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365 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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illiberal
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narrowminded; bigoted
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misogamy
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hatred of marriage
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misogynist
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hater of women
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missive
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letter
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modish
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fashionable
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mollycoddle
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pamper
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mordant
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biting; sarcastic; stinging
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moribund
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dying; failing
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morose
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sullen;melancholy
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motility
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ability to move spontaneously
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mountebank
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charlatan
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mulct
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defraud someone of something
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munificent
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generous
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mutability
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ability to change
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myopic
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[1] nearsighted
[2] lacking foresight |
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nadir
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lowest point
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natation
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swimming
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natty
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neatly/smartly dressed
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neologism
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newly coined phrase
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neophyte
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recent convert; beginner
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noisome
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foul-smelling
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nonplus
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perplex
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nostrum
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questionable medicine
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nubile
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marriageable
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nugatory
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futile; worthless
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numismatist
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collector of coins
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obdurate
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stubborn
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obeisance
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bow
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obfuscate
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confuse; muddle; made needlessly complex
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obloquy
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slander; disgrace; infamy
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obsequy
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funeral ceremony
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obstreperous
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boisterous; noisy
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obtrude
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push one's ideas/self; intrude; butt in
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obtuse
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blunt; stupid
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occlude
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close
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odious
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hateful; vile
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officious
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meddlesome; excessively pushing in offering one's services
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onerous
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burdensome
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opalescent
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iridescent; lustrous
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opprobrium
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infamy; vilification
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oratorio
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dramatic poem set to music
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ordination
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ceremony conferring holy orders
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osseous
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made of bone; bony
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overweening
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presumptuous; arrogant
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catch
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humorous turn of phrase/word order in music
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arch
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antiquated/old/outdated person/thing
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circumspect
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carefully considering risks/everything involved in a particular action
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derivative
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unoriginal
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refractory
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difficult to control/treat/cure
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strident
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having a loud, harsh/unpleasant sound
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jejune
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simplistic; dull
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burnish
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polish
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axiomatic
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self-evident; obvious
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overwrought
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extremely agitated; hysterical
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palimpsest
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parchment used for 2nd time after original writing erased
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pall
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grow tiresome
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palliate
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ease pain; make less severe
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pallid
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pale; wan
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pan
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criticize harshly
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pander
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cater to low desires of others
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panegyric
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formal praise
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paramour
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illicit lover
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pariah
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social outcast
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parley
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conference
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parochial
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narrow in outlook
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parsimony
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stinginess; excessive frugality
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passe
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out of fashion; past prime
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pastiche
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imitation of another's style in music/writing
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patina
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green crust on old bronze works
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peccadillo
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slight offense
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pecuniary
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pertaining to money
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pedant
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scholar who overemphasizes book learning/technicalities
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pedantic
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showing off learning; bookish
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pedestrian
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ordinary; unimaginative
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pellucid
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limpid; easy to understand
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penumbra
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partial shadow in an eclipse
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penury
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severe poverty
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perdition
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damnation; complete ruin
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perfidious
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treacherous; disloyal
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perfunctory
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superficial; not thorough; lacking interest/care/enthusiasm
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peripatetic
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walking about; moving
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pernicious
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highly destructive
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peroration
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conclusion of an oration
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perquisite
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any gain above stipulated salary
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perspicacious
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astute; penetrating
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perspicuity
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clearness of expression
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pertinacious
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stubborn; persistent
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petulant
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touchy; peevish
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Pharisaical
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self-righteous; hypocritical
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philanderer
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faithless lover
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philistine
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narrow-minded, uncultivated person interested solely in material gain
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philology
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study of language
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phlegmatic
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calm; not easily disturbed
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physiognomy
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face
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piebald
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mottled; spotted
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pied
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variegated; multicolored
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pillory
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subject to criticism and ridicule
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pinion
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[V] restrain
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piquant
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pleasantly tart-tasting
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pique
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irritation; resentment
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piscatorial
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pertaining to fishing
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plaintive
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mournful
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plait
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braid; intertwine
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platitude
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trite remark; commonplace statement
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plaudit
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enthusiastic approval
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plebeian
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common; pertaining to the common people
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plenary
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full; complete (i.e. plenary powers)
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plenitude
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abundance
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pluck
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courage
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plumb
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examine critically in order to understand
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politic
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expedient; prudent; well devised
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polyglot
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speaking multiple languages
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ponderous
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weighty; unwieldy
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poseur
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someone who feigns sophistication, elegance, etc. to impress others
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potentate
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monarch; sovereign
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practicable
