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GUESSTIMATE

PRONUNCIATION: (GES-ti-mayt for verb; -muht for noun)

MEANING: verb tr.: To make an estimate based on guesswork.
noun: An estimate based on guesswork.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of guess + estimate. Earliest documented use: 1936.
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GUESTIMATE - try to figure out how many are coming for dinner

GUESS TIME ATE - ...and how long it took to eat it

GUESSTIVATE - how long should my summer vacation be?

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CONTRAPTION

PRONUNCIATION: (kuhn-TRAP-shuhn)

MEANING: noun: A device that appears to be strange, makeshift, or complicated.

ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps a blend of contrive + trap + invention. Earliest documented use: 1825.
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CONTRA-PION - a new subatomic anti-particle

CON-TRAP-TIN - a thief could cut his way out of it with a pair of scissors (compare CON-TRAP-IRON)

CONTRAPATION - working against your employer

CONT.RATION - your meal will arrive on schedule

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ALLICIENT

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-LISH-uhnt)

MEANING: adjective: Having the power to attract; appealing.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin allicere (to entice). Earliest documented use: 1613.
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ALICIENT - Witty

ALLI®CLIENT - one who tries to lose weight by taking orlistat

ALLICENT - her parents couldn't decide whether to name her after Grandma Allison or Grandma Millicent

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CERNUOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (SUHR-noo/nyoo-uhs)

MEANING: adjective: Drooping, nodding, or bending forward.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin cernuus (bowing). Earliest documented use: 1653.
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CZERNUOUS - pedantic, predictable, monotonous, and thorough

CERNulous - like a microcosm of atomic physicists

CORNUOUS - horny

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XANTHIC

PRONUNCIATION: (ZAN-thik)

MEANING: adjective: Yellow or yellowish.

ETYMOLOG: From Greek xanthos (yellow). Earliest documented use: 1817. Two related words are xanthodontous (having yellow teeth) and Xanthippe (a nagging woman).
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EXANTHIC - with a rash on the skin, like measles or chickenpox

PANTHIC - feline. (Better still, if called by a panthic, don't anthic)

XANTNIC - who comes down the chimney on December 25

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PREDACIOUS

PRONUNCIATION: pri-DAY-shuhs)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Preying on other animals.
2. Seeking to exploit others.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin praedari (to prey upon), from praeda (booty). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghend-/ghed- (to seize or to take), which is also the source of pry, prey, spree, reprise, surprise, osprey, prison, impregnable, impresa, prise, and reprehend. Earliest documented use: 1665.
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PREDATIOUS - occurring before, especially before acknowledgments of debt

PREFACIOUS - tending to give lengthy and tedious introductory remarks

PRUDACIOUS - conspicuously prim and proper, not to say Victorian

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HORTATIVE

PRONUNCIATION: (HOHR-tuh-tiv)

MEANING: adjective: Strongly urging.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin hortari (to urge). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gher- (to like or want), which also gave us yearn, charisma, greedy, and exhort. Earliest documented use: 1623.
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ORTATIVE - piecemeal

SHORTATIVE - abbreviated

SORTATIVE - categorizing

HORATATIVE - defending bridges despite overwhelming odds

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AUBADE

PRONUNCIATION: (O-bahd)

MEANING: noun: Morning song, poem, or music.

ETYMOLOGY: From French aubade (dawn serenade), from Spanish albada (aubade), from Latin albus (white). Ultimately from the Indo-European root albho- (white), which is also the source of oaf, albino, album, albumen, elflock, and albedo. Earliest documented use: 1678.
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AMBADE - walking distance

AUBADUE - should have been done yesterday

ANUBADE - requested by Mr Garg

DAUBADE - paintings by a 3-year-old

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PROSOPOGRAPHY

PRONUNCIATION: (pros-uh-PAH-gruh-fee)

MEANING: noun: A study of people in a group, identifying patterns, connections, etc.: a collective biography.

ETYMOLOGY: From German Prosopographie, from Latin prosopographia, from Greek prosopon (face, mask), from pros- (facing) + ops (eye) + -graphy (writing). Earliest documented use: 1577.
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PROSTOPOGRAPHY - pictures of an unsuccessful fourth-and-goal run

PROSONOGRAPHY - in favor of ultrasound examinations

PROTO-PO-GRAPHY - the imaging of the river is in its infancy

PROSOAPOGRAPHY - we need a catalog of soap sculptures

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POSTICHE

PRONUNCIATION: (poh-STEESH)

MEANING: noun:
1. A hairpiece.
2. An imitation or sham.

ETYMOLOGY: From French postiche (hairpiece, fake), from Italian posticcio (counterfeit), from Latin appositus, past participle of apponere (to put near), from ponere (to put). Ultimately from the Indo-European root apo- (off or away), that also gave us after, off, awkward, post, puny, aphelion, apheresis, apograph, apopemptic, apophasis, and aposematic. Earliest documented use: 1854.
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POST-RICHE - a member of the bourgeoisie whose money is all gone

ÖSTICHE - Austrian citizen (female)

POSTICLE - frozen dessert fence-picket-on-a-stick

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