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51 Cards in this Set
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ode (rhymes with code) noun
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A lyric poem celebrating a person, event, thing, etc., written in an exalted style.
[From Greek oide (song), ultimately from Indo-European root wed- (to speak) that's also the source of parody, comedy, tragedy, melody, and rhapsody.] |
From Greek
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bromide (BRO-myd) noun
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1. A tired or meaningless remark.
2. A tiresome or boring person. [From bromine, from Greek bromos (stench).] |
From Greek
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acidulous (a-SIJ-uh-luhs) adjective
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Somewhat sour in taste or in manner.
[From Latin acidulus (slightly sour), diminutive of acidus (sour), from acere (to be sour). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ak- (sharp) that's also the source of acrid, vinegar, acid, acute, edge, hammer, heaven, eager, oxygen, and mediocre.] |
From Latin
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caustic (KAW-stik) adjective
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1. Capable of burning or corroding.
2. Highly critical; sarcastic. [From Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos (combustible), from kaiein, (to burn).] |
From Latin
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miscible (MIS-uh-buhl) adjective
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Capable of being mixed together.
[From Latin miscere (to mix), ultimately from the Indo-European root meik- (to mix) that's also the source of mix, miscellaneous, meddle, medley, promiscuous, melee, and mustang.] |
From Latin
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vitriolic (vi-tree-OL-ik) adjective
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Extremely caustic; bitterly scathing.
[From Latin vitrum (glass).] |
From Latin
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boodle (BOOD-l) noun
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An illegal payment, as in graft.
[From Dutch boedel (property).] |
From Dutch
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boodle (BOOD-l) verb intr.
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To take money dishonestly, especially from graft.
[From Dutch boedel (property).] |
From Dutch
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paisano (py-SAH-no) noun
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1. A pal, buddy.
2. A fellow countryman; a compatriot. [From Spanish paisano, from French paysan, from Latin pagus (district). Ultimately from the Indo-European root pag- (to fasten) that is also the source of peace, pacify, pact, travel, compact, pagan, and peasant.] |
From Spanish
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skosh (skoash) noun
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A small amount; a little bit.
[From Japanese sukoshi (a little).] |
From Japanese
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goombah (GOOM-bah) noun
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1. Friend, accomplice, or crony.
2. Godfather or mentor. 3. Gangster or Mafioso. [Dialectal pronunciation of Italian compa, a clipping of compare (godfather, friend, or accomplice), from Latin compater, from com- (with) + pater (father).] |
From Latin
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vamoose (va-MOOS, vuh-) intr.verb
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To depart hurriedly.
[From Spanish vamos (let us go).] |
From Spanish
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buccaneer (buk-uh-NEER) noun
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1. An unscrupulous adventurer in politics, business, etc.
2. A pirate. [From French boucanier (buccaneer, barbecuer, hunter of wild ox), from boucan (a frame for smoking meat), from Tupi mukem.] |
From French
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filibuster (FIL-uh-bus-tuhr) verb tr., intr.
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1. To block or delay the passage of legislation, especially by making prolonged irrelevant speeches.
2. To block or delay something. [Another name for pirates in the "Golden Age of Piracy", 1650-1720. From Spanish filibustero, and Dutch vrijbuiter (freebooter or pirate).] |
From Spanish
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filibuster (FIL-uh-bus-tuhr) noun
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Such a delaying tactic.
[Filibuster was another name for pirates in the "Golden Age of Piracy", from roughly 1650 to 1720. From Spanish filibustero, from French flibustier, from Dutch vrijbuiter (freebooter or pirate).] |
From Spanish
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Jolly Roger (JOL-ee ROJ-uhr) noun
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The pirates' flag, showing a white skull and crossbones on a black background. Also known as the blackjack or black flag.
[The origin of the name Jolly Roger is uncertain.] |
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false colors (fawls KUL-uhrs) noun
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Deceptive actions.
