Words of the day
3/14(Fri.)
1. acre[n.]/ `ekɚ /
Definition: measure of land
field; piece of land
Origin: Old English æcer "tilled field, open land."
Sentence: Studies have shown that an acre of land dedicated to growing plants can produce more than twice as much food as an acre used for raising animals.
Part of speech: acreage [n.]
2. advocate[n.][v.]/ˋædvəkɪt /
Definition: speak publicly in favour of (sth); recommend; support
Origin: [n.] mid-14c., "one whose profession is to plead cases in a court of justice," a technical term from Roman law, from Old French avocat "barrister, advocate, spokesman," from Latin advocatus "one called to aid.
[v.] 1640s, from advocate (n.).
Sentence: They advocate solutions that do not involve giving up meat altogether, such as creating farming practices that are more humane to animals.
Part of speech: advocate [v.], advocator [n.]
3. cite[v.]/ saɪt /
Definition: speak or write (words taken from a passage, a book, an author, etc); quote
Origin: mid-15c., "to summon," from Old French citer "to summon" (14c.), from Latin citare "to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite."
Sentence: Vegetarians cite medical studies that establish a connection between a high consumption of red meat and many diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.
Part of speech: citation [n.]
4. consumption[n.]/ kən`sʌmpʃən /
Definition: using up of food, energy, resources, etc
Origin: late 14c., "wasting of the body by disease; wasting disease" (replacing Old English yfeladl "the evil disease"), from Old French consumpcion, from Latin consumptionem (nominative consumptio) "a using up, wasting".
Sentence: Vegetarians cite medical studies that establish a connection between a high consumption of red meat and many diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.
Part of speech: consumptive [n.]
5. digest[v.][n.]/daɪˋdʒɛst /
Definition: change (food) in the stomach and bowels so that it can be used by the body
Origin: [v.] "assimilate food in bowels," late 14c., from Latin digestus (see digest (n.)).
[n.] "collection of writing," late 14c., from Latin digesta, from neuter plural of digestus, literally "digested thing."
Sentence: These cattle are fed corn, which they cannot digest.
Part of speech: digestion [n.], digestive [adj.]
3/17(Mon.)
1. objection[n.]/ əbˋdʒɛkʃən /
Definition: expression of a feeling of dislike, disapproval or opposition
Origin: late 14c., from Old French objeccion "reply, retort" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin obiectionem (nominative obiectio), "a throwing or putting before," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin obicere "to oppose" (see object (n.)).
Sentence: We have overcome every objection and completed the mission on time .
Part of speech: objectionable [adj.], objective [adj.]
2. reluctantly[adv.]/ rɪˋlʌktəntlɪ /
Definition: unwilling and therefore slow to co-operate, agree, etc
Origin: "unwilling," 1660s, from Latin reluctantem (nominative reluctans), present participle of reluctari (see reluctance). Related: Reluctantly. The Latin word is also the source of Spanish reluchante, Italian riluttante.
Sentence: Still, many meat eaters reluctantly admit that there are problems with the meat industry.
Part of speech: reluctance [n.], reluctant [adj.]
3. texture[n.]/ ˋtɛkstʃɚ /
Definition: way a surface, substance or fabric looks or feels to the touch, its thickness, firmness, roughness, etc
Origin: early 15c., "network, structure," from Middle French texture and directly from Latin textura "web, texture, structure," from stem of texere "to weave."
Sentence: These paintings reveal that throughout history people have enjoyed the smell, taste, and texture of a roasted chicken or a lamb stew.
Part of speech: textural [adj.]
4. willing[adj.]/ ˋwɪlɪŋ /
Definition: ready or eager to help
Origin: early 14c., present participle adjective from will (v.1). Old English had -willendliche in compounds.
Sentence: To protect their health and the environment, some meat eaters are willing to reduce their consumption of animals.
Part of speech: willless [adj.]
5. carbon[n.]/ ˋkɑrbən /
Definition: one of the elements; in an impure form it appears as coal, gasoline, etc.
Origin: non-metallic element, 1789, coined 1787 in French by Lavoisier as charbone, from Latin carbonem (nominative carbo) "a coal, glowing coal; charcoal."
Sentence: The animals that take their place produce harmful gases such as carbon and methane.
Part of speech: carbonaceous [adj.]
3/18(Tue.)(Enya - On Your Shore, Wild Child)
1. shore [n.]/ ʃɔr /
Definition: land along the edge of the sea or of any large body of water
Origin: "land bordering a large body of water," c.1300, from an Old English word or from Middle Low German schor "shore, coast, headland."
Sentence: Strange how my heart beats
To find myself upon your shore.
Part of speech: shoreless [adj.]
2. drift[n.]/ drɪft /
Definition: be carried along gently by a current of air or water
Origin: c.1300, literally "a being driven" (of snow, etc.); not recorded in Old English; either a suffixed form of drive (v.) (compare thrift/thrive) or borrowed from Old Norse drift "snow drift."
Sentence: Cool waves wash over /and drift away with dreams of youth
Part of speech: drifter [n.], drifting [adj.]
