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260 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Gainsay |
To deny; dispute; oppose |
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Gambol |
To frolic; leap playfully |
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Garrulous |
Very talkative; wordy |
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Gauche |
Coarse and uncouth; clumsy |
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Geniality |
Cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability |
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Gerrymander |
To divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party |
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Glib |
Fluent in an insincere way; offhand |
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Goad |
To prod; urge on |
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Gossamer |
Sheer; light and delicate, like cobwebs |
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Gouge |
To tear out; scoop out; overcharge |
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Grandiloquent |
Pompous; bombastic |
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Gregarious |
Sociable |
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Grouse |
To complain |
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Guileless |
Free of cunning or deceit; artless |
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Guise |
outward appearance; false appearance; pretense |
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gullible |
easily deceived |
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gustatory |
affecting the sense of taste |
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Halcyon |
calm and peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous |
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Hallowed |
holy; sacred |
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Harangue |
long, pompous speech; tirade |
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Harrowing |
completely distressing; terrifying |
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herbivorous |
relating to a herbivore, an animal that feeds mainly on plants |
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hermetic |
tightly sealed; magical |
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heterodox |
unorthodox; not widely accepted |
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heiroglyphics |
a system of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meaning or sounds; writing or symbols that are difficult to decipher; the symbols used in advanced mathematics |
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hirsute |
covered with hair |
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histrionic |
relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical arts or performances |
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homeostasis |
automatic maintenance by an organism of normal temperature, chemical balance, etc. within itself |
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homily |
sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude |
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homogeneous |
composed of identical parts; uniform in composition |
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hyperbole |
purposeful exaggeration for effect |
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iconoclastis |
attacking cherished memories |
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ideological |
relating to ideology, the set of ideas that form the basis of a political or economic system |
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idolatry |
idol worship; blind or excessive worship |
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igneous |
produced by fire; volcanic |
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imbroglio |
complicated situation; an entanglement |
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immutable |
unchangeable |
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impassive |
showing no emotion |
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impecunious |
poor; having no money |
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impede |
to hinder; block |
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impermeable |
impossible to penetrate |
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imperturbable |
not easily disturbed |
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impervious |
impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected |
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impinge |
to strike; encroach |
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implacable |
inflexible; incapable of being pleased |
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implausible |
unlikely; unbelievable |
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implicit |
implied; understood but not stated |
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implode |
collapse inward violently |
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imprecation |
curse |
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impute |
to relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic |
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inadvertently |
carelessly; unintentionally |
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incarnate |
having bodily form |
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inchoate |
imperfectly formed or formulated |
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incongruity |
state of not fitting |
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inconsequential |
insignificant; unimportant |
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incorporate |
introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine |
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incursion |
sudden invasion |
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indeterminate |
uncertain; indefinite |
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indigence |
poverty |
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indolent |
habitually lazy; idle |
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ineluctable |
not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable |
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inert |
unable to move; sluggish |
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ingenuous |
naive and trusting; lacking sophistication |
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inherent |
firmly established by nature or habit |
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innocuous |
harmless |
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insensible |
unconscious; unresponsive |
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insinuate |
to suggest; say indirectly; imply |
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insipid |
lacking in flavor; dull |
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insouciant |
indifferent; lacking concern or care |
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insularity |
narrow-mindedness; isolation |
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insuperable |
insurmountable; unconquerable |
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intangible |
not material |
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interdict |
to forbid; prohibit; to confront and halt the activities, advance, or entry of |
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internecine |
deadly to both sides |
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interpolate |
to insert; change by adding new material |
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interregnum |
interval between reigns; gap in continuity |
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intimate |
marked by close acquaintance |
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intractable |
not easily managed |
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intransigence |
stubbornness; refusal to compromise |
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introspective |
contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings |
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inundate |
to cover with water; overwhelm |
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innured |
hardened; accustomed; used to |
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invective |
verbal abuse |
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inveigh |
