intransitive verb to turn aside or away from a particular course; change direction; swerve.The car veered to the right to avoid hitting the deer.She veered from the subject of politics as she…

noun a humorous imitation in print, music, or performance of a serious person, work of art, or publication.The spring musical, entitled “Spamlet, Prince of Cyberspace,” is a parody of Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.”…

transitive verb to take a possession or attribute away from; divest of.The hurricane deprived many residents of their homes.The factory’s closing deprived workers of their livelihoods. See the full entry

transitive verb to speak badly of; defame; slander.The politician complained that she had been maligned by the press.Some parents maligned the teacher and tried to get him fired. adjective evil in intent,…

adjective combined form of characteristic.The boxing champion spoke of his win with uncharacteristic modesty. See the full entry