第二學期 單字筆記No. 6

smudge

verb \ˈsməj\

smudged   smudg·ing

Definition

transitive verb

1

a : to make a smudge on

b : to soil as if by smudging

2

a : to rub, daub, or wipe in a smeary manner

b : to make indistinct : blur <smudged the writing>

3: to smoke or protect by means of a smudge

intransitive verb

1: to make a smudge

2: to become smudged

Examples

1. Don't smudge the picture with your dirty hands!
2. His face was smudged with grease.

Origin

Middle English smogen

First Known Use: 15th century

clum·sy

adj \ˈkləm-zē\

clum·si·er  clum·si·est

Definition

1

a : lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace <clumsy fingers>

b : lacking tact or subtlety <a clumsy joke>

2: awkward or inefficient in use or construction : unwieldy <a clumsy contraption>

— clum·si·ly adverb

— clum·si·ness noun

Examples

1. I'm sorry about spilling your wine—that was very clumsy of me.
2. I have very clumsy hands and tend to drop things.
3. She made a clumsy attempt at a joke.

Origin

probably from obsolete English clumse benumbed with cold

First Known Use: circa 1598

as·pect

noun \ˈas-ˌpekt\

Definition

1

a : the position of planets or stars with respect to one another held by astrologers to influence human affairs; also : the apparent position (as conjunction) of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun

b : a position facing a particular direction : exposure <the house has a southern aspect>

c : the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current

2

a (1) : appearance to the eye or mind (2) : a particular appearance of the face : mien

b : a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded <studied every aspect of the question>

3archaic : an act of looking : gaze

4

a : the nature of the action of a verb as to its beginning, duration, completion, or repetition and without reference to its position in time

b : a set of inflected verb forms that indicate aspect

— as·pec·tu·al adjective

Examples

1. <depending on what aspect of college life you consider most important, there are several colleges which might be good for you>
2. <he has the aspect of a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed>

Origin

Middle English, from Latin aspectus, from aspicere to look at, from ad- + specere to look

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ASPECT

Synonyms: angle, facet, hand, phase, side

¹in·cor·po·rate

verb \in-ˈkȯr-pə-ˌrāt\

in·cor·po·rat·ed  in·cor·po·rat·ing

Definition

transitive verb

1

a : to unite or work into something already existent so as to form an indistinguishable whole

b : to blend or combine thoroughly

2

a : to form into a legal corporation

b : to admit to membership in a corporate body

3: to give material form to : embody

intransitive verb

1: to unite in or as one body

2: to form or become a corporation

— in·cor·po·ra·ble adjective

— in·cor·po·ra·tion noun

— in·cor·po·ra·tive adjective

— in·cor·po·ra·tor noun

Examples

1. This design incorporates the best features of our earlier models.
2. a diet that incorporates many different fruits and vegetables
3. The company was incorporated in 1981.
4. The company incorporated in 1981.

Origin

Middle English, from Late Latin incorporatus, past participle of incorporare, from Latin in- + corpor-, corpus body

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to INCORPORATE

Synonyms: absorb, assimilate

 Information from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/

第二學期 單字筆記No.5

en·vis·age

verb \in-ˈvi-zij, en-\

en·vis·aged    en·vis·ag·ing

Definition

transitive verb

1: to view or regard in a certain way <envisages the slum as a hotbed of crime>

2: to have a mental picture of especially in advance of realization <envisages an entirely new system of education>

Examples

1. I envisage a day when proper health care will be available to everyone.
2. <I'm trying to envisage you on a surfboard.>

Origin

French envisager, from en- + visage face

First Known Use: 1660

mi·grate

verb \ˈmī-ˌgrāt, mī-ˈ\

mi·grat·ed mi·grat·ing

Definition

intransitive verb

1: to move from one country, place, or locality to another

2: to pass usually periodically from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding

3: to change position in an organism or substance <filarial worms migrate within the human body>

— mi·gra·tion noun

— mi·gra·tion·al adjective

— mi·gra·tor noun

Examples

1. He migrates from New York to Florida each winter.
2. Thousands of workers migrate to this area each summer.
3. The whales migrate between their feeding ground in the north and their breeding ground in the Caribbean.
4. They followed the migrating herds of buffalo across the plains.

Origin

Latin migratus, past participle of migrare; perhaps akin to Greek ameibein to change

First Known Use: 1697

ac·com·mo·date

verb \ə-ˈkä-mə-ˌdāt\

ac·com·mo·dat·ed   ac·com·mo·dat·ing

Definition

transitive verb

1: to make fit, suitable, or congruous

2: to bring into agreement or concord : reconcile

3: to provide with something desired, needed, or suited (as a helpful service, a loan, or lodgings)

4

a : to make room for

b : to hold without crowding or inconvenience

5: to give consideration to : allow for <accommodate the special interests of various groups>

intransitive verb

: to adapt oneself; also : to undergo visual accommodation

— ac·com·mo·da·tive adjective

— ac·com·mo·da·tive·ness noun

— ac·com·mo·da·tor noun

Examples

1. Over 600 people can be accommodated on the cruise ship.
2. The ceilings were too low to accommodate his terrific height.
3. They were kind enough to accommodate me with a ride to the train station.
4. I asked them for additional money, and they accommodated me with a loan.
5. He would often change his schedule to accommodate his clients.
6. New facilities are being added to accommodate the special needs of elderly residents.
7. Smart investors quickly accommodated to the new market conditions.
8. Although Lost World was the hottest movie around, we saw it in a chamber of almost laughable minuteness, barely large enough to accommodate nine rows of seats, which were grudgingly padded … —Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999

Origin

Latin accommodatus, past participle of accommodare, from ad- + commodare to make fit, from commodus suitable

First Known Use: 1550

Related to ACCOMMODATE

Synonyms: fit, hold, take

Antonyms: disharmonize

 Information from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/