album, noun.1a. a book with blank pages for holding things like photographs, autographs, and postage stamps. b. a case for a phonograph record. c. a single, long-playing phonograph record. 2. a set of phonograph records or tape recordings. 3. a scrapbook. 4. U.S. a register for visitors at a public place (called a visitors' book in England). acoustic, adjective.1. having to do with the sense or the organs of hearing. 2. having to do with the science of sound (acoustics). 3a. of or having to do with sound waves or sound. b. actuated, directed, or controlled by sound waves. Ex. an acoustic mine. 4. designed to absorb or reduce noise. Ex. a ceiling of acoustic tile. 5. of, having to do with, or produced on a musical instrument without amplification. Ex. Paul McCartney authorized a limited 500,000-copy release of "Paul McCartney Unplugged the Bootleg", which documents an all-acoustic concert (Time). alcohol, noun.1. the colorless liquid in wine, beer, whiskey, gin, and other fermented and distilled liquors that makes them intoxicating; grain alcohol; ethyl alcohol; ethanol. Alcohol is used in medicines, in manufacturing, and as a fuel. It is commercially prepared from grain, potatoes, and molasses. 2. whiskey, gin, or any other intoxicating liquor containing this liquid. 3. (Chemistry.) any of a group of similar organic compounds. Alcohols contain a hydroxyl group and react with certain acids to form esters. Wood alcohol or methyl alcohol is very poisonous. anarchy, noun.1. an absence of a system of government and law. Ex. After its defeat in war the country was in a state of anarchy. Eternal anarchy amidst the noise of endless wars (John Milton). 2. disorder and confusion; lawlessness. Ex. (Figurative.) ... the wild anarchy of drink (Ben Jonson). (SYN) chaos. angel, noun, verb.noun 1. a messenger from God; (in some religious beliefs) one of an order of spiritual beings that are attendants of God. Ex. The angels told the shepherds about the birth of Christ. (SYN) seraph, cherub. 2. a conventional representation of such a being, usually as a winged human figure clothed in white. Ex. Angels are painted fair (Thomas Otway). 3. (Figurative.) a person as pure, innocent, good, or lovely as an angel. Ex. She is an angel among women. 4. any supernatural (but not divine) spirit, either good or bad. Ex. Every man hath a good and a bad angel attending on him in particular, all his life long (Robert Burton). 5. (Figurative.) a guardian or attendant spirit. Ex. I to her became Her guardian and her angel (Tennyson). 6. (Figurative.) a messenger; herald. Ex. Soft breezes, the angels of Spring. (SYN) harbinger. 7. (U.S. Slang.) a person who pays for producing a play; financial backer; sponsor. Ex. But in any show, the initial cost is not nearly so important as operating expenses. They determine how soon--if ever--an angel gets his money back (Newsweek). 8. an English gold coin in use between 1465 and 1634. 9. an unexplained, invisible phenomenon that causes a radar echo. v.t. (U.S. Slang.) to provide financial backing or support for (a play, or other theatrical production). (SYN) sponsor, subsidize, finance. expr. on the side of the angels, on the virtuous or right side; acting worthily or honorably. Ex. O'Brien has been reviled as have few international men ... but his book reassures one that in his fierce way he was on the side of the angels, something his friends would not doubt (Canadian Forum). arrangement, noun.1a. the act of putting in order. Ex. The arrangement of the flowers for the wedding took a long time. (SYN) disposition, placement. b. the condition of being put in order. Ex. Careful arrangement of books in the library made them easy to find. 2. the way or order in which things or persons are put, such as a design or pattern. Ex. You can make six arrangements of the letters A, B, and C. (SYN) array. 3. something arranged in a particular way. Ex. Make an arrangement of the chairs to form a circle. (SYN) formation. 4. an adjustment, settlement, or agreement. Ex. No arrangement could possibly please everybody. 5a. the adaptation of a piece of music to voices or instruments for which it was not originally written. b. a piece so adapted; a transcription. Ex. This piece of music for the piano also has an arrangement for the violin. expr. arrangements, plans or preparations for an occasion, function, or act. Ex. All arrangements have been made for our trip to Chicago. backup, noun, adjective.noun 1. something or someone kept in reserve as a substitute or for assistance. Ex. a backup of troops. 2. an accumulation. Ex. a backup of traffic. Slow demand for steel is causing a backup along the entire raw material supply channel (Wall Street Journal). adj. 1. kept in readiness or reserve. Ex. The A.E.C. requires a pumping system to keep the reactor cool. If the primary source of power for the pumps fails, a "backup" system must take over to keep the coolant flowing (Wall Street Journal). 2. complementary; supporting. Ex. ... our office in Ottawa, staffed by an experienced man with backup staff (Canada Month). black, adjective, noun verb.adj. 1. having the color of coal or soot; opposite of white; reflecting little or no light. Ex. Black ink spilled over the picture so that it disappeared. 2. without any light; very dark. Ex. The room was black as night. 3. dirty; filthy. Ex. His hands were black with soot. (SYN) soiled, grimy, sooty. 4. (Figurative.) a. gloomy; dismal. Ex. This has been a black day. b. complete and unrelieved. Ex. black despair. 5. (Figurative.) angry; sullen. Ex. She gave her brother a black look. (SYN) lowering, frowning, threatening. 6. (Figurative.) evil; wicked. Ex. a black lie. Witches were supposed to practice black magic. (SYN) sinister, deadly, baneful. 7. (Figurative.) having a dark skin. (SYN) swarthy, dusky. 8. Also, Black. a. of or having to do with blacks. b. resembling blacks. 9. wearing black or dark clothing. Ex. black canons. 