Charles Prieur & Elizabeth Champion-Speyer

xorni xo voi xrs rnr vi xorn

ar sou ii r a wnoxo vnrvosi ri ox :
The Writer's Guide
to Prepositions

The Writer's Guide

to Prepositions

Appear among ?
at?
before?
below?
from?
in?
on?
near?
throught?
under?
with?
Graphic Design: Mlissa Laniel & Zac Harris
Copyright 1988
by Charles N. Prieur and Elizabeth C. Speyer
All rights reserved
P
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The Writer's Guide
to Prepositions

The Writer's Guide

to Prepositions

The one and only

Prepositionary
The one and only
Prepositionary

cnanirs vni run

rii zanrrn cnaxvi ox- svrsrn
Charles Prieur & Elizabeth Champion-Speyer
xorni xo voi xrs rnr vi xorn
ar sou ii r a wnoxo vnrvosi ri ox :
Appear among ?
at?
before?
below?
from?
in?
on?
near?
throught?
under?
with?
Many times one preposition might seem logically just as right as
a n o t h e r. And it is only that tyrannical, capricious, utterly incalcu-
lable thing, idiomatic usage, which has decreed that this pre p o s i-
tion must be used in the case, and that in another. . .
LO G A N PE A R S A L L SM I T H - WO R D S A N D ID I O M S
Prepositions... cause more difculty... than any other aspect of
the English language.
J.B. HE ATO N - PR E P O S I T I O N S A N D ADV E R B I A L PA RT I C L E S
No parts of speech must be used more exactly than connective s
( p re p o s i t i o n s ) . . .
R. VO O R H E E S - HA N D B O O K O F PR E P O S I T I O N S
The proper preposition is a matter of idiom; and idioms, if they
do not come n a t u r a l l y, must either be learned or looked up.
TH E O D O R E M. BE R N T E I N - TH E CA R E F U L WR I T E R
Note: We are indebted to all those we have quoted in our 'pre p o s i t i o n a ry'. We have attempted to re t u rn the
f a vour by not only mentioning the authors of the quotations, but the sources as well; thus encouraging our
readers to read, or refer to, their work s .
PREFACE
D
U R I N G his long career in adve rtising, much of it as a writer, Charles Prieur often re a c h e d
in vain for an instant help re f e rence work on the use of English prepositions -- one of
the trickiest aspects of the language. He began collecting examples of right pre p o s i t i o n
use in the course of his reading. And, as the file expanded to vast pro p o rtions, he asked himself:
"Why not a book?"
But the book kept being deferred, until a mutual friend introduced him to Elizabeth Sp e ye r,
whose career was education. In her work at the Centre for the Study and Teaching of Wr i t i n g ,
at the Faculty of Education of Mc Gill Un i ve r s i t y, Elizabeth had found that preposition use
baffled students, especially those new to the language. Preposition choice is capricious, re l a t e d
to meaning and nuance, and largely based on custom.
To g e t h e r, Charles and Elizabeth decided to organize a guide to prepositions in a handy dictio-
n a ry format, listing thousands of the most common words that present difficulty. The name
" p re p o s i t i o n a ry" suggested itself.
Interspersed among the mundane examples in the Pre p o s i t i o n a ry are quotations from many
s o u rces: snippets of information, philosophy, and humour.
We are confident "The Wr i t e rs Guide to Pre p o s i t i o n s" will prove both ve ry helpful and ve ry easy
to use. It was designed to be so.
Ab b reviations used for quick re f e re n c e :
n = noun
a = adjective
v = verb
vv = versatile ve r b. In other words: the verb in ques-
tion can be followed by a variety of pre p o s i t i o n s ,
w h i c h e ver best describes the action that follows. T h i s
is particularly true of any verb that suggests motion,
such as walk, run, crawl, cre e p, inch, hide, etc.
A SPECIAL NOTE...
T
H E w o r l ds many languages are not the result of logical design. They evo l ved out of cul-
t u re and tradition. W h e n e ver linguists have tried to impose order on wayward usage, the
vernacular has always won out in the end. Which perhaps explains the failure of
Esperanto to take root. It was not born of the people. It has no music, no soul.
From approximately 50,000 words in the 16th century, English now greets the new millennium
with an estimated 750,000 words. Although technology has prompted much of this increase, it
is the readiness of the language to assimilate useful words from other cultures that has nourished
its growth over the centuries.
The Wr i t e rs Guide to Prepositions will prove invaluable, if good speech and lucid writing mat-
ter to you. Our p re p o s i t i o n a ry offers you more than 10,000 examples of the right pre p o s i t i o n ,
for the exact meaning you want to conve y.
The word preposition itself says that it pre-positions the thought or action that follows. For a
good example of this, consider the phrase: gathering in the corn. If gathering means harve s t i n g ,
then in is an adve r b, not a preposition, because it adds to the ve r b. If, howe ve r, gathering means
assembling, then in is a preposition, because it pre-positions where people are meeting, i.e. in
the corn.
Prepositions are not to be trifled with. The collision of two 747s in 1997, killing 583 people,
resulted from a misunderstanding over the preposition at. "At take-off " was understood by the
air controller to mean that the plane was waiting at the take-off point; and not that it was actu-
ally taking off.
Using a wrong preposition will not often have such tragic consequences. But using the right
p reposition will always be a source of satisfaction, and speak well of ones writing competence.
A B AT E
The cleaning women are a b a t i n g the noise of their va c u u m
cleaners b y plugging their ears with cotton batten.
We can a b a t e the smoke nuisance b y h a l f.
His anger will a b a t e i n intensity when he learns of yo u r
c o o p e r a t i o n .
Her pain was a b a t e d b y a strong dru g .
His voice suddenly a b a t e d t o a whisper.
A B B R EV I AT E
She automatically a b b re v i a t e s my written speeches b y
cutting out the rst paragraph; almost always, for the
b e t t e r.
The exam was a b b re v i a t e d by omitting an entire section.
She a b b re v i a t e d his whole diatribe t o one word: NO!
He was a b b re v i a t i n g the message w i t h g reat skill.
A B H O R R E N C E
We share an a b h o r re n c e o f sloppy writing.
A B H O R R E N T
This idea is a b h o r re n t t o re a s o n .
A B I D A N C E
Ab i d a n c e b y the regulations is obligatory.
A B I D E
She is a b i d i n g b y (i.e. sticking to) our agre e m e n t .
He promised to a b i d e b y (i.e. adhere to) the rules of
g r a m m a r.
Do you intend to a b i d e (i.e. dwell) i n this part of the
c o u n t ry.
Abide with (i.e. remain faithful to) me! says the
psalmist.
A B I L I TY
His a b i l i t y a t chess was exc e p t i o n a l .
His a b i l i t y w i t h d a rts was a by w o rd in eve ry pub in
En g l a n d .
A B O U N D
Colonialism . . a b o u n d e d i n ags, exotic uniform s ,
splendid ceremonies, Durbars, sunset-guns, trade
exhibitions . . postage stamps and, above all, coloure d
m a p s . ( Paul Johnson, A Hi s t o ry of the Modern Wo r l d)
Rocks abound u n d e r the soil.
This lake abounds w i t h s h .
I promise you: it is abounding w i t h game of all sort s .
A B R E A S T
I like to keep a b reast o f the latest new s .
A B S CO N D
The boy absconded f ro mthe re f o r m a t o ry with the ward e ns
c redit card s .
He will abscond w i t h the funds; I guarantee it.
A B S E N C E
The students a b s e n c e f ro m class resulted in a failing grade.
The dolphin can re p o rt the a b s e n c e o f objects, as well as
their pre s e n c e . (Louis Herman, Om n i mag.)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear not
a b s e n c e o f f e a r. ( Ma rk Tw a i n )
A B S E N T
God is a b s e n t f ro m the world, except in the existence in
this world of those in whom His love is alive . . T h e i r
compassion is the visible presence of God here below.
( Simone Weil, Ga t eway to Go d)
A
A
ABATE - ABSENT 10
A B S E N T E E
He was a conspicuous absentee f ro m the morning drill.
ABSOLVE
She was absolved from her obligation.
The bishop absolved him of his sins. (rare)
ABSORB
Nutriment may be absorbed by plants into their system
through their roots.
Plants absorb moisture from the air.
When iron is a b s o r b e d i n the small intestine, it is
immediately joined to the protein transferrin, which
shuttles it through the bloodstream, shielding tissues fro m
its harmful effects. (Te rence Mo n m a n e y, Di s c ove r m a g . )
She is absorbing all that information in small bites.
Between 1867 and 1899, Canada absorbed 1.6 million
immigrants into a population at Confederation of barely
three million. (Andrew Coyne, The Next City mag.)
ABSTAIN
True science teaches us to doubt and to abstain from
ignorance.
ABSTINENCE
The negative side of virtue is abstinence from vice.
ABSTRACT (V)
To ascertain the truth, it was necessary to abstract (i.e.
remove) a good deal from his account of the proceedings.
ABUT
The lane abuts against (i.e. runs alongside) the railroad.
The house abuts (i.e. fronts) on the street.
His property abuts (i.e. borders) upon mine.
ABUZZ
The brain contains between 10 billion and 100 billion
neurons, each forming bridges to so many others that
the brain is abuzz with as many as 1 quadrillion
connections. (Sharon Begley with John Carey and Ray
Sawhill, Newsweek mag., Feb. 7, 83)
ACCEDE
There are over 60 covenants on human rights . . China
has acceded to 17 and the United States to 15 of them.
(Qian Qichan, Time mag., Aug. 11, 97)
When the monarch died, his eldest son acceded to (i.e.
inherited) the throne.
ACCEPT
Having been accepted as an accountant, he moled his
way into the secret organization.
His credentials have been accepted by the company.
The computer can a c c e p t data only i n a highly
structured (digital) form.
(British Medical Bulletin, Oxford English Dictionary)
I accept (i.e. agree) to do that, but on one condition.
Legacies, or children of alumni, are three times more
likely to beaccepted (i.e. admitted) to Harvard than other
high school graduates with the same (sometimes better)
scores. (Michael Lind, Harpers mag.)
ACCEPTANCE
The assertion nds acceptance in every rank of society.
(M. Faraday, Oxford English Dictionary)
The only real freedom is in order, in an acceptance of
boundaries. (Peter Ustinov)
ACCESS (N)
Each animal was kept in a small room, with access to an
outdoor exercise area. (National Geographic)
ACCESS (V)
He accessed (i.e. made his way into) the house by (or
through) a window.
I know she will access (i.e. enter) his apartment with the
stolen key.
ACCESSIBLE
The fortress was accessible (i.e. approachable) from the
seacoast only.
11 ABSENTEE - ACCESSIBLE
A
He was as accessible (i.e. available) to the humblest as he
was to his peers.
ACCESSION (N)
The a c c e s s i o n (i.e. addition) o f 90 new students
overcrowded the school.
The populace rejoiced at the princes accession to (i.e.
assumption of) the throne.
ACCESSION (V)
This skull was the oldest of its type ever found (2.5 to
2.6 million years old). It was accessioned (i.e. recorded)
under the number KNM-WT 17000 in the National
Museums of Kenya. (Pat Shipman, Discovery)
ACCESSORY
A person who conceals a crime is an accessory after the
fact.
A person who incites another to commit a felony is
considered to be an accessory before the fact.
Though he escaped punishment, he was an accessory to
the crime.
ACCIDENT
Her wealth was due to an accident (i.e. happenstance) of
birth.
An a c c i d e n t (i.e. mishap) t o the machinery halted
production.
ACCLIMATIZE
She quickly became acclimatized to the new conditions.
He is acclimatizing himself to desert conditions.
ACCOMMODATE
They were accommodated (i.e. given lodging) at the
newly-refurbished Ritz hotel.
His staff was usually a c c o m m o d a t e d (i.e. lodged) i n motels.
We were forced to accommodate (i.e. adapt) ourselves to
our circumstances.
She was always ready to accommodate (i.e. oblige) a
friend with a loan.
ACCOMPANY
The child was accompanied (i.e. escorted) by her mother.
She accompanied (i.e. went with) him on all his travels.
Let me accompany (i.e. escort) you to the door.
He accompanied (i.e. supplemented) his speech with
gestures.
ACCOMPLICE
He was an accomplice (i.e. partner in crime) in the
murder of the diplomat.
The police are searching for the two accomplices (i.e.
associates in wrongdoing) of the thief.
ACCOMPLISH
She was accomplished (i.e. skilled) in all the social arts.
She accomplished (i.e. performed) the difcult task with
speed and efciency.
ACCORD (N)
They were all in accord with his decision.
ACCORD (V)
Wordsworth mentioned the glimpses of eternity accorded
(i.e. granted) to saints.
The victims account of the accident accords (i.e. agrees)
with yours.
ACCORDING
C o r rosion costs America $70 billion each ye a r,
according to the National Bureau of Standards.
(The Economist, 1988)
ACCOUNT
He gave an accurate account of his adventures.
ACCOUNT
The Columbia (river) and its tributaries account for
(i.e. produce) o n e - t h i rd of all hyd ro e l e c t ric powe r
generated in the United States.
(William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways)
A
ACCESSION - ACCOUNT 12
The Higgs boson accounts (i.e. is responsible) for the
origin of all mass in the universe.
(Larry Gonick, Discover mag.)
The bank clerk had to account to (or with) his superiors
every Tuesday.
ACCOUNTABLE
Man is accountable for his acts.
He likes to pretend that he is accountable to no one.
ACCRETE
The poor live in . . the makeshift, vertical barrio that has
accreted to suspension cables of the bridge.
(William Gibson)
ACCRETION
They jettisoned . . the embarrassing accretions fromtheir
past. (Paul Johnson)
His book is an accretion of casual writings.
ACCRUE
Many advantages accrue (i.e. arise) from the freedom of
the press.
All proceeds will accrue (i.e. accumulate and go) by
natural advantage) to him.
ACCUMULATE
In August 1986, bubbles of carbon diox i d e
a c c u m u l a t i n g a t the bottom of (Lake Nyos in Ca m e ro o n )
. . burst to the surface; a blanket of dense carbon diox i d e
and water vapor spread over nearby villages, killing cattle
and 1,700 people. (Di s c ove r mag., Oct. 1988)
I m a c c u m u l a t i n g stamps f o r my nephew i n a large album.
Your discards are accumulating into quite a pile.
The maple leaves had accumulated under the porch.
ACCURATE
You must be accurate in your calculations.
Todays best atomic clocks are accurate to one part in 10
to the 14th power; but a super-cooled atomic clock
should be 10,000 times more accurate).
(The Economist)
ACCUSE
The foreman accused the worker of carelessness.
ACCUSTOM
You will simply have to accustom yourself to his habits.
Ive grown accustomed to her face. (words of a song)
Im slowly accustoming myself to this simpler way of life.
ACQUAINT
The couple became acquainted through mutual friends.
Please acquaint him with your plan.
ACQUAINTANCE
Clubs foster acquaintance between people with similar
values.
She is anxious to make the acquaintance of any person
who shares her interests.
ACQUIESCE
Youre bound to acquiesce in his judgment, whatsoever
may be your private opinion.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
Note: The use of to and with is obsolete
(Oxford English Dictionary)
ACQUIRE
He will acquire it by hook or by crook.
They acquired most of their mercenaries from Germany.
One year into the First World War, Britain had to
acquire 32,000 pairs of German binoculars, through a
Swiss intermediary. (John Grigg, The Sp e c t a t o r re v i ew i n g
First World Wa r by Ma rtin Gi l b e rt )
ACQUIT
The defendant was acquitted by the jury.
The jury acquitted the man of the alleged crime.
By acquitting the executive of all blame, the tribunal dealt
a serious blow to the companys morale.
13 ACCOUNTABLE - ACQUIT
A
ACT (VV)
A part of the brain called the hypothalamus a c t s a s the bodys
t h e rm o s t a t . (Robert M. Sapolsky, Discover mag., 1990)
Why dont you act for him?
You are acting in a manner that invites criticism.
DNA is a long molecule that contains information on
the way four different components are strung together
like beads on a string. Thus, they a c t l i k e letters in an
alphabet. The sequence of those letters forms sentences
called g e n e s . ( David Suzuki, Mo n t real Ga ze t t e)
In t e r l u k i n - 1 a c t s o n the bodys central therm o s t a t ,
causing a feve r, which may depress viral activity and
enhance the immune re s p o n s e . (Leon Ja ro f f, Ti m e mag.)
Act towards him as you do towards his sister.
