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253 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
cabal
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n. secret political plot
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cache
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n. place for hiding food, treasure or weapons
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cacophonous
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(adj.) sounding jarring
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cacophony
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n. loud unpleasant mixture of discordant sounds
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cadaver
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n. dead body of a person; corpse ;
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cadaverous
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adj. looking like a corpse; very pale and gaunt ;
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cadence
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n. rhythm in sound
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cadet
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n. young person training to become a policeman or an officer in the armed forces
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cajole
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v. ~ sb(into/out of sth); ~ sb (into/out of doing sth) persuade sb (to do sth) by flattery or deceit; coax sb
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calamity
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n. serious misfortune or disaster
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calculated
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undertaken after considering the likelihood of success or failure
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caldron
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= cauldron
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caliber
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ability; capacity
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calligraphy
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n. beautiful handwriting
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callous
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adj. cruelly insensitive or unsympathetic
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callow
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adj. immature and inexperienced
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callus
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n. area of thick hardened skin
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calorific
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adj. of or producing heat
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calumny
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n. false statement about sb, made to damage his character
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camaraderie
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n. friendship and mutual trust; comradeship ;
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cameo
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n. small piece of hard stone with a raised design, esp one with two coloured layers so that the background is of a different colour from the design
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camp
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n. place where people (eg holiday-makers, Scouts or explorers) live temporarily in tents or huts
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canard
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n. false report or rumour
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candor
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unreserved, honest, or sincere expression:FORTHRIGHTNESS
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canine
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adj. of, like or relating to dogs
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canker
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n. disease that destroys the wood of plants and trees
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canny
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adj. shrewd and careful, esp in business matters
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cant
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n. insincere talk, esp about religion or morality; hypocrisy ;
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cantankerous
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adj. bad-tempered; quarrelsome ;
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cantata
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n. short musical work, often on a religious subject, sung by soloists and usu a choir, accompanied by an orchestra
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canter
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n. (of a horse) movement that is faster than a trot but slower than a gallop
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canto
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n. any of the main divisions of a long poem
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canvass
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v. ~ (for sth) go around an area asking (people) for (political support)
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capacious
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adj. that can hold much; roomy
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capacity
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n. ability to hold or contain sth
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capillary
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n. any of the very narrow blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the body
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capitulate
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v. ~ surrender (to sb), esp on agreed conditions
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caprice
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n. sudden change in attitude or behaviour with no obvious cause; whim ;
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capricious
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adj. characterized by sudden changes in attitude or behaviour; unpredictable; impulsive
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capsize
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v. overturn or be overturned
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caption
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n. short title or heading of an article in a magazine, etc ,
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captious
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adj. fond of criticizingor raising objections about unimportant matters; quibbling ;
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carafe
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n. glass container in which wine or water are served at meals .
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carapace
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n. shell on the back of a tortoise or crustacean
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carat
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n. unit of weight (
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carcinogenic
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[ carcinogen: ] "carcino'genic adjective
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cardinal
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adj. most important; chief; fundamental
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cardiologist
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n.
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careen
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v. turn on its side (esp for cleaning or repairing)
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career
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n. profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion
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carefree
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adj. without responsibilities or worries; cheerful
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caricature
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n. picture,description or imitation of sb/sth that exaggerates certain characteristics in order to amuse or ridicule
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carillon
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n. set of bells sounded either from a keyboard or mechanically
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carnage
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n. killing of many people
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carnal
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adj. of the body; sexual or sensual
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carnivorous
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adj. flesh-eating
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carousal
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(noisy party with) drinking and merry-making
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carping
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adj. tending to make petty complaints; fault-finding
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carrion
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n. dead and decaying flesh
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cartographer
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n. person who draws maps and charts
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cascade
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n. waterfall, esp one of a series forming a large waterfall
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caste
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n. any of the hereditary Hindu social classes
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castigation
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severe punishment
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castrate
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v. remove the testicles of (a male animal or person); geld
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casual
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adj. happening by chance
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casualty
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n. person who is killed or injured in war or in an accident
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cataclysm
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n. sudden violentchange or disaster, eg a flood, an earthquake, a revolution or a war
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catalyst
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n. substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without itself changing
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catapult
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n. Y-shaped stick with a piece of elastic attached to it, used esp by children for shooting stones .
