Dictionary.com Vocabulary

Front 1

bravado

Back 1

\bruh-VAH-doh\, noun;


A real or pretended show of courage or boldness.

Front 2

flummery

Back 2

\FLUHM-uh-ree\, noun:

1. A name given to various sweet dishes made with milk, eggs, flour, etc.
2. Empty compliment; unsubstantial talk or writing; mumbo jumbo; nonsense.

Front 3

impecunious

Back 3

\im-pih-KYOO-nee-uhs\, adjective:

Not having money; habitually without money; poor.

Front 4

inimical

Back 4

\ih-NIM-ih-kul\, adjective:

1. Having the disposition or temper of an enemy; unfriendly; unfavorable.
2. Opposed in tendency, influence, or effects; antagonistic; adverse.

Front 5

mercurial

Back 5

\mur-KYUR-ee-uhl\, adjective:

1. [Often capitalized] Of or pertaining to the god Mercury.
2. [Often capitalized] Of or pertaining to the planet Mercury.
3. Having the qualities of shrewdness, eloquence, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.
4. Changeable in temperament or mood; temperamental; volatile.
5. Of, pertaining to, or containing mercury.
6. Caused by the use of mercury.

Front 6

nonagenarian

Back 6

\non-uh-juh-NAIR-ee-uhn; no-nuh-\, noun:

A ninety year old person; someone whose age is in the nineties.

Front 7

oblation

Back 7

\uh-BLAY-shuhn; oh-\, noun:

1. The act of offering something, such as worship or thanks, especially to a deity.
2. (Usually capitalized) The act of offering the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
3. Something offered in a religious rite or as a charitable gift.

Front 8

perfervid

Back 8

\puhr-FUR-vid\, adjective:

Ardent; impassioned; marked by exaggerated or overwrought emotion.

Front 9

primogeniture

Back 9

\pry-moh-JEN-ih-choor\, noun:

1. The state of being the firstborn of the same parents; seniority by birth among children of the same family.
2. (Law) An exclusive right of inheritance that belongs to the eldest son.

Front 10

recidivism

Back 10

\rih-SID-uh-viz-uhm\, noun:

A tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior; especially, a falling back or relapse into prior criminal habits.

Front 11

terminus

Back 11

\TUR-muh-nuhs\, noun:

1. The finishing point; the end.
2. A boundary; a border; a limit.
3. A post or stone marking a boundary.
4. Either end of a railroad or other transportation line; also, the station house, town, or city at that place.

Front 12

valetudinarian

Back 12

\val-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\, noun:

1. A weak or sickly person, especially one morbidly concerned with his or her health.
2. Sickly; weak; infirm.
3. Morbidly concerned with one's health.

Front 13

woolgathering

Back 13

\WOOL-gath-(uh)-ring\, noun:

Indulgence in idle daydreaming.

Front 14

supererogatory

Back 14

\soo-puhr-ih-ROG-uh-tor-ee\, adjective:

1. Going beyond what is required or expected.
2. Superfluous; unnecessary.

Front 15

fallible

Back 15

\FAL-uh-bul\, adjective:

1. Liable to make a mistake.
2. Liable to be inaccurate or erroneous.

Front 16

temerarious

Back 16

\tem-uh-RAIR-ee-uhs\, adjective:

Recklessly or presumptuously daring; rash.

Front 17

aplomb

Back 17

\uh-PLOM\, noun:

Assurance of manner or of action; self-possession; confidence; coolness.

Front 18

lissom(e)

Back 18

\LISS-uhm\, adjective;

1. Limber; supple; flexible.
2. Light and quick in action; nimble; agile; active.

Front 19

irrupt

Back 19

\ih-RUHPT\, intransitive verb:

1. To burst in forcibly or suddenly; to intrude.
2. (Ecology) To increase rapidly in number.

Front 20

nettlesome

Back 20

\NET-l-suhm\, adjective:

Causing irritation, vexation, or distress.

Front 21

dissolute

Back 21

\DIS-uh-loot\, adjective:

Loose in morals and conduct; marked by indulgence in sensual pleasures or vices.

Front 22

relegate

Back 22

\REL-uh-gayt\, transitive verb:

1. To assign to an inferior position, place, or condition.
2. To assign to an appropriate category or class.
3. To assign or refer (a matter or task, for example) to another for appropriate action.
4. To send into exile; to banish.

