Nouns- 15(701-750)


Homily (n):  hom-uh-lee
A homily is a speech or piece of writing in which someone complains about the state of something or tells people how they ought to behave = a sermon or solemn talk
All elders take great delight in passing on homilies to their children

Homonym (n):  hom-uh-nim
a word that is spelt the same and sounds the same as another, but is different in meaning or origin For example, the noun 'bear' and the verb 'bear' are homonyms

Horology (n):  haw-rol-uh-jee, hoh-
the  art  or  science  of  making  timepieces  or  of  measuring  time
Horology is a science that needs great precision

Hostelry (n):  hos-tl-ree
A hostelry is a pub or a hotel = inn

Hoyden (n):  hoid-n (705)
boisterous girl
That hoyden is the most recognizable face in the college after the Principal

Hubbub (n):  huhb-uhb
A hubbub is a noise made by a lot of people all talking or shouting at the same time = confused uproar
There was a hubbub of excited conversation from over a thousand people

Hubris (n):  hyoo-bris, hoo-
If you accuse someone of hubris, you are accusing them of arrogant pride = arrogance
He has an air of hubris, but his ego can be defleated with a trick or two

Humility (n):  hyoo-mil-i-tee
Someone who has humility is not proud and does not believe they are better than other people
He spoke with a humility and lack of pride that impressed his listeners

Hummock (n):  huhm-uhk
A hummock is a small raised area of ground, like a very small hill = hillock, small hill
The old man lives on that grassy hummock

Humus (n):  hyoo-muhs or, often, yoo- (710)
Humus is the part of soil which consists of dead plants that have begun to decay = rich soil  
The humus plays a major role in sustaining the plant

Husbandry (n):  huhz-buhn-dree
Husbandry is farming animals, especially when it is done carefully and well = farming
Animal husbandry is popular all over the world

Hustings 
(n):  huhs-tingz
The political campaigns and speeches before an election are sometimes referred to as the hustings
The senator is usually at his best on the hustings

Hybrid  (n):  hahy-brid
A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species of animal or plant =  mixed breed
A hybrid of wheat and rye

Hyperbole (n):  hahy-pur-buh-lee
If someone uses hyperbole, they say or write things that make something sound much more impressive than it really is =  exaggeration, overstatement
It was not hyperbole to call it the worst storm in twenty years

Hypochondria (n):  hahy-puh-kon-dree-uh (715)
If someone suffers from hypochondria, they continually worry about their health and imagine that they are ill, although there is really nothing wrong with them
I think that she should take medical advice for her hypochondria

Iconoclast (n)  ahy-kon-uh-klast
If you describe someone as an iconoclast, you mean that they often criticize beliefs and things that are generally accepted by society = an image-breaker

Ideology (n):  ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee
An ideology is a set of beliefs, especially the political beliefs on which people, parties, or countries base their actions
The congress party, in its initial years of formation, was caught between two opposing ideologies

Idiom (n): id-ee-uhm
An idiom is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one they would have if you took the meaning of each word separately
Common idioms, such as it is raining cats and dogs often have fascinating origins

Idiosyncrasy (n) :  id-ee-uh-sing-kruh-see
If you talk about the idiosyncrasies of someone or something, you are referring to their rather unusual habits or characteristics = peculiarity, eccentricity
My uncle's idiosyncrasies amuses us

Idolatry (n):  ahy-dol-uh-tree (720)
Someone who practises idolatry worships idols
In Hinduism, idolatry started with the advent of imperial Guptas in the fourth century (AD)

Iinertia (n):   in-ur-shuh
If you have a feeling of inertia, you feel very lazy and unwilling to move or be active = lethargy
Political inertia

Illusion (n):  ih-loo-zhuhn
An illusion is a false idea or belief = delusion, misleading vision
No one really has any illusions about winning the war  

Imbecility (n):  im-buh-sil-i-tee
a persons with imbecility, are stupid or have done something stupid = stupidity
what imbecility led you to put all your savings in the share market ?

