The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate (26 page)

mettle
(MET-
e
l)
noun

courage or strength of character.

Related word:
mettlesome
(MET-
e
l-s
e
m)
adjective
.

miasma
(m
I
-AZ-m
e
)
noun, plural
miasmas
and
miasmata
(m
I
-AZ-m
e
-t
e
)

unpleasant or unwholesome air.

Related words:
miasmal, miasmatic
(
M
I
-az-MAT-ik),
miasmatical
(
M
I
-az-MAT-i-k
e
l), and
miasmic
(m
I
-AZ-mik)
all adjectives
.

micturition
(
MIK
-ch
e
-RISH-
e
n)
noun

urination.

Related word:
micturate
(MIK-ch
e
-
RAYT
)
verb
.

militate
(MIL-i-
TAYT
)
verb

1. have a substantial effect.

2. weigh heavily (in one's consideration).

Do not confuse
militate
with
mitigate
, which see.

Related word:
militation
(
MIL
-i-TAY-sh
e
n)
noun
.

mimesis
(mi-MEE-sis)
noun

imitation, mimicry.

Related words:
mimetic
(mi-MET-ik)
adjective
,
mimetically
adverb
.

minatory
(MIN-
e
-
TOR
-ee)
adjective

threatening, menacing.

Related word:
minatorily
(
MIN
-
e
-TOR-i-lee)
adverb
.

misanthrope
(MIS-
e
n-
THROHP
)
noun

a person who dislikes people in general.

Related words:
misanthropic
(
MIS
-
e
n-THROP-ik) and
misanthropical
both adjectives
,
misanthropically
adverb
,
misanthropy
(mis-AN-thr
e
-pee)
noun
.

miscegenation
(mi-
SEJ
-
e
-NAY-sh
e
n)
noun

marriage or interbreeding of races, formerly said especially in the United States of whites with non-whites.

Related word:
miscegenetic
(
MIS
-i-j
e
-NET-ik)
adjective
.

miscreant
(MIS-kree-
e
nt)
noun

1. a wrongdoer, a villain.

2. (
adjective
) depraved, villainous.

Related word:
miscreancy
(MIS-kree-
e
n-see)
noun
.

misogamy
(mi-SOG-
e
-mee)
noun

hatred of marriage.

Related words:
misogamic
(
MIS
-
e
-GAM-ik)
adjective
,
misogamist
(mi-SOG-
e
-mist)
noun
.

misogyny
(mi-SOJ-
e
-nee)
noun
, also given as
misogynism
(mi-SOJ-
e
-
NIZ
-
e
m)

hatred or mistrust of all women.

Related word:
misogynist
noun
.

misprision
(mis-PRIZH-
e
n)
noun

a wrong action or neglect by a public official.

mitigate
(MIT-i-
GAYT
)
verb

make less intense or serious or severe; appease.

In recent years
mitigate
has been appearing incorrectly when
militate
is intended.
Militate
means
weigh heavily
and is used correctly, for example, in “Only one factor
militated
against the success of our proposal.” Remember that it is never correct to
mitigate
against
anything; it is correct to
mitigate
anything if it is thought to be deserving of
mitigation
, as in “His contrite behaviour
mitigated
our anger.” Editors reject as incorrect the use of
mitigate
in place of
militate
, and you should too.

Related words:
mitigable
(MIT-i-g
e
-b
e
l),
mitigative
(MIT-i-
GAY
-tiv), and
mitigatory
(MIT-i-g
e
-
TOR
-ee)
all adjectives
;
mitigation
(
MIT
-i-GAY-sh
e
n) and
mitigator
(MIT-i-
GAY
-t
e
r)
both nouns
.

moiety
(MOY-i-tee)
noun, plural
moieties

1. approximately half of something.

2. a half.

monomania
(
MON
-
e
-MAY-nee-
e
)
noun

an obsession with one idea or interest.

Related words:
monomaniac
(
MON
-
e
-MAY-nee-
AK
)
noun
,
monomaniacal
(
MON
-
e
-m
e
-N
I
-
e
-k
e
l)
adjective

moot
(moot)
adjective

1. debatable, undecided.

2. doubtful.

Related word:
mootness
noun
.

morass
(m
e
-RAS)
noun

1. something that confuses or impedes people; an entanglement.

2. a marsh, a bog.

mordant
(MOR-d
e
nt)
adjective

characterized by a biting sarcasm.

Related words:
mordantly
adverb
,
mordancy
(MOR-d
e
n-see)
noun
.

morganatic
(
MOR
-g
e
-NAT-ik)
adjective

pertaining to a form of marriage between a man of high rank and a woman of lower rank who, along with their children, has no claim to the man's possessions or title.

Related word:
morganatically
adverb
.

moribund
(MOR-
e
-
BUND
)
adjective

1. in a dying state.

2. no longer effective.

Related words:
moribundity
(
MOR
-
e
-BUN-di-tee)
noun
,
moribundly
(MOR-
e
-
BUND
-lee)
adverb
.

motif
(moh-TEEF)
noun

1. a recurring design or feature in a literary or artistic work.

2. a short melody or theme that recurs and is developed in a piece of music.

mountebank
(MOWN-t
e
-
BANGK
)
noun

1. a swindler.

2. a charlatan.

Related word:
mountebankery
(MOWN-t
e
-
BANGK
-
e
-ree)
noun
.

mucous
(MYOO-k
e
s)
adjective

1. of or like mucus.

2. secreting mucus.

3. covered with mucus.

Do not confuse
mucous
with
mucus
, which see.

Related word:
mucosity
(myoo-KOS-i-tee)
noun
.

mucus
(MYOO-k
e
s)
noun

the moist sticky substance that lubricates and forms a protective covering on the inner surfaces of the body's hollow organs.