Word List

This is a compiled list of terms that I happened to use within my articles, most of which I feel are essential in conveying meaning within the English language (but, which I feel might be a bit under-used), along with a short, possibly more clarifying definition than you will find in a dictionary.

  • Ab: away from (Latin Prefix): see abjure for an example.
  • Abjure: give up, throw away, or reject:  especially related to belief(s).
  • Absolution: Forgiveness, whether by God or some person.
  • Abuse: long-term repeated attacks, whether physical or verbal, that cause physical or mental harm.
  • Ambient: area around or surrounding
  • Ambient Temperature: Air temperature in an area or around something.
    • Amps=Watts/Volts
    • Amps or Current (I): The workhorse in electricity, amps are what run our equipment. As little as .1 to .2 amps is deadly. It isn’t the volts, which the big danger signs announce in the thousands of volts.
  • Assumption: A theory or belief that is accepted as true without proof.
  • Bailiwick: area of expertise
  • Bravery: Acting in the face of danger in spite of fear and with knowledge of the danger, because it is the right thing to do.
  • Constructive Criticism: A recommendation for improving a situation or process and possibly for preventing future problems of the same or similar nature.
  • Disinformation: False information, disseminated with good or bad intentions.
  • Disseminated: spread or dispersed: usually information, via channels from rumor to official publication (i.e. newspaper or T.V. News).
  • Ignorance: A lack of knowledge/information/data. Ignorance is curable with the willingness to learn.
  • Insanity: mentally ill or irrational.
    • Doing the same thing repeatedly, while expecting a different result. – Albert Einstein
  • Jure: right, fair, or reasonable. Used in relation to judgements, law, jurors, and jury: abjure and de jure.
  • Man – Short for mankind, human, or homo-sapiens, the male or female of the species.
  • Permutation: In math, the arrangement of numbers.
  • Proficient: competent or skilled.
    • Side Note: People who are proficient at something can still make gross errors and mistakes. Correction by people who care about that person should be appreciated and welcome (as long as it is polite and delivered with concern for the individual and the subject matter {though laughter and ribbing are sometimes acceptable for some mistakes, especially from dear friends}). Even better than a correction is a constructive criticism.
  • Psychology: The study of the behavior of living organisms: the interactions of mind and body, the effects of ingested and absorbed substances on the mind and body, how an individual acts/reacts, and how a group acts/reacts.
    • Opinion: Psychology cannot truly be called a science, because we simply do not know enough about the subject, as of yet.
  • Philosophizing is the act of considering reality, how things work, why things work, and how these things interact and relate to each other. These “things” include geology, the stars, emotions, thought, human relations, animal relations, love, war, and anything else you can dream of.
  • Relations: Relationships, including interactions with each other and other species.
  • Remediate: A solution that does not actually solve a problem, but does reduce its chances of occurring or its impact if it does occur.
  • Rote & Din: Forced learning, by constant repetition. Example: Dinning it into your head (visual graphic – imagine hitting yourself over the head with a book.
    • Note: The reality of the example would be useless. It is simply a simile or comparison. A metaphorical example does not expect you to take the example literally.
  • Smidgen: small or tiny amount.
  • Stupidity: Behaving without sense or judgement.
  • Taunt: A comment meant to anger, provoke, or wound.
  • Volts (V): The factor in electricity that pushes amps along the wire. You might have thousands of volts and a relatively tiny amount of amps.
    • Volts=Watts/Amps
  • Watts:  Power, calculated using amps and volts. Example: Household light fixtures might take a 3-way lightbulb, that uses 30, 70, or 100 Watts.
    • Watt (W)=Amps*Volts
  • Whisper/Whispering: a very quietly spoken comment or conversation.