Imbroglio (n):  im-brohl-yoh
An imbroglio is a very confusing or complicated situation = choas, confused
His short sighted decisions led the country n an imbroglio

Immobility (n):  im-oh-bil-i-tee (725)
Someone or something that is immobile is completely still = motionless, state of being immovable
Joe remained as immobile as if he had been carved out of rock

Impasse (n):  im-pas, im-pas
If people are in a difficult position in which it is impossible to make any progress, you can refer to the situation as an impasse =  deadlock
The President of the United States was trying to break the impasse in the Middle East negotiations

Impediment
 (n):  im-ped-uh-muhnt
Something that is an impediment to a person or thing makes their movement, development, or progress difficult = obstruction
Those with a speech impediment can now be cured using the latest technology

Imperturbability (n):  im-per-tur-buh-buhl
If someone talks or behaves in a rather impolite and disrespectful way, you can say that they are being impertinent = impudent, cheeky, calmness
Would it be impertinent to ask where exactly you were?   
    
Impetus (n):  im-pi-tuhs
Something that gives a process impetus or an impetus makes it happen or progress more quickly = stimulus, moving force
This decision will give renewed impetus to the economic regeneration of modern India

Impiety (n):  im-pahy-i-tee (730)
Impiety is lack of respect for religion or God, or an action that shows this = irreverence, an impious act
In the medieval times, writers were often accused of impiety for writing against the established religious norms and punished

Implication (n): im-pli-key-shuhn
A possible future effect or result of an action, event, decision etc
What are the implications of these proposals?

Import (n):  im-pawrt
To import products or raw materials means to buy them from another country for use in your own country
To import from Russia, a Ukrainian firm needs Russian roubles

Imprecation (n):  im-pri-key-shuhn
An imprecation is something rude, angry, or hostile that is said to or about someone = a curse

Imprimatur (n):  im-puh-tuhnt
If something such as a product has someone’s imprimatur, that person has given it their official approval, for example by allowing their name to be shown on it
His actions have the iimprimatur of his parents

Impromptu (n):   im-promp-too (735)
An impromptu action is one that you do without planning or organizing it in advance=  improvisation, without previous preparation
The band gave an impromptu concert

Impropriety (n):   im-pruh-prahy-i-tee
Impropriety is improper behaviour = inappropriate and improper,
The impropriety of their son’s remarks made the parents blush

Impudence (n):  im-pyuh-duhns
If you describe someone with impudence, you mean they are rude or disrespectful, or do something they have no right to do =  impertinence, insolence
With great impudence he kissed her on the cheek

Impunity (n):  im-pyoo-ni-tee
If you say that someone does something with impunity, you disapprove of the fact that they are not punished for doing something bad
These gangs operate with apparent impunity

Imputation (n):  im-pyoo-tey-shuhn
Imputation is a charge,  often unfairly, that someone is responsible for something bad or has bad intentions = charge, repraoch
The police were not guilty of the violence imputed to them

Inadvertence (n):  in-uhd-vur-tns (740)
Oversight; carelessness

Incantation
 (n):  in-kan-tey-shuhn
An incantation is a series of words that a person says or sings as a magic spell = chant
Atharvaveda is a granth of spells and incantations

Incarnation (n):  in-kahr-ney-shuhn
If you say that someone is the incarnation of a particular quality, you mean that they represent that quality or are typical of it in an extreme form = embodiment
The regime was the very incarnation of evil

Incendiary (n):  in-sen-dee-er-ee
Incendiary weapons or attacks are ones that cause large fires = causing fire
The investigative team is trying to ascertain whether the fire was the act of an incendiary or not

Incentive
 (n):  in-sen-tiv
If something is an incentive to do something, it encourages you to do it = inducement, spur, motive
There is little or no incentive to adopt such measures   

Incidence (n):  in-si-duhns (745)
The incidence of something bad, such as a disease, is the frequency with which it occurs, or the occasions when it occurs = a casual occurrence
The incidence of breast cancer increases with age

Incongruity (n):  in-kuhn-groo-i-tee
The incongruity of something is its strangeness when considered together with other aspects of a situation = lack of harmony; absurdity
She smiled at the incongruity of the question

Increment 
(n):  in-kruh-muhnt
An increment in something or in the value of something is an amount by which it increases = increase
The average yearly increment in labour productivity in industry was 45 per cent

Incubus (n):  in-kyuh-buhs
A male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women = nightmare

Incumbent (n):  in-kuhm-buhnt
An incumbent is someone who holds an official post at a particular time = officeholder
In general, incumbents have a 94 per cent chance of being re-elected

Incursion (n):  in-kur-zhuhn (750)
If there is an incursion into a country, enemy soldiers suddenly enter it =  invasion
The media was criticized for its thoughtless incursion into the domestic grief of the family