6-Linguistics-Languages-English-Noun-State

aberration

abnormality {aberration}.

abolition

ending situation {abolition}.

acquisition of things

something acquired {acquisition, acquired}.

admeasure

measure {admeasure}.

admixture

mixture {admixture}.

affirmative

yes {affirmative}.

agenda

meeting schedule {agenda}.

agglomerate

mixed collection {agglomerate}.

amenity

convenience {amenity}.

anastamosis

connection between two objects {anastamosis}.

anathema

something shunned {anathema}.

anodyne

soothing agent {anodyne}.

anomaly

deviation from normal {anomaly}.

antinomy

metal used in alloys {antinomy}.

apocalypse end

revelation or world end {apocalypse}.

apotheosis

high ideal {apotheosis}.

apparatus

structure that has function {apparatus}.

appellation name

name {appellation, name}.

appurtenance

accessory {appurtenance}.

archetype

a type's original {archetype, original}.

artifact

manmade object {artifact}.

assignation

appointment for lovers to meet {assignation}.

asylum safe

safe haven {asylum}.

auspice

patronage {auspice}.

babel speech

cacophony {babel}.

bacchanal

drunken party {bacchanal}.

bacchanalia

drunken festival {bacchanalia}.

back number

previous edition {back number}.

backlash

reaction {backlash}.

bagatelle

trifle {bagatelle}.

balm

soothing agent {balm}.

banderole

forked flag {banderole}.

bane

trouble cause {bane}.

bar sinister

diagonal from lower left to upper right {bar sinister}.

barb insult

insult {barb, insult}.

behemoth

enormous something {behemoth}.

behest

request {behest}.

bellwether

indicator {bellwether}.

bill of goods

worthless stuff {bill of goods}.

bill of health

good report {bill of health}.

black art

magic {black art}.

blarney stone

stone that makes one become smooth talker {blarney stone}.

blue streak

fast moving manner {blue streak}.

bye

automatic advancement to next round {bye}.

cachet

specialness {cachet}.

cacophony

loud noise {cacophony}.

capitation

per capita tax {capitation}.

carnage

slaughter {carnage}.

cataclysm

disaster {cataclysm}.

cession

ceding {cession}.

cincture

belt around something {cincture}.

clambake

party {clambake}.

clamor

loud protest from many people at once {clamor}.

clangor

clanging {clangor}.

clarity

clearness {clarity, clearness}.

compaction

compression {compaction}.

concert

harmony {concert}.

concord harmony

harmony {concord}.

conflagration fire

fire {conflagration}.

consignment

assignment {consignment}.

constituent component

component, such as person in voting district {constituent}.

continental breakfast

coffee, tea, juice, and pastry {continental breakfast}.

contradistinction

contrast {contradistinction}.

counterfoil

payment record {counterfoil}.

criterion

standard {criterion}.

cross section

representative sample {cross section}.

crown colony

English colony {crown colony}.

cynosure

object of interest {cynosure}.

dead letter

letter with unreadable or non-existent address {dead letter}.

deadweight

burden {deadweight}.

debacle

quick defeat {debacle}.

decor

room decorations {decor}.

desolation

uninhabited and forbidding land {desolation}.

determinant decider

decider {determinant, decider}.

deterrent

object that deters {deterrent}.

dint

cause {dint}.

disparity difference

difference {disparity, difference}.

dispensation

exemption {dispensation}.

distinction difference

difference {distinction, difference}.

dodge

trick {dodge}.

donnybrook

brawl {donnybrook}.

drawing card

object of interest {drawing card}.

dross

waste {dross}.

ducat

ticket {ducat}.

duck soup

easy task {duck soup}.

echelon

level {echelon}.

efflux

flow {efflux}.

elixir

drink with good effects {elixir}.

embellishment addition

something added {embellishment, addition}.

encumbrance

burden {encumbrance}.

end

goal {end, goal}.

enigma

puzzle {enigma}.

entity

thing {entity}.

epitome

best example {epitome}.

escutcheon

shield with coat of arms {escutcheon}.

etcetera

and {etcetera}.

exposure contact

contact with {exposure, contact}.

extravaganza

spectacle {extravaganza}.

facsimile

copy {facsimile}.

fairing

solid piece used to smooth fluid flow {fairing}.

fanfare

preliminary promotion {fanfare}.

felicity

appropriateness and high quality {felicity}.

fiasco

failure {fiasco}.

field day

day of fun {field day}.

fig leaf

covering for private matter {fig leaf}.

fillip

incentive {fillip}.

first fruits

initial rewards {first fruits}.

first water

highest quality {first water}.

flotsam

floating lost goods {flotsam}.

fountainhead

spring or source {fountainhead}.

funicular railway

cable car {funicular railway}.

generality

statement about non-specific things {generality}.

hallmark

mark indicating value {hallmark}.

happenstance

chance event {happenstance}.

harbinger

sign of things to come {harbinger}.

heraldry

study of ancestry and coats of arms {heraldry}.

