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160 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abase
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v. lower; degrade; humiliate.
(n., abasement) |
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abash
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v. embarrass.
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abate
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v. subside or moderate.
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abbreviate
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v. shorten.
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abdicate
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v. renounce; give up.
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aberrant
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adj. abnormal or deviant.
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aberration
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n. abnormality; departure from the norm; mental irregularity or disorder.
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abet
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v. assist, usually in doing something wrong; encourage.
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abeyance
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n. suspended action.
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abhor
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v. detest; hate.
(n., abhorrence) |
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abject
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adj. wretched; lacking pride.
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abjure
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v. renounce upon oath; disavow.
(n., abjuration) |
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ablution
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n. washing
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abnegation
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n. renunciation; self-sacrifice.
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abolish
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v. cancel; put an end to.
(n., abolition) |
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abominable
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adj. detestable; extremely unpleasant; very bad.
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abominate
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v. loathe; hate.
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aboriginal
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adj., n. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native.
(n., aborigine) |
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abortive
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adj. unsuccessful; fruitless.
(v., abort) |
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abrasive
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adj. rubbing away; tneding to grind down.
(v., abrade) |
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abridge
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v. condense or shorten.
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abrogate
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v. abolish.
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abscission
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n. removal by cutting off, as in surgery; separation.
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abscond
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v. depart secretly and hide.
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absolute
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adj. complete; totally unlimited; certain.
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absolve
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v. pardon (an offense).
(n., absolution) |
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abstain
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v. refrain; withhold from participation.
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abstemious
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adj. sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
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abstinence
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n. restraint from eating or drinking.
(v., abstain) |
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abstract
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adj. theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational.
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abstruse
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adj. obscure; profound; difficult to understand.
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abusive
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adj. coarsely insulting; physically harmful.
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abut
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v. border upon; adjoin.
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abysmal
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adj. bottomless.
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abyss
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n. enormous chasm; vast, bottomless pit.
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academic
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adj. related to a school; not practical or directly useful.
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accede
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v. agree.
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accelerate
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v. move faster.
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accessible
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adj. easy to approach; obtainable.
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accessory
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n. additional object; useful but not essential thing.
(also adj.) |
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acclaim
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v. applaud; announce with great approval.
(n., acclamation) |
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acclimate
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v. adjust to climate or environment; adapt.
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acclivity
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n. sharp upslope of a hill.
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accolade
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n. award of merit.
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accommodate
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v. oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt.
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accomplice
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n. partner in crime.
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accord
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n. agreement.
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accost
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v. approach and speak first to a person.
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accoutre
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v. equip.
(n., accoutrement) |
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accretion
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n. growth; increase.
(v., accrete) |
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accrue
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v. come about by addition.
(n., accrual) |
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acerbic
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adj. bitter or sour in nature; sharp and cutting.
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acerbity
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n. bitterness of speech and temper.
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acetic
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adj. vinegary.
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acidulous
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adj. slightly sour; sharp; caustic.
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acknowledge
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v. recognize; admit.
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acme
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n. peak; pinnacle; highest point.
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acoustics
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n. science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in.
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acquiesce
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v. assent; agree passively.
(n., acquiescence; adj., acquiescent) |
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acquittal
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n. deliverance from a charge.
(v., acquit) |
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acrid
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adj. sharp; bitterly pungent.
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acrimonious
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adj. bitter in words or manner.
(n., acrimony) |
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acrophobia
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n. fear of heights.
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actuarial
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adj. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics.
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actuate
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v. motivate.
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acuity
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n. sharpness.
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acumen
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n. mental keenness.
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acute
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adj. quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe.
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adage
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n. wise saying; proverb.
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adamant
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adj. hard; inflexible.
(n., adamancy) |
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adapt
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v. alter; modify.
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addendum
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n. addition; appendix to book.
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addiction
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n. compulsive, habitual need.
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addle
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v. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten.
(adj., addled) |
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address
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v. direct a speech to; deal with or discuss.
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adept
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adj. expert at.
(also n.) |
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adhere
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v. stick fast.
(n., adhesion, n., adherence) |
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adherent
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n. supporter; follower.
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adjacent
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adj. adjoining; neighboring; close by.
