Daily Wordlist 04-Jan-10

	04-Jan-10 Daily Wordlist catcall [ kat-kawl ]   [ noun, intransitive verb, transitive verb ]   MEANING :   1. (n.) a loud raucous shout or rowdy whistle 2. (n.) 3. (tr. v.) to express derision or disapproval by whistling or by loud raucous shouts 5. (intr. v.) to make a loud raucous shout   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   Rowdy spectators greeted the scantily clad cheer leaders with catcalls.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Other typically interested officials, perhaps wary of the boos and catcalls that greeted Sen. John Cornyn at a Tea Party rally in Texas, didn't ask to address the crowd this year. CNN, Health care reform critics converge on Capitol, Rebecca Sinderbrand, 14 September 2009.   nullify [ NUHL-uh'-fahy ]   [ transitive verb ]   MEANING :   1. to render inoperative or void 2. to make futile or ineffective   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   Nobody wanted him in their team for the project as he could nullify all their efforts with his contrary attitude.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   In the reply to the British ultimatum it is stated that "the British Government nullified all German attempts at a peaceful settlement," although the effort to bring about reasonable negotiation has persisted to a point that alarmed public opinion everywhere. The Telegraph, World War 2: Britain takes up the Nazi Challenge to save liberty itself, 3 September 2009.   abrasive [ uh'-BREY-siv ]   [ noun, adjective ]   MEANING :   1. material used for grinding or polishing 2. causing wearing away by grinding 3. overly aggressive   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   He brought a shine to the dusty old cabinet by using an abrasive.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Forget about exfoliating, as it's too abrasive for your skin type. CNN, Take it easy on your skin, 4 December 2008.   catapult [ KAT-uh'-puhlt ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. a slingshot 2. a mechanism used in medieval times to propel large stones or spears 3. a machine for launching aircraft at a speed sufficient for flight   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   They hunted quail with their catapults.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Officers can arrest a person if they are carrying a catapult around with them in public. BBC, Arrests over catapult attacks, 10 March 2009.   chaplain [ CHAP-lin ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. a member of the clergy attached to a chapel or to a branch of the armed forces 2. a member of the clergy who conducts religious services for an institution, like a hospital or a prison 3. a member of the clergy who conducts religious services for a royal court   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The chaplain knelt down and prayed with the congregation.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Due to open in November, co-ordinating chaplain Reverend Hedges has appealed to members of her diocese near Norwich to visit and help with their rehabilitation. The Telegraph, Prison chaplain encourages people to visit lonely sex offenders, 1 October 2009.   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