ca·su·al ( k²zh"›-…l) adj. 1. Occurring by chance. See note at chance . 2. a. Occurring at irregular or infrequent intervals; occasional: casual employment at a factory; a casual correspondence with a former teacher. b. Unpremeditated; offhand: a casual remark. 3. a. Being without ceremony or formality; relaxed: a casual evening with friends. b. Suited for everyday wear or use; informal. 4. Not serious or thorough; superficial: a casual inspection. 5. a. Showing little interest or concern; nonchalant: a casual disregard for cold weather. b. Lenient; permissive: a casual attitude toward drugs. 6. Not close or intimate; passing: a casual acquaintance with avant-garde music. n. 1. One that serves or appears at irregular intervals, especially a temporary worker. 2. Often casuals Casual clothing. 3. A soldier temporarily attached to a unit while awaiting permanent assignment. [Middle English casuel from Old French from Latin c³su³lis from c³sus event; See case 1 ] ca "su·al·ly adv. ca "su·al·ness n.

dead·ly ( dµd"l¶) adj. dead·li·er dead·li·est 1. Causing or tending to cause death: deadly weapons; a deadly spill of radioactive waste products. See note at fatal . 2. Suggestive of death: a deadly pallor. 3. Aiming or wanting to kill; implacable: deadly enemies. 4. a. Destructive in effect: gave the film a deadly review. b. Tending to take away vitality, effectiveness, or force: the deadly habit of procrastination. 5. Absolute; utter: deadly concentration. 6. Extreme or terrible: worked under deadly strain. 7. Extremely accurate; unerring: She is a deadly shot with the bow. 8. Dull, tedious, and boring: a deadly prose style. adv. 1. So as to suggest death. 2. To an extreme: deadly serious. dead "li·ness n.

deaf ( dµf) adj. deaf·er deaf·est 1. Partially or completely lacking in the sense of hearing. 2. Deaf Of or relating to the Deaf or their culture. 3. Unwilling or refusing to listen; heedless: was deaf to our objections. n. used with a pl. verb 1. Deaf people considered as a group. 2. Deaf The community of deaf people who use American Sign Language as a primary means of communication. [Middle English def, deef from Old English d¶af] deaf "ly adv. deaf "ness n.

Usage Note: Some writers have lately introduced a distinction between the lowercase noun deaf, which is used to refer simply to people with extensive hearing disorders, and the capitalized noun Deaf, which refers to the culture and community that has grown up around the use of American Sign Language as a primary means of communication.

dear 1 ( dîr) adj. dear·er dear·est 1. a. Loved and cherished: my dearest friend. b. Greatly valued; precious: lost everything dear to them. 2. Highly esteemed or regarded. Used in direct address, especially in salutations: Dear Lee Dawson. 3. a. High-priced; expensive. See note at costly . b. Charging high prices. 4. Earnest; ardent: " This good man was a dear lover and constant practicer of angling " Izaak Walton 5. Obsolete Noble; worthy. n. 1. One that is greatly loved. 2. An endearing, lovable, or kind person. adv. 1. With fondness; affectionately. 2. At a high cost: sold their wares dear. interj. 1. Used as a polite exclamation, chiefly of surprise or distress: oh dear; dear me. [Middle English dere from Old English d¶ore] dear "ly adv. dear "ness n.

feat 2 ( f¶t) adj. feat·er feat·est Archaic 1. Adroit; dexterous. 2. Neat; trim. [Middle English fet suitable from Old French fait from Latin factus done, made; See feature ] feat "ly adv.

lean 2 ( l¶n) adj. lean·er lean·est 1. Not fleshy or fat; thin. 2. Containing little or no fat. 3. a. Not productive or prosperous; meager: lean years. b. Containing little excess or waste; spare: a lean budget. c. Thrifty in management; economical: " Company leaders know their industries must be lean to survive " Christian Science Monitor 4. Metallurgy Low in mineral contents: lean ore. a. Chemistry Lacking in combustible material: lean fuel. n. 1. Meat with little or no fat. [Middle English lene from Old English hlÆne] lean "ly adv. lean "ness n.

Synonyms: lean spare skinny scrawny lank lanky rawboned gaunt These adjectives mean lacking excess flesh. Lean emphasizes absence of fat: The farmer tried to fatten the lean cattle for market. Spare sometimes suggests trimness and good muscle tone: " an old man, very tall and spare, with an ascetic aspect " (William H. Mallock). She has the spare figure of a marathon runner. Skinny and scrawny imply unattractive thinness, as that associated with undernourishment: The child has skinny, freckled legs with prominent knees. " He [had] a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar " (Winston Churchill). Lank describes one who is thin and tall, and lanky one who is thin, tall, and ungraceful: " He was . . . exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders " (Washington Irving). She was transformed from a lanky adolescent into a willowy young woman. Rawboned suggests a thin, bony, gangling build: a rawboned cowhand with a weather-beaten, tanned face. Gaunt implies thinness and boniness and a haggard appearance; it may suggest illness or hardship: a white-haired pioneer, her face gaunt from overwork and worry.

