Puma Word of the Day
August
23camaraderie (n). - spirit of friendship
The manager hoped the retreat would increase the camaraderie among the feuding workers.
24facade (n). - false or superficial appearance
Emily’s smile is just a facade masking her broken heart.
25anthropology (n) —the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture
In their anthropology course, the students learned about the Mayan civilization.
26extenuating (adj.) – partially excusing; mitigating
The extenuating circumstance of Calvin’s illness caused the teacher to excuse his lateness.
29fidelity (n). – state of being faithful, loyalty
Unlike her fickle friend Karen, Susan was known for her fidelity.
30deferment (n). - the act of delaying or postponing
Kelle was frustrated by the deferment of her much-anticipated vacation.
31mercantilism (n)—an economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought
From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the nations of Europe adopted a new economic policy known as mercantilism.
September
1prominence (n.) - the quality, state, or fact of being important; eminence
The singer’s prominence ensured that the concert would sell out.
2repel (v.) - to resist, reject
The soldiers made a massive charge to repel the invaders.
6aesthete (n.) - person having or affecting sensitivity to beauty especially in art
Ashley’s friends called her an aesthete when she claimed that Monet’s paintings made her cry.
7totalitarianism (n)—government control over every aspect of public and private life
Totalitarianism challenges the highest values prized by Western democracies—reason, freedom, human dignity, and the worth of the individual.
8catastrophic (adj.) - relating to extreme misfortune
The effects of the massive hurricane were catastrophic.
9combative (adj.) - eager to fight
Mr. Stewart suggested that the combative student channel his aggression into school spirit.
12illuminate (v) - to make clear, elucidate
Our teacher, Mr. Rankin,illuminates ancient history in his lectures.
13devolution (n)—the surrender of powers to local authorities by a central government
The devolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the creation of fifteen new countries.
14bureaucracy (n)—a large group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected
The federal bureaucracy grew tremendously during the 20th century.
15buffoonery (n.) - foolish behavior
Melvin, an irrepressible comic, was held after class for his buffoonery.
16benefactor (n). - one who offers financial help; patron
Michael’s benefactor paid his college tuition.
19elusive (adj.) – hard to grasp
The words to the song are elusive, as the singer tends to mumble.
20servile (adj.) – fearfully submissive
Felicia’s servile attitude annoyed her boss, who preferred an assistant with more backbone.
21deficit (n)—the amount by which expenditures exceed revenues in one period—usually a year
Ordinary families cannot afford to run a deficit year after year.
22accommodate (v.) – to give consideration to; oblige
The hospitable couple was happy to accommodate the needs of their finicky guest.
23unscrupulous (adj.) – lacking principles; corrupt
The unscrupuloussales clerk was fired for lying to his customers.
26corroborate (v.) - to support with evidence; verify
“Unless you can corroborate your story, it will not be admissible in court,” the attorney told his client.
27economies of scale (n)—a condition that exists when the average cost of production decreases as the quantity of output increases
Economies of scale, in microeconomics, refer to the cost advantages that a business obtains due to expansion.
28fiscal policy (n)—changes in taxes, government transfers, and government spending used to stabilize the economy
President Obama and the Republican-controlled Congress endeavored to compromise on fiscal policy.
29diffident (adj.) – lacking self-confidence
The diffident student never raised her hand in class, even when she knew the answer.
October
3fickle (adj.) - lacking constancy, changeable
The fickle Antoine had a new best friend every month.
4extol (v). – to praise highly
The political leaderextolled the ambassador who single-handedly negotiated the peace treaty.
5globalization (n)—the creation of a worldwide scope for markets, communications, transportation, and ideas.
The globalization of popular culture may threaten the survival of traditional folk culture in many countries.
6gross domestic product (n)—the final value of all goods and services produced within the borders of a country
Gross domestic product per capita is the economic indicator included in the Human Development Index calculation.
7euphoria (n.) – feeling of great happiness
Cassandra was overcome with euphoria when she met her long-lost sister.
10clairvoyance (n.) – ability to see things beyond ordinary perception
Rosa used her clairvoyance to help Alexander find his lost keys.
11jaded (adj) - tired by excess or overuse; slightly cynical
While the naïve girls stared at the spectacle in awe, the jaded matrons dozed in their chairs.