Front 23

factitious

Back 23

\fak-TISH-uhs\, adjective:

1. Produced artificially, in distinction from what is produced by nature.
2. Artificial; not authentic or genuine; sham.

Front 24

abominate

Back 24

\uh-BOM-uh-nayt\, transitive verb:

To hate in the highest degree; to detest intensely; to loathe; to abhor.

Front 25

sine qua non

Back 25

\sin-ih-kwah-NON; -NOHN; sy-nih-kway-\, noun:

An essential condition or element; an indispensable thing.

Front 26

pestiferous

Back 26

\pes-TIF-uh-ruhs\, adjective:

1. Bearing or bringing disease.
2. Infected with or contaminated by a pestilential disease.
3. Morally evil or dangerous to society; pernicious.
4. Bothersome; troublesome; annoying.

Front 27

virago

Back 27

\vuh-RAH-go; vuh-RAY-go\, noun:

1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage.
2. A woman regarded as loud, scolding, ill-tempered, quarrelsome, or overbearing.

Front 28

ennui

Back 28

\on-WEE\, noun:

A feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of interest; boredom.

Front 29

amative

Back 29

\AM-uh-tiv\, adjective:

Pertaining to or disposed to love, especially sexual love; full of love; amorous.

Front 30

perdurable

Back 30

\pur-DUR-uh-bul; pur-DYUR-\, adjective:

Very durable; lasting; continuing long.

Front 31

copacetic

Back 31

\koh-puh-SET-ik\, adjective:

Very satisfactory; fine.

Front 32

ersatz

Back 32

\AIR-sahts; UR-sats\, adjective:

Being a substitute or imitation, usually an inferior one.

Front 33

raiment

Back 33

\RAY-ment\, noun:

Clothing in general; garments; -- usually singular in form, with a collective sense.

Front 34

menagerie

Back 34

\muh-NAJ-uh-ree; -NAZH-\, noun:

1. A collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition.
2. An enclosure where wild or unusual animals are kept or exhibited.
3. A diverse or varied group.

Front 35

aberrant

Back 35

\a-BERR-unt; AB-ur-unt\, adjective:

Markedly different from an accepted norm; Deviating from the ordinary or natural type; abnormal.

Front 36

extempore

Back 36

\ik-STEM-puh-ree\, adverb:

1. Without premeditation or preparation; on the spur of the moment.
2. Done or performed extempore.

Front 37

lubricious

Back 37

\loo-BRISH-us\, adjective:

1. Lustful; lewd.
2. Stimulating or appealing to sexual desire or imagination.
3. Having a slippery or smooth quality.

Front 38

ineffectual

Back 38

\in-ih-FEK-choo-uhl\, adjective:

Not producing the proper effect; without effect; weak; useless; futile; unavailing.

Front 39

magniloquent

Back 39

\mag-NIL-uh-kwent\, adjective:

Lofty or grandiose in speech or expression; using a high-flown style of discourse; bombastic.

Front 40

perquisite

Back 40

\PUR-kwuh-zit\, noun:

1. A profit or benefit in addition to a salary or wages.
2. Broadly: The benefits of a position or office.
3. A gratuity or tip for services performed.
4. Anything to which someone has or claims the sole right.

Front 41

subterfuge

Back 41

\SUB-tur-fyooj\, noun:

A deceptive device or stratagem.

Front 42

mien

Back 42

\MEEN\, noun:

1. Manner or bearing, especially as expressive of mood, attitude, or personality; demeanor.
2. Aspect; appearance.

Front 43

irascible

Back 43

\ih-RASS-uh-buhl\, adjective:

Prone to anger; easily provoked to anger; hot-tempered.

Front 44

canorous

Back 44

\kuh-NOR-us; KAN-or-uhs\, adjective:

Richly melodious; pleasant sounding; musical.

Front 45

sylvan

Back 45

\SIL-vuhn\, adjective:

1. Of or pertaining to woods or forest regions.
2. Living or located in a wood or forest.
3. Abounding in forests or trees; wooded.
4. A fabled deity or spirit of the woods.
5. One that lives in or frequents the woods or forest; a rustic.

Front 46

neophyte

Back 46

\NEE-uh-fyt\, noun:

1. A new convert or proselyte.
2. A novice; a beginner in anything.

Front 47

indelible

Back 47

\in-DEL-uh-buhl\, adjective:

1. That cannot be removed, erased, or washed away.
2. Making marks that cannot easily be removed or erased.
3. Incapable of being forgotten; memorable.