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cataract
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n. large steep waterfall
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catastrophe
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n. sudden great disaster or misfortune
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catcall
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n. shrill whistle expressing disapproval
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catechism
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n. summary of the principles of a religion in the form of questions and answers
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categorical
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adj. unconditional; absolute; explicit
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cater
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v. ~ (for sth/sb) provide food and services, esp at social functions
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catharsis
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n. (instance of the) release of strong feelings through the effect of art, esp drama
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cathartic
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adj. causing catharsis; purgative ; n. purgative drug
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catholic
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adj. = Roman Catholic (Roman)
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caucus
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n. (meeting of the) parliamentary members of a particular political party or any other legislature
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caulk
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v. make (esp a boat) watertight by filling the seams or joints with waterproof material
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causal
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adj. of or forming a cause; relating to cause and effect ;
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caustic
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adj. that can burn or destroy things by chemical action
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cauterize
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burn with hot iron or caustic
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cavalcade
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n. procession of people on horseback, in cars, etc
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cavalier
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n. Cavalier supporter of Charles I in the English Civil War
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cavil
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v. ~ (at sth) (fml ) make unnecessary complaints (about sth)
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cede
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v. ~ sth give up one's rights to or possession of sth
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celerity
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n. quickness
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celestial
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adj. of the sky
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celibate
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adj. remaining unmarried, esp for religious reasons
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cemetery
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n. area of land, not a churchyard, used for burying the dead ,
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censor
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n. person authorized toexamine books, films, plays, letters, etc and remove partswhich are considered indecent, offensive, politically unacceptable or a threat to security
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censorious
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adj. tending to find faults in people or things; severely critical ;
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censure
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v. ~ sb criticize sb severely; rebuke sb formally
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centaur
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n. one of a tribe of creatures with a man's head, arms and upper body on a horse's body and legs
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centigrade
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adj. of or using a temperature scale with the freezing-point of water at 0 and the boiling-point at 100
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centrifugal
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adj. moving away from the centre or axis
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centrifuge
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n. rotating machine using centrifugal force to separate substances, eg milk and cream
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centripetal
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adj. moving towards the centre or axis
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centurion
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n. officer commanding a unit of 100 soldiers
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cerebral
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adj. of the brain
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cerebration
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n. working of the brain; thinking ;
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ceremonious
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adj. full of ceremony; very formal ;
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certitude
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n. feeling of certainty; lack of doubt ;
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cessation
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n. action or act of ceasing; pause
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cession
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n. action of ceding sth, esp land or rights
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chafe
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v. ~ become irritated or impatient (because of sth)
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chaff
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n. outer covering of corn, etc, separated from the grain by threshing or winnowing
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chaffing
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(n.) banter; teasing
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chagrin
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n. feeling of disappointment or annoyance
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chalice
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n. large cup for holding wine, esp one from which consecrated wine is drunk at the Eucharist
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chameleon
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n. any of various types of small lizard that can change colour according to its surroundings
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champion
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n. person, team, animal or plant that has defeated or excelled all others in a competition
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championship
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n. contest to decide who is the champion
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chancellor
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n. head of government in Austria etc
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chant
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n. simple tune to which psalms or canticles are fitted by singing several syllables or words to the same note
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chaotic
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adj. in a state of chaos; completely disorganized
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chapel
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n. small building or room used for Christian worship, eg in a school, prison, large private house, etc
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chaperon
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n. older person, usu a woman, who looks after a girl or a young unmarried woman on social occasions
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chaplain
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n. clergyman attached to the chapel of a school, prison, etc, or serving in the armed forces
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char
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v. (cause sth to) become black by burning; scorch
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charisma
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n. power to inspire devotion and enthusiasm
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charlatan
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n. person who falsely claims to have special knowledge or skill, esp in medicine
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charm
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n. power of pleasing, fascinating or attracting people; attractiveness
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chary
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adj. ~ (of sth) cautious; wary
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chase
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v. ~ sb/sth run after in order to capture or overtake sb/sth
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chasm
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n. deep opening in the ground; abyss; gorge ;
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chassis
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n. framework on which the body and working parts of a vehicle, radio or television are built , ; .
