in·gen·ious ( ¹n-j¶n"y…s) adj. 1. Marked by inventive skill and imagination. 2. Having or arising from an inventive or cunning mind; clever: an ingenious scheme. See note at clever . 3. Obsolete Having genius; brilliant. [Middle English from Old French ingenios from Latin ingeni½sus from ingenium inborn talent; See gen …- in Indo-European Roots.] in·gen "ious·ly adv. in·gen "ious·ness n.

gen …-. Important derivatives are: kin king kind 1 kind 2 gentle general generate genius engine genuine germ genital pregnant nation native nature Also gen- To give birth, beget; with derivatives referring to aspects and results of procreation and to familial and tribal groups. I. 1. Suffixed zero-grade form *g ö-yo-. a. KIN ; KINDRED , from Old English cyn(n) , race, family, kin; b. KING , from Old English cyning , king, from Germanic *kuningaz , king. Both a and b from Germanic *kunjam , family. 2. Suffixed zero-grade form *g ö-t-. a. KIND 2 , from Old English cynd , gecynd(e) , origin, birth, race, family, kind, from Germanic *kundjaz , family, race; b. KIND 1 , from Old English gecynde , natural, native, fitting ( ge- , collective prefix; see kom ), from Germanic *kundiz , natural, native; c. Suffixed form *g ö-ti-. GENS , ( GENTEEL ), ( GENTILE ), GENTLE ; GENDARME , from Latin g ¶ns (stem gent- ), race, clan; d. KINDERGARTEN , KRISS KRINGLE , from Old High German kind , child, from Germanic secondary full-grade variant *kentham . 3. Suffixed full-grade form *gen-es- . a. GENDER , GENERAL , GENERATE , ( GENERATION ), GENERIC , GENEROUS , GENRE , GENUS ; CONGENER , DEGENERATE , ( ENGENDER ), MISCEGENATION , from Latin genus (stem gener- ), race, kind; b. GENE ; ALLOGENEIC , GENEALOGY , GENOCIDE , GENOTYPE , HETEROGENEOUS , SYNGENEIC , from Greek genos and genea , race, family; c. -GEN , -GENY ; EPIGENE , from Greek suffix -gen ¶s, " -born." 4. Suffixed full-grade form *gen-yo- . a. GENIAL 1 , GENIUS ; ( CONGENIAL ), from Latin genius , procreative divinity, inborn tutelary spirit, innate quality; b. ENGINE , INGENIOUS , from Latin ingenium , inborn character ( in- , in; see en ). 5. Suffixed full-grade form *gen- ³-. INDIGEN , ( INDIGENOUS ), from Latin indigena , born in (a place), indigenous ( indu- , within; see en ). 6. Suffixed full-grade form *gen …-wo-. ( GENUINE ), INGENUOUS , from Latin ingenuus , born in (a place), native, natural, freeborn ( in- , in; see en ). 7. Suffixed full-grade form *gen-men- . GERM , GERMAN 2 , ( GERMANE ), GERMINAL , GERMINATE , from dissimilated Latin germen , shoot, bud, embryo, germ. 8. Suffixed secondary zero-grade form *g ö…-ti-. GENESIS , -GENESIS , from Greek genesis , birth, beginning. 9. Reduplicated form *gi-gn- . GENITAL , GENITIVE , GENITOR , GENT 1 , ( GINGERLY ); CONGENITAL , PRIMOGENITOR , PRIMOGENITURE , PROGENITOR , ( PROGENY ), from Latin gignere (past participle genitus ), to beget. 10. Suffixed zero-grade form *-gn-o- . BENIGN , MALIGN , from Latin benignus , good-natured, kindly ( bene , well; see deu- 2 ), and malignus , evil-natured, malevolent ( male , ill; see mel- 3 ). 11. Zero-grade form *g ö…- becoming *gn ³-. PREGNANT 1 , from Latin praegn ³s, pregnant ( prae- , before; see per 1 ). 12. Suffixed zero-grade form *g ö…-sko- becoming *gn ³-sko-. NAIVE , NASCENT , NATAL , NATION , NATIVE , NATURE , NéE , NOëL ; ( ADNATE ), AGNATE , COGNATE , CONNATE , ENATE , INNATE , NEONATE , PUISNE , ( PUNY ), RENAISSANCE , from Latin gn ³scº, n ³scº (present participle n ³sc¶ns, past participle gn ³tus, n ³tus), to be born. 13. Suffixed o-grade form *gon-o- . GONAD , GONO- , -GONY ; ARCHEGONIUM , EPIGONE , from Greek gonos (combining form -gonos ), child, procreation, seed. 14. Zero-grade form *g ö-. (see k w —mi-) Sanskrit k •mi-ja-, " produced by worms, " from ja- .[ Pokorny 1. ª en- 373. ]

