(v) To refer to in an indirect way (used with to).
?I made a mistake that night,? she said, alluding to the way she lost her temper.
allusion (n)
The poem is an allusion to Penelope in Homer?s The Odyssey.
(v) 1. To set apart as holy.
Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople (today Istanbul), was consecrated as a church in 537 and is now a museum.
2. To dedicate to a cause; to devote.
Mother Teresa consecrated her life to helping Calcutta?s poor.
(v) To scatter or spread widely.
The wind disseminated the spores from the milkweed pods.
dissemination (n)
Dissemination of information about local cases of the flu is essential for preventing an outbreak.
(v) To show excessive fondness for (Used with on or upon.)
She dotes on her grandson and indulges his every whim.
(v) To urge strongly; to warn or appeal.
The quarterback?s teammate exhorted him to ignore the boos of the crowd.
exhortation (n)
The pool?s rules contain an exhortation against diving into the shallow end.
(adj) Careless or irresponsible.
Bao?s feckless ways left him devoid of cash.
(v) To show to be involved with something, especially something dishonest or illegal.
The defense attorney insisted that her client could not be implicated in the theft.
(v) To feel or express grief.
Uncountable mourners lined the streets to lament the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
lamentation (or lament) (n) An expression of sorrow or grief in the form of a poem, song, etc.
The lamentation expresses the nation?s grief at being plunged into civil war.
(adj) Of or relating to money or currency.
The basic monetary unit of Mexico is the peso.
(adj) Deep in thought; dreamily thoughtful.
Lying on my back, I grew pensive as I watched the drifting summer clouds.
(n) A showy or dignified display.
Graduations are usually marked by pomp and ceremony.
(adj) Artificially stiff or formal in manner.
His stilted conversation reflected his unease.
(v) To bring under control; to conquer.
In the late eighteenth century, Russia subjugated the country of Georgia, in western Asia, and made it part of the Russian empire.
subjugation (n)
The subjugation of the working class has led to revolutions all over the world.
(n) 1. A severe bodily injury.
The accident victims who suffered trauma were airlifted to major hospitals for emergency services.
2. Emotional shock.
Many of the survivors experienced trauma for years after the tornado destroyed their town.
traumatic (adj)
Simply watching on television the devastation resulting from the attack had a traumatic effect on me.
(adj) 1. Ignoring what is right.
In refusing to remove asbestos from the ceilings, the company showed a wanton disregard for its employees? health and safety.
2. Excessive or unrestrained.
During the holidays, I try to avoid wanton eating of sweets.
3. Playful or frolicsome.
It was a pleasure to hear the wanton shouts of the children in the backyard.