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adjunct
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n. something (generally nonessential or inferior) added on or attached.
(also adj.) |
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adjuration
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n. solemn urging.
(v., adjure) |
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adjutant
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n. staff officer assisting the commander; assistant.
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admonish
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v. warn; reprove.
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adorn
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v. decorate.
(n., adornment) |
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adroit
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adj. skillful.
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adulation
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n. flattery; admiration.
(v., adulate) |
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adulterate
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v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances.
(n., adulteration) |
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advent
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n. arrival.
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adventitious
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adj. accidental; casual.
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adversary
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n. opponent; enemy.
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adverse
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adj. unfavorable; hostile.
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adversity
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n. poverty; misfortune.
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advert
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v. refer (to).
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advocacy
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n. support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something.
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advocate
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v. urge; plead for.
(also n.) |
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aegis
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n. shield; defense.
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aerie
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n. nest of a large bird of prey (eagle, hawk).
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aesthetic
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adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful.
(n., aesthete) |
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affable
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adj. easily approachable; warmly friendly.
(n., affability) |
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affected
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adj. artificial; pretended; assumed in order to impress.
(n., affectation) |
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affidavit
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n. written statement made under oath.
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affiliation
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n. joining; associating with.
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affinity
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n. kinship.
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affirmation
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n. positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath.
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affix
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v. attach or add on; fasten.
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affliction
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n. state of distress; cause of suffering.
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affluence
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n. abundance; wealth.
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affront
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n. insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect.
(also v.) |
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agape
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adj. openmouthed.
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agenda
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n. items of business at a meeting.
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agglomeration
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n. collection; heap.
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aggrandize
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v. increase or intensify; raise in power, wealth, rank or honor.
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aggregate
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v. gather; accumulate.
(also adj.) (n., aggregation) |
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aggressor
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n. attacker.
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aghast
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adj. horrified; dumbfounded.
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agility
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n. nimbleness.
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agitate
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v. stir up; disturb.
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agnostic
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n. one who is skeptical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality.
(also adj.) |
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agog
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adj. highly excited; intensely curious.
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agrarian
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adj. pertaining to land or its cultivation.
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alacrity
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n. cheerful promptness; eagerness.
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alchemy
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n. medieval form of speculative thought that aimed to transform base metals (lead or copper) into silver or gold and to discover a means of prolonging life.
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alcove
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n. nook; recess.
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alias
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n. an assumed name.
(also adv.) |
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alienate
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v. make hostile; separate.
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alimentary
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adj. supplying nourishment.
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alimony
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n. payments made to an ex-spouse after divorce.
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allay
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v. calm; pacify.
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allege
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v. state without proof.
(n., allegation) |
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allegiance
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n. loyalty.
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allegory
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n. story in which characters are used as symbols; fable.
(adj., allegorical) |
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alleviate
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v. relieve.
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alliteration
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n. repetition of beginning sound in poetry.
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allocate
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v. assign.
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alloy
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n. a mixture as of metals.
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alloy
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v. mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate.
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allude
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v. refer indirectly.
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allure
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v. entice; attract.
(also n.) |
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allusion
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n. indirect reference.
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alluvial
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adj. pertaining to soil deposits left by running water.
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aloof
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adj. apart; reserved.
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aloft
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adv. upward.
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altercation
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n. noisy quarrel; heated dispute.
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altruistic
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adj. unselfishly generous; concerned for others.
(n., altruism) |
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amalgamate
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v. combine; unite in one body.
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amass
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v. collect.
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amazon
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n. female warrior.
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ambidextrous
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adj. capable of using either hand with equal ease.
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ambience
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n. environment; atmosphere.
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ambiguous
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adj. unclear or doubtful in meaning.
(n. ambiguity) |
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ambivalence
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n. the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.
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amble
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n. moving at an easy pace.
(also v.) |
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ambrosia
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n. food of the gods.
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ambulatory
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adj. able to walk; not bedridden.
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amelioriate
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v. improve.
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amenable
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adj. readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally.
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amend
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v. correct; change, generally for the better.
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amenities
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n. convenient features; courtesies.
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amiable
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adj. agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly.
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amicable
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adj. politely friendly; not quarrelsome.
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