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feasible
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prate
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speak foolishly; boast idly
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prattle
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babble
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precipitate
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rash; premature
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precipitous
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steep
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precis
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concise summing up of main points
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predilection
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partiality; preference
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preen
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tidy one's appearance; feel self-satisfaction
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prefatory
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introductory
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prelate
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church dignitary
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premonitory
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serving to warn
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prescience
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ability to foretell the future
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preternatural
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beyond that which is normal in nature
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prevaricate
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lie
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primogeniture
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seniority by birth (order)
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probity
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uprightness; incorruptibility
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proclivity
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inclination; natural tendency
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prodigal
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wasteful; reckless with money
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prodigious
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marvelous; enormous
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profligate
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wasteful; wildly immoral
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progenitor
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ancestor
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prognosticate
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predict
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prolixity
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tedious wordiness; verbosity
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promontory
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headland
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propinquity
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nearness; kinship
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propitiate
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appease
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propound
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put forth for analysis
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prosaic
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dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact
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proscribe
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ostracize; banish
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prosody
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art of versification
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protean
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versatile
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protuberance
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protrusion; bulge
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provenance
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origin; source
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provident
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displaying foresight; thrifty
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provincial
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limited in outlook; uncultivated
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prurient
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having/causing lustful thoughts and desires
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puerile
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childish
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pugnacity
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combativeness
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puissant
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powerful; potent
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pulchritude
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beauty; comeliness
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punctilious
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stressing niceties of conduct and form
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pundit
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authority; expert
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purchase
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firm grasp/footing
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pusillanimous
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cowardly; fainthearted
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putative
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supposed; reputed
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quaff
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drink with relish
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quail
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cower; lose heart
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qualified
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limited; restricted
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quay
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dock; landing place
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querulous
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fretful; whining
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quiescent
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dormant
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quirk
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startling twist
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quisling
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traitor who aids invaders
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quizzical
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teasing; mocking; curious
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quorum
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number of members required to conduct a meeting
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quotidian
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commonplace; daily
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raconteur
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storyteller
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ragamuffin
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person who wears tattered clothes
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rakish
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stylish; sporty
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raiment
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clothing
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rarefied
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made less dense (gas)
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ratiocination
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reasoning
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reactionary
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opposing progress; ultraconservative
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rebus
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puzzle in which pictures stand for words
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recalcitrant
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obstinately stubborn
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recapitulate
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summarize
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recidivism
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habitual return to crime
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recondite
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abstruse; profound
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recrimination
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countercharges
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redolent
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fragrant; suggestive of an odor
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redoubtable
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formidable
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refectory
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dining hall
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refractory
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stubborn; unmanageable
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refulgent
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gleaming
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remunerative
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compensating; rewarding
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repartee
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clever reply
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repast
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meal; feast; banquet
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repine
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fret; complain
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reprobate
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person hardened in sin/devoid of virtue
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requite
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repay; revenge
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picayune
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of little value or account; trifling
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efficacious
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capable of having the desired effect
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demonstrative
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displaying one's emotions openly
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judicious
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balanced; level-headed
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ingenuous
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naive
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restive
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restlessly impatient
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reverie
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daydream; musing
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ribald
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wanton; profane
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rivulet
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small stream
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rococo
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ornate; highly decorated
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roseate
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rosy; optimistic
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rostrum
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pulpit
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runic
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mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet
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rusticate
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banish to/dwell in the country
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sagacious
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perceptive; shrewd
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salacious
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lascivious; lustful
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salient
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prominent
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salubrious
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healthful
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sanctimonious
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displaying ostentatious/hypocritical devoutness
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sanguinary
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bloody
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sanguine
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cheery; hopeful
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saturnine
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gloomy
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satyr
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wanton, cunning being
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scad
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great quantity
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scintilla
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shred; least bit
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scruple
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fret about; hesitate for ethical reasons
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scurrilous
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obscene; indecent
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scuttle
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sink
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seamy
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sordid; unwholesome
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sedate
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composed; grave
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sedulous
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diligent
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sententious
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terse; concise; aphoristic
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sepulcher
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tomb
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sere
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[ADJ] parched; dry
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sextant
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navigation tool used to determine ship's longitude/latitude
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sibylline
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prophetic; oracular
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simper
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smirk; smile affectedly
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sinuous
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winding; not morally honest
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skinflint
