symphony (sim'-fō-ni), n. Harmony; harmony of sound, fig., of color; a pleasant or harmonious mingling of sound; pleasing blending of any kind.

The symphonies of Beethoven are admired by all lovers of music.

symposium (sim-pō'-zi-ŭm), n. Orig. meaning, a drinking party; a convivial gathering, one marked by free interchange of ideas; a collection of short essays by writers on a common subject.

Many a symposium they have had together.
They compiled a symposium of weird tales.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND SIX.

Words, however, are things.-Meredith.

synchronize (sin'-krō-niz), v. i. and t. To occur at the same time; to coincide as to date; to agree in time; to cause such agreement; to make contemporaneous.

Their visits fortunately synchronized.

Our most valued invitations often synchronize.
She has synchronized characters of different ages.

sycophant (sik'-ō-fănt), n. also v. i. A flatterer, especially of great or influential men; parasite; to act the sycophant. Where now are all thy fawning sycophants?

They have fallen away, one by one-sycophants all!

synonymous (si-non'-i-mus), adj. Expressing the same idea or nearly the same idea; closely related as things. similar import, "interchangeable," "equivalent."

They made pity synonymous with love.

Words of

synthesis (sin'-thē-sis), n. The art of putting things together; composition; combination of separate elements into a whole, as of simple sentences into complex ones or species into genera.

This construction is called synthesis.

The technical opposite terms are synthesis and analysis. synthetic (sin-thět'-ik), adj. Of or pertaining to, or consisting of synthesis (composition; a putting of two or more things together to form another substance.

The synthetic method of reasoning was the basis of his discourse.

He called this scientific work, synthetic philosophy.
They have not been able to make synthetic gold.
The milkman admitted selling synthetic milk.
She asked the druggist for synthetic camphor.

tacit (tǎs'-it), adj. Implied, but not expressed; made or done
in silence; silently implied; understood; noiseless.
Was it tacit or avowed?

There was a tacit understanding between them.
Her silence conveyed tacit consent.

It was a tacit agreement.

tacitly (tǎs'-it-li), adv. Silently; by implication; without words. This influence creeps upon us so tacitly that we fail to understand the cause of it.

These things are tacitly condoned by society.

This seemed tacitly to imply that I was implicated.

taciturn (tǎs'-Ĭ-tûrn), adj. Not fond of talking; habitually silent; not inclined to talk. Words of similar import, "uncommunicative," "silent," "reticent."

As a rule, he was taciturn in the extreme.

He was inclined to be taciturn.

She did not admire her taciturn escort.

In her absence her father grew grave and taciturn. taciturnity (tǎs-i-tûr'-ni-ti), n. Habitual silence; disinclination. to talk.

When anyone else approached, she lapsed into her usual taciturnity.

His habitual taciturnity being overcome by the geniality of his friend, a torrent of speech poured from his lips. tactician (tăk-tish’-ăn), n. One versed in tactics; one who directs affairs with dexterity and skill.

He is an adroit political tactician.

What extraordinary tacticians they are!

tactile (tǎk ́-til), adj. Pertaining to the sense of touch.

He spoke at length of our visual and tactile sensations.
It was a tactile examination of the cloth.

tangent (tăn'-jent), n. also adj. A line touching a circle or an arc at one point only.

The two lines were tangents to the circle.

He grazed the object at a tangent as he swept along in his course.

tangible (tăn'-ji-b'l), adj. Palpable; perceptible by touch; real; substantial; capable of being realized, possessed or apprehended by the mind.

They are visible and tangible.
These are the tangible results.
Tangible evidence still exists.
This is our only tangible asset.

They had good, tangible reasons against it.

Tantalus (tăn'-tà-lus), n. A mythological character. As a punishment he was placed in water up to his head, with branches of fruit above him. The fruit moved whenever he attempted to eat, and the water receded whenever he sought to drink. Like unto Tantalus, our thirst for perfect knowledge is never assuaged.

tantamount (tănʼ-ta-mount), adj. Equivalent in significance, value, effect or import.

This would be tantamount to surrender.

It is tantamount to turning crime into a virtue.

But that would be tantamount to an admission of guilt. tautology (tô-tŏl'-õ-ji), n. Using an additional word for the same thing; needless repetition of the same idea or word. Words of similar import, "redundancy," "pleonasm."

"They are both alike" is called tautology.
Careful writers avoid tautology.

