The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  wane (wane), verb

  To decrease in size, power, or intensity; to diminish; to decline.

  Stanley took up French, dancing, backgammon—he even learned the basics of horticulture—anything to rekindle his girlfriend’s WANING interest in their relationship.

  wary (WARE-ee), adjective

  On guard; watchful of danger; leery; suspicious.

  Although the new project has undeniable potential, I’m WARY about Ted’s claim that he can bring the product to market by the first of January.

  watershed (WAH-ter-shed), noun

  An important event that serves to distinguish two separate phases. Literally, a watershed is a ridge that diverts water in a new direction.

  The new arms agreement is being touted as a WATERSHED in East-West relations.

  waver (WAY-vur), verb

  To sway; to quiver or flutter; also, to move back and forth on an issue before making a final decision.

  Although the administration did its utmost to secure legislative support for the controversial initiative, three WAVERING senators announced their opposition to it last night, thus guaranteeing that the bill will never make its way out of committee.

  wean (ween), verb

  To withdraw from a habit or form of enjoyment. The phrase “wean on” suggests accustoming someone to something at an early age.

  Sasha is a great pianist because she was practically WEANED on Beethoven.

  whimsical (WIM-zih-kul), adjective

  Fanciful; given to acting on sudden notions or ideas.

  John is known as a real sourpuss around the office, but as his college roommate I can tell you he has his WHIMSICAL side.

  whittle (HWIT-ul), verb

  To shape a piece of wood and make it smooth by shaving or carving off pieces.

  I thought WHITTLING was a pretty useless activity until I saw the beautiful walking stick Uncle Zeke had whittled for Grandpa.

  who’s (hooze), contraction

  Who is. (See, for comparison, the entry for whose.)

  WHO’S going to the fair with me tonight?

  whose (hooze), possessive pronoun

  Belonging to whom. (See, for comparison, the entry for who’s.)

  WHOSE idea was it to go to the fair tonight?

  wily (WILE-ee), adjective

  Cunning; shrewd; clever or crafty.

  Our WILY little puppy quickly learned that he could escape from the yard by digging a hole under the fence.

  withered (WITH-urd), adjective

  Shriveled; wrinkled and dried up.

  It made Tim sad to realize that the oak tree he had such fun climbing as a child was now too WITHERED and old for his son to ascend safely.

  woeful (WOH-ful), adjective

  Filled with sorrow; in a sorry state, filled with woe.

  When the home team lost the game in the final seconds, the WOEFUL crowd gasped then went silent.

  wok (wok), noun

  A bowl-shaped skillet used in Oriental cooking.

  Jeb, who could work wonders in the kitchen with his WOK, treated us to an excellent stir-fried vegetable and chicken dish.

  wrest (rest), verb

  To take away; to pull away forcefully.

  When it comes to dealing with friends who are drunk and want to drive home by themselves, Mr. Powell advocates tactful suggestions, shrewd negotiation, and, if all else fails, an outright attempt to WREST the keys away from the person.

  writhe (rythe), verb

  To twist (the body), especially in reaction to pain or strong sensation. To writhe is to twist the body or squirm.

  The injured dog WRITHED in agony, but soon calmed down when the vet administered a local anesthetic.

  wunderkind (VOON-dur-kind), noun

  Child prodigy.

  Although he died young, Mozart, a WUNDERKIND whose career in music began at the age of six, had a career that spanned two and a half decades.

  yarmulke (YAR-mul-kuh), noun

  A skullcap-like headpiece worn by Jewish men (especially those following Orthodox or Conservative traditions). The yarmulke is worn during religious services or prayer.

  Winston was unsure whether he was supposed to wear a YARMULKE at the wedding; after all, he was a Gentile.

  your (yore), possessive pronoun

  Belonging to you. (See, for comparison, the entry for you’re.)

  Where is YOUR jacket, David?

  you’re (yore), contraction

  You are. (See, for comparison, the entry for your.)

  Are you sure YOU’RE going to go to the party tonight?

  zealot (ZEL-ut), noun

  A fervent or fanatical partisan (in favor of a certain cause). A zealot is a person who shows great zeal.

