Carcinogen

#063
CARCINOGEN
- A cancer-causing substance or agent.

A warning sign on Container. 

Usage / Example :
- Cigarette smoke contains known carcinogens.
- Retailers failing to warn of carcinogen in baby items, group says.

Kangaroo Words

#062
A kangaroo word is a word that contains letters of another word, in order, with the same meaning.

The etymology of the phrase kangaroo word is from the fact that kangaroos carry their young (known as joeys) in a body pouch.
Likewise, kangaroo words carry their joey words within themselves.

Twin kangaroos words - kangaroo words that contains two synonyms within.
Anti-kangaroo words - kangaroo words that contains its antonym

Examples : 
masculine has  male within
observe has see within.
encourage  has urge within
plagiarist has liar within
supervisor has superior within
capable has able

Root Word - CLAM / CLAIM

#061
Root Word - CLAM / CLAIM
-To cry out/shout

Examples / Usage :

Photo Credits : tanakawho

CLAIM - To call one's own
EXCLAIM - Cry out as, with pain.
RECLAIM - Make effort to regain.
ACCLAIM - To give praise
CLAMOR - A shouting.

Root Word - AM / AMI / AMIC

#060
ROOT WORD - AM / AMI / AMIC
- Related to Love / Liking.

Image Credit :  Jennuine Captures

Examples / Usage :

AMATEUR - One who practices for art of pleasure (taking part in an activity for pleasure, not as a job)
AMIABLE / AMICABLE - Friendly (agreeable manners)
ENAMORED - Fascinated / loving a lot
AMOROUS - Showing love
AMITY - Friendship

Lucrative

#059
LUCRATIVE
- Producing a great deal or profit.

Photo Credits : 401(K) 2012

Examples / Usage :
- The merger seemed to be LUCRATIVE for both companies.
- The hired gun's mission was to turn the failing store into a lucrative operation.

Root Word - CHRON

#058
CHRON
- Related to time

Examples / Usage :
CHRONIC    -    Continuing from long time. (CHRONIC Disease)
CHRONICLE    -    A record of events in order of time
SYNCHRONOUS    -    Happening at same time.
CHRONOGRAPH    -    A record of past time.

Paint The Town Red - Idiom

#057

PAINT THE TOWN RED

- To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

- To go out and enjoy yourself in the evening, often drinking a lot of alcohol and dancing

Examples / Usage :

- Jack finished his exams today so he's gone out to paint the town red.

- Oman fans to 'paint the town red' ahead of Japan match.

Melee

#056
MELEE
- Confused, hand-to-hand fight.
- A large noisy uncontrolled crowd.

Photo Credits : palmipode

Examples / Usage :
- We lost sight of each other in the MELEE.
- In the melee, the woman, who tried to intervene, fell down.

Root Word - SPEC

#055
ROOT WORD - SPEC.
- To see, look.

Photo Credits : Dori

Circumspect - careful to look around at all possibilities before acting; cautious
Inspect - to look at carefully in search of flaws
Introspection         - the act of looking into one's own thoughts and feelings
Perspective - one way of looking at things
Respect - to look up to someone; to show honor
Retrospective        - looking back at past things
Spectacle        - something displayed for the public to see
Spectacles - glasses that help someone see better
Spectator        - a person who watches something like a sporting event
Speculate        - to look at and think about something from different points of view

Smell a rat - Idiom

#054
SMELL A RAT
- To suspect that something is not what it seems.
- To recognize that something is not as it appears to be or something is wrong.

Examples / Usage :

- He's been working late with her every night this week - I smell a rat!
- Experts smell a rat in suicide claim.

Hiatus

#053
HIATUS
- A break or interruption in continuity of a work.

Example / Usage :
- The band is making an album again after a five-year hiatus.
- Stock markets set to reopen after two-day hiatus due to Cyclone Sandy.

Aplomb

#052
APLOMB
- Self confidence or Assurance.

Example / Usage :

- Gates conducted the meeting with characteristic APLOMB.
- Sridevi returns to the celluloid with APLOMB in the movie 'English Vinglish'

Vehement

#051
VEHEMENT
- Intensely emotional.
- Characterized by anger.

