The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 20th February 2020
- secrecy (noun) – concealment, confidentiality, privacy.
- outbreak (noun) – sudden appearance/occurrence(of a disease); outburst, epidemic.
- opacity (noun) – obscurity, lack of clarity, non-transparency.
- genome sequencing (noun) – it is ostensibly/apparently the process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at a single time.
- coronavirus (CoV)(noun) – a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. (Courtesy: WHO)
- novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun) – a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)
- COVID-19 (noun) – coronovirus disease 2019.
- cluster (noun) – group, bunch, mass (of).
- pneumonia (noun) – pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It is treatable and preventable. However, pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children under five.
- address (verb) – tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.
- in the face of (phrase) – despite, notwithstanding, regardless of; when confronted with.
- testimony (noun) – evidence, proof, attestation/witness.
- pull off (phrasal verb) – achieve, succeed in, accomplish.
- contain (verb) – control, limit, restrain.
- shut down (phrasal verb) – discontinue, cease activity, close.
- on time (phrase) – punctually, prompt, punctual.
- apparently (adverb) – seemingly, evidently, it appears that.
- strident (adjective) – in an excessively forceful way; high-pitched, loud & harsh.
- downplay (verb) – play down, under emphasize, understate; make something to look less important/significant.
- counterproductive (adjective) – harmful, damaging, dangerous/destructive.
- Nipah virus (noun) – a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
- transparency (noun) – clarity, straightforwardness, unambiguity.
- eerie (adjective) – strange, abnormal, unnatural, weird, bizarre.
- withhold (verb) – stop, desist/abstain, hold back.
- hotspot (noun) – a place of significant activity.
- keep (someone) in the dark (phrase) – to not tell someone about something because you want to keep it secret from them; keep someone uninformed (about something).
- sound (verb) – express, convey (a warning sound/alarm).
- detain (verb) – restrain, hold, take in (for questioning).
- ironically (adverb) – paradoxically, unexpectedly, strangely.
- epidemiologist (noun) – an expert in the study of how disease spreads and can be controlled.
- revelation (noun) – declaration, report, announcement.
- severity (noun) – strength, intensity, power.
- decisively (adverb) – conclusively, categorically, definitely.
- in the event of something (phrase) – if something happens.
- saviour (noun) – someone/something saving (people) from danger/difficulty; rescuer, liberator, deliverer.
