noun the outline of a surface, form, or figure; shape.The artist drew the contours of the horse’s body before filling in the details. transitive verb to shape the outline or surface form of.The designers…

adjective of or pertaining to the basic or first principles; elementary.The rudimentary principles of chemistry will be covered in the first semester.He has only rudimentary skills in math. See the full entry

noun payment or payments forced by threats to reveal damaging information; extortion.The crook made his living from blackmail and swindling. transitive verb to force or attempt to force (someone) to pay money…

adjective honest, frank, and trustworthy.The interviewer was surprised at the politician’s straightforward answers to her questions.The teacher was straightforward with the parents concerning their child’s problem.Known as a fair and straightforward individual,…

With the Wordsmyth Vocabulary Center activities, you can study these words, play games with them, and assess your knowledge of their meanings with a quiz. Go to the Vocabulary Center, the words…