Eureka's Blog

pontificate

2010-05-12T09:04:00.001+08:00

express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic

He was pontificating about art and history.

dicey

2010-05-12T09:01:00.001+08:00

unpredictable and potentially dangerous

The lot of a wanderer is always dicey.

irreparable

2010-05-12T09:00:00.002+08:00

(of an injury or loss) impossible to rectify or repair

They were doing irreparable damage to my heart and lungs.

tack

2010-05-12T08:57:00.002+08:00

n. a small, sharp, broad-headed nail

v. fasten or fix in place with tacks

long-term savings plans with some life insurance tacked on.

mighty

2010-05-12T08:55:00.000+08:00

extremely

This is mighty early to be planning a presidential campaign.

attribution

2010-05-12T08:54:00.002+08:00

a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something

resigned

2010-05-12T08:51:00.001+08:00

accepting that something undesirable cannot be avoided

a resigned smile

merit

2010-05-12T08:50:00.001+08:00

v. deserve or be worthy of

The results have been encouraging enough to merit further investigation.

morose

2010-05-12T08:48:00.001+08:00

sullen and ill-tempered

a morose frown

smashingly

2010-05-12T08:46:00.000+08:00

excellently; wonderfully

shout something from the rooftop

2010-05-12T08:45:00.002+08:00

talk about something openly and jubilantly, esp. something that is personal or has previously been kept secret

malign

2010-05-12T08:42:00.002+08:00

evil in nature or effect; malevolent

She had a strong and maligne influence.

speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner

Don't you dare malign her in my presence.

meanie

2010-05-07T09:38:00.000+08:00

(informal) a mean or small-minded person

undercut

2010-05-07T09:37:00.002+08:00

offers goods or services at a lower price than a competiter; undersell

These industries have been undercut by more efficient foreign producers.

mogul

2010-05-06T21:50:00.000+08:00

a mogul is an important, rich, and powerful businessman

smackdown

2010-05-06T21:42:00.002+08:00

the act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent

mariner

2010-05-05T20:26:00.000+08:00

/'meriner/

cut someone some slack

2010-05-05T20:19:00.002+08:00

allow someone some leeway in their conduct

Should we cut song writers the same grammatical slack we cut poets?

demure

2010-05-05T20:13:00.002+08:00

1. (of a woman or her behavior) reserved, modest, and shy

a demure little wife who sits at home minding the house

Old photos of Maggie show her young and demure.

2. (of clothing) lending such an appearance

a demure white dress

nymph

2010-05-05T20:11:00.001+08:00

a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations.

Demure nymph

chalk something up to

2010-05-05T20:09:00.001+08:00

ascribe something to a particular cause

I chalked my sleeplessness up to nerves.

skewer

2009-07-19T22:02:00.003+08:00

skewer

n.

: a long piece of wood or metal used for holding pieces of food, typically meat, together during cooking

v.

: fasten together or pierce with a pin or skewer

They nibbled chunks of Cheddar cheese skewered with toothpicks.

: informal: criticize (someone) sharply

ardent

2009-07-19T22:01:00.000+08:00

ardent

adj.

: enthusiastic or passionate

an ardent baseball fan

compendious

2009-07-19T21:57:00.003+08:00

compendious

adj.

: presenting the essential facts of something in a comprenhensive but concise way

innocuous

2009-07-08T21:15:00.001+08:00

adj.

: not harmful or offensive

It was an innocuous question.

Both mushrooms look innocuous but are in fact deadly.

scruple

2009-07-08T21:10:00.004+08:00

n.

: (usually scruples) a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action

I had no scruples about eavesdropping.

Without scruple, these politicians use fear as a persuasion weapon.

beside the point

2009-07-08T21:10:00.001+08:00

irrelevant

uptight

2009-07-08T21:05:00.000+08:00

adj.

: informal: anxious or angry in a tense and overly controlled way

Don't get so uptight about everything.

strip mall

2009-07-08T20:59:00.002+08:00

: a shopping mall consisting of stores and restaurants typically in one-story buildings located on a busy main road

out of the bottle

2009-07-07T16:44:00.001+08:00

not going back

kudos

2009-07-07T16:39:00.000+08:00

praise and honor received for an achievement

weigh in on

2009-07-07T16:35:00.001+08:00

: to bring one's weight or influence to bear especially as a participant, contributor, or mediator

weigh in with an opinion

it's not surprising that the AP would weigh in on the question.

call on

2009-07-05T12:28:00.003+08:00

1. pay a visit to sb

He's planning to call on Katherine today.

