a period of time spent doing a particular activity
example
She had a short stint as a teacher before becoming a writer.
synonyms
periodtermstretch
word origin — Middle English, from the Old French 'estint', meaning 'to stop, to cease', influenced by the Latin 'instans', meaning 'present, urgent'.
Proficient — Set 75
Set 75 of Proficient covers 5 words: stint, jettison, maculate, attenuate, subjugate. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
stint · noun/stɪnt/
a period of time spent doing a particular activity
She had a short stint as a teacher before becoming a writer.
Synonyms: period, term, stretch
Origin: Middle English, from the Old French 'estint', meaning 'to stop, to cease', influenced by the Latin 'instans', meaning 'present, urgent'.
jettison · verb/ˈdʒɛtɪsən/
to discard or abandon something that is no longer wanted or needed
The team decided to jettison some old ideas that were not working anymore.
Synonyms: discard, dump, throw away
Origin: from Middle English 'jettison', from Old French 'jettison', from the verb 'jeter' meaning 'to throw'.
maculate · adjective/ˈmækjʊlɪt/
spotted or stained
The artist painted a beautiful maculate canvas, filled with colorful spots.
Synonyms: spotted, stained, blemished
Origin: from Latin 'maculatus', past participle of 'maculare' meaning 'to spot or stain'
attenuate · verb/əˈtɛnjuˌeɪt/
to reduce the force, effect, or severity of something
The doctor gave her medicine to attenuate the pain in her back.
Synonyms: diminish, lessen, weaken
Origin: from Latin 'attenuare', meaning 'to make thin or narrow'
subjugate · verb/ˈsʌb.dʒə.ɡeɪt/
to bring under control or domination
The king wanted to subjugate the neighboring tribe to expand his kingdom.
Synonyms: conquer, dominate, control
Origin: from Latin 'subjugare', meaning 'to bring under the yoke' (sub- meaning 'under' + jugum meaning 'yoke')