  Although he did not mind overlooking an occasional error in procedure, Mr. Fallow was a ZEALOT when it came to posting correct numbers for an accounting period.

  zenith (ZEE-nith), noun

  The highest point attained. A zenith is the apex of something.

  Koufax’s career reached its ZENITH in 1963, when he won 25 games and was awarded the Cy Young Award unanimously.

  zest (zest), noun

  Gusto; vigor; spice; enjoyment.

  Annabel’s ZEST for life led her enthusiastically into modern dance, mountain climbing, and untold hours of volunteer work.

  PART II

  Words Most People

  Don’t Know

  If you know the words on this list, then pat yourself on the back. You are, most assuredly, a genius of the highest order. If the words on this list are a mystery to you, then don’t be sad. You’re not alone. Learn a few of these and drop them into a conversation, and . . . voila! . . . instant genius!

  abbess (AB-iss), noun

  A head nun in charge of a convent; a mother superior.

  The old ABBESS generally ran a strict convent, so on my birthday I was amazed to find she’ d left a box of chocolates on my reading table.

  abecedarian (ay-bee-see-DARE-ee-un), noun

  A beginner; someone just learning the rudiments of a task, skill, job, etc.

  Paul is an expert in a sea kayak, but when it comes to snow skiing, he’s an ABECEDARIAN.

  aboriginal (ab-uh-RIDGE-ih-nul), adjective

  Indigenous or native to an area; the first of its kind in a region. Aboriginal pertains most commonly to the aborigines in Australia. However, the most complete definition of the word is something that existed first in an area. The aborigines in Australia were that area’s first inhabitants.

  The General Assembly was presented with a petition on environmental matters signed by representatives of the world’s various ABORIGINAL peoples.

  absinthe (AB-sinth), noun

  A green alcoholic liqueur flavored with wormwood and having narcotic qualities.

  Before the beverage was banned in the early part of this century, a great many Americans were addicted to ABSINTHE.

  accede (ak-SEED), verb

  To give one’s consent. To accede is to signal one’s acceptance of something. To formally accept a high position is to accede. Therefore, someone who accepts a position accedes to that office.

  The college president eventually ACCEDED to the demands of the student demonstrators.

  acculturation (uh-kul-chu-RAY-shun), noun

  Alteration of one culture traceable to interaction with another. Acculturation describes the process of cultural influences as well as the means by which the culture of a particular culture is instilled in a human being.

  While there are often severe adjustment problems among senior citizens who immigrate to this country, ACCULTURATION among younger children occurs remarkably quickly.

  acuity (uh-KUE-uh-tee), adjective

  Keen, as in the mind or the senses; deft.

  Although Professor Kane admitted that Jordan’s chess ACUITY was impressive for one so young, he did not agree that the boy was ready to compete professionally.

  adjure (ad-JOOR), verb

  To command solemnly as if unde
r oath. To adjure is to command or enjoin solemnly, often under the threat of some sort of penalty.

  The witnesses were ADJURED to avoid any contact with the accused.

  adumbrate (ADD-um-brate), verb

  To suggest or disclose something partially.

  The factory workers were nervous when they learned the owner had ADUMBRATED a plan for layoffs.

  aesthetic (us-THET-ik), adjective

  Of or related to a sense of what is attractive or beautiful. Also: related to sensation and feeling as contrasted with reason or logic. Aesthetics is the science that examines how people react to art and to beauty. Something that is aesthetically pleasing is in keeping with one’s standards of scale, structure, clarity, and attractiveness.

  It is not my place to comment on the AESTHETICS of the car; I am here to report on whether it won the race, which it did.

  afflatus (uh-FLAY-tuss), noun

  From the Latin meaning “a breathing on,” afflatus is inspiration that seems to come from divine origin.

  Beethoven himself often attributed his genius to AFFLATUS, rather than to his own abilities.

  agape (ah-GAH-pay), noun

  In Christianity, divine love for humanity, or human love that transcends customary boundaries. Agape is the Greek word for love. Today, it is often used to describe an unselfish love that goes beyond sexuality or other worldly concerns.