2. have recourse to

We are able to call on academic staff with a wide variety of expertise.

3. demand that someone to do something

He called on the government to hold a plebiscite.

to throw spaghetti against the wall (to see what sticks)

2009-07-05T12:22:00.002+08:00

to throw spaghetti against the wall (to see what sticks)

: to approach a task using the trial and error method

I want to do extensive research on this before we move forward. There's too much at stake to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

en route

2009-07-05T12:14:00.001+08:00

/ahn 'root/

adv.

: during the course of a journey; on the way

He stopped in Turkey en route to Geneva.

whammy

2009-07-05T12:09:00.004+08:00

whammy /hwam-ee/, /wam-ee/

n.

: informal: an event with a powerful and unpleasant effect; a blow

The third whammy was the degradation of the financial system.

: an evil or unlucky influence

I've come to put the whammy on them.

double whammy

: a twofold blow or setbck

run-of-the-mill

2009-06-28T21:50:00.001+08:00

adj.

: ordinary

a run-of-the-mill performance

bookish

2009-06-28T21:49:00.001+08:00

adj.

: someone who is bookish is more interested in reading and studying than in sports or other activities

ensue

2009-06-28T21:45:00.002+08:00

v.

: happen or occur afterward or as a result

problems that ensue from food and medical shortage

roil

2009-06-28T11:14:00.000+08:00

v.

: make a liquid trubid or muddy by distrubing the sediment

Winds roil these waters.

: (of a liquid) move in a turbulent, swirling manner

The sea roiled below her.

A kind of fear roiled in her.

roily

: (chiefly of water) muddy; turbulent

These waters were roily, high, and muddy.

adamant

2009-06-27T12:16:00.001+08:00

adamant /ad-uh-muhnt/

adj.

: refusing to be persuaded or to change one's mind

He is adamant that he is not going to resign.

handiwork

2009-06-25T21:53:00.002+08:00

n.

: something that one has made or done

: making things by hand, considered as a subject of instruction

rub

2009-06-25T21:50:00.001+08:00

n.

: a difficulty, esp. one of central importance in a situation

That was the rub -- she had not cared enough.

what gives?

2009-06-25T21:48:00.000+08:00

: informal: what's the news? what's happening?

get to the bottom of

2009-06-25T21:38:00.001+08:00

get to the bottom of

: find an explanation for (a mystery)

He hopes to get to the bottom of the scam.

tenet

2009-06-23T22:04:00.001+08:00

tenet /ten-it/

n.

: one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based

It is a tenet of contemporary psychology that an individual's mental health is supported by having good social networks.

Non-violence and patience are the central tenet of their faith.

lapse

2009-06-23T21:57:00.002+08:00

n.

: a temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment

A lapse of concentration in the second set cost her the match.

lapse into sth (less active)

No one could think of anything more to say, and the meeting lapsed into silece.

lapse into sth (worse)

He lapsed into a coma and died four days later.

bush league

2009-06-23T21:55:00.001+08:00

: a minor league of a professional sport

: informal not of the highest quality; second-rate

precept

2009-06-23T21:33:00.002+08:00

precept /pree-sept/

n.

: a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought

moral precepts

the legal precepts of being innocent until proven guilty

Children learn far more by example than by precept.

bigwig

2009-06-23T21:30:00.000+08:00

bigwig

: informal: an important person, usually in a particular sphere; big wheel

double take

2009-06-23T21:29:00.000+08:00

double take

: a delayed reaction to something unexpected, immediately after one's first reaction

Tony glanced at her, then did a double take.

lap up

2009-05-31T21:54:00.001+08:00

lap up

: to enjoy something without worrying about whether it is good, true, etc

She's lapping up all the attention she's getting.

foul

2009-05-31T21:49:00.000+08:00

foul

: grossly offensive to the senses; disgusting

goo

2009-05-31T21:47:00.001+08:00

goo

: an unpleasantly sticky substance

lace with

2009-05-31T21:45:00.001+08:00

lace with

: to have some of a quality

Iris's voice was heavily laced with irony.

He laced his narrative with a great deal of irrelevant information.

obnoxious

2009-05-31T21:38:00.001+08:00

obnoxious

adj.

: highly objectionable or offensive

maledict

2009-05-27T22:01:00.001+08:00

maledict

adj.

: accursed

v.

: to put a curse on

archaic

2009-05-27T21:58:00.001+08:00

archaic /ahr-KEY-ik/

adj.

: marked by the characteristics of an earlier period

an archaic manner

an archaic notion

as pure as the driven snow

2009-05-27T21:55:00.002+08:00

as pure as the driven snow

: entirely pure

neologism

2009-05-27T21:51:00.002+08:00

neologism /nee-OL-uh-jiz-uhm/

n.