Front 48

caterwaul

Back 48

\KAT-uhr-wawl\, intransitive verb:

1. To make a harsh cry.
2. To have a noisy argument.
3. A shrill, discordant sound.

Front 49

disheveled/dishevelled:

Back 49

\dih-SHEV-uhld\, adjective;

In loose disorder; disarranged; unkempt; as, "disheveled hair."

Front 50

nolens volens

Back 50

\NO-lenz-VO-lenz\:

Whether unwilling or willing.

Front 51

effusive

Back 51

\ih-FYOO-siv\, adjective:

Excessively demonstrative; giving or involving extravagant or excessive emotional expression; gushing.

Front 52

halcyon

Back 52

\HAL-see-uhn\, noun:

1. A kingfisher.
2. A mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was fabled to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation.
3. Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy; as, "deep, halcyon repose."
4. Marked by peace and prosperity; as, "halcyon years."

Front 53

inchoate

Back 53

\in-KOH-it\, adjective:

1. In an initial or early stage; just begun.
2. Imperfectly formed or formulated.

Front 54

gewgaw

Back 54

\G(Y)OO-gaw\, noun:

A showy trifle; a trinket; a bauble.

Front 55

kismet

Back 55

\KIZ-met; -mit\, noun:

Destiny; fate.

Front 56

cabal

Back 56

\kuh-BAHL; kuh-BAL\, noun:

1. A secret, conspiratorial association of plotters or intriguers whose purpose is usually to bring about an overturn especially in public affairs.
2. The schemes or plots of such an association.
3. To form a cabal; to conspire; to intrigue; to plot.

Front 57

rara avis/ Plural:rara avises/rarae aves

Back 57

\RAIR-uh-AY-vis\, noun;

A rare or unique person or thing.

Front 58

busker

Back 58

\BUS-kur\, noun:

A person who entertains (as by playing music) in public places.

Front 59

probity

Back 59

\PRO-buh-tee\, noun:

Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness.

Front 60

recherche

Back 60

\ruh-sher-SHAY\, adjective:

1. Uncommon; exotic; rare.
2. Exquisite; choice.
3. Excessively refined; affected.
4. Pretentious; overblown.

Front 61

garrulous

Back 61

\GAIR-uh-lus; GAIR-yuh-\, adjective:

1. Talking much, especially about commonplace or trivial things; talkative.
2. Wordy.

Front 62

amanuensis

Back 62

\uh-man-yoo-EN-sis\, noun:

A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.

Front 63

assuage

Back 63

\uh-SWAYJ\, verb:

1. To make milder or less severe; to reduce the intensity of; to ease; to relieve.
2. To appease; to satisfy.
3. To soothe or calm; to pacify.

Front 64

jollification

Back 64

\jol-ih-fuh-KAY-shuhn\, noun:

Merrymaking; festivity; revelry.

Front 65

obsequious

Back 65

\ob-SEE-kwee-us\, adjective:

Servilely attentive; compliant to excess; fawning.

Front 66

excrescence

Back 66

\ik-SKRESS-uhn(t)s\, noun:

1. Something (especially something abnormal) growing out from something else.
2. A disfiguring or unwanted mark, part, or addition.

Front 67

xenophobia

Back 67

\ZEN-uh-FOE-bee-uh\, noun:

Fear or hatred of strangers, people from other countries, or of anything that is strange or foreign.

Front 68

hullabaloo

Back 68

\HUL-uh-buh-loo\, noun:

A confused noise; uproar; tumult.

Front 69

acrid

Back 69

\AK-rid\, adjective:

1. Sharp and harsh, or bitter to the taste or smell; pungent.
2. Caustic in language or tone; bitter.

Front 70

misnomer

Back 70

\mis-NO-muhr\, noun:

1. The misnaming of a person in a legal instrument, as in a complaint or indictment.
2. Any misnaming of a person or thing; also, a wrong or inapplicable name or designation.

Front 71

repine

Back 71

\rih-PINE\, intransitive verb:

1. To feel or express discontent.
2. To long for something.

Front 72

plethora

Back 72

\PLETH-uh-ruh\, noun:

1. An abnormal bodily condition characterized by an excessive amount of blood in the system.
2. Excess; superabundance.

Front 73

anathema

Back 73

\uh-NATH-uh-muh\, noun:

1. A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication. Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed.
2. An imprecation; a curse; a malediction.
3. Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority.
4. Any person or thing that is intensely disliked.

