noun
A truth or fact that is seen as self-evident, leaving no room for question or debate.
Much to the chagrin of his creditors, Max adopted the AXIOM of those who have amassed great wealth: “Pay yourself first.”
“A woman moved is like a
fountain troubled. / Muddy,
ill-seeming, thick, BEREFT of
beauty, / And while it is so, none
so dry or thirsty / Will deign to
sip or touch one drop of it.”
William Shakespeare
B
bacchanal
(bah-kan-AL), noun
A wild celebration; a party at which the partygoers are loud and out of control, often fueled by excess alcohol consumption.
The initiation ceremony at the fraternity turned into a full-blown BACCHANAL requiring the intervention of the campus police to restore order.
badinage
(BAH-dih-nadge), noun
Light, good-natured, even playful banter.
“If you don’t care for me, you can move out now. I’m frankly not up to BADINAGE.” – Harlan Ellison, American author
bailiwick
(BALE-ee-wick), noun
A person’s specific area of expertise, experience, skill, knowledge, education, or authority.
Foreign language is not my BAILIWICK, I soon realized after failing out of Hebrew School.
basilisk
(BAH-sill-isk), noun
A mythical reptile with a lethal stare or breath.
With poisonous saliva that can kill a man with one bite, the Komodo Dragon is truly a modern-day BASILISK.
bastion
(BAS-tee-uhn), noun
An institution, individual, or something else protecting or preserving a particular way of life, society, set of beliefs, or moral code.
Cliff, a Yale BASTION, continuously quibbles with Irene, who graduated summa cum laude from Harvard.
bathos
(BAY-thoss), noun
A sudden change in mood from the solemn and serious to a more light-hearted, relaxed, and humorous outlook.
When the clock ticked at midnight on December 31, 1999, and we moved into the new century without the computers shutting down, the grim look and worried faces disappeared, and the IT department was suddenly enveloped in a feeling of BATHOS.
beatitude
(bee-AT-it-tood), noun
Being in the highest possible state of happiness, good humor, and contentment.
“Kindness is a virtue neither modern nor urban. One almost unlearns it in a city. Towns have their own BEATITUDE; they are not unfriendly; they offer a vast and solacing anonymity or an equally vast and solacing gregariousness.” – Phyllis McGinley, American author and poet
beguiling
(bee-GUY-ling), adjective
Charming; bewitching; enchanting.
The BEGUILING charm Monica learned at finishing school more than makes up for her vapid personality.
beleaguer
(beh-LEE-gir), verb
To persistently surround, harass, or pester until you get what you want.
To the embarrassment of her friends, Kristen BELEAGUERED the sommelier until he brought her a satisfactory Bordeaux.
belie
(bee-LYE), verb
To contradict or misrepresent.
Luther’s mild-mannered, almost sickly appearance BELIED his physical conditioning and surprising strength.
belles lettres
(BELL-LET-truh), noun
Novels, short stories, poems, and other writings read for their grace and literary style and not necessarily their content.
“Learning has been as great a Loser by being … secluded from the World and good Company. By that Means, every Thing of what we call BELLES LETTRES became totally barbarous, being cultivated by Men without any Taste of Life or Manners.” – David Hume, Scottish philosopher
bellicose
(BELL-ih-kose), adjective
Belligerent, surly, ready to argue or fight at the slightest provocation.
Doug is so touchy about his new Jaguar that he’ll instantly grow BELLICOSE if you so much as brush against it.
bellwether
(BELL-weather), noun
A leading indicator or factor in determining a course of action or outcome.
The fact that Robert got thrown out of Groton and Exeter was a BELLWETHER for his lackadaisical years at Dartmouth.
beneficent
(be-NE-fih-sent), adjective
Kindly in action, purpose, or speech.
In a BENEFICENT gesture, the neighborhood raised $10,000 to
A truth or fact that is seen as self-evident, leaving no room for question or debate.
Much to the chagrin of his creditors, Max adopted the AXIOM of those who have amassed great wealth: “Pay yourself first.”
“A woman moved is like a
fountain troubled. / Muddy,
ill-seeming, thick, BEREFT of
beauty, / And while it is so, none
so dry or thirsty / Will deign to
sip or touch one drop of it.”
William Shakespeare
B
bacchanal
(bah-kan-AL), noun
A wild celebration; a party at which the partygoers are loud and out of control, often fueled by excess alcohol consumption.
The initiation ceremony at the fraternity turned into a full-blown BACCHANAL requiring the intervention of the campus police to restore order.
badinage
(BAH-dih-nadge), noun
Light, good-natured, even playful banter.
“If you don’t care for me, you can move out now. I’m frankly not up to BADINAGE.” – Harlan Ellison, American author
bailiwick
(BALE-ee-wick), noun
A person’s specific area of expertise, experience, skill, knowledge, education, or authority.
Foreign language is not my BAILIWICK, I soon realized after failing out of Hebrew School.
basilisk
(BAH-sill-isk), noun
A mythical reptile with a lethal stare or breath.
With poisonous saliva that can kill a man with one bite, the Komodo Dragon is truly a modern-day BASILISK.
bastion
(BAS-tee-uhn), noun
An institution, individual, or something else protecting or preserving a particular way of life, society, set of beliefs, or moral code.
Cliff, a Yale BASTION, continuously quibbles with Irene, who graduated summa cum laude from Harvard.
bathos
(BAY-thoss), noun
A sudden change in mood from the solemn and serious to a more light-hearted, relaxed, and humorous outlook.
When the clock ticked at midnight on December 31, 1999, and we moved into the new century without the computers shutting down, the grim look and worried faces disappeared, and the IT department was suddenly enveloped in a feeling of BATHOS.
beatitude
(bee-AT-it-tood), noun
Being in the highest possible state of happiness, good humor, and contentment.
“Kindness is a virtue neither modern nor urban. One almost unlearns it in a city. Towns have their own BEATITUDE; they are not unfriendly; they offer a vast and solacing anonymity or an equally vast and solacing gregariousness.” – Phyllis McGinley, American author and poet
beguiling
(bee-GUY-ling), adjective
Charming; bewitching; enchanting.
The BEGUILING charm Monica learned at finishing school more than makes up for her vapid personality.
beleaguer
(beh-LEE-gir), verb
To persistently surround, harass, or pester until you get what you want.
To the embarrassment of her friends, Kristen BELEAGUERED the sommelier until he brought her a satisfactory Bordeaux.
belie
(bee-LYE), verb
To contradict or misrepresent.
Luther’s mild-mannered, almost sickly appearance BELIED his physical conditioning and surprising strength.
belles lettres
(BELL-LET-truh), noun
Novels, short stories, poems, and other writings read for their grace and literary style and not necessarily their content.
“Learning has been as great a Loser by being … secluded from the World and good Company. By that Means, every Thing of what we call BELLES LETTRES became totally barbarous, being cultivated by Men without any Taste of Life or Manners.” – David Hume, Scottish philosopher
bellicose
(BELL-ih-kose), adjective
Belligerent, surly, ready to argue or fight at the slightest provocation.
Doug is so touchy about his new Jaguar that he’ll instantly grow BELLICOSE if you so much as brush against it.
bellwether
(BELL-weather), noun
A leading indicator or factor in determining a course of action or outcome.
The fact that Robert got thrown out of Groton and Exeter was a BELLWETHER for his lackadaisical years at Dartmouth.
beneficent
(be-NE-fih-sent), adjective
Kindly in action, purpose, or speech.
In a BENEFICENT gesture, the neighborhood raised $10,000 to
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