: the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words

pungent

2009-05-27T21:43:00.002+08:00

pungent

adj.

: sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell

a pungent spice

: severe

His pungent pen played its part in arousing the nation.

rookie

2009-05-27T21:41:00.002+08:00

rookie

n.

: a novice; tyro (tiro)

expletive

2009-05-26T07:36:00.002+08:00

expletive /EK-spli-tiv/

n.

: swear words

bleep

2009-05-26T07:26:00.002+08:00

bleep

v.

: also blip; to censor from a radio or television broadcast by deleting from the audio signal, leaving a gap or electronic tone

The word was bleeped out of the comedian's routine.

contrive

2009-05-21T09:03:00.003+08:00

contrive

v.

: to arrange a situation or event, or arrange for something to happen, using clever planning

Somehow she contrived to get the tickers for the concert.

Do you think you could contrive something for hanging my cloths on until I get a wardrobe?

rebuttal

2009-05-21T09:00:00.002+08:00

rebuttal

n.

: a statement which says a claim or criticism is not true

She issues a point-by-point rebuttal of the company's accusations.

lest

2009-05-20T10:18:00.002+08:00

lest /lest/

conjunction

: in order to make sure that something will not happen

She turned away from the window lest anyone see him.

: used to show that someone is afraid or worried that a particular thing might happen

He paused, afraid lest he say too much.

profanity

2009-05-20T10:15:00.002+08:00

profanity

n.

: offensive words or religious words used in a way that shows you do not respect God or holy things

It was the song's opening line, a series of profanities, that caused the record to be banned on the radio station.

insular

2009-05-19T08:33:00.001+08:00

insular

adj.

: interested only in your own country or group and not willing to accept different or foreign ideas

an insular community

the insular world of the law

pushy

2009-05-19T08:31:00.002+08:00

pushy

adj.

: aggressive often to an objectionable degree

Pushy journalists shouted questions from the crowd.

A good salesman is polite, enthusiastic, and not too pushy.

tome

2009-05-18T23:07:00.001+08:00

tome /tohm/

n.

: a large heavy book

banish

2009-05-18T22:56:00.002+08:00

banish

v.

: to require by authority to leave a country; to drive out or remove from a home or place

Napoleon was banished to the island of St Helena in 1815.

The study should banish any doubts about women's ability to handle the pressures of business.

They tried to banish the memory from their minds.

puff

2009-05-15T08:55:00.001+08:00

puff

v.

: to breathe quickly and with difficulty after the effort of running, carrying something heavy, etc.

George puffed and panted and he tried to keep up.

colloquial

2009-05-15T08:47:00.001+08:00

colloquial

adj.

: language or words that are colloquial are used mainly in informal conversations rather than in writing or formal speech

meme

2009-05-14T08:34:00.003+08:00

meme /meem/

n.

: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture

What are the videos and memes do you have to know to qualify as a Web-savvy person?

predominant, dominant, and prominent

2009-05-13T08:18:00.004+08:00

predominant

adj.

: having superior strength, influence, or authority

dominant

adj.

: commanding, controlling, or prevailing over all others

prominent

adj.

: standing out or projecting beyond a surface or line

fluff

2009-05-12T08:46:00.004+08:00

fluff

n.

: soft light bits of thread that have come from wool, cotton, or other materials; fuzz

He was picking bits of fluff off his trousers.

a ball of carpet fluff

: news, music, writing, work etc that is not serious or important

a magazine full of pop and fashion fluff

frill

2009-05-12T08:32:00.002+08:00

frill

n.

: a narrow piece of cloth that has many small folds in it, and that is attached to something as a decoration

She was wearing a white blouse with frills at the cuffs.

: attractive but unnecessary features

We supply basic, no-frills tractors at low prices.

temper and tamper

2009-05-11T09:04:00.005+08:00

temper /tem-per/

n. : a tendency to become angry suddenly or easily
v. : to make something less severe or extreme

tamper /tam-per/
v. : to touch something or make changes to it without permission, especially in order to deliberately damage it

miscreant

2009-05-11T09:02:00.001+08:00

'miscreant

n.

: a person who behaves badly or in a way that breaks the law

her miscreant husband

whack

2009-05-11T08:45:00.003+08:00

whack /hwak, wak/

v.

: informal to hit someone or something hard

He kept whacking the dog with a stick.

: the act of hitting something hard, or the noise this makes

She gave the ball a whack and it flew into the air.