[When ships approached each other at sea, sailors would look to the flag to determine whether the other vessel was from a friendly or enemy nation. They'd often try to confuse the other by flying a false flag until they were close enough to attack.] |
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avast (uh-VAST) interjection
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Stop (used as a command to stop or desist).
[From Dutch hou vast (hold fast), from houd vast.] |
From Dutch
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prelapsarian (pree-lap-SAYR-ee-uhn) adjective
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Relating to any innocent or carefree period in the past.
[From Latin pre- (before) + lapsus (fall). The term refers to the period in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve lost their innocence.] |
From Latin
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senectitude (si-NEK-ti-tood, -tyood) noun
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Old age.
[From Latin senectus (old age), from senex (old). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sen- (old) that's also the ancestor of senior, sir, sire, senate, senile, Spanish señor, and surly (which is an alteration of sirly, as in sir-ly).] |
From Latin
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diacritical (dy-uh-KRIT-i-kuhl) adjective
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1. Distinctive; capable of distinguishing.
2. Serving as a diacritic, accent marks, added to a letter to distinguish it from a similar letter. [From Greek diakritikos (distinctive.. From Indo- European krei- (to sift or to discriminate) also crime, crisis, certain, excrement, secret, critic, garble, and hypocrisy.] |
From Greek
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theriac (THEER-ee-ak) noun
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1. Treacle or molasses.
2. An antidote to poison. [From Latin theriaca (antidote), from Greek therion (wild beast).] |
From Latin
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prevenient (pri-VEEN-yuhnt) adjective
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Coming before; anticipatory; preventive.
[From Latin praevenient-, present participle of praevenire (to precede), from pre- (before) + venire (to come).] |
From Latin
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abecedarian (ay-bee-see-DAYR-ee-uhn) noun
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1. One who is learning the alphabet.
2. One who teaches the alphabet. 3. One who is a beginner in some field. [From Medieval Latin abecedarium (alphabet or a book of the alphabet), from the letters a, b, c, and d.] |
From Medieval Latin
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abecedarian (ay-bee-see-DAYR-ee-uhn) adjective
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1. Alphabetically arranged.
2. Relating to the alphabet. 3. Rudimentary [From Medieval Latin abecedarium (alphabet or a book of the alphabet), from the letters a, b, c, and d.] |
From Medieval Latin
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graduand (GRAJ-oo-and) noun
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One who is about to graduate from a university.
[From Latin graduare (to graduate).] |
From Latin
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parietal (puh-RY-i-tl) noun
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1. Usually plural, regulations governing visiting privileges
of the opposite sex in dormitories of a college campus. 2. A wall of a body part or cavity. [From Latin paries (wall).] |
From Latin
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parietal (puh-RY-i-tl) adjective
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1. Of or relating to campus regulations regarding dormitory visits.
2. Of or relating to the various walls in the body or related bones. [From Latin paries (wall).] |
From Latin
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swot (swot) verb intr.
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One who studies hard, especially to the exclusion of other interests.
[Dialect variant of sweat.] |
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swot (swot) noun
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To study hard, especially for an examination.
[Dialect variant of sweat.] |
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andragogy (AN-druh-go-jee) noun
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The science or methods of teaching adults.
[From Latin andro- (male) + -agogy as in pedagogy.] |
From Latin
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panmixia (pan-MIK-see-uh) noun
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Random breeding (without regard to selecting a partner with particular traits) within a population. Also known as panmixis.
[From Greek pan- (all) + mixis (mixing). Ultimately from the Indo-European root meik- (to mix) that's also the source of mix, miscellaneous, meddle, medley, promiscuous, melee, and mustang.] |
From Greek
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officinal (uh-FIS-uh-nuhl) adjective
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Medicinal.
A stocked medicine (as opposed to one specially prepared). [From Latin officina (storeroom or workshop), from opus (work) + facere (to make or to do).] |
From Latin
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officinal (uh-FIS-uh-nuhl) noun
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A stocked medicine (as opposed to one specially prepared).
[From Latin officina (storeroom or workshop), from opus (work) + facere (to make or to do).] |
From Latin
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firmament (FUR-muh-ment) noun
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The sky; the heavens.