baf·fle ( b²f"…l) v. tr. baf·fled baf·fling baf·fles 1. To frustrate or check (a person) as by confusing or perplexing; stymie. 2. To impede the force or movement of. n. 1. A usually static device that regulates the flow of a fluid or light. 2. A partition that prevents interference between sound waves in a loudspeaker. [Perhaps blend of Scottish Gaelic bauchle to denounce, revile publicly,French bafouer to ridicule] baf "fle·ment n. baf "fler n.

plod ( pl¼d) v. plod·ded plod·ding plods v. intr. 1. To move or walk heavily or laboriously; trudge: " donkeys that plodded wearily in a circle round a gin " D.H. Lawrence 2. To work or act perseveringly or monotonously; drudge: plodding through a mountain of paperwork. v. tr. 1. To trudge along or over. n. 1. The act of moving or walking heavily and slowly. 2. The sound made by a heavy step. [Perhaps imitative] plod "der n. plod "ding·ly adv.

plop ( pl¼p) v. plopped plop·ping plops v. intr. 1. To fall with a sound like that of an object falling into water without splashing. 2. To let the body drop heavily: Exhausted, I plopped into the armchair. v. tr. 1. To drop or set heavily, with or as if with a plopping sound. n. 1. A plopping sound or movement. [Imitative] plop adv.

plot ( pl¼t) n. 1. a. A small piece of ground, generally used for a specific purpose: a garden plot; a cemetery plot. b. A measured area of land; a lot. 2. A ground plan, as for a building; a diagram. 3. See graph 1 . 4. The plan of events or main story in a narrative or drama. 5. A secret plan to accomplish a hostile or illegal purpose; a scheme. See note at conspiracy . v. plot·ted plot·ting plots v. tr. 1. To represent graphically, as on a chart: plot a ship's course. 2. Mathematics a. To locate (points or other figures) on a graph by means of coordinates. b. To draw (a curve) connecting points on a graph. 3. To conceive and arrange the action and incidents of: " I began plotting novels at about the time I learned to read " James Baldwin 4. To form a plot for; prearrange secretly or deviously: plot an assassination. v. intr. 1. To be located by means of coordinates, as on a chart or with data. 2. To form or take part in a plot; scheme. [Middle English from Old English] plot "less·ness n.

plow also plough ( plou) n. 1. A farm implement consisting of a heavy blade at the end of a beam, usually hitched to a draft team or motor vehicle and used for breaking up soil and cutting furrows in preparation for sowing. 2. An implement of similar function, such as a snowplow. v. plowed also ploughed plow·ing plough·ing plows ploughs v. tr. 1. a. To break and turn over (earth) with a plow. b. To form (a furrow, for example) with a plow. c. To form furrows in with or as if with a plow: plow a field. 2. To make or form with driving force: I plowed my way through the crowd. 3. To cut through (water): plow the high seas. v. intr. 1. To break and turn up earth with a plow. 2. To admit of plowing: Rocky earth plows poorly. 3. To move or progress with driving force: The attackers formed a wedge and plowed through the enemy line. 4. To proceed laboriously; plod: plowed through the backlog of work.

Phrasal Verbs: plow back 1. To reinvest (earnings or profits) in one's business. plow into Informal 1. To strike with force. 2. To undertake (a task, for example) with eagerness and vigor. plow under 1. To cause to vanish under something piled up. 2. To overwhelm, as with burdens. [Middle English plough, plouw from Old English pl½h, pl½g plow, plowland] plow "a·ble adj. plow "er n.

Plow ( plou) n. 1. See Big Dipper .

ploy ( ploi) n. 1. An action calculated to frustrate an opponent or gain an advantage indirectly or deviously; a maneuver: " A typical ploy is to feign illness, procure medicine, then sell it on the black market " Jill Smolowe [Perhaps from employ employment (obsolete) ]