Glossary

Readers,

This Glossary (page) will be updated from time to time.  They contain words that have been used in my postings.  They would be of help, I hope, for many people but most of you out there can just brush this aside.  They are trifles, eh!?

tenure  =   
     the right to remain permanently on a job

nurtured  =  
     having taken care of, fed and protected someone or 
     something, especially young children or plants, and
     helped them to develop

prerequisite  =  
     something which must exist or happen before something
     else can exist or happen

examples:

     Passing a written exam is a prerequisite for taking the advanced course.

     Public support is a prerequisite for/to the success of this project.

entity   noun [C]  formal 
     something which exists apart from other things, having its own
     independent existence

kaput [not before noun]  spoken = broken

per se  adverb  formal = by or of itself

example:
     Research shows that it is not divorce per se that harms 
     children, but the continuing conflict between parents.

quandary   noun [C  usually singular]

     a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which
     you are involved

     I've had two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary 
     about/over which one to accept.

in tandem

    1 at the same time

     The heart and lungs will be transplanted in tandem.

    2 If two pieces of equipment, people, etc. are working 'in tandem', they 
       are working together, especially well or closely

     I want these two groups to work/operate in tandem on this project.

explicit  adjective

    clear and exact

    I gave her very explicit directions how to get here.

    She was very explicit about (= said very clearly and exactly) what she

    thought was wrong with the plans.
discern   verb [T]  formal
    to see, recognize or understand something that is not clear
    I could just discern a figure in the darkness.
    It is difficult to discern any pattern in these figures.
discernible  formal,  US also discernable   adjective
    The influence of Rodin is discernible (= can be seen) in the younger

    artist.
    There is no discernible reason (= one that can be understood) why this

    should be the case. 

discernibly   adverb  formal
measure up  (GOOD ENOUGH) phrasal verb
    to be good enough, or as good as someone or something else
    She could never measure up to her mother's expectations.
prose   noun [U]
   written language in its ordinary form rather than poetry
   I've always preferred reading prose to poetry.

bland  adjective usually disapproving
   lacking a strong taste or character or lacking in interest or energy
   I find chicken a little bland.
   Pop music these days is so bland.
      blandly  adverb
      blandness  noun [U]

mundane  adjective
   very ordinary and therefore not interesting
   Mundane matters such as paying bills and shopping for food do not interest her. 
quandary
    plural quandaries [countable]
   a difficult situation or problem, especially one in which you cannot decide what to do
   in a quandary    
   Kate was in a quandary over whether to go or not.
quarantine [uncountable]
   a period of time when a person or animal is kept apart from others in case
   they are carrying a disease
   The monkeys were kept in quarantine for 31 days.

*** Meanings are either sourced from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - Updated Edition or Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary 2nd Edition.