
(+ object) somewhat formal to move across (an area) The candidates traversed the state throughout the campaign. ships traversing the ocean The river traverses the county.
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 …
To flout something, such as a law or rule, is to treat it with contemptuous disregard. A teenager flouting a curfew, for example, will not hide the fact that they are out past the time they are required to be Read More …
(no object) 1 always followed by an adverb or preposition : to fall suddenly straight down especially from a very high place The acrobat plummeted into the net. The car plummeted to the bottom of the canyon. The satellite plummeted Read More …