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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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errant
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wandering
Many a charming tale has been written about the knights-errant who helped the weak and punished the guilty during the Age of Chivalry. |
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cower
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shrink quivering; as from fear;
The frightened child cowered in the corner of the room. |
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jocose
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given to joking
The salesman was so jocose that many of his customers suggested that he become a stand-up comic. |
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slander
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defamation; utterance of FALSE and malicious statements ;
Unless you can prove your allegations, your remarks constitute slander. |
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pauper
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very poor person
Though Widow Brown was living on a reduced income, she was by no means a pauper. |
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sedition
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resistance to authority; insubordination;
His words, though not treasonous in themselves, were calculated to arouse thoughts of sedition. |
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voracious
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ravenous
The wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied. |
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pomposity
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self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt ;
Although the commencement speaker had some good things to say, we had to laugh at his pomposity and general air of parading his own dignity. |
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animus
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hostile feeling or intent
The animus of the speaker became obvious to all when he began to indulge in sarcastic and insulting remarks. |
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factious
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inclined to form factions; causing dissension;
Your statement is factious and will upset the harmony that now exists. |
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drone
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idle person; male bee;
Content to let his wife support him, the would-be writer was in reality but a drone. |
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hortatory
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encouraging; exhortive;
The crowd listened to his hortatory statements with ever-growing excitement; finally they rushed from the hall to carry to his suggestions. |
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missile
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object to be thrown or projected
Scientists are experimenting with guided missiles. |
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courier
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messenger
The publisher sent a special courier to pick up the manuscript. |
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jaunt
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trip; short journey;
He took a quick jaunt to Atlantic City. |
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skulduggery
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dishonest behavior
The investigation into municipal corruption turned up new instances of skulduggery daily. |
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unfaltering
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steadfast
She approached the guillotine with unfaltering steps. |
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ashen
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ash-colored; deadly pale;
Her face was ashen with fear. |
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culvert
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artificial channel for water
If we build a culvert under the road at this point, we will reduce the possibility of the road at this point, we will reduce the possibility of the road's being flooded during the rainy season. |
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polarize
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split into opposite extremes or camps
The abortion issue has polarized the country into pro-choice and anti-abortion camps. |
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anguish
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acute pain; extreme suffering ;
Visiting the site of explosion, Premier Gorbachev wept to see the anguish of the victims and their families. |
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facetious
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humorous; jocular ;
Your facetious remarks are not appropriate at this serious moment. |
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lumber
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move heavily of clumsily
Still somewhat torpid after its long hibernation, the bear lumbered through the woods. |
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prey
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target of a hunt; victim;
In Stalking the Wild Asparagus, Euell Gibbons has as his prey not wild beasts but wild plants. |
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stipend
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pay for services
There is a nominal stipend for this position. |
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countenance
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face
Whe Jose saw his newborn daughter, a proud smile spread across his countenance. |
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itinerant
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wandering; traveling;
He was an itinerant peddler and traveled through Pennsylvania and Virginia selling his wares. |
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skiff
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small; light sailboat or rowboat ;
Tom dreamed of owning an ocean-going yacht but had to settle for a skiff he could sail in the bay. |
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conception
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beginning; forming of a idea;
At the first conception of the work, he was consulted. |
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pan
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criticize harshly
Hoping for a rave review of his new show, the playwright was miserable when the critics panned it unanimously. |