The gastric juice acts upon the food we swallow.
He always acted with decision.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
ACTIVE
Storefront lawyers are active in the cause of justice.
Drug dealers are very active on that street.
Mother Theresa is active with her sister nuns in obtaining
relief for the poor.
One gland in particular becomes active under stress.
ACTUATE
She was actuated by compulsive curiosity.
He actuates the light with a snap of his nger.
The boy was actuating the cars starter with a stolen key.
ADAMANT
Yes, he was adamant on that. (John Le Carr)
ADAPT
The gun was adapted for use in hand-to-hand ghting.
His invention was adapted from an idea conceived by his
father.
Natural selection cannot anticipate the future and can
adapt organisms only to challenges of the moment.
(Stephen Jay Gould, Discover mag., Oct. 96)
A child adapts very quickly to his/her surroundings.
She was adapting unconsciously to his body language.
ADD
I will also add a ribbon for the effect.
The burning of Earths rain forests . . not only adds
carbon dioxide to the atmosphere but also removes the
trees that would have absorbed it. The result is an
accumulation of heat-reecting gases and an overall
w a rming of the planet the greenhouse effect.
(Jonathan Schell, Discover mag.)
When she added babys breath to the bouquet of roses, the
effect was magic.
He was adding insult to injury by not acknowledging her
presence.
That adds up to an insult, my friend.
ADDICT (V)
She was addicted to the music of Mozart.
What kind of monsters addict children to nicotine?
They were addicting underage girls to morphine.
ADDICTION
I shared his addiction to Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
ADDRESS (N)
She showed great address in dealing with her opponents.
He exhibited the address of an accomplished intriguer.
ADDRESS (V)
Eric Gill solaced himself by instructing his apprentices to
address him as Master. (The Economist mag.)
The president addressed (i.e. spoke to) the people in a
voice laden with sorrow.
She addressed (i.e. directed) her remarks to the legislature.
He was addressing her as Mrs. Ames long before she
married him.
ADEPT
She is adept at getting out of trouble.
The parliamentarian was adept in the cut and thrust of
debate.
ACT - ADEPT 14
A
ADEQUATE
His skills are barely adequate for the job.
He proved adequate to the situation.
ADHERE
Paint adheres best to a clean, dry surface.
Some of this food is adhering to the pan like glue.
Treason against the United States shall consist only in
levying war against them, or in a d h e r i n g t o t h e i r
enemies, giving them aid and comfort.
(Article 111, Section 3, Constitution of the United States)
ADHERENCE
His adherence to the cause proved to be his downfall.
ADHERENT
He is an adherent of the Conservative Party.
Adherents to Luthers principles were called Protestants.
ADJACENT
The two mens farms are adjacent to each other.
ADJUST
Just give me time and Ill adjust to this new life.
She adjusted to theatrical life like a born trooper.
Without gravity, the heart begins to relax, adjusting to
its lower work load by slowing down and shrinking.
(David Noland, Discover mag.)
ADMINISTER
She administered (i.e. dealt) a polite rebuff to the pushy
salesman.
She administers (i.e. manages) our head ofce with a rm
hand and an even temper.
ADMIRATION
I take place to no man in my admiration for Dan
Rather. (James Brady, Advertising Age)
The prince . . is the admiration of the whole court.
(The Oxford Universal Dictionary)
ADMIT
They have admitted (i.e. accepted) me into their ranks.
His problem did not admit of (i.e. permit) a solution.
When will they admit you to (i.e. allow you to take) the
bar exams?
Confessing your crime to a priest is quite different from
admitting it to the police.
ADOPT
The players adopted it as their mascot.
He adopted little Harry with trepidation.
ADORN
If you let him, hell a d o rn the statue of David w i t h a g leaf.
The emperor adorned his castle with the spoils of war.
ADRIFT
The boat was cut adrift from its moorings.
Our skiff is adrift on the lake.
ADVANCE (N)
Every great advance in science has issued from a new
audacity of imagination.
(John Dewey, Forbes mag., 1970)
Thats certainly an advance on last years proposal.
ADVANCE (V)
He worked very hard to advance himself in his profession.
I regret to report they advanced on the city last night.
He kept advancing on her, and she kept backing away.
Our football advanced to the 30-yard line this time.
Lets advance toward the town tonight.
ADVANTAGE
She has the a d vantage o f Mrs. Jones, who is
impoverished. (British)
I would take advantage of that situation, if I were you.
You have the advantage over me ; I dont know you.
(North American)
The advantage to him was plain.
15 ADEQUATE - ADVANTAGE
A
ADVANTAGEOUS
It would be advantageous for them to buy time, but not
for me.
Thats certainly advantageous to us.
ADVERSE
Being adverse to a person or a thing reects opposition.
ADVERT
Mac then adverted to last years disaster.
Im adverting to what you told me last night.
ADVERTISE
In the early 1930s . . when Amtorg, the Soviet trading
agency, advertised for 1000 skilled workers, more than
100,000 Americans applied.
She is now advertising her language school on Internet.
He took every opportunity to advertise her in Vogue
magazine.
I would advertise this product to the 20-to-35 age group.
ADVICE
My advice to you is to avoid confrontation.
ADVISE
I will a d v i s e (i.e. inform) him b y letter o f the loss of the ship.
Our experts are here to advise (i.e. counsel) you on any
computer problem.
ADVOCATE (N)
He was the principal advocate for the huge conglomerate.
The new political candidate is an advocate of electoral
reform.
We have an advocate with the Father. (1 John ii.1.)
ADVOCATE (V)
As a lawyer, he advocates for (i.e. defends) a number of
blue chip rms.
The soap box orator was advocating (i.e. recommending)
group action to his only listener.
AFFECT
The vibrations are affecting her at night, after she has
gone to sleep.
He is affected by bad weather.
Psychological conditions affect the welfare of people
through the immune system. (Rita Levi-Montalcini)
Bachs music affects me in my innermost being.
AFFILIATE (N)
The department store is an afliate of a nation-wide
chain.
AFFILIATE (V)
The group decided to afliate w i t h the national
association.
Note: with (American); to (British)
AFFINITY
There is a strong afnity between music and dancing.
An afnity for is conned to scientic usage. One
substance is said to have an afnity for another when it
has a tendency to unite with it.
( Frederick T. Wood, English Prepositional Id i o m s, published
by MAC M I L LAN)
When Pre Armand David, the great French explorer-
priest, acquired the Western worlds rst great panda in
1869, he never doubted its evident afnity with bears.
(Stephen Jay Gould, Discovery) Note: Never to
AFFIX
So why dont you afx (i.e. attach) this to your will?
Theyre afxing this warning sign to every trailer in the
country.
AFFLICT
FM stereo was the only high-delity audio medium
aficted with background noise.
Aficting us with his presence, the politician proceeded
to monopolize the conversation.
AFOUL
He was often afoul of the law.
ADVANTAGEOUS - AFOUL 16
A
AFRAID
He was afraid of his own shadow.
She was afraid to walk home in the dark.
AGE (N)
You cant get married in that country under the age of
eighteen.
AGE (V)
I have the Christmas pudding ageing in wine.
That meat is aged to perfection.
AGGRIEVED
She was aggrieved at being overlooked for the part.
They were aggrieved by the attitude of their relatives.
AGHAST
They were aghast at his negligence in the matter.
AGITATE
She spent her life agitating for equality.
We will agitate for a new contract starting tomorrow.
AGOG
They were all agog about the latest gossip.
AGONIZE
They are agonizing over the scathing review.
She agonized with him throughout the dismal third act.
AGREE
They agree about that, but nothing else.
They agreed among themselves.
The principles to be agreed by all.
(Bacon, The Oxford Universal Dictionary)
He agrees on the course to be taken. Were sure she will
agree to that.
History, said Napoleon, is a set of collectively agreed
upon lies.
An intellectual is not necessarily a man who is
intelligent, but someone who a g re e s w i t h o t h e r
intellectuals. (Edward Teller, Discovery mag.)
They agree (i.e. reconcile) their budgets with their
accountants every six months. (The Economist)
Can you believe it? Shes agreeing with everybody.
AGREEABLE
I am agreeable to your plan of action.
AGREEMENT
I am in full agreement with you.
AIM
As late as 1931, the United States had a war plan aimed
at the British Empire, Navy Basic Plan Red.
(Paul Johnson: A History of the Modern World)
The girl aimed for the target but broke a window instead.
The reason laser light works so well in everything from
CD players to surgery is that its coherent that is,
ordinary separate photons of light merge to make one
powerful light wave that can be aimed with terric
precision. (Discover mag., July 1998)
AKIN
The tribes are akin in their warlike nature.
Your words were akin to a slap in the face.
ALARM (V)
I am alarmed at the present state of affairs.
The parents were alarmed by the rise in crime in their
neighbourhood.
The child was constantly alarming us by running a fever.
Do not alarm me with these possible disasters.
ALARM (N)
My alarm at the news that soldiers were approaching
spread like wildre.
ALERT (A)
The squirrel is very alert in its movements.
17 AFRAID - ALERT
A
Phagocytes (white blood cells) constantly scour the
territories of our bodies alert to anything that seems out
of place. What they nd, they engulf and consume.
(Peter Jaret, National Geographic/Readers Digest)
ALERT (V)
I had to alert him to the danger.
ALIEN (A)
The segregation of the blacks in South Africa was alien to
democratic principles.
ALIEN (N)
They claimed to have seen an alien fromthe planet Venus.
ALIENATE
She was alienated fromher own society by its treatment of
the unfortunate.
He alienates (i.e. turns off) everyone by talking down to
them.
Theyre alienating (i.e. disaffecting) the whole world by
bullying that small nation.
Enemy property was alienated (i.e. transferred) during
the war. (World Book Dictionary)
ALIGHT
He is alighting (i.e. getting off ) at every bus stop along
the way.
She alighted from(i.e. got out of) her car and ran into the
house.
The robin alights (i.e. lands) on that mailbox every
morning.
ALIGN
Germany was aligned with Japan in World War II.
I think Jordan is aligning herself with Iraq this time.
He would rather align himself with me than against me.
ALIKE
The specimens are alike in kind.
ALIVE
The painter was at the top of his form, alive in every ber
of his being.
The missionarys religion was founded on the conviction
that we should be alive to every noble impulse.
Her eyes were alive with hope.
ALLEGIANCE
The leaders depended upon the allegiance of the citizens
to the legitimate government.
ALLIANCE
The United Nations was designed to eradicate the need
for military alliances between and among nations.
The Indian chief made an alliance with the neighboring
tribe for the defense of their respective lands.
ALLOCATE
They allocated their resources to new tasks.
Canada is allocating her extra wheat to North Korea.
ALLOT
The director was authorized to allot (i.e. allocate) extra
funds t o the company f o r the specic purpose of
completing the railroad link.
Ten years I will allot (i.e. apportion) to the attainment of
knowledge. (S. Johnson, O.E.D.)
A certain amount of food was alloted (i.e. allocated) to
each platoon.
How much of that shipment are you allotting (i.e.
allocating) to me?
ALLOW
Astronomers, in their calculations, must allow (i.e. make
provisions) for the pull of gravity.
The researcher is willing to allow of (i.e. permit) other
hypotheses.
He allowed (i.e. granted) 10% of his annual income to
each of his wives.
ALERT - ALLOW 18
A
ALLUDE
This passage in the Bible evidently alludes to the Jewish
Passover.
ALLURE
Allured by hope of gain, the prospectors risked their lives
on the mountain pass.
It was hoped that the promise of heaven would allure
people from evil to good.
ALLY
The quarreling states at last decided to ally against their
common enemy.
In his mind, this treaty was allied to territorial expansion.
(Federico Garcia)
Lorca understood that any artist who allied himself too
closely with a political ideology died as an artist, became
little more than a talented propagandist.
(Neil Bissoondath, Montreal Gazette)
He is allying himself with anyone who buys him a drink.
You ally yourself to things, but with people.
ALOOF
He stood aloof from the rest of his family.
She used to be rather aloof with strangers.
ALTERING
By 2040, the altering of genetic material in embryo
could eliminate more than 3000 genetically-derived
diseases. (Life mag.)
ALTERNATE
He alternated between scolding and praising.
Here, oods alternate with droughts.
ALTERNATIVE
We were given the alternatives of leaving town or being
shot.
The alternative to functioning mitochondria (such as
those in the human cell) is called death.
(David Clayton, molecular biologist, Discover mag.)
AMALGAM
The plan was an amalgam of sound ideas and foolish
notions.
AMALGAMATE
He amalgamated the gold and silver into an alloy.
They decided to amalgamate with the larger company.
She is amalgamating her plans with his.
AMASS
He amassed a large fortune by fair means and foul for the
purpose of exerting political control.
AMATEUR
The boy was an amateur (i.e. not an expert) at chess.
He remained an amateur among professional athletes by
never accepting a salary.
Although she has had every opportunity to study, she
remains an amateur (i.e. a dilettante) in the arts.
He was an amateur of (i.e. had a fondness for) the more
exotic sports.
AMAZE
He was amazed (i.e. surprised) at the crowd.
She was amazed (i.e. bewildered) by his magic skills.
The gymnast was constantly amazing us with his feats of
contortion.
AMAZEMENT
I was lled with amazement at such reckless daring.
AMENABLE
The problem is not amenable to mathematical analysis.
AMOUNT (N)
What is the amount of her bill for groceries?
AMOUNT (V)
That amounts to very little in practical terms.
19 ALLUDE - AMOUNT
A
AMPLIFY
The professor was requested to amplify his lectures by
illustrating them.
The lecturer amplied on so many themes, that the
audience lost the gist of his presentation.
AMUSE
He was amused at the birds efforts to escape
The children were highly amused by the clowns antics.
Amuse the baby with that rattle.
ANAGRAM
His pen name is an anagram of his real name.
ANALOGOUS
Einsteins observations on the way in which, in certain
circumstances, lengths appeared to contract and clocks
to slow down, are analogous to the effects of perspective
in painting.
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
ANALOGY
Theres an analogy (i.e. equivalency) between the military
careers of Hitler and Stalin.
The child is the analogy (i.e. simile) of a people yet in
childhood. (Lytton)
He explained an electrical current by drawing an analogy
(i.e. comparison) with a ow of water through a pipe.
Some still bear a remote analogy with (resemblance to)
their Mongolian ancestors.
ANALYSIS
They made an analysis of the situation before proceeding.
ANATHEMA
An unorthodox approach is anathema to many in the arts.
ANCHOR
After anchoring his boat by the buoy, he swam to shore.
I will anchor the barge near the boathouse.
The boat seemed to be anchored to its own shadow.
ANGER
Anger at the insult prompted his acid reply.
Anger toward the offender exaggerates the offense.
ANGLE (N)
The navigator sites himself in global terms, even
universal ones, measuring the angles between his ship
and the equator, the sun, the stars and the hypothetical
m e ridian which stretches north and south fro m
Greenwich to the poles. (Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
ANGLE (V)
I was too busy trying to angle (i.e. direct) the bow of the
boat into the next wave to be frightened.
(Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
For some years now, the Soviet Union has been a n g l i n g
(i.e. trying slyly) t o detach Japan from the western powe r s .
(London Times, World Book Dictionary)
Whether angling (i.e. shing) for big ones or going after
bream in a lake, good shing is only minutes away from
most Southern cities.
(Time mag., Oxford English Dictionary)
ANGRY
I was not so much angry with her as at what she had
done.
Note: Its angry with a person, but at a thing.
Get angry about the political corruption you observe.
ANIMADVERT
The critic was wont to a n i m a d ve rt o n (or u p o n)
untrained performers.
ANIMATE
His remark was animated (i.e. motivated) by malice.
The teacher animated (i.e. enlivened) the lesson with
witty comments.
ANIMUS
His animus against the Church was obvious to everyone.
AMPLIFY - ANIMUS 20
A
ANNEX
Britain a n n e xe d Labrador t o Newfoundland on the
imsiest of pretexts.
ANNEXATION
Most we re in favour of annexation t o the larger
neighbouring country.
ANNOUNCE
They are announcing it in the newspapers?
The butler was told to announce each guest in a loud
voice.
I will announce it on (or over) the radio. (Note: but only
on TV)
The birth of a grandchild was announced to the family by
phone.
ANNOYED
She was extremely annoyed about the damage to her front
door.
I was annoyed at him for arriving late.
They were annoyed by his persistent coughing.
He annoys her in church by praying aloud.
She was annoying him with her endless questions.
I was annoyed with him for bringing up the subject.
