6/13/2009 Words of the Day

above:

If one thing is above another one, it is directly over it or higher than it.
           He lifted his hands above his head...
           Apartment 46 was a quiet apartment, unlike the one above it...
           He was staring into the mirror above him.
      ≠ below 

     

      Above is also an adverb.
           A long scream sounded from somewhere above.
           ...a picture of the new plane as seen from above...
      ≠ below 

     

In writing, you use above to refer to something that has already been mentioned or discussed.
           Several conclusions could be drawn from the results described above...
      ≠ below 

     

      Above is also a noun.
           For additional information, contact any of the above.
     

      Above is also an adjective.
           For a copy of their brochure, write to the above address.
     

If an amount or measurement is above a particular level, it is greater than that level.
           The temperature crept up to just above 40 degrees...
           Victoria Falls has had above average levels of rainfall this year...
           Government spending is planned to rise 3 per cent above inflation.
      ≠ below 

     

      Above is also an adverb.
           Banks have been charging 25 percent and above for unsecured loans.
     

If you hear one sound above another, it is louder or clearer than the second one.
           Then there was a woman's voice, rising shrilly above the barking.
      = over 

   

If someone is above you, they are in a higher social position than you or in a position of authority over you.
           I married above myself–rich county people...
      ≠ below 

 

       Above is also an adverb.
           The policemen admitted beating the student, but said they were acting on orders from above.
     

If you say that someone thinks they are above something, you mean that they act as if they are too good or important for it.
           I'm not above doing my own cleaning.
     

If someone is above criticism or suspicion, they cannot be criticized or suspected because of their good qualities or their position.
           He was a respected academic and above suspicion.
      = beyond 

     

If you value one person or thing above any other, you value them more or consider that they are more important.
           ...his tendency to put the team above everything...

 

above-the-line promotion:

Above-the-line promotion is the use of promotional methods that cannot be directly controlled by the company selling the goods or service, such as television or press advertising. Compare below-the-line promotion. (BUSINESS)
           For all maternity clothing retailers, most above-the-line promotion is conducted through focused sources such as mother and baby magazines.

 

abracadabra:

Abracadabra is a word that someone says when they are performing a magic trick in order to make the magic happen.

 

abrade:

To abrade something means to scrape or wear down its surface by rubbing it. (FORMAL)
           My skin was abraded and very tender.

 

abrasion:

An abrasion is an area on a person's body where the skin has been scraped. (FORMAL)
           He had severe abrasions to his right cheek.
      = graze, cut

 

abrasive:

Someone who has an abrasive manner is unkind and rude.
           His abrasive manner has won him an unenviable notoriety...
     

An abrasive substance is rough and can be used to clean hard surfaces.
           ...a new all-purpose, non-abrasive cleaner.

 

abreast:

If people or things walk or move abreast, they are next to each other, side by side, and facing in the same direction.
           The steep pavement was too narrow for them to walk abreast.
     

If you are abreast of someone or something, you are level with them or in line with them.
           As he drew abreast of the man he pretended to stumble.
     

If you keep abreast of a subject, you know all the most recent facts about it.
           He will be keeping abreast of the news...

 

abridged:

An abridged book or play has been made shorter by removing some parts of it.
           This is an abridged version of her new novel `The Queen and I'.
      = shortened

 

abroad:

If you go abroad, you go to a foreign country, usually one which is separated from the country where you live by an ocean or a sea.
           I would love to go abroad this year, perhaps to the South of France.
           ...public opposition here and abroad...
           About 65 per cent of its sales come from abroad.
      = overseas

 

abrogate:

If someone in a position of authority abrogates something such as a law, agreement, or practice, they put an end to it. (FORMAL)
           The next prime minister could abrogate the treaty.
      = revoke

 

abrupt:

An abrupt change or action is very sudden, often in a way which is unpleasant.
           Rosie's idyllic world came to an abrupt end when her parents' marriage broke up...
     

   •  abruptly

     
           He stopped abruptly and looked my way.
      = suddenly 

    

Someone who is abrupt speaks in a rather rude, unfriendly way.
           He was abrupt to the point of rudeness...
           Cross was a little taken aback by her abrupt manner.
      = brusque 

 

   •  abruptly

     
           `Good night, then,' she said abruptly.

 

abs:

Abs are the same as abdominals. (INFORMAL)
           Throughout the exercise, focus on keeping your abs tight.

 

abscess:

An abscess is a painful swelling containing pus.

 

abscond:

If someone absconds from somewhere such as a prison, they escape from it or leave it without permission. (FORMAL)
           He was ordered to appear the following day, but absconded...
           A dozen inmates have absconded from Forest Jail in the past year.
      = run away 

     

If someone absconds with something, they leave and take it with them, although it does not belong to them. (FORMAL)
           Unfortunately, his partners were crooks and absconded with the funds.
      = run off

 

abseil:

To abseil down a cliff or rock face means to slide down it in a controlled way using a rope, with your feet against the cliff or rock. (BRIT; in AM, use rappel)

 

absence:

Someone's absence from a place is the fact that they are not there.
           ...a bundle of letters which had arrived for me in my absence...
           Eleanor would later blame her mother-in-law for her husband's frequent absences.
      ≠ presence 

 

The absence of something from a place is the fact that it is not there or does not exist.
           The presence or absence of clouds can have an important impact on heat transfer...
           In the absence of a will the courts decide who the guardian is.
      = lack  ≠ presence 

 

conspicuous by one's absence

 

absent:

If someone or something is absent from a place or situation where they should be or where they usually are, they are not there.
           He has been absent from his desk for two weeks...
           Any soldier failing to report would be considered absent without leave and punished accordingly.

     

If someone appears absent, they are not paying attention because they are thinking about something else.
           `Nothing,' Rosie said in an absent way.
     

   •  absently

     
           He nodded absently.
     

An absent parent does not live with his or her children.
           ...absent fathers who fail to pay towards the costs of looking after their children.
     

If you say that absent one thing, another thing will happen, you mean that if the first thing does not happen, the second thing will happen. (AM FORMAL)
           Absent a solution, people like Sue Godfrey will just keep on fighting.
      = without