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December 27 & 28, 2003 starving The adjective starving means to be dying from a lack of food or, informally, to be very hungry. The verb form is starve and the noun form is starvation. The United States said on Wednesday it would donate 60,000 metric tonnes of food aid to North Korea, freeing up a donation that it had withheld amid concerns that Pyongyang would not let the aid reach starving people. By the time we reached the town, we were all starving, not having eaten for most of the day. Tens of thousands of other Jews were confined to slave labour camps where many starved. World Food Organisation officials said that without prompt international relief, there would be starvation in the border areas with two weeks. December 26, 2003 stalk (STAWK) The verb stalk means to follow a person or an animal quietly in order to catch, kill or observe them. The crocodile stalked them throughout the night. The gunmen stalked the halls of the school for more than an hour. The hunters stalked their prey from the air and in the shadows, armed with instruments of death and waiting for Osama bin Laden to reveal himself. The lights of the vehicle seemed to be stalking us. December 25, 2003 inflammatory (in FLAM a tor i) The adjective inflammatory refers to saying or doing something that is likely to cause people to have an angry reaction. Two websites linked to jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim have been shut down by a British-based service provider for carrying "inflammatory" material, said one of the site organisers. Mr Chen avoided inflammatory references to Taiwanese independence. The Israeli leader demanded an end to inflammatory radio and television broadcasts. Krugman's great strength, said the editor of some of his more inflammatory writings, is that he is not afraid of authority. December 24, 2003 stakeholder (STEIK hol dur) The noun stakeholder refers to a person or company that is involved in a particular organisation, project, system, etc., especially because they have invested money or time in it. Mekong Institute director Anake Topark-Ngarm said he would discuss with donors and stakeholders an action plan and strategy to avoid duplication in training services. As the restructuring process evolves, it is increasingly important to hear from our stakeholders. Many of the meetings include customers, suppliers and community stakeholders. All stakeholders in the Middle East peace process will have to adjust to new realities. December 23, 2003 dividend (DIV a dund) The noun dividend refers to the part of a company's profits that is paid to shareholders. In the expression pay dividends, it can also mean to bring advantages at a later date. The company is cutting its final dividend for the year. The two utilities once had the most reliable dividends in the stock market. "The loss of Hussein is a huge psychological blow and will pay dividends over time," General Abizaid said. Improvements in one activity will pay dividends in others. December 22, 2003 disorient (dis OR i unt) The verb disorient means to cause you to lose your sense of direction or to make you feel lost or uncertain. The adjective form is disoriented. The Russian communist leader said that rumours his party would boycott the election was a special trick of the ruling party to disorient voters. Mr Hussein appeared tired, dirty and disoriented after eluding capture for nearly nine months. The drugs were used to alter moods, but they could also disorient some patients. Disoriented and exhausted, he headed off in the wrong direction. sentence_example 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: December 29, 2003