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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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astral
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adj. relating to the stars
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astringent
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adj. binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe
astringent quality of lemon juice |
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astronomical
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adj. enormously large or extensive
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asunder
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adv. into parts; apart
A fierce quarrel split the partnership asunder |
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atavism
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n. resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback
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atone
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v. make amends for; pay for
How can he atone for his brutal crime? |
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attenuate
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v. make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree)
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attest
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v. testify; bear witness
i can attest... |
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attribute
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n. essential quality
His outstanding attribute was his kindness. v. ascribe; explain I attribute her success to... |
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attrition
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n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force w/o firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harrassment
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audit
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n. examination of accounts
When bank examiners hold their annual audit... |
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augury
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n. omen; prophecy.
departure of the birds - augury of evil |
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august
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adj. impressive, majestic
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aureole
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n. sun's corona; halo
areoles around their heads |
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auspicious
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adj. favoring success
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authoritarian
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adj. subordinating the individual to the syate; completely dominating another's will
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autocratic
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adj. having absolute, unchecked power dictatorial
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automaton
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n. mechanism that imitates actions of humans
writers used to create stories of automatons who could outperform humans |
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auxiliary
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adj. offering or providing help; additional or subsidiary
To prepare for an emergency, they built an auxiliary power station |
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avarice
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n. greediness for wealth
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aver
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v. assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact
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averse
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adj. reluctant; disinclined
The reporter was averse to revealing the sources of his information |
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avert
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v. prevent; turn away
She averted her eyes from... |
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aviary
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n. enclosure for birds
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avid
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adj. greedy; eager for
He was avid for learning... |
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avocation
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n. secondary or minor occupation
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avow
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v. declare openly
She avowed that she never meant to steal her bf. |
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avuncular
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adj. like an uncle
Avuncular pride did not prevent him from noticing his nephew's shortcomings |
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awl
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n. pointed tool used for piercing
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awry
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adv. distorted; crooked
He held his head awry |
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axiom
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n. self-evident truth requiring no proof
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bacchnalian
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adj. drunken
he attended the bacchanalian orgy. |
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badger
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v. pester; annoy
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badinage
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n. teasing conversation
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baffle
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v. frustrate; perplex
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bait
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v. harass; tease
a bully baits small kids |
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baleful
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adj. threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
The baleful glare |
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balk
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v. stop short, as if faced w/ an obstacle, and refuse to continue
v. foil he tried to balk their attempt to escape |
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balm
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n. something that relieves pain
ie tiger balm |
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balmy
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adj. mild; fragrant
balmy breeze |
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banal
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adj. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
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bandy
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v. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly
He refused to bandy words w/ unfriendly reporters |
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bane
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n. curse; cause of ruin
bane of my existence |
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baneful
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adj. destructdive; causing ruin or death
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bantering
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adj. good natured ridiculing
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barb
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n. sharp projection from fishhook or other object; openly cutting remark
critics' barbed results |
