Weekly Words

November 16, 2008 - November 22, 2008

impetuous
adj. impulsive; without forethought; hotheaded
ihm-peh-choo-us
Lat.
impetere : to attack
The impetuous youth immediately ran to play with the pet Piranha before inquiring about Piranha protocols.
intuitive
adj. knowing something instinctively rather than logically
in-too-ih-tihv
Lat.
intueri : to look at, consider
Without a word, and within seconds of walking into the room, Tula intuitively understood the situation.
cogent
adj. convincing and reasonable
koh-jihnt
Lat.
co : with
agere : to push, drive
The cognates recognized and corroborated my cogent remarks on congenital cognitive processes.
elucidate
v. make clear or plain, especially by explanation; clarify
eh-loo-sih-dayt
Lat.
luc : light, transparent
Lucia was able to elucidate the meaning of her name when she explained that luz means light in Spanish.
lucid
adj. clear; easily comprehended
loo-sihd
Lat.
luc : light
Lucid dreaming is a dream state in which you have greater mental clarity and control over your actions.
unequivocal
adj. clear; beyond controversy or doubt; unambiguous
un-eh-quih-voh-kl
Lat.
un : not
equi : equal
vocare : to call
He told the reporters unequivocally that he had been equivocating constantly during 3 terms in Congress.
alleviate
v. relieve or improve; ease a pain or burden
uh-lee-vee-ayt
Lat.
ad : to
levis : light
Aleve effectively alleviates most headaches.