Example / Usage :

- The Opposition on Thursday staged vehement protests in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
- Anticipating a vehement protest, police had been deployed in front of Government offices.

Idiom - Hand In Glove

#050
HAND IN GLOVE
- In extremely close relationship or agreement.
- In close co-ordination.

Examples / Usage :
- The computer chips are designed to work hand in glove with this new microprocessor.
- Forest staff hand in glove with thieves?

Wanderlust

#049
WANDERLUST
- A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

Origin :
This loanword from German language became an English term in 1902.
Wander = Hike, roam; Lust = Desire

Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org 

Examples / Usage :
- Three wanderlust-struck Russians undertake a tough trek through the states of Jammu & Kashmir, India.
- Wanderlust inherited from his parents and reinforced by trips overseas early in his life.

Root Word - VOC / VOK

#048
VOC / VOK
Related to vocal, which means sounds.

Examples :

VOCAL     -    voice/sound
VOCABULARY -    Collection of words
EVOKE     -    to call from past.
PROVOKE     -    to cause someone to express anger
INVOKE     -    a prayer

Cavalcade

#047
CAVALCADE
- A procession of people on horseback, in vehicles.
- A ceremonial procession or display.

Photo Credits : Chris Hill 

Example / Usage :

- A CAVALCADE of antique cars.
- Peugeot and Renault line up a cavalcade.

Bury The Hatchet

#046
BURY THE HATCHET
- To settle your differences with an adversary.
- To make peace.
- Settle an argument.

Photo Credits : Simon A. Eugster

Example / Usage : 
- Mallya, Chhabria set to bury two decade-old legal hatchet.
- Morgan Stanley, Citigroup bury hatchet.

Nostalgia

#045
NOSTALGIA
- A sentimental longing for the past,typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
- A feeling of pleasure and sometimes slight sadness at the same time as you think about things that happened in the past.

Photo Credits :  Suresh Reddi

Example / Usage :
- Some people feel NOSTALGIA for their schooldays.
- Hearing that tune again filled him with NOSTALGIA.
- Some feel nostalgia for the warm home they left.
- Pure nostalgia with plenty of childhood photos.

Derelict

#044
DERELICT
- In a very poor condition as a result of neglect.
- Abandoned, Deserted.

Examples / Usage :

- Rich, derelict elderly woman rescued from Mumbai flat.
- Deterrent action could be taken against the health officials found derelict in performance of their duties.
- Nitish convoy attack : Seven cops suspended for dereliction of duty.

Misnomer

#043
MISNOMER
- A name that doesn't suit what it refers to.
- A wrong or inaccurate name or designation.

Example / Usage :
- Its something of a MISNOMER to refer the inexperienced boys as soldiers.
- To say we have "free speech" in this country is something of a misnomer.

Modus Vivendi

#042
MODUS VIVENDI
- A manner of living; a way of life.
- An agreement allowing conflicting parties to coexist peacefully.

Examples / Usage :
- We hope to find a modus vivendi toward achieving that objective.
- It all starts by finding a "modus vivendi," so each community makes gains at the same time.
- My husband I and have worked out a modus vivendi.
- He has achieved a modus vivendi with his largest trading partner.

Modus Operandi

#041
MODUS OPERANDI
- Method of operation.
- A particular way or method of doing something.
- The way something operates or works.

Examples / Usage :
- We learnt about the modus-operandi of the criminal.
- The new modus-operandi  helps them avoid being tracked down.
- In a new modus-operandi, builders are buying up slums in posh localities to get access to land worth crores.

Root word - OMNI

#040
Root word - OMNI
- All, Every, Abundant.

Examples / Usage :
Omnipresence     - Present everywhere.
Omnipotent - Having unlimited power.
Omnivorous - Feeding on food of both plant and animal origin
Omniscient - Knowing everything.

Protagonist Antagonist

#039
PROTAGONIST
- The leading / major character in drama/movie.
- A leading or principle figure.

ANTAGONIST
- Opposite of PROTAGONIST
- One who opposes the hero; Villain, bad guy, archenemy.

PROTAGONIST X ANTAGONIST

In spite of a deaf-mute character as its protagonist , Barfi made a huge success.