Front 74

remunerate

Back 74

\rih-MYOO-nuh-rate\, transitive verb:

1. To pay an equivalent to for any service, loss, or expense; to recompense.
2. To compensate for; to make payment for.

Front 75

myriad

Back 75

\MIR-ee-uhd\, adjective:

1. Consisting of a very great, but indefinite, number; as, myriad stars.
2. Composed of numerous diverse elements or aspects.
3. The number of ten thousand; ten thousand persons or things. (Chiefly in reference to the Greek numeral system, or in translations from Greek or Latin).
4. An immense number; a very great many; an indefinitely large number.

Front 76

acerbic

Back 76

\uh-SUR-bik\, adjective:

Sharp, biting, or acid in temper, expression, or tone.

Front 77

transmute

Back 77

\trans-MYOOT; tranz-\, transitive verb:

1. To change from one nature, form, substance, or state into another; to transform.
2. To undergo transmutation.

Front 78

nefarious

Back 78

\nuh-FAIR-ee-uhs\, adjective:

Wicked in the extreme; iniquitous.

Front 79

indolent

Back 79

\IN-duh-luhnt\, adjective:

1. Avoiding labor and exertion; habitually idle; lazy; inactive.
2. Conducive to or encouraging laziness or inactivity.
3. Causing little or no pain.
4. Slow to heal, develop, or grow.

Front 80

chagrin

Back 80

\shuh-GRIN\, noun:

1. Acute vexation, annoyance, or embarrassment, arising from disappointment or failure.
2. To unsettle or vex by disappointment or humiliation; to mortify.

Front 81

sojourn

Back 81

\SOH-juhrn; so-JURN\, intransitive verb:

1. To stay as a temporary resident; to dwell for a time.
2. A temporary stay.

Front 82

bedizen

Back 82

\bih-DY-zuhn\, transitive verb:

To dress or adorn in gaudy manner.

Front 83

rodomontade

Back 83

\rod-uh-muhn-TADE; roh-duh-; -TAHD\, noun:

Vain boasting; empty bluster; pretentious, bragging speech; rant.

Front 84

diffident

Back 84

\DIF-uh-dunt; -dent\, adjective:

1. Lacking self-confidence; distrustful of one's own powers; timid; bashful.
2. Characterized by modest reserve; unassertive.

Front 85

deus ex machina

Back 85

\DAY-uhs-eks-MAH-kuh-nuh; -nah; -MAK-uh-nuh\, noun:

1. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, a god introduced by means of a crane to unravel and resolve the plot.
2. Any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.

Front 86

ostentation

Back 86

\os-ten-TAY-shuhn\, noun:

Excessive or pretentious display; boastful showiness.

Front 87

bellwether

Back 87

\BEL-weth-uhr\, noun:

A leader of a movement or activity; also, a leading indicator of future trends.

Front 88

importunate

Back 88

\im-POR-chuh-nit\, adjective:

Troublesomely urgent; overly persistent in request or demand; unreasonably solicitous.

Front 89

camarilla

Back 89

\kam-uh-RIL-uh; -REE-yuh\, noun:

A group of secret and often scheming advisers, as of a king; a cabal or clique.

Front 90

woebegone

Back 90

\WOE-bee-gon\, adjective:

1. Beset or overwhelmed with woe; immersed in grief or sorrow; woeful.
2. Being in a sorry condition; dismal-looking; dilapidated; run-down.

Front 91

caesura/ Plural caesuras/caesurae

Back 91

\sih-ZHUR-uh; -ZUR-\, noun;

1. A break or pause in a line of verse, usually occurring in the middle of a line, and indicated in scanning by a double vertical line; for example, "The proper study || of mankind is man" [Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man].
2. Any break, pause, or interruption.

Front 92

pugnacious

Back 92

\puhg-NAY-shuhs\, adjective:

Inclined to fight; combative; quarrelsome.

Front 93

afflatus

Back 93

\uh-FLAY-tuhs\, noun:

A divine imparting of knowledge; inspiration.

Front 94

voluble

Back 94

\VOL-yuh-buhl\, adjective:

1. Characterized by a ready flow of speech.
2. Easily rolling or turning; rotating.
3. (Botany) Having the power or habit of turning or twining.

Front 95

lenity

Back 95

\LEN-uh-tee\, noun:

The state or quality of being lenient; mildness; gentleness of treatment; leniency.

Front 96

gimcrack

Back 96

\JIM-krak\, noun:

1. A showy but useless or worthless object; a gewgaw.
2. Tastelessly showy; cheap; gaudy.

Front 97

maelstrom

Back 97

\MAYL-struhm\, noun:

1. A large, powerful, or destructive whirlpool.
2. Something resembling a maelstrom; a violent, disordered, or turbulent state of affairs.