10. (Figurative.) disastrous. Ex. Black tidings--blacker never came to New England (Nathaniel Hawthorne). (SYN) sad, calamitous. 11. (British.) boycotted or banned by a labor union. Ex. black work, to declare a company's goods black. noun 1. the color of coal or soot; the opposite of white. Ex. The black shows up against the white. 2. a black paint, dye, or pigment. 3. Also, Black. a. a person belonging to any of the black races of Africa, characterized by brown or black skin, coarse, woolly hair, and a broad, flat nose. b. a member of any other dark-skinned people. c. a person having some black ancestors (subject to precise definition by law in certain states and countries). 4. black clothes, especially when worn as a sign of mourning. 5a. the squares or other shapes colored black on a checker, chess, or backgammon board. b. the black or colored pieces used in checkers, chess, or backgammon. c. the player moving the black or colored pieces. v.t. 1. to make black; put a black color on. Ex. The children blacked the door with their fingermarks. 2. to put blacking on (shoes or a stove). 3. (British.) to boycott or ban, especially in protest against the hiring of nonunion workers (blacklegs). v.i. to become black. expr. black out, a. to become temporarily blind or unconscious. Ex. The pain was so intense that he blacked out for several minutes. b. to darken completely. Ex. to black out the stage. He blacked out in a blot Thy brief life's pleasantness (Elizabeth Barrett Browning). c. to suppress; withhold. Ex. The general blacked out all news of the battle. This substantially blacks out the political freedom of union members through use of their dues money in political activities for which they may have no sympathy (Newsweek). d. to exclude from television reception. Ex. All New England was blacked out for the title fight. expr. in the black, showing no loss, and usually a profit (entered in black ink in account books). Ex. J & L managed to stay in the black in July (Wall Street Journal). black sheep,a worthless member of a respectable family; scoundrel. band (1), noun, verb.noun 1. a number of persons or animals joined or acting together. Ex. a band of wild dogs. A band of robbers held up the train. (SYN) party, gang, group, crew. 2. a group of musicians playing various instruments together. Bands usually play wind and percussion instruments only and perform chiefly out of doors. Ex. The school band played several marches. 3. an orchestra that plays popular music, such as for dancing. Ex. a jazz band. 4. (Western U.S.) a drove or flock of animals; herd. v.t., v.i. to unite or cause to unite in a group. Ex. The children banded together to buy a present for their teacher. (SYN) confederate, league. bass (1), noun, pl. basses, adjective.(Music.) noun 1. the lowest male voice. Ex. His bass could be heard booming out of the shower. 2. a singer with such a voice; basso. Ex. The opera star is a fine bass. 3. a part in music for such a voice, or for a corresponding instrument. Ex. Who will sing the bass? 4a. an instrument playing such a part. Ex. Most small orchestras have a string bass. b. the low tones of an instrument. (Abbr:) b. adj. 1. having a deep, low sound. Ex. a bass note. 2a. for the lowest part in music. b. that can sing such a part. chart, noun, verb.noun 1a. a map used by sailors to show the coasts, rocks, and shallow places of the sea. The course of a ship is marked on a chart. b. an outline map showing special conditions or facts. Ex. The weather chart shows where rain fell over the United States yesterday. c. (Obsolete.) any map. 2. a sheet of information arranged in lists, pictures, tables, or diagrams. Ex. Our history book has a chart of the Presidents of the United States. 3. such a list, table, picture, or diagram. 4. a graphic representation of any variable, such as temperature, pressure, production, or sales. v.t. 1. to make a map or chart of; show on a chart; map. Ex. The navigator charted the course of the ship. The navigable channels have all been charted. 2. (Figurative.) to plan in detail. Ex. The explorers charted the expedition with great care. expr. the charts, a list of the best-selling or most popular items of a kind, such as recently released records or newly published books. Ex. In popular music, if you're not on the charts every minute of the day, you really feel you're a failure (Bette Midler). adj. chartless. dead, adjective, noun, adverb.adj. 1. with life gone from it; no longer living; that has died. Ex. a dead flower, dead leaves. 2. without life; inanimate. Ex. Stone and water are dead matter. 3. like death. Ex. She fell over in a dead faint. 4a. not active; dull or quiet. Ex. a dead volcano, dead coals, a dead market. Summer is never a dead season at camp. At midnight this neighborhood of houses is dead. b. not productive; yielding nothing. Ex. dead capital, dead soil. (SYN) unprofitable, unproductive, barren. c. not moving. Ex. a dead pulley. The dead ball was out of play. (SYN) motionless. 5. having no power: a. without force, spirit, or feeling; lifeless; flat. Ex. dead colors, (Figurative.) a dead rule. The dead tennis ball would hardly bounce. There are few dead spots in Mr. Killmayer's explosive texture, and he is undoubtedly a composer to watch (New York Times). (SYN) ineffectual. b. carrying no electric current. Ex. a dead circuit. The car won't start because the battery is dead. The telephone line is dead. c. not radioactive. Ex. dead rocks. 6. (Figurative.) no longer in use: a. obsolete. Ex. a dead issue. The language of the ancient Romans is a dead language. (SYN) extinct. b. past its usefulness. Ex. That old war slogan is dead. The printing type for yesterday's newspaper is all dead type. 7. (Informal.) very tired; worn-out. Ex. I'm so dead from shopping, I must sit down and take off my shoes. [He] was so dead with fatigue that he did not even try to make an escape (Edmund Wilson). 8. sure; certain. Ex. Tomorrow's sunrise is a dead certainty. Buffalo Bill was a dead shot with a rifle. 9. complete; absolute. Ex. The sunken ship was a dead loss. There was dead silence in the library. 10a. without stopping. Ex. The boy ran home at a dead trot. b. to the limit of one's endurance. Ex. to collapse after a dead sprint. 11. havingno sound; not receiving sound. Ex. a dead spot in the auditorium. 12. (Law.) deprived of civil rights. noun Usually, the dead. 1. the time when there is the least life stirring. Ex. the dead of winter. The plane landed in the dead of night. 2. a dead person or persons. Ex. enough noise to wake the dead. We honor the dead of our wars on Memorial Day. adv. 1. completely; absolutely; utterly. Ex. You are dead right. He was dead tired. He stopped dead (Dickens). 2. directly; straight. Ex. The bridge is dead ahead of us. Don't take any side streets but walk dead ahead two miles. expr. be caught dead, (Informal.) to be seen or found having anything to do with (something unpleasant or embarrassing). Ex. The whole thing looked a little like an invalid's wheelchair, and a boy wouldn't have been caught dead on one unless he was clowning (New Yorker). noun deadness. dead air,1. air that is prevented from circulating for purposes of insulation. Double-walled houses are insulated by dead air between the two walls. 2. a period of time when nothing is being broadcast on radio or television. devil, noun, verb, -iled, -iling or (especially British), -illed, -illing.noun 1. any evil spirit; fiend; demon. Ex. Devils plucked my sleeve (Tennyson). 2. a wicked or cruel person. Ex. A devil, born a devil, on whose nature Nurture can never stick (Shakespeare). 3. a very able, clever, energetic, or reckless person. Ex. a mischievous devil, a lucky devil. (SYN) knave, rogue. 4. an unfortunate or wretched person. Ex. The migrant workers, poor devils, are given miserable living quarters. 5. the errand boy or youngest apprentice in a printing office; printer's devil. 6. a person who does literary work or legal research for another, for which the latter gets the credit or pay. 7. (Figurative.) something very bad; an evil influence or power. Ex. A devil rises in my heart, Far worse than any death to me (Tennyson). 8. a machine that has sharp teeth or spikes for tearing, cleaning, or picking. 9. (in India, South Africa, and other desert places) a dust storm or sandstorm. v.t. 1. (Informal.) to bother or tease, torment. Ex. Her older brother deviled her all during the meal. (SYN) chaff, annoy. 2. to treat harshly. 3. to prepare (food) by grinding or mashing, and adding hot or savory seasoning. Ex. to devil ham. 4. to subject to the operation of a devil (machine), especially such as tearing (rags) to pieces. (SYN) hack. 5a. to act as a legal or literary devil for. b. to write or produce (a paper, thesis, or brief) as a legal or literary devil. Ex. Everything you've written, he has deviled for you (Atlantic). v.i. to act as a literary devil. expr. between the devil and the deep (blue) sea, caught in a dilemma; forced to decide between two unpleasant choices. Ex. He could either go to Europe and displease his mother, or he could stay home and miss a fine opportunity; he was between the devil and the deep blue sea. expr. devil of a, very bad; devilish; confounded. Ex. We had the devil of a time getting out of ... uniform (New Yorker). expr. give the devil his due, to be scrupulously fair even to a bad or disliked person. Ex. He was never yet a breaker of proverbs: He will give the devil his due (Shakespeare). expr. go to the devil, to go to ruin or perdition. Ex. When a man's country's going to the devil (Byron). expr. have the devil's own time, to experience great difficulty. Ex. Sugar Merchant Henry Tate had the devil's own time getting the nation to accept his costly gift (Time). expr. like the devil, with great force, cunning, etc.; extremely. Ex. We're pushing like the devil to get as much as we can done now (Wall Street Journal). expr. play the devil with, (Informal.) to do damage to; make havoc or ruin of. Ex. Salt water plays the devil with a uniform (Frederick Marryat). expr. raise the devil, (Informal.) to make a great disturbance. Ex. When he finds out you broke his pipe, he will raise the devil. They have readers who raise the devil when they make a mistake (Time). expr. talk (or speak) of the devil, mention someone and he will appear. Ex. Talk of the devil!--Here comes Thiselton! (G. Allen). expr. the Devil or the devil, a. (in Jewish and Christian theology) the evil spirit; the enemy of goodness; Satan. Ex. ... till the door was broke, and the Devil came in (Robert Southey). b. (after an interrogative) an expletive expressing surprise, annoyance, impatience, etc.. Ex. Why, who the devil are you? (Henry Fielding). What the devil makes him cry? (Thomas Hood). c. (as an interjection) an exclamation used to express disgust, anger, surprise, etc.. Ex. "That is W," said the teacher. "The Devil!" exclaimed the boy, "is that W?" (Emerson). expr. (the) devil take the hindmost, a. do not worry about what happens to the slowest or last one; let each shift for himself. Ex. The soldiers fled before the advancing enemy and let the devil take the hindmost. b. unconcerned, especially with the consequences. Ex. Wilson now adopted a devil-take-the-hindmost attitude; he didn't seem to care much about the consequences (Newsweek). expr. the devil to pay, much trouble ahead; awkward or unpleasant consequences. Ex. Had he been laid up at present, there would have been the very devil to pay (Jane Carlyle). deep, adjective, adverb, noun, verb.adj. 1. going a long way down from the top or surface. Ex. The ocean is deep here. The men dug a deep well to get pure water. 2a. going a long way back from the front. Ex. a deep forest. b. in depth; having a depth of. Ex. The lot on which the house stands is 100 feet deep. 3. from far down or back. Ex. Take a deep breath. 4. far down or back. Ex. a deep cut. 5. (Figurative.) far on. Ex. to be deep in the study of physics. 