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Vocab 25
abjure v 1) To recant solemnly; repudiate: abjure one's beliefs. Having been raised a Christian, Joshua, in his 21st year, abjured his faith in Christianity and took up Buddhism. 2) To give up (an action or practice, for example); abstain from: "For nearly 21 years after his resignation as Prime Minister in 1963, he abjured all titles, preferring to remain just plain ‘Mr.’"
alacrity n Quickness and eagerness. The eager young intern hoped to be promoted in the company, so he took up every task with alacrity.
capitulate v To yield or give in. The professional wrestler tried to defeat me in arm-wrestling, but when he felt the brutal force of my biceps he was forced to capitulate.
cataclysm n A disaster of nearly epic proportions. In a single fiery cataclysm, the asteroid crashed into the earth at 40,000 mph, bringing to a sudden halt the age of the dinosaurs.
conjugal adj Pertaining to or having to do with marriage. 1) We do not want to get married by a justice of the peace; we want a minister to perform our conjugal rites. 2) Once a month, in prison, well-behaved married prisoners are allowed the privacy of a conjugal visit.
diatribe n A bitter, abusive denunciation. Ossama bin Laden uttered many a hateful diatribe against the United States, but it is the USA that has him now hiding in caves instead of making speeches.
dichotomy n A division into two, especially into two opposed viewpoints. There seems to be a dichotomy of opinion on whether to allow stem cell research to go forward; some say it jeopardizes the unborn, while others say it sacrifices the chronically ill to an ideology.
ebullient adj Lively and bubbly, happy. Sad and depressed, the man went to a psychiatrist for help. "Go see Jocco the clown at the circus tonight," said the doctor, "his lively and ebullient antics are sure to make you happy." "Alas," said the man, "I am Jocco the clown."
etymology n The history of a word, the record of its development. The study of etymology is endlessly fascinating. Whoever would have thought that "floccinaucinihilipilification" started out as a joke word concocted by Latin students?
facetious
adj Tending
not to take seriously, joking around and light-hearted. Edgar's facetious
treatment of his research proposal almost led us to reject it as a joke--until
we studied it and discovered its brilliance. (Quiz question: What do
"facetiously" and "abstemiously" have in common?)