Examples / Usage : 
- She was a leading protagonist in the civil rights movement.
- Protagonist of the film.

Procrastinate

#038
PROCRASTINATE
- Habitual carelessness or laziness.
- To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.

Image Credit : asturian-dreams

Examples / Usage :
- I know I've got to deal with the problem at some point - I'm just procrastinating.
- He did not want to write the letter and procrastinated for days.
- Don't procrastinate when faced with a difficult problem.
- He procrastinated and missed the submission deadline.

Idiom - At Large

#037
AT LARGE [IDIOM]
Having escaped, especially from confinement.

Examples / Usage :
- The killer is still at large.
- Attack on VHP leader: Accused still at large
- Kidnapped Panipat industrialist rescued, abductors at large

Serendipity

#036
SERENDIPITY
- The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
- The "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it.

Example / Usage :
- Serendipity involved in arriving at this sound.
- What followed lunch that day was a serendipitous discovery.
- The Internet & Serendipity: Does Online Luck Exist?

Root Word - Ocul / Opt

#035
Root Word - Ocul / Opt
-Pertaining to eye.

A Binoculars at the US Navy
Photot Credits : Neutrality

Example / Usage :
Monocular - Intended for use by single eye.
Binoculars - Involving both eyes.
Ophthalmology - Branch of medicine that deals with anatomy, functionsm treatment of the eye.
Ocular muscles
Ocular diseases

Inclement / Clemency

#034
INCLEMENT
- Bad, Merciless, Bitter, Nasty

CLEMENCY
- Mercy, Mildness, Leniency

Photo Credit  :  Malingering  

Examples / Usage :
- Kasab now has two options before him: to file a review petition in the apex court or invoke a mercy jurisdiction.
He can seek clemency first before the Maharashtra Governor and then before the President. [From Indian Daily]
- Inclement weather continued to play spoilsport as the start of fourth day's play

Rapprochement / Rapport

#033
RAPPROCHEMENT
- Establishment of or state of having cordial relations

RAPPORT
- Relation; connection, especially harmonious or sympathetic

Origin :
Comes from the French word rapprocher ("to bring together"), is a re-establishment of cordial relations, as between two countries.

Example / Usage :
Below is taken from Washington Post Article: India’s ‘silent’ prime minister becomes a tragic figure

The architect of India’s economic reforms, Singh was a major force behind his country’s rapprochement with the United States and is a respected figure on the world stage.
President Obama’s aides used to boast of his tremendous rapport and friendship with Singh.
But the image of the scrupulously Honorable, humble and intellectual technocrat has slowly given way to a completely different one: a dithering, ineffectual bureaucrat presiding over a deeply corrupt government.

Brand Names

#032
BRAND NAMES

Ever observed the brand names, they have got some good meaning, look below

Google - It’s a miss spell of Googol. Which is a huge number, 1 followed by 100 zeros
Cognizant - Having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
Oracle - A person considered to be a source of wise counsel, priest like
Splendor         - Bright, good ( E.g.. You did a splendid job)
Passion - Strong feeling
Lancer - Person with arms, ready for fight/something
Esteem - Respect
Caliber - Degree of excellence
Ambassador - Diplomat of highest rank
Accent - Distinctive features, distinctive manners of oral expression
Excel - High rank
Fiat         - Having command
Fiesta - Celebrations
Endeavor        - An attempt
Transcend         - Be or go beyond limits

Root Word - cred / creed

#031
ROOT WORD - CRED / CREED
Believe

INCREDIBLE     -    Unbelievable
CREDIBLE     -    Believable
CREDIT     -    Honor
CREDITOR     -    One who loans money
CREED     -    Faith, principle belief in religion
CREDITABLE     -    Something that brings praise.

Idiom : Burning Bridges

#030
BURNING BRIDGES
- The act of eliminating all possibility of return.
- Cut off all ties in a relationship.
- Make one's decision irrevocable.

Photo Credit :   Wikih101

BURN ONE'S BRIDGES
BURNING BRIDGES
BURN YOUR BRIDGES

Example / Usage
- Never burn bridges. Today’s junior jerk, tomorrow’s senior partner.
- She burned her bridges when she walked out angrily.
- If you get mad and quit your job, you'll be burning your bridges behind you. No sense burning your bridges. Be polite and leave quietly.

