English Words in Action, Group C
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
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1. Something which is puzzling or confusing: A conundrum was caused by a notice on a flight information screen that said: "All passengers must now proceed to boarding. All other passengers must wait until called."
2. A confusing or difficult problem: Trying to decide between chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream is a conundrum for Jeremy.
3. A riddle, especially one with an answer in the form of a pun or a play on words: The challenge of the contest was to think of a conundrum for which a pun was the correct answer.
4. Etymology: believed to have first appeared in 1596, an Oxford University slang term for "pedant"; also "whim", etc.; later in 1790, "a riddle, a puzzle"; also spelled quonundrum; the kind of unmanageable pseudo-Latin words which were once considered the ultimate of humor among the educated in classical languages.
2. A confusing or difficult problem: Trying to decide between chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream is a conundrum for Jeremy.
3. A riddle, especially one with an answer in the form of a pun or a play on words: The challenge of the contest was to think of a conundrum for which a pun was the correct answer.
4. Etymology: believed to have first appeared in 1596, an Oxford University slang term for "pedant"; also "whim", etc.; later in 1790, "a riddle, a puzzle"; also spelled quonundrum; the kind of unmanageable pseudo-Latin words which were once considered the ultimate of humor among the educated in classical languages.
Most linguistic and dictionary sources say the word is "of unknown origin" or "of uncertain origin"; however, it is often used in modern writing and spoken by speakers on the radio, TV, etc.
cope (KOHP) (verb), copes; coped; coping
1. To contend or to strive; especially, to deal with or to struggle with difficulties and to overcome them: An administrator must cope with or manage many business problems every day.
2. Etymology: "come to blows with", from Old French couper, earlier colper, "to hit, to punch", from colp, "a blow".
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2. Etymology: "come to blows with", from Old French couper, earlier colper, "to hit, to punch", from colp, "a blow".
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cosset (KAHS it) (verb), cossets; cosseted, cosseting
To treat like a pet or to overly enjoy the pleasure of something: When Mary cossets her cat, she gives it an excessive amount of fondness and attention.
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A special group of people who work together to achieve special objectives or who are interested in the same thing: Shirley is a member of a coterie of fellow musicians.
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Mark's coterie included several well-known writers who have had several books published.
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courtly (adjective), courtlier, courtliest
1. Referring to someone who is polished or refined, as befitting a royal court: Adam gave a courtly bow to his wife for the wonderful dinner that she had prepared.
2 Relating to behavior that is presented in an obedient and an excessive or servile way: The waiter at the restaurant served Janet and James their meal in a courtly manner.
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2 Relating to behavior that is presented in an obedient and an excessive or servile way: The waiter at the restaurant served Janet and James their meal in a courtly manner.
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crackpot (adjective), more crackpot, most crackpot
Characteristic of someone who is very strange or crazy: Some crackpot guy in a clown suit is out on the street directing traffic.
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crafty (adjective), craftier, craftiest
Using cunning or trickery to deceive other people in order to take advantage of them: People who are crafty are known to cleverly use sneaky methods or schemes to get whatever they want because they are shrewd, sly, artful, etc.
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crass (adjective); crasser, more crass; crassest, most crass
A reference to having or showing no concern about what is proper or acceptable: There were some people who were shocked by Mildred's crass or offensive comments about the new supervisor at her company.
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© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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craven (adjective), more craven, most craven
Pertaining to a complete lack of courage; cowardly; fearful; timorous: As boys, even the most craven among the group, in an attempt to prove that they were as brave as the other guys, jumped off the high diving board into the swimming pool.
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© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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1. In the United States, a set of figures that represent the scene of Jesus Christ's birth and which is displayed during Christmas; a representation of the Nativity scene: The children gathered around the crèche and sang Christmas songs.
2. Primarily British, a hospital for orphaned infants; a foundling hospital: Merna's aunt worked as a housekeeper at the famous crèche for orphaned children after the war.
3. Chiefly British, a day care center; a place where young children are cared for during the day while their parents are working: Katherine learned many delightful songs and games when she attended the local crèche.
