word of the day

笑仙人

6/5/2003: quorum (noun)<br>the designated minimum number of persons that must be present to conduct business at a meeting<br><br>EXAMPLE: Although there are twelve official committee members in total, the policy manual states that a quorum of merely seven members must be present at a committee meeting for decisions to be valid.

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7/5/2003: zap (verb)<br>INFORMAL to kill as if by an electric shock; to suffer a sudden injury or unexpected loss<br><br>EXAMPLE: Unfortunately, the great new idea was zapped by a few cynics in a junior planning committee before our top management could hear it mentioned.

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8/5/2003: peruse (verb)<br>to read very carefully<br><br>EXAMPLE: Before you make any major decisions, be sure to peruse the report of our advisors.

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9/5/2003: apportion (verb)<br>FORMAL to divide and distribute parts of something according to a plan<br><br>EXAMPLE: As stated in his will, the many companies owned by the old business executive were apportioned equally among his children after his death.

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10/5/2003: accrue (verb)<br>FORMAL to accumulate in small, even, and repeated amounts<br><br>EXAMPLE: Interest on a loan can accrue to significant sums of money over a period of years.

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11/5/2003: spoilage (noun)<br>products or supplies that have been damaged or that are of poor quality and therefore must be discarded or sold at a greatly reduced price<br><br>EXAMPLE: The manufacturer&#39;s transportation services were unreliable and every shipment from them contained a great deal of spoilage that had to be sold for practically nothing.

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13/5/2003: fallacy (noun)<br>a mistaken belief or a mistake in logic<br><br>EXAMPLE: The idea that customers only want low prices and don&#39;t care about quality is as much of a fallacy as believing that the world is flat.

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14/5/2003: moxie (noun)<br>SLANG the quality of great skill mixed with somewhat reckless courage<br><br>EXAMPLE: The young business school graduate had plenty of moxie and succeeded much faster than his more timid fellow graduates.

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15/5/2003: requisition (noun)<br>a written request for something needed, such as supplies<br><br>EXAMPLE: Our local office manager sent headquarters a requisition for a new copy machine and two new office computers.

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16/5/2003: clout (noun)<br>SLANG influence; the ability to get others to do what one wishes<br><br>EXAMPLE: Everyone in our little company respected the opinions of our old accountant, and also owed him many favors, so he had plenty of clout when we gathered together to make important business decisions.