2013.09.17 word (week2-2)

1. premise (n.)
1) premises [plural] : a building and the area of land that it is on
▪ They were asked to leave the premises.

2 )  [count] formal : a statement or idea that is accepted as being true and that is used as the basis of an argument
▪ He disagreed with her premise. ▪ the basic premises of the argument

*off the premises

: away from or outside of a building or on the area of land that it is on
▪ Police escorted her off the premises.

*on the premisesalso on premises

: inside a building or on the area of land that it is on
▪ The hotel has a restaurant on the premises. [=inside the hotel]

 

2. decorum(n.)

[noncount] formal : correct or proper behavior that shows respect and good manners
▪ He has no sense of decorum. ▪ Court decorum [=proper behavior in a courtroom] requires that all parties address the judge as “Your Honor.”

 

3. metrical(a.)

: of, relating to, or arranged in a rhythmic pattern of beats : of or relating poetic meter
▪ metrical patterns

*metrically (adv.)

 

 

4.diction(n.)

[noncount] 1) : the clearness of a person's speech
▪ The actor's diction was so poor I could hardly understand what he was saying.

2) : the way in which words are used in speech or writing
▪ The student's essay was full of careless diction.

 

5.torpor(n.)

[singular] formal : a state of not being active and having very little energy
▪ The news aroused him from his torpor. ▪ fall/sink into (a state of) torpor