Not so daily words
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- probable
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Likely to happen or to be true: War seemed probable in 1938. The home team, far ahead, is the probable winner.
Likely but uncertain; plausible.
Theology. Of or relating to opinions and actions in ethics and morals for whose lawfulness intrinsic reasons or extrinsic authority may be adduced. - honing
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Honing could refer to
- the practice of sharpening
- Honing, Norfolk - ensue
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To follow as a consequence or result. See synonyms at follow.
To take place subsequently. - sorely
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Painfully; grievously.
Extremely; greatly: Their skills were sorely needed. - modalities
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The fact, state, or quality of being modal.
A tendency to conform to a general pattern or belong to a particular group or category.
Logic. The classification of propositions on the basis of whether they assert or deny the possibility, impossibility, contingency, or necessity of their content. Also called mode.
modalities The ceremonial forms, protocols, or conditions that surround formal agreements or negotiations: “[He] grew so enthusiastic about our prospects that he began to speculate on the modalities of signing†(Henry A. Kissinger).
Medicine. A therapeutic method or agent, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or electrotherapy, that involves the physical treatment of a disorder.
Physiology. Any of the various types of sensation, such as vision or hearing. - confound
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To cause to become confused or perplexed. See synonyms at puzzle.
To fail to distinguish; mix up: confound fiction and fact.
To make (something bad) worse: Do not confound the problem by losing your temper.
To cause to be ashamed; abash: an invention that confounded the skeptics.
To damn.
To frustrate: trivial demands that confounded the peace talks.
Archaic. To bring to ruination. - plethora
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In medicine, it refers to an engorgement of blood vessels, or a general increase in the volume of blood, or of red blood cells (as in polycythemia) which can create an appearance that is ruddy or flushed
In other contexts, it simply means many. The word is not commonly used, a point emphasized in the "plethora of piñatas" scene of Three Amigos. - hobgoblin
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An ugly, mischievous elf or goblin.
An object or a source of fear, dread, or harassment; a bugbear: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds†(Ralph Waldo Emerson). - misnomer
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An error in naming a person or place.
Application of a wrong name.
A name wrongly or unsuitably applied to a person or an object - construed
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To adduce or explain the meaning of; interpret: construed my smile as assent. See synonyms at explain.
Grammar.
To analyze the structure of (a clause or sentence).
To use syntactically: The noun fish can be construed as singular or plural.
To translate, especially aloud.
v.intr.
To analyze grammatical structure.
To be subject to grammatical analysis.
n. (kŏn'strū')
An interpretation or translation. - impetuous
-
Characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; impulsive and passionate.
Having or marked by violent force: impetuous, heaving waves. - minutia
- A small or trivial detail: “the minutiae of experimental and mathematical procedure†(Frederick Turner).
- elicit
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To bring or draw out (something latent); educe.
To arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic.
To call forth, draw out, or provoke (a reaction, for example). See synonyms at evoke. - reckoning
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The act of counting or computing.
An itemized bill or statement of a sum due.
A settlement of accounts: a day of reckoning.
The act or process of calculating the position of a ship or an aircraft.
The position so calculated. - concomitant
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Occurring or existing concurrently; attendant. See synonyms at contemporary.
n.
One that occurs or exists concurrently with another. - honed
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A fine-grained whetstone for giving a keen edge to a cutting tool.
A tool with a rotating abrasive tip for enlarging holes to precise dimensions.
tr.v., honed, hon·ing, hones.
To sharpen on a fine-grained whetstone.
To perfect or make more intense or effective: a speaker who honed her delivery by long practice.
phrasal verb:
hone in
To move or advance toward a target or goal: The missiles honed in on the military installation.
To direct one's attention; focus: The lawyer honed in on the gist of the plaintiff's testimony. - mundane
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Of, relating to, or typical of this world; secular.
Relating to, characteristic of, or concerned with commonplaces; ordinary. - vengeance
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Infliction of punishment in return for a wrong committed; retribution.
idiom:
with a vengeance
With great violence or force.
To an extreme degree: December has turned cold with a vengeance. - serendipity
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The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
An instance of making such a discovery. - logjams
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An immovable mass of floating logs crowded together.
A deadlock, as in negotiations; an impasse. - palpable
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Capable of being handled, touched, or felt; tangible: “Anger rushed out in a palpable wave through his arms and legs†(Herman Wouk).
Easily perceived; obvious: “There was a palpable sense of expectation in the court†(Nelson DeMille). See synonyms at perceptible.
Medicine. That can be felt by palpating: a palpable tumor. - sage
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One venerated for experience, judgment, and wisdom.
adj., sag·er, sag·est.
Having or exhibiting wisdom and calm judgment.
Proceeding from or marked by wisdom and calm judgment: sage advice.
Archaic. Serious; solemn.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *sapius, from Latin sapere, to be wise.]
sage'ly adv.
sage'ness n.
sage2 (sāj)
n.
Any of various plants of the genus Salvia, especially S. officinalis, having aromatic grayish-green, opposite leaves. Also called ramona.
The leaves of this plant used as a seasoning.
Any of various similar or related plants in the mint family.
Sagebrush.