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March 15 & 16, 2003 spiral (SPAI rul) The verb spiral means to move around and around in a winding curve. It also often means to rise or fall at a quick and increasing rate. The noun form is also spiral. The adjective form is spiraling. Malaysia yesterday expressed hope that the problems besetting the billion-dollar joint-venture gas pipeline would be resolved quickly, saying the delay was causing the cost of the project to spiral. Real wages continue to spiral downward in many of the country's key industries. The men rode on camels in a widening spiral around the mine looking for the intruder. The spiraling costs of the tunnel and the rail link threatened to make the route more expensive than going by air. March 14, 2003 abyss (a BIS) The noun abyss refers to a very deep hole in the ground or a frightening situation that seems about to occur. Iraq's official newspaper Babel accused Washington of leading the world to the abyss. The free-spending US consumer receives the credit for leading the global economy away from the abyss. In Jordan's desert the two friends hiked to the abyss, romanced by the sound of its name Wadi Rum. The UN resolution demanded an immediate stop to the fighting in the hopes that it would end the slide toward the abyss of full-scale war. March 13, 2003 fret The verb fret means to worry. Fretting about their businesses on the Thai side, Cambodian traders who normally walk from Poipet to Rong Klua market have found a new way to cross the border to open their shops there. They take flights to Bangkok. Stocks declined for the second straight day as investors fretted about weak profits in the technology sector. International election monitors fretted over the slow pace of the vote counting. He does not seem to be losing any sleep fretting over international support for his policies. March 12, 2003 hound The verb hound means to constantly disturb or annoy someone, often by continually asking them questions or speaking to them in an upsetting way. As a noun, hound refers to a type of dog which is commonly used for hunting or racing. Reporters have been asked to stop hounding the Prime Minister and to submit their questions in writing. Tiger Woods became furious with one man who was hounding him for autographs during his practice rounds. Many church members have been ejected from their homes, stripped of their jobs and hounded continually by the police. As he turned the corner, he was greeted by a chorus of barking hounds. March 11, 2003 proactive (PRO ak tiv) The adjective proactive means taking action or making changes before they need to be made, rather than waiting until they are forced to be made or until problems develop. Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix welcomed Iraq's proactive cooperation with his teams of inspectors but did not declare Iraq free of weapons of mass destruction. Corporations must become proactive in environmental matters or they risk being subjected to strict new government rules and regulations. Some banks are credited with being more proactive than others. Parents must be more proactive in getting kids away from their television sets and becoming more physically active. March 10, 2003 fabricate (FAB ra kate) The verb fabricate means to invent false information or to make something from a material or substance. The noun form is fabrication (fab ra KAY shun). Some shipping operators were allegedly trying to block the planned national fleet by fabricating the rumour that the government was not serious about it. Both prisoners claim they were forced to fabricate their confessions. Chemists in the Middle Ages tried to fabricate a substance known as the "philosopher's stone" that could change metals into gold. The report that more than 100 protesters were detained by police is an obvious fabrication, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Click here to see our words in the news for the previous week. Return to our home page | Comments to Terry F. at terryfrd@ksc15.th.com | |© The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2003 | Last modified: March 14, 2003