6. (Figurative.) low in pitch. Ex. She heard the low tones of her father's deep voice. 7. (Figurative.) making one go a long way or take much time in thinking; hard to understand. Ex. a deep subject, a deep book. (SYN) abstruse, obscure. 8. (Figurative.) a. heartfelt; earnest. Ex. deep sorrow. Deep feeling is hard to put into words. (SYN) profound. b. strong; great; intense; extreme. Ex. deep silence. A deep sleep is one that is hard to be awakened from. 9. (Figurative.) strong and dark in color; rich. Ex. a deep red. 10. (Figurative.) with the mind fully taken up; absorbed. Ex. deep in thought. There he is at it, deep in Greek (Robert Browning). (SYN) engrossed. 11. (Figurative.) going below the surface. Ex. a speech of deep importance. A deeper knowledge of man's present psychology will lead to a more vital advance than the splitting of the atom (New Yorker). 12. (Figurative.) learned; wise; shrewd. Ex. a deep scholar. (SYN) astute. 13. (Figurative.) sly; crafty. Ex. You're a deep one, Mr. Pip (Dickens). (SYN) artful, cunning. 14. (Figurative.) grave; serious. Ex. in deep disgrace. 15. (Figurative.) much involved. Ex. deep in debt. adv. 1. far down or back. Ex. The men dug deep before they found water. They went deep into the forest. 2. (Figurative.) well along in time; far on in time. Ex. She studied deep into the night. 3. (Figurative.) intensely; profoundly; deeply. Ex. We went deep into the problem. noun 1. a deep place. 2. (Figurative.) the most intense part. Ex. the deep of winter. drug, noun, verb, drugged, drugging.noun 1. a substance (other than food) that, when taken into the body, produces a change in it. If the change helps the body, the drug is a medicine; if the change harms the body, the drug is a poison. Aspirin is a drug. Drugs are obtained from molds, parts of plants, parts of animals, and minerals or are prepared synthetically. Ex. The West has discovered every major drug group: antibiotics, vitamins, sulfa drugs, ... hormones, antihypertensives, and mental health drugs (Science News Letter). 2. a drug that brings drowsiness or sleep, or lessens pain by dulling the nerves; narcotic. Opium is a habit-forming drug. 3. (formerly) any ingredient used in chemistry, pharmacy, dyeing, or the arts. drum (1), noun, verb, drummed, drumming.noun 1. a musical percussion instrument that makes a sound when it is beaten. A drum is hollow with a covering usually parchment or leather, stretched tightly over the ends, and is played with one or a pair of beaters, sticks, brushes, or the hands. 2a. the sound made by beating a drum. Ex. Spring had come Like the silver needle-note of a fife ... And a jubilant drum (Joseph Auslander). b. any sound like this. Ex. the drum of rain on a roof. 3. (Especially Military.) a person who plays the drum; drummer. 4. anything shaped somewhat like a drum, as the soundboard of a banjo or tambourine. 5. a drum-shaped container such as one to hold oil or food. 6a. a thick bar or cylinder in a machine on which something is wound. Ex. a drum of cable. b. a cylindrical tank on a machine or the like. Ex. the steam drum of a boiler. 7. (Architecture.) a. a circular or polygonal structure upon which a dome is erected. b. the block of stone making up one section of the shaft of a column. 8. (Anatomy.) the membrane between the middle ear and the outer ear; tympanum; eardrum. 9. the hollow part of the middle ear. 10. a natural organ by which an animal produces a loud or bass sound. ear (1), noun.1. the part of the body by which people and animals hear; organ of hearing. It consists of the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. 2. outer part of the ear; auricle. Ex. The horse laid his ears back. One variety of ear is small and round with little or no lobe development and a deeply rolled helix or rim (Beals and Hoijer). 3. a thing shaped somewhat like the outer part of an ear. The handle of a pitcher or the part of a bell by which it is hung is called an ear. faith, noun, interjection, verb.noun 1. a believing without proof; trust; confidence. Ex. We have faith in our friends. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). (SYN) reliance. 2. belief in God or in God's promises, religion, or spiritual things. Ex. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). 3. what a person believes. Ex. Faith that he was on the right track supported him through all his research. (SYN) doctrine, tenet, creed. 4. a system of religion. Ex. the Christian faith, the Jewish faith. 5. a being loyal; faithfulness. Ex. Good faith is honesty of intention; bad faith is intent to deceive. (SYN) fidelity, loyalty, constancy. interj. truly; indeed. Ex. I'd rather be in old John's chimney corner, faith (Dickens). v.t. (Archaic.) to put faith in; trust. expr. break faith, to break one's promise. Ex. If you break faith once, you won't be believed the next time. expr. in bad faith, dishonestly; insincerely. Ex. The swindler's offer was in bad faith as he never expected to honor the agreement. expr. in faith, truly; indeed. Ex. In faith, man ... I was never so sorry (Sir Thomas More). expr. keep faith, to keep one's promise. Ex. She promised to pay her debt next day and she kept faith. expr. keep the faith, (U.S. Informal.) to remain faithful to one's convictions; refuse to retreat or give up. Ex. The Journal ... explained rather lamely that it had been concerned about libel charges. "The Journal couldn't keep the faith," retorted the mayor (Time). god, noun, verb, godded, godding.noun 1a. a being that is thought to have greater powers than any man and considered worthy of worship. Ex. Cupid is considered to be the god of love. (SYN) deity. b. a male god. c. a likeness or image of a god; idol. Ex. Early Christians raided many Roman temples, smashing their gods and other statues. 