extenuating
(adjective) partially excusing or justifying; “extenuating circumstances”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
extenuating
present participle of extenuate
extenuating (comparative more extenuating, superlative most extenuating)
That lessens the seriousness of something by providing an excuse.
Source: Wiktionary
Ex*ten"u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Extenuated(); p. pr. & vb. n. Extenuating().] Etym: [L. extenuatus, p. p. of extenuare to make thin, loosen, weaken; ex out + tenuare to make thin, tenuis thin. See Tenuity.]
1. To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness. His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail. Grew.
2. To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate. But fortune there extenuates the crime. Dryden. Let us extenuate, conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality. I. Taylor.
3. To lower or degrade; to detract from. [Obs.] Who can extenuate thee Milton.
Syn.
– To palliate; to mitigate. See Palliate.
Ex*ten"u*ate, v. i.
Definition: To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations. Burke.
Ex*ten"u*ate, a. Etym: [L. extenuatus, p. p.]
Definition: Thin; slender. [Obs.] Huloet.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
3 April 2025
(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
