grapple (gr p l) n. 1. a.

An iron shaft with claws at one end, usually thrown by a rope and used for grasping and holding, especially one for drawing and holding an enemy ship alongside. Also called grapnel, grappling, grappling hook, grappling iron. b. Nautical See grapnel. 2. The act of grappling. 3. a. A struggle or contest in which the participants attempt to clutch or grip each other. b. A struggle for superiority or dominance. v. grappled, grappling, grapples v.tr. 1. To seize and hold, as with a grapple. 2. To seize firmly, as with the hands. v.intr. 1. To hold onto something with or as if with a grapple. 2. To use a grapple or similar device, as for dragging. 3. To struggle, in or as if in wrestling: grappled with their consciences; grapple with the political realities of our time. [Middle English grapel, from Old French grapil, diminutive of grape, hook; see grape.] grap pler n. grapple [grpl] vb 1. to come to grips with (one or more persons), esp to struggle in hand-to-hand combat 2. (intr; foll by with) to cope or contend to grapple with a financial problem 3. (Engineering / Tools) (tr) to secure with a grapple n 1. (Engineering / Tools) any form of hook or metal instrument by which something is secured, such as a grapnel 2. a. the act of gripping or seizing, as in wrestling b. a grip or hold 3. a contest of grappling, esp a wrestling match [from Old French grappelle a little hook, from grape hook; see GRAPNEL] grappler n Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms Noun 1. grapple - a tool consisting of several hooks for grasping and holding; often thrown with a rope grapnel, grappling hook, grappling iron, grappler crampon, crampoon - a hinged pair of curved iron bars; used to raise heavy objects

claw, hook - a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something tool - an implement used in the practice of a vocation 2. grapple - a dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam clamshell dredging bucket - a bucket for lifting material from a channel or riverbed 3. grapple - the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat; "they had a fierce wrestle"; "we watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully" grappling, hand-to-hand struggle, wrestle, wrestling struggle - strenuous effort; "the struggle to get through the crowd exhausted her" Verb 1. grapple - come to terms with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day" cope, get by, make do, manage, contend, deal, make out act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" extemporize, improvise - manage in a makeshift way; do with whatever is at hand; "after the hurricane destroyed our house, we had to improvise for weeks" fend - try to manage without help; "The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died" hack, cut - be able to manage or manage successfully; "I can't hack it anymore"; "she could not cut the long days in the office" rub along, scrape along, scrape by, scratch along, squeak by, squeeze by - manage one's existence barely; "I guess I can squeeze by on this lousy salary" cope with, match, meet - satisfy or fulfill; "meet a need"; "this job doesn't match my dreams" 2. grapple - to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men grappled with each other for several minutes" grip clutch, prehend, seize - take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals" grapple verb 1. deal, tackle, cope, face, fight, battle, struggle, take on, engage, encounter, confront, combat, contend, wrestle, tussle, get to grips, do battle, address yourself to The economy is just one of the problems that the country is grappling with. 2. struggle, fight, combat, wrestle, battle, clash, contend, strive, tussle, scuffle, come to grips He grappled desperately with Holmes for control of the weapon.

fugitive (fy j -t v) adj. 1. Running away or fleeing, as from the law. 2. a. Lasting only a short time; fleeting: "[His] house and burial place ... should be visited by all who profess even a fugitive interest in political economy" (John Kenneth Galbraith). b. Difficult to comprehend or retain; elusive: fugitive solutions to the problem. c. Given to change or disappearance; perishable: fugitive beauty. d. Of temporary interest: fugitive essays. 3. Tending to wander; vagabond. n. 1. One who flees; a refugee. 2. Something fleeting or ephemeral. [Middle English fugitif, from Old French, from Latin fugit vus, from fugitus, past participle of fugere, to flee.] fu gitively adv. fu gitiveness n. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. fugitive [fjudtv] n 1. a person who flees 2. a thing that is elusive or fleeting adj 1. fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit 2. not permanent; fleeting; transient 3. moving or roving about [from Latin fugitvus fleeing away, from fugere to take flight, run away] fugitively adv fugitiveness n Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms Noun 1. fugitive - someone who flees from an uncongenial situation; "fugitives from the sweatshops" fleer, runaway individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" 2. fugitive - someone who is sought by law officers; someone trying to elude justice fugitive from justice

absconder - a fugitive who runs away and hides to avoid arrest or prosecution criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw - someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime escapee - someone who escapes Adj. 1. fugitive - lasting for a markedly brief time; "a fleeting glance"; "fugitive hours"; "rapid momentaneous association of things that meet and pass"; "a momentary glimpse" fleeting, momentaneous, momentary short - primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration; "a short life"; "a short flight"; "a short holiday"; "a short story"; "only a few short months" Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc. fugitive noun runaway, refugee, deserter, escapee, runagate (archaic) He was a fugitive from justice. adjective momentary, short, passing, brief, fleeing, temporary, fleeting, unstable, short-lived, transient, flitting, ephemeral, transitory, evanescent, fugacious, flying Love is as fugitive and insubstantial as smoke, yet we all pursue it. dent 1 (d nt) n. 1. A depression in a surface made by pressure or a blow: a dent in the side of a car. 2. Informal A significant, usually diminishing effect or impression: The loss put a dent in the team's confidence. 3. Informal Meaningful progress; headway: at least made a dent in the work. v. dented, denting, dents v.tr. To make a dent in. v.intr. To become dented: a fender that dents easily. spate (sp t) n. 1. A sudden flood, rush, or outpouring: "It issues a spate of words from the loudspeakers and the politicians" (Virginia Woolf). 2. Chiefly British a. A flash flood. b. A freshet resulting from a downpour of rain or melting of snow. c. A sudden heavy fall of rain.

