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Beijing’s move could raise China’s demand for oil imports at first rather than tamp it down, because Chinese refiners will likely ramp up their activity and reduce energy shortages in the country, now that they can charge higher prices.

tamp
tr.v.   tamped, tamp·ing, tamps

1. To pack down tightly by a succession of blows or taps.
2. To pack clay, sand, or dirt into (a drill hole) above an explosive.

Companies promise CEOs lavish posthumous paydays.

post·hu·mous
adj.  

1. Occurring or continuing after one’s death: a posthumous award.
2. Published after the writer’s death: a posthumous book.
3. Born after the death of the father: a posthumous child.

The latest tactic for authors: producing and starring in zany videos aimed at the YouTube audience.

za·ny
n.   pl. za·nies

1. A ludicrous, buffoonish character in old comedies who attempts feebly to mimic the tricks of the clown.
2. A comical person given to extravagant or outlandish behavior.

adj.   za·ni·er, za·ni·est

1. Ludicrously comical; clownish.
2. Comical because of incongruity or strangeness; bizarre.

Mr. Hayward rebuffed them, and then declined to take part in a regularly scheduled board meeting, leaving it without a quorum.

quo·rum
n.  

1. The minimal number of officers and members of a committee or organization, usually a majority, who must be present for valid transaction of business.
2. A select group.

Indiana Jones is more than an early amalgam of archeological adventurers: He also carries strains of Zorro and even James Bond.

a·mal·gam
n.  

1. Any of various alloys of mercury with other metals, especially:
   1. An alloy of mercury and silver used in dental fillings.
   2. An alloy of mercury and tin used in silvering mirrors.
2. A combination of diverse elements; a mixture: an amalgam of strength, reputation, and commitment to ethical principles. See Synonyms at mixture.

AOL was in the midst of a painful transition then, weaning itself from dial-up subscription revenue and converting to an advertising-based model in tandem with Google.

wean
tr.v.   weaned, wean·ing, weans

1. To accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling.
2. To detach from that to which one is strongly habituated or devoted: She weaned herself from cigarettes.
3. To accustom to something from an early age. Often used with on: “The northerners among the refugees … were weaned on harsh weather and infertile soils and are known for their rigorous work ethic” (Lowell Weiss).

Gadhafi is threatening to freeze Libya’s rapprochement with the U.S. amid feelings that Washington didn’t follow through with the economic and political incentives that were promised.

rapprochement [(rap-rohsh-mahnn, rah-prawsh-mahnn)]

A closer approach of two groups to each other. Rapprochement, a French term, is often applied to two nations, especially ones that become reconciled after relations between them have worsened.

Japan’s Companies Gird for Attack

gird 
v.   gird·ed or girt (gûrt), gird·ing, girds

v.   tr.

1. 1. To encircle with a belt or band.
   2. To fasten or secure (clothing, for example) with a belt or band.
   3. To surround. See Synonyms at surround.
2. To equip or endow.
3. To prepare (oneself) for action.

v.   intr.
To prepare for action: “Men still spoke of peace but girded more sternly for war” (W. Bruce Lincoln).

The transaction, expected to close in 6 to 12 months, joins two of America’s ubiquitous brand names: Wrigley, maker of the eponymous chewing gum, and Mars, the closely held company behind Snickers chocolate bars and M&M’s.

When Ely Callaway took his eponymous equipment company public in 1992, it was a signal event for the golf industry.

e·pon·y·mous
adj.   Of, relating to, or constituting an eponym (A word or name derived from the name of a person).

Fibbing by banks could mean that millions of borrowers around the world are paying artificially low rates on their loans.

fib
n.   An insignificant or childish lie.

intr.v.   fibbed, fib·bing, fibs
To tell a fib. See Synonyms at lie².