ANSWER
She had a different answer for everyone.
He refused to give a direct answer to my question.
ANSWER
I cannot answer (i.e. be responsible) for him.
In every mans heart, there is a secret nerve that answers
(i.e. responds) to the vibrations of beauty.
(Christopher Morley)
This man answers to (i.e. matches) your description.
You will have to answer to me, my boy (i.e. you are
responsible to me).
She answered (i.e. replied to) my question with an insult.
ANSWERABLE
You are answerable to me for the safety of the ships crew.
ANTAGONISTIC
The nationalistic spirit was the main force antagonistic to
(or towards) the rulers schemes.
ANTECEDENT
Contrary to the report, the tremors were antecedent to
the quake.
ANTERIOR
They lived in ages anterior to the Flood.
ANTIDOTE
The public health authorities could nd no antidote
against the new mysterious malady.
Economic opportunity is a good antidote for social
discontent.
Is there a universal antidote to snakebite?
ANTIPATHY
They shared an antipathy to the avant-garde novelist.
ANTITHESIS
Exploitation of ones fellows is the very antithesis of
Christianity.
ANTITHETICAL
The guild mentality of doctors is basically antithetical to
their oath.
ANXIOUS
The mother was anxious about her childs health.
Shes anxious at the delay involved in the processing of
her passport.
The parents were anxious for the safety of their young in
the sailboat.
21 ANNEX - ANXIOUS
A
APATHY
The students apathy toward their studies was justied by
the limitations of the school program.
APOLOGIZE
You should apologize to the guest for your oversight.
APOLOGY
I think you should make an apology to your mother.
APPAL
They were appalled at the idea of being bussed to school.
I was appalled by the prevailing conditions in the mine.
APPARENT
Their guilt is apparent in their every gesture.
His guilt was apparent to all.
APPEAL (N)
The householders who had lost everything in the ood
made an appeal (i.e. a call) for assistance.
The law provides for an appeal (i.e. a calling to account)
from a lower to a higher court.
APPEAL (V)
He (Gandhi) is a man of God. You (Winston Churchill)
and I are mundane people. Gandhi appealed to religious
motives. You never have. That is where you have failed.
(General Smuts)
She appealed to him with all the wiles she could muster.
APPEAR
He hopes to appear among the rst names listed as
passing with honours.
The general will appear at the front with all the insignia
of his rank.
You are summoned to appear before the court.
The submarine appeared below the surface near the
harbour.
It would appear (i.e. seem) from the reports that there are
no survivors.
Within just a few millions years (of the Cambrian
explosion), nearly every major kind of animal anatomy
appears in the fossil record for the rst time.
(Stephen Jay Gould, Discover mag., 1989)
There are no street names (in Tokyo). All streets are
anonymous: street names do not appear on any map.
(Josh Freed, Montreal Gazette)
If you are patient, the sun will appear through the mist.
The bacteria will appear t o the eye t h ro u g h t h e
microscope.
The geologist was certain that rich mineral deposits
would appear under the next layer of rock.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
APPEND
The secret codicil was appended to the billionaires will.
Why dont you append that glossary to your Chronicles?
APPENDAGE
The tail is an appendage of the tadpole; it is gradually
absorbed in the process of metamorphosis.
APPENDIX
The appendix (i.e. addition) to his book is detailed and
helpful.
APPETITE
Emily Carr had an appetite for the beauty of the forests of
British Columbia.
APPLICATION
All applications (i.e. requests) for tickets must be made to
the Registry.
The application (i.e. use) of what you know will enlarge
your understanding.
(John Le Carr, The little drummer girl)
APPLY
The idea was a clever one, but it would have to be applied
(i.e. put into practice) by experts.
APATHY - APPLY 22
A
Equipped with his engineering degree, the young man
was ready to apply (i.e. bid) for a position.
Make sure you apply (i.e. direct) this cost to the right
budget.
APPOINT
He was appointed as my assistant by the director.
She was appointed to the position of Chairperson.
APPOINTMENT
His appointment as coach is the talk of the town.
Their appointment by the mayor is questionable, to say
the least.
Her appointment to the Bench is effective January 1st.
APPORTION
The father tried to apportion his property equally among
his heirs.
King Solomons suggestion that a child be apportioned
between two claimants was a clever ruse to identify the
real mother.
The relief worker was instructed to apportion an equal
amount of food to each family.
APPOSE
He apposed a seal to the certicate.
APPOSITE
It is a perfect apposite to that simile.
APPOSITION
The experiment he used in the course of his lecture was in
apposition to his theory.
APPRECIATION
His sincere appreciation of my efforts encouraged me.
APPRECIATIVE
She was very appreciative of my tacit support.
APPREHENSION
Her a p p re h e n s i o n (i.e. misgivings) a b o u t her stage
performance undermined the whole companys morale.
He has an apprehension (i.e. perception) of the problem.
The citizens we re re l i e ved to learn about the
apprehension (i.e. arrest) of the thief.
APPREHENSIVE
I was apprehensive about (or for) the children travelling
alone.
The refugees were apprehensive of the future.
APPRENTICE
I want to be apprenticed to a super mechanic.
I was a p p re n t i c e d t o the garage trade w i t h a top mechanic.
APPRISE
Go ahead: apprise me of the details of this case.
APPROACH
The approach of dawn reminded us of our peril.
The approach to the castle was a steep cliff.
APPROBATION
When did you get their approbation of this deal?
APPROPRIATE
Simple, comfortable clothing is appropriate for school
children.
The air of mystery is a p p ro p riate t o the popular
mystique of the Rothschilds, but not to the history of a
bank. (The Economist)
APPROPRIATE
They have appropriated the idea of monarchy to their
own ends. (The Economist)
APPROVE
I do not approve of your conduct.
23 APPOINT - APPROVE
A
APPROXIMATE (A)
Ten minutes of stretching exercises is approximate to
hours on the golf course. (Brit.)
APPROXIMATE (V)
His methods of government began to approximate to his
predecessors.
APPROXIMATION
Five hundred miles is an approximation of the distance
between the two cities.
The prosecutors indictment was a close approximation to
the truth.
APROPOS
Ap ropos o f nothing, she suddenly interrupted the
proceedings.
APT
She is very apt (i.e. skilled) at darning socks.
The time was apt for (i.e. appropriate to) reminiscence.
(Evelyn Waugh)
He is apt (i.e. likely) to lose his temper.
ARCH
The darkening sky was a rched w i t h a shimmering
rainbow.
ARGUE
In the Army, we were enjoined not to argue about religion
or politics.
Instead of arguing against everything, why dont you
argue for something for a change?
To argue that there is a guiding intelligence behind,
above, or within the universe is not the same as arguing
for a benign, personal Deity.
(Patrick Glynn, National Review mag.)
He spent his life in swivel chairs, arguing with dictating
machines.
ARISE
Cancer arises froma number of insults to the DNA (the
master molecule of life). Viruses are one insult. They
start the process rolling. (Claudia Wallis, Time)
What fascinates me is this (re human embryo) . . The
egg gets fertilized. The cells start dividing. Some end up
as ngernails. Some end up as the liver. And then
consciousness arises out of it. How?
(Dr.L.E.H.Trainor, professor emeritus, Univ. of Toronto)
Do you believe that trouble will arise over the nal score?
ARM (V)
A vaccine is a small dose of a natural (though dead or
weakened) virus meant to stimulate the immune system
to make antibodies, and thus to arm itself against later
invasion by that virus.
(Cambridge University, Mass., The Economist)
He armed his men for an assault on the bridgehead.
Trawler skippers, grand as kings, standing on bollards
a rmed w i t h whistles, raising a scratch crew for a
voyage.(Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
ARMOUR, ARMOR
Its the bodys armor against infection.
ARRAIGN
The felon was arraigned at the bar for his crime.
The young man was arraigned on a charge of vandalism.
ARRANGE
The wine bottles we re carefully a r r a n g e d a ro u n d a
pyramid of crystal wine glasses.
There is a universal tendency for things to be arranged
(i.e. constructed) in the least intricate, most probable
way. The characteristic of life is that it works against this
tendency, creating complexity where there was none.
(James Lovelock, The Economist)
Please arrange (i.e. plan) for the wedding on the last
Saturday of this month.
Type: a stands for adjective; adv for adverb; n for noun;
ppl.a. for past participle adjective; v for verb; and vv
for Versatile Verb.
APPROXIMATE - ARRANGE 24
A
ARREST (V)
The youths were arrested by the police for the crime of
arson.
He was arrested in school.
You cannot arrest a citizen on suspicion of a crime
without a warrant.
ARRIVE
The wedding party arrived at the church in good time.
Will they arrive by plane?
Board a Boeing 747 in New York and there is roughly
a 99.9999% chance that you will a r r i ve s a f e l y i n
London. (The Economist)
The re brigade arrived on (or upon) the scene and soon
took charge.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
ASCEND
The rocket ascended beyond our view.
The scientic establishment reveals its basic bias when
it says that man descended, instead of ascended, fromthe
monkey. (Charles N. Prieur)
In 1930, in (French) Indo-China alone, there were
nearly 700 summary executions. If Gandhi had tried his
passive resistance there, Ho Chi Minh wrote, he would
long since have ascended into heaven.
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
The explorers will ascend the river to its source.
ASCENDANCY
She hated his ascendancy over her.
ASCRIBE
Schizophrenics . . have . . an unfamiliar odor, recently
ascribed to trans-3-methylhexanoic acid, in their sweat.
(Lewis Thomas, The lives of a cell )
ASK
The travel agent asked about our itinerary.
Hoover had asked Rudy Vallee in 1932 for an anti-
De p ression song; the wretched fellow pro d u c e d
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
Napoleon always asked of his generals, I know hes
good. But is he lucky?
ASPERSION
I can do without your aspersions on my reputation.
ASPIRANT
There are numerous aspirants for the post of theatre
director.
ASPIRE
He aspires after (i.e. covets) fame, not truth.
If you aspire to (i.e. reach for) the highest place, it is no
disgrace to stop at the second, or even the third, place.
(Marcus Tullius Cicero)
ASSAULT (N)
The assault on the truth by such propagandists as
Goebbels can have tragic consequences. Words ought to
be somewhat outrageous for they are, after all, assaults
of thoughts on the unthinking. (John Maynard Keynes)
ASSEMBLE
The hikers we re instructed to a s s e m b l e a t a fork in the trail.
The teacher a s s e m b l e d all the children in the primary
grades f o r a picnic.
We have nt yet learned how to stay human when
a s s e m b l e d i n m a s s e s . ( L ewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell)
There is an inherent tendency of matter to assemble
itself, in an orderly way, into more and more complex
forms, as though the desire to attain consciousness and
personal relationship were built into the nature of
matter itself. (Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell)
The dancers have been requested to assemble on stage.
ASSENT
He nodded his assent to the task.
25 ARREST - ASSENT
A
ASSENT
Would you please assent to our suggestions with a nod of
your head?
ASSIDUOUS
Ive always been assiduous in my duties.
ASSIGN
Why dont you assign that work to me?
ASSIMILATE
He was careful to assimilate his behaviour (i.e. conform)
to that of his neighbours.
I am foreign material, and cannot assimilate with (i.e.
become incorporated into) the Church of England.
(J.H. Newman)
ASSIST
They assisted as spectators rather than as participants.
Cornelius Mussus assisted at the Council of Trent.
He wanted to assist me in my observations.
Could you assist a poor man with a copper, Sir?
(Oxford English Dictionary)
ASSOCIATE (N)
The chief engineer was an associate of the architect in the
construction of the stadium.
ASSOCIATE (A)
Many of the traits associated with Type-A behaviour,
including fast-paced speech and eating, and a sense of
urgency about time, do not seem to increase the risk of
heart attack . . Only hostility appears to be related to
disease. (Redford Williams of Duke University)
Note: never associated to
ASSOCIATION
Most of the associations between the living things we
know about are essentially cooperative ones . . It takes
long intimacy, long and familiar interliving, before one
kind of creature can cause illness in another.
(Lewis Thomas, The lives of a Cell)
A university should function as an association of scholars
for the advancement of knowledge.
Close association with good literature develops both the
mind and the spirit.
ASSUMPTION
Atheism is abnormality. It is not merely the denial of a
dogma. It is the reversal of a subconscious assumption in
the soul; the sense that there is a meaning and a
direction in the world it sees.
(G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man)
He dreamed of a sudden assumption (i.e. elevation) into
the heady community of the elite.
The acting manager bustled about with an assumption
(i.e. appropriation) of authority.
ASTERN
He maneuvered his sloop slightly astern of the leaders.
ASTONISH
They were astonished at his doing such a thing.
The people were astonished at his doctrine.
(Bible: Matthew 7:28)
You will be astonished by the musical ability of this child
prodigy.
The magician will astonish the audience with his tricks.
ASTONISHMENT
Imagine their astonishment a t his sudden wealth and fame.
ASTOUND
Werent you astounded at their giving up so quickly?
I was astounded by his skills as a magician.
He liked to astound his readers with paradoxes, such as
the fact that, when the largest human cell (the female
ovum) and the smallest (the male spermatozoon) meet
and fuse, the biological miracle of conception occurs.
(Mind Alive mag.)
ASTUTE
How very astute you are at leaving no trace of your
passage.
ASSENT - ASTUTE 26
A
Their were surprisingly astute in the way they solved that
problem.
ATONE
Nothing can atone for the insult of a gift, except the
love of the person who gives it. (Old Chinese proverb)
ATTACH
The notary instructed his clerk to attach (i.e. afx) the
codicil at the top of the last page of the will.
A legal writ will attach him (i.e. make him liable) for the
debt he owes.
No blame may attach on (or upon) (i.e. adhere to) her for
the accident.
Since it consists only of a relatively short strand of
DNA protected by a shell of protein, a virus cannot eat
or reproduce by itself. What it can do is attach itself to a
host cell and inject its DNA inside.
(David H. Freedman, Discover mag.)
ATTACHMENT
The a t t a c h m e n t (i.e. affection) b e t we e n David and
Jonathan in the Old Testament became a model for
devoted friendship.
The machine had attachments for special cleaning tasks.
The attachment of a child to an animal (i.e. the bond
between) can be profound.
ATTACK (N)
A night attack by long-range bombers destroyed the city.
Most of the household members suffered from an attack
of the u.
R.L. Stevensons The Lantern-Bearers is an attack on
realism thats unreal.
(G.K. Chesterton, Generally Speaking)
ATTACK (V)
The intelligence agent informed us that the enemy
planned to attack with tanks at dawn, against our weakest
positions.
I will attack you on this bill, if you introduce it.
The cabinet member decided to attack the opposition
through its wafing position on electoral reform.
ATTAIN
I couldnt attain to those heights of achievement in several
lifetimes.
ATTEMPT (N)
At least make an attempt at it.
It wasnt the rst time they made an attempt on her life.
ATTEND
Its your turn to attend to (i.e. take care of) him.
ATTENDANT
Debilitating weakness is one of the symptoms attendant
to this particular disease.
Historically, for each 1 percent increase in joblessness
in the U.S. economy, the direct result has been 38,886
deaths, 20,240 cardiovascular failures, 494 cases of
death from cirrhosis of the liver attendant to alcoholism,
920 suicides, and 648 homicides. (Harvey Brenner)
ATTENTIVE
They were singularly attentive to his appeals for reform.
ATTITUDE
The actress assumed an attitude o f mock despair.
We cannot escape the Calvinist a t t i t u d e t o money that
it is something to be accumulated . . that it is naughty to
spend it. (Pi e r re Be rton, The Smug Mi n o r i t y)
Her attitude t ow a rd the course of study changed as her
k n owledge incre a s e d .
ATTRIBUTE (N)
But mercy is above this sceptred sway . . It is an attribute
to God himself. (Shakespeare)
Kindness is an attribute of the humane person.
27 ATONE - ATTRIBUTE
A
ATTRIBUTE (V)
In his book, The Descent of Man, and Selection in
Relation to Sex, written 12 years after he published his
m o re famous On the Origin of Species, Da rw i n
a t t r i b u t e d the origin of human races t o our sexual
p re f e rences (the surv i val of the sexiest). Natural selection
p l a yed no role, Da rwin claimed.
(Ja red Diamond, Di s c ove r m a g . )
ATT R I B U T I O N
C h ri s t i a n i t y, one star commentator declared, quoting
w i t h o u t a t t r i b u t i o n f ro m Disraeli, was completed
Judaism or it was nothing .
