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63 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
cede
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v
1. to give up one's rights in; 2. surrender formally to transfer the title or ownership of To assign; give up; relinquish; surrender; transfer; yield. |
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demagogue
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n
a person who tries to stir up the people by appeals to emotion, prejudice, etc. in order to win them over quickly and so gain power. agitator, rabble-rouser, fanatic, revolutionary. |
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extirpate
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v
1. to pull up by the roots; 2. root out to destroy or remove completely; 3. exterminate; 4. abolish; exterminate, annihilate, abolish, root out, destroy. |
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aver
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v
1. to declare to be true; state positively; affirm 2. Law to state or declare formally; assert; allege Syn: To assert; affirm; asseverate. |
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serendipitous
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adj
1. a seeming gift for finding something good accidentally 2. luck, or good fortune, in finding something good accidentally 3. an instance of this |
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atavistic
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(adj)
is Relating to old or established pattern; habitual, ingrained. |
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draconian
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adjective
1. of Draco or the harsh code of laws attributed to him 2. extremely severe or cruel |
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satiated
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(adj)Satisfied; full.
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vilify
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v
to use abusive or slanderous language about or of; calumniate; revile; defame defame, revile, denounce; see censure, slander. |
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trepidation
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N
1. a tremulous motion: tremor 2. timorous uncertain agitation apprehension synonyms: fear |
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pellucid
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1. admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion <a pellucid stream>
2. reflecting light evenly from all surfaces 3. easy to understand |
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mellifluous
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Adj
1. having a smooth rich flow <a mellifluous voice> 2. filled with something (as honey) that sweetens |
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acumen
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N
keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters synonyms: discernment |
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bilious
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(adj)
Ill-tempered. |
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soliloquy
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noun
1. the act of talking to oneself 2. a dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections |
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parry
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intransitive verb
1. to ward off a weapon or blow 2. to evade or turn aside something transitive verb 1. to ward off (as a blow) 2. to evade especially by an adroit answer <parried the question> |
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catholic
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adj
1. often capitalized: of, relating to, or forming the church universal 2. often capitalized: of, relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church or a church claiming historical continuity from it 3. capitalized: roman catholic 4. comprehensive, universal; especially: broad in sympathies, tastes, or interests <a catholic taste in music> |
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tautology
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Noun
1a: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word 1b: an instance of tautology 2: a tautologous statement |
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rescind
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transitive verb
1. to take away: remove 2a. take back, cancel <refused to rescind the order> 2b. to abrogate (a contract) and restore the parties to the positions they would have occupied had there been no contract 3. to make void (as an act) by action of the enacting authority or a superior authority: repeal |
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aberrant
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adjective
1. departing from the right, normal, or usual course. 2. deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal. 3. Out of place; ectopic. noun 4. an aberrant person, thing, group, etc. —Synonyms 1. wandering. 2. divergent, unusual. |
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abscond
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verb (used without object)
to depart in a sudden and secret manner, esp. to avoid capture and legal prosecution: The cashier absconded with the money. —Synonyms: decamp, bolt. |
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advocate
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verb (used with object)
1. to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly: He advocated higher salaries for teachers. noun 2. a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually fol. by of): an advocate of peace. 3. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. 4. a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law. —Synonyms: 2. champion, proponent, backer. 4. lawyer, attorney, counselor, counsel; barrister; solicitor. |
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aggrandize
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verb (used with object), -dized, -diz·ing.
1. to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend. 2. to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor. 3. to make (something) appear greater. —Synonyms 2. inflate, strengthen, exalt. 3. magnify. —Antonyms 1. reduce. 2. diminish. 3. minimize. |
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amalgamate
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verb (used with object)
1. to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine: to amalgamate two companies. 2. Metallurgy. to mix or alloy (a metal) with mercury. verb (used without object) 3. to combine, unite, merge, or coalesce: The three schools decided to amalgamate. 4. to blend with another metal, as mercury. -syn: 1. mix |
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ambiguous
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adjective
1. open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal: an ambiguous answer. 2. Linguistics. (of an expression) exhibiting constructional homonymity; having two or more structural descriptions, as the sequence Flying planes can be dangerous. 3. of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish, or classify: a rock of ambiguous character. 4. lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous shape; an ambiguous future. —Synonyms 1. ambiguous, equivocal, cryptic, enigmatic |
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ambrosial
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adjective
1. exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant. 2. worthy of the gods; divine. |
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anachronism
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noun
1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, esp. a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare. 2. an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one: To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism. |
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anomalous
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adjective
1. deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular; abnormal: Advanced forms of life may be anomalous in the universe. 2. not fitting into a common or familiar type, classification, or pattern; unusual: He held an anomalous position in the art world. 3. incongruous or inconsistent. 4. Grammar. irregular. |
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antidiluvian
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adjective
1. of or belonging to the period before the Flood. Gen. 7, 8. 2. very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive: antediluvian ideas. noun 3. a person who lived before the Flood. 4. a very old or old-fashioned person or thing. |
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antipathy
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noun
1. a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion. 2. an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling. 3. an object of natural aversion or habitual dislike. —Synonyms 1. disgust, abhorrence, detestation, hatred. See aversion. —Antonyms 1. attraction. |
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arbitrate
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verb
1. To judge or decide in or as in the manner of an arbitrator: arbitrate a dispute between neighbors. 2. To submit to settlement or judgment by arbitration: Management and labor agreed to arbitrate their remaining differences. |
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assuage
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verb (used with object)
1. to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: to assuage one's grief; to assuage one's pain. 2. to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve: to assuage one's hunger. 3. to soothe, calm, or mollify: to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger. -Synonyms: 1. alleviate, lessen. —Antonyms: intensify. |
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attenuate
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verb
1. To make slender, fine, or small: The drought attenuated the river to a narrow channel. 2. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: Medicine attenuated the fever's effect. 3. To lessen the density of; rarefy. 4. Biology To make (bacteria or viruses) less virulent. 5. Electronics To reduce (the amplitude of an electrical signal) with little or no distortion. 6. To become thin, weak, or fine. adjective 1. Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence. 2. Botany Gradually tapering to a slender point. |
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audacious
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adjective
1. extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless: an audacious explorer. 2. extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive: an audacious vision of the city's bright future. 3. recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; brazen. 4. lively; unrestrained; uninhibited: an audacious interpretation of her role. Synonyms 1. courageous, intrepid, dauntless, venturesome. 3. unabashed, shameless; impertinent, forward. Antonyms 1. cowardly. |
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banal
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adjective
Drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite: "Blunt language cannot hide a banal conception" (James Wolcott). Synonym: commonplace. |
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barefaced
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adjective
1. with the face uncovered. