【百帖笔记领勋章】My notes of tricky words

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pseudo
Definition of pseudo in English:
pseudo
Line breaks: pseudo
Pronunciation: /ˈsjuːdəʊ    /

ADJECTIVE

1Not genuine; sham:
a pseudo Georgian facade

2 INFORMAL Pretentious or insincere:
his lyrics sound like pseudo intellectual rubbish

NOUN (plural pseudos)

INFORMAL Back to top  
A pretentious or insincere person:
the undiscriminating, arty chat of a campus pseudo

Origin

late Middle English: independent use of pseudo-.

< Excerpt from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ , a handy online dictionary.>

Tricky points: 4 out of 5, for its pronunciation and spelling.


Foreword:

In the beginning, this post was created as I came across some tricky words and would like to make notes of them somewhere. Freeoz stood out without doubt as it was a best website for me to keep the notes for the sake of its convenience in finding them out afterwards as long as I have internet access, not to mention that it was - and still is - one of my favorite websites.

Immediately after it was posted, I was impressed by the warmth of welcome of @yearshappy , and even more so by her overwhelming passion in fostering the English sub-forum and wholehearted encouragement in keeping the post updated.

To clarify, I am by no means an English guru yet as I only got average 7.5 in IELTS some years ago. The "tricky" words may instead turn out ordinary to you. They were "tricky" to me due to their pronunciations, spellings or usage at the time I posted them. Having said that, I am not planning to make the list anything like the "GRE vocabulary". It is customised, incomplete, and could be misleading. - Despite of these side effects, I do appreciate it should you find anything useful and let me know.

- I was just trying to be verbose in writing these, wasn't I?

yearshappy

here it is
something fake
a person a phoney

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conjugate
Line breaks: con|ju|gate

VERB

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒndʒʊgeɪt    /
1 [WITH OBJECT] Grammar Give the different forms of (a verb in an inflected language such as Latin) as they vary according to voice, mood, tense, number, and person:
conjugating verbs forms part of language study

2 [NO OBJECT] Biology (Of bacteria or unicellular organisms) become temporarily united in order to exchange genetic material:
E. coli only conjugate when one of the cells possesses fertility genes

2.1(Of gametes) become fused.

3 [WITH OBJECT] Chemistry Be combined with or joined to reversibly:
bilirubin is then conjugated by liver enzymes and excreted in the bile

ADJECTIVE

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒndʒʊgət    /
TECHNICAL Back to top  
1 Coupled, connected, or related, in particular:

1.1 Chemistry (Of an acid or base) related to the corresponding base or acid by loss or gain of a proton.

1.2 Mathematics Joined in a reciprocal relation, especially having the same real parts and equal magnitudes but opposite signs of imaginary parts.

1.3 Geometry (Of angles) adding up to 360°; (of arcs) combining to form a complete circle.
1.4 Biology (Of gametes) fused.

NOUN

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒndʒʊgət    /
Back to top  
1chiefly Biochemistry A substance formed by the reversible combination of two or more others.

2A mathematical value or entity having a reciprocal relation with another. See also complex conjugate.

Origin

late 15th century (as an adjective): from Latin conjugat- 'yoked together', from the verb conjugare, from con- 'together' + jugum 'yoke'.

Derivatives

conjugacy
NOUN

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eigen-
Pronunciation: /ˈʌɪg(ə)n/
COMBINING FORM

Mathematics & Physics
Proper; characteristic:
eigenfunction
Origin

from German eigen 'own'.

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echelon
Line breaks: ech|elon
Pronunciation: /ˈɛʃəlɒn    , ˈeɪʃ-/
NOUN

1 A level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society:
the upper echelons of the business world

2 Military A formation of troops, ships, aircraft, or vehicles in parallel rows with the end of each row projecting further than the one in front:
the regiment lined up shoulder to shoulder in three tight echelons
[MASS NOUN]: there are two planes, lying in echelon with one another

2.1 [OFTEN WITH MODIFIER] A part of a military force differentiated by position in battle or by function:
the rear echelon


VERB

[WITH OBJECT] Military Back to top  
Arrange in an echelon formation:
the Task Force would take the left, echeloned to be able to sweep in from the west
(as noun echeloning) the echeloning of fire teams


Origin

late 18th century (in sense 2 of the noun): from French échelon, from échelle 'ladder', from Latin scala.

