The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (40 page)

supercilious
(
SOO
-p
e
r-SIL-ee-
e
s)
adjective

1. with an air of superiority.

2. haughty and scornful.

Related words:
superciliously
adverb
,
superciliousness
noun
.

supererogation
(
SOO
-p
e
r-
ER
-
e
-GAY-sh
e
n)
noun

the doing of more than is required by duty.

Related words:
supererogate
(
SOO
-p
e
r-ER-
e
-
GAYT
)
verb
,
supererogatory
(
SOO
-p
e
r-
e
-ROG-
e
-
TOR
-ee)
adjective
,
supererogatorily
adverb
,
supererogator
(
SOO
-p
e
r-ER-
e
-
GAY
-t
e
r)
noun
.

supernal
(suu-PUR-n
e
l)
adjective

1. heavenly, divine.

2. lofty.

Related word:
supernally
adverb
.

supervene
(
SOO
-p
e
r-VEEN)
verb

occur as an interruption or change from some condition or process.

Related words:
supervenience
(
SOO
-p
e
r-VEEN-y
e
ns) and
supervention
(
SOO
-p
e
r-VEN-sh
e
n)
both nouns
,
supervenient
(
SOO
-p
e
r-VEEN-y
e
nt)
adjective
.

supine
(
SOO
-P
I
N)
adjective

1. lying face upward.

2. not inclined to take action.

3. indolent.

Related words:
supinely
adverb
,
supineness
noun
.

suppliant
(SUP-lee-
e
nt)
noun

a person asking humbly for something; a supplicant.

Related words:
suppliant
adjective
,
suppliantly
adverb
,
suppliantness
noun
.

suppurate
(SUP-y
e
-
RAYT
)
verb

form pus; fester.

Related words:
suppuration
(
SUP
-y
e
-RAY-sh
e
n)
noun
,
suppurative
(SUP-y
e
-
RAY
-tiv)
adjective
.

surcease
(sur-SEES)
noun

end, cessation.

susurration
(
SOO
-s
e
-RAY-sh
e
n)
noun

1. whispering; murmuring.

2. rustling.

Related words:
susurrant
(suu-SUR-
e
nt) and
susurrous
(suu-SUR-
e
s)
both adjectives
,
susurrus
(suu-SUR-
e
s)
noun
.

svelte
(svelt)
adjective

1. of a person or figure, slender and graceful; lissome, lithe.

2. suave, urbane.

sybarite
(SIB-
e
-
R
I
T
)
noun

a person who is excessively fond of comfort and luxury.

Related words:
sybaritic
(
SIB
-
e
-RIT-ik) and
sybaritical
both adjectives
,
sybaritically
adverb
,
sybaritism
(SIB-
e
-ri-
TIZ
-
e
m)
noun
.

sycophant
(SIK-
e
-f
e
nt)
noun

1. a person who tries to win people's favor by flattering them.

2. a parasite.

Related words:
sycophancy
(SIK-
e
-f
e
n-see) and
sycophantism
both nouns
;
sycophantic
(
SIK
-
e
-FAN-tik),
sycophantical
, and
sycophantish
all adjectives
;
sycophantically
(
SIK
-
e
-FAN-tik-
e
-lee) and
sycophantishly
(
SIK
-
e
-FAN-tish-lee)
both adverbs
.

symbiosis
(
SIM
-bee-OH-sis)
noun, plural
symbioses
(
SIM
-bee-OH-seez) the association of two different organisms living attached to each other or one within the other to their mutual advantage.

Related words:
symbiotic
(
SIM
-bee-OT-ik) and
symbiotical
both adjectives
,
symbiotically
adverb
.

sympathy
(SIM-p
e
-thee)
noun

See
empathy
.

synecdoche
(si-NEK-d
e
-kee)
noun

a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or vice versa; or the less comprehensive is used for the more comprehensive, or vice versa.

Related words:
synecdochic
(
SIN
-ik-DOK-ik) and
synecdochical
(
SIN
-ik-DOK-i-k
e
l)
both adjectives
,
synecdochically
(
SIN
-ik-DOK-ik-
e
-lee)
adverb
.

synergism
(SIN-
e
r-
JIZ
-
e
m)
noun
, also given as
synergy
(SIN-
e
r-jee),
plural
synergies
(SIN-
e
r-jeez)

the combined effect of drugs, contributions, efforts, etc. that exceeds the sum of their individual effects.

Related words:
synergist
(SIN-
e
r-jist)
noun
;
synergetic
(
SIN
-
e
r-JET-ik),
synergistic
(
SIN
-
e
r-JIS-tik), and
synergic
(si-NUR-jik)
all adjectives
;
synergistically
(
SIN
-
e
r-JIS-ti-k
e
-lee)
adverb
.

tabula rasa
(TAB-y
e
-l
e
RAH-s
e
)

1. a blank tablet, especially the human mind at birth viewed as having no innate ideas.

2. anything existing undisturbed in its original state.

3. anything restored to its original state; a clean slate.

taciturn
(TAS-i-
TURN
)
adjective

1. habitually saying very little, uncommunicative.

2. reserved in speech.

Related words:
taciturnity
(
TAS
-i-TUR-ni-tee)
noun
,
taciturnly
(TAS-i-
TURN
-lee)
adverb
.

talisman
(TAL-is-m
e
n)
noun, plural
talismans

an object supposed to work wonders or to bring its possessor good luck.

