1: (adj.) Combative in nature; belligerent.
pug·nacious·ly (adv.), pug·nacious·ness or pug·naci·ty (n.).
[syn: aggressiveness, contentiousness, belligerence, quarrelsomeness]
26 December, 2003
dog·ma
1: (n.) A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a church.
A tenet is that which is maintained as true with great firmness; as, the tenets of our holy religion. A dogma is that which is laid down with authority as indubitably true, especially a religious doctrine; as, the dogmas of the church. A tenet rests on its own intrinsic merits or demerits; a dogma rests on authority regarded as competent to decide and determine. Dogma has in our language acquired, to some extent, a repulsive sense, from its carrying with it the idea of undue authority or assumption. This is more fully the case with its derivatives dogmatical and dogmatism.
2: (n.) An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true. The obscure and loose dogmas of early antiquity. -- Whewell. [Syn: doctrine]
3: (n.) A principle or belief or a group of them, an arbitrary dictum: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present” (Abraham Lincoln).
A tenet is that which is maintained as true with great firmness; as, the tenets of our holy religion. A dogma is that which is laid down with authority as indubitably true, especially a religious doctrine; as, the dogmas of the church. A tenet rests on its own intrinsic merits or demerits; a dogma rests on authority regarded as competent to decide and determine. Dogma has in our language acquired, to some extent, a repulsive sense, from its carrying with it the idea of undue authority or assumption. This is more fully the case with its derivatives dogmatical and dogmatism.
2: (n.) An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true. The obscure and loose dogmas of early antiquity. -- Whewell. [Syn: doctrine]
3: (n.) A principle or belief or a group of them, an arbitrary dictum: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present” (Abraham Lincoln).
ef·fete
1: (adj.) Depleted of vitality, force, or effectiveness; exhausted: the final, effete period of the baroque style.
2: (adj.) Marked by self-indulgence, triviality, or decadence: an effete group of self-professed intellectuals.
3: (adj.) Overrefined; effeminate.
4: (adj.) No longer productive; infertile.
ef·fetely (adv.), ef·feteness (n.)
2: (adj.) Marked by self-indulgence, triviality, or decadence: an effete group of self-professed intellectuals.
3: (adj.) Overrefined; effeminate.
4: (adj.) No longer productive; infertile.
ef·fetely (adv.), ef·feteness (n.)
os·ten·ta·tious
1: (adj.) Characterized by or given to ostentation; pretentious. Far from being ostentatious of the good you do. --Dryden
2: (adj.) Unduly conspicuous; showy.
osten·tatious·ly (adv.), /ant/ unostentatious (adj.)
2: (adj.) Unduly conspicuous; showy.
osten·tatious·ly (adv.), /ant/ unostentatious (adj.)
vo·lup·tu·ar·y
1: (n.) A person whose life is given over to luxury and sensual pleasures; a sensualist: "an adventurous voluptuary, angling in all streams for variety of pleasures” (Thomas De Quincey).
[syn: sybarite]
[syn: epicurean, luxurious, sybaritic, voluptuous] (adj.)
vo·luptu·ary (adj.)
[syn: sybarite]
[syn: epicurean, luxurious, sybaritic, voluptuous] (adj.)
vo·luptu·ary (adj.)
rec·on·dite
1: (adj.) Hidden from the mental or intellectual view; secret; abstruse. Ambiguous. recondite causes of things.
2: (adj.) Concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure, difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge: recondite learning.
3: (adj.) Concealed; hidden.
recon·ditely (adv.), recon·diteness (n.)
2: (adj.) Concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure, difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge: recondite learning.
3: (adj.) Concealed; hidden.
recon·ditely (adv.), recon·diteness (n.)
trench·ant
1: (adj.) Forceful, effective, and vigorous: a trenchant argument.
2: (adj.) Caustic; cutting: trenchant criticism.
3: (adj.) Distinct; clear-cut.
trenchan·cy (n.), trenchant·ly (adv.)
2: (adj.) Caustic; cutting: trenchant criticism.
3: (adj.) Distinct; clear-cut.
trenchan·cy (n.), trenchant·ly (adv.)
im·mure
1: (v.) To inclose whithin walls, or as within walls; hence, to shut up; to imprison; to incarcerate.
2: (v.) To build into a wall: immure a shrine.
3: (v.) To entomb in a wall
im·mured, im·mur·ing, im·mures (v.)
2: (v.) To build into a wall: immure a shrine.
3: (v.) To entomb in a wall
im·mured, im·mur·ing, im·mures (v.)
a·plomb
1: (n.) Self-confident assurance; poise
[syn: assuredness, cool, poise, sang-froid, self-possession]
[syn: assuredness, cool, poise, sang-froid, self-possession]
19 December, 2003
di·dac·tic
1: (adj.) Fitted or intended to teach; conveying instruction; preceptive; instructive; teaching some moral lesson; as, didactic essays. "Didactical writings.''
2: (adj.) Inclined to teach or moralize excessively.
di·dacti·cal·ly (adv.), di·dacti·cism (n.).
2: (adj.) Inclined to teach or moralize excessively.
di·dacti·cal·ly (adv.), di·dacti·cism (n.).
17 December, 2003
in·cho·ate
1: (adj.) In an initial or early stage; incipient.
2: (adj.) Imperfectly formed or developed, existing in its elements; incomplete: a vague, inchoate idea./ Neither a substance perfect, nor a substance inchoate. --Raleigh.
in·choate·ly (adv.), in·choate·ness (n.).
2: (adj.) Imperfectly formed or developed, existing in its elements; incomplete: a vague, inchoate idea./ Neither a substance perfect, nor a substance inchoate. --Raleigh.
in·choate·ly (adv.), in·choate·ness (n.).
03 December, 2003
hith·er·to
1: a. (adv.) Until this time: The weather, which had hitherto been sunny and mild, suddenly turned cold.
b. Used in a negative statement to describe a situation that hasn't existed up to this point in time: "So far he hasn't called"; "the sun isn't up yet"
2: . To this place; to a prescribed limit. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. --Job xxxviii. 11.
[syn: so far, thus far, up to now, heretofore, as yet, yet, til now, until now]
b. Used in a negative statement to describe a situation that hasn't existed up to this point in time: "So far he hasn't called"; "the sun isn't up yet"
2: . To this place; to a prescribed limit. Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. --Job xxxviii. 11.
[syn: so far, thus far, up to now, heretofore, as yet, yet, til now, until now]
02 December, 2003
prog·no·sis
1: (n.) a. A prediction of the probable course and outcome of a disease.
b. The likelihood of recovery from a disease.
2: A forecast or prediction: a gloomy prognosis for economic recovery.
b. The likelihood of recovery from a disease.
2: A forecast or prediction: a gloomy prognosis for economic recovery.