(John Le Carr, The little drummer girl)
ATT U N E
He was thoroughly attuned t o their way of life.
AU D I E N C E
Our senator has an audience o f the president on Tu e s d a y.
( f o r m a l )
I had an audience w i t h the Spanish Mi n i s t e r. (Di s r a e l i )
AVA I L
I suggest you a va i l yourself o f this rare opport u n i t y.
AVA I LA B L E
Lenders . . wish . . to have their assets as available a s t h e y
can. (Rogers, O x f o rd Un i versal Di c t i o n a ry)
That book is a vailable a t your corner store .
The documents will be a vailable f o r your perusal this
a f t e r n o o n .
He re, hospital care is a vailable o n l y i n e m e r g e n c i e s t o
i n s u red persons.
Ex p e rts agree that not more than 20% of all positions
a va i l a b l e o n the job market are adve rtised thro u g h
newspapers, employment centres or placement agencies.
This means that over 80% of vacant positions are not
a d ve rtised. ( Po i n t e - C l a i re Job Se a rch Centre, funded by
Human Re s o u rces De velopment Canada)
Mental health is directly pro p o rtionate to the number
of perc e i ved options a va i l a b l e t o any individual. On e
who is mentally disturbed often lives in a world in which
almost eve ry door seems to be closed.
(G. Leonard, E s q u i re mag., Dec. 1982)
This should be a vailable t o you w i t h i n 5 days.
AV E N G E
The father will a ve n g e the murder of his son b y b r i n g i n g
the criminal to justice.
Hi t l e rs victims seek to a ve n g e t h e m s e l ves o n (or u p o n) the
Nazi perpetrators who have so far escaped punishment.
AV E R S E
The boy (Frederick William II) was of an easy-going and
p l e a s u re - l oving disposition, a ve r s e f ro m sustained effort of
any kind. (En c yclopedia Br i t a n n i c a)
To be a ve r s e t o something indicates opposition on the
s u b j e c ts part. (Michael Ga rtner: Ad ve rtising Age)
Our advice is to use d i f f e re n t f ro m and a ve r s e t o.
( Fow l e r, The Kings En g l i s h)
Note: Oxfords Kings English nds f ro m u n c o m f o rt a b l e ;
p refers t o in all instances.
AV E RT
She a ve rt e d her eyes f ro m the ghastly tableau.
AWA K E
The young campers awake a t sunrise t o the sound of the
b u g l e .
He awoke f ro m his stupor, but it was too late to catch the
t r a i n .
AWA K E N
Scientists are a w a k e n i n g t o its (Antarc t i c as) cri t i c a l
i m p o rtance as the storehouse of 70 percent of the worlds
f resh water supply and the source of much of its
we a t h e r.
( L e n n a rd Bickel, A n t a rctica, at the other end of the world)
AWA R E
In man, evolution became a w a re o f s e l f. (Julian Hu x l e y )
ATTRIBUTE - AWA R E 28
A
AWAY
Stay a w a y f ro m the re .
The author decided to do away w i t h (i.e. delete) his last
chapter altogether.
AWKWARD
He proved a w k w a rd a t the task of organizing the
computer program.
Although awkward on land, the vehicle was efcient in
the water.
The child was awkward in her gestures.
29 AWAY - AWKWARD
A
BABBLE
He babbled, for a long time, about the generosity and
goodness of his brother. (Charles Dickens)
I bubble in the eddying bays, I babble on the pebbles.
(Tennyson, Brook)
Griefs too sacred to be babbled to the world.
(D. Mitchell, Dream Life)
BACK
Make sure you back against the wall.
Our house backed onto a cliff.
Why dont you back the car out of the garage?
OK, now back all the way to the street.
On a hot day, she backs her car under those trees.
BAFFLE
I am bafed (i.e. puzzled) by his position in this dispute.
The vessel bafed (i.e. struggled) with a gale throughout
her voyage.
We can bafe (i.e. confuse) the enemy with this ruse.
BAIT
The promise of riches was the bait for gold prospectors.
BALANCE (N)
Balance of trade is . . the estimation of the difference of
value between the exports and imports of a country.
(Oxford Universal Dictionary)
Try to strike a happy balance between capitalism and
freedom in your speech.
BALANCE (V)
Im trying to balance (i.e. weigh) his arguments against
yours.
Can you balance (i.e. steady) yourself on one foot?
The seal was balancing (i.e. steadying) the ball on its nose.
Make sure this set of gures balances with (i.e. equals)
that one.
BALK
The horse balked at the jump, unseating its rider.
BAMBOOZLE
They were bamboozled by the con artist.
So the lawye r bamboozled h i m i n t o accepting the
politicians rather weak defence.
BAN (N)
Individuals have always had to live under the ban of a
society that could not tolerate dissent.
The city council placed a ban on parking cars on the street
overnight.
BAN (V)
Following a Prussian decree of 1816 which banned (i.e.
barred) Jews from the higher ranks of law and medicine,
he (the father of Karl Marx) became a Protestant and . .
had his six children baptized.
(Paul Johnson, Intellectuals)
Good air and sunny skies are banned (i.e. interdicted) to
them for life.
BANDY
The ball was bandied (i.e. tossed) from one player to
another with lightning speed.
Are you ready to bandy (i.e. exchange) words with me?
BANISH
Romeo was banished from Verona.
I am banishing them from this country for life.
Napoleon was banished to Elba.
B
B
BABBLE - BANISH 30
BAR
At the Lateran Council in 1215, they (the Jews) were
barred from owning land and all military and civil
functions.
(from Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 1974)
They are barring him from the next jazz festival.
BARE (A)
He swept the driveway bare of leaves.
BARGAIN (V)
The woman bargained (i.e. haggled) almost an hour with
the merchant for the antique vase she wanted.
He is bargaining for (i.e. expecting) good weather.
BARK
The huge dog barked at every passerby.
The sergeant barked his orders to the company.
He is barking up the wrong tree.
BARRIER
The Rocky Mountains were a barrier between Canadas
coasts till the railway was built.
North America was a barrier to Europeans trying to reach
Asia by sea.
BASE (N)
The nancial experts outlined a sound base (i.e. program)
for reform of the economy.
The climbers rested at the base (i.e. bottom) of the
mountain.
BASE (V)
I am basing my conclusion on your behaviour up to now.
Chinese medicine is based on the belief that a life force,
or qi, ows through 14 channels in the body and can be
stimulated by the insertion of needles (at the 360
acupuncture points).
(George Howe Colt, Life mag.)
Biologists dont know how patterns are created on re a l
mollusks. But mathematical models b a s e d o n
hypothetical interacting chemicals match them with
uncanny accuracy. (Carl Zi m m e r, Di s c ov ve r mag. 1992)
BASIS
Is i d o res Etymologies . . became the b a s i s f o r a l l
teaching in the West for about 800 years.
(Paul Johnson, The History of Christianity)
It is necessary therefore to have a basis for our discussion
(i.e. shared assumptions).
(J. Bright, Oxford English Dictionary)
The pro s e c u t o rs accusations had no b a s i s ( i . e .
foundation) in fact.
The basis (i.e. principal ingredient) of this cosmetic
preparation is a vegetable oil.
BASK
She loved to bask in the sun.
BATHE
From sunrise to sunset, Ma r s b a t h e s i n d a z z l i n g
lasershine. (National Geographic)
He bathed the seedling with a secret chemical.
BATTEN
Melancholy sceptics with a taste for carrion, who batten
(i.e. glut) on the hideous facts of history persecutions,
inquisitions. (Emerson, Oxford English Dictionary)
BATTER
She was battered by her husband at least twice last year.
The sample was battered with beams of charged atoms.
(The Economist mag.)
Sam wasnt beating my rugs, he was battering them with
a baseball bat.
BATTLE (N)
Lymphocytes, the small white blood cells that lead the
bodys battle against infection and cancer.
(Rob Wechsler, Discover mag.)
The professors engaged in a battle of words over the
precise meaning of a term.
31 BAR - BATTLE
B
The revival has ignited a bitter lobbying battle between
Big Steel and its customers.
(Christine Gorman, Time mag.)
BATTLE (V)
One should never put on ones best trousers to go out to
battle for freedom and truth.
(Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People)
The waves battled with the winds.
BEAM (V)
The madman wanted his manifesto b e a m e d ( i . e .
broadcast) around the world.
Radio programs were beamed at (i.e. transmitted to)
Eastern Europe from England.
His moon face beamed (i.e. smiled warmly) down at her
from its great height.
A compact disc (CD) stores music in digital form in
some 15 billion microspic pits on its aluminum surface
. . a laser (then) scans the pits and beams (i.e. transmits)
their information to a computer chip for conversion into
sound.
(Stephen Koepp, Time mag.)
BEAR (V)
Her song was borne (i.e. carried) on the wind.
Your complaint doesnt bear on (i.e. has no relation to) the
subject at all.
Our guns were brought to bear (i.e. bracketed) upon (or
on) the enemys batteries.
There is nothing in the world so much admired as a man
who knows how to bear (i.e. suffer) unhappiness with
courage. (Seneca)
She bore (i.e. endured) her pain with great fortitude.
BEARING
How does that have a bearing on this case?
BEAT (V)
The rioters are beating (i.e. pounding) against their cell
bars with their tin cups.
The ship beat (i.e. ploughed) along the rocky coast.
His mission: to beat (i.e. best) the archetypal mind-
polluters at their own game. (James Geary, Time mag.)
They shall b e a t (i.e. hammer) their swords i n t o
plowshares. (Isaiah 2:4)
They beat (i.e. bared) a path to his door.
And the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell
not: for it was founded upon a rock. (Matthew 7:25)
He had beaten (i.e. smashed) the poor animal to a pulp.
The mothers heart beats (i.e. pounds) with joy at the
news of her sons success.
He was beaten (i.e. struck) with sticks till he lay senseless.
BECKON
She beckoned to him imperiously from the dais.
He is beckoning me with his nger.
BECOME
Dont you care what becomes of (i.e. happens to) the
valuable library book.
It does not become (i.e. bet) us to neglect our civic duty
by failing to vote.
BECOMING
Her period costume was very becoming (i.e. attering) to
the aging actress.
BEG
He begged (i.e. asked) for alms from the people leaving
church.
The nuns went door to door, begging food for the poor.
Please dont beat him; I beg of (i.e. beseech) you.
BEGIN
I will begin after breakfast.
The blood drops began at the door.
I must begin by doing something. Anything.
Professional pianists and violinists . . almost always begin
to play by the age of seven or eight.
(James Shreeve, Discover mag., Oct. 96)
He had begun from a point directly north of here.
The war began on (or upon) a soft, sunny morning.
BATTLE - BEGIN 32
B
Civilizations decay quite leisurely. For 250 years after
moral weakening began in Greece with the Sophists,
Hellenic civilization continued to produce masterpieces
of literature and art.
(Will and Ariel Durant, The Story of Civilization)
The (American Civil) war began over the expansion
westward of slavery, not its elimination.
(The Economist)
Im beginning to lose patience with you.
Dont begin under any circumstances.
If you would change the face of the world, begin with
the face in the mirror. (Anon.)
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BEHALF
The lawyer spoke eloquently on behalf of his client.
BEHAVE
Electrons had been thought to exist only as subatomic
particles until . . the quantum theory suggested that
electrons could behave as both particles and waves.
(Jamie Murphy, Time mag.)
They behaved like madmen.
They behave ruthlessly toward (or to) their tenants.
BEHAVIOUR
The comedians b e h a v i o u r b e f o re an audience commanded
a t t e n t i o n .
Children should be taught what is acceptable behaviour
in a church, theatre or concert hall, as well as on public
vehicles and on the street.
The behaviour of some individuals toward the elderly is
inconsiderate.
BELIEF
There were numerous varieties of Christianity which . .
centred on belief in the resurrection.
(Paul Johnson, The History of Christianity)
Strangely, sickness onto death causes most people to
betray their belief in God.
(Walt) Whitman wanted his poems to embody a n
implicit belief in the the wisdom, health, mystery, beauty
of every process, every concrete object, every human and
other existence, not only considerd from the point of
view of all, but of each.
(Christopher Patton quoting Whitman)
BELIEVE
Economists are one of the last groups of professionals
on earth who still b e l i e ve i n perpetual motion
machines. (Paul Erlich)
BELONG
The tensions in a harp are so tremendous and
unrelenting that it becomes unplayable after fty years,
and belongs on a dump or in a museum.
(Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Jailbird)
Your mothers portrait belongs over the replace.
Most fruit trees belong to the rose family, including
peach, apricot, plum, cherry, apple and pear trees. And -
yes - the strawberry, which is considered a tree because
it has a wooden stem.
That gift belongs under the Christmas tree.
His book belongs with the classics.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BELOVED
It gave the rustic scenery the kind of self-contained
serenity beloved of romantic painters of the nineteenth
century. (The Economist)
BENEFICIAL
Why are these tax breaks benecial to everyone but me?
BENEFIT (N)
The actors staged a benet for one of their fellow artists
in distress.
You should give him the benet of the doubt.
That is of very little benet to me.
No t e: Benets o f the benefactor; benets t o t h e
beneciary (Fowler, The Kings English)
33 BEHALF - BENEFIT
B
BENEFIT (V)
That child is so ill, hes unlikely to benet by any kind of
holiday.
Only a few privileged individuals out of the total
number of people who have a given disease ever benet
fromthe results of sophisticated medical technology, and
even fewer doctors develop the skill to use them.
(Ivan Illich, Toward a History of Need)
BENT (N)
They all have a bent for (i.e. bias to) the obvious.
BEND (V)
They left the bar bent (i.e. intent) on mayhem.
BEQUEATH
It is this idolatry of self which they (the Romans) have
bequeathed to us in the form of patriotism.
(Simone Weil)
BEREAVE
She was bereaved of three generations of her family in the
Holocaust.
He was soon bereft of all his worldly goods.
BESET
He was beset (i.e. attacked) by his neighbours as soon as
he stepped out the door.
She was beset (i.e. harassed) by problems all her married
life.
He then besets (i.e. studs) the ring with priceless gems.
They were caught besetting (i.e. studding) jewelry with
fake gems.
BESOTTED
The next morning, besotted (i.e. stupeed) with drink, he
took the ferry back to the mainland.
She was besotted (i.e. infatuated) with words.
BESTOW
He rashly bestowed the award on (or upon) his own
brother.
BIG
Theres nothing big (i.e. elevating) about bigotry.
(Charles N. Prieur)
Thats big (i.e. generous) of you.
She is big with child (i.e. pregnant)
BILK
The vagrant bilked him of all his savings
BIND
They bound (i.e. covered) the volumes in red leather.
Opiate drugs like morphine and heroin can bind (i.e.
adhere) to cells in the brain.
(Rob Wechsler, Discover mag.)
Make sure you b i n d (i.e. tie) their hands w i t h t h o s e
ro p e s .
BLAME (N)
She put the whole blame on me.
BLAME (V)
Doppler radars will give pilots advance warning of
wind shear conditions, which have been blamed for a
number of plane crashes. (Gordon Graff)
He blamed the whole mess on his brother.
I b l a m e it o n h e re d i t y.
( Evelyn Waugh, A little learning)
BLEND
The diplomats manner was a skilled blend of tact and
good humour.
BLEND
The town and country met and blended (i.e. became
one) in almost perfect harmony.
(M. Moorcock, Oxford English Dictionary)
BENEFIT - BLEND 34
B
Like chameleons, squid have chro m a t o p h o res
pigment cells in their skin that allow them to change
colour to blend (i.e. melt) into their surroundings.
(Mark Kemp, Discover mag.)
Her manner was smoothly blended (i.e was a smooth
mixture) of graciousness and condescension.
(World Book Dictionary)
The four escapees blended (i.e. mingled closely) with the
crowd.
Pleasant Spring scents . . to blend (i.e. mix in) with the
robuster aroma of coffee and fried bacon.
(P.G. Wodehouse, Oxford English Dictionary)
BLESS
They were blessed (i.e. prayed for) by the chaplain before
going into battle.
She blessed (i.e. thanked) him for his kindness.
The bellmans drowsy charm to bless (i.e. protect) the
doors from nightly harm.
(Milton, Oxford English Dictionary)
The Word liveth . . ; and the nations shall bless (i.e.
sanctify) themselves in Him.
(Jer. 4:2, Oxford English Dictionary)
I was blessed (i.e. endowed) with good health all my life.
We found him b l e s s i n g (i.e. praying over) his
congregation with all manner of wild incantations.
