Page 327 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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Essential Vocabulary
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polemic (poh LEM ik) adj. 1. of or concerning dispute; controversial; 2. argu-
mentative; disputatious
• Polemic persons often enjoy becoming members of a debating team.
• Some of the great polemics of the western plains concerned property
borders.
• The border polemics usually concerned water rights but occasionally dealt
with mineral rights.
[-ally adv.]
poseur (poh ZOER) n. a person who affects attitudes or manners for the benefit
of others; an actor; pretender
•A poseur might deliberately affect the manner of another or might do so
naturally.
• Impersonators and impressionists are deliberate poseurs.
• Sometimes a poseur affects an attitude of concern just for the benefit of a
judge or jury.
pottery (PAH toer ee) n. objects made from clay by a potter; urns, bowls, dishes,
and so on made of clay and hardened by heat in a kiln; earthenware
• Some of our best knowledge of ancient civilizations comes from having
unearthed their pottery.
• Most dishes are made of pottery.
• Terra-cotta pottery is commonly used for household plants, although plastic
is also frequently used.
[Syn. earthenware]
precipitation (pree SIP i TAY shun) n. 1. rash haste; impetuousness; 2. the
bringing about of something suddenly; acceleration; 3. snow, rain, sleet, hail, and
so on
• The precipitation of a conflict is rarely a cause to celebrate.
• Driving too fast might be the precipitation for a high-speed accident.
• In the winter, frozen precipitation might fall from the sky.
[precipitate vt.]
preempt (pree EMPT) vt. 1. to seize before anyone else can; 2. to replace a
previously scheduled program (on TV or radio)
• A municipal government can preempt someone’s property for public use.
• A news bulletin or presidential address sometimes preempts scheduled
programming.
[-ed, -ing]