-ous, -ious, -eous
(Latin: full of or having the qualities of; in chemistry, a suffix denoting that the element indicated by the name bearing it, has a valence lower than that denoted by the termination -ic; as, nitrous, sulphurous, etc., as contrasted with nitric, sulphuric, etc.)
Only a small number of the hundreds of examples are presented because there are just too many to include at this time.
aquiferous
1. Carrying, yielding, or containing water; aquifer.
2. Water-bearing stratum.
2. Water-bearing stratum.
arboreous
1. Relating to or resembling a tree.
2. Living in trees; arboreal.
3. Having many trees; wooded.
4. Forming a tree trunk, as distinguished from a shrub.
2. Living in trees; arboreal.
3. Having many trees; wooded.
4. Forming a tree trunk, as distinguished from a shrub.
arenarious (adjective), more arenarious, most arenarious
A description of deposits that are composed of sand: sandy: Joan read that carrots, for example, thrive best in arenarious soil.
Susan loved the feeling of arenarious matter under her feet when walking on the beach.
atrocious (adjective), more atrocious, most atrocious
1. Appallingly bad; abominable: Mary's little boy has atrocious behavior when he goes shopping with her.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
The writer to the newspaper used atrocious grammar.
2. Extremely evil or cruel; monstrous: The military committed atrocious crimes against the citizens who rebelled against the government.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
for a list of additional Mickey Bach illustrations.
audacious (adjective), more audacious, most audacious
1. Bold, daring, or fearless, especially in challenging certain assumptions or conventions: The soldier was an audacious warrior when he fought the enemy in order to save his comrades.
2. Extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave: Mildred's father was an audacious explorer in the Canadian north.
3. Extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive: The mayoral candidate had an audacious vision of the city's future.
4. Recklessly defiant of convention, propriety, law, etc.: Joe's audacious behavior during the demonstration resulted in his being arrested by the police.
5. Lively; unrestrained; uninhibited: The actress had an audacious interpretation of her role in the drama.
6. Referring to a person who shows an impudent lack of respect: The student made an audacious remark to the teacher when he was told to quit talking while she was presenting her lesson to the class.
7. Etymology: Formed from Latin audac-, the stem of audax, "bold", from audere, "to dare", from avidus, "eagerness" or "greed for something".
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
2. Extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave: Mildred's father was an audacious explorer in the Canadian north.
3. Extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive: The mayoral candidate had an audacious vision of the city's future.
4. Recklessly defiant of convention, propriety, law, etc.: Joe's audacious behavior during the demonstration resulted in his being arrested by the police.
5. Lively; unrestrained; uninhibited: The actress had an audacious interpretation of her role in the drama.
6. Referring to a person who shows an impudent lack of respect: The student made an audacious remark to the teacher when he was told to quit talking while she was presenting her lesson to the class.
7. Etymology: Formed from Latin audac-, the stem of audax, "bold", from audere, "to dare", from avidus, "eagerness" or "greed for something".
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
barbarous
bigamous
Involved in or constituting an illegal marriage made when an existing marriage is still valid.
biophagous
Feeding on living organisms; a reference to certain parasites.
biophilous (adjective), mosre biophilous, most biophilous
1. In biology, regarding the existence on on other living organisms: Biophilous forms of life are usually restricted to plant parasites and fungi.
2. In biochemistry, of or designating any chemical element that grows best, or can only exist, in living organisms or in organic matter: Such biophilous components can be carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
2. In biochemistry, of or designating any chemical element that grows best, or can only exist, in living organisms or in organic matter: Such biophilous components can be carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
blasphemous (adjective), more blasphemous, most blasphemous
1. Grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred.
2. Characterized by profanity or cursing.
3. Expressing, or involving, disrespect for God or sacred things; to speak evil of: Henry's blasphemous acts and statements were an indignity or irreverence displayed toward divine powers or their representatives, or toward the king, or toward something sacred; such as, a temple or church.
2. Characterized by profanity or cursing.
3. Expressing, or involving, disrespect for God or sacred things; to speak evil of: Henry's blasphemous acts and statements were an indignity or irreverence displayed toward divine powers or their representatives, or toward the king, or toward something sacred; such as, a temple or church.
In Mosaic law, blasphemous statements were capital offenses (Leviticus 24:16); including curses, profanity, disrespect, or impious behavior.
butyraceous (adjective), more butyraceous, most butyraceous
Buttery in consistency; containing, having properties of, or resembling butter: The sandwich spread Susy used was quite butyraceous, soft and smooth, and had quite a garlic taste to it.
cadaverous (adjective), more cadaverous, most cadaverous
Resembling a dead body: Sally has a cadaverous odor and an extremely thin and deathly pale skin that has resulted from the terrible disease that she has.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
callous (adjective); more callous, most callous
Descriptive of a person who is emotionally hardened, unfeeling, and who is indifferent to the sufferings of other people: When Margery read the poetry that she had created to her English class, some of the students laughed in a very callous or insensitive manner.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
cancerous
carnivorous (adjective), more carnivorous, most carnivorous
Descriptive of various predatory, flesh-eating mammals of the order Carnivora, including dogs, cats, bears, weasels, hyenas, and raccoons; as well as, insectivorous plants: Mike's niece is a vegetarian; however, he prefers a carnivorous diet and enjoys a hamburger from time to time.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
