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| acronym |
a type of abbreviation used as a word and pronounced as a word. An acronym is formed by combining the initial letters (or initial parts) of a string of words. The pronunciation of an acronym is based on the typical rules of pronouncing words in a language and is not made up of the sounds of the names of individual letters. The abbreviations "AIDS," "FICA," and "PIN" are acronyms, but the abbreviations "FBI," ATM," and "DVD" are not. |
| ASAP |
abbreviation of "as soon as possible" (sometimes pronounced as an acronym.) |
| aspirate |
in phonetics, a speech sound pronounced with an audible release or rush of air, such as the initial "h," "t," "p," or "k" sounds in English. [2/5 definitions] |
| benediction |
a blessing, esp. the one pronounced over the congregation by the clergyman at the end of a religious service. [1/2 definitions] |
| bilabial |
pronounced with the lips close together, as the consonants "p" and "m". [1/3 definitions] |
| blend |
two or more consonants that are next to each other in a word and that are pronounced together. [1/9 definitions] |
| bowleg |
an outward curving of the leg, most pronounced at the knee area, or a leg having such a curvature. |
| breast |
either of two fleshy protuberances on the human chest, usu. more pronounced on females than on males, having a nipple at the center. [1/6 definitions] |
| cf. |
abbreviation of "confer" (Latin); compare, to note the likenesses and differences of (pronounced as individual letters or as word "compare"). |
| chasm |
a division or separation caused by a pronounced difference of opinion, beliefs, or the like. [1/3 definitions] |
| curvaceous |
(informal) of a woman, having a full figure with pronounced curves; voluptuous. |
| cyanic acid |
a colorless, poisonous, volatile acid with a pronounced odor of almonds. |
| diacritic |
a small distinguishing mark, such as a macron, umlaut, or cedilla, that is added to a letter, esp. to indicate how it is to be pronounced; diacritical mark. |
| diacritical mark |
a small distinguishing mark, such as a macron, umlaut, or cedilla, that is added to a letter, esp. to indicate how it is to be pronounced. |
| dieresis |
a diacritic mark, such as on this letter "o" (ö), placed over the second of two consecutive vowels to show that it is pronounced separately. |
| fricative |
in phonetics, pronounced with a rush of air through a narrow slit or passage formed within the mouth. [1/2 definitions] |
| gonna |
contraction of "going to" used in some types of writing to reflect how the two words of the expression "be going to" are often pronounced in rapid, informal speech. |
| homograph |
a word that has the same spelling as another but a different meaning and history. Homographs are often pronounced differently from each other. In the sentence, "She shed a tear over the tear in her dress," the two words spelled "t-e-a-r" are homographs. |
| homonym |
a word that is pronounced and often spelled the same as another word, but has a different meaning. In the sentence, "She was mean to me, but she didn't mean it," the two instances of "mean" are homonyms. |
| kinda |
contraction of "kind of," used in some kinds of writing to reflect how the two words are often pronounced in rapid, informal speech (used as an adverb). |
| letup |
a pronounced decrease in intensity; abatement. [1/2 definitions] |
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