2. (Figurative.) a person or thing greatly admired and respected. Ex. Sir Aylmer Aylmer, that almighty man, the county god (Tennyson). guitar, noun.a musical instrument usually having six strings, played with the fingers or with a pick. It belongs to the same class as the lute. adj. guitarlike. gun (1), noun, verb, gunned, gunning.noun 1a. any weapon with a long metal tube for shooting bullets or shot. A rifle or cannon is a gun. Pistols and revolvers are called guns in ordinary speech. heaven, noun.1a. (in Christian and some other religious use) the place where God and the angels live and where the blessed go after death. b. any one of various other celestial realms. Ex. the seven heavens of the Talmud or of the Koran. 2. (Figurative.) a place or condition of greatest happiness. Ex. a heaven on earth (Milton). 3. (in Christian Science) the atmosphere of Soul. expr. for heaven's sake! or good heavens! an exclamation of surprise, protest, or demand. Ex. Hold on, for heaven's sake! Good heavens! What a place to stop at! expr. heaven knows, a. who knows. Ex. It was skunk, rotten eggs, sulphur, and heaven knows what else, all rolled into one (New Yorker). b. certainly. Ex. Heaven knows I should be used to it by now (Maclean's). expr. heavens or Heavens, a. the upper air in which clouds float, winds blow, and birds fly and in which the sun, moon, and stars seem to be set; sky. Ex. Millions of stars were shining in the heavens. The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalms 19:1). b. a particular kind or region of sky, as of clearness, cloudiness, or climate. c. heavenly beings; God and His angels as ruling over mankind. Ex. Heavens keep him from these beasts (Shakespeare). expr. in heaven's name! = for heaven's sake. expr. move heaven and earth, to do everything possible. Ex. The mayor should be moving heaven and earth to enact this income tax immediately (New York Times). expr. to high heaven, a. very highly; to the skies. Ex. ... praising the Chinese Communist Party to high heaven (Harper's). b. too much; inordinately. Ex. The air ... stinks to high heaven (J. D. Salinger). hell, noun, interjection.noun 1. (in Christian and some other religious use) the place where wicked persons are punished after death; the abode of devils and damned spirits. Ex. Hell is a city much like London--a populous and smoky city (Shelley). 2. the powers of evil. Ex. The compact ... is an agreement with hell (William Lloyd Garrison). hit, verb, hit, hitting, noun.v.t. 1. to come against with force; give a blow to; strike; knock. Ex. He hit the ball with a bat. She hit her head against the shelf. When boys fight they hit each other. 2. to get to (what is aimed at). Ex. His second arrow hit the bullseye. 3. (Figurative.) to come on; meet with; get to; reach or find. Ex. We hit the right road in the dark. 4. (Figurative.) to have a painful effect on; influence in a bad way; affect severely. Ex. The store's owner was hard hit by the failure of his business. 5. (Figurative.) to attack or criticize sharply. Ex. The reviews hit the new play. 6. to agree with; suit exactly; please. Ex. This hits my fancy. 7. (Informal.) to come to mind; occur to. Ex. It hit me all of a sudden that I'd made a mistake. 8. (Figurative.) to reach or touch directly and effectively. Ex. Dear Countess! you have charms all hearts to hit (Alexander Pope). 9. (Informal.) to appear in. Ex. The story hit the front page. 10. (Slang.) to go at vigorously; attack. Ex. to hit the books before a test. hot, adjective, hotter, hottest, adverb, verb, hotted, hotting.adj. 1. much warmer than the body; having or giving off much heat. Ex. That fire is hot. The sun is hot today. (SYN) scorching, scalding. 2. having a relativelyhigh temperature. Ex. The food is too hot to eat. 3. having the feeling of high bodily heat. Ex. That long run has made me hot. Lords, I am hot with haste, in seeking you (Shakespeare). 4. having a sharp, burning taste; pungent; biting. Ex. Pepper and mustard are hot. (SYN) peppery, acrid. 5. (Figurative.) a. full of strong feeling; fervent; passionate; ardent; Ex. a hot argument. Prophetic Lips hot with the bloodbeats of song (Algernon Charles Swinburne). (SYN) fervid. iron man,(U.S. Slang.) a dollar. Ex. The savings banks and Uncle Sam are competing for my iron man (Wall Street Journal). jam (1), verb, jammed, jamming, noun.v.t. 1. to press or squeeze tightly between two surfaces. Ex. The ship was jammed between two rocks. (SYN) wedge, pack. 2. to bruise or crush by squeezing. Ex. I jammed my fingers in the door. 3. to press or squeeze (things or people) tightly together. Ex. They jammed us all into one bus. (SYN) force, thrust, push, shove. 4. to fill or block up (the way) by crowding. Ex. The river was jammed with logs. Crowds that ... jam the doors (Tennyson). keyboardist, noun.a person who plays an electronic or acoustic keyboard instrument. king, noun, adjective.noun 1. the man who rules a country and its people; male sovereign, usually with a hereditary position and with either absolute or limited power. Ex. Richard the Lionhearted was king of England. The kings of England do not really rule England now. 2. (Informal, Figurative.) a person who has great power in industry, business, or sports; very important person. leader, noun.1. a person, animal, or thing that leads. Ex. the leader of a band, the leader of a discussion. Brigham Young was the leader of the Mormons. Albert Einstein was a leader in the field of mathematics. Lewis and Clark were leaders of an expedition across America to the Pacific Coast. 2. a person who is well fitted to lead. leadership, noun.1. the condition of being a leader. 2. the ability to lead. Ex. Leadership is a great asset to an officer. 3. guidance or direction. Ex. Our group needs some leadership. live (1), verb, lived, living.v.i. 1. to have life; be alive; exist. Ex. All creatures have an equal right to live. 2. to remain alive. Ex. to live long, if I live till May. 3. (Figurative.) to last; endure. Ex. His good name will live forever. 