BLIND (A)
Winston Churchill . . though alert to danger in India . .
was always blind to perils further east.
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
BLIND (V)
Clouds blind (i.e. hide) the stars from my view.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
His prejudice blinds him (i.e. closes his eyes) to the facts
of the case.
She was suddenly blinded (i.e. made sightless) by the sun.
Blind with (i.e. blinkered by) science.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
BLOCK (V)
The whole street was blocked by the fallen crane.
At rush hours, the main arteries are blocked with trafc.
They blocked the road with their trucks.
BLOT (N)
After a lifetime of public service, his nancial misdemeanor
was a tragic b l o t o n his re p u t a t i o n .
BLOW (N)
It was like a blow to the pit of my stomach.
(Anthony Hyde)
BLOW (V)
The old man watched the dry autumn leaves blow across
the road.
The factory whistle blows at 7 a.m.
The innkeeper used a small bellows to blow the embers
into ame.
The wind blew all the leaves into my garden.
It is not good table manners to blow on your food.
The sudden gust of wind blew my newspaper under the
porch.
The wind is blowing through the cracks in the house.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BLUNDER
The horses had to blunder their way alongside the river.
The driver blundered into the wrong lane.
He blundered upon a scouting party and was taken
prisoner.
BOARD (V)
I boarded (i.e. had my meals) with the sailors at the
hostel.
He is boarding his windows against (i.e. shielding them
from) the hurricane with barn siding.
BOAST (V)
He couldnt help boasting about his deed.
To boast of a virtue is to hollow it with pride. (Anon.)
35 BLESS - BOAST
B
She boasted to him about her indelities.
Note: Sometimes, boast is a transitive verb and needs no
preposition to pre-position the object. As in:
Critic . . A person who boasts himself hard to please,
because nobody tries to please him.
(Ambrose Pierce, The Devils Dictionary)
BOAT (V)
They boated down the river, singing at the top of their
lungs.
Leopoldine, daughter of Victor Hugo, drowned with her
young husband, while boating on the Seine . . His other
daughter, Adle, died mad.
(Charles McCarry, National Geographic mag.)
BOGGLE
The mind just boggles at this concept of the universe.
BOIL (V)
Water deprived of its air will not boil at 212 F.
Martyrs were stoned, or crucied, or burned in re, or
boiled in oil. (Tennyson, Oxford English Dictionary)
I want it boiled down into (i.e. reduced to) a sentence.
The mob surged and boiled (i.e. stormed) through every
room of the palace.
The revolutionaries boiled with rage at the injustices
inicted upon the hapless serfs.
BOOK (V)
Shall I b o o k (i.e. charge) it t o you or t o your father? (Br i t i s h )
BOOST (N)
Were relying on you to give a boost (i.e. encouragement)
to your Alma Mater.
Ination was increased by a boost (i.e. surge) in prices.
The child needed a boost (i.e. lift) over the fence.
BORDER (V)
Goethe said that many of his best poems were written
in a condition that bordered on (i.e. approximated)
somnambulism. (Lyall Watson, Supernature)
The garden is bordered with (i.e. hedged by) evergreens.
BORN
We are born for cooperation, as are the feet, the hands,
the eyelids and the upper and lower jaws.
(Marcus Aurelius)
Children born in Italy in 1348, the year of the Great
Plague, grew no more than 24 teeth instead of the
normal 32. (Elwin Newman, Sunday Punch)
They were born into wealth.
We are born of love. It is the only principle of existence
and its only end. (Benjamin Disraeli)
It is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we
are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born again to
eternal life. (St. Francis of Assisi)
A baby is born with prefabricated exure lines on its
hand; and what can be the survival value of these?
(Hugh Monteore, The Probability of God)
BORROW
The original idea of our civilization, the only one that
we have not borrowed from the Greeks, is the idea of the
spirituality of labour. (Simone Weil)
BOUNCE (V)
She bounced (i.e. sprang) from her chair in a fury.
The children bounced (i.e. bounded) on the trampoline
with great glee, until one of them b o u n c e d ( i . e .
rebounded) off the edge and fell to the oor.
One (guard) even bounced upon the (Kings) bed and
felt every inch for any threatening thing.
(George Garrett, Death of the Fox)
The ball bounces (i.e. bounds) over the wall occasionally.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BOUND (V)
The property was bounded (i.e. hemmed in) by the river
on one side and woods on the other.
They left at dawn, bound (i.e. headed) for they knew not
what adventure.
The dancer b o u n d s (i.e. leaps) i n t o the air as if free of gravity.
The re t r i e ver loved to b o u n d (i.e. leap) t h ro u g h the tall grass.
She was bound (i.e. compelled) to go for it.
BOAT - BOUND 36
B
Note: As for all VV (versatile verbs), they can be followed
by a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
Note: If the bound youre looking for is the past tense of
the verb bind, see bind.
BOUNDARY
It also promises to resolve the boundary between people
and animals. (Matt Cartmill, Discover mag., Nov. 98)
Ideas are the boundaries of thought.
BOW (V)
The wreath-layers bowed to the Unknown Soldier.
The old ladys back was bowed (i.e. arched) by age.
The boats bridge is bowed (i.e. bent) like an arch.
The Japanese lawyer bowed us (i.e. escorted us with bows)
into his ofce.
Disgusted with the partnership, they bowed (i.e. backed)
out of the agreement.
The whole crowd suddenly bowed (i.e. inclined their
heads in reverence) as one to their sovereign.
BRAND (V)
The remnants were eventually branded as (i.e. accused of
being) heretics.
(Paul Johnson, The History of Christianity)
The bulls were branded with hot irons.
BREACH (N)
The breaking of that trust (in words) . . is symptomatic
of breach of trust with God. (The Economist)
BREAK (V)
One of the extraordinary properties of holograms is
their resistance to damage or loss of memory. A tiny
fragment or chip b ro k e n a n y w h e re f ro m the plate
essentially holds all the information of the whole plate.
(Yatri, Unknown Man)
They broke (i.e. smashed their way) into the house while
the owner was away on vacation.
The composer loved to listen to the sea break (i.e. crash)
on the rocks.
The classic example of entropy is a car rusting in a
junkyard; entropy breaks down the orderly machinery
into crumbling rust.
(Dr. Deepak Chopra, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind)
Without warning, King Charles the First broke in upon
(or on) (i.e. interrupted unexpectedly) a sitting of the
House of Commons, hoping to trap the leaders.
He decided to break with (i.e. sever himself from) the past
and start afresh.
BREAKTHROUGH
Breakthroughs in miniaturization could lead to robots
the size of a ea. (Philip Elmer De Witt, Time mag.)
BREATHE
In every single breath of yours there are no less than
2 billion atoms that were once breathed by this great
man (Leonardo da Vinci).
(Heinz Haber, The Walt Disney story of our friend the
atom)
66 species of dolphins, porpoises, and other toothed
whales inhabit the earths water . . breathing from
openings on the tops of their heads.
(Justine Kaplan, Omni mag.)
Ideas are the mightiest inuence on earth. One great
thought breathed into a man may regenerate him.
(Channing)
The air b reathes u p o n us here most swe e t l y.
( Sh a k e s p e a re )
BRIBE (V)
She bribed her dog with scraps from the table.
BRIDLE (V)
The young wife bridled (i.e. expressed resentment) at
every criticism against her husband.
BRIEF (V)
He found himself briefed by the whole assemblage.
I was briefed on the subject as soon as I stepped into the
ofce.
37 BOUNDARY - BRIEF
B
BRIGHTEN
Only a very tired seagull would have brightened at the
sight of its dank greenstone cliffs.
(Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
The new owners brightened the old house with fresh
paint.
BRIM (V)
Current cosmology is brimming with exotic theories.
(The Economist)
BRING
The government intends to bring a court action against
companies which pollute the environment.
The family of a landless Indian peasant now spends
about six hours a day merely nding the rewood it
needs for cooking and heating. Another four to six hours
are spent bringing water from a well.
(Alvin Tofer, The Third Wave)
The only absolute response to absolute power is the
absolute love which our Lord brought into the world.
(Malcolm Muggeridge)
The new lens brought the scene into sharp relief.
Why dont you bring him through the garden?
Speaking about the late master lyricist Alan J. Lerner,
historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. said, Few men in our
melancholy age brought so much pleasure to so many
people. (Time mag.)
Bring it to me now!
The average cost of developing a new drug and bringing
it to market is $350 million to $500 million.
(Gary Taubes, Discover mag., Feb. 99)
Why wait? Bring it with you this evening.
BRISTLE (V)
I bristle at the very thought of it.
Transparent, bristling with weapons and possessing a
Houdini-like ability to slip between other cells, the
white cells are the bodys chief ghters (against disease).
(Dr. Paul Brand,& Philip Yancey, In His Image)
He would bristle all the land with castles.
(Lytton, Oxford English Dictionary)
All France bristles with indignation.
(World Book Dictionary)
BROOD (V)
They brooded on the terror that would come with the
night.
Jackson Pollock (was) a genius whose spirit continues to
brood over American culture.
(Robert Hughes, Time mag.)
She brooded upon her childs deathly pallor.
BRUSH (V)
It is impolite to brush against someone on a bus, if this
can be avoided.
He brushed by me as he left the house.
The little boy was told to cheer up and brush the tears
from his eyes.
BUBBLE (V)
Some of the earths strangest creatures live around
hydrothermal vents hot springs that bubble from
volcanic ssures in the ocean depths.
(Discover mag., Oct. 96)
BUCKLE (V)
The mother buckled her child into the car seat.
BUILD
Mitochondria, like chloroplasts, are built according to
an elaborate blueprint. (Life Science Library, The Cell)
Build better schoolrooms for the boy than cells and
gibbets for the man. (Eliza Cook)
The robin had built its nest in the eavestrough.
Na t u re has b u i l t its own carefully constru c t e d
electronic devices into all organisms.
(Life Science Library, The Cell)
Nanotechnologits . . believe in a bottom-up appro a c h .
Take atoms and molecules . . and customb u i l d t h e mi n t o
larger objects ultra-strong materials, designer foods,
e ven tiny ro b o t s . ( Michael Krantz, Ti m e m a g . )
Proteins are very large molecules built of simpler units
called amino acids. (Mind Alive mag.)
BRIGHTEN - BUILD 38
B
Istanbul (known for 1600 years as Constantinople) is
the only city in the world to be built on two continents.
(James Stewart-Gordon, Readers Digest)
It was the rst bridge built over that river.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BUILDUP (N)
Glaucoma is the buildup of uid in the eyeball, causing
increased pressure and eventual damage to the optic
nerve. (Andrew Purvis, Time mag.)
BULK (V)
The question of the Russian zone of occupation in
Germany therefore did not bulk in our thoughts or in
AngloAmerican discussions, nor was it raised by any of
the leaders at Teheran.
(Winston Churchill about the Iron Curtain)
BURDEN (V)
Let us not burden our remembrance with a heaviness
that is gone. (William Shakespeare)
BURN (VV)
She was burned brown by the sun.
Thanks to electromagnetism, the sun does not explode,
but burns smoothly for billions of years.
(Sheldon Lee Glashow, Discover mag., 1989)
Many people didnt even know of the atoms existence
until that day in 1945 when a frightful ash burned
the word atom into the mind of modern man.
(Heinz Haberb, The Walt Disney story of our friend the
atom)
Candles burn in every corner of the church.
Lightning struck the old farmhouse, and it burned to the
ground.
The cigarette had burnt through the upholstery.
She burned with desire.
Oh, oh, oh, Falstaff cries as the supposedly merry wives
of Windsor burn him with tapers.
(Otto Friedrick, Time mag.)
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
BURST (V)
With the sudden heat, the apple trees burst into bloom.
The Fourth of July reworks burst into being a second
ahead of their mufed bangs. (John Updike)
He suddenly burst (i.e. charged) through the doorway.
In August 1986, bubbles of carbon diox i d e
accumulating at the bottom of (Lake Nyos in
Cameroon) . . burst to the surface; a blanket of dense
carbon dioxide and water vapor spread over nearby
villages, killing cattle and 1,700 people.
(Discover mag., Oct. 1988)
The pantry was bursting (i.e. overloaded) with every kind
of baked delicacy.
BURY (VV)
She was buried by the same priest who had married her
only a few weeks before.
They buried their beloved father in a small orchard
within sight of the homestead.
They are burying him under the bridge, where he died.
BUSY
I never thought I would be this busy in my old age.
Im sorry, but Im too busy to attend the meeting tonight.
He was busy with another set of problems.
BUY (V)
She ran out to buy cigarettes at the corner store.
I bought a doll for Anita and a teddy bear for Sue.
They always bought their sh from the same passing
peddler.
They only buy fruit in season.
Consumers are buying too much on credit.
It was possible in the 19th century for a soldier to buy
himself out of the army.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
39 BUILDUP - BUY
B
CALL (V)
I called (i.e. stopped for a short spell) at his shop on the
way home.
Why dont you have her sister call f o r her (i.e. pick her up).
He called for (i.e. demanded) his morning cup of coffee.
Americans must call on more brain space to learn a
second language than they did to assimilate English.
( Sh a ron Begley with John Carey and Ray Sa w h i l l ,
Newsweek mag., 1983)
I called to her as she crossed the square.
CALVE
In 1982, an enormous chunk of freshwater ice calved
from an ice shelf on Ellesmere Island.
CAPABLE
Only a virtuous people are c a p a b l e o f f re e d o m .
(Benjamin Franklin)
Stem cells (are) capable of generating an endless supply
of red cells, white cells and platelets.
(Peter Radetsky, Discover mag.)
The new digital video disc (DVD) . . is c a p a b l e o f
s t o ring 4.7 gigabytes of data per side enough to show
a full-length feature lm with stereo sound and a cinema-
quality picture . (The Ec o n o m i s t mag, June 1, 96)
CAPACITATE
Cu r rent re s e a rch shows the human brain to be
m a rvelously designed and c a p a c i t a t e d b eyo n d t h e
wonders with which it was invested by innocent
imagination. (Scientic American mag.)
We are innitely capacitated for the future.
(Dr. Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell)
CAPACITY
The human liver has a great capacity for regeneration
(i.e. ability to regenerate) . . and can rebuild a large
portion of itself within a month.
(Harold M. Schneck Jr., New York Times)
The capacity (i.e. volume) of that reservoir is staggering.
CAPTURE (V)
A newly discove red molecule is thought to be a
component of interstellar dust. Its essence is better
captured by R. Buckminster Fullers geodesic dome, the
many-sided structure whose perfect symmetry ensures
perfect stability. (Sarah Boxer, Discover mag.)
He captures the spawning salmon with a net.
CARE (V)
I just dont care (i.e. worry) about that.
Its incumbent on the healthy to care for (i.e. look after)
the sick.
She doesnt care for (i.e. like) candies.
I think she is caring for his two children this afternoon.
CARELESS
He was careless about details.
Yet a boy careless (i.e. having no care) of books.
(Wordsworth, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CARRY
One hair-thin strand of (pure glass ber) can carry (i.e.
t r a n s p o rt) as many telephone conve r s a t i o n s a s 6 2 5
copper wires and with greater clarity.
(Stephen Koepp, Readers Digest)
Because babies usually carry their mothers antibodies
for the rst year or so of their life, all of them even
the perfectly healthy ones will test positive using
antibody tests. (Yvonne Baskin, Discover mag. 1990)
In four centuries, the European slave trave carried over
ten million slaves from Africa, over sixty percent of them
between 1721 and 1820.
(Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity)
C
C
CALL - CARRY 40
Mitochondrial DNA has a unique characteristic that
makes it very useful for tracing lineages. It is carried in
the egg, but not in the sperm, so it is passed on to
children only from their mothers.
(David Noonan, Discover mag., Oct. 90)
They carried the old man in a chair into the garden.
An endless supply of oxygen, amino acids, nitrogen,
sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sugars, lipids,
cholesterols, and hormones surge past our (100 trillion)
cells, carried on blood cell rafts or suspended in the
(blood) uid. Each cell has special withdrawal privileges
to gather the resources needed to fuel a tiny engine for
its complex chemical reaction.
(Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey, In His Image)
Light is suited to carrying enormous numbers of
precise digital signals at high speed over long distances.
(Stephen Koepp, Readers Digest)
Human red-blood cells are saucer-shaped and fairly
at, permitting the ready transfer of the oxygen and
carbon dioxide they carry throughout the body.
(The Cell, life Science Library)
A complex protein, produced in a nasal gland, has been
identied as the chemical messenger that carries aromas
to the odor-sensing nerves in the nose.