Proliferate

#029
PROLIFERATE
- To increase in number or spread rapidly and excessively.

RT @milindrunning: Day27. We keep our cities so clean. The piles of filth surrounding, now slowly proliferating the countryside, are SCA ...
— Rahul Singh (@rahulsingh18) May 17, 2012

Exmaple / Usage:
- Diseases proliferate as weather continues to disappoint.
- Small businesses have PROLIFERATED in the last 10 yrs.
- Walk-in clinics proliferate in City

Petrichor

#028
PETRICHOR
- A pleasant smell which accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm dry spell.
- The scent of rain on dry earth.

Word Of the Day : Petrichor

Usage :
- Other than the petrichor emanating , there was not a trace of evidence that it had rained.

Root Word - flu / flux / fluc

#027
ROOT WORD - FLU / FLUX /FLUC
All the words with FLU are about FLOWING.

Credits : Florida Fish and Wildlife

Usage:
Fluctuate         : Unstable ; To wave in an unsteady motion.
Flush : To flow freely, suddenly.
Influx : Mass arrival, flowing in.
Fluent:         : Flowing easily
Affluent         : A plentiful supply.
Influence         : Having power to make things flow their way.
Confluence : A gathering, meeting ; flowing together.

Onus

#026
ONUS
Responsibility, Task, Burden.

Examples :
- Onus on PM to accept responsibility for coal block: Arun Jaitley [Times Of India]
- The onus is on society to create zero tolerance for smoking

Root word : GREG

#025
Root word : GREG
All word having GREG has got some thing related to group / crowd / herd / flock

Photo Credit : Ruud Zwart 

Gregarious : Living and moving with herd.
Aggregate : To collect, to unite.
Segregate : To separate.
Congregate : To group together.
Egregious : Distinguished, mainly used in a bad sense.

Root Word - Tract

#024
Root word : TRACT
To drag or pull.

Photo Credit :  Ranveig

Tractor : A vehicle to pull/drag
Attract : To be pulled towards something
Distract : To pull one's attentions away.
Retract  : To pull back
Contract : An agreement that pulls people together.
Extract : To pull or make something
Substract : To pull away, like subtract 5 from 10
Protract : Drag further, drag out.

Cordoned

#023
CORDONED
- Divide my means of rope / ribbon.
- A cord or ribbon to prevent people from entering an area.

Photo Credit : rileyroxx

Photo Credit : Richard Croft 

Usage :
- Police have cordoned off the blast area and one person has been admitted to hospital.

Immaculate

#022
IMMACULATE
Perfectly clean, spotless, tidy.
Free from fault / error.

Usage :

- Immaculate FIAT Linea for sale. [From some classifieds]
- In her immaculate white uniform
- The apartment was immaculate

Nocturnal

#021
NOCTURNAL
Done, occurring, or active at night

Many animals, such as owls and bats, are nocturnal.

[Photo Credits : Sreejith K]

Usage :
- Most owls are nocturnal.
- Malabar pit vipers are usually nocturnal but are also seen during the day in the monsoon.

Indigenous

#020
INDIGENOUS
Originating or occurring naturally (in a country, region, etc); native.
Having originated in and being produced in particular region.

[ Photo Credit : Riju K ]

Usage :
- Mahindra Scorpio, one of India's best selling indigenously developed SUV.
- Indigenous knowledge a big help in disaster forecast, management, recovery.
- ISRO will be flying the GSLV rocket this time with indigenous cryogenic engine.

Maverick

#019
MAVERICK
A person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way.
Unbranded, Independent, Odd man out. Black sheep, etc

Ecuador on Thursday granted asylum to maverick WikiLeaks founder Julian Assagne. [From today's Times Of India headlines]
Here TOI has referred to Assagne as Maverick, as he did very different in Journalism, The WikiLeaks.

Origin : 
This is originated from the person, Samuel Maverick.
In Texas ranchers used to brand their cattle to keep one herd separate from others.
And Samuel Maverick refused to do so, as it pains animals.
Hence the word Maverick was applied to all cattle without brands.

