Page 20 - NTC's Dictionary of Easily Confused Words_0844257877.djvu
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baron-barren

        baron-barren
           • baron  ['brea,.:m]  a  low-ranking  nobleman    in    various    Euro-
                           □
             pean countries. The woman hoped to marry a baron in order
             to gain some social standing.
           • baron ['brea,.;:m] a person of powerful influence in some field.
             □  The oil baron invested a great deal of money in the project.
                                        □
           • barren ['brea,.;:m]    infertile.    Because  his  wife  was  barren
             and could give him no heirs, the king dismissed her.
           • barren  ['brea,.;:m]    bare.    T □ he    barren    environment      of      the
             desert startled Mary, who grew up in the mountains.
        baroness-barrenness
           • baroness  ['brea,.:mEs]   the  wife  or  widow  of a  baron.
                                                               □ Con-
             trary to her husband's naive nature, the baroness was a shrewd
             and cunning woman.
           • barrenness  ['brea,.::mEs]  the  lack  of  productivity.    D    John  was
             fired due to the barrenness of his work.
        barred See the main entry beginning with bard.
        barren See the main entry beginning with baron.

        barrenness  See the main entry beginning with baroness.
        base-bass
           • base [bes] the lower part of something; the bottom  and
             supporting  part  of  something.   □ Standing  at  the  base  of  the
             Statue of Liberty, one cannot help but be in awe of its immense
             size.
           • base  [bes]     a  center of operations.  □  The army set up a tem-
             porary communications base in the empty warehouse.
           • base [on] [bes] to establish a foundation for an idea.DJ will
             base my decision on many factors.
           • bass [bes] a musical instrument  or  a  person's  voice  with  a
             low  pitch.  □ Debbie plays the bass in the school orchestra.  □
             The small chorus is composed of six sopranos, four altos, two
             tenors, and a single bass.
       bases-basis
           • bases ['bes1z] the  plural  of  base  'the  bottom  and  support-
             ing  part  of  something.'  D  The  bases  of  the  fruit  trees  were
             wrapped in tape to prevent damage by small animals and
             insects. □ The bases of all of the stemmed goblets were broken
             in the dishwasher.
   •         bases ['bes1z]   the plural of base 'a center of operations.'  □
             Military bases are located all around the country's borders.
      •      bases  [on] ['bes1z] the present tense, third person singular

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