(AP Washington/Montreal Gazette)
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
CASE (N)
It was a case of pure neglect.
Paul, attempting to interpret Christ, did not even try to
construct a case for the legitimate use of force.
(Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity)
Thats the whole case in question.
CAST (V)
They cast me for (i.e. chose me to play) the part.
Horses cast (i.e. rejected) from the cavalry.
(Universal Oxford Dictionary)
A gure cast (i.e. formed) in soft wax.
(Hogarth, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
To cast (i.e. thrown) into hell.
(Jowett, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
The discovery in Antarctica of the fossil beak of a giant
carnivorous terror bird . . 10 to 12 feet tall and
p robably the most dangerous bird ever to have existed . .
is casting (i.e. shedding) new light on the role of that
continent in the evolution and worldwide spread of
species. (Walter Sullivan, New York Times)
Ca s t (i.e. throw) thy bread u p o n the waters.
(Ecclessiastes, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CATALYST
In eld after eld astronomy, quantum mechanics,
nuclear physics, cosmology (John) Wheelers ideas have
been the catalyst for breakthroughs.
(John Boslough, Readers Digest)
CATER
He that . . providently caters for the Sparrow.
(A.Y.L.II, iii, 44, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
Most of the cells in the cortex (newest part of the brain)
respond only to lines of a particular ori e n t a t i o n ,
between them catering for orientations at all degrees
from vertical to horizontal and back.
(Hugh Monterore, The Probabilities of God)
More than 2000 galleries (in Japan in 1987) 300 of
them crowding To k yos exc l u s i ve Ginza cater t o
collectors.
CAUSE (N)
His sudden appearance was a cause for deep concern.
God is the supreme and universal Cause o f a l l
things.(Edmund Berkeley, Oxford English Dictionary)
CAUSE (V)
It takes long intimacy, long and familiar interliving,
before one kind of creature can cause illness in another.
(Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell)
Fever and other u symptoms are caused by the bodys
efforts to rid itself of the (inuenza virus) invader.
(Robert M. Sapolsky, Discover mag., 1990)
I will cause the sun to go down at noon.
(Amos, The Bible)
41 CASE - CAUSE
C
CELEBRATE
Until the rst half of the 20th century, the conquest
and colonization of a weaker nation was celebrated as a
patriotic event. Today, even mild economic exploitations
are loudly condemned across the world as imperialism.
(F.M. Esfandiary, Optimism One)
They are c e l e b r a t i n g their release i n a bistro in
Montmartre.
They c e l e b r a t e d their 40th wedding annive r s a ry o n
Wednesday.
Lord Manny Shinwell celebrated his 100th birthday
with a good cigar and several agons of whisky.
(James Brady, Advertising Age)
CENSOR
All references to actual persons were censored from his
script.
CENTRAL
That was central to his debate.
CENTER, CENTRE
Su p reme authority was at last c e n t red i n a single
person. (Fowlers Modern English Usage)
The eyes usually center on a point about one-third down
the page. Thats why they call that point the optical
center.
Note: NEVER centre about or around
CERTAIN
Are you certain about that?
I am certain of only one thing at the moment.
CHALK (V)
She quickly chalked her name on the blackboard.
This difference has been chalked up to a presumed
involvement in language processing.
(James Shreeve, Discover mag., Oct. 96)
CHAMPIONSHIP
The majority (of the council of regency) deeply resented
his championship (i.e. advocacy) of the poor against
greedy landlords and capitalists.
(Encyclopedia Britannica re the Earl of Somerset)
They won the tennis championship (i.e. supremacy) of
the world for the second year running.
CHANCE (N)
Her chance of succeeding was one in a million.
He had no chance (i.e. opportunity) to save himself.
CHANCE (V)
They chanced (i.e. happened) on (or upon) the fossil on
the rst day.
You never know; you might chance on the right number
tomorrow.
CHANGE (N)
A change in the weather is enough to renew the world
and ourselves. (Marcel Proust)
After a quick change of clothes, he returned to his ofce.
Each photo incorporates a small change to the original.
CHANGE (V)
The basic idea is that synapses (in the brain) change in
efciency according to their frequency of use.
(The Economist mag., June 13, 87)
His smile changed to fury at the mention of that name.
Irradiation changes the molecular composition of food
in unpredictable ways . . So does barbecuing.
(Dennis Demlinger)
The situation changed from bad to worse.
Plants can do something no animal can do: change
nonliving substance into living substance, i.e. inorganic
into organic.
She changed her confession under duress.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
CELEBRATE - CHANGE 42
C
CHANNEL (V)
The Protestant Ethic with its emphasis on thrift,
unremitting toil, and the deferral of gratication . .
channeled enormous energies into the tasks of economic
development. (Alvin Tofer, The Third Wave)
Isnt it time you channelled your energy into something
constructive?
CHARACTERISTIC (A)
Nowhere more than here (at the front of the skull) has
there been greater expansion of the brain matter during
the transition from primate to man, and this accounts
for the high forehead characteristic of homo sapiens.
(Hugh Monteore, The Probability of God)
CHARACTERISTIC (N)
Superstition is . . not the characteristic of this age.
(Junius, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CHARGE (N)
The charge (i.e. accusation) against them is vandalism.
That nurse is in charge of (i.e. responsible for) too many
children!
Yes, there is a charge (i.e. price) on that item.
The judges charge (i.e. instructions) to jury members was
to be thorough in weighing the evidence.
The two were charged with (i.e. accused of) theft.
CHARGE (V)
Why dont you charge that against (i.e. deduct from) his
salary?
I will only charge (i.e. invoice) you for the rst two days.
The interest is charged (i.e. applied) only on the second
part of the debt.
Should I charge (i.e. bill) that order to your room?
A magnetron is a . . vacuum tube in which a wire coated
with excess electrons gets charged (i.e. loaded) with
electricity . . and generates electromagnetic waves.
(Mark Rowan, Discovery mag.)
T h e yve been c h a r g e d w i t h the job (i.e. given the
responsibility) of keeping the stadium clean.
Im charged with (i.e. accused of) a crime I did not
commit.
CHASTENED
A nation with a low birth rate shall be periodically
chastened by some more virile and fertile group.
(Will and Ariel Durant, The Lesson of History)
CHEAT (V)
Cheat me in the price, but not in the goods.
(Thomas Fuller)
Cheating on a large scale is supposed to have something
about it thats imperial and therefore impeccable.
(G.K. Chesterton)
CHECK (V)
He checked (i.e. searched) his pockets for loose change.
Why dont you check on his whereabouts (i.e. nd him).
You check on (or upon) (i.e. investigate) the man, while I
check his bank account. (American)
Are you checking (i.e. keeping tabs) on me again?
CHEER (N)
Three cheers for the winner.
There was a wild round of cheers from the bleachers.
CHINK
As the wind ve e red, it discove red c h i n k s i n t h e
landscape. (Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
CHOCKABLOCK
At the beginning of the 20th century, Vienna was
c h o c k a b l o c k w i t h giants of the age: Freud and
Wittgenstein, Mahler, Berg and Schoenberg, Klimt,
Schiele, Kokoschka, Hoffman, Wagner, Loos as well
as the young Adolf Hitler.
(Kurt Andersen, Time mag.)
CHOICE
You have a choice between squealing on him or going to
prison.
Ill give you the choice of weapon.
43 CHANNEL - CHOICE
C
CHOOSE
The writer chooses according to preferences learned from
personal experience.
He chose among all the horses in that corral.
She is busy choosing b e t we e n the three cookies on that tray.
The average doctor (in 1990) has some 50,000 drugs to
c h o o s e f ro m when writing out a pre s c ription. Be w i l d e re d
by the choice, few doctors ever pre s c ribe more than 100.
(Di s c ove r m a g . )
CIRCULATE
While T cells circulate in the blood, (our) bodys
billions of macrophages (large scavenging white blood
cells) tend to collect in organs and tissues such as the
spleen, skin, and lining of the abdomen and lungs
(Jeff Miller, Discover mag.)
CITE
You could cite all those as precedents.
Well over half our total (English) vo c a b u l a ry is fore i g n :
of the ve English word s c i t e d b y Tova rish Va s i l ye v a s
t o rt u re r s of the Russian tongue, not one is p u re
English. Boss comes from Dutch, p l a n t a t i o n fro m
Latin, and re f e re e, o f c e and s e rv i c e from Fre n c h.
( Ro b e rt Claiborne, Our Ma rvelous Na t i ve To n g u e)
CLAIM (N)
Im afraid she has a claim on (or upon) my time.
No law has any claim over us unless our conscience
approves it as right and just. (Roman Catholic Church)
He will lay claim to your property tomorrow.
A claim to kindness.
(Johnson, Universal English Dictionary)
CLASH (N)
The clash between the two families goes back to the
Reformation.
The clash of arguments and jar of words. (Cowper)
The clash on that issue was heard around the world.
CLASH (V)
The new phisophy clashed against rooted tradition.
That clashes with everything Ive ever learned.
CLASSIFY
All viruses are named and c l a s s i e d a c c o rding to the diseases
they cause, and what they affect. (Mind Alive m a g . )
All these are classied as sponges.
CLAW (V)
The only thing I could do was claw at his eyes.
They clawed their way over the dead bodies, into a grotto.
She clawed through the sand, looking for her contact lens.
I clawed a path under the debris till I found daylight.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
CLEAR (A)
Clear as the sun. (Song of Solomon, Old Testament)
Steer clear of (i.e. away from) that door!
Thats very clear to me!
CLEAR (V)
First, he cleared a path around the house.
The remen cleared their way into the burning house.
Our job is to clear that bridge of the enemy.
If your cholesterol-removal system is working well, it
doesnt matter if you eat cheeseburgers . . because youre
going to be able to clear the cholesterol out of the cells.
(Larry Husten, Discover mag.)
They are clearing their way through the brush.
She cleared the debris under the porch, worried about
what she might nd.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
CLEAVE
Today . . the created world has lost its sacredness.
Christians have abandoned it, not to paganism, but to
physics, geology, biology, and chemistry. We . . have
cleaved nature from the supernatural.
(Philip Yancey, Fearfully & Wonderfully Made)
CHOOSE - CLEAVE 44
C
Gravitational tides can cleave a giant star in two.
(David H. Freedman, Discover mag., Nov. 99)
CLEVER
Hes clever at math and with words.
Thats very clever of you.
CLIMB (V)
First, climb by him, then loosen that rope.
Young man, climb down that tree this minute.
He climbed into the foliage and waited patiently.
He is climbing over anyone who stands in his way.
Go ahead; climb through the window.
Life expectancy, just 20 years in Greek and Roman
times, could climb to 90 by the year 2030 and 100 by the
year 2050.
Climb up the trellis, boy.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
CLING
She is clinging to me for dear life.
Adjectives brilliant, egotistic, rude, unorthodox
clung to (Admiral Hyman G.) Rickover like barnacles to
boats . . (He) rst grasped the potential of nuclear power
at sea. (Michael Duffy, Time mag.)
CLOAK (N)
The dealers antique shop serves as a cloak for (i.e.
conceals) his shady activities.
Humility is made the cloak of pride.
(Robert Southey, World Book Dictionary)
CLOAK (V)
The novelist liked to cloak (i.e. disguise) his plots in
obscurities and ambiguities.
Evil purposes can be cloaked under ne speeches.
To cloak her guile with sorrow.
(Spenser, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CLOG
Ischemia (heart attack) happens when coronary arteries,
e i t h e r c l o g g e d w i t h fatty deposits or temporari l y
contracted by stress, are contracted even more by spasms
or are blocked by a clot; depriving the heart muscle of
blood and thus oxygen.
CLOISTER (V)
By afternoon, Loch Linnhe was arched and cloistered
with rainbows. (Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
CLOSE (A)
Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, is also the densest
in our solar system: between 60 and 70% iron.
(Robert Kunzig, Discover mag.)
CLOSE (V)
Flowers . . expand at 6 or 7, and close at 2 in the
afternoon. (W. Withering, Oxford English Dictionary)
Londons Globe theatre, where Shakespeare opened his
plays, was reduced to ashes in 1613. Though soon after
rebuilt, it was closed by Cromwell in 1644.
The door closed on my foot.
That car is closing on (i.e. overtaking) us.
Close the doors to all reporters.
They closed with (i.e. neared) the other ship, then
boarded it.
CLOTHE
A good intention clothes itself with power. (Emerson)
CLUE
It was the only clue I had to his character.
CLUMSY
He is clumsy at his job with whatever tool they give him.
He is even clumsy in the way he walks.
CLUSTER
In another classroom, children cluster a ro u n d a
computer.
45 CLEVER - CLUSTER
C
CLUTTER (V)
The yard was cluttered with the debris of many years.
CO-OPT
They co-opted me to (or on to) the special commando
force.
COAT
On e - f o o t - s q u a re panels, c o a t e d w i t h a m o r p h o u s
silicon, (are) the most widely used thin-lm material for
converting sunlight to electricity.
(Tony Baer, Discovery mag.)
Now she wants to coat the whole thing with boat varnish.
COEVOLVE
Each type of bacterium has c o e vo l ve d w i t h i t s
mammalian host. (Sarah Richardson, Discover mag.)
COEXIST
Suppose that there is an innite number of universes
coexisting with this one. (The Economist)
COEXTENSIVE
The Church . . was already c o e x t e n s i ve w i t h t h e
empire. (Paul Johnson)
COGNATE
He is cognate with the Royal family of England.
COGNIZANT
The police are cognizant of his every move.
COHERE
The new metal coheres with the wood underneath.
COINCIDE
The birth of religion coincides with the appearance of
humanity on the stage of history. (Mind Alive mag.)
COLLABORATE
You collaborate with me and Ill make you rich.
Globally-linked computers . . allow investigators to
collaborate or kibitz on experiments while continents
apart. (Gary Stix, Scientic American mag., Dec.94)
COLLABORATION
She counted on the collaboration of everyone present.
Your collaboration with her on that job made all the
difference.
COLLAPSE (V)
Grievously wounded, the man collapsed against me.
She collapsed in a heap.
After too many drinks, the writers discourse collapsed
into incoherence.
The arenas roof collapsed on the players inside.
The whole contraption is sort of collapsing onto itself.
There was great merriment when the chair collapsed
under him.
Note: As for all VVs, this versatile verb can be followed by
a variety of prepositions, whichever best describes the
action that follows.
COLLATE
Try to collate your facts with mine.
COLLECT
We should all collect (i.e. gather) at her home.
The women were collecting the fabric for a quilt.
Radar images of the earth, collected from orbit by . . space
shuttle, reveal our planet with startling clarity.
Flower nectar is usually collected within one mile of the
hive. (Garner and Sue Wilson, Montreal Gazette)
COLLIDE
In all materials, in solids as well as gases and liquids,
the atoms are constantly in motion, vibrating and
colliding with each other, creating thermal energy. The
wilder the motion, the greater the heat.
(William Booth, Washington Post)
The van collided with her car and she is badly hurt.
CLUTTER - COLLIDE 46
C
COLLISION
The world before our time survived suffocating ice ages
and cataclysmic collisions with meteors.
(The Gazette, Montreal)
The collision of harsh consonants.
(Gray, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
COLOR, COLOUR (V)
The sea was colored red by the algae.
She then colours it for effect.
Colour it with any paints handy.
COMBINE (V)
Co m b i n i n g a n t i m a t t e r w i t h matter could be a way to lift
f u t u re rockets into space. (Tom Waters, Di s c ove r m a g . )
COME
She came across his letter by accident.
He came at me before I had a chance to defend myself.
Dont let anything come between you two.
I will come for you tomorrow.
Every atom of gold on earth comes ultimately from
supernovas. (The Economist/Readers Digest)
The oxygen people breathe originally came from (an)
exploding star. Claude Canizares, Dallas Morning News
Evil comes fromenjoying what we ought to use and using
what we ought to enjoy. (A great medieval philosopher)
The common cold virus is troublesome, because it
comes in at least 100 identiable variations.
(Leon Jaroff, Time mag.)
99% of the creatures ever to have come into existence
have vanished. (Gregg Easterbrook, Newsweek mag.)
He came to grief before he was ten years old.
They came up with interpretations of their own.
COMFORTABLE
It would be no sort of a life if we felt entirely
comfortable in it. (P.J. Kavanagh, Finding Connections)
Only one teacher in ten feels comfortable with that
theory.
COMMAND (N)
They gave him command of (i.e. authority over) the
regiment.
His command (i.e. mastery) of English was remarkable.