Front 98

posit

Back 98

\POZ-it\, transitive verb:

1. To assume as real or conceded.
2. To propose as an explanation; to suggest.
3. To dispose or set firmly or fixedly.

Front 99

confluence

Back 99

\KON-floo-uhn(t)s\, noun:

1. A flowing or coming together; junction.
2. The place where two rivers, streams, etc. meet.
3. A flocking or assemblage of a multitude in one place; a large collection or assemblage.

Front 100

epigone

Back 100

\EP-uh-gohn\, noun:

An inferior imitator, especially of some distinguished writer, artist, musician, or philosopher.

Front 101

winsome

Back 101

\WIN-suhm\, adjective:

1. Cheerful; merry; gay; light-hearted.
2. Causing joy or pleasure; agreeable; pleasant.

Front 102

ubiquitous

Back 102

\yoo-BIK-wih-tuhs\, adjective:

Existing or being everywhere, or in all places, at the same time.

Front 103

lionize

Back 103

\LY-uh-nyz\, transitive verb:

To treat or regard as an object of great interest or importance.

Front 104

chimera

Back 104

\ky-MIR-uh\, noun:

1. (Capitalized) A fire-breathing she-monster represented as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
2. Any imaginary monster made up of grotesquely incongruous parts.
3. An illusion or mental fabrication; a grotesque product of the imagination.
4. An individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering.

Front 105

lambaste

Back 105

\lam-BAYST\, transitive verb:

1. To give a thrashing to; to beat severely.
2. To scold sharply; to attack verbally; to berate.

Front 106

portent

Back 106

\POR-tent\, noun:

1. A sign of a coming event or calamity; an omen.
2. Prophetic or menacing significance.
3. Something amazing; a marvel.

Front 107

inveigle

Back 107

\in-VAY-guhl; -VEE-\, transitive verb:

1. To persuade by ingenuity or flattery; to entice.
2. To obtain by ingenuity or flattery.

Front 108

salubrious

Back 108

\suh-LOO-bree-us\, adjective:

Favorable to health; promoting health; healthful.

Front 109

Potemkin village

Back 109

\puh-TEM(P)-kin\, noun:

An impressive facade or display that hides an undesirable fact or state; a false front.

Front 110

abulia

Back 110

\uh-BOO-lee-uh; uh-BYOO-\, noun:

Loss or impairment of the ability to act or to make decisions.

Front 111

roister

Back 111

\ROY-stur\, intransitive verb:

1. To engage in boisterous merrymaking; to revel; to carouse.
2. To bluster; to swagger.

Front 112

parsimonious

Back 112

\par-suh-MOH-nee-uhs\, adjective:

Sparing in expenditure; frugal to excess.

Front 113

pin money

Back 113

\pin money\, noun:

1. An allowance of money given by a husband to his wife for private and personal expenditures.
2. Money for incidental expenses.
3. A trivial sum.

Front 114

miasma

Back 114

\my-AZ-muh; mee-\, noun:

1. A vaporous exhalation (as of marshes or putrid matter) formerly thought to cause disease; broadly, a thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation.
2. A harmful or corrupting atmosphere or influence; also, an atmosphere that obscures; a fog.

Front 115

objurgate

Back 115

\OB-juhr-gayt\, transitive verb:

To express strong disapproval of; to criticize severely.

Front 116

obtrude

Back 116

\uhb-TROOD; ob-\, transitive verb:

1. To thrust out; to push out.
2. To force or impose (one's self, remarks, opinions, etc.) on others with undue insistence or without solicitation.
3. To thrust upon a group or upon attention; to intrude.

Front 117

schadenfreude

Back 117

\SHOD-n-froy-duh\, noun:

A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.

Front 118

tirade

Back 118

\TY-raid; tih-RAID\, noun:

A long angry speech; a violent denunciation; a prolonged outburst full of censure or abuse.

Front 119

forgo

Back 119

\for-GO\, transitive verb;

To abstain from; to do without.

Front 120

ribald

Back 120

\RIB-uhld; RY-bawld\, adjective:

1. Characterized by or given to vulgar humor; coarse.
2. A ribald person; a lewd fellow.

Front 121

latitudinarian

Back 121

\lat-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\, adjective:

1. Having or expressing broad and tolerant views, especially in religious matters.
2. A person who is broad-minded and tolerant; one who displays freedom in thinking, especially in religious matters.
3. [Often capitalized] A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II, who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed.

