<B>inimical, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>unfavorable; harmful. <BR> <I>Ex. Lack of ambition is inimical to success. To continue to prepare to fight such a war is to make the earth's atmosphere inimical to life (New Yorker).</I> (SYN) injurious, adverse. <DD><B> 2. </B>unfriendly; hostile. <BR> <I>Ex. The natives were inimical to all strangers.</I> (SYN) antagonistic. adv. <B>inimically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="inimicality">
<B>inimicality, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the quality or condition of being unfavorable or harmful. <DD><B> 2. </B>hostility; unfriendliness. </DL>
<A NAME="inimitability">
<B>inimitability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being inimitable. </DL>
<A NAME="inimitable">
<B>inimitable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> impossible to imitate or copy; matchless. <BR> <I>Ex. The inimitable beauties of the lilies of the field (James Martineau).</I> (SYN) incomparable, peerless, unequaled. noun <B>inimitableness.</B> adv. <B>inimitably.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="inion">
<B>inion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Anatomy.) a point at the external occipital protuberance of the skull. </DL>
<B>iniquity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>very great injustice; wickedness. <BR> <I>Ex. The iniquity of the transaction aroused general indignation.</I> (SYN) unrighteousness. <DD><B> 2. </B>a wicked or unjust act. <BR> <I>Ex. Taking children from their parents and selling them was one of the iniquities of slavery. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more (Job 34:32).</I> </DL>
<B>initial, </B>adjective, noun, verb, <B>-tialed,</B> <B>-tialing</B> or (especially British) <B>-tialled,</B> <B>-tialling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>occurring at the beginning; first; earliest. <BR> <I>Ex. the initial letter of a word. His initial effort at skating was a failure, but he succeeded the second time that he tried.</I> (SYN) incipient, initiatory. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Phonetics.) occurring at the beginning of an utterance or word. <BR> <I>Ex. an initial vowel.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the first letter of a word, especially the first letter of a person's name or surname. <BR> <I>Ex. The initials U.S. stand for United States. When he bought the new suitcase, he had his initials printed on it in gold lettering.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an extra large letter, often decorated, at the beginning of a chapter or other division of a book or illuminated manuscript. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Phonetics.) an initial speech sound or cluster. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to mark or sign with initials; put one's initials upon. <BR> <I>Ex. John Allen Smith initialed the note J. A. S.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to put one's initials on (a treaty) as a step before signing, so as to show the negotiators' satisfaction pending the consent of the signatory governments. <BR> <I>Ex. ... to initial a treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> adv. <B>initially.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="initialism">
<B>initialism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a phrase, such as <I>IFC</I> (for International Finance Corporation) or <I>IFR</I> (for instrument flight rules). </DL>
<A NAME="initialize">
<B>initialize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to set (an instruction or switch) to start a computer program or routine. noun <B>initialization.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="initialpublicoffering">
<B>initial public offering,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a first-time sale to public investors of company securities on a stock exchange. (Abbr:) IPO (no periods). </DL>
<A NAME="initialside">
<B>initial side,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Trigonometry.) the line whose amount of rotation determines the size of an angle. </DL>
<A NAME="initiate">
<B>initiate, </B>verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating,</B> noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to be the first one to start; set going; begin. <BR> <I>Ex. This year we shall initiate a series of free concerts.</I> (SYN) originate, commence. <DD><B> 2. </B>to admit (a person) by special forms or ceremonies into a group or society. <BR> <I>Ex. The old members initiated the new members.</I> (SYN) install, induct. <DD><B> 3. </B>to help to get a first understanding; introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject. <BR> <I>Ex. to initiate a person into business methods. The teacher initiated the class into the wonders of science by telling a few interesting things about the earth and stars.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a person who is or has been initiated. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>initiated. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) having to do with one newly initiated. noun <B>initiator.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="initiation">
<B>initiation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or process of being the first one to start something; beginning; initiating. <DD><B> 2. </B>the fact of being initiated. <DD><B> 3. </B>formal admission into a group or society. <DD><B> 4. </B>the ceremonies by which one is admitted to a group or society. <BR> <I>Ex. A great many members of the club showed up for the initiation.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="initiative">
