadiness [n.]

 

5. strain[v.][n.]/ stren /

Definition: stretch (sth) tightly by pulling
condition of being stretches or pulled tightly
breed or type (of animal, insect, plant, etc)

Origin: "injury caused by straining," c.1400, from strain (v.).

Sentence: However, unlike those with whom he shares an elevator, Kenji doesn’t spend his day straining his eyes in front of a computer screen.

Part of speech: strained [adj.](unnatural, forced and artificial; not easy or relax)

 

2/26(Wed.)

1. sway[v.][n.]/ swe /

Definition: (cause sth to ) move or lean slowly from side to side
movement

Origin: c.1300, "movement from side to side," from sway (v.).

Sentence: Another room has rice plants swaying in the breeze created by white-coated workers who wander back and forth between the rooms, pushing buttons and adjusting the climate.

Part of speech: none

 

2. weed[n.][v.]/ wid /

Definition: wild plant growing where it is not wanted, esp among crops or garden plants
take out weeds from (the ground)

Origin: "plant not valued for use or beauty," Old English weod, uueod "grass, herb, weed," from Proto-Germanic *weud- (cognates: Old Saxon wiod, East Frisian wiud), of unknown origin.

Sentence: Plants need to be fed and watered, and they need someone to pull weeds, so employees like Kenji are paid to help building owners set up and maintain farms on their roofs as well as offer advice on what to plant.

Part of speech: weeded [adj.]

 

3. recount[v.]/ ˋri͵kaʊnt /

Definition: give a detailed account of sth; tell about sth

Origin: "to tell," mid-15c., also recompt, from Old North French and Anglo-French reconter (12c., Modern French raconter)

Sentence: I know they’re recounting something passionate. Something I even want to experience. But I can’t relate to the words.

Part of speech: none

 

4. gorgeous [adj.]/ ˋgɔrdʒəs /

Definition: giving pleasure and satisfaction; wonderful
very beautiful
richly colored; magnificent

Origin: late 15c., "splendid, showy" (of clothing), from Middle French gorgias "elegant, fashionable," of unknown origin

Sentence: And, there’s this perennial I didn’t even know the name of that somebody gave me last year, just a transplant, and now it’s this wonderful huge gorgeous purple thing…

Part of speech: gorgeously [adv.], gorgeousness [n.]

 

5. profound[adj.]/ prəˋfaʊnd /

Definition: deep, intense or far-reaching; very great
needing much study or thought

Origin: The literal and figurative senses both were in Latin, but English, having already deep, employed this word primarily in its figurative sense.
c.1300, "characterized by intellectual depth," from Old French profund

Sentence: But, it also exists, in a more profound way, in my mind, where it has been growing for ,amt tears now…

Part of speech: profoundly [adv.], profundity [n.]

 

2/27(Thu.)

1. trail[v.][n.]/ trel /

Definition: [n.] a path through the countryside, often made or used for a particular purpose
[v.]to (allow something to) move slowly along the ground or through the air or water, after someone or something:

Origin: early 14c., "trailing part of a robe, gown, etc.," from trail (v.). The meaning "track or smell left by a person or animal" is also from 1580s.
c.1300, "to hang down loosely and flow behind" (of a gown, sleeve, etc.), from Old French trailler "

Sentence: “And I realized that I still have this fear of plants, you know. Because I haven’t grown potatoes before…”My voice trailed off.

Part of speech: trailer [n.], train [n.](part of meaning)

 

2. transplant[v.]/ trænsˋplænt /

Definition: remove (a growing plant) with its roots and replant it elsewhere
take (tissue or an organ) from one person, animal or part of the body and put it into another

Origin: mid-15c., from Late Latin transplantare "plant again in a different place."
1756, in reference to plants, from transplant (v.); in reference to surgical transplanting of human organs or tissue it is first recorded 1951, but not in widespread use until Christiaan Barnard performed the world's first successful heart transplant in 1967.

Sentence: If I got up early, I’d have time to transplant the baby cleome.

Part of speech: transplantable [adj.], transplantation [n.]

 

3. uncomprehendingly[adv.]/ ͵ʌnkɑmprɪˋhɛndɪŋ lɪ/

Definition: Not understanding; having little or no comprehension.

Origin: 1795, from un- (1) "not" + present participle of comprehend (v.).

Sentence: She smiled, affectionately, but uncomprehendingly.

Part of speech: comprehension [n.] (opposite)

 

4. consideration[n.]/ kənsɪdəˋreʃən /

Definition: action of considering or thinking about sth
quality of being sensitive or thoughtful towards others, their feelings, etc

Origin: mid-14c., "a beholding, looking at," also "keeping in mind," from Old French consideracion (12c., Modern French considération)

Sentence: I have young patients who smile, look me in the eye, and shake my hand, which shows me that they already have one of the most important skills of being human: basic consideration for others.

Part of speech: considerate [adj.], considered [adj.], considering [prep]

 

5. grief[n.]/ grif /

Definition: deep or violent sorrow
event causing such feelings

Origin: early 13c., "hardship, suffering, pain, bodily affliction," from Old French grief

Sentence: I think children need to express feeling like grief, anger, fear, and hurt just as much as happiness.

Part of speech: griefless [adj.]