Descriptionary

eloquent adj. (EL uh KWUNT) articulate; persua­sive through speech. She was an eloquent speaker who could outrage or tickle with a single sentence.

emaciated adj. (i MAY shee ay tid) extremely lean, as from starvation. It had been an extremely difficult winter, and most of the deer were badly emaciated.

emancipate vb. (i MAN suh payt) to free. Lincoln's desire was to emancipate the nation's slaves.

emasculate vb. (i MASS kyuh layt) to weaken; to strip one of power. She liked to emasculate men by publicly humiliating them.

embargo n. (em BAR go) a government prohibition on a specific imported good or goods. As a punish­ment against inequitable trade practices, the president called for an embargo on all Japanese radios.

embellish vb. (em BELL ish) to exaggerate or embroider. It was difficult to distinguish fact from fic­tion because Uncle Joe tended to embellish his fishing stories.

embezzle adj. (em BEZ ul) to steal, especially when in a trusted position. The accountant tried to embez­zle money from the charity but failed.

embroider vb. (em BROY dur) to exaggerate; to embellish. Uncle Joe liked to embroider his fish sto­ries, and he could be counted on to add completely fictitious details.

eminent adj. (EM i nunt) distinguished, important, high-ranking. Mary Smith, an eminent authority on economics, is predicting a worldwide recession.

empathy n. (EM puh thee) understanding of anoth­er's feelings, especially through having similar experi­ences or circumstances. I've had many pets through the years, so I have great empathy for anyone who has lost one.

emphatic adj. (em FAT ik) with great emphasis. Her directive was emphatic: no more spitball fights during working hours.

empirical adj. (em PEER i kul) based on real-world experience or observation, not theory. A mountain of empirical evidence supports the existence of evolution.

empower vb. (em POW ur) to grant or invest with power. Empower people with a good education and they will accomplish great things.

emulate vb. (EM yoo layt) to copy or model oneself after. If you're going to play basketball, you'd do well to emulate the stars of the NBA.

enamored adj. (i NAM urd) in love; charmed. I'm

enamored of the farm country of Pennsylvania.

encroach vb. (en KROHCH) to trespass or intrude.

The sea continues to encroach on the beach, eroding more and more of the dunes with each passing year.

endemic adj. (en DEM ik) restricted to a particu­lar area; indigenous. Lyme disease is not widespread throughout the country; rather it is endemic, espe­cially to New England.