<B>initiative, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the active part in taking the first steps in any undertaking; lead. <BR> <I>Ex. She is shy and does not take the initiative in making acquaintances. No one suggested that he should take up painting; he did it entirely on his own initiative.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>readiness and ability to be the one to start something; enterprise. <BR> <I>Ex. A good leader must have initiative.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the right to be the first to act, legislate, or otherwise begin legally. <DD><B> 4. </B>the right of citizens outside the legislature to introduce or enact a new law by vote, especially by petition. This right exists in many states and cities of the United States, and in Switzerland. <DD><B> 5. </B>the procedure for doing this. <DD><I>adj. </I> serving to initiate; initiatory. adv. <B>initiatively.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="initiatory">
<B>initiatory, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>beginning; introductory; opening; first. <DD><B> 2. </B>of initiation; serving to initiate into some society or some special knowledge. </DL>
<A NAME="initiatress">
<B>initiatress, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a female initiator. </DL>
<A NAME="initiatrix">
<B>initiatrix, </B>noun, pl. <B>initiatrixes,</B> <B>initiatrices. =initiatress.</B></DL>
<A NAME="inject">
<B>inject, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to force (liquid or medicine) into a cavity, passage, or tissue. <BR> <I>Ex. Drugs are often injected into the body. The biologist injected coloring matter into anatomical specimens for the study of the structure.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to fill (a cavity, passage, or tissue) with liquid forced in. <BR> <I>Ex. The dentist injected the boy's gums with novocaine.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to throw in; insert. <BR> <I>Ex. While she and I were talking, he injected a remark into the conversation.</I> (SYN) introduce, suggest. </DL>
<A NAME="injectable">
<B>injectable, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> that can be injected. <DD><I>noun </I> a drug or medicine that may be injected directly into the bloodstream. </DL>
<A NAME="injection">
<B>injection, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or process of injecting. <BR> <I>Ex. Those drugs are given by injection as well as through the mouth.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a liquid injected. <BR> <I>Ex. A drug is given as an injection.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a bloodshot or hyperemic condition. <DD><B> 4. </B>the act or process of placing a spacecraft into orbit. </DL>
<A NAME="injectionlaser">
<B>injection laser,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Electronics.) a laser that generates radiant energy by the injection of charges into a p-n junction of gallium arsenide or other semiconductor; semiconductor laser. </DL>
<A NAME="injectionmolding">
<B>injection molding,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a method of producing thermoplastic materials by forcing the thick resin out of a heated cylinder into a mold. </DL>
<A NAME="injector">
<B>injector, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that injects. <DD><B> 2. </B>a device for forcing water into a steam boiler. <DD><B> 3. </B>a device for injecting fuel into a gasoline motor, diesel engine, or rocket motor. </DL>
<A NAME="injera">
<B>injera, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a slightly sour bread, somewhat like a pancake, eaten in Ethiopia. </DL>
<A NAME="injoke">
<B>in-joke, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a joke that only members of an in-group can appreciate. </DL>
<A NAME="injudicious">
<B>injudicious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> showing bad judgment; unwise; not judicious. <BR> <I>Ex. An injudicious person says or does things without thinking what their results may be.</I> (SYN) indiscreet, imprudent. adv. <B>injudiciously.</B> noun <B>injudiciousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="injun">
<B>Injun</B> or <B>injun, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal or Dialect.) an American Indian. </DL>
<A NAME="injunction">
<B>injunction, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a command; order. <BR> <I>Ex. He obeyed his mother's injunction to hurry straight home. Injunctions of secrecy did not prevent the news from leaking out.</I> (SYN) behest. <DD><B> 2. </B>a formal order from a law court ordering a person or group to do, or not to do, something. <BR> <I>Ex. The owner got an injunction prohibiting people from lighting fires on the vacant lot next to his house. Sheriff's deputies arrived to enforce a court injunction against mass picketing (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the act of commanding or authoritatively directing. </DL>
<A NAME="injunctive">
<B>injunctive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> serving to command. </DL>
<A NAME="injure">
<B>injure, </B>transitive verb, <B>-jured,</B> <B>-juring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to do damage to; harm; hurt. <BR> <I>Ex. Do not break or injure the bushes in the park. The misunderstanding injured their friendship.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to be unfair to; do wrong to. <BR> <I>Ex. Those that are not favoured will think themselves injured (Samuel Johnson).</I> adj. <B>injurable.</B> noun <B>injurer.</B> </DL>