Singleton took a whack at Miller's head.

wary

2009-05-10T21:41:00.003+08:00

wary

adj.

: someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful; arising from or characterized by caution

I am a bit wary of driving in this fog.

We must teach children to be wary of strangers.

Keep a wary eye on the weather before you set sail.

She had a wary expression on her face.

a wariness in her voice

She eyeed him warily.

concede

2009-05-08T11:36:00.002+08:00

concede

v.

: admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

I had to concede that I'd overreacted.

That principle now seems to have been conceded.

He conceded defeat.

: surrender or yield (something that one possesses)

to concede all the territory he'd won

indignity

2009-05-07T09:43:00.002+08:00

indignity

n.

: a situation that makes your feel very ashamed and not respected

The prisoners were subject to all sorts of indignities.

Two of the diplomats suffered the indignity of being arrested.

indignation

2009-05-07T09:07:00.002+08:00

indignation

n.

: feeling of anger and surprise because you feel insulted or unfairly treated

To his indignation, Charles found that his name was not on the list.

Lou's voice quivered with indignation.

Her indignation at such rough treatment was understandable.

He stormed into her office, full of righteous indignation.

devious

2009-05-06T09:09:00.002+08:00

devious

adj.

: using dishonest tricks and deceiving people in order to get what you want; deceitful

a devious politician

: not going in the most direct way to get to a place

a devious route

admonish

2009-05-06T09:07:00.003+08:00

admonish

v.

: to tell someone severely that they have done something wrong

The witness was admonished for failing to answer the question.

: to advise someone to do something

Her teacher admonished her to work harder for her exams.

hoity-toity

2009-05-04T22:07:00.000+08:00

hoity-toity

adj.

: snobbish

the moneyed, hoity-toity inhabitants of the island

pretentious

2009-05-04T22:01:00.002+08:00

pretentious

adj.

: if someone or something is pretentious, they try to seem more important, intelligent, or high class than they really are in order to be impressive

a pretentious film

elude

2009-05-04T21:59:00.002+08:00

elude

v.

: to escape from someone or something, especially by tricking them

He managed to elude his pursuers by escaping into a river.

stupefied

2009-05-04T21:55:00.002+08:00

stupefied

adj.

: so surprised, tired, or bored that you cannot think clearly

I stared up at Keith in stupefied amazement.

We sat there stupefied.

stupefying

a stupefying amount of money

stupe'faction

demarcate

2009-05-03T11:50:00.002+08:00

demarcate

v.

: to decide or mark the limits of an area, system, etc.

Behind it is a raw new settlement, plots of land demarcated by barbed wire.

The dashed lines demarcate the zone of dying cells.

in a ... vein

2009-04-30T21:23:00.003+08:00

in a ... vein

in a particular style of speaking or writing about something

There was more humor, in much the same vein.

poems in a lighter vein

dashing

2009-04-29T08:55:00.003+08:00

dashing

adj.

: (of a man) attractive in a romantic, adventurous way

a dashing pirate on the high seas

a dashing S-type Jaguar

dash

v.

: to go or run somewhere very quickly

Harry dashed off before she had a chance to thank him.

flurry

2009-04-29T08:49:00.004+08:00

flurry

n.

: a time when there is suddenly a lot of activity and people are very busy

After a quiet spell there was a sudden flurry of phone calls.

The day started with a flurry of activity.

He opens the door and a flurry of snow blows in.

v.

Gusts of snow flurried through the door.

amble

2009-04-29T08:44:00.001+08:00

amble /AM-buhl/

v.

: to walk slowly in a relaxed way

An old man came out and ambled over for a coat.

They ambled along the riverbank.

He ambled into the foyer.

n.

a peaceful riverside amble

disservice

2009-04-28T08:56:00.002+08:00

disservice /dis-SUR-vis/

n.

: harmful or injurious service

do sb/sth a disservice: to do something that gives other people a bad opinioin of someone or something

The fans have done the game a great disservice.

sure-fire

2009-04-28T08:27:00.001+08:00

surefire, sure-fire

adj.

: informal bound to be successful or perform as expected

a sure-fire solution to the problem

erroneous

2009-04-26T22:20:00.003+08:00

erroneous

adj.

: containing or characterized by error

erroneous assumptions

errant

adj.

: moving in an aimless or lightly changing manner

an errant breeze

inerrant

adj.

: infallible; free from error

mounds

2009-04-25T22:15:00.000+08:00

mounds

mound: a rounded mass projecting above a surface

a mound of/mounds of: a large pile or quantity of something

burying potential problems under mounds of cash