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cliché
Line breaks: cli|ché
Pronunciation: /ˈkliːʃeɪ    /
(also cliche)

NOUN

1A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought:
that old cliché ‘a woman’s place is in the home’
the usual worn-out clichés about the English

[MASS NOUN]: a mixture of good humour, innuendo, and cliché

1.1A very predictable or unoriginal thing or person:
each building is a mishmash of tired clichés
you’re a walking cliché

2 Printing, chiefly British A stereotype or electrotype.

Origin

mid 19th century: French, past participle (used as a noun) of clicher 'to stereotype'.

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cessation
Line breaks: ces|sa|tion
Pronunciation: /sɛˈseɪʃ(ə)n    /

NOUN

[MASS NOUN]
The fact or process of ending or being brought to an end:
the cessation of hostilities
[COUNT NOUN]: a cessation of animal testing of cosmetics

Origin

late Middle English: from Latin cessatio(n-), from cessare 'cease'.

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holistic
Line breaks: hol|is|tic
Pronunciation: /həʊˈlɪstɪk    , hɒ-/

ADJECTIVE

chiefly Philosophy
1Characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.

1.1 Medicine Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.

====
<excerpt from http://www.merriam-webster.com/, another online dictionary.>
Examples of HOLISTIC

Holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body.
We need to take a more holistic approach to improving our schools.
In a world of specialization, we have been trained to think of medicine as a separate world—when we are sick, we go to doctors and follow their advice. This is starting to change, with the increasing popularity of alternative and holistic approaches to overall health and well-being. —Gareth Cook, Boston Globe, 9 June 2002

Origin of HOLISTIC

(see holism)
First Known Use: 1926


Tricky point: does 'wholistic' look more familiar to you?

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British Dictionary definitions for ramification

ramification
/ˌræmɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

noun
1.
the act or process of ramifying or branching out
2.
an offshoot or subdivision
3.
(often pl) a subsidiary consequence, esp one that complicates
4.
a structure of branching parts

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ramification
n.
1670s, "a branching out," from French ramification, from ramifier (see ramify ). Transferred sense of "outgrowth, consequence" first recorded 1755. Related: Ramifications.

<excerpt from http://dictionary.reference.com/>

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MICHELLE07        + 50        陈词滥调，这个非常地道，有见到过

@MICHELLE07, you are quite right about the Chinese counterpart of "cliché". Actually some other words above like "ramification" also frequently appears in formal occasions. I'm thinking to make the list useful as well, not just "tricky".

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implication

Definitions of implication
noun
the conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not explicitly stated.

"the implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible"
synonyms: suggestion, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation

the action or state of being involved in something.
"our implication in the problems"
synonyms: incrimination, involvement, connection, entanglement, association, inculpation

<excerpt from translate.google.com>

This word is not too tricky in terms of its pronunciation, spelling, or meaning, it does however, have some meaningful Chinese counterparts.

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rhetorical
rəˈtôrikəl

Definitions of rhetorical
adjective
of, relating to, or concerned with the art of rhetoric.
"repetition is a common rhetorical device"

synonyms:
stylistic, oratorical, linguistic, verbal
extravagant, grandiloquent, magniloquent, high-flown, orotund, bombastic, grandiose, pompous, pretentious, overblown, oratorical, turgid, flowery, florid, highfalutin, fustian

Examples
This isn't a rhetorical question but one that, again, would help show whether they're applying this rule fairly or arbitrarily.

<excerpt from https://translate.google.com>

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jewellery
Line breaks: jew|el|lery
Pronunciation: /ˈdʒuːəlri    /
(US jewelry)

NOUN
[MASS NOUN]
Personal ornaments, such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets, that are typically made from or contain jewels and precious metal:
she had silver hair and chunky gold jewellery
[AS MODIFIER]: a jewellery box

Origin
late Middle English: from Old French juelerie, from juelier 'jeweller', from joel (see jewel).

Usage
The different spellings of jewellery in British and American English can cause confusion. The British spelling jewellery adds -lery to jewel, while the American spellinɡ jewelry adds -ry.

