Page 171 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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mundane (muhn DAYN) adj. 1. earthly, as distinguished from heavenly or
spiritual; 2. ordinary; everyday
• The clergy of the Middle Ages lived much more mundane lives than their
calling might have led one to expect.
• The peacock is an outstandingly beautiful bird, while the pigeon is consid-
erably more mundane.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. earthly]
munificent (myoo NIF is int) adj. 1. very generous; giving lavishly; 2. distin-
guished for great generosity
• Andrew Carnegie was noted for his munificent donations to artistic
causes.
• John D. Rockefeller’s descendants have proven very munificent in
trying to distribute some of the wealth that the family’s patriarch
amassed from his businesses.
[-ly adv, munificence n.]
museum (myoo ZEE im) n. a room, institution, or building for displaying
and/or showcasing artifacts, works of art, or items associated with a person,
activity, etc.
• Museums can be as different as the District of Columbia’s Air and Space
Museum and its National Museum of Natural History.
• The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, is a museum devoted
exclusively to the sport of baseball.
musing (MYOO zing) adj. meditative; pondering —n. meditation; reflection
• Yolanda was in a musing frame of mind as she thought over the day’s
events.
• Yoga teaches the benefits of musing for a set amount of time each day.
[-ly adv.]
muskrat (MUHS krat) n. 1. any of the various glossy, brown-furred American
rodents with a musky odor that are adapted by webbed hind feet for living in
water; 2. such an animal’s fur
• Muskrats have been known, as have other rodents, to carry disease.
• Imitation mink coats are usually made of muskrat.