4. In biology, a group of young birds, animals, etc. that stay together for protection; especially, among birds, a gathering of the young of several families, tended by one or more adults; such as, ducks, geese, etc.: The fox crèche which included about six fox babies was watched over by the vixen or mother fox.
5. Etymology: from French for "crib", a day nursery provided by the state, a local government, or by private institutions which enables mothers to work while their babies are cared for by others.
2. Primarily British, a hospital for orphaned infants; a foundling hospital: Merna's aunt worked as a housekeeper at the famous crèche for orphaned children after the war.
3. Chiefly British, a day care center; a place where young children are cared for during the day while their parents are working: Katherine learned many delightful songs and games when she attended the local crèche.
4. In biology, a group of young birds, animals, etc. that stay together for protection; especially, among birds, a gathering of the young of several families, tended by one or more adults; such as, ducks, geese, etc.: The fox crèche which included about six fox babies was watched over by the vixen or mother fox.
5. Etymology: from French for "crib", a day nursery provided by the state, a local government, or by private institutions which enables mothers to work while their babies are cared for by others.
A crèche, or communal nursery
Even the crèche, which is the social core of every pride of lions, is shaped by violence. This was verified after scrutinizing groups of nursing mothers for countless hours.
A lactating female nursed another's young rarely, usually after an unrelated cub sneaked onto her nipple. An alert lioness reserved her milk for her own offspring.
In contrast to the widespread belief that crèches were maternal "day-care centers", it was observed that nursing mothers stick together primarily for defense.
During takeovers by outside males, solitary females lost litter after litter, while cooperating lionesses stood a better chance of protecting their cubs and fending off males, each of which can outweigh a female by as much as fifty percent.
cringe (verb), cringes; cringed; cringing
1. To feel disgust or embarrassment and often to show this feeling by moving one's face or body away from the source that causes it: Many English teachers cringe when their students use the word "ain't" in class.
2. To make a sudden movement from fear of being hit or hurt: Sharon's dog cringed from the noise of the fireworks celebrating the new year.
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2. To make a sudden movement from fear of being hit or hurt: Sharon's dog cringed from the noise of the fireworks celebrating the new year.
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culinary (adjective), more culinary, most culinary
A reference to something that is used in the preparation of cooking food: There are culinary edibles that contain a variety of delicious ingredients.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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cull (KUHL) (verb), culls; culled; culling
1. To pick out from others; to select, to choose: Please cull the e-mail messages to make sure that the spam messages are deleted.
2. Etymology: from Latin colligere, "to gather together, to collect"; originally, "to choose, to select".
2. Etymology: from Latin colligere, "to gather together, to collect"; originally, "to choose, to select".
culminate (KUHL muh nayt") (verb), culminates; culminated; culminating
1. To reach the highest point or degree of; the climax: The habitual antagonism between the two political groups culminated in open hostility.
3. In astronomy, to reach the highest point above an observer's horizon referring to the stars and other celestial bodies: The midsummer moon culminated in the sky just after midnight.
4. To bring to the point of greatest intensity or to completion: The ceremony culminated after two weeks of preparation.
5. Concluding, resulting, terminating: Their disagreement culminated in a fight.
6. Etymology: "to reach the highest point, to peak, to climax"; borrowed from Late Latin culminatus, culminare, "to crown"; from Latin culmen, culminis, "top".
The giant fireworks display culminated the Fourth of July festivities.
2. To come to completion; to end: After years of being separated, the reunion of the brothers and sisters culminated in tearful embraces and kisses.3. In astronomy, to reach the highest point above an observer's horizon referring to the stars and other celestial bodies: The midsummer moon culminated in the sky just after midnight.
4. To bring to the point of greatest intensity or to completion: The ceremony culminated after two weeks of preparation.
5. Concluding, resulting, terminating: Their disagreement culminated in a fight.
6. Etymology: "to reach the highest point, to peak, to climax"; borrowed from Late Latin culminatus, culminare, "to crown"; from Latin culmen, culminis, "top".
The end, final result, or climactic stage of something: The results of the study made of the etymology of words by James are the culminations of months of research and applications.
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Gerald's achievements as an astrologist stand as a culmination of several years of development.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
Links to all of the groups of English words in action, Groups A to Z.
You may see the bibliographic list of sources of information for these words in action.