4. to keep up life. Ex. to live by one's wits. Most men live by working. She and her mother now had nothing to live on but a small government pension (Edmund Wilson). 5. to feed or subsist. Ex. Lions live upon other animals. The Chinese live largely on rice. magic, noun, adjective, verb, -icked, -icking.noun 1. the pretended or supposed art of using secret charms and spirits to make unnatural things happen. Ex. The fairy's magic changed the brothers into swans. In simple cultures, magic is often closely related to religion (John Mulholland). (SYN) sorcery, necromancy, witchcraft. 2. (Figurative.) something that produces results as if by magic; mysterious influence; unexplained power. Ex. the magic of music. The magic of her voice charmed the audience. meat, noun.1. animal flesh used for food. Fish and poultry are not usually called meat. 2. food of any kind, especially solid food. Ex. meat and drink. 3. the part of anything that can be eaten. Ex. The meat of the walnut is tasty. Thy head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat (Shakespeare). metal, noun, adjective, verb, -aled, -alling or (especially British) -alled, -alling.noun 1a. any one of a group of chemical elements, such as iron, gold, silver, copper, lead, and tin. Metals usually have a shiny surface, are good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn out into wires. They also form alloys with each other. Ex. Very few metals ... exist in the earth's crust in metallic form (Science News). b. any alloy or fused mixture of these, such as steel, bronze, brass, or pewter. c. the constituent matter of a metal or of metals collectively; metallic substance. nirvana or Nirvana, noun.1. the Buddhist idea of heavenly peace; condition in which the soul is free from all desire and pain; perfect happiness reached by the complete absorption of oneself into the supreme universal spirit. Ex. In the most final Heaven of the Buddhists ... the state of Nirvana, the soul loses its separate identity and is absorbed into the Great Soul of the World (Norbert Wiener), 2. the Hindu idea of freedom of the soul; reunion with the world soul reached by the suppression of individual existence. 3. (Figurative.) any condition likened to either of these; blessed oblivion. Ex. Jazz and fast cars, in that order, are Dean's ladder to nirvana (Phoebe adams). nick, noun, verb.noun 1. a place where a small bit has been cut or broken out; notch; groove. Ex. She hit a saucer and made a nick in the edge of it. He cut nicks in a stick to keep count of his score. (SYN) dent, indentation. 2. (Printing.) a notch in the shank of a type, that serves as a guide in the identification of a font or the placing of the types. 3. the precise moment or time of some occurrence. Ex. In the nick of being surprised, the lovers ... escape at a trap-door (Sir Richard Steele). note, noun, verb, noted, noting.noun 1. a short sentence, a phrase, or a single word written down to remind one of something, such as what was in a book, a speech, or an agreement. Ex. Her notes helped her remember what the speaker said. 2. notice; heed; observation. Ex. Give careful note to his words. A streaming flight of wild geese ... gave note of the waning year (Washington Irving). 3. a comment, remark, or piece of information added concerning a word, or a passage in a book, often to help pupils in studying a book. Ex. A footnote is a note at the bottom of the page about something on the page. See the note below. Her chemistry book has many helpful notes at the back. 4a. a very short letter. Ex. a note of thanks. Drop me a note when you arrive. b. any short written instruction, list, or reminder. Ex. a note to the milkman. 5. a letter from one government to another; diplomatic or official communication in writing. Ex. England sent a note of protest to France. 6. a single musical sound. Ex. a sudden shrill note from the clarinet. Sing this note for me. 7. (Music.) a. the written sign to show the pitch and length of a sound. Pitch is indicated by the position of a note on a staff and duration by its appearance. b. a black or white key of a piano or other instrument. Ex. to strike the wrong note. 8. a song or call of a bird. Ex. the robin's cheerful note. 9. a song; melody; tune. Ex. The pealing anthem swells the note of praise (Thomas Gray). oddity, noun, pl. -ties.1. strangeness; queerness; peculiarity. Ex. the oddity of wearing a fur coat over a bathing suit. All people have their oddities (Benjamin Disraeli). (SYN) singularity. 2. a strange, queer, or peculiar person or thing. Ex. Here is a strange, fantastical oddity ... who harangues every day in the pump room (Tobias Smollett). (SYN) freak, curiosity. orbit, noun, verb.noun 1. the path of the earth or any one of the planets about the sun. Ex. the orbit of Mars. 2. the path of any celestial body about another celestial body. Ex. the moon's orbit about the earth. 3. the path of an artificial satellite about any celestial body. Ex. to put a weather satellite into orbit about the earth. pantheism, noun.1. the belief that God and the universe are the same; doctrine that God is an expression of the physical forces of nature. Ex. The author, whose philosophy seems to be a crude but genuinely mystical pantheism, succeeds in communicating the wonder and terror of being alone on a storm-tossed raft in the middle of the world's widest ocean (New Yorker). 2. the worship of all the gods. performance, noun.1. the act of carrying out; doing; performing. Ex. in the performance of one's regular duties, the efficient performance of an automobile. (SYN) execution, accomplishment, achievement. 2. a thing performed; act; deed. Ex. The child's kicks and screams made a disgraceful performance. 3. the act or manner of performing on a musical instrument, in a play, or otherwise before an audience. 4. the act of giving a play, concert, circus, or other show. Ex. The evening performance is at 8 o'clock. 