12keen (adj.) - having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp, perceptive
With her keen intelligence, she figured out the puzzle in seconds flat.
13awe (n) - an emotion combining respect and wonder
Chris was in awe of his uncle, a professional football player and chess champion.
14untenable (adj.) – not able to be defended
Rasheed made the untenable statement that George Washington was the second president of the United States.
17eloquent (adj.) - fluent, expressive
Kim, an eloquent speaker, was the best choice to make the presentation for the group.
18appease (v) -to make someone feel better about being wronged
The man appeased his wife's anger about forgetting her birthday by taking her out to dinner.
19anti-Semitism (n)—term coined in the late 19th century that was associated with a prejudice against Jews and the political, social, and economic actions taken against them
Hitler’s virulent anti-Semitism led to the Holocaust.
20chivalry (n)—European medieval code of conduct for knights based on loyalty and honor
Can you cite any examples of modern chivalry?
24eulogy (n). –a speech or writing in praise of deceased
Ernest delivered a moving eulogy at his uncle’s funeral.
25scamper (v). – to run quickly
The frightened kitten scampered away from the butterfly.
26colossal (adj.) - immense, enormous
After pushing with all his might, Jordan realized he could never move the colossal boulder.
27impeccable (adj.) - flawless, without fault
The dress rehearsal was impeccable; nothing needed to be changed before the actual performance.
28incandescent (adj.) - shining brightly
The moon had an incandescent glow on that romantic night we met.
November
1lackadaisical (adj.) - idle, lazy; apathetic
The clerk yawned openly in the customer’s face, not bothering to hide his lackadaisical attitude.
2truncate (v) - to cut off, shorten by cutting
The mayor truncated his standard lengthy speech when he realized that the audience was not in the mood to listen to it.
3nadir (n) - lowest point
As Thomas waited in line to audition for the diaper commercial, he realized he had reached the nadir of his acting career.
7obdurate (adj.) - stubborn
The president was obdurate on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind.
9numismatics (n) - coin collecting
Justin picked up dozens of rare coins at the numismatics convention.
10ludicrous (adj.) - laughable, ridiculous
The scientist thought his colleague’s claims were ludicrous, but he kept quiet because he didn’t want to offend his old friend.
14maelstrom (n) - whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
The transportation system of the city had collapsed in the maelstrom of the war.
15neutralize (v) - to balance, offset
Dr. Schwartz poured acid in the beaker to neutralize the basic solution.
16omnipotent (adj.) - all-powerful
The manager clearly thinks he is omnipotent, the way he orders everyone around.
14nefarious (adj.) - evil, wicked
Nefarious deeds are never far from an evil-doer’s mind.
17luminous (adj.) - bright, brilliant, glowing
The luminous moon shone right through the curtains into the bedroom.
18matrilineal (adj.) - tracing ancestry through mother’s line rather than father’s
In the matrilineal society, inheritances were passed on through the mother’s line rather than the father’s.
21officious (adj.) - too helpful, meddlesome
The officious waiter butted into the couple’s conversation, advising them on how to take out a mortgage.
22libertine (n) - one without moral restraint
The libertine took pleasure in gambling and seducing innocent youth.
28menagerie (n) - various animals kept together for exhibition
The lion would have eaten all the other animals in the circus menagerie if given the chance.
29nondescript (adj.) - lacking interesting or distinctive qualities; dull
The celebrity showed up wearing sunglasses and a nondescript black outfit.
30opprobrious (adj.) – disgraceful, contemptuous
Despite his opprobrious addiction to gambling, the governor was re-elected once again.
December
1largess (n.) - generosity; gift
Because the mafia don had extended considerable largess to his neighbors, they supported him.
2dowry (n.) - money or property given by a bride to her husband
Because her parents could offer a large dowry, Sonia had her pick of husbands.
5arrogate (v) - to demand, claim arrogantly
Lynn watched in astonishment as her boss arrogated all the credit for Lynn’s brilliant work on the project.
6 ebb (v) - to fade away, recede
Melissa enjoyed watching the ebb and flow of the tide from her beachside balcony.
7filibuster (n) - use of obstructive tactics in a legislative assembly to prevent adoption of a measure
Democrats filibustered for hours, desperately trying to prevent the adoption of the Republican measure.
