Word of the day: THWART

Thwart: banco de remador, bancada de escaler,  frustração, obstáculo, impedimento,  opor-se, contrariar, frustrar, impedir,  atravessado, transversalmente,  através de, transversalmente

Synonyms: baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, discomfit, foil,frustrate

“She did all she could to thwart his plans.”

“The army thwarted the attempt at a coup.”  (www.merriam-webster.com)

More interesting facts about English

1. Some words exist only in plural form, for example: glasses (spectacles), binoculars, scissors, shears, tongs, gallows, trousers, jeans, pants, pyjamas (but note that clothing words often become singular when we use them as modifiers, as in "trouser pocket").
2. The shortest complete sentence in English is the following. "I am."
3. The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat" meaning "the king is helpless". (www.englishclub.com)

Word of the Day: Foil

Foil: derrota, frustração, mau êxito, baldar, frustrar, anular, derrotar, destroçar, repelir, parar, evadir (golpe, pergunta, etc.),despistar, fazer perder o rasto /  folha metálica, chapa, lâmina delgada de metal, ouropel

Synonyms:  baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, discomfit, foil, thwart

“ Ukraine foiled plot to kill Putin, report says.”( http://www.latimes.com, February 28, 2012) (to foil: frustrar)

I spotted a man who was attending the festivities wearing a giant cape made of tin foil.(Newsweek, October 24, 2011) (foil: folha metálica)