Wednesday, June 17, 2015

guides to the future

~diverge~ spread out from a point; assume a different course; deflect; wander; digress ~dna~ deoxyribonucleic acid; material carrying genetic information in chromosomes; essence; core ~docent~ well-informed guide, as in a museum or library ~docile~ submissive; easily managed; pliant; meek; gentle; subdued; mild; timid ~doctrine~ something that is taught; body of beliefs; superstitions; biases; guidelines; instructions ~docudrama~ television movie based on real-life events ~dodge~ move quickly to elude a pursuer or blow; evade by cunning or trickery; clever trick or expedient ~doggerel~ poor or trivial verse ~doily~ small ornamental mat of paper or lace used to signify respect or a sense of importance ~dollop~ shapeless lump of food ~dolomite~ mineral or rock of calcium magnesium carbonate ~domino theory~ the belief that one event will cause similar events, like a row of falling thin rectangles marked with 0-6 dots on each half ~doze~ sleep lightly; drowse; snooze ~droop~ sag; hang down; dangle; languish; lose heart; wilt; slump; be dejected ~dull~ tedious; boring; sluggish; slow-moving; listless; monotonous; tiresome; lackluster; torpid ~dumbfound~ make speechless; amaze; shock; surprise; startle; take aback; stun; astonish ~dust~ finely powdered substance ~duty~ moral or legal obligation; responsibility ~dwindle~ become gradually less or smaller; diminish; peter out; taper off; weaken; wane ~dynamic~ energetic; active; vigorous; forceful; spirited; influential; exciting ~eagle~ large bird of prey with keen vision and powerful flight ~ear~ organ of hearing ~earth~ the planet where some of us live ~eat~ take into the mouth, chew, and swallow ~eccentric~ odd or capricious; not centered; peculiar; offbeat; weird; outlandish ~echo~ repetition of a sound by the bounce of molecular structures ~eclair~ small, elongated light pastry filled with whipped cream or custard ~ecstasy~ overwhelming joy or rapture ~effervescent~ fizzy; carbonated; sparkling; bubbly; lively; vivacious ~effigy~ sculpture or model of a person ~effusion~ outpouring; unrestrained verbiage ~eh~ expressing surprise; asking for something to be repeated or explained ~eight~ one more than 7; symbol for this (8, VII, IIX) ~elan~ vivacity; dash; verve; pep; zeal; gusto ~element~ component part; contributing factor or thing ~eleven~ one more than ten; symbol for this (11, XI) ~elf~ small and often mischievous mythological being ~ellipsis~ omission of words within or at the end of a sentence often symbolized by three dots hovering silently in the undefined spacetime of the page, voice, or screen°°° ••• ... ~embellish~ beautify; adorn; add interest to something by inventing fictitious or colorful details ~envelop~ wrap up or surround in its entirety ~epigram~ pointed or witty saying ~epistle~ written letter, esp. a long one on a serious subject ~errata~ error in printing or writing ~exhaust~ consume or use up the whole of; tire out; weary; fritter away; squander; finish ~vacillate~ fluctuate; be irresolute; move from side to side; oscillate ~vacuous~ lacking expression; unintelligent; empty; inane ~vacuum~ space entirely devoid of matter ~vagabond~ wanderer, esp. an idle one; gypsy; hobo; derelict; drifter ~vague~ uncertain or ill-defined; imprecise; inexact; indefinite; unclear; confused; ambiguous; hazy; obscure; blurred; foggy; barely discernible ~valence~ combining power of an atom measured by the number of hydrogen atoms it can displace or combine with ~valve~ device controlling the flow of air or fluid or text through a pipe ~vanish~ disappear; cease to exist; leave no trace; dematerialize; be swallowed up; go by the board; fade away; melt away; dissolve; go poof ~vanity~ conceit about one's appearance or attainments; ostentatious display; futility; meaninglessness; insignificance; irrelevance; empty sound; static ~vapor~ moisture or another substance diffused or suspended in air ~varnish~ resinous solution used to give a hard shiny transparent coating; external appearance or display without a significant underlying reality ~vase~ vessel used as an ornament or container, esp. for sand, flowers, gravel, or sawdust ~veejay~ a curator/programmer/broadcaster of videos ~veer~ change in direction, course, opinion, conduct, or emotions ~velcro~ attaching or fastening agent consisting of two strips of fabric, one looped and one burred, which adhere when pressed together