NYT Word of the Day (Scalable - Feb 11)

Scalable

Capable of being scaled or climbed; able to be expanded in size or scale, or capability.

Impunity

An exemption from punishment or loss.

Volatile

Liable to sudden, erratic change or violence; tending to vary often or widely; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to vapor.

Consternation

Fear or alarm resulting from a sense of danger; dismay.

Circumvent

Surround as to force to give up; avoid trying to fulfill expectations or answering questions.

Prescient

Perceiving or knowing the significance of events before they occur; having foresight.

Infraction

The breaking of a rule, agreement, or law that is less serious than committing a felony.

Disproportionate

Out of proper balance; not corresponding in size, extent, or degree.

Denigrate

Charge falsely with malicious intent or attack someone’s reputation.

Watershed

A ridge of land that separates rivers; an event marking an important change or turning point.

Conscious

Knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and thoughts.

Patently

In a way that is clear, unmistakable or obvious.

Contrive

Devise or come up with a plan; put forth a plan.

Illusory

Having the nature of seeming unreal or deceptive.

Curtailment

The temporary stoppage of something or being cut short; reduction of expenditures.

Seismic

Subject to or caused by or related to an earthquake; having an enormous effect.

Abdicate

Give up power or duties, especially of a leader stepping down.

Unscathed

Not injured.

Aphorism

A short pithy saying; axiom or maxim.

Longitudinal

Occurring over a long period of time; relating to lines on a map.

Initiative

Readiness to embark on a new adventure; a plan to solve a problem.

Debacle

A sudden and violent collapse; a sound defeat or tragedy.

Exorbitant

Greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; extravagant.

Synthesize

Combine to form a complex product or whole.

Robust

Sturdy and strong in form; marked by richness of flavor.

Concurrent

Occurring or operating at the same time.

Disseminate

Cause to become widely known; spread by scattering.

Emblematic

Serving as a visible symbol for something abstract.

Arpeggio

A chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously.

Exodus

A journey taken by a large group of people to escape a hostile environment.

Holistic

Emphasizing the relationship between parts and the whole.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or the whole world.

Detract

Take away a part from; diminish the worth of something.

Exceedingly

To an extreme degree.

Logistical

Relating to the management of an operation or event.

Pagoda

A Hindu or Buddhist temple known for a pyramidal tower with an upward-curving roof.

Tinny

Thin and metallic in sound; of poor quality.

Envisage

Form a mental image of something not present; imagine.

Retaliation

Action taken in return for an injury or offense.

Paradoxical

Seemingly contradictory but still possibly true.

Indolence

Inactivity resulting from a dislike of work or effort; laziness.

Epitomize

Embodies the essential characteristics of something.

Pollinator

An insect that carries pollen from one flower to another.

Geothermal

Relating to the heat in the interior of the Earth.

Encumbered

Loaded to excess or impeded by a heavy load.

Juvenile

Relating to or characteristic of children or young people.

Complacent

Content with oneself or one’s actions.

Lichen

A plant that resembles crusty patches or bushy growths on trees.

Gesticulate

Show, express, or direct through movement.

Mischievous

Naughtily or annoyingly playful; deliberately causing harm.

Boomerang

A curved piece of wood that returns to thrower when thrown correctly.

Spartan

Characterized by strictness or severity; practicing self-denial.

Provost

A high-ranking university administrator.

Saturnine

Bitter or scornful; showing a brooding ill humor.

Propaganda

Information spread to promote some cause.

Eminent domain

The right of the state to take private property for public use.

Equable

Not varying; not easily irritated.

Chutzpah

Unbelievable gall; audacity; cheekiness.

Umber

A colored mineral used as a pigment; a medium brown color.

Incapacitated

Lacking in or deprived of strength or power.

Schwa

A neutral middle vowel occurring in unstressed syllables.

Permafrost

Ground that is permanently frozen.

Connotation

An implied or suggested idea; information required to determine reference.

Toboggan

A long narrow sled made of thin boards that curves upward in front.

Azure

Bright blue in color, like a clear sky.

Efficient

Being effective without wasting time or effort.

Vocational

Of or relating to a career or occupation.

Primatology

Study of the order of mammals that includes monkeys and apes.

Marginalized

Put in a lower or outer position and treated as unimportant.

Combustion

A process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light.

Animatronics

The construction of robots to look like living beings.

Expediency

The quality of being suited to the goal or end.

Faddish

Stylish or fashionable, often for a brief length of time.

Neologism

A newly invented word or phrase.

Centenary

A 100th anniversary or the celebration of it.

Febrile

Of, relating to or characterized by fever.

Actuarial

Relating to statistics used to calculate insurance premiums.

Boutonniere

A flower that is worn in a buttonhole.

Cacophony

Loud, confusing, or disagreeable sounds.

Acerbic

Sour or bitter in taste; harsh in tone.

Castigate

Inflict severe punishment on; criticize severely.

Emporium

A large retail store organized into departments.

Presto

At a very fast tempo or suddenly.

Jeremiad

A long and mournful complaint.

Cognizant

Having or showing knowledge, understanding, or perception.

Dismantle

Take off or remove; take apart into its component pieces.

Imprimatur

Formal and explicit approval.

Zhuzh

Improve the style or appearance of something or someone with a small change.

Inauspicious

Boding ill or presaging ill fortune.

Truncate

Make shorter by cutting off or terminating abruptly.

Adulation

Exaggerated or extreme praise or flattery.

Limbic

Of or relating to brain structures that regulate emotion.

Obsolescence

The process of becoming outdated or falling into disuse.

Mollify

Cause someone to be more favorably inclined; make more temperate.

Arboretum

A facility where trees and shrubs are cultivated for exhibition.

Banal

Repeated too often or overly familiar because of overuse.

Kismet

Fate or fortune; destiny.

Intelligible

Capable of being understood; well articulated and pronounced.

Logjam

An immovable mass of cut wood blocking a river; any stoppage of activity.

Juggernaut

A massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way.