5. the power or ability to perform. Ex. a machine's performance. performer, noun.a person who performs, especially one who performs for the entertainment of others. Ex. a talented performer. porn, noun, adjective.(Slang.) noun 1. pornography. Ex. Printed matter is still the most common form of porn (Time). 2. = porno (defs. 2 and 3). adj. pornographic. Ex. porn films. porno, noun, pl. -nos, adjective.(Slang.) noun 1. = pornography. 2. a pornographic motion picture. 3. a writer of pornography. adj. = pornographic. queen, noun, verb.noun 1. the wife of a king. Ex. The princess became a queen upon marrying the young king. 2. a woman ruler. Ex. England has a queen as head of her government. 3. (Figurative.) a. a woman who is very important. Ex. the queen of society. b. a woman who is very stately or attractive. Ex. a beauty queen, the queen of the May. 4. a fully developed female in a colony of insects, such as bees or ants, that lays eggs. There is usually only one queen in a hive of bees. 5. a playing card with a picture of a queen. 6. the most powerful piece in the game of chess. It can move any number of squares in any straight or diagonal direction. 7. the chief, best, finest, or most. Ex. the rose, queen of flowers. 8. (Slang.) a male homosexual. (often used in an unfriendly way). queest, noun.the wood pigeon or ringdove. Ex. The queest ... has had to put up with a certain indifference on the part of naturalists because it is so common (Robert Nye). REM, noun. = rapid eye movement.Ex. REMs occurred in varying stretches of five minutes to an hour, several times during a night's sleep (Time). rock (1), noun, adjective.noun 1. a large mass of stone. Ex. The ship was wrecked on the rocks. 2. any piece of stone; a stone. Ex. He threw a rock in the lake. 3a. the mass of mineral matter of which the earth's crust is made up. Ex. The three main kinds of rocks are igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks (David E. Jensen). b. a particular layer or kind of such matter. Granite, sandstone, and gneiss are rocks. 4. (Figurative.) something firm like a rock; support; defense. Ex. Christ is called the Rock of Ages. The Lord is my rock (II Samuel 22:2). 5. (Figurative.) something dangerous, as rocks are to ships. 6. (Figurative.) anything that suggests a rock. Ex. The division of the profits was the rock on which the partners split. rock'n'roll, noun, adjective, verb.noun 1. a kind of popular music with a strong beat and a simple, repetitious melody. It is played with two-beat rhythm that accents every second beat, usually with guitars and various other instruments for singing or dancing; rock. Rock'n'roll is derived from folk music, blues, and jazz. 2. a vigorous dance done to this music. The style of rock'n'roll is characterized by improvi rock'n'roller, noun.a person who plays, sings, or dances rock'n'roll. sepulture, noun.1. = burial. 2. (Archaic.) a place of burial; sepulcher. sex, noun, adjective, verb.noun 1. one of the two divisions of human beings and animals. Men, bulls, and roosters are of the male sex; women, cows, and hens are of the female sex. 2a. the character of being male or female. Ex. People were admitted without regard to age or sex. b. the physical quality in plants of having male or female functions. 3. the differences in structure and function between male and female. Ex. The young need ... to be told ... all we know of three fundamental things; the first of which is God ... and the third Sex (H. G. Wells). 4. the attraction of one sex for the other. Ex. the subject of sex in literature. singer (1), noun.1. a person who sings. Ex. You can hear famous singers on the radio. (SYN) chorister, vocalist, songster. 2. a bird that sings; songbird. Ex. Our canary is a fine singer. singer (2), noun.a person or thing that singes. skull, noun, verb.noun 1. the bony framework of the head, face, and lower jaw in man and other animals with backbones; bones of the head; cranium. The skull encloses and protects the brain. Ex. The human skull may conveniently be divided into three principal portions: the cranium or cranial vault, the face, and the lower jaw or mandible (Beals and Hoijer). 2. the head; brain. Ex. Skulls that cannot teach and will not learn (William Cowper). song, noun.1. something to sing; short poem set to music. Ex. Songs are thoughts, sung out with the breath when people are moved by great forces and ordinary speech no longer suffices (Beals and Hoijer). 2. poetry that has a musical sound. Ex. The mightiest chiefs of British song, Scorn'd not such legend, to prolong (Scott). 3. music to fit a poem that is to be sung. 4. the act or practice of singing. Ex. The canary burst into song. 5. (Figurative.) any sound like singing. Ex. the cricket's song, the song of the teakettle, the song of the brook. sound (1), noun, verb.noun 1. that which is or can be heard; sensation perceived in the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or some other medium. Ex. The birds fill the woods with tuneful sound. 2. the energy in the form of vibrations causing this sensation. Sound travels through air in waves about 1,100 feet (335 meters) per second under normal conditions of pressure and temperature. 3. a noise, note, or tone, whose quality indicates its source or nature. Ex. the sound of music, the sound of thunder, the sound of a baby. 4. the distance within which a noise can be heard; earshot. Ex. ... in sound of the swallowing sea (Matthew Arnold). Testament, noun.1. a main division of the Bible; the Old Testament or the New Testament. 2. (Informal.) the New Testament. 3. a copy of the New Testament. tour, verb, noun.v.i. 1. to travel from place to place. Ex. Many Americans tour by car every summer. 2. (Theater.) to travel from town to town fulfilling engagements. v.t. 1. to travel through. Ex. Last year they toured Mexico. 2. to walk around in. Ex. to tour the museum. The children toured the ship. 3. (Theater.) to take (a play or other show or a lecture series) on tour. noun 1. the act of traveling around from place to place; long journey. Ex. The family made a tour through Europe. 