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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 Since   the   early   20 th   century   the   magnetic compass   has been   superseded   by   the  gyrocompass   as   primary   equipment   for ships and aircraft .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  ecs...

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...