Daily Wordlist 08-Dec-09

	08-Dec-09 Daily Wordlist impasse [ IM-pas ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. a situation from which there is no escape 2. a deadlock 3. a standstill or stalemate   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The impasse between labour and management was unlikely to be resolved.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   But he said the United States "holds the key" to breaking the impasse, and could convince Iran to halt its nuclear fuel program by offering security guarantees or a resumption of diplomatic relations with Tehran. CNN, Blix: Iran's nuclear work raising Mideast tensions, 12 November 2009.   coercion [ koh-UR-shuh'n ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. the act of using force to get someone to do something 2. the force used to get cooperation 3. the practice of using force to gain obedience   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The minister used coercion to get the people to withdraw their complaint against his errant son.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Many serve in regions where they grew up, leaving them compromised by existing links to insurgents or open to coercion. The Telegraph, Killing of five soldiers won't stop 'Afghanisation' of security: Analysis, Ben Farmer, 04 November 2009.   meddlesome [ MED-l-suh'm ]   [ adjective ]   MEANING :   1. inclined to interfere 2. given to being intrusive   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The teacher scolded the meddlesome student and warned him to mind his own business.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   We are not the ones being meddlesome and troublesome in Iraq. CNN, Senators to Bush: Stay out of Iran, 11 January 2007.   affiliation [ uh'-fil-ee-EY-shuh'n ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. the act of being adopted as a member 2. the state of being accepted as an associate or subsidiary   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   After resigning the Director openly stated that he had no further affiliation with the company.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church have warned they'll fight a government decision to remove religious affiliation from national identity cards. BBC, Greek conflict between modernity and Orthodoxy, 15 May 2000.   clasp [ klasp, klahsp ]   [ noun, transitive verb ]   MEANING :   1. (n.) a device used for holding together two or more things or parts of the same thing 2. (n.) a firm grip 3. (n.) a fond embrace 4. (tr. v.) to hold together with a clasp 5. (tr. v.) to hug or hold in a fond embrace   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The executive used a clasp to hold together the pages of notes that he took during the meeting.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   The covered clasps, though aesthetically pleasing, made attaching and detaching the strap difficult. CNN, Review: Kensington notebook roller well worth the cost, 7 June 2007.   Spelled Pronunciation Key Stress marks: [ CAPS ] indicates the primary stressed syllable, as in newspaper [NOOZ-pey-per ] and information [ in-fer-MEY-shuh' n ] CONSONANTS [b] boy, baby, rob [d] do, ladder, bed [f] food, offer, safe [g] get, bigger, dog [h] happy, ahead [j] jump, budget, age [k] can, speaker, stick [l] let, follow, still [m] make, summer, time [n] no, dinner, thin [ng] singer, think, long [p] put, apple, cup [r] run, marry, far, store [s] sit, city, passing, face [sh] she, station, push [t] top, better, cat [ch] church, watching, nature, witch [th] thirsty, nothing, math [th'] this, mother, breathe [v] very, seven, love [w] wear, away [hw] where, somewhat [y] yes, onion [z] zoo, easy, buzz [zh] measure, television, beige   VOWELS [a] apple, can, hat [ey] aid, hate, day [ah] arm, father, aha [air] air, careful, wear [aw] all, or, talk, lost, saw [e] ever, head, get [ee] eat, see, need [eer] ear, hero, beer [er] teacher, afterward, murderer [i] it, big, finishes [ahy] I, ice, hide, deny [o] odd, hot, woffle [oh] owe, road, below [oo] ooze, food, soup, sue [oo'] good, book, put [oi] oil, choice, toy [ou] out, loud, how [uh] up, mother, mud [uh'] about, animal, problem, circus [ur] early, bird, stirring   FOREIGN SOUNDS [a*] Fr. ami [kh*] Scot. loch, Ger. ach or ich [œ] Fr. feu, Ger. schön [r*] Fr. au revoir, Yiddish rebbe [uh*] Fr. oeuvre [y*] Fr. tu, Ger. über   SAMPLE NASALIZED VOWELS [an*] Fr. bien [ahn*] Fr. croissant [awn*] Fr. bon [œn*] Fr. parfum [in*] Port. Principe