  The nurse’s work among the poor and dispossessed seemed rooted, not in a well-meaning and temporary humanitarian instinct, but in a deeper and more profound AGAPE totally unfamiliar to most of us.

  aggiornamento (uh-joarn-uh-MEN-toe), noun

  This Italian word means modernization, the concern with bringing something up to date.

  The AGGIORNAMENTO of the 1930s-era office building is taking much longer than expected because of the edifice’s antiquated wiring.

  agglomerate (uh-GLAHM-uh-rate), verb

  To gather items into a ball or cluster.

  Phil is so lazy he seems to think his job is just to AGGLOMERATE all the pieces of paper in the recycle bin.

  agrarian (uh-GRARE-ee-un), adjective

  Relating to or concerning the land or farming.

  It amazed the census taker that these farmers, living only a short drive from the big city, could maintain their small AGRARIAN community with so little difficulty.

  ague (AG-you), noun

  A malarial fever marked by drastic fits of hot and cold sweats.

  Our expedition down the Nile came to an abrupt halt when our navigator was struck with an attack of AGUE.

  aleatory (AY-lee-uh-tore-ee), adjective

  Of or by chance. Also, relating to luck . . . especially bad luck.

  If you’re honest with yourself, Bob, you’ ll have to admit that your current circumstances have more to do with your drinking than with the purely ALEATORY whims of nature.

  alchemy (AL-kuh-mee), noun

  A medieval chemical philosophy in which the goal was to convert base metals into gold; also, any supposedly magical power of transformation or instant creation of wealth.

  Staring at a printout indicating an 83-percent shortfall in projected income for the first three quarters, the president of the firm remarked bitterly that an ALCHEMY department would do the firm more good than its research and development team had.

  amanuensis (uh-man-you-WHEN-suss), noun

  A secretary, especially one whose principal duties involve copying manuscripts or taking dictation.

  I didn’t spend seven years in college to be an AMANUENSIS to a no-talent hack who calls himself a writer!

  amatory (AM-uh-tore-ee), adjective

  Having to do with sexual love.

  Jim hasn’t stopped sulking since Helen repelled his AMATORY advances at the office Christmas party.

  amerce (uh-MERSS), verb

  To punish, especially to punish with a monetary amount set by a court.

  Barbara always watches her speed since she was AMERCED to the tune of a week’s pay.

  amortize (AH-muhr-tize), verb

  To settle a debt by means of installment payments. Also: to write off an asset’s value over a certain period. To amortize is to liquidate with periodic payments.

  The debt will be completely AMORTIZED in two years.

  ampersand (AM-per-sand), noun

  The symbol “&”; represents the word “and.”

  For the corporate logo she was designing, the graphic artist decided to use an AMPERSAND instead of the bulkier word “and.”

  anagram (AN-uh-gram), noun

  A word game in which the letters of one or more words are reassembled to make a new word or phrase.

  Frank loves ANAGRAMS. His favorite for “George W. Bush” is “Brew Egos Ugh!”

  analogous (uh-NAL-uh-gus), adjective

  Similar to such a degree that an analogy may be drawn. An analogy is a similarity or comparison between two items, ideas, or features; something is analogous to something else when it can be shown to share a significant corresponding element with it.

  Historically, the American expansion westward to the Pacific is ANALOGOUS to the Russian expansion eastward across Siberia.

  andante (on-DONT-ay), noun and adjective

  Moderately slow tempo.

  “Goodness, Sarah,” exclaimed the music teacher, “ it says ‘ANDANTE,’ but you don’t have to play it like a dirge!”

  anfractuous (an-FRACK-chuh-wuss), adjective

  Full of windings and intricacies. This is a good word to describe extremely convoluted mysteries.

  The ANFRACTUOUS plot of the recent spy movie turned me off so much that I don’t intend to see the film’s sequel.

  anglicize (ANG-gli-size), verb

  To render into the forms of English or to make similar to English. To anglicize

  a word or name is to change it in a way that allows it to resemble other English words more closely. Many immigrants to this country anglicized family names (for instance, from Bodini to Bonney).