<excerpt from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/>

Believe it or not, I do often find this word easy to misspell!

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amateur   

noun
An amateur is an individual who is new to, or not yet skilled in, a particular skill or sport.
An example of an amateur is someone who enjoys and studies astronomy as a hobby but not as a professional.

The definition of an amateur is someone who plays a sport but does not receive compensation for it.
An example of an amateur are many of the athletes in the Olympics.


adjective
Of or performed by an amateur.
Made up of amateurs: an amateur cast.
Not professional; unskillful.

Origin of amateur
French, from Latin amātor, lover, from amāre, to love.

Amateurs need not be mature: this word ends on the French suffix -eur (the equivalent of English -er).


<excerpt from http://www.yourdictionary.com/>

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jeopardize
Line breaks: jeop|ard|ize
Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɛpədʌɪz    /
(also jeopardise)

VERB

[WITH OBJECT]
Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure:
a devaluation of the dollar would jeopardize New York’s position as a financial centre

<excerpt from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/>

- Don't forget the letters o and r in this word, or you might get slapped by yiping

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souvenir
Line breaks: sou|venir
Pronunciation: /ˌsuːvəˈnɪə    /

NOUN
A thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event:

the recording provides a souvenir of a great production
Officers have been on hand at university events giving away cups, bottle openers and other souvenirs with logos reminding them how to keep safe.
There will be special quiz shows and the winners will be awarded with souvenirs to remind them of their participation in the fiesta.
I had packed up a box of gifts and souvenirs to ship home, so we went to the post office.


VERB
[WITH OBJECT] INFORMAL Back to top  
Take as a memento:
many parts of the aircraft have been souvenired


Origin
late 18th century: from French, from souvenir 'remember', from Latin subvenire 'occur to the mind'.

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bizarre
biˈzär

Definitions of bizarre
adjective
very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement.
"her bizarre dresses and outrageous hairdos"
synonyms: strange, peculiar, odd, funny, curious, outlandish, outré, abnormal, eccentric, unconventional, unusual, unorthodox, queer, extraordinary, weird, wacky, bizarro, oddball, way out, kooky, freaky, off the wall, offbeat

Synonyms
adjective
strange, peculiar, odd, funny, curious, outlandish, outré, abnormal, eccentric, unconventional, unusual, unorthodox, queer, extraordinary, weird, wacky, bizarro, oddball, way out, kooky, freaky, off the wall, offbeat
freakish, outlandish, outre, off-the-wall, eccentric, freaky, gonzo, flaky

Examples
Being pictured as he was might be a bizarre situation but it's par for the course.

<from google translator>

Note the double r and the silent e.

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TWYNDYLLYNGS

Twyndyllyngs is the longest word in English that doesn't contain one of the five vowels (AEIOU). It comes from Welsh and is obviously rare, but it does appear in the Oxford English Dictionary.

It turns out that "twyndyllyng" (singular) is a 15th century spelling of the word "twinling," which means, in modern English, "twin."

<from https://www.englishforums.com>


Just for fun You can't even find this word in some modern dictionaries! A commonly seen example though, is the word 'rhythm'.

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bureaucracy
Line breaks: bur|eau|cracy
Pronunciation: /ˌbjʊ(ə)ˈrɒkrəsi    /
NOUN (plural bureaucracies)

[MASS NOUN]
1 A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
1.1 [COUNT NOUN] A state or organization governed or managed as a bureaucracy.
1.2 [COUNT NOUN] The officials in a bureaucracy, considered as a group or hierarchy.


2 Excessively complicated administrative procedure:
the unnecessary bureaucracy in local government


Origin

early 19th century: from French bureaucratie, from bureau (see bureau).

<from oxford dictionary>


The tricky part of this word, if any, is the spelling. Notice the 'eau' combination - does it look familiar? - Yes beautiful!

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boutique
Line breaks: bou|tique
Pronunciation: /buːˈtiːk/

NOUN

1A small shop selling fashionable clothes or accessories.
2A business serving a sophisticated or specialized clientele:
[AS MODIFIER]: California’s boutique wineries

Origin
mid 18th century: from French, 'small shop', via Latin from Greek apothēkē 'storehouse'. Compare with bodega.

<from oxford dictionary>


Pay attention to its spelling and pronunciation. A bit tricky but not too much.