overhaul ( v r-hl , v r-hl ) tr.v. overhauled, overhauling, overhauls 1.

a. To examine or go over carefully for needed repairs. b. To dismantle in order to make repairs. c. Nautical To slacken (a line) or to release and separate the blocks of (a tackle). 2. To make extensive renovations or revisions on; renovate: proposals to overhaul the health care system. 3. To catch up with; overtake. n. ( v r-hl ) 1. An act of overhauling. 2. A repair job. o verhaul er n. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

overhaul vb [vhl] (tr) 1. to examine carefully for faults, necessary repairs, etc. 2. (Engineering / General Engineering) to make repairs or adjustments to (a car, machine, etc.) 3. to overtake n [vhl] a thorough examination and repair

flounder 1 (floun d r) intr.v. floundered, floundering, flounders 1. To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance. 2. To move or act clumsily and in confusion. See Synonyms at blunder. See Usage Note at founder1. n. The act of floundering. [Probably alteration of founder.] flounder 2 (floun d r) n. pl. flounder or flounders Any of various marine flatfishes of the families Bothidae and Pleuronectidae, which include important food fishes. [Middle English, from Anglo-Norman floundre, of Scandinavian origin; see plat- in IndoEuropean roots.]

flounder1 vb (intr) 1. to struggle; to move with difficulty, as in mud 2. to behave awkwardly; make mistakes n the act of floundering [probably a blend of FOUNDER2 + BLUNDER; perhaps influenced by FLOUNDER2] Usage: Flounder is sometimes wrongly used where founder is meant: the project foundered (not floundered) because of a lack of funds flounder2 n pl -der, -ders 1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) Also called fluke a European flatfish, Platichthys flesus having a greyish-brown body covered with prickly scales: family Pleuronectidae: an important food fish 2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) US and Canadian any flatfish of the families Bothidae (turbot, etc.) and Pleuronectidae (plaice, halibut, sand dab, etc.) [probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse flythra, Norwegian flundra]

prowess (prou s) n. 1. Superior skill or ability. 2. Superior strength, courage, or daring, especially in battle.
paltry (pl tr )

adj. paltrier, paltriest 1. Lacking in importance or worth. See Synonyms at trivial. 2. Wretched or contemptible.

[Probably from obsolete and dialectal paltry, trash, perhaps from Low German paltrig, ragged, from palte, rag.]

pal trily adv. pal triness n.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

paltry [pltr] adj -trier, -triest 1. insignificant; meagre 2. worthless or petty [from Low Germanic palter, paltrig ragged] paltrily adv paltriness n fritter 1

(fr t r)

tr.v. frittered, frittering, fritters 1. To reduce or squander little by little: frittered his inheritance away. See Synonyms at waste. 2. To break, tear, or cut into bits; shred.

[Probably from fritter, fragment, probably alteration of fitters, from fitter, to break into small pieces.]

fritter 2 n.

(fr t r)

A small cake made of batter, often containing fruit, vegetables, or fish, sauted or deep-fried.

debacle n.

(d -b k l, -b k l, d b -k l)

1. A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout. 2. A total, often ludicrous failure. 3. The breaking up of ice in a river. 4. A violent flood.

[French dbcle, from dbcler, to unbar, from Old French desbacler : des-, de- + bacler, to bar (from Vulgar Latin *baccul re, from Latin baculum, rod; see bak- in Indo-European roots).]

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

debacle [debkl d-] n 1. (Military) a sudden disastrous collapse or defeat, esp one involving a disorderly retreat; rout 2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Environmental Science) the breaking up of ice in a river during spring or summer, often causing flooding 3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Environmental Science) a violent rush of water carrying along debris [from French dbcle, from Old French desbacler to unbolt, ultimately from Latin baculum rod, staff]

Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

Debacle a confused rush or route; a violent rush of water. Example: a debacle of water, 1823. Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

debacle - Comes from French debacler, "to unbar, free," with the root sense being "to shatter with one's rod"; its original meaning was "a breaking-up of ice in a river" or a "sudden flood or rush of water carrying debris." See also related terms for rush. futile adj. 1. Having no useful result. (fy t l, fy t l)

2. Trifling and frivolous; idle: the futile years after her artistic peak.

[Latin f tilis; see gheu- in Indo-European roots.]

