Confusing Words Clarified: Group E; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "E" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)All of the main entries in these "Confusing Words" groups are explained, or defined, followed by pronunciations, and sentences which are meant to enhance your understanding of their meanings. The definitions provided are based on dictionary presentations and are meant to help you differentiate between the various meanings of each word group. Many current dictionaries, popular writing books, specialized topical resources, and style guides were consulted for these groups so you can develop better word skills and communication tools.
In your daily writing, be aware of what the "right words are for the correct meanings" so you can improve your writing accuracy in a positive way. A great deal of effort has been devoted to help you grasp the meanings of over 1,700 word groups (or more than 5,100 entry words in the sections) which may be confusing to you so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communications. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, words@wordinfo.info, as the address in your e-mail heading. If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.emerge, emerse, immerge
emerge (i MURJ)
To come forth, to rise up, to come into sight is usually followed by from: "Mary was seen with her hair dripping as she was about to emerge from the swimming pool."
"The sun is about to emerge from behind those fleecy clouds." emerse (ee MURS)
The term emerse appears to be no longer used in English except in an adjectival, or past-participle, form which is primarily used in botany: "A water lily standing out of the water with its surrounding leaves is said to emerse from the water."
immerge (i MURJ)
To plunge or to sink into and to disappear; while in its former meaning, it is synonymous with immerse: "The chemist will immerge the metal rod into the acid."
"The faint moon will immerge into the shadow of the sun." emeritus, merit, meritorious
emeritus (i MER i tuhs)
Being retired from a professional position; holding an equivalent rank or title to that held prior to retirement: "The professor emeritus was invited back to the school to give a guest lecture."
merit (MER it)
Behavior or conduct deserving of positive recognition and honor: "Her service on the committee was of the highest merit."
meritorious (mer" i TOR ee uhs, mer i TOHR ee uhs)
Behavior or actions that deserve esteem and honor: "The youth received a medal in recognition of his meritorious contributions to helping handicapped people."
emersed, immersed
emersed (i MURST)
Rising above the surface of a liquid: "The lilies were emersed in the pond."
immersed (i MURST)
To dip into a liquid or to be covered by a liquid: "The dirty dishes were immersed in a sink full of soapy water."
emersion, immersion
emersion (i MUR zhuhn, i MUR shuhn)
The act or process of rising from a position or situation: "Her emersion from obscurity to a position of leadership was amazing."
immersion (i MUR zhuhn, i MUR shuhn)
The act or process of being under liquid or below the surface: "When she went swimming, she experienced the total immersion of being underwater."
emigrant, immigrant
emigrant (EM i gruhnt)
An individual or object that has left a country or location to settle in another location: "They found a rare orchid which was an emigrant from the tropics."
immigrant (IM i gruhnt)
An individual or object which has come from a different location and settled in a new area: "My grandfather was an immigrant from France."
emigrate, immigrate
emigrate (EM uh grayt")
To leave a place; to leave one country for another: "The entire family made the decision to emigrate to Canada."
immigrate (IM uh grayt")
To enter a new environment, country, or region; especially, with the purpose of settling there: "During the hard economic times, many people decide to immigrate to cities, looking for work."
emit, omit
emit (i MIT)
To give voice to, to send out or to give off: "He was so unhappy, he emitted a groan of dissatisfaction and despair."
"The satellite will emit a bleep every time it goes around the earth." omit (oh MIT)
To forget or fail to make use of or to include someone or something: "We decided to omit the last sentence in our quest for brevity."
"Please don't omit any details." emollient, emolument
emollient (i MUL yuhnt)
That which soothes or softens: "The pharmacist created an emollient for dry skin."
emolument (i MUL yuh muhnt)
The compensation or rewards associated with employment: "An important question to ask during a job interview is about the emolument for the position, e.g. wages and other benefits."
empathy, sympathy
empathy (EM puh thee)
Feeling or understanding the thoughts and experiences of another without direct communication: "She felt a great empathy for the woman whose difficulties were described in the newspaper article."
sympathy (SIM puh thee)
The ability or capacity of an individual to relate to or to share the experiences and feelings of another person: "When he lost his job, his partner showed great sympathy and support."
empire, umpire
empire (EM pighr")
A large number of physical territories and people which are under the political control of an individual country: "The explorers who sailed around the world for the first time claimed land and people as part of their empire."
umpire (UM pighr")
1. An individual who is appointed to help make decisions in a situation of controversy between parties: "During the negotiations to end the conflict, the mayor was appointed as umpire to help sort out the issues."
2. In sports, an individual who supervises and enforces the rules of a game: "The umpire for the baseball tournament used to be a famous player." enable, unable
enable (e NAY buhl)
To make easy, possible, or practical: "This device will enable the students to calculate the right answer very quickly."
unable (un AY buhl)
Incapable or helpless: "Despite her best intentions, she was unable to answer the questions in time."
endemic, epidemic, pandemic
endemic (en DEM ik)
Native to a particular locale or region: "The bison are endemic to the plains of North America."
epidemic (ep" i DEM ik)
Very prevalent in a specific area: "The doctors were afraid of an epidemic of flu in the schools during the winter."
pandemic (pan DEM ik)
That which occurs over a wide geographical, or international, area and effects large numbers of individuals: "The outbreak of flu appeared to be pandemic and the medical profession worked hard to contain it."
enervate, innervate
enervate (EN uhr vayt")
To decrease or to reduce vitality or strength: "Because of her illness, the woman felt enervated, tired, and without her usual vitality."
innervate (IN uhr vayt", i NUR vayt")
1. To stimulate (a nerve, muscle, or body part) to action: "The doctor invented a special machine to innervate the tired muscles of the runners’ legs."
2. To supply (an organ or a body part) with nerves: "The finger tips are equipped with sensitive nerves in order to innervate people so they can be aware of their physical existence." ensure, insure
ensure (en SHOOR)
To make or to take steps to provide for the safety of an object, individual, or situation: "Shoveling snow after a snow fall was a way to ensure the safety of people walking on the sidewalks."
insure (in SHOOR)
1. To take steps or precautions for the safety of a situation; often done in an anticipatory or precautionary manner: "She bought a bag of sand for the sidewalk before the major storm to insure she was prepared for any icy conditions."
"They always try to take great care to insure the safety and security of their home." 2. To buy insurance for something; such as, property or health: "They want to insure their house and car against fire and flood damage."entomology, etymology
entomology (en" tuh MAHL uh jee)
The study of insects: "When asked, the woman replied that her sister studied bugs when she was at the university; when the woman really meant to say her sister studied entomology."
etymology (et" uh MAHL uh jee)
The act of tracing the origins, derivations, and developments of words: "She became famous through her work in the etymology and use of rare words."
"Etymology makes it possible to better understand the origin and meanings of words." An etymologist is a person who knows the difference between the words etymology and entomology.
If there are any numbers below, use them to see other pages in this unit.
Showing page 2 out of 6 pages of 77 words or word groups. Back to Index | Search Box | Main Index The Main-Word Info pageThe + sign at the end of a unit title means all of the words in that unit have definitions.Directory of special content and topicsDo you want to help to make this dictionary bigger and better?
|
