(v) To gather or collect for one?s use or profit; to accumulate.
Karen?s aptitude for business enabled her to amass a small fortune before she was thirty.
(v) 1. To pronounce distinctly.
Children usually can articulate words before they are two years old.
2. To express one?s thoughts, feelings, or beliefs in words.
In this essay, I have tried to articulate my view of the novel Jane Eyre.
(adj) Able to speak in clear and effective language.
Winston Churchill?s slight speech impediment did not prevent him from being a very articulate public speaker.
(v) To kill or destroy a large portion of a group.
Cholera swept through the town, decimating the population.
(adj) Skillful in the use of hands or mind.
Her dexterous handling of the horse won her a blue ribbon.
dexterity (n)
Repairing the fishing nets would require a dexterity that Franklin lacked.
(n) A style of clothing; costume.
Queen Victoria?s black garb and solemn demeanor were constant reminders that she was a widow.
(v) To clothe or dress.
The old photos showed nomadic people of Turkistan garbed in intricately patterned robes.
(adj) Enjoying the company of others; sociable.
A gregarious nature is a boon for anyone seeking a political career.
(adj) Existing as a natural part of something.
Believing her shyness is inherent, Roseanne does nothing to try to overcome it.
(adj) 1. Motherly.
Ranji?s maternal feelings were aroused when she saw a child standing alone weeping at the bus stop.
2. Related to or inherited through one?s mother.
My maternal grandparents had two children, my mother and my uncle Bill.
(v) To care for and give sustenance to.
Parents nurture their children physically, mentally, and psychologically.
(n) The process of raising one?s young.
Both male and female emperor penguins provide nurture for their young chicks.
(adj) 1. Tending to push oneself forward in an unwelcome manner.
The reporters at the house were so obtrusive that Valentina slammed the door in their faces.
2. Noticeable in an undesirable way.
Dressed in jeans, we felt obtrusive as we entered the small, elegant restaurant.
(v) To imitate the style of someone or something in order to make fun of it.
The film Bad Guys in Black Hats parodies western movies of the 1930s.
(n) An imitation that exaggerates for comic effect.
His parody of Romeo and Juliet had everyone in the audience laughing hysterically.
(adj) Aggressive; eager to fight or quarrel.
The pugnacious basketball player challenged the referee with insulting words.
pugnacity (n)
He showed his pugnacity by clenching his fists.
(adj) Deserving blame or rebuke.
Denying sustenance to those in need is reprehensible.
(adj) Easily managed or controlled.
The stable manager gave Jamilla a tractable horse when she first began riding.
(adj) Comical because of strangeness; clownish.
The zany illustrations make the book very popular.