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euphemism
Line breaks: eu|phem|ism
Pronunciation: /ˈjuːfəmɪz(ə)m    /

NOUN
A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing:
the jargon has given us ‘downsizing’ as a euphemism for cuts
The opposite of dysphemism.

As a practical matter, the current legal regime substitutes palliative euphemisms for useful controls on police discretion.
Languages are constantly developing euphemisms for sex words.
Sir John could be counted on not to speak in mild euphemisms.

Origin
late 16th century: from Greek euphēmismos, from euphēmizein 'use auspicious words', from eu 'well' + phēmē 'speaking'.

It doesn't hurt to know this word.

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ditto
Line breaks: ditto
Pronunciation: /ˈdɪtəʊ    /

NOUN (plural dittos)

1The same thing again (used in lists and accounts and often indicated by a ditto mark under the word or figure to be repeated).
1.1 INFORMAL Used to indicate that something already said is applicable a second time:

if one folds his arms, so does the other; if one crosses his legs, ditto.
I complained and was told I could have only 500 words; ditto, then 700 words.
So zero marks for slow, ditto for marketing effectiveness and maybe full marks for enigmatic and intriguing.
And ditto the literary works being sampled, which in this novel pay homage to the half-submerged tradition of post-1950 British experimental fiction.

Origin
early 17th century (in the sense 'in the aforesaid month'): from Tuscan dialect, variant of Italian detto 'said', from Latin dictus 'said'

This is an interesting word, which reminds me of the next--

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vice versa
Line breaks: vice versa
Pronunciation: /ˌvʌɪs ˈvəːsə    , vʌɪsə ˈvəːsə/

ADVERB
With the main items in the preceding statement the other way round:
cruise from Cairo to Aswan or vice versa
Please view the italics as simply the opposite of the regular format, and vice versa.
You can only compose if you understand how to conduct and vice versa.
I wanted HIM to come running to ME, not vice versa.

SYNONYMS
conversely, inversely, the other way round, contrariwise, oppositely, in reverse, reciprocally

Origin
early 17th century: from Latin, literally 'in-turned position'.


This is actually a phrase, a useful one.

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succumb
Line breaks: suc|cumb
Pronunciation: /səˈkʌm/

VERB
[NO OBJECT]
1Fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force:

we cannot merely give up and succumb to despair
Young people who feel good about themselves are less likely to succumb to negative pressure.
The opposition will probably be forced to succumb to pressure from the West to join a national unity government.
But somebody somewhere in the industry might succumb to temptation.

SYNONYMS
die from, die of, pass away as a result of, be a fatality of;
catch, develop, contract, pick up, get, become infected with, suffer from, fall victim to, fall ill with
informal come/go down with

Origin
late 15th century (in the sense 'bring low, overwhelm'): from Old French succomber or Latin succumbere, from sub- 'under' + a verb related to cubare 'to lie'.

Notice the silent 'b'. Similar words include 'climb', 'comb', etc.

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connoisseur
Line breaks: con|nois|seur
Pronunciation: /ˌkɒnəˈsəː/

NOUN
An expert judge in matters of taste:

a connoisseur of music
Certainly, there was a host of different dishes hot and steamy to cater to the tastes of connoisseurs.
A leading connoisseur of bottled water last night advised consumers to pick and choose between bottled and mains water.
Meanwhile the project seems to have provoked some bemused commentary among art connoisseurs.

SYNONYMS
expert judge (of), authority (on), specialist (in);
arbiter of taste, pundit, savant, one of the cognoscenti, aesthete;
gourmet, epicure, gastronome
(informal) buff
(North American informal) maven

Origin
early 18th century: from obsolete French, from conoistre 'know'.

Can this word remind you of the word 'amateur'?

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entrepreneur
Line breaks: entre|pre|neur
Pronunciation: /ˌɒntrəprəˈnəː/

NOUN
1A person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit:
many entrepreneurs see potential in this market
The British Library has a range of services for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Do you think people skills are more important than business skills for an entrepreneur?
The entrepreneur sees a business opportunity where others notice only a rubbish site.

SYNONYMS
businessman, businesswoman, business person, business executive, enterpriser, speculator, tycoon, magnate;
dealer, trader, buyer and seller, merchant;
commercial intermediary, intermediary, middleman, promoter, impresario
(informal) wheeler-dealer, mogul, big shot, bigwig, whizz-kid, mover and shaker, go-getter, high-flyer, hustler

1.1A promoter in the entertainment industry:
the music entrepreneur pulled back from financing a screenplay Hopper had written


Origin
early 19th century (denoting the director of a musical institution): from French, from entreprendre 'undertake' (see enterprise).

Another word ending with 'eur' that evolves from French meaning 'a certain sort of person'.

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thwart
Line breaks: thwart
Pronunciation: /θwɔːt    /

VERB
[WITH OBJECT]
1Prevent (someone) from accomplishing something:
he never did anything to thwart his father
he was thwarted in his desire to punish Uncle Fred

1.1Oppose (a plan, attempt, or ambition) successfully:
the government had been able to thwart all attempts by opposition leaders to form new parties
Also his best laid plans were thwarted when he attempted to return to see his family in South Africa.
The story revolves round the locals’ attempts to thwart the plan.
In their relationships with women, Russell and Ayer both seemed quite oblivious to the feelings of others when such feelings were likely to thwart their plans or ambitions.

NOUN
A structural crosspiece forming a seat for a rower in a boat.
Her hull is painted white with blue trim on the thwarts.
Thirteen oarsmen and a captain form the crew of the fixed-thwart rowing boats that participate in the competitions.
The placement of the primary thwart is important to balance.

PREPOSITION & ADVERB
archaic or literary
From one side to another side of; across:
[AS PREPOSITION]: a pink-tinged cloud spread thwart the shore
Lay them thwart, that the top of one may rest on the root or stub of the other.

Origin
Middle English thwerte, from the adjective thwert 'perverse, obstinate, adverse', from Old Norse thvert, neuter of thverr 'transverse', from an Indo-European root shared by Latin torquere 'to twist'.

"Many times the engineering and technical aspects of a project can be relatively easy, but the project may be thwarted by unresolved political issues."

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excoriate
Line breaks: ex|cori|ate
Pronunciation: /ɪkˈskɔːrɪeɪt    , ɛks-/

VERB
[WITH OBJECT]
1 Medicine Damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin):
the discharge is acrid and excoriates the skin of the nose

2 [formal] Criticize (someone) severely:
he excoriated the government for censorship

Origin
late Middle English: from Latin excoriat- 'skinned', from the verb excoriare, from ex- 'out, from' + corium 'skin, hide'.

"The company has been excoriated by law makers for the business it did in xxx."

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pinnacle
Line breaks: pin|na|cle
Pronunciation: /ˈpɪnək(ə)l    /

NOUN
1The most successful point; the culmination:
he had reached the pinnacle of his career
2A high, pointed piece of rock.
2.1A small pointed turret built as an ornament on a roof.

VERB
[WITH OBJECT] literary Back to top  
1Form the culminating point or example of.
Anybody who knows Jake's career knows that he pinnacled the liberal-media ladder a decade ago and then bounded to the top of a tower crane that's beyond politics.
2Set on or as if on a pinnacle.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French, from late Latin pinnaculum, diminutive of pinna 'wing, point'.

"The chapters that follow chronicle the rise of H from its meager beginnings in 1920s' Texas to a monolithic corporation that has become a crucial vendor to the U.S. military that reached its pinnacle with the appointment of former ..."

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culminate
Line breaks: cul|min|ate
Pronunciation: /ˈkʌlmɪneɪt    /

VERB
[NO OBJECT]
1Reach a climax or point of highest development:
weeks of violence culminated in the brutal murder of a magistrate

1.1 [WITH OBJECT] Be the climax or point of highest development of:
her book culminated a research project on the symmetry studies of Escher

2 [archaic or Astrology] (Of a celestial body) reach or be at the meridian:
the star culminates at midnight on about the 30th April

Origin
mid 17th century (in astronomy and astrology): from late Latin culminat- 'exalted', from the verb culminare, from culmen 'summit'.

"Their relentless and brazen brand of politicking evolved steadily over the years and culminated in their relationship with Lyndon Johnson, an unprecedented business and political association that propelled both the B&J to the top of their respective professions."