Confusing Words Clarified: Group B; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc.
(lists of "B" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)
A classic story tells how Plato had defined man as a featherless two-tooted animal, and his students agreed. The next day, Diogenes pulled the feathers off a cock and took it to Plato.
"Here's Plato's man," he said.
It was an embarrassing moment for Plato. Thereafter he corrected the definition to "a featherless two-footed animal with flat nails".
Ever since Plato's description, man has never ceased to define man, and has constantly sought a more meaningful self-definition. Voltaire altered the Platonic version, in Candide, to "man is a featherless biped with a soul".
Another unknown author created, "Man is the only animal that eats when he is not hungry, and drinks when he is not thirsty."
Efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of various words that may be confusing so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communication.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, [email protected], as the address in your e-mail heading.
If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.
Stacie has a stunning picture of her family where it shows her nephew, who is a blond, standing next to her sister, who is also a genuine blonde.
2. To make a hole in or through something as with a drill: Calvin wanted to bore a hole in the door frame for a new lock.
When the hunter talks about hunting boar, he may be considered a bore by others.
A male pig that has nothing to do but lie around is just a boar that is just a bore.
A bore is a person who talks when we wish he would listen.
Trina's uncle was a Boer who liked to hunt boar, but he was a real contrast to her other uncle who was such a bore and whose manners gave people a strong impression that he was a real boor.
2. An organized group of people who manage or direct a company or an organization: Carol sits on the bank's board of directors; so, now she's a member of the board at Leo's bank.
3. Daily meals which one can pay for when a person is paying to stay at a hotel, school, etc.: Greg is looking for a place that provides board and lodging as he starts to plan his trip.
The pirates tried to board the ship, but they were fought off by an armed guard.
2. To cover or to close something with pieces of wood: The caretaker wanted to board up the windows before the storm arrived.Warren appreciates the fact that his friend is a good sounding board and not sounding bored in response.
It would appear that the uninterested directors of a business are nothing more than a bored board.
Parents are people who bear infants, bore teen-agers, and board newlyweds.
Tami and Jacob were feeling a bit bored on board the ship when suddenly a gang of pirates attempted to board the vessel.
After they had been very disturbed about this, the Captain said the pirates were a stunt to break up the monotony for those who were bored on board this cruise ship.
2. A lodger who receives meals regularly at a fixed price: To earn extra money, they took in a boarder.
2. A frontier, a boundary: Do you need a passport to cross the Canadian border?
3. To be next to, to adjoin: California has a border with the Pacific Ocean.
4. A trim, a hem: The seamstress sewed a border of flowers on the dress.
A renter's boundary, or limitation, in a room and board situation is said to be a boarder border.
2. To send away: Zachary's plan is to ship his boys off to boarding school when they are older.
Monroe noticed that the ship he was on had a large life boat in case of an emergency.
2. To anticipate or to foretell; to predict: The reading of the astrological signs bode great happiness for the newlywed couple.
2. To submit, to yield, to stoop: The old baroness felt bowed by the responsibilities of her position in the castle.
3. To play a stringed musical instrument using a bow, which is a slightly curved piece of special wood with horse hair stretched from end to end: The young girl bowed her violin with precision, creating lovely music.
The write up in the newspaper seemed to bode well for the concert tonight. The musician was excellent and bowed his cello with ease.
2. A person or thing which is feared: Tales abound about a bogy who rides a black horse on dark, moonless nights.
There are many myths about golfers and the game. One story was that in order to have a bogey in the competition, a person must commune with the bogie that haunted the golf course.
This area was settled by bold pioneers.
2. Unduly forward; brazen: The mother cautioned her small child not to be bold when talking with older people.If I may be so bold, I'd like to offer a few points of criticism.
2. In the game of cricket, to deliver the ball to the batsman: The batsman bowled the final round to win the cricket competition.
3. To surprise: Maggie's sudden arrival completely bowled her mother over because she was not expecting her daughter until the next day.
Virginia's sister was very bold and so she decided to surprise their mother on her birthday and, as a result, their Mom was completely bowled over with surprise and happiness.
2. Showing or needing confidence or lack of fear: Few politicians have been bolder than those who want to cut taxes.
When Roberto was removing rocks from the hill with his earth moving machine, he was thinking that he could see a boulder that was bolder than the others because it resisted the pressures which he was using to bring it down.
2. A round vessel that is open at the top and which is used for holding fruit or liquids or for serving food: Lucinda put the cereal in the bowl for breakfast.
"At a bowling alley, two men were looking at a fish about to bowl a ball down the lane and the fish looked at them and said, 'What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a fish bowl before?' "
Milton went to the Cotton Bowl to watch a football game. While he was there, he went to the gift shop and bought a bowl that he wanted to use to display the cotton boll that he picked up along the road and which he intends to put on the shelf next to the fish bowl.
2. A metal bar or rod in the mechanism of a lock that is thrown or withdrawn by turning the key: Before going to bed each night, one of the family members uses a key to move the bolt in the lock.
3. A flash of lightning; a thunderbolt: During the storm, there was bolt of lightning every so often followed by the sound of thunder.
4. A sudden movement toward or away: When the robber saw the police coming, he made a bolt for his car.
2. To eat something quickly or suddenly: Jim's mother told him not to bolt his food and to take his time and to eat properly.
After Jim bolted down his breakfast, he rushed out the door because he was late for work.
During the evening meal, there was a bolt of lightening which caused Sara to bolt down her food and then bolt to the door and turn the bolt of the lock because she felt safer knowing that the door was locked.
At the end of the bourse, Harvey and Jared met for drinks. Jared told his friend, Harvey that earlier he had to talk for hours with two boors who monopolized all his time.
Tyrone's announcement was greeted with a mixture of boos and cheers.
Franklin bought some chips and booze for the party.
There were a lot of boos when the bar ran out of booze.
2. A forceful kick with the foot: Maurice gave the football a boot through the goal posts and won the game.
3. Getting fired, or dismissed, from a job: Maria got the boot because she told the press about her company's secrets.
2. Forcing someone to leave a place or situation: The voters decided to boot the mayor out of office.
3. To start a computer: The new computer boots up much faster than Franklin's old one did.
Cory was told that he didn't need all of those applications to open every time he wanted to boot his computer.
Jamie had just started to boot up his computer when he was told that he was getting the boot from his job; so, he decided to put on his boots and leave. He was so upset that when he walked away from his desk, he gave it a boot.
2. A valuable gain or prize: Trina's booty from the auction included some rare antiques.
2. A baby's knitted woolen slipper or heavy sock: The mother put a new bootee on each of the baby's feet.
3. A lightweight, short foot covering for women: Bill's mother showed him a bootie in the closet that she used to wear before he was born.
Among the booty that James found in the large box, which he picked up at the auction, he found a pair of bootie that had been knitted for a child. His mother said they looked just like the bootee which she had knitted for him when he was a baby.
Confusing Words:
Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs; explained and demonstrated.
Confusing Words: Units, Groups A to Z.
Confusing Words: Vocabulary Quizzes Listed.