to protest; disapprove vehemently |
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inveigle |
to win over by flattery or coaxing |
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inveterate |
confirmed; long-standing; deeply rooted |
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invidious |
likely to provoke ill will; offensive |
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irascible |
easily angered |
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irresolute |
unsure of how to act; weak |
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itinerant |
wandering from place to place; unsettled |
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itinerary |
route of a traveler's journey |
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jaundiced |
having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy, resentment, or hostility |
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jibe |
to be in agreement |
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jocose |
fond of joking; jocular; playful |
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juggernaut |
huge force destroying everything in its path |
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junta |
group of people united in political intrigue |
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juxtapose |
place side by side |
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kudos |
fame; glory; honor |
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labile |
likely to change |
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laconic |
using few words |
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lambaste |
to thrash verbally or physically |
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lascivious |
lustful |
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lassitude |
lethargy; sluggishness |
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latent |
present but hidden; potential |
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laud |
to praise |
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lethargic |
inactive |
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levee |
an embankment that prevent a river from overflowing |
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levity |
light manner or attitude |
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liberal |
tolerant; broad-minded; generous; lavish |
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libertine |
one without moral restraint |
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libido |
sexual desire |
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Lilliputian |
extremely small |
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limn |
to draw; describe |
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limpid |
clear; transparent |
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linguistic |
pertaining to language |
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litany |
lengthy recitation; repetitive chant |
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literati |
scholarly or learned persons |
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litigation |
legal proceedings |
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log |
record of a voyage; record of daily activities |
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loquacious |
talkative |
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lucid |
bright; clear; intelligible |
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lucre |
money or profits |
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luminous |
bright; brilliant; glowing |
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lustrous |
shining |
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Machiavellian |
crafty; double-dealing |
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machinations |
plots or schemes |
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maelstrom |
whirlpool; turmoil |
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magnanimity |
generosity; nobility |
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malign |
to speak evil of |
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maligner |
to feign illness to escape duty |
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malleable |
capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable |
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maverick |
dissenter |
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megalomania |
delusions of power or importance |
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menagerie |
a variety of animals kept together |
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mendacious |
dishonest |
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mendicant |
beggar |
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meretricious |
gaudy; plausible but false; specious |
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mesmerize |
to hypnotize |
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metamorphosis |
change; transformation |
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metaphysics |
a branch of philosophy that investigates the ultimate nature of reality |
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meteorological |
concerned with weather |
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meticulous |
very careful; fastidious |
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mettle |
courage; endurance |
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mettlesome |
full of courage or fortitude; spirited |
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microcosm |
a small system having analogies to a larger system; small world |
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militate |
to work against |
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minatory |
threatening; menacing |
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miniscule |
very small |
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minutia |
petty details |
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misanthrope |
one who hates humanity |
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miscellany |
mixture of writings on various subjects |
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miscreant |
villain; criminal |
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misogynist |
one who hates women |
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mitigate |
to cause to become less harsh, severe, or painful; alleviate |
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mnemonic |
relating to memory; assisting memory |
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modicum |
limited quantity |
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mollify |
to soothe |
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monolithic |
solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole |
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morose |
ill-humored; sullen |
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motley |
many colored; made up of many parts |
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multifarious |
diverse |
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mundane |
worldly as opposed to spiritually; concerned with the ordinary |
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necromancy |
black magic |
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negate |
to cancel out; nullify |
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neologism |
new word or expression |
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neophyte |
novice; beginner |
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nexus |
a means of connection; a connected group or series; a center |
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nonplussed |
bewildered |
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nostalgia |
sentimental longing for a past time |
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nostrum |
medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness; supposed cure |
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nugatory |
trifling; invalid |
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obdurate |
stubborn |
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obsequious |
overly submissive |
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obsequy |
funeral ceremony |
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obviate |
to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent |
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occlude |
to shut; block |
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occult |
relating to practices connected with supernatural phenomena |
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odyssey |
a long, adventurous voyage; a quest |
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officious |
too helpful; meddlesome |
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olfactory |
concerning the sense of smell |
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oligarchy |
a form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders |
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onerous |
burdensome |
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onomatopoeia |
formation or use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to |
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opprobrium |
disgrace; contempt |
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ornithologist |
scientist who studies birds |
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oscillate |
to move back and forth |
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ostentatious |
showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious |
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overweening |
presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing |
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paean |
song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy |
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paleontology |
study of past geological eras through fossil remains |
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pallid |
lacking color or liveliness |
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panegyric |
elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise |
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paragon |
model of excellence or perfection |
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partisan |
one-sided; committed to a party, group, or cause; prejudiced |
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pathological |
departing from normal condition |
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patois |
a regional dialect; nonstandard speech; jargon |
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paucity |
scarcity
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pedantic |
showing off learning |
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pellucid |
transparent; translucent; easily understood |
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penchant |
inclination |
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penury |
extreme poverty |
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peregrination |
a wandering from place to place |
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peremptory |
imperative; leaving no choice |
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perennial |
present throughout the years; persistent |
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perfidious |
faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy |
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perfunctory |
superficial; not thorough; performed really as a duty |
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perigee |
point in an orbit that is closest to the earth |
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permeable |
penetrable |
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perturb |
to disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious; cause a body to deviate from its regular orbit |
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pervasive |
spread throughout every part |
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petulant |
rude; peevish |
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phlegmatic |
calm in temperament; sluggish |
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phoenix |
mythical, immortal bird that lives for 500 years, burns itself to death, and rises from its ashes; anything that is restored after suffering from great destruction |
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physiognamy |
facial features |
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piety |
devoutness |
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piquant |
appealingly stimulating; pleasantly pungent; attractive |
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pique |
fleeting feeling of hurt pride |
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placate |
to lessen another's anger; to pacify |
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placid |
calm |
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plaintive |
melancholy; mournful |
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plasticity |
condition of being able to be shaped or formed; pliability |
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platitude |
stale, overused expression |
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platonic |
spiritual; without sensual desire; theoretical |
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plethora |
excess; overabundance |
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plumb |
to determine the depth; to examine deeply |
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plummet |
to fall; plunge |
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plutocracy |
society ruled by the wealthy |
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porous |
full of holes; permeable to liquids |
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poseur |
person who affects an attitude or identity to impress others |
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pragmatic |
practical |
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prate |
to talk idly; chatter |
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prattle |
meaningless, foolish talk |
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preamble |
preliminary statement |
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precarious |
uncertain |
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precept |
principle; law |
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precipitate |
to cause to happen; throw down from a height |
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precipitate |
rash; hasty; sudden |
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precursor |
forerunner; predecessor |
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preempt |
to supersede; appropriate for oneself |
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prehensile |
capable of grasping |
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premonition |
forewarning; presentiment |
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presage |
to foretell; indicate in advance |
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presumptuous |
rude; improperly bold; readiness to presume |
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preternatural |
beyond the normal course of nature; supernatural |
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prevaricate |
to quibble; evade the truth |
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promordial |
original; existing from the beginning |
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pristine |
untouched; uncorrupted |
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probity |
honesty; high-mindedness |
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problematic |
posing a problem; doubtful; unsettled |
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prodigal |
wasteful; extravagant; lavish |
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profound |
deep; not superficial |
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prohibitive |
so high as to prevent the purchase or use of; preventing; forbidding |
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proliferate |
to increase rapidly |
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propensity |
inclination; tendency |
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propitiate |
to win over; appease |
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propriety |
correct conduct; fitness |
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proscribe |
to condemn; forbid; outlaw |
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provident |
providing for future needs; frugal |
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puissant |
powerful |
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punctilious |
careful in observing rules of behavior or ceremony |
