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euphemism & dysphemism (quoted from 'New Oxford American Dictionary')

euphemism  | ˈyo͞ofəˌmizəm |  noun a mild or indirect word or expression substituted  for one  considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to  something  unpleasant or embarrassing : “downsizing” as  a  euphemism   for  cuts .  The opposite of  dysphemism . dysphemism  | ˈdisfəˌmizəm |  noun a  derogatory  or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one, such as “loony bin” for “mental hospital.”  The opposite of  euphemism .

compass & encompass (from the Dictionary in Mac OS)

compass  | ˈkəmpəs | noun 1  ( also   magnetic compass ) an instrument containing  a   magnetized   pointer  that   shows   the   direction   of   magnetic north   and   bearings (orientations)  from it . The   use   of   the   compass   for   navigation   at sea   was  reported   from   China   c. 1100, western   Europe 1187,   Arabia   c. 1220, and   Scandinavia   c. 1300,  although   it   probably   dates   from   much earlier. Since   the   early   20 th   century   the   magnetic compass   has been   superseded   by   the  gyrocompass   as   primary   equipment   for ships and aircraft .

Choose the right word: rapture, bliss, ecstasy, euphoria, transport

from Thesaurus CHOOSE   THE RIGHT   WORD rapture, bliss,  ecstasy , euphoria, transport Happiness is one thing;  bliss   is another, suggesting a state of utter joy and contentment ( marital bliss ).  Ecstasy   is even more extreme, describing a trancelike state in which one loses  consciousness   of  one's surroundings ( the ecstasy of young love ). Although  rapture  originally referred  to  being raised or lifted out of oneself by divine power, nowadays it is used in much the same sense as  ecstasy  to describe an elevated sensation of bliss ( she listened in speechless rapture to her favorite soprano ).  Transport  (usually in the plural form  transports ) applies to any powerful emotion by which one is carried away ( transports of joy ). When happiness is carried to an extreme or crosses over into mania, it is called  euphoria .  Euphoria  may outwardly resemble  ecstasy  or  rapture ; but upon closer examination, it is usually found to be exaggerated and out of proportion (

Epistasis/epistatic

Any time two different genes contribute to a single phenotype and their effects are not merely additive, those genes are said to be epistatic. (ref:  http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/epistasis-gene-interaction-and-phenotype-effects-460) In  classical genetics , if genes A and B are mutated, and each mutation by itself produces a unique phenotype but the two mutations together show the same phenotype as the gene A mutation, then gene A is epistatic and gene B is  hypostatic .  (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistasis)

Collection of non-English phrases

ab initio  | ˌab əˈniSHēˌō | adverb from the beginning (used chiefly in formal  or  legal contexts) :  the agreement should be declared void ab initio . adjective  [  attrib.  ] starting from the beginning :  he was  instructing   ab initio  pilots . ORIGIN  early 17th cent. :  Latin .

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD (temporary, ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, transient, transitory) from the Thesaurus in my Mac laptop

temporary, ephemeral,  evanescent , fleeting,  transient , transitory Things that don't last long  are  called  temporary ,  which  emphasizes a measurable but limited duration ( a temporary appointment as  chief of staff ).  Something  that is   fleeting  passes almost instantaneously and cannot be caught or held ( a  fleeting  thought ;  a fleeting glimpse ).  Transient  also applies to  something  that  lasts  or  stays  only  a  short time ( transient   house guests ), while  transitory  refers to  something   that is  destined to pass away or come to  an  end ( the   transitory   pleasure  of eating ).  Evanescent   and   ephemeral   describe what is even more short-lived.  Ephemeral   literally   means  'lasting for  only   a   single  day,' but is often used to describe anything that is slight and  perishable  ( his  fame   was   ephemeral ).  Evanescent  is a more lyrical word for whatever vanishes almost as soon as it  appears .  In other words , a job might be  te

proposition; contingency; contiguity

proposition  | ˌpräpəˈziSHən | noun 1  a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion :  the proposition that all men are created equal . •  Logic  a statement that expresses a concept that can be true or false .

喪鐘 knell

knell  | nel |  literary noun the sound  of  a bell, esp. when rung solemnly for a death or funeral . •  used  in  reference to an announcement, event, or sound that warns of the end of something :  the decision will probably  toll the knell for  the facility . verb  [  no  obj.  ] ( of  a bell) ring solemnly, esp. for a death or funeral . •  [  with  obj.  ]  proclaim (something) by or as if by a knell . ORIGIN  Old English  cnyll (noun),  cnyllan (verb); related to  Dutch  knal  (noun), knallen  (verb)  ‘ bang, pop, crack . ’  The current spelling (dating from the 16th cent.) is perhaps influenced by  bell 1 . toll  2  | tōl | verb ( with reference to   a  bell) sound or cause  to   sound  with a slow, uniform succession of strokes, as a  signal  or announcement :  [  no  obj.  ]  :  the bells of the cathedral began to  toll for  evening service  |  [  with  obj  ]  :  the priest began tolling the bell . •  (of a bell) announce or mark ( the   time , a service, or a person's deat

contend concede

contend  | kənˈtend | verb 1  [  no   obj.  ]  ( contend with/against )  struggle to surmount (a difficulty or danger) :  she had to contend with his uncertain temper . •  ( contend for )  engage in a competition or campaign in order to win or achieve (something) :  the local team should contend for a division championship  |  ( as  adj. contending )  :  disputes continued between the contending parties . 2  assert something as a position in an argument :  he contends that the judge was wrong . DERIVATIVES contender  noun ORIGIN  late Middle English  (in the sense  ‘ compete for (something) ’ ): from  Old French  contendre  or  Latin  contendere , from  con-  ‘ with ’  +  tendere  ‘ stretch, strive . ’ concede  | kənˈsēd | verb 1  [  reporting verb  ]  admit that something is true or valid after first denying or  resisting  it :  [  with  clause  ]  :  I had to concede that I'd overreacted  |  [  with  obj.  ]  :  that principle now seems to have been conceded . •  [  wit

possible vs. plausible

possible  | ˈpäsəbəl | adjective able   to be  done; within the power or capacity of someone or something plausible  | ˈplôzəbəl | adjective (of an  argument  or statement) seeming reasonable or probable Plausible  is referred to an explanation, an argument, or a statement, while  possible  is referred to a fact, or an event. For example, my explanation on how in future time traveling will be possible could be plausible, but that doesn't mean traveling through time will be possible.

refer

refer  | riˈfər | verb  ( refers ,  referring ,  referred ) 1  [  no   obj.  ]  ( refer to )  mention or allude to :  the reports of the commission are often referred  to in the media  |  New York,  referred to as the Big Apple . •  [  with   obj.  ]  ( refer someone to )  direct the attention of someone to :  I refer my colleague   to   the  reply that I gave some moments ago . •  ( refer  to )  (of  a word  or  phrase ) describe or denote; have as a referent :  the term “rhetoric”  almost  invariably refers  to   persuasion . 2  [  with  obj.  ]  ( refer something to )  pass  a matter to (another body, typically one with more authority or expertise) for a  decision :  disagreement arose and the issue was referred back to the Executive Committee . •  ( refer someone to )  send or direct  someone  to a medical specialist :  she was referred to a clinical psychologist for counseling . •  [  no  obj.  ]  ( refer to )  read or otherwise use (a source of information) in order to ascertain