3. falter[v.]/ ˋfɔltɚ /
Definition: move, walk or act hesitantly, usu because of weakness, fear or indecision
Origin: mid-14c., of unknown origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse faltrask "be burdened, hesitate, be troubled"), or a frequentative of Middle English falden "to fold," influenced by fault.
Sentence: Strange how I falter /to find I’m standing in deep water
Part of speech: faltering [adj.]
4. helter-skelter [adv.]/`hɛltɚ `skɛltɚ /
Definition: in disorderly haste; confusedly; pell-mell.
haphazardly.
Origin: also helter skelter, 1590s, perhaps from skelte "to hasten, scatter hurriedly," with the first element there merely for the sake of rhyme. As an adjective from 1785.
Sentence: From the helter-skelter / Every day you find /Everything's in kilter
Part of speech: none
5. kilter[n.]/ ˋkɪltɚ /
Definition: in a state of working well
Origin: in out of kilter (1620s) variant of English dialectal kelter (c.1600) "good condition, order," of unknown origin.
Sentence: From the helter-skelter / Every day you find /Everything's in kilter
Part of speech: none
3/19(Wed.)(Enya – Wild Child, Anywhere Is)
1. maze[n.]/ mez /
Definition: network of paths or hedges designed as a puzzle in which one must find one’s way
Origin: c.1300, "delusion, bewilderment" (also as a verb, "stupefy, daze"), possibly from Old English *mæs, which is suggested by the compound amasod "amazed" and verb amasian "to confound, confuse" (see amaze).
Sentence: I walk the maze of moments
Part of speech: none
2.spark[n.][v.]/ spɑrk /
Definition: tiny glowing particle thrown off from sth burning or produced when two hard substances are struck together
Origin: [n.] Old English spearca "glowing or fiery particle thrown off," from Proto-Germanic *spark- (cognates: Middle Low German sparke, Middle Dutch spranke, not found in other Germanic languages).
[v.] c.1200, "to emit sparks," from spark (n.).
Sentence: I look up to the heavens /but night has clouded over /no spark of constellation
Part of speech: sparkle [v.]
3.constellation[n.]/ ˏkɑnstə`leʃən /
Definition: named group of stars (eg the Great Bear)
group of associated or similar people or thing
Origin: early 14c., from Old French constellacion "constellation, conjuncture (of planets)."
Sentence: I look up to the heavens /but night has clouded over /no spark of constellation
Part of speech: constellate [v.]
4. willow[n.]/ ˋwɪlo /
Definition: any of various types of tree and shrub with thin flexible branches and long narrow leaves, usu growing near water
Origin: Old English welig "willow."
Sentence: The shells upon the warm sands /have taken from their own lands /the echo of their story /but all I hear are low sounds /as pillow words are weaving /and willow waves are leaving
Part of speech: willowed [adj.]
5. tread[v.]/ trɛd /
Definition: set one’s foot down; walk or step
Origin: Old English tredan "to tread, step on, trample; traverse, pass over".
Sentence: To leave the tread of all time /and let it make a dark line /in hopes that I can still find /the way back to the moment
Part of speech: treadle [n.][v.]
3/20(Thu.)
1. radiate [v.]/ ˋredɪ͵et /
Definition: be sent out from sth by radiation
Origin: 1610s, "spread in all directions from a point," from Latin radiatus, past participle of radiare "to beam, shine, gleam; make beaming" (see radiation). Meaning "be radiant, give off rays (of light or heat)" is from 1704.
Sentence: The pine was smaller, but it had layers of branches radiating out from the trunk.
Part of speech: radiation [n.]
2. trunk [n.]/ trʌŋk /
Definition: main stem of a tree, from which the branches grow
Origin: mid-15c., "box, case," from Old French tronc "alms box in a church," also "trunk of a tree, trunk of the human body, wooden block" (12c.)
Sentence: The pine was smaller, but it had layers of branches radiating out from the trunk.
Part of speech: none
3. plaid[n.]/ plæd /
Definition: a pattern of squares and crossed colored lines, used mainly in cloth
Origin: 1510s, from Scottish, from or related to Gaelic plaide "blanket, mantle," of unknown origin, perhaps a contraction of peallaid "sheepskin," from peall "skin," from Latin pellis (but OED finds this "phonetically improbable").
Sentence: These country people with their muddy boots and plaid shirts were very different from my beach friends in Santa Monica.
Part of speech: plaided [adj.]
4. consolation[n.]/ ͵kɑnsəˋleʃən /
Definition: someone or something that makes you feel better when you are sad or disappointed
Origin: late 14c., "act of consoling," from Old French consolacion (11c., Modern French consolation) "solace, comfort; delight, pleasure."
Sentence: Aside from books, my only consolation was a small horse named Gunther.
Part of speech: consolable [adj.]
5. reshap[v.]/ riˋʃep /
Definition: shape or form sth again or in a different way
Origin: also re-shape, 1798, from re- + shape (v.).
Sentence: Berkeley schools have spent three years reshaping the menu and becoming dedicated to serving food that is healthy, fresh, local, and delicious.
Part of speech: none
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