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chaste
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adj. not having had sexual intercourse; virgin ;
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chasten
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v. punish in order to correct or improve; discipline ;
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chastise
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v. punish (sb) severely, esp by beating
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chauvinist
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n, adj displaying or feeling chauvinism
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check
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v. ~ (up) make sure of sth by examining or investigating it
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checkered
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adj. chequered
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cherubic
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adj. with a plump and innocent face
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chicanery
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n. use of clever but misleading talk in order to trick sb, esp in legal matters; dishonest practice
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chide
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v. ~ sb (for sth) (dated or fml ) rebuke; scold
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chimerical
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adj. unreal; fanciful
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chip
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n. thin piece cut or broken off from wood, stone, china, glass, etc
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chisel
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n. tool with a sharp cutting edge at the end, for shaping wood, stone or metal
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chivalrous
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adj. showing the qualities of a perfect knight
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choice
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n. ~ act of choosing between two or more possibilities
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choir
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n. organized group of singers, esp one that performs in church services
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choleric
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adj. easily angered; bad-tempered ;
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chore
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n. small routine task
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choreography
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n. steps for ballet and dancing on stage
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chortle
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n. loud chuckle of pleasure or amusement
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chorus
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n. group of singers; choir
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chronic
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adj. lasting for a long time; continually recurring
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chronicle
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n. record of historical events in the order in which they happened
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chuckle
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v. laugh quietly or to oneself
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churlish
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adj. It seems churlish to refuse such a generous offer
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ciliated
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having minute hairs
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cipher
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n. (method of) secret writing in which a set of letters or symbols is used to represent others; code
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circlet
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n. circular band, eg of precious metal, flowers, etc, worn round the head as an ornament
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circuit
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n. line, route or journey round a place
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circuitous
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adj. long and indirect; roundabout
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circumlocution
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n. use of many words to say sth that could be said in a few words
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circumscribe
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v. restrict (sth) within limits; confine
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circumspect
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adj. considering everything carefully before acting; cautious; wary ;
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circumvent
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v. find a way of overcoming or avoiding (sth)
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cistern
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an artificial reservoir (as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (as rainwater)
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citadel
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fortress
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cite
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quote; commend
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civil
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adj. of or relating to the citizens of a country
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clairvoyant
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n, adj having such power
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clamber
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v. climb, esp with difficulty or effort, using the hands and feet
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clamor
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shout, complain with a lot of noise
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clandestine
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adj. done secretly; kept secret; surreptitious
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clangor
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make a loud resonant noise
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clap
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v. ~ sth (together) strike (the palms of one's hands) together
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clapper
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n. piece of metal, etc fixed loosely inside a bell and making it sound by striking the side
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clarion
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adj. loud, clear and rousing
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clasp
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n. device for fastening things together
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claustrophobia
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n. abnormal fear of being in an enclosed space
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clavicle
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n. collar-bone .