2. a short journey; walk around. uniform, adjective, noun, verb.adj. 1. always the same; not changing. Ex. to follow a uniform policy, to maintain a uniform temperature throughout a house. The earth turns around at a uniform rate. 2. all alike; not varying. Ex. uniform hedges before all the houses. All the bricks have a uniform size. 3. not mixed or blended. Ex. lawns of a uniform green. 4. free from quantitative fluctuation or variation; regular; even. Ex. a uniform flow of water, a uniform pace. universal, adjective, noun.adj. 1a. of all; belonging to all; concerning all; shared by all. Ex. Food is a universal need. Kings are not born; they are made by universal hallucination (George Bernard Shaw). b. coming from all; shared in by all. Ex. a universal protest. c. understood or used by all. Ex. the universal language of love. 2. existing everywhere. Ex. The law of gravity is universal. Sickness and disease are universal; they occur in every country of the world. 3. covering a whole group, as of persons, things, or cases; general. Ex. universal adult suffrage. 4. accomplished in all, or many, subjects; wide-ranging. Ex. a universal genius, universal knowledge. 5. constituting, existing as, or regarded as a complete whole; complete; entire; whole. Ex. the universal cosmos. Venus, noun.1. the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The Greeks called her Aphrodite. 2. a very beautiful woman. Ex. the Venus of the village. 3. the sixth largest planet in the solar system and the second in distance from the sun. Venus is the brightest planet in the solar system and the one that comes closest to the earth. 4. any one of a group of bivalve mollusks having a thick, ridged shell. 5. a style of sans-serif printing type. 6. (Alchemy.) copper. verse (1), noun, verb, versed, versing.noun 1. poetry; lines of words usually with a regularly repeated accent and often with rhyme. Verse is sometimes distinguished from poetry by its lighter or more frivolous content and greater emphasis on structure. 2. a single line of poetry. Ex. And he wrote for them wonderful verses that swept the land like flame (Rudyard Kipling). (Abbr:) vs. 3. a group of lines or short portion in poetry or song; stanza. Ex. Sing the first verse of "America." 4. a type of poetry; meter. Ex. blank verse, iambic verse. 5. a short division of a chapter of the Bible. vertical, adjective, noun.adj. 1. straight up and down; perpendicular to a level surface or to the plane of the horizon; upright. A person standing straight is in a vertical position. 2. of or at the highest point; of the vertex. 3. directly overhead; at the zenith. Ex. a vertical sighting. 4. so organized as to include many or all stages in the production or distribution of some manufactured product. Ex. a vertical union, vertical trusts. 5. (Botany.) a. having a position at right angles to the plane of the axis, body, or other supporting surface, as the blade of a leaf. wake (1), verb, waked or woke, waked or (Archaic and Dialect) woken, waking, noun.v.i. 1. to stop sleeping; become awake; awaken. Ex. I usually wake at dawn. She wakes at seven every morning. (SYN) awake, waken, rouse, arouse. 2. to be awake; stay awake; not be asleep. Ex. all his waking hours. war lord or warlord, noun.1. a military commander or commander in chief, especially one who has sovereign authority in a particular country or region, whether conferred under law or usurped by force. 2. the military head of a province in China during the period 1916-1923; tuchun. X ray,1. an electromagnetic ray having an extremely short wavelength that can go through substances that ordinary light cannot penetrate; roentgen ray. X rays are formed when a high-speed stream of electrons strikes a target, usually of metal, in a special kind of vacuum tube. X rays are used to locate breaks in bones, bullets lodged in the body, and other particles and malfunctions, and to diagnose and treat certain diseases. 2. a picture made by means of X rays. X-ogen, noun.(Astronomy.) an unidentified molecule detected through radio emission in the region of various constellations, including Orion and Sagittarius. Ex. X-ogen's close correspondence with hydrogen cyanide leads to the conclusion that its structure has similarities with that of hydrogen cyanide (Science News). Yankee, noun, adjective.noun 1a. a native of New England. b. a native of any one of the Northern states. 2. (Southern U.S.) a Northerner (often used in an unfriendly way). 3. a native or inhabitant of the United States; American. 4. (U.S.) a code name for the letter y, used in transmitting radio messages. adj. of or having to do with Yankees. Ex. Yankee shrewdness. young, adjective, younger, youngest, noun.adj. 1. in the early part of life or growth; not old. Ex. A puppy is a young dog. (SYN) immature, undeveloped. 2. having the looks, freshness, vigor, or other qualities of youth or a young person. Ex. She looks and acts young for her age. 3. of, having to do with, or belonging to youth; early. Ex. In his young days he was very hot-tempered. 4. not as old as another or the other; junior (used especially to distinguish the younger of two persons in thesame family having the same name or title). Ex. After graduating young Mr. Jones worked for his father. 5. (Figurative.) a. being in its early stage; not far advanced; lately begun, formed, introduced, or brought into use; recent; new. Ex. a young firm, a young country. The night was still young when they left the party. b. without much experience or practice; green; raw. Ex. I was too young in the trade to be successful. 6. representing or favoring new and usually progressive or radical policies, tendencies, or the like. Zeus, noun.the chief god of the ancient Greeks. He was the ruler of gods and men and the god of the sky and weather, son of Cronus and Rhea, and husband of Hera. The Romans called him Jupiter.