Un·der·cov·er adj. (of a person or their activities) involved in or involving secret work within a community or organization, esp. for the purposes of police investigation or espionage: an undercover...
Noun 1. words inscribed, as on a monument or in a book • the inscription on her headstone. 2. the action of inscribing something • the inscription of memorable utterances on durable materials. II. der...
Mother church. - FIGURATIVE something that is the origin of or stimulus for something else: the wish was the mother of the deed. - INFORMAL an extreme example or very large specimen of something: I go...
Laun·dry list n. a long or exhaustive list of people or things: there's a laundry list of possible triggers for migraines. laun·dry·man n. (pl. -men) a man who is employed to launder clothes and linen...
First divorce, from Catherine of Aragon, was opposed by the pope, leading to England's break with the Roman Catholic Church. Hen·ry 2 (1394-1460), Portuguese prince; known as Henry the Navigator. The...
Chap·tal·i·za·tion n. (in winemaking) the correction or improvement of must by the addition of calcium carbonate to neutralize acid, or of sugar to increase alcoholic strength. chap·tal·ize v. late...
[trans.] reduce (a judicial sentence, esp. a sentence of death) to one less severe: the governor recently commuted the sentences of dozens of women convicted of killing their husbands.
This isn’t a thrift store… We’re not selling them something less expensive, we’re selling them something more special. We have to tell them the story of what we’re showing them. And then we have to sh...
I like someone who laughs, but not all the time, and not too loud. I like it when someone laughs at the world, and not at someone in particular — when some particularly absurd thing happens, not just...
Göt·ter·däm·mer·ung (in Germanic mythology) the downfall of the gods. German, literally 'twilight of the gods', popularized by Wagner's use of the word as the title of the last opera of the Ring cycl...
Scrimp v. [intrans.] be thrifty or parsimonious; economize: I have scrimped and saved to give you a good education. mid 18th cent. (in the sense 'keep short of (food)'): from Scots scrimp 'meager'; p...
Quantities upon: the media couldn't lavish enough praise on the film. (lavish something with) cover something thickly or liberally with: she lavished our son with kisses. lav·ish·ly adv. lav·ish·nes...
Pe·dan·tic adj. of or like a pedant: many of the essays are long, dense, and too pedantic to hold great appeal. pe·dan·ti·cal·ly adv.
N. 1 a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue: he was pale with exhaustion. 2 the action or state of using something up or of being used up completely: the rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel reserve...
Ex·pi·ate v. [trans.] atone for (guilt or sin): their sins must be expiated by sacrifice. ex·pi·a·ble adj. ex·pi·a·tion n. ex·pi·a·tor n. ex·pi·a·to·ry adj. late 16th cent. (in the sense 'end (rage,...
Tenacity
Squal·or n. a state of being extremely dirty and unpleasant, esp. as a result of poverty or neglect: they lived in squalor and disease. early 17th cent.: from Latin, from squalere 'be dirty'.
Publication) to the public for the first time: the company has launched a software package specifically for the legal sector. ■ n. an act or an instance of launching something: the launch of a new cam...
Jizz n. BRIT., INFORMAL (among birdwatchers and naturalists) the characteristic impression given by a particular species of animal or plant. 1920s: of unknown origin.
In the hands. the