  My grandfather came to this country in 1904 under the name of Mikhail Zarensky, which he ANGLICIZED to Michael Zare.

  animadversion (an-uh-mad-VER-zhun), noun

  Extremely harsh criticism that typically suggests the criticizer disapproves of what is being criticized.

  The boss’s ANIMADVERSIONS led to high staff turnover.

  animus (AN-uh-muss), noun

  From the Latin meaning “mind” or “spirit,” the word animus has two very different meanings. It can refer to a person’s basic governing spirit, but it also can refer to prejudiced ill will.

  Don’s ANIMUS is one of calmness and peace since he took up practicing transcendental meditation.

  anneal (UH-neal), verb

  To strengthen or toughen via difficult situations and experiences.

  Far from making him despondent, Bill seems ANNEALED since his marriage ended.

  anomie (an-uh-MEE), noun

  In society, unrest or instability that arises from a collapse in values and systems of order; for an individual, feelings of alienation, insecurity, and discontent, largely do to one’s loss or confusion over ideals or purpose in life.

  There were some who speculated that the dismal state of the economy, combined with a general feeling of ANOMIE among citizens, could lead the country to revolution.

  anthropomorphic (an-thro-puh-MORE-fik), adjective

  Attributing human characteristics to animals or other nonhumans.

  Walt Disney knew that his ANTHROPOMORPHIC creations would be important to the success of his films.

  antinomy (an-TIN-uh-me), noun

  Another word for “paradox,” the apparent contradiction between two apparently equally valid ideas, statements, etc.

  Yes, Sally, I think it’s an ANTINOMY to say you hate how expensive that store is when you’re always shopping there!

  apercu (ap-er-SUE), noun

  From the French meaning “to perceive,” an apercu is an immediate impression one gets from a person, situation
, etc. Also, an apercu is a brief outline or synopsis.

  The professor’s APERCU of James Joyce’s Ulysses just left me feeling even more confused.

  aphasia (uh-FAY-zhuh), noun

  The inability, brought on by brain damage, to understand words and/or ideas.

  After his car accident Marcus retained all of his physical faculties, but suffered minor APHASIA that made it difficult for him to speak coherently.

  aphorism (AYF-ur-iz-um), noun

  A short saying that illustrates an important principle or observation. An aphorism is a concise summation of opinion or received wisdom, for example: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

  Early American readers found Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac to be a rich repository of wit, political commentary, forecasts, humor, APHORISMS, and unapologetic gossip.

  apogee (AP-uh-gee), noun

  Originally used to describe the distance at which an object circling the Earth is farthest away from the planet, apogee has come generally to mean “culmination” or “highest point.”

  “You know, Steve,” Alison said, “ it’s a shame that the APOGEE of your life is being able to belch the entire alphabet.”

  aporia (uh-PORE-ee-uh), noun

  Often associated with philosopher Jacques Derrida and his theory of deconstruction, aporia is the jaw-dropping feeling that occasionally overcomes us when we contemplate the world’s paradoxes and mysteries.

  Egg-laying mammals like the platypus fill me with APORIA.

  argosy (are-guh-SEE), noun

  Originally used to mean a large ship or fleet of ships, argosy is more commonly used to denote a rich supply of anything.

  When the villagers walked into the deceased hermit’s home, they found his domicile to be an ARGOSY of discarded bottles, cans, and comic books.

  argot (are-GO), noun

  This French word denotes “secret” words and idioms used by particular groups.

  With the advent of text messaging, it has become even more difficult to follow the ARGOT of teenagers.

  arrogate (AIR-uh-gate), verb

  To demand something for oneself or to take control without authority.

  The way Nelson ARROGATES office meetings drives his coworkers crazy!

  ascetic (uh-SET-ik), noun

  A person who chooses a life of constant and strict self-denial, usually as an act of faith. An ascetic is someone who foregoes the conveniences of society in order to lead a life of self-discipline and contemplation. Asceticism is the body of beliefs and philosophies by which ascetics live their lives.