There were commands to stop at every junction.
COMMEND
I commend you to your principal for living up to your
principles.
COMMENSURATE
He prayed for a punishment commensurate with the
crime.
COMMENT (N)
I found his comments about me very hurtful.
If you have any comments on this subject, lets hear them
now.
COMMENT (V)
She commented on everything I said.
COMMENTARY
The scribes lled whole libraries with their commentaries
on the Holy Scriptures.
COMMISERATE
He refused to commiserate with her.
COMMISSION (N)
His commission (i.e. appointment) as rst ofcer had just
come through.
I should get a commission (i.e. pro rata remuneration) for
that sale.
He had to answer for the commission of (i.e. committing)
a crime ten years ago.
T h e re was a 15% c o m m i s s i o n (i.e. payment to
middleman) on every copy.
I have a commission (i.e. I am mandated) to nd you.
(J. Rathbone, Oxford English Dictionary)
47 COLLISION - COMMISSION
C
COMMISSION (V)
He was commissioned by the art gallery to do a painting.
COMMIT
Today (1986), all but seven of the worlds more than
170 nations are committed to a single written charter of
rights. And every one of them owes something to the
American model that turns 200 next year.
(Richard Lacayo, Time mag.)
COMMON
Chinas plight was the result of the optimistic belief,
common to intellectuals of the Left, that revolutions
solve more problems than they raise.
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
All the psychological evidence seems to suggest that an
infant is predisposed to learn certain things the
classic example being the deep structure that seems to
be common to all language. This obviously implies that
the genes contain instructions for wiring up brains.
(The Economist mag., June 13, 87)
COMMUNE
Aubrey needed to commune with his peers.
COMMUNICATE
In telecommunications . . we are moving toward the
capability to c o m m u n i c a t e a n y t h i n g t o a n yo n e ,
anywhere, by any form voice, data, text, or image
at the speed of light.
(J. Naisbitt & P. Aburdene, Megatrends 2000)
She communicated by semaphore.
I m much more interested in c o m m u n i c a t i n g
(information) t o dolphins and learning how they
communicate with one another.
(Louis Herman, Omni mag.)
His (Shakespeares) genius resides in his mysterious
ability to communicate with times, spaces and cultures
far removed from his own. (Northrop Frye)
COMMUTE
He always liked to commute by train to his cottage up
north.
Francois-Xavier Prieurs death sentence for his leading
part in Canadas 1837 Rebellion was commuted to (i.e.
exchanged for a lighter sentence) exile for life in Australia.
They commuted (i.e. made regular trips) to and from
New York every working day of the year.
COMPANION
Sandra is the companion of my friend Terry.
Companions in sin.
(Quarles, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
You are more of a companion to me than my own son.
COMPANY
She was in the company of a man who gave me the
shivers.
He came in company with three other horsemen.
COMPARE
( St r a d i va rius) produced perhaps 1500 violins . . He made
a handful of great instruments, but there are an awful lot
that sound feeble c o m p a re d t o m o d e rn ones.
( Ro b e rt Teitelman quoting Norman Pickering, Fo r b e s m a g . )
In England . . property stands for more, compared with
personal ability, than in any other (country).
(Emerson, Oxford English Dictionary)
Note: Use to for illustration, with to examine qualities.
COMPARISON
There was no comparison to last years record rainfall.
She suffered in comparison with the rest of her class.
COMPASSION
He has absolutely no compassion for the unemployed.
She took compassion on me.
COMPATIBILITY
There is simply no compatibility between their points of
view.
The compatibility of such properties in one thing.
(Barrow, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
Frankly, my compatibility with you is minimal.
COMMISSION - COMPATIBILITY 48
C
COMPATIBLE
This is compatible with your views.
It is essential that we continue to respect freedom of
thought and expression in so far as this is compatible
with the laws of the state and national unity.
(General de Gaulle)
Our location in the Universe is necessarily privileged to
the extent of being compatible with our existence as
observers.
(Brandon Carter, cosmologist, National Review mag.)
COMPENDIUM
His book was a compendium of all the current gossip.
COMPENSATE
The right brain tends to compensate for left-brain
damage. (Edwin M. Reingold, Time mag.)
COMPENSATION
It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life
that no man can sincerely try to help another without
helping himself. (Charles Waldo Emerson)
His aggre s s i ve behaviour was c o m p e n s a t i o n f o r h i s
feelings of insecurity.
COMPETE
To a man, they refused to compete against me.
They are competing for the Stanley Cup.
I dont intend to compete in any other race this year.
Animals compete ercely with men for their food in an
overpopulated world, unless they are thistle eaters like
donkeys and camels.
(Ivan Illich, Toward a History of Needs)
COMPETENT
He is only competent at archery in sports.
She is very competent in her own eld.
The student is competent enough to try her hand at it.
COMPETITION
From competition among traders (comes) reduction of
prices. (Bentham, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
Theres competition for land in every country.
Competition to the Crown there is none, nor can be.
(Bacon, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
The Priesthood, which ever has been in some
competition with Empire.
(Bacon, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
COMPLACENT
Shes so complacent about her state of health that she
doesnt even bother to take her medicine.
COMPLAIN
Why dont you complain about me while youre at it?
She complained of the scurrilous review.
COMPLAINT
I have no complaints whatever about his conduct.
There has been many a complaint against him.
There were a lot of complaints from the east end of the
city.
Complaints of lower back pain alone costs U.S. industry
$4.6 billion in annual work e r s compensation
payments.
(Institute of Industrial Engineers, Atlanta,1988)
COMPLEMENT (N)
Justice is not always the complement (i.e. full amount) of
the law.
The complement (i.e. full crew) of the ship was 118.
COMPLEMENTARY
Thats complementary to the money I gave you last
month.
COMPLETE (A)
The hat came complete with feathers.
49 COMPATIBLE - COMPLETE
C
COMPLETE (V)
Try to c o m p l e t e your book f o r me b y the end of the month.
The Mausoleum, the huge, marble temple . . completed
in 350 B.C., in memory of King Mausoleus, became
one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
(Michael Gartner, Advertising Age)
COMPLIANCE
The stock exchange requires compliance with by-laws
that are not always in the public interest.
COMPLIMENT (N)
Compliments of the season.
A compliment to one person may be an insult to someone
else.
COMPLIMENT (V)
They complimented him for doing such a great job.
I complimented him on his appearance.
COMPLIMENTARY
Thats complimentary to my last letter.
COMPLY
You must either comply with the rules of this school or
get out.
When my hand surrounds an object a ripe tomato,
a ski pole, a kitten, another hand the fat and collagen
redistribute themselves and assume a shape to comply
with the shape of the object being grasped.
( Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Ya n c e y, Fe a rfully and Wo n d e rf u l l y
Ma d e)
COMPOSE
An apple is c o m p o s e d (i.e. consists) o f seeds, esh, and skin.
(William Stunk Jr. and E.B.White, The Elements of St y l e)
V.S. Naipaul is one of the greatest living writers in the
English language . . His themes, his vision of human
destiny in our time, are composed (i.e. written) with a
perfection of language, a awless structure, and above all
a profound knowledge of the world.
(Elizabeth Hardwick)
COMPOST
In human affairs as in nature, decay is compost for new
growth. (Barbara W. Tuchman, History as Mirror)
A compost (i.e. combination) of leaves and grass.
COMPOUND (N)
Its a compound of many chemicals.
COMPOUND (V)
Its compounded of chalk and arsenic.
I will try to compound salt with sugar.
COMPRESS (V)
Diesels rely on heat generated by compressing air in
their cylinders in order to ignite fuel. (The Economist)
I propose to compress air to the nth degree.
COMPRISED
That charge is comprised in the total.
It is comprised of the bats, the ball and the net.
COMPROMISE
He will compromise in some things and not in others.
I will compromise with you on any agreement but this
one.
CONCEAL
He is concealing the kitten behind his back.
In Shakespeares play, As you Like It, Rosalind conceals
her identity by dressing as a man.
I will conceal the money for you till tomorrow noon, but
no longer.
I was told the loot is concealed somewhere in this house.
She concealed the packets of heroin on her person.
Remember that what you are told is really threefold:
shaped by the teller, reshaped by the listener, concealed
from both by the dead man of the tale.
(V. Nabokov, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight)
COMPLETE - CONCEAL 50
C
CONCEIVE
Only apes, it seems, alone among animals, can truly
distinguish themselves from the world around them.
But only the naked apes (man), apparently, can conceive
of (i.e. grasp with the mind) not just self but others.
(Karen Wright, Discover mag., Nov. 96)
CONCENTRATE
They are concentrating (i.e. bunching up) at every
crossroads and in every public square.
During the past ve million years, evolution seems to
have concentrated (i.e. focused) most of its energy in the
process of human development.
(Lyall Watson, Supernature)
Venture capital tends to concentrate (i.e. come together)
near the coasts. (In 1986) 44% of all such funds (U.S.)
went to California. (Therese Engstrom)
Forget the frills; concentrate (i.e. focus) on the essentials.
CONCENTRATION
Her concentration o n the work at hand was almost manic.
CONCERNED
I am very concerned (i.e. worried) about her.
He is very concerned for (i.e. disturbed about) the way
this is going.
H.G.Wells is concerned (i.e. involved) exclusively with
external activity . . He doesnt understand that interior
recollection (is a) matchless force, even for natural
human development. (Teilhard de Chardin S.J.)
Whether he likes it or not, he is concerned (i.e. involved)
in that very peculiar affair.
CONCLUDE
The politicians harangue was concluded by a thump on
the lectern.
It looks like the match will conclude in a tie.
Both ceremonies concluded with the kiss of peace and
High Mass. (Paul Johnson)
CONCLUSION
Its the obvious c o n c l u s i o n (i.e. inference) f ro m
everything said yesterday.
Thats the conclusion (i.e. deduction) of everyone there.
Write a conclusion (i.e. an end) to his unnished story.
CONCUR
He concurred in the decision but not with the judge.
Note: To concur i n an opinion or action, or w i t h a person.
CONCURRENT
The cold spell was concurrent with the shortage of oil.
CONCURRENTLY
He visited us concurrently with the fall of the Berlin wall.
CONDEMN
He was condemned (i.e. censured) by his peers for
breaking the curfew.
Condemned (i.e. doomed) in business or in arts to
drudge. (Alexander Pope)
The spy was condemned (i.e. convicted) of treason and
shot.
Any of a thousand malfunctions in a space suit or the
LM could condemn (i.e. doom) an astronaut to swift
death. (David R. Scott, National Geographic)
CONDENSE
The whole mess condensed into a revolting glob.
CONDESCEND
She condescended to enter my home.
CONDITION (N)
Exc e s s i ve forms of wealth and prolonged form a l
e m p l oyment . . destroy the social, cultural and
e n v i ro n m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s f o r equal, pro d u c t i ve
freedom. (Ivan Illich, Toward a History of Need)
The air I breathe is the condition of my life, not its
cause. (Coleridge, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
51 CONCEIVE - CONDITION
C
CONDITION (V)
Too many people are conditioned t o f a i l u re and
dependent on public handouts.
I condition my travelling on the weather.
CONDITIONAL
Thats conditional on (or upon) how much you pay back.
CONDOLE
They are comforted and condoled . . by their fellow-
citizens. (Addison, Oxford English Dictionary)
I condoled (i.e. sympathized) with her till she burst into
laughter.
CONDUCIVE
A dull place, and very conducive to sleep.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
CONFER
Islam conferred on (i.e. granted) women the right to
education, to inherit and to divorce over 1000 years
before the rst European woman suffragette.
(Akbar S. Ahmed, The Economist)
He confers (i.e. consults) with her every morning.
CONFESS
Only 19 years later did he confess (i.e. admit your guilt)
to the police.
I confess my sins (i.e. acknowledge my sins orally) to
whatever priest happens to be in the confessional.
CONFIDE
He who most condes in the instructor will learn the
sacred lesson best. (Oxford English Dictionary)
Men do not conde themselves to boys . . but to their
peers. (Oxford English Dictionary)
She is conding in her best friend.
CONFIDENCE
I have condence in them.
He enjoyed the condence of the police in spite of his
many clashes with them.
CONFIDENT
I do not feel too condent about his chances of success.
(Frederick T. Wood, English Prepositional Idioms)
Condent in the security of his position, he derided
their threats and machinations.
(Ainsworth, Tower Hill, OED)
Were death never sudden, they who are in health would
be too condent of life. (Paley, Natural Theology, OED)
CONFINE (V)
He was conned (i.e. cooped up) in his home for most of
two years.
The sheriff connes him in a cell every weekend.
Enthusiasm for the spirit of the world is conned (i.e.
restricted) to the Anti-Christ.
(R.H.Benson, Lord of the World)
CONFIRM
This suspicion is conrmed by the enquiry. (Arthur
Koestler)
They were conrmed (i.e. rm) in their belief that the
earth was at.
When Macbeth is c o n rm i n g (i.e. stre n g t h e n i n g )
himself in the horrid purpose.
(Johnson, The Oxford Universal Dictionary)
Re the chairmanship, please conrm (i.e. afrm) this
position to your brother.
CONFLICT (N)
It was a conict of interest pure and simple.
The conicts of the ice-masses in their rotation. (Kane)
CONFLICT (V)
He held grimly to his views although they conicted with
his experience.
CONFORM
The true freeman is he who conforms himself to his
reason. (Oxford English Dictionary)
CONDITION - CONFORM 52
C
His behaviour conformed with their expectations in every
respect.
CONFRONT
They were suddenly confronted by (i.e. faced with) a
bunch of motorcyclists.
The Romans were confronted with (i.e. challenged by) a
stiffnecked, subordinate people (the Jews). (Pa u l
Johnson, A History of Christianity)
He met me at the door, confronting me with todays news
headline.
CONFUSE
The little animal froze, confused by the cars headlights.
Im afraid youre confusing me with my twin brother.
Too many people confuse socialism with communism.
The shift of linguistic usage, coupled (i.e. combined)
with our own drive for self-regard, has meant that the
concept (civilization) has become hopelessly confused
with good table manners and polite conversation.
(The Times of London, 1989)
CONFUSION
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion
o f the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.
(Goethe)
The confusion of tongues.
(Bacon, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CONFUTE
The speaker confutes (i.e. overwhelms) his opponents by
facts and logic.
The lawyers defense was confuted (i.e. refuted) by the
prosecution.
She was not an easy person to confute (i.e. confound) in
an argument.
CONGENIAL
Hard work is simply not congenial to me.
CONGRATULATE
I congratulate you on (or upon) your remarkable success.
I should congratulate him for what? He has failed at
everything.
CONJUNCTION
This situation must have originated in a strange
conjunction of circumstances.
His great height, in conjunction w i t h his unusual
hairiness, often scared little children.
CONNECT
Cancer cells require a generous supply of blood, to
survive and grow. So they connect to nearby arteries and
veins by encouraging angiogenesis, the proliferation of
networks of tiny capillaries. (Time mag.)
The spinal cord is a cable-like bundle of nerves that
connects the brain to the rest of the nervous system. It
i s p ro t e c t e d b y the bony spinal column, with 24
vertebrae stacked in a gentle S-curve between the skull
and tailbone. (Don Colburn, Washington Post)
The police are busy connecting him to last nights
robbery.
Joan of Arc was not a victim of English nationalism:
only eight of the 131 judges, assessors and other clergy
connected with her trial, were Englishmen.
(Paul Johnson, The History of Christianity)
CONNECTION
At the meeting of the Society of Neurosurgeons in
Phoenix, Ariz., researchers conrmed the theory that the
brain stores memories by hardwiring new connections
between groups of brain cells.
(Thomas Maugh, Los Angeles Times)
In connection with that matter, Ill call on her while Im
in Chicago.
CONNIVE
Politicians have always c o n n i ve d (i.e. winked) a t
infractions while pretending to correct them.
CONSCIOUS
Do you think she is conscious of the pain?
53 CONFRONT - CONSCIOUS
C
CONSENSUS
He wanted the consensus of the whole group.
The consensus of opinion was that it was the drivers
fault.
Last year, we had a lot of controversy. This time around,
we have a consensus on this matter.
Note: Though generally current, (consensus of opinion)
is avoided by some writers as redundant on the grounds
that consensus means general agreement of opinion.
(World Book Dictionary)
After much debate, a consensus on budget priorities was
reached by the council.
CONSENT (N)
I need the consent of the people.
The Age of Consent: the age xed by law at which a
persons consent to certain acts (e.g. marriage, sexual
intercourse) is valid in law.
