Coup de Grace – The Hindu (Nov 17, 2017)

Coup de Grace – The Hindu (Nov 17, 2017)

Zimbabwe’s prolonged political crisis reached the boiling point earlier this month when President Robert Mugabe dismissed the Vice-President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”.

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Courtesy: The Hindu

Word List-1 (To Improve English Vocabulary)

1. coup_de_grace (noun) – French Word; it literally means “stroke of grace” or “blow of mercy”; an action or event which finally ends a condition which is irreversibly bad/become worse.
2. contour (noun) – outline, shape, form.
3. prolonged (adjective) – continuous, ongoing, lengthy/protracted.
4. boiling point (noun) – the point at which a condition becomes more serious (due to angry).
5. brew (verb) – (of an unwelcome situation) begin to develop, loom, impend.
6. extravagant (adjective) – expensive, costly, exorbitant.
7. vocal (noun) – outspoken, candid, frank/open.
8. endorse (verb) – support, recommend, approve.
9. err (verb) – make a mistake, be wrong, misjudge/miscalculate.
10. establishment (noun) – the powers that be, the authorities, the system/regime.
11. groundswell (noun) – a large, spontaneous growth in people’s support (for political actions).
12. successor (noun) – heir, descendant; replacement/next in line.
13. dynasty (noun) – ancestry, descent, bloodline.
14. coup_d’etat (noun) – French Word; seizure of power, coup, change of regime.
15. condemnation (noun) – criticism, castigation, stricture, denunciation.
16. sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
17. transitional (adjective) – provisional,  interim, temporary.
18. backfire (verb) – rebound, boomerang, come back, have an adverse effect.
19. inept (adjective) – incompetent, unskilful; awkward.
20. plotter (noun) – conspirator, schemer, intriguer.
21. legitimacy (noun) – conformity to the law/rules; justification.
22. tap (into) (verb) – draw on, exploit, make use of/utilize.
23. inherit (verb) – assume, take over, receive.
24. dysfunctional (adjective) – troubled, distressed, unsettled.
25. barracks (noun) – garrison, camp, cantonment.

Note:   

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purpose only and they may vary in different context. Use it with the corresponding article published on the source (website) via the link provided. 

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