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cleave
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v. break or split, esp along a natural line
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cleft
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n. crack or split occurring naturally
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clemency
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n. mildness (esp of weather)
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cliche
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n. phrase or idea which is used so often that it has become stale or meaningless
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clientele
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n. customers or clients as a group
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climactic
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adj. forming a climax
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clime
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n. (arch or joc ) country; climate(1b)
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clip
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n. any of various wire or metal devices used for holding things together
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clipper
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n. clippers instrument for clipping nails, hair, hedges, etc
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clique
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n. small group of people, often with shared interests, who associate closely and exclude others from their group
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cloister
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n. covered passage around an open court or quadrangle, with a wall on the outer side and columns or arches on the inner side, esp within a convent or college, or attached to a cathedral
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clot
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n. half-solid lump formed from a liquid, eg from blood when it is exposed to the air
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clout
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n. heavy blow with the hand or a hard object
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clown
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n. comic entertainer who paints his face and dresses in a ridiculous way and performs funny or foolish tricks
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cloying
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adj. sickeningly sweet
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coagulate
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v. change from a liquid to a thick and semi-solid state; clot
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coalesce
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v. combine and form one group, substance, mass, etc
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coalition
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n. action of uniting into one body or group
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coax
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v. (~ sb sth) persuade sb gently or gradually
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coda
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n. final passage of a piece of music
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coddle
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v. treat with great care and tenderness
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codicil
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n. later addition to a will, esp one that changes part of it
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codify
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v. arrange (laws, rules, etc) systematically into a code(3a)
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coercion
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n. coercing or being coerced
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coeval
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adj. ~ (fml ) existing at the same time or having the same age as sb/sth else; contemporary ;
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cog
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each of a series of teeth on the edge of a wheel, that fit between those of a similar wheel, so that each wheel can cause the other one to move
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cogent
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adj. convincing; strong
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cogitate
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v. ~ sth (fml or joc ) think deeply about sth
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cognate
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adj. ~ (linguistics ) (of a word or language) having the same source or origin as another one
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cognitive
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adj. of or relating to cognition
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cognizance
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n. knowledge; awareness
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cohabit
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v. ~ (fml ) (usu of an unmarried couple) live together
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cohere
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v. stick together in a mass or group
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cohesion
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n. tendency to stick together; unity
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cohorts
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[ cohort: ] one of the ten units of between 300 and 600 men in an ancient Roman Legion
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coiffure
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n. way in which (esp a woman's) hair is arranged; hairstyle ;
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coin
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n. piece of metal used as money
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coincidence
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n. occurrence of similar events or circumstances at the same time by chance
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coincident
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adj. happening at the same time by chance
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colander
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n. metal or plastic bowl with many small holes in it, used to drain water from vegetables, etc, esp after cooking
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collaborate
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v. ~ (on sth) work together (with sb), esp to create or produce sth
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collage
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n. fixing pieces of paper, cloth, photographs, etc to a surface
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collate
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v. ~ A and B/~ A with B examine and compare in order to find the differences between them
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collateral
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adj. side by side; parallel ;
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collation
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n. action of collating
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collected
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adj. in control of oneself; calm
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colloquial
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adj. belonging to or suitable for normal conversation but not formal speech or writing
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colloquy
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n. conversation
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collusion
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n. ~ ~ (between sb and sb) (fml ) secret agreement or co-operation between two or more people with the aim of deceiving or cheating others
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colossal
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adj. very large; immense; huge
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colossus
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n. statue much larger than life size
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coma
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n. state of deep unconsciousness, usu lasting a long time and caused by severe injury or illness
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comatose
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adj. in a coma; deeply unconscious ;
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combustible
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adj. that can catch fire and burn easily
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comeback
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a return to a former position, status, etc.
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comely
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having a pleasing appearance:not homely or plain
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comestible
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something fit to be eaten
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comeuppance
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desert punishment
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comity
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friendly social atmosphere:social harmony
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commandeer
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v. take possession or control of forcibly or for official (esp military) purposes
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commemorate
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v. keep (a great person, event, etc) in people's memories
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commemorative
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adj. helping to commemorate
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commensurate
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adj~(fml ) in the right proportion (to sth); appropriate
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commiserate
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v. ~ (on/over sth) (fml ) feel, or say that one feels, sympathy
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commodious
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adj. having a lot of space available for use; roomy
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commonplace
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adj. ordinary; not interesting
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commonwealth
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n. independent State or community
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communal
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adj. for the use of all; shared
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commune
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v. ~ ~ (together) talk to sb intimately; feel close to sb/sth
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compact
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adj. closely packed together
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compartment
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n. any of the sections into which a larger area or enclosed space, esp a railway carriage, is divided
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compassion
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n. ~ pity for the sufferings of others, making one want to help them
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compatible
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adj. ~ (of people, ideas, arguments, principles, etc) suited; that can exist together
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compelling
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adj. extremely interesting and exciting, so that one has to pay attention
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compendium
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n. ~ (of sth) brief but full account; summary
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compilation
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n. compiling
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compile
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v. ~ sth (for/from sth) collect (information) and arrange it in a book, list, report, etc
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