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149 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
gadfly
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n. fly that stings horses and cattle
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gaffe
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n. social blunder; indiscreet act or remark
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gainsay
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v. (arch ) (usu in negative sentences or questions ) contradict (sb/sth); deny (sth)
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gait
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n. manner of walking or running
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galaxy
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n. any of the large systems of stars in outer space
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gale
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n. very strong wind storm (at sea) 8
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gall
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n. bitter liquid secreted by the liver; bile
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galleon
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n. large Spanish sailing-ship used from the 15th to the 17th century 1517
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galley
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n. long flat ship, usu rowed by slaves or criminals; ancient Greek or Roman warship ;
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gallows
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n. wooden framework on which criminals are put to death by hanging
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galvanic
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adj. producing an electric current by chemical action
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galvanize
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to stimulate or excite as if by an electric shock
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gambit
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n. opening movein chess in which a player sacrifices a piece in order to win an advantage later
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gambol
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v. (US also -l-) jump or skip about playfully
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gamely
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adv: fight, struggle, etc gamely, ie bravely but perhaps unsuccessfully ,
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gamut
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n. the gamut complete range or scale
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gangrene
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n. decay and death of body tissue when the blood supply has been stopped
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gape
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v. ~ (often derog ) stare with an open mouth, usu in surprise
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garbled
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adj. confusedor misleading
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gargantuan
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adj. enormous; gigantic
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gargoyle
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n. stone or metal spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure, for carrying rain-water away from the roof of a church, etc
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garish
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adj. unpleasantly bright; over-coloured or over-decorated, esp in a vulgar way
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garner
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v. ~ sth ~ sth (in/up) (fml ) collect sth in and (usu) store it
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garnish
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v. ~ sth decorate (food for the table) with small additional amounts of food
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garrulity
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garrulousness ns talkativeness
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garrulous
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adj. talking too much, esp about unimportant things
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gastronomy
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n. art and science of choosing, cooking and eating good food
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gauche
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adj. socially awkward or clumsy
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gaudy
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adj. (derog ) too bright and showy, esp in a vulgar way
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gaunt
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adj. made exceptionally thin by hunger or illness; haggard
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gavel
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n. small hammer used by an auctioneer or chairman as a signal for order or attention
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gawk
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v. ~ (infml ) stare impolitely or stupidly; gawp
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gazette
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n. official journal with public notices and lists of government, military, legal and university appointments
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genealogy
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n. study of family history, showing who the ancestors of particular people were and how they were related to each other
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generality
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n. general statement, esp one that is vague or indefinite
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generate
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v. cause to exist or occur; produce
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generic
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adj. shared by or including a whole group or class; not specific
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genesis
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n. (fml) beginning; starting-point; origin
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geniality
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n. quality of being genial
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genre
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n. particular style or kind, esp of works of art or literature grouped according to their form or subject matter
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genteel
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adj. polite or refined in an affected or exaggerated way
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gentility
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n. genteel manners and behaviour; social superiority
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gentle
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adj. mild; kind; careful; not rough, violent or severe
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gentry
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n. people of good social position next below the nobility
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genuflect
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v. bend the knee, esp in worship ,
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genus
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n. (biology ) group of animals or plants within a family(4), often itself subdivided into several species(1)
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geriatrics
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n. branch of medicine dealing with the diseases and care of old people
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germ
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n. portion of a living organism capable of becoming a new organism; embryo of a seed ;
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germane
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adj. ~ (fml ) relevant
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germinal
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adj. in the earliest stage of development
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germinate
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v. start growing
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gerontocracy
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government ruled by old people
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gerontology
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n. scientific study of old age and the process of growing old
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gerrymander
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v. arrange the boundaries of or divide (an area) for voting in order to give unfair advantages to one party in an election
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gestate
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evolve; as in pre-natal growth
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gesticulation
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n. gesticulating
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ghastly
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adj. causing horror or fear
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gibberish
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n. meaningless sounds; unintelligible talk; nonsense
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gibe
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v. ~ (at sb/sth) jeer at or mock sb/sth; make fun of sb/sth
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giddy
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adj. having the feeling that everything is turning round and that one is going to fall
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gild
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v. cover with gold-leaf(3) or gold-coloured paint
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gingerly
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adv. with great care and caution to avoid causing harm or making a noise
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girth
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n. distance round sth of approximately cylindrical shape
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gist
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n. the gist main point or general meaning
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glacial
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adj. of the Ice Age
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glamor
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[ glamour: ] charm and allure; fascination
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glare
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n. strong unpleasant dazzling light
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glaring
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adj. dazzling
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glaze
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v. fit sheets or panes of glass into
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gleam
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n. brief appearance of light
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glean
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v. gather
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glib
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adj. (derog ) speaking or spoken fluently and without hesitation, but not sincerely or trustworthily
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glimmer
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v. send out a weak unsteady light
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glitter
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v. ~ shine brightly with little sharp flashes of light; sparkle
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gloat
