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Archive for the 'Vocabulary' Category

avarice

avarice - extreme desire for material wealth

"Who in China ever thought that could-have-been, would-have-been companies like eTang.com and Renren.com would be consumed by their own avarice?"

laconic

laconic - short, brief, terse, to the point.

The laconic reply; ‘yes’.

belligerent

belligerent - inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive. Describing one that is hostile or aggressive.

Update:
I was asked to expand on this post, so here goes.

Belligerent is use often to describe a person or group’s inclination toward hostile or agressive response. Response might not be physical, as in

Some belligerent open source supporters are often trolling the net to forcefully fight every view point that is not pro-open source.

There is yet another use of the word in warfare and international law (links to Wikipedia).

lateral arabesque

A pseudo-promotion in which the incompetent person is not really raised in rank (and perhaps not in pay either) but is given a longer title and a new office in a remote part of the building.

Arabesque:

  1. A position in ballet
  2. A complex, intricate design or pattern
  3. A type of ornate design of complex, interwined floral
  4. A type of music composition

turpitude

turpitude: shameful wickedness; Unworthy lack of higher value, principle, words or actions; morally corrupted act.

He avoided charges of moral turpitude, which can quickly heat a situation to combustible levels.

invidious

Tending to produce ill will, provoke envy, hateful or resentment.
Implication of discrimination, or intend to discriminate.

An invidious remark.

affranchisement

affranchisement - an act of making free.

This word wasn’t found in a number of dictionaries including Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.

Sinicized

To make Chinese in character or to change or modify by Chinese influence.

Sinicization, or less commonly Sinification, is to make things Chinese.

I am certainly sincized in this 大染缸 (dyeing tank) of China.