mean·ly ( m¶n"l¶) adv. 1. In a poor, lowly, or base manner.

mean 2 ( m¶n) adj. mean·er mean·est 1. a. Selfish in a petty way; unkind. b. Cruel, spiteful, or malicious. 2. Ignoble; base: a mean motive. 3. Miserly; stingy. 4. a. Low in quality or grade; inferior. b. Low in value or amount; paltry: paid no mean amount for the new shoes. 5. Common or poor in appearance; shabby: " The rowhouses had been darkened by the rain and looked meaner and grimmer than ever " Anne Tyler 6. Low in social status; of humble origins. 7. Humiliated or ashamed. 8. In poor physical condition; sick or debilitated. 9. Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable: The meanest storm in years. 10. Informal Ill-tempered. 11. Slang a. Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome: He throws a mean fast ball. b. Excellent; skillful: She plays a mean game of bridge. [Middle English from Old English gemÆne common; See mei- 1 in Indo-European Roots.] mean "ly adv.

Synonyms: mean low base abject ignoble sordid These adjectives mean lacking in the elevation or dignity or falling short of the standards befitting human beings. Mean suggests pettiness; it may also connote traits such as spite or niggardliness: " chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort " (Shakespeare). " Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own " (J.M. Barrie). Something low violates standards of morality, ethics, or propriety: low cunning; a low trick. Base suggests a contemptible, mean-spirited, or selfish lack of human decency: " that liberal obedience, without which your army would be a base rabble " (Edmund Burke). Abject means brought low in condition; it often indicates starkness or hopelessness: abject submission; abject poverty. Ignoble means lacking those qualities, such as elevated moral character, that give human beings distinction of mind and soul: " For my part I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part " (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.). Sordid suggests foul, repulsive degradation: " It is through art . . . that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence " (Oscar Wilde).

mea·sly ( m¶z"l¶) adj. mea·sli·er mea·sli·est 1. Slang Contemptibly small; meager: gave the parking attendant a measly tip. 2. Infected with measles.

near·ly ( nîr"l¶) adv. 1. Almost but not quite: The coat nearly fits. 2. In a close manner; intimately: a matter nearly affecting our interests.

neat 1 ( n¶t) adj. neat·er neat·est 1. Orderly and clean; tidy. 2. Orderly and precise in procedure; systematic. 3. Marked by ingenuity and skill; adroit: a neat turn of phrase. 4. Not diluted or mixed with other substances: neat whiskey. 5. Left after all deductions; net: neat profit. 6. Slang Wonderful; terrific: That was a neat party. [Anglo-Norman neit clear, pure variant of Old French net from Latin nitidus elegant, gleaming from nit¶re to shine] neat "ly adv. neat "ness n.

Synonyms: neat tidy trim shipshape spick-and-span spruce trig These adjectives mean marked by good order and cleanliness. Neat implies a pleasingly clean and orderly condition: a neat room; neat hair. Tidy emphasizes precise arrangement and order: " When she saw me come in tidy and well dressed, she even smiled " (Charlotte Brontë). Trim stresses especially smart appearance resulting from neatness, tidiness, and pleasing proportions: " A trim little sailboat was dancing out at her moorings " (Herman Melville). Shipshape evokes the meticulous order and neatness that might be found aboard a ship: " We'll try to make this barn a little more shipshape " (Rudyard Kipling). Spick-and-span suggests the immaculate freshness and cleanliness of something new: " young men in spick-and-span uniforms " (Edith Wharton). Spruce implies neatness and smartness, as of dress or appearance: " a good-looking man; spruce and dapper, and very tidy " (Anthony Trollope). Trig suggests sprightly smartness: " the trig corporal, with the little visorless cap worn so jauntily " (William Dean Howells).

pearl·y ( pûr"l¶) adj. pearl·i·er pearl·i·est 1. Resembling pearls. 2. Covered or decorated with pearls or mother-of-pearl.

re·al·ly ( r¶"…-l¶", r ¶"l¶) adv. 1. In actual truth or fact: The horseshoe crab isn't really a crab at all. 2. Truly; genuinely: That was a really enjoyable evening. 3. Indeed: Really, you shouldn't have done it.

weak·ly ( w¶k"l¶) adj. weak·li·er weak·li·est 1. Delicate in constitution; frail or sickly. adv. 1. With little physical strength or force. 2. With little strength of character. weak "li·ness n.

year·ly ( yîr"l¶) adj. 1. Occurring once a year or every year; annual. adv. 1. Once a year; annually. n. pl. year·lies 1. A publication issued once a year.