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206 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
misogamy
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hatred of marriage
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missive
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letter
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mitigate*
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lessen in intensity; moderate; appease
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modish
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fashionable
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modulate
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tone down in intensity; regulate; change from one key to another
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mollify*
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soothe
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monolithic
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solidly uniform; unyielding
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moratorium
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legal delay of payment
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mordant
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biting; sarcastic; stinging
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moribund
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dying
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mote
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small speck
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motility
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ability to move spontaneously
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mulct
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defraud a person of something
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multifarious
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varied; greatly diversified
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mundane*
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wordly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
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munificent
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very generous
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myopic
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nearsighted; lacking foresight
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nascent
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incipient; coming into being
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natation
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swimming
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natty
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neatly or smartly dressed
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nebulous
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vague; hazy; cloudy
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neophyte*
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recent convert; beginner
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nepotism
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favoritism (to a relative)
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nexus
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connection
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nib
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beak; pen point
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niggle
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spend too much time on minor points
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noisome
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foul-smelling; unwholesome
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nominal
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in name only; trifling
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nonentity
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person of no importance; nonexistence
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nonplus
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bring to a halt by confusion; perplex
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nostrum
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questionable medicine
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nubile
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marriageable
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nugatory
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futile; worthless
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numismatist
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person who collects coins
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obdurate*
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stubborn
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obfuscate
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confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex
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oblique
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indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line)
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obloquy
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slander; disgrace; infamy
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obsequious*
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slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
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obsequy
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funeral ceremony
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obsidian
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black volcanic rock
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obtuse
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blunt; stupid
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obviate*
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make unnecessary; get rid of
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occlude*
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shut; close
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odium
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detestation
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odoriferous
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giving off an odor
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officious*
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meddlessome; excessively pushy in offering one's services
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onerous*
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burdensome
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onus
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burden; responsibility
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opalescent
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iridescent; lustrous
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opaque
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dark; not transparent
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opprobium*
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infamy; vilification
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opulence
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extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance
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oratorio
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dramatic poem set to music
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ornithologist
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scientific student of birds
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orthography
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correct spelling
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osseous
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made of bone; bony
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ostensible
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apparent; professed; pretended
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overweening
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presumptuous; arrogant
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overwrought
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extremely agitated; hysterical
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pachyderm
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thick-skinned animal
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paean
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song of praise or joy
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palatable
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agreeable; pleasing to the taste
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palatial
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maginificent
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palette
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board on which a painter mixes pigments
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palimpsest
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parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased
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pall
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grow tiresome
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palliate
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ease pain; make less severe or offensive
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paltry
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insignificant; petty; trifling
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pan
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criticize harshly
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panegyric
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formal praise
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paramount
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foremost in importance; supreme
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paramour
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illicit lover
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parity
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equality; close resemblance
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parlance
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language; idiom
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parochial
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narrow in outlook; provincial
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paroxysm
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fit or attack pain, laughter, rage
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parsimony
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stinginess; excessive frugality
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pastiche
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imitation of another's style in musical composition or writing
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patent
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open for the public to read; obvious
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patina
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green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
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patois
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local or provincial dialect
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patrician
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noble; aristocratic
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paucity*
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scarcity
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peccadillo
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slight offense
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pecuniary
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pertaining to money
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pedant
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scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
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pedantic*
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showing off learning; bookish
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pellucid
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transparent; limpid; easy to understand
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pernury*
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severe poverty; stinginess
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peregrination
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journey
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peremptory
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demanding and leaving no choice
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perennial*
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something long-lasting
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perfidious*
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treacherous; disloyal
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perfunctory*
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superficial; not thorough; lacking interest
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perigee
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point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth
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peripatetic
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walking about; moving
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peroration
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conclusion of an oration
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perquisite
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any gain above stipulated salary
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perspicacious
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having insight; penetrating; astute
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perspicuity
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clearness of expression
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perspicuous
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plainly expressed
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pert
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impertinent; forward
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pertinacious
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stubborn; persistent
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perverse
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stubbornly wrongheaded; wicked and unacceptable
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phlegmatic*
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calm; not easily disturbed
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phylum
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major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division
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physiological
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pertaining to the science of the function of living organisms
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piebald
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of different colors; mottled; spotted
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pied
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variegated; multicolored
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pillory
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punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule
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pinion
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restrain
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piquant
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pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating
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pique (n.)