(Universal English Dictionary)
CONSENT (V)
He will consent to that, if you cooperate with him on this.
CONSEQUENCE
The terrible consequences of his actions to his family did
not deter him for a second.
CONSEQUENT
All his other problems are consequent on (or upon) his
illness.
CONSIDERATE
Thats not very considerate of you.
She was always very considerate to (or towards) her
relatives.
CONSIDERATION
He doesnt show an iota of consideration for other people.
CONSIGN
C o n s i g n i n g (i.e. entrusting) her children t o the care of a
h o u s e k e e p e r, the young mother pursued her operatic care e r.
Surgical trauma, the jarring aftermath of the surgeons
knife, may one day be consigned (i.e. relegated) to the
annals of primitive medicine. (National Geographic)
CONSIST
Our greatest glory consists (i.e. resides) not in never
falling, but in rising every time we fall.
(Oliver Goldsmith)
The true miracle of modern medicine is diabolical. It
consists in (i.e. is based on) making not only individuals
but whole populations survive on inhumanly low levels
of personal health.
(Ivan Illich, Toward a History of Need)
The Bahamas consist of (is composed of) 29 islands,
661 cays (islets) and 2387 rocks.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Fully 10 per cent of our dry body weight consists of (i.e.
is made up of) bacteria.
(Stephen Jay Gould, The Spread of Excellence from Plato
to Darwin)
Appetites are to be indulged only so far as consists (i.e. is
consistent) with some . . approved end.
(G. Grote, Oxford English Dictionary)
CONSISTENT
Its consistent with everything he said before.
Morals are the rules by which a society exhorts . . its
members and associations to behaviour consistent with
its order, security and growth.
(Will and Ariel Durant, The Lesson of History)
CONSONANT
Its consonant with his recent behaviour.
CONSPIRE
The system as it stands conspires against the mothers
among the poor: they are damned, if they stay, as
parasites; they are damned, if they go to work, for
neglecting their children.
(Pierre Berton, The Smug Minority)
CONSENSUS - CONSPIRE 54
C
We all conspired not to tell him.
(I. Murdock, Oxford English Dictionary)
All things conspired to make her birthday a happy one.
(World Book Dictionary)
The private secretary, Joseph Tumulty, conspired with
Woodrow Wilson (paralyzed by a third massive stroke)
and his wife Edith to make her the president, which she
remained for seventeen months.
(Paul Johnson, A History of the Modern World)
CONSTANCY
Constancy in love is a noble ideal.
The secret of success is c o n s t a n c y t o p u r p o s e .
(Benjamin Disraeli)
CONSTANT (A)
He is constant (i.e. assiduous) in his devotion to his ailing
wife.
I expect him to be constant (i.e. faithful) to his pledge.
CONSTITUENT
They have concocted primeval soups which yield
constituents of living things.
CONSTRUCT (V)
The pyramids were constructed by slaves.
He constructed his home from things he salvaged here
and there.
Come winter, a palace is constructed of blocks of ice.
CONSTRUE
Syntactically,the noun aerodynamics is construed as a
singular.
I construed from your remarks that you are not in favour
of our plan.
CONSULT
He consulted with her about matters of law.
I will consult you on that matter next wednesday.
CONSULTATION
She established later, in consultation with me, that
Aubry had been speaking of macroeconomics.
(Edwin Newman, Sunday Punch)
CONSUMPTION
There is an increase in the consumption of oil for home
heating purposes in sub-zero weather.
We brought extra food for consumption on our journey.
One convincing measure of a nations development is
its consumption of electricity. China consumed only 423
kilowatt hours of power per head in 1986, which
compared with 3,327 Kwh for each person in Hongkong
and 6,810 Kwh for each West German.
(The Economist)
CONTACT (N)
Each time the astronauts circled behind the moon, their
contact with the earth was interrupted.
CONTAMINATE
Their water is contaminated by the neighbouring mine
with all kinds of impurities.
The prison is contaminating the towns river with its
sewage.
CONTEMPORANEOUS
His life was contemporaneous with Van Goghs.
CONTEMPORARY (A)
All three were contemporary with Henry Ford.
CONTEMPORARY (N)
He was a contemporary of my father.
Writers contemporary with the events they write of.
(M. Pattison, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
CONTEMPT
What youve done today has only added to my contempt
for you.
You are ned $200 for contempt of court. (legal)
55 CONSTANCY - CONTEMPT
C
CONTEND
How can any form of democratic government contend
(i.e. struggle) against the anarchy now reigning on the
continent?
He will contend (i.e. strive) for fame to his dying breath.
. . Carthage shall contend (i.e. contest) the world with
Rome. (Dryden)
CONTENDER
German was a strong contender for the position of
leading European language in the nineteenth century.
(The Economist mag.)
CONTENT (A)
We are content to be alive.
All three are content with that arrangement.
CONTENT (V)
I contented myself with the dictionary.
CONTIGUOUS
Her property is contiguous to mine.
Every farm is contiguous with every other.
CONTINGENT
That is contingent on (or upon) keeping your end of the
bargain.
CONTINUE
This highway continues for miles.
The children must continue in school till the end of
June. (World Book Dictionary)
If I were you, I would continue on to the next town.
Most people continue to be emotionally responsive to
music throughout their lives.
(James Shreeve, Discover mag., Oct. 96)
Our friendship continued to his death.
(D. Carnegie, Oxford English Dictionary)
He continued with his work, ignoring the interruptions.
CONTINUOUS
The canal is continuous with the right fork of the river.
CONTRACT (N)
Your action yesterday makes the contract between us null
and void.
My contract with you ends today.
CONTRACT (V)
The alternative view is that a loan freely contracted (i.e.
arranged) between consenting parties has the blessing of
market forces. (The Economist, May 28, 88)
He contracted (i.e. incurred) debts by buying things he
could not afford. (World Book Dictionary)
The baker contracted for (i.e. signed to purchase) a load
of our. (World Book Dictionary)
The whole thing contracted (i.e. shrank) into a ball.
I contracted (i.e. made a contract) with him yesterday to
re-roof our house.
Note: Contract, as in contracting a disease, needs no
preposition.
CONTRADICTORY
One statement is contradictory of another.
(Frederick T. Wood, English Prepositional Idioms)
CONTRARY
We hate Christianity and Christians. Even the best of
them must be considered our worst enemies. They
preach love of ones neighbour and mercy, which is
contrary to our principles. What we want is hate . . Only
then will we conquer.
(Anatole Lunacharsky, Soviet Commissar of Education,
Izvestia)
CONTRAST (N)
The contrast between the original and the fake is so
striking, its a wonder anyone was fooled.
Her manner was mild and quiescent in contrast to her
violent behaviour of recent days.
The contrast with his earlier conduct was remarkable.
CONTEND - CONTRAST 56
C
CONTRAST (V)
Methodisms concentration on welfare and reform . .
contrasted with the more rigid, sin-oriented theology of
the Baptists and Presbyterians.
(Peter C. Newman, The Distemper of our Times).
CONTRIBUTE
They all contribute their share to the church.
Ive been contributing to that charity for years.
CONTRIBUTION
I saw him make a contribution of fty dolars.
Please make your contribution to the charity of your
choice.
This technique, of soliciting many modest
contributions to the store of human knowledge, has been
the secret of Western science since the seventeenth
century, for it achieves a corporate, collective power that
is far greater than one individual can exert.
(Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell)
CONTROL (N)
Executives who speak most warmly about the stern rule
of the market usually have excellent control over the
income that they get themselves.
(John K. Galbraith, Guide to Economics)
The controls of the speeding truck were beyond the
young boys reach.
CONVENIENT
Stopping here on the way to work is not convenient (i.e.
practical) for me.
His home is convenient (i.e. close) to the church.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
CONVERGE
The sides of the ship c o n ve r g e d i n t o an angle.
(Universal Oxford Dictionary)
Footsteps were coming to the house, converging on it
from different directions.
(P. Pearce, Oxford English Dictionary)
The whole group suddenly converged on me.
Every circumstance converges to the same effect on his
mind. (Hallam, Universal Oxford Dictionary)
The interest of all the students converged upon the
celebration. (World Book Dictionary)
CONVERSANT
He is conversant in Sanskrit and in Syriac, and is deeply
knowledgeable of Hindu tradition.
(MacMillan Publishing edition of Don Bede)
She made sure all her pupils were conversant with world
history.
CONVERSE (N)
The converse (i.e. the opposite) of heaven is hell.
CONVERSE (V)
I will converse (i.e. talk) with him on my return from
Italy.
CONVERT (V)
Every second, 4 million tons of (the suns) mass are
converted into pure energy and poured into space.
(Heinz Haber, The Walt Disney story of our friend the
atom)
Hes spent most of his life trying to convert sunlight to
electricity economically.
CONVERTIBLE
Is this bond convertible to cash?
CONVICT (V)
She has been convicted of manslaughter, not murder.
CONVINCE
In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone
would convince me of Gods existence. (Isaac Newton)
COOPERATE
I promise to cooperate in every way possible.
Large scavenger cells known as macrophages cooperate
with T cells to sound the alarm when a virus or
57 CONTRAST - COOPERATE
C
bacterium invades the body and threatens to cause
disease. (Robert M. Sapolsky, Discover mag., 1990)
COOPERATION
Im asking for the cooperation of everyone here.
Silence (when the lawyer knows his client is lying) is
participation; it is cooperation with evil.
(Ellis Rubin, lawyer, Time mag.)
COORDINATE
Is there any way you can coordinate your arrival with
mine?
COPE
In 1971 Britains department of trade and industry
thought that coping with (corrosion) cost Britain about
3 1/2% of its national income. (The Economist)
COPY (V)
The painter was asked to copy his motif across (or on) the
entire wall.
Barbed wire was copied from osage orange thorns. Eli
W h i t n e ys cotton gin was copied fro m the In d i a n
charka. (The Economist, Feb. 16, 91)
CORRELATE
In 1801 Sir John Herschel discovered an 11-year
sunspot cycle, which . . correlates with the thickness of
annual rings in trees, the level of Lake Victoria, the
number of icebergs, the occurrence of drought and
famine in India, and the great vintage years for
Burgundy wines. (Lyall Watson, Supernature)
CORRELATION
Ap a rt from predicting university results, school
examination scores (have) no c o r re l a t i o n w i t h l a t e r
success. (Prof. Robert Sternberg, Yale U.)
CORRESPOND
Locke and Newton had corresponded (i.e. exchanged
opinions) on the prophecies of Daniel ..
(Brewster, The Oxford Universal Dictionary)
The patterns and shapes of living things correspond to
(i.e. match) some of the most abstract ideas in math.
(Carl Zimmer, Discover mag., 1992)
We have too many high-sounding words, and too few
actions that correspond with (i.e. live up to) them.
(Abigail Adams)
CORROSIVE
The lesson of the 30 years since (the Hungarian
Revolution) is that humanity in all its ordinariness and
contrariness is more corrosive to the totalitarianism ideal
than heroism. (Charles Krauthammer, Time mag.)
COST (N)
The cost in lives of the two world wars in the 20th
century is mind-boggling.
Extremes of privilege are created at the cost of universal
enslavement. (Ivan Illich, Toward a History of Need)
The cost to me is minimal.
COUCH
Unfortunately, the proof is couched in the language of
Einsteins general theory of relativity.
COUNT (V)
That counts as (i.e. amounts to) a point in this game.
How I wish I could count (i.e. rely) on you!
If a person start e d c o u n t i n g a t the moment of birth, and
continued till the age of 65. he or she would still not have
c o u n t e d t o a billion. ( David Louis, Fascinating Fa c t s)
COUPLE
Kings are coupled (i.e. sexually related) to divinity, but
not so much in wedlock as by rude rape.
(George Garrett, Death of a Fox)
Her name has often been coupled (i.e. linked) with that
of the verger.
The shift of linguistic usage, coupled (i.e. combined)
with our own drive for self-regard, has meant that the
concept (civilization) has become hopelessly confused
with good table manners and polite conversation.
(The Times of London, 1989)
COOPERATION - COUPLE 58
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COURSE (V)
The stream once coursed (i.e. owed) around our house,
by that barn and across the elds.
One-fourth of the blood from each heartbeat courses
(i.e. ows) down the renal artery to the twin kidneys.
(Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey, In His Image)
Rivers and streams that course (i.e. ow) through forests
of conifers are more vulnerable to acidity.
Coursed (i.e. ran) like a colt across its lawns.
Blood, ve litres or so in a typical adult, is the river of
life, coursing through close to 100,000 km of blood
vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients to and haul waste
products from every part of the body.
(Roderick Jamer, CARP NEWS)
We know of two rivers that are still coursing under our
city.
COURTEOUS
He was courteous to everyone but his wife.
COVER (V)
I asked my colleague to cover (i.e. substitute) for me,
while I enjoyed a few hours away from the ofce.
He was covered from head to toe with mud.
The implication of the Apollo ndings was astonishing
but unavoidable: the moon must once have been covered
with an ocean of magma. (Tom Waters, Discover mag.)
Alice is busy covering her baby brother with leaves.
Beginning in 1885, the Czars commissioned Ru s s i a n
j e weler Carl Faberg to create a series of egg-shaped
t re a s u res . . no two alike . . c ove re d w i t h j e wels and gold . .
( He) produced between 54 and 57 of these Im p e rial eggs.
(Gordon M. Henry, Time mag.)
CRAM
They were crammed like a swarm of bees.
A room crammed with ne ladies.
(Pepys, The Oxford Universal Dictionary)
She could cram all those chocolates into her mouth quite
easily.
CRAVING (N)
I have an irresistible craving for chocolate.
CRAWL (VV)
They crawled along the ditch to the river.
I planned to crawl around the corner of the house, come
darkness, and jump the guard.
Children love to crawl into, under, over and through
things, anything, anywhere.
She crawled for miles, it seemed, before she found
someone who would help her.
Pus . . is made of white blood cells that have crawled
through the walls of your blood vessels to get at the site of
infection.
( Ga ry Taubes, The Cold Wa r r i o r s, Di s c ove r mag., Fe b. 99)
CRAZE (N)
There was a sudden craze for anything old-fashioned.
CRAZE (V)
The surface of my coffee had crazed into a (i.e. formed a
cracked) milky skin. (Jonathan Raban, Coasting)
.. crazed (i.e. driven insane) with care, or crossed in
hopeless love. (Thomas Gray, World Book Dictionary)
CREATE
Proteins are created fromamino-acid building blocks by
the machinery of a living cell.
(Philip Elmer-De Witt, Time mag.)
Without exception, every time a Southern nation
develops and becomes a producer, it buys more, it creates
more jobs in the North than it eliminates.
(Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, The World Challenge)
His aim: to create incredibly ne circuitry on electronic
chips.
CREDIT (V)
The sum of $100.00 has been credited (i.e. added) to
your account.
Thomas Lovejoy, a Washington biologist, is credited
with (i.e. given the credit for) bringing the plunder of the
59 COURSE - CREDIT
C
rain forests to the attention of the world.
(Montreal Gazette)
CRITERION
Thats a criterion of his good intentions.
CRITICIZE, CRITICISE
It was criticized as too impractical.
She was criticized for her bad behaviour.
CROSS (A)
Im very cross (i.e. somewhat angry) with you about that.
CROW (V)
Youre always crowing (i.e. boasting) about things you
never did.
She crowed (i.e. exulted) over my bad luck.
CRUCIAL (A)
DNA (is) the blueprint for producing all the proteins
and chemicals that carry out the innumerable functions
crucial for life. (Business Week mag.)
Crucial to Napoleons grand design for Europe was the
conquest of Russia.
CRUELTY
Cruelty to animals is cruelty and a vile thing; but cruelty
to a man is not cruelty, it is treason. (G.K. Chesterton)
CRY (V)
I cry for you.
The baseball strike goes on, and fans are crying into their
beer.
Theyre crying over spilt milk again.
CULL
He culled most of his wisdom from Mark Twains books.
CULMINATE
A series of stunning advances has c u l m i n a t e d i n
m i c roscopes able to distinguish individual atoms whose
diameter is only about one angstrom about four-
billionths of an inch. ( A rthur Fi s h e r, Di s c ove r m a g . )
CURE (N)
There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the
interval. (George Santayana)
The podiatrist had an excellent cure for sore feet.
CRITERION - CURE 60
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What some people have to say about our software: The one and only Prepositionary!
About the authors . . .
In her work with students at the Writing
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ISBN 0-9687571-0-3