She explained it with her usual tautology.

telepathic (těl-e-păth'-ik), adj. Communicated by telepathy; the affecting of one mind by another without ordinary communication.

They called it telepathic influence.

temerity (tē-měr’-ĭ-ti), n. Rashness; unreasonable disregard of danger; recklessness.

They had the temerity to make themselves responsible.
He was secretly surprised at his own temerity.

They paid the price of their temerity.

temporal (těm'-pō-rǎl), adj. Pertaining to or limited by time; not spiritual; transitory; not spiritual nor eternal; pertaining to this world or the present life.

This is evanescent and temporal.

Temporal blessings are frequently forgotten.

She described the temporal powers of the king.
They believe only in a temporal existence.

temporize (těm’-pō-rīz), v. i. To comply with the occasion or time; yield to circumstances; ostensibly yield to present demands.

We must have no temporizing.

He was of a temporizing disposition.

LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN.

Knowledge offers you wealth and power.

Choose then whether you will accept them.-Draper.

tenable (těn'-à-b'l), adj. Capable of being maintained, held or defended.

Their position being no longer tenable, they capitulated.
Which explanation did you find the most tenable?

It is a tenable theory.

tenacious (tē-nā'-shus), adj. Inclined to hold fast; holding fast; retentive; stubborn or firm in holding to one's purpose or opinions; unyielding.

We are ever conscious of tenacious youth.

His tenacious hold on life refused to be broken.

He has a tenacious memory.

This tenacious material will cling to anything with which it comes in contact.

She is obstinately tenacious of her own views.

tenacity (te-năs'-i-ti), n. State or quality of being tenacious; holding fast or firmly; insistent persistency as of purpose or hold.

She clung to the idea with exasperating tenacity.

I have never before seen such tenacity of purpose. The tenacity of the tentacles of the octopus was finally weakened.

The tenacity of the Japanese accounts for his progress. They do not apply themselves with the tenacity of their elders.

tentacle (těn'-tȧ-k'l), n. A feeler; an organ of touch; a sensitive hair, as those of the sundew; fig., any enwrapping or drawing influence.

Grasped in the monster's tentacles, she disappeared with a blood-curdling scream.

The tentacles of this organization reach all over the country.

tentative (těn'-tȧ-tiv), adj. Experimental; founded on experiment; not determined upon. Word of similar import, "provisional."

A tentative proposition was advanced.

We formed tentative conjectures.
The tentative bids were accepted.

I made a tentative offer.

It has always been regarded as tentative.

tenuity (tē-nu'-i-ti), n. State of being tenuous; thin or drawn out.

The tenuity of the atmosphere in the high Rockies is

extreme.

Gold is often reduced to leaves of great tenuity.

The tenuity of an old man's life is said to hang by a thread.

tenuous (těn'-u-us), adj. Slender; thin; small; delicate.

So tenuous is the bond of friendship that the slightest criticism will sever it.

tenure (těn ́-ūr), n. Right, manner or fact or holding or control of that to which one has a right; period during which anything is had and enjoyed; a holding.

The controversy was over land tenure.

The third week of her tenure passed.

It was on account of the uncertain tenure of office.

tergiversation (tûr-ji-vẽr-sā'-shŭn), n. The act of tergiversating or shifting; subterfuge; evasion; turning against a course previously pursued; evasion of a point; instability of character or conduct; fickleness.

It is free from passion, emotion and tergiversation. After all his tergiversation, he returned to his old life. terminus (tûr’-mĬ-nŭs), n. A boundary; limit; end; termination; final point.

Was it the terminus of the railroad?

Is this the terminus of our hopes?

terrain (tě-rān'; tĕr'-ān), n. An area of ground for a specific purpose, as for a fortification or a battle; an extent of territory.

The General considered the terrain especially difficult.
These terrains were won and lost.

Terpsichorean (tûrp-si-kō-rē'-ăn, adj. Pertaining to dancing.
From Terpsichore (tûrp-sik'-ō-rē), the Muse of dancing.

These entertainments attracted Terpsichorean devotees from near and far.

The exponents of the Terpsichorean art sometimes attain remarkable skill.

terrestrial (tě-res'-tri-ăl), adj.

Belonging to the earth; pertain. ing to the earth or to land; consisting of or representing the earth; living on the earth.

These are our terrestrial experiences.

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. I Cor. xv, 40.