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irritation; ressentment
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pique (v.)
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provoke or arouse; annoy
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piscatorial
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pertaining to fishing
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pith
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core or marrow; essence; meaningful; substantial; meaty
(pithy) |
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plaintive
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mourning
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platitude*
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trite remark; commonplace statement
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platonic
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purely spiritual; theoretical; without sensual desire
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plaudit
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enthusiastic approval; round of applause
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plenary
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complete; full
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plenitude
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abundance; completeness
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pliant
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flexible; easily influenced
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plumb (v.)
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examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding)
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plumb (adj.)
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vertical
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plutocracy
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society ruled by the wealthy
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polemic
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controversy; argument in support of poing of view
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polemical
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aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious
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politic
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expedient; prudent; well devised
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pomposity
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self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt
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portend
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foretell; presage
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poseur
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person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc. to impress others (poser)
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postulate
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self-evident truth
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potable
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suitable for drinking
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potentate
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monarch; sovereign
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prate
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speak foolishly; boast idly
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prattle
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babble
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precipitant
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something that causes a substance in a chemical solution to separate out in solid form
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precipitate* (adj.)
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rash; prematute; hasty; sudden
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precipitate (v.)
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throw headlong; hasten
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precipitous
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steep; overhasty
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precis
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consise summing up of main points
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predilection
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partiality; preference
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prehensile
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capable of grasping or holding
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premonitory
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serving to warn
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preponderance
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superiority of power, quantity, etc.
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prescience
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ability to foretell the future
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prevaricate*
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lie
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primogeniture
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seniority by birth
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pristine*
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characteristic of earlier times; primitive; unspoiled
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privy
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secret; hidden; not public
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probity*
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uprightness; incorruptibility
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prodigal*
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wasteful; reckless with money
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prodigious
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marvelous; enormous
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profligate
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dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral
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prognosticate
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predict
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prolixity
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tedious wordiness; verbosity
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promontory
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headland
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promulgate
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proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by offical publication
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propagate
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multiply; spread
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prophylactic
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used to prevent disease
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propinquity
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nearness; kinship
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propitiate*
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appease
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prosaic
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dull and unimaginitive; matter-of-fact; factual
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proscenium
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part of stage in front of curtain
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proscribe*
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ostracize; banish; outlaw
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prosody
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the art of versification
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protean
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versatile; able to take on many forms
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provenance
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origin or source of something
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provender
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dry food; fodder
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provident
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displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies
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proxy
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authorized agent
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prurient
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having or causing lustful thoughts and desires
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puerile
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childish
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pugilist
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boxer
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pugnacity
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combativeness; disposition to fight
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puissant
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powerful; strong; potent
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punctilious
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stressing niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points
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punitive
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punishing
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purchase
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firm grasp or footing
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purport
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intention; meaning
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purveyor
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furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer
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pusillanimous
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cowardly; fainthearted
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putative
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supposed; reputed
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quaff
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drink with relish
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querulous
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fretful; whining
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quiescent*
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at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
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quintessence
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purest and highest embodiment
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quisling
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traitor who aids invaders
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quotidian
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daily; commonplace; customary
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raconteur
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story-teller
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rakish
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stylish; sporty
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ramification
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branching out; subdivision
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rankle
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irritate; fester
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rapacious
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excessively grasping; plundering
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rapport
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emotional closeness
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rarefied*
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made less dense (of a gas)
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ratiocination
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reasoning; act of drawing conclusions
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ravel
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fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle
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rebus
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puzzle in which pictures stand for words
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recalcitrant
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obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
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recapitulate
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summarize
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recidivism
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habitual return to crime
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recondite*
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abstruse; profound; secret
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recrimination
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countercharges
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