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miser
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skulduggery
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dishonest behavior
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slake
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quench; sate
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slapdash
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haphazard; sloppy
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sluggard
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lazy person
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solecism
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construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically
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solicitous
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worried; concerned
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somnolent
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half-asleep
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sonorous
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resonant
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sophist
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employer of fallacious reasoning
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sophistry
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seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning
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soporific
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sleep-inducing
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spasmodic
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fitful; periodic
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specious
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seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally so)
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sphinx-like
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mysterious
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sportive
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playful
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spurious
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false; counterfeit; forged
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stanch
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check/stop flow of blood
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stentorian
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extremely loud
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striated
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marked by parallel bands; grooved
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studied
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unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful
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stultify
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frustrate; hinder
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stygian
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gloomy; hellish; deathly
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subaltern
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subordinate
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sublime
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exalted; noble and uplifting
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suborn
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persuade to act unlawfully (esp. commit perjury)
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succor
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aid; assist; comfort
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superannuated
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retired or disqualified because of age
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supercilious
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condescending; patronizing
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supererogatory
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superfluous
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supernumerary
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in excess of that which is necessary
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supine
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lying on back
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surfeit
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stuff; indulge to excess
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surly
|
rude; cross
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swarthy
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dark; dusky (skin pallor)
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swill
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drink w/relish
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sybarite
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lover of luxury
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sycophant
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servile flatterer; bootlicker
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syllogism
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deceptive or specious argument
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sylvan
|
pertaining to the woods
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synoptic
|
[ADJ] summary
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taciturn
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habitually silent; talking little
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teetotalism
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complete abstinence from alcoholic drink
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tensile
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capable of stretching
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tessellated
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inlaid; mosaic
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testator
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maker of a will
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thrall
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enslavement; bondage
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tightwad
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miser
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timbre
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quality of tone produced by musical instrument
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timorous
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fearful
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tipple
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drink alcoholic beverages frequently
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titter
|
nervous laugh
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titular
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having an office or title w/out its obligations
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tonsure
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shaving of the head (esp. when entering religious orders)
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torpor
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lethargy; sluggishness
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tortuous
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winding; full of curves
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tractable
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docile; easily managed
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traduce
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expose to slander
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tremulous
|
trembling; wavering
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trite
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hackneyed; commonplace
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troth
|
pledge of good faith
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truculence
|
aggressiveness; ferocity
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truncate
|
cut the top off
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turbid
|
muddy; having the sediment disturbed
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turgid
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swollen; distended
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turpitude
|
depravity
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tyro
|
beginner; novice
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umbrage
|
resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult
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unaccountable
|
inexplicable
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unbridled
|
unrestrained
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unconscionable
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unscrupulous; excessive
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unction
|
act of anointing with oil
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unctuous
|
oily; insincerely suave
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unequivocal
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plain; obvious
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unerringly
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infallibly
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unexceptionable
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entirely acceptable
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ungainly
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awkward; clumsy
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unguent
|
ointment
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unimpeachable
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blameless and exemplary
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unprepossessing
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unattractive
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untoward
|
unfortunate or unlucky; unexpected
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untrammeled
|
unrestrained
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unwonted
|
unaccustomed
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upshot
|
outcome
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uxorious
|
excessively devoted to one's wife
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vagary
|
caprice; whim
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vainglorious
|
excessively conceited; bombastic
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valedictory
|
pertaining to farewell
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vapid
|
dull and unimaginative; insipid
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vacuous
|
empty; stupid
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venal
|
capable of being bribed
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venial
|
forgivable; trivial
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ventral
|
abdominal
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veracious
|
truthful
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verbiage
|
pompous array of words
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verdigris
|
green coating on copper that has been exposed to the weather
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verisimilar
|
probable; likely
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verity
|
quality of being true
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vernal
|
pertaining to spring
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verve
|
enthusiasm; liveliness
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vestige
|
trace; remains
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viand
|
food
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vicissitude
|
change of fortune
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virile
|
manly
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virtuoso
|
highly skilled artist
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visceral
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felt in one's inner organs
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viscous
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sticky; gluey
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vitiate
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spoil the effect of; render inoperative
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vitriolic
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corrosive; sarcastic
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vituperative
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abusive; scolding
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vivacious
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lively or animated; spritely
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vociferous
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clamorous; noisy
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voracious
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ravenous
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vouchsafe
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grant condescendingly; guarantee
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waffle
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speak equivocally about an issue
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waggish
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mischievous
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waif
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homeless child/animal
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wan
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pallid; pale/sickly in color
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wangle
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fake; wiggle out
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warren
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tunnels in which rabbits live; cramped living conditions
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wastrel
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[ADJ] profligate
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waylay
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ambush; lie in wait
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welter
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[N] turmoil; bewildering jumble
[V] wallow |
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wheedle
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cajole; coax; deceive with flattery
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windfall
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unexpected lucky event
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winnow
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sift; separate good from bad
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winsome
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agreeable; engaging; gracious
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witticism
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witty saying; wisecrack
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wont
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custom; habitual procedure
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yen
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longing; urge
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yeoman
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middle-class farmer; man owning small estate
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spleen
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ill humor; peevish temper
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