fu tilely adv. fu tileness n. Synonyms: futile, barren, bootless, fruitless, unavailing, useless, vain These adjectives mean producing no result or effect: a futile effort; a barren search; bootless entreaties; fruitless labors; an unavailing attempt; a useless discussion; vain regrets. Antonym: useful despair (d-spr) intr.v. despaired, despairing, despairs 1. To lose all hope: despaired of reaching shore safely. 2. To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat. n. 1. Complete loss of hope. 2. One despaired of or causing despair: unmotivated students that are the despair of their teachers. startle (str tl)

v. startled, startling, startles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. v.intr. To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised. n. A sudden mild shock; a start.

biosafety [baseft] n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Agriculture) the precautions taken to control the cultivation and distribution of genetically modified crops and products
Noun1.biosafety - safety from exposure to infectious agents safety - the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions; "insure the safety of the children"; "the reciprocal of safety is risk"

glitch (gl ch) n. 1. A minor malfunction, mishap, or technical problem; a snag: a computer glitch; a navigational glitch; a glitch in the negotiations. 2. A false or spurious electronic signal caused by a brief, unwanted surge of electric power. 3. Astronomy A sudden change in the period of rotation of a neutron star.
trenchant adj. 1. Forceful, effective, and vigorous: a trenchant argument. See Synonyms at incisive. 2. Caustic; cutting: trenchant criticism. 3. Distinct; clear-cut. (tr n ch nt)

prophylactic (pr f -l k t k, pr f -) adj. Acting to defend against or prevent something, especially disease; protective. n. 1. A prophylactic agent, device, or measure, such as a vaccine or drug. 2. A contraceptive device, especially a condom. [French prophylactique, from Greek prophulaktikos, from prophulassein, to take precautions against : pro-, before; see pro-2 + phulassein, to protect (from phulax, guard).] pro phylac tically adv. come down 1. Sl. to happen. Hey, man! What's coming down? When something like this comes down, I have to stop and think things over. 2. a letdown; a disappointment. (Usually comedown.) The loss of the race was a real comedown for Willard. It's hard to face a comedown like that. 3. Sl. to begin to recover from the effects of alcohol or drug intoxication. She came down slow from her addiction, which was good. It was hard to get her to come down. 4. [for something] to descend (to someone) through inheritance. All my silverware came down to me from my great-grandmother. The antique furniture came down through my mother's family.

dissent (d -s nt ) intr.v. dissented, dissenting, dissents 1. To differ in opinion or feeling; disagree. 2. To withhold assent or approval. n. 1. Difference of opinion or feeling; disagreement. 2. The refusal to conform to the authority or doctrine of an established church; nonconformity. 3. Law A justice's refusal to concur with the opinion of a majority, as on a higher court. Also called dissenting opinion. grudge (gr j) tr.v. grudged, grudging, grudges 1. To be reluctant to give or admit: even grudged the tuition money. 2. To resent for having; begrudge: grudged him his good ways with the children. n. A deep-seated feeling of resentment or rancor: bears a grudge about the accident.
coalesce (k -l s )

intr.v. coalesced, coalescing, coalesces 1. To grow together; fuse. 2. To come together so as to form one whole; unite: The rebel units coalesced into one army to fight the invaders. See Synonyms at mix.

canny (k n ) adj. cannier, canniest 1. Careful and shrewd, especially where one's own interests are concerned. 2. Cautious in spending money; frugal. 3. Scots a. Steady, restrained, and gentle. b. Snug and quiet.
Adv.1.cannily - with foresight; "more presciently than they superiors, these workers grasped the economic situation" presciently

whiz also whizz (hw z, w z) v. whizzed, whizzing, whizzes v.intr. 1. To make a whirring or hissing sound, as of an object speeding through air. 2. To move swiftly with or as if with such a sound; rush: whizzed past on a ten-speed bike; as the days whizzed by. v.tr. To throw or spin rapidly: The pitcher whizzed the ball to first. n. pl. whizzes

1. A whirring or hissing sound, as of an object speeding through air. 2. A rapid passage or journey. 3. Informal One who has remarkable skill: a whiz at all sorts of games. Idiom: take a whiz Vulgar Slang To urinate. spectacle (sp k t -k l) n. 1. a. Something that can be seen or viewed, especially something of a remarkable or impressive nature. b. A public performance or display, especially one on a large or lavish scale. c. A regrettable public display, as of bad behavior: drank too much and made a spectacle of himself. 2. spectacles a. A pair of eyeglasses. b. Something resembling eyeglasses in shape or suggesting them in function. hand and foot With concerted, never-ending effort: had to wait on them hand and foot.
egregious adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. See Synonyms at flagrant. ( -gr j s, -j - s)

prop 1 (pr p) n. 1. An object placed beneath or against a structure to keep it from falling or shaking; a support. 2. One that serves as a means of support or assistance. tr.v. propped, propping, props To support by placing something beneath or against; shore up. obstetric ( b-st t r k, b-) also obstetrical (-r -k l) adj. Of or relating to the profession of obstetrics or the care of women during and after pregnancy. affidavit ( f -d v t) n. A written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorized officer. notary public n. pl. notaries public Abbr. NP A person legally empowered to witness and certify the validity of documents and to take affidavits and depositions.