bach·e·lor
noun \ˈbach-lər, ˈba-chə-\
Definition
1: a young knight who follows the banner of
another
2: a person who has received what is
usually the lowest degree conferred by a 4-year college, university, or
professional school <bachelor of arts>; also : the degree itself
<received a bachelor of laws>
3a : an unmarried man b : a male animal (as
a fur seal) without a mate during breeding time
— bach·e·lor·dom noun
— bach·e·lor·hood noun
Origin
Middle English bacheler, from Anglo-French
First Known Use: 14th centuryliberal
performance art
noun
Definition: a nontraditional art form often
with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to
an audience or onlookers (as on a street) and draws on such arts as acting,
poetry, music, dance, or painting
— performance artist noun
ab·stract
adj \ab-ˈstrakt, ˈab-ˌ\
Definition
1
a : disassociated from any specific
instance <an abstract entity>
b : difficult to understand : abstruse
<abstract problems>
c : insufficiently factual : formal
<possessed only an abstract right>
2: expressing a quality apart from an
object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>
3
a : dealing with a subject in its abstract
aspects : theoretical <abstract science>
b : impersonal, detached <the abstract
compassion of a surgeon — Time>
4: having only intrinsic form with little
or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content <abstract
painting>
— ab·stract·ly adverb
— ab·stract·ness noun
Examples
abstract ideas such as love and hate
“Honesty” is an abstract word.
The word “poem” is concrete, the word “poetry” is abstract.
Origin
Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past
participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahere to pull, draw
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to ABSTRACT
Synonyms: conceptual, ideal, ideational,
metaphysical, notional, theoretical (also theoretic)
Antonyms: concrete, nonabstract
con·crete
adj \(ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt, ˈkän-ˌ, kən-ˈ\
Definition
1: naming a real thing or class of things
<the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>
2: formed by coalition of particles into
one solid mass
3
a : characterized by or belonging to
immediate experience of actual things or events
b : specific, particular <a concrete
proposal>
c : real, tangible <concrete
evidence>
4: relating to or made of concrete <a
concrete wall>
— con·crete·ly adverb
— con·crete·ness noun
Examples
It's helpful to have concrete examples of how words are used in context.
We hope the meetings will produce concrete results.
Origin
Middle English, from Latin concretus, from
past participle of concrescere
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to CONCRETE
Synonyms: actual, de facto, effective,
existent, factual, genuine, real, sure-enough, true, very
Antonyms: conjectural, hypothetical, ideal,
inexistent, nonexistent, platonic, possible, potential, suppositional,
theoretical (also theoretic)
cun·ning
adj \ˈkə-niŋ\
Definition
1: dexterous or crafty in the use of
special resources (as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end <a cunning
plotter>
2: displaying keen insight <a cunning
observation>
3: characterized by wiliness and trickery
<cunning schemes>
4: prettily appealing : cute <a cunning
little kitten>
— cun·ning·ly adverb
— cun·ning·ness noun
Examples
She was cunning enough to fool me.
<a cunning, underhanded plan to win the election by preying on
people's fears and prejudices>
…
this cat has made his way into the Fitness Center for cunning reasons of his
own and reveals himself only to certain privileged individuals. —Joyce Carol
Oates, Harper's, June 2008
Origin
Middle English, from present participle of
can know
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to CUNNING
Synonyms: beguiling, cagey (also cagy),
crafty, artful, cute, designing, devious, dodgy [chiefly British], foxy,
guileful, scheming, shrewd, slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily
Antonyms: artless, guileless, ingenuous,
innocent, undesigning
information from http://www.merriam-webster.com/
