amortize(uh MAWR tyz) vt. 1. to put money aside at intervals to pay off a
debt either prior to or at maturity; 2. to prorate an expense over an interval (for tax
purposes)
- A mortgage is usually amortizedover a period of 5 to 30 years, with 30
being the most common term. - An automobile purchased for business use must be amortizedover 5 to 7
years rather than taken as a single deduction all at once.
[-d, -zing]
animosity(an i MAH sit ee) n. hostility; a feeling of strong ill will; dislike - There is a great deal of animositybetween Boston Red Sox fans and New
York Yankee fans. - Veterans from Germany and America have met each other in the cemeter-
ies of France to show that they have no animosityfor each other left over
from World War II.
[Syn. enmity]
annul(uh NUHL) vt. to nullify; void; cancel; put an end to; invalidate under
the law - Only one amendment to the U.S. Constitution stands out as unique in
that it annulsanother. - Most contracts contain a paragraph listing the conditions under which it
may be annulled.
[annulled, annulling] [Syn. abolish]
anomalous(uh NAM uh lis) adj. 1. deviating from the regular rule; strange;
abnormal; 2. being or seeming irregular; contradictory - It was the anomalousbehavior of the planets Neptune and Uranus that led
to astronomers discovering Pluto in 1930. - Observations of anomalousbehavior of certain objects in the sky have led
to reportings of UFO sightings.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. irregular]
antibody(AN ti BAH dee) n. a special protein produced by certain white blood
cells to form immunity to certain antigens - Before the Salk vaccine stimulated the production of antibodiesagainst it,
polio was the most dreaded disease in the United States. - Each antibodyproduced by white blood cells is specific to a particular
disease.
[antibodies pl.]
antipathy(an TIP ith ee) n. 1. a strong or deeply felt dislike; 2. the object of
that dislike - It is rumored that dogs have a great antipathyfor cats, yet Lois’s two dogs
and three cats get along famously. - Jan’s new hairdo was the object of Kaj’s antipathy.
[Syn. aversion]
248 Essential Vocabulary