Front 122

vehement

Back 122

\VEE-uh-muhnt\, adjective:

1. Characterized by intensity of emotions or convictions, or forcefulness of expression.
2. Characterized by or acting with great force or energy; strong.

Front 123

ruminate

Back 123

\ROO-muh-nayt\, intransitive verb:

1. To chew the cud; to chew again what has been slightly chewed and swallowed."Cattle free to ruminate." --Wordsworth.
2. To think again and again; to muse; to meditate; to ponder; to reflect.
3. To chew over again.
4. To meditate or ponder over; to muse on.

Front 124

aright

Back 124

\uh-RYT\, adverb:

Rightly; correctly; properly; in a right way or manner.

Front 125

subfusc

Back 125

\sub-FUHSK\, adjective:

Dark or dull in color; drab, dusky

Front 126

cadge

Back 126

\KAJ\, transitive verb:

1. To beg or obtain by begging; to sponge.
2. To beg; to sponge.

Front 127

amalgam

Back 127

\uh-MAL-guhm\, noun:

1. An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; used especially (with silver) as a dental filling.
2. A mixture or compound of different things.

Front 128

paean

Back 128

\PEE-uhn\, noun:

1. A joyous song of praise, triumph, or thanksgiving.
2. An expression of praise or joy.

Front 129

fetter

Back 129

\FET-uhr\, noun:

1. A chain or shackle for the feet; a bond; a shackle.
2. Anything that confines or restrains; a restraint.
3. To put fetters upon; to shackle or confine.
4. To restrain from progress or action; to impose restraints on; to confine.

Front 130

umbrage

Back 130

\UHM-brij\, noun:

1. Shade; shadow; hence, something that affords a shade, as a screen of trees or foliage.
2. a. A vague or indistinct indication or suggestion; a hint.
3. b. Reason for doubt; suspicion.
4. Suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment.

Front 131

cavil

Back 131

\KAV-uhl\, intransitive verb:

1. To raise trivial or frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason.
2. To raise trivial objections to.
3. A trivial or frivolous objection.

Front 132

acumen

Back 132

\uh-KYOO-muhn; AK-yuh-muhn\, noun:

Quickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight.

Front 133

sentient

Back 133

\SEN-shee-uhnt; -tee-; -shuhnt\, adjective:

1. Capable of perceiving by the senses; conscious.
2. Experiencing sensation or feeling.

Front 134

moiety

Back 134

\MOY-uh-tee\, noun:

1. One of two equal parts; a half.
2. An indefinite part; a small portion or share.
3. One of two basic tribal subdivisions.

Front 135

contrite

Back 135

\KON-tryt; kuhn-TRYT\, adjective:

1. Deeply affected with grief and regret for having done wrong; penitent; as, "a contrite sinner."
2. Expressing or arising from contrition; as, "contrite words."

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fustian

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\FUHS-chuhn\, noun:

1. A kind of coarse twilled cotton or cotton and linen stuff, including corduroy, velveteen, etc.
2. An inflated style of writing or speech; pompous or pretentious language.
3. Made of fustian.
4. Pompous; ridiculously inflated; bombastic.

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disparate

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\DIS-puh-rit; dis-PAIR-it\, adjective:

1. Fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind.
2. Composed of or including markedly dissimilar elements.

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sub rosa

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\suhb-ROH-zuh\, adverb:

1. Secretly; privately; confidentially.
2. Designed to be secret or confidential; secretive; private.

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permeate

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\PUR-mee-ayt\, transitive verb:

1. To spread or diffuse through.
2. To pass through the pores or openings of.
3. To spread through or penetrate something.

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grandee

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\gran-DEE\, noun:

1. A man of elevated rank or station.
2. In Spain or Portugal, a nobleman of the first rank.

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patina

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\PAT-n-uh; puh-TEEN-uh\, noun:

1. The color or incrustation which age gives to works of art; especially, the green rust which covers ancient bronzes, coins, and medals.
2. The sheen on any surface, produced by age and use.
3. An appearance or aura produced by habit, practice, or use.
4. A superficial layer or exterior.

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harridan

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\HAIR-uh-din\, noun:

A worn-out strumpet; a vixenish woman; a hag.

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countermand

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\KOWN-tuhr-mand; kown-tuhr-MAND\, transitive verb:

1. To revoke (a former command); to cancel or rescind by giving an order contrary to one previously given.
2. To recall or order back by a contrary order.
3. A contrary order.
4. Revocation of a former order or command.