heresy

statement contradicting orthodoxy {heresy}.

holocaust

great destruction {holocaust}.

holy of holies

most sacred thing {holy of holies}.

hustings

political campaign {hustings}.

immersion

putting underwater {immersion}.

impetus

stimulus {impetus}.

imprimatur

authorization {imprimatur}.

incongruity inconsistent

inconsistent {incongruity}.

inefficacy

no effect {inefficacy}.

infrastructure

roads and utilities {infrastructure}.

jetsam

jettisoned or discarded goods {jetsam}.

juggernaut

large mass advancing {juggernaut, unstoppable}.

kibosh

stop {kibosh}.

knell

bell toll {knell}.

legerdemain

hand tricks {legerdemain}.

libation

drink {libation}.

memorabilia

objects from one's past {memorabilia}.

misnomer

wrong name {misnomer}.

mythos

story of group {mythos}.

nemesis rival

rival {nemesis}.

nicety

feature {nicety}.

nonce

present time {nonce}.

nosegay

small flower bunch {posy} {nosegay}.

nostrum

useless drug {nostrum}.

nuance

small difference {nuance}.

nub

essence {nub}.

offing

near future {offing}.

open sesame

magic words {open sesame}.

ordure

excrement {ordure}.

ornamentation

embellishment {ornamentation}.

pageantry

show {pageantry}.

panoply

cover {panoply}.

panorama

wide view {panorama}.

parity equality

equality {parity, equality}.

perdition

hell {perdition}.

phantasm

phantom {phantasm, phantom}.

pidgin

language mixture {pidgin}.

poetic justice

just rewards {poetic justice}.

pomp

splendor {pomp}.

potation

drink {potation}.

precursor

something coming before {precursor, before}.

prerequisite requirement

requirement {prerequisite}.

prototype example

first example {prototype, first example}.

provenance

source {provenance}.

providence luck

God can intervene to provide good luck {providence}.

pyre

Wood arrangements {pyre} can burn corpses at funerals.

pyrotechnics

fireworks {pyrotechnics}.

quandary

situation in which it is difficult to decide {quandary}.

quarry person

pursued object {quarry, pursued}.

quintessence essential

essence {quintessence, essence}.

quondam

former {quondam}.

quonset hut

shed with cylindrical tin roof {quonset hut}.

rapine

plunder {rapine}.

reception

party after wedding {reception}.

reclamation

reclaiming {reclamation}.

redaction

removing private or secret information from public document {redaction}.

reflux

backward flow {reflux}.

refuge

safe haven {refuge}.

repast

meal {repast}.

repository

storage place {repository}.

rescission

rescinding contract {rescission}.

restitution

equal-value restoration {restitution}.

rigor strictness

strictness {rigor}.

rite ceremony

ceremony {rite}.

roman candle

fireworks type {roman candle}.

rub

problem, catch {rub, problem}.

rubefacient

irritating skin agent for pain relief {rubefacient}.

rubric

directions {rubric}.

rudiment

rule {rudiment}.

sacred cow

idea that no one can question {sacred cow}.

sanctity

holiness {sanctity}.

secession

withdrawing {secession}.

seeing-eye dog

dog that assists blind people {seeing-eye dog}.

serendipity

chance {serendipity}.

seventh heaven

happiness {seventh heaven}.

signet

seal {signet}.

sinecure

easy salaried job {sinecure}.

spadework

investigating {spadework}.

specie

coin {specie}.

springboard

place from which to dive into subject {springboard}.

squalor

dirty place {squalor}.

stalking-horse

First bid {stalking-horse} only tests the market and does not expect to win.

stead

place {stead}.

stirrup cup

drinking cup with two handles {stirrup cup}.

stock-in-trade

regular business stock {stock-in-trade}.

subterfuge

trick {subterfuge}.

supposition

assumption {supposition}.

sustenance

sustaining substance {sustenance}.

susurrus

whispering sounds {susurrus}.

synergism

two things can work together to perform function {synergism}.

synthesis combination

combination {synthesis, combination}.

talisman

object conferring protection through magic {talisman}.

tenet

principle {tenet}.

three R's

reading, writing, and arithmetic {three R's}.

touchstone

criterion {touchstone}.

tracery

curved lines {tracery}.

travesty imitation

poor imitation {travesty, imitation}.

trial balloon

sample used to test people's reactions {trial balloon}.

trumpery

nonsense {trumpery}.

uncial

Dark Ages rounded-letter alphabet {uncial}.

underpinning

foundation {underpinning}.

vicissitude

sudden change {vicissitude}.

white elephant

something no longer wanted {white elephant}.

will-o'-the-wisp

impossible goal {will-o'-the-wisp}.

wisp

faint or thin thing {wisp}.

witch-hunt

finding people with unorthodox beliefs {witch-hunt}.

wroth

wrath {wroth}.

yellow peril

threat to native people from increased Asian immigration {yellow peril}.

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Date Modified: 2022.0225