To bourgeon is to grow or develop quickly—in other words to flourish, blossom or sprout. The trout population in the stream has burgeoned since the town implemented its laws against overfishing.
To purloin is to take something that belongs to someone else—that is, to steal it. Purloin is much more formal-sounding than steal, but is often—though not always—encountered in humorous contexts, suggesting that the theft is not serious. The puppy managed Read More …
(+ object) 1 : to be similar or equal to (something) Their test results parallel our own. Nothing parallels that experience. (=that experience is unlike any other experience; it is unique) 2 : to happen at the same time as Read More …
(+ object) to make (someone) less angry : to calm (someone) down He tried to mollify his critics with an apology. All attempts to mollify the extremists have failed. The landlord fixed the heat, but the tenants still were not Read More …