[From Latin firmamentum (sky) from firmare (to support). Ultimately from the Indo-European root dher- (to hold firmly or support) that is also the source of firm, affirm, confirm, farm, and fermata.] |
From Latin
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disgregate (DIS-gri-gayt) verb tr., intr.
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To separate or to scatter.
[From Latin disgregare, from dis- (apart) + gregare (to collect), from greg-, stem of grex (flock). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ger- (to gather) which is also the source of such words as aggregate, congregation, egregious, and segregate.] |
From Latin
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slaver (SLAV-vuhr, SLAY-vuhr) verb tr., intr.
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1. To slobber or drool; to smear with saliva.
2. To fawn. [Probably from Old Norse slafra (to slobber).] |
From Old Norse
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slaver (SLAV-vuhr, SLAY-vuhr) noun
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Saliva dripping from the mouth.
[Probably from Old Norse slafra (to slobber).] |
From Old Norse
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bibliopegy (bib-lee-OP-uh-jee) noun
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The art and craft of binding books.
[From Greek biblio- (book) + pegnynai (to fasten).] |
From Greek
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auctorial (ok-TOR-ee-uhl) adjective
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Pertaining to an author
[From Latin auctor (author, creator), from augere (to create). From Indo-European aug- (increase) also the source of auction, authorize, inaugurate, augment, august, auxiliary, and nickname ("a nickname" is the earlier "an ekename", literally, an additional name).] |
From Latin
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fascicle (FAS-i-kuhl) noun
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1. Part of a book published in installments. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary was published in fascicles.
2. A bundle. For example, a bundle of nerve or muscle fibers, or a bundle of leaves. [From Latin fasciculus, diminutive of fascis (bundle).] |
From Latin
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hornbook (HORN-book) noun
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A primer.
[From horn + book. In earlier times, a hornbook was a book containing the alphabet or other material for children. It had a wooden paddle with a handle that held a paper with learning material protected by the transparent layer of a cow's horn.] |
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pericope (puh-RIK-uh-pee) noun
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A selection from a book.
[From Late Latin pericope, from Greek perikope (section), from peri (around) + koptein (to cut).] |
From Late Latin
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pertinacious (pur-tin-AY-shuhs) adjective
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1. Holding resolutely to a purpose, belief, or opinion.
2. Stubbornly unyielding. [From Latin pertinac- pertinax, per- (thoroughly) + tenax (tenacious), from tenere (to hold).] |
From Latin
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pixilated (PIK-suh-layt-id) adjective
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1. Mentally unbalanced; eccentric.
2. Whimsical. [From pixie, a mischievous fairylike creature.] |
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oscitant (OS-i-tant) adjective
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1. Yawning, gaping from drowsiness.
2. Inattentive, dull, negligent. [From Latin oscitant, stem of oscitans, present participle of oscitare (to yawn), from os (mouth) + citare (to move).] |
From Latin
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punctilious (pungk-TIL-ee-uhs) adjective
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Extremely attentive to minute details of action or behavior.
[From Italian puntiglio, from Spanish puntillo, diminutive of punto (point), from Latin punctum (point).] |
From Italian
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pococurante (po-ko-koo-RAN-tee, -kyoo-) adjective
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Indifferent, apathetic, nonchalant.
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From Italian
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pococurante (po-ko-koo-RAN-tee, -kyoo-) noun
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A careless or indifferent person.
[From Italian poco (little) + curante, present participle of curare, (to care), from Latin curare (cure, care).] |
From Italian
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fifth column (fifth KOL-uhm) noun
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A group of traitors acting in sympathy with their country's enemies.
[From Spanish quinta columna, from the column of supporters that General Mola claimed to have in Madrid while he was leading four columns of his army to invade the city during the Spanish Civil War.] |
From Spanish
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fourth estate (forth i-STAYT) noun
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Journalistic profession, the press.
[Supposedly, a power other than the three estates (the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the House of Commons) in UK.] |
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