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v. ~ express or feel selfish delight at one's own success or good fortune or sb else's failure
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gloss
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n. brightness or shine on a smooth surface
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glossary
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n. list of technical or special words explaining their meanings
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glossy
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adj. smooth and shiny
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glow
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v. send out light and heat withoutflame
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glower
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v. ~ look in an angry or a threatening way
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glut
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v. ~ sth (with sth) supply sth with much more than is needed
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glutinous
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adj. of or like gluten; sticky
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glutton
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n. person who eats too much
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gnarl
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any knotty protuberance or swelling on a tree
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gnarled
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adj. twisted and rough; covered with knobs
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gnome
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dwarf; underground spirit
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goad
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n. pointed stick for making cattle, etc move on
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gobble
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v. ~ sth eat sth fast, noisily and greedily (leaving nothing behind)
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gorge
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n. narrow steep-sided valley, usu with a stream or river
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gory
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adj. (esp rhet ) covered with gore1
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gossamer
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n. fine silky substance of webs made by small spiders, floating in calm air or spread over grass, etc
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gouge
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n. tool with a sharp semicircular edge for cutting grooves in wood
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gourmand
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n. lover of food; glutton ;
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gourmet
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n. person who enjoys and is expert in the choice of fine food, wines, etc
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gracious
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adj. ~ (of persons and behaviour) kind, polite and generous (esp to sb who is socially inferior)
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gradation
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n. gradual change from one thing to another
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graduate
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n. ~ person who holds a degree (esp the first or bachelor's) from a university or polytechnic
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graduated
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[ graduate: ] n. a person who has been awarded a first degree from a university or college
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granary
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n. building where grain is stored
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grandeur
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n. greatness; magnificence; impressiveness
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grandiloquent
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adj. using or being a pompous style of speech, full of words which ordinary people do not understand
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grandiose
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adj. planned on a large scale; (intended to seem) imposing
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granulate
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v. form into grains or have a granular surface or texture
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graphic
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adj. of visual symbols
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graphite
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n. soft black substance used in making lead pencils, in lubrication, and for slowing down neutrons in atomic reactors
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grapple
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v. ~ seize (an opponent) firmly and try to fight
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grate
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n. fireplace
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gratify
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v. (fml ) give pleasure or satisfaction to (sb)
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gratis
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adv. without payment; free
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gratuitous
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adj. done, given or acting unnecessarily, purposely and without good reason
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gratuity
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n. money given to sb who has done one a service; tip ;
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gravity
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n. force that attracts objects in space towards each other, and on the earth pulls them towards the centre of the planet, so that things fall to the ground when dropped
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graze
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v. ~ (of cattle, sheep, etc) eat growing grass
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gregarious
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adj. liking to be with other people
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grievance
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n. ~ real or imagined cause for complaint or protest (used esp with the vs shown)
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grill
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n. device on a cooker that directs heat downwards for cooking meat, toasting bread, etc
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grim
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adj. very serious and unsmiling in appearance
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grimace
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n. ugly twisted expression (on the face), expressing pain, disgust, etc or intended to cause laughter
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grisly
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adj. causing horror or terror; ghastly
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groom
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n. person in charge of horses
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groove
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n. long narrow cut or depression in the surface of hard material
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gross
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n. (esp commerce ) twelve dozen
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grotesque
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adj. strangely distorted so as to arouse fear or laughter; fantastic
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grotto
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n. cave, esp one made artificially as a garden shelter
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grouch
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v. ~ (derog ) complain
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grouse
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n. small dark bird of northern hilly areas, shot for sport and food
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grovel
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v. (derog ) ~ (to/before sb) lie or crawl with the face downwards in a show of humility or fear
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growl
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v. ~ (of animals or thunder) make a low threatening sound
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grudge
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v. ~ sth feel resentful about sth; do or give sth very unwillingly
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grudging
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adj. unwilling; reluctant
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gruel
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n. simple dish made of oatmeal, etc boiled in milk or water
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grueling
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exhausting
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gruesome
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adj. filling one with horror or disgust; frightful
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gruff
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adj. rough; surly
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grumble
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v. ~ (about/at/over sth) complain or protest in a bad-tempered way
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grunt
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v. (of animals, esp pigs) make a low rough sound from deep in the throat ,
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guffaw
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v. give a noisy laugh
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guile
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n. deceit; cunning
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guileless
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without deceit
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guise
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n. style of dress
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gull
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n. any of several types of large long-winged sea-bird with usu white and grey or black feathers .
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gullible
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adj. willing to believe anything or anyone; easily deceived
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gush
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v. ~ (from sth) flow or pour out suddenly in great quantities
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gust
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n. sudden violent rush of wind
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gustatory
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affecting the sense of taste
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gusto
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n. enthusiastic vigour in doing sth
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gusty
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adj. with wind blowing in gusts
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guy
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n. rope or chain used to keep sth steady or secured, eg to hold a tent in place
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gyroscope
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n. device containing a wheel which, when its spins fast, always maintains the same orientation regardless of any movement of the supporting structure, often used in ships' stabilizers
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