Descriptionary

engender vb. (en JEN dur) to create or cause. We are active in the environmental movement in order to engender change.

enigma n. (en IG muh) a mystery or riddle. Astron­omers can't yet explain everything in the universe; much of it remains an enigma.

enlighten vb. (en LITE un) to educate or inform. We took our students to the observatory to enlighten them about the universe.

ennui n. (An WEE) listless boredom. We were couped up in our log cabin all winter and suffered from terrible ennui.

entrepreneur n. (on truh pruh NUR) one who starts and runs an enterprise, business, etc. She was an aggressive entrepreneur; as soon as she closed the boutique she opened a restaurant.

entropy n. (EN truh pee) a state of ongoing deterio­ration in a system. The entropy found in some third world societies is difficult to turn around.

enunciate vb. (e NUN see ayt) to pronounce clearly. When giving a speech, be sure to enunciate each word clearly.

envoy n. (ON voy) a representative. A special envoy was sent to the state house to relay a diplomatic message.

ephemeral adj. (i FEM ur al) fleeting; of short dura­tion. The appearance of a comet in our night sky was ephemeral.

epic adj. (EH pik) on a grand scale; mythical, leg­endary; heroic; extraordinary. Last February we were blasted by a blizzard of epic proportions.

epiphany n. (i PIH fuh nee) a great revelatory expe­rience or insight; an illumination of a truth. The astronaut experienced a great epiphany as he orbited the Earth; next to the vastness of the universe, he sud­denly realized how small his problems really were.

epitome n. (i PIT uh me) the perfect example or representation. Many thought that Jimi Hendrix was the epitome of cool.

equanimity n. (EE kwuh NIM i tee) composure. Even as his house burned down in front of him, my neighbor maintained his equanimity.

equilibrium n. (EE kwuh LIB ree um) balance, com­posure, and stability. Long-term power outages tend to test my family's equilibrium.

equitable adj. (EK wi tuh bul) fair. The judge divided the prizes among the contestants in an equi­table manner.

equivocate vb. (i KWIV uh kayt) to speak ambigu­ously or evasively. When asked whether they will or will not raise taxes, politicians often equivocate.

ergonomics n. (ur go NOM iks) the science of design that seeks to serve human form and facilitate functioning and productivity, especially in a work environment. The ergonomics of the plant was con­sidered state-of-the-art; everything was designed with worker safety, comfort, and productivity in mind.

erroneous adj. (i RO nee us) incorrect; wrong. The politician insisted that the accusations against him were totally erroneous.