perambulate, absquatulate, ratiocinate, juxtapose, obtund: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Ultra set 122. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. perambulate · verb/pəˈræmbjʊˌleɪt/

   to walk through or travel around a place especially in a leisurely way

   Every evening, I like to perambulate the park, soaking in the beauty of nature and the tranquility of the setting sun.

   Synonyms: stroll, saunter, roam

   Origin: From Latin 'perambulare', where 'per-' means 'through' and 'ambulare' means 'to walk'.

2. absquatulate · verb/æbˈskwɑːtʃəˌleɪt/

   to leave abruptly or quickly

   Realizing the meeting was going nowhere, she decided to absquatulate from the room before anyone noticed.

   Synonyms: evacuate, flee, bolt

   Origin: The word 'absquatulate' is believed to be a blend of 'abscond' and 'squat,' with its first known use in the early 19th century in American English.

3. ratiocinate · verb/ˌreɪʃiˈɑːsɪneɪt/

   to reason or think logically

   In order to solve the complex puzzle, she needed to ratiocinate carefully about each clue presented.

   Synonyms: reason, think, deduce

   Origin: from Latin 'ratiocinari', meaning 'to calculate, reckon' derived from 'ratio' meaning 'reason'

4. juxtapose · verb/ˌdʒʌkstəˈpoʊz/

   to place two or more things side by side for comparison or contrast

   The artist decided to juxtapose the vibrant colors of modern art with the muted tones of classical paintings to highlight their differences.

   Synonyms: compare, contrast, collate

   Origin: from Latin 'juxta' meaning 'near' and 'positus' meaning 'placed'

5. obtund · verb/æbˈtʌnd/

   to reduce the intensity or severity of something

   The anesthetic was administered to obtund the patient's pain during the procedure.

   Synonyms: dull, lessen, alleviate

   Origin: From Latin 'obtundere', where 'ob-' means 'against' and 'tundere' means 'to beat'.