Usage :
Mavericks of Indian cinema.
Now a maverick scientist says she may have the answer.

Root Word - Dict

#018
DICT is a root word which is related speak/speaking.

Valedictory   - formal speech of saying good bye.
Dictate -  to give orders
Predict -  to say that event/action will occur in future
Verdict - decision made after judging the facts.
Maledict - Speaking bad, cursing (mal means bad)
Contradict - Speaking against

Nefarious

#017
NEFARIOUS
Evil, Wicked, Bad, Villainous,

Usage : 

- They allege that terrorists have used journalism and politics as a cover for their nefarious activities.
- The government is doing all it can to prevent such nefarious acts by the terrorists
- The nefarious gangster was finally brought to justice.

You can map this with the root word : MAL 

Diaspora

#016
DIASPORA
People settled far from their ancestral homelands.

Below is the image where you can see Indian Diaspora, observing Candlelight Vigil for the victims of Gurudwara Temple Killings, Wisconsin, USA [Photo Credit : Karaminder Ghuman]

Residents in and around gathered to honor the victims of the Wisconsin Gurdwara shooting [ source: Karaminder Ghuman ]

Origin :
Diaspora is a greek word, which is originated from dispersion( scatter / spread out).

Usage :
- Sikh diaspora point to US apathy.
- Delhi asks US to ensure security to Indian diaspora.

Exodus

#015
EXODUS
Mass departure of people.

Exodus 1947 was a ship that carried Jewish emigrants that left France

Usage:
- The mass exodus from the cities for the beaches and the mountains on most summer weekends.
- Exodus of the israelites is widely believed to have occurred in this period.
- Health insurers face patient exodus

Purple Patch

#014
PURPLE PATCH
A period of time when someone or something is successful and doing well.
A period of excellent performance.

Origin :
"Purple patches ", the literary equivalent of adding a patch of purple material to an otherwise undecorated garment. Purple was chosen because, as well as being a distinctive color, it was the color reserved for emperors and other distinguished statesmen in imperial Rome.

Usage : 
- The 22-year-old is enjoying a purple patch after winning back-to-back titles last month and is keen on grabbing a podium finish here. [Times Of India on Saina Nehwal]

Eat crow

#0013
EAT CROW
To admit that you are wrong at something.
An idiom,meaning humiliation by admitting wrongness.
Having been proved wrong after taking a strong position

The origin of "EAT CROW" is unknown, but is believed to began in similar lines of "EAT DIRT" "EAT YOUR HAT" and all probably originating from "TO EAR ONE'S WORDS"

EAT DIRT : To accept another`s insults or bad treatment

EAT YOUR HAT : A statement made when you are positive that something will (not)happen.

EAT ONE'S WORDS : To take back what has been said.

Examples:
- I had to eat crow once again.
- Call a spade a spade in politics, and you end up eating crow.
- You have to eat crow to start and be completely willing to learn, but not just from anyone.
- The accountant had to eat dirt because of the problems that he had caused.
- This time, you have to eat your words, because, like it or not, you lost.
- If you hit this ball, I'll eat my hat!

Catch-22

#0012 Catch-22A situation in which paradoxical rules make a desired outcome impossible to achieve.
Unsolvable logical dilemma.

This word was first coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22

Examples:
- So it’s a Catch-22: You can’t get hired unless you have experience; but you can’t get experience unless you’re hired.
- If you don't have a place to stay, you can't get a job and with no job, you can't get an apartment. It's a Catch 22 situation.

LIAISE / LIAISON

#011
LIAISE : Speak to people.
LIAISON:Communication between people.

Examples :
- Our head office will LIAISE with suppliers 2 ensure delivery
- She served as a LIAISON between the different groups.
-LIAISE confidently with users and other support staff.

Repertoire

#010 REPERTOIRE
Entire stock of skills or techniques.
A stock of plays, songs, etc.

Below is a REPERTOIRE  of a photographer, in which they are specialized and all.

Repertoire of a photographer.  Photo Credit: Mathias

Exmaples:

- Google Search Adds Scientific Calculator to Repertoire?
- A fascinating REPERTOIRE of Indian handicrafts.

