Thanks & Giving

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  ecs...

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)

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 .

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...

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 .

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. ...

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...