optimism(AHP ti mi zm) n.1. the belief that good triumphs over evil; 2. the
tendency to take the most cheerful point of view or hope for the best possible
outcome
- If you believe that bad will be vanquished and good will win in the end,
then you are a practitioner of optimism. - Optimismpermits one to look at a half empty container of chocolate milk
and see it as half full.
[optimistic adj., optimistically adv.]
orator (AW ruh tir) n.1. a person who delivers a formal public speech;
- an eloquent public speaker
- An oratorwas a person who impressed and swayed his listeners before the
days of telecommunication. - Cicero was perhaps the oratorof greatest fame to emerge from the senate of
ancient Rome.
[oration n.] [Syn. declaimer]
orchard(AWR chird) n.1. an area of land set aside for the raising of fruit-
bearing trees; 2. such a stand of trees; a grove of fruit trees - Peach orchardsdot the countryside in certain parts of Georgia.
- In New York’s southern Catskill Mountains, it is common to find roads
lined by apple orchards.
orchestra(AWR kes truh) n.1. the main floor of a theater; 2. a large musical
ensemble, specifically a symphony orchestra; 3. the instruments of definition 2 - As a general rule, the most expensive seats in the theater are the front and
center orchestraseats. - The United States is fortunate to have at least five world-class symphony
orchestras. - The instruments of the orchestraare divided into strings, brass, woodwinds,
and percussion.
ordain(awr DAYN) vt.1. to order; establish; decree; 2. to predestine; predeter-
mine; 3. to invest with the office of a rabbi, minister, or priest - In 1789, the framers ordainedthe U.S. Constitution to be the law of the
country. - Some people believe that the future is ordained,and no matter what we do,
we can’t change it. - New clergypersons are ordained,usually from among the ranks of the
seminarians.
[-ed, -ing, -ment, ordination n.]
origin(AWR i jin) n.1. a beginning; a coming into existence; 2. the birth;
lineage; parenthood; 3. that in which something has its root, source, cause, etc. - The Nile River’s originis in Lake Victoria.
- The originof the practical home computer can be traced to Steve Wozniak’s
garage. - Musical drama with fixed songs and story lines had its originwith the
operas of Giuseppi Verdi.
[Syn. source, inception]
170 Essential Vocabulary