8gestation (n) - growth process from conception to birth
The longer the gestation period of an organism is, the more developed the baby is at birth.
9hamlet (n) - small village
Did you know her husband grew up in a hamlet in Sweden?
12guile (n) - trickery, deception
Greg used considerable guile to acquire his rent-controlled apartment, even claiming to be a Vietnam Vet.
13emaciated (adj.) - skinny, scrawny, gaunt, especially from hunger
The emaciated stray dog begged for scraps from the picnickers.
14flaccid (adj.) - limp, flabby, weak
The woman jiggled her flaccid arms in disgust, resolving to begin lifting weights as soon as possible.
15hedonism (n) -pursuit of pleasure as a goal
Ashley lay on the couch eating cookies all day, claiming hedonism was her philosophy of life.
16grimace (n) - facial expression showing pain or disgust
The count grimaced when his wife, drunk as usual, spilled a carafe of wine on the king.
19euphoria(n) - feeling of well-being or happiness
Euphoria overwhelmed her when she discovered that she had scored a perfect 2400 on her SAT.
20forte (forte) n. - strong point, something a person does well
Since math was Austin’s forte, his friends always asked him to calculate the bill whenever they went out to dinner.
21gargantuan (adj.) - giant, tremendous
Cleaning a teenager’s room can often be a gargantuan task.
22heinous (adj.) - shocking, wicked, terrible
Nobody could believe the heinous crime the baby-sitter had committed.
January
3glower (v) - to glare, stare angrily and intensely
The cranky waitress glowered at the indecisive customer.
4exhume (v) - to remove from a grave; uncover a secret
The murder victim’s corpse was exhumed, but no new evidence was discovered and it was reburied the following day.
5fracas (n) - noisy dispute
When the bandits discovered that the gambler was cheating them at cards, a violent fracas ensued.
6gregarious (adj.) - outgoing, sociable
Timmesha was so gregarious that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad.
9hyperbole (n) - purposeful exaggeration for effect
When the mayor claimed his town was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, outsiders classified his statement as hyperbole.
10expurgate (v). - to censor
Government propagandists expurgated all negative references to the dictator from the film.
11frivolous (adj.) - petty, trivial; flippant, silly
The biggest problem in the world for the frivolous debutante was that her ribbon was the wrong color.
12goad (goad) v. - to prod or urge
LaQuida goaded her sister Morgan into running the marathon with her.
13pusillanimous (adj.) - weak and afraid
That pusillanimous jerk refused to help his neighbors when their house was on fire!
17quagmire(n.) - marsh; difficult situation
Nico realized that he needed help to get himself out of this quagmire.
18regimen (n.)- government rule; systematic plan
His marathon training regimen dictated that he had to run ten miles every morning.
19sagacious (adj.) - shrewd
Owls have a reputation for being sagacious, perhaps because of their big eyes which resemble glasses.
23puerile (adj.) - childish, immature, silly
Kenlicia’s boyfriend’s puerile antics are really annoying; sometimes he acts like a five-year old.
24quell (v.) - to crush or subdue
The chief of police dispatched officers to quell the protests.
25recalcitrant (v.) - resisting authority or control
The recalcitrant mule refused to go down the treacherous path, however hard its master pulled at its reins.
26sequester (v.) - to remove or set apart, put into seclusion
The witness in the mafia case was sequestered for his own protection when it was determined that his life might be in danger.
27pontificate (v.) - to speak in a pretentious manner
Andrew pontificated about the virtues of being rich until we all left the room in disgust.
30quandary (n) - dilemma, difficulty
Travis found himself in quite a quandary when he realized that he had promised to give the job to two different applicants.
24rectitude (rec·ti·tude) n. - moral uprightness
Young women used to be shipped off to finishing schools to teach them proper manners and rectitude.
February
1soliloquy (n.) - literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others
Brianna’s soliloquy gave the audience more insight into her thoughts than the other characters in the play had.
2preposterous (adj.) - absurd, illogical
Alvin’s preposterous plan to save the environment by burning all the cities to the ground made him an object of ridicule.
3immutable (adj.) - unchangeable, invariable
Poverty was an immutable fact of life for the unfortunate Wood family; every moneymaking scheme they tried failed.