Daily Wordlist 25-03-2011

dour [ doo’ r, douuh' r, DOU-er ]
	[ adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. gloomy; sullen; bleak 2. stubborn; obstinate 3. extremely strict and harsh; forbidding
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	The perpetually dour expression on his face made him unpopular.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	Gone are the days when the traditional Chinese greeting "Have you eaten yet?" seemed like a bad joke in the dour capital where, as recently as the 1980s, staples were rationed, state-run canteens dished out the slop of the day in chipped enamel bowls and restaurants were few and far between. ABC News,Chinese Cuisine Goes Global for Games,Audra Ang ,July 10, 2008
exculpate [ EK-skuh'l-peyt, ik-SKUHL-peyt ]
	[ transitive verb ]
	MEANING :
	1. to vindicate, clear or free of all blame or guilt
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	He was exculpated of all wrongdoing.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	We know that the press were trailing him and now his account has changed in a fundamental way to exculpate the people on the motorbike. BBC, Diana paparazzi 'hindered police', 12 March 2008
astringent [ uh'-STRIN-juh' nt ]
	[ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (adj.) styptic or constrictive 2. (adj.) caustic or pungent 3. (adj.) austere or severe 4. (n.) a substance like alum that is an astringent and helps constrict body tissues in order to stop blood flow
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	She hated the astringent like odour normally associated with hospitals.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	The crunchy beans squeak with freshness, although the astringent pickle of the mushrooms puckers and ultimately overwhelms. Telegraph, Are you ready to order? This week: Le Cercle, Jan Moir, 08 May 2004
candor [ KAN-der ]
	[ noun ]
	MEANING :
	1. the quality of being frank 2. open sincerity 3. honesty or fairness
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	Most of the town's folk were impressed by his candor and wanted him to run for Mayor.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	I think that kind of candor clears away some of the debris that has stood in the way of progress, and our hope is that now we can take advantage of that. CNN, Israeli PM promises peace speech, 7 June 2009.
biennial [ bahy-EN-ee-uh'l ]
	[ noun, adjective ]
	MEANING :
	1. (n.) any event occurring once in two years 2. (n.) a plant that normally lives for only two seasons 3. (adj.) happening once every two years 4. (adj.) occurring every second year 5. (adj.) having a normal life cycle that takes two growing seasons to complete
	USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :
	The martial arts tournament was a biennial event in that village.
	USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :
	The biennial charity event, which began in 2002, has raised millions to help transform the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people, both at home and across the world's poorest countries.  BBC, Sport Relief - The Launch,