accurate, accuse

accurate

accurate(不是acute)和precise是近义词，precise里有个pre，又和excise(切除, 不是exercise)，concise一样有cise。Why? 准确、精确、确凿，“确”是啥意思？我试着解释下。

从原始字面意义上说：accurate: take care of; precise: before cut off; exact: drive or force out, *measure*。确=石+角，以前都是硬东西。这些词都和标准度量衡有关。从硬物中使用包括但不限于凿的手段，得到个标准长度或重量。加工过程要take care。扯一尺布，在before cut off之前就和尺子一样长，precise不？说“精确”是用来称米的就穿凿附会了。“确乎能其事者而已矣”，确乎；按照，照准。“言辩而确”，确：坚正也。

上述说法有个硬伤：形容人一丝不苟是precise，形容瞄得准用accurate。不过有本古书"A Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms":
KEY: Accurate.
SYN: Careful, exact, faithful, precise, correct, close, truthful, strict, just, actual, nice.
ANT: Careless, inexact, faulty, incorrect, inaccurate, loose, defective.
再说accurate，arrow, aim都是a打头。

exact(动词)和exaction都和drive/force out沾边。accuracy, preciseness和exactness都是词，exactness是从exact(形容词)来得。要是能excise肥肉，就不用exercise了。work out，把肥肉整掉。

In a set of measurements, accuracy is closeness of the measurements to a specific value, while precision is the closeness of the measurements to each other. Accuracy is a description of systematic errors, a measure of statistical bias; low accuracy causes a difference between a result and a "true" value. Precision is a description of random errors, a measure of statistical variability. Given a set of data points from repeated measurements of the same quantity, the set can be said to be accurate if their average is close to the true value of the quantity being measured, while the set can be said to be precise if the values are close to each other.

六级/考研单词: bias, differentiate, random, invariable, data

不知这么理解对否：想知道我手里的表准不准。假设已有了精确的4.9m高的地方和so大that可以忽略空气阻力的铁球，就可以算出true value为1秒。测三次，0.5, 1, 1.5，平均值为1，accurate. 0.9, 1, 1.1, precise. So, 造表时take care不够好，还得看结果。可能1.5, 1.5, 1.5很precise，但不accurate.

accuse

use有利用(treat sb unfairly)的意思，此利用非彼利用也。abuse和accuse都不是好意思。可以抗辩: falsely, unjustly, wrongly
正经说法: accuse与excuse同根，都和cause(原因)有关。控告人的原因是啥？迟到的原因是啥？

近义词: arraign, blame, charge, denounce, incriminate, impeach, indict
反义词: absolve, acquit, defend, exonerate, vindicate

An accusation is a statement by one person asserting that another person or entity has done something improper. The person who makes the accusation is an accuser, while the subject against whom it is made is the accused.

An accusation can be made in private or in public, to the accused person alone, or to other people with or without the knowledge of the accused person. An accuser can make an accusation with or without evidence; the accusation can be entirely speculative, and can even be a false accusation, made out of malice, for the purpose of harming the reputation of the accused.

A criminal accusation is a formal accusation made by the state against an individual or enterprise. In addition to the normal elements of an accusation, a criminal accusation specifies that the wrongdoing on the part of the accused constitutes a violation of the law.

六级/考研单词: assert, entity, speculate, malignant, repute, norm, constitute, violate