Gnaw

#009 GNAW
To cause constant distress.
Trouble, worry or annoy someone

Examples:
- A duplicate GNAWS AT your profits, it leaves consumers confused.
- Concerns over the health of the Indian economy begins to GNAW AT investor confidence.
- The government's dishonesty has GNAWED AT people's trust in politicians.

Achilles Heel

#008 ACHILLES HEEL [From Greek Mythology]
A small but fatal weakness.
Is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength.

Examples:
- A misbehaving minister is regarded as a governments ACHILLES HEEL.
- Licensing Is The ACHILLES HEEL For The New Microsoft Office.

Achilles Mother dipping him into magical river Styx

In Greek mythology, when Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die in battle.
To prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx which was supposed to offer powers of invincibility and dipped his body into the water.
But as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles.
But one day, a poisonous arrow shot at him was lodged in his heel, killing him shortly after.

Strike A Chord

#007 STRIKE A CHORD
Create an emotional response.

[Photo Credit : Library Of Congress]

Examples:
- The Dark Knight , seems to be a good movie in recent times, Nolan STRIKES A CHORD again.
- The party's policy on childcare facilities has STRUCK A RESPONSIVE CHORD with women voters.
- After his debut, he kept doing multi-hero films, which kept him going but failed to STRIKE THE RIGHT CHORD.

Herald

#006 HERALD
- To make something publicly known by praising.
- An official messenger of news.

The 624CC four seater tata nano promises to HERALD a revolution that will change the way India moves.

Tata Nano Europa Launch. [Photo Credit : David Villareal]

Examples:

- Many corporate headquarters remain in city centers, in spite of the widely HERALDED flight to the suburbs.
- Asbestos was once HERALDED as the greatest building material available to those in the construction industries.
- Traditionally, the blooming of flowers is a HERALD of spring.

Inundate

#005 Inundate
Filled with.

In below picture you can see roads INUNDATED with water. [Photo Credit : Sawasdee Chai]

Below is picture, where you can see doctor INUNDATED with applications.

Examples : 
The basement was INUNDATED after the storm.
The river INUNDATED the town.
Felt INUNDATED with work.

SYNONYMS:
Flooded Swamp Deluge Overflow

malign

#004 MALIGN
Words that start with "MAL" means bad / evil / wicked.
Other word that immediately comes into picture is BENE which means good.

Examples:
Opposites can be easily identified, try yourselves.


Malign : Evil in nature
Malediction      : Cursing
Malefactor : One who commits an evil deed
Malefaction        : A evil deed
Malevolent : Having or showing a wish to do evil to others
Malady : Disease / Sickness
Malpractice : Bad practice
Malaria : Bad air / Disease cause by mosquito.

Juggernaut

#003JUGGERNAUT
A large powerful force or organization that cannot be stopped.
This is actually a loan word inspired from Jagannath Rath Yatra (chariot procession), Jagannath Temple, Orissa, India. Which is considered as unstoppable.

See below the procession of Jagannath.

Examples:

Facebook seems an unstoppable juggernaut.
Price juggernaut crushing common people.

Camouflage

#002
Camouflage : A way of hiding person/animal (especially soldiers/military/weapons) using paint or leaves so that they look like part of surroundings. Many living creatures use camouflage technique to survive.

In the below picture, you can see a frog hiding, and it look like a part of sourrounding.

Here you can see soldiers dresses in such a way the are hard to distinguish from surroundings.

 A rattle snake hiding in sand, to disguise its prey.

Benign

Benign : Good

Any word that starts with  "BEN / BENE / BON" means WELL and GOOD.

Examples. 

Benediction : a good blessing in a religious service
Benefactor : a good person who offers help or donates money
Beneficial : having a good outcome; favorable
Beneficiary : a person who receives something good from someone else such as an inheritance
Benefit : to gain or receive a good results from something
Benevolent : kind; good-hearted
Benign : favorable; having a good effect; not harmful
Bonafide : in good faith; authentic; genuine; real
Bonus : anything good that is recieved over and beyond what was expected (usually money)
Bon voyage : French for "have a good trip"

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