Related words:
talismanic
(
TAL
-is-MAN-ik) and
talismanical
both adjectives
,
talismanically
adverb
.

tarantism
(TA-r
e
n-
TIZ
-
e
m)
noun

a mania characterized by an irresistible urge to dance, popularly and incorrectly supposed to result from the bite of a tarantula.

Related word:
tarantist
(TA-r
e
n-tist)
noun
.

tartuffe
(tahr-TUUF)
noun

a religious hypocrite, from the name of the central character in
Tartuffe
, a 17th-century comedy by the French playwright Molière.

Related word:
tartuffery
(tahr-TUUF-
e
-ree)
noun
,
tartuffian
(tahr-TUUF-ee-
e
n)
adjective
.

tauromachy
(taw-ROM-
e
-kee)
noun

the art of bullfighting.

Related word:
tauromachian
(
TOR
-
e
-MAY-kee-
e
n)
adjective
.

tautology
(taw-TOL-
e
-jee)
noun, plural
tautologies

saying of the same thing twice over in different words, especially as a fault of style.

Related words:
tautological
(
TAW
-t
e
-LOJ-i-k
e
l),
tautologic
, and
tautologous
(taw-TOL-
e
-g
e
s)
all adjectives
;
tautologically
and
tautologously
both adverbs
;
tautologist
(taw-TOL-
e
-jist)
noun
.

taxonomy
(tak-SON-
e
-mee)
noun

the principles or science of classification, especially in biology.

Related words:
taxonomic
(
TAK
-s
e
-NOM-ik) and
taxonomical
both adjectives
,
taxonomically
adverb
,
taxonomist
(tak-SON-
e
-mist) and
taxonomer
both nouns
.

temerarious
(
TEM
-
e
-RAIR-ee-
e
s)
adjective

reckless; rash.

Related words:
temerariously
adjective
,
temerariousness
and
temerity
(t
e
-MER-i-tee)
both nouns
.

tendentious
(ten-DEN-sh
e
s)
adjective
, also given as
tendential
(ten-DEN-sh
e
l)

1. of a speech or piece of writing etc., aimed at helping a cause.

2. exhibiting partiality.

Related words:
tendentially
adverb
,
tendentiousness
noun
.

tenebrific
(
TEN
-
e
-BRIF-ik)
adjective

1. producing darkness.

2. obscuring.

tenuous
(TEN-yoo-
e
s)
adjective

1. having little substance or validity.

2. of slight significance.

3. very thin in form or consistency.

Related words:
tenuously
adverb
,
tenuousness
and
tenuity
(t
e
-NOO-i-tee)
both nouns
.

tergiversate
(TUR-ji-v
e
r-
SAYT
)
verb

1. turn one's back on one's party, cause, etc.

2. make evasive or conflicting statements; equivocate.

Related words:
tergiversation
(
TUR
-ji-v
e
r-SAY-sh
e
n)
tergiversator
(TUR-ji-v
e
r-
SAY
-t
e
r), and
tergiversant
(
TUR
-ji-VUR-s
e
nt)
all nouns
;
tergiversatory
(
TUR
-ji-VUR-s
e
-
TOR
-ee)
adjective
.

termagant
(TUR-m
e
-g
e
nt)
noun

a shrewish bullying woman, a virago.

Related word:
termagant
adjective
, meaning
shrewish; bullying
;
termagantly
adverb
.

tessera
(TES-
e
r-
e
)
noun, plural
tesserae
(TES-
e
-ree)

a small cubical block of marble, glass, etc. used in mosaic.

thaumaturge
(THAW-m
e
-
TURJ
)
noun

1. a worker of miracles.

2. a wonder-worker.

3. a magician.

Related words:
thaumaturgic
(
THAW
-m
e
-TUR-jik) and
thaumaturgical
both adjectives
,
thaumaturgy
(THAW-m
e
-
TUR
-jee)
noun
.

thrall
(thrawl)
noun

1. bondage, servitude.

2. captivity.

3. a slave of or to a person or thing.

Related word:
thralldom
(THRAWL-d
e
m)
noun
.

threnody
(THREN-
e
-dee)
noun, plural
threnodies

1. a song of lamentation, especially on a person's death; a dirge.

2. an elegy.

Related words:
threnodial
(thri-NOH-dee-
e
l) and
threnodic
(thri-NOD-ik)
both adjectives
,
threnodist
(THREN-
e
-dist).

tinnitus
(ti-N
I
-t
e
s)
noun

an abnormal condition of ringing or similar sensation in the ears.

titillate
(TIT-
e
l-
AYT
)
verb

1. excite or stimulate pleasantly.

2. tickle.

Do not confuse
titillate
with
titivate
, which see.

Related words:
titillatingly
(TIT-
e
l-
AYT
-ing-lee)
adverb
,
titillation
(
TIT
-
e
l-AY-sh
e
n)
noun
,
titillative
(TIT-
e
l-
AY
-tiv)
adjective
.

titivate
(TIT-
e
-
VAYT
)
verb
, also given as
titivate

1. spruce up.

2. adorn.

3. put the finishing touches to.

The temptation to treat
titivate
and
titillate
as synonyms is apparently so strong that some dictionaries list
titivate
as a synonym for the much older word
titillate
, when the only connection between the two verbs is their similarity of spelling.
Titillate
means
tickle
, and
titivate
means
spruce up
. In your own writing and speech, you should retain the distinction between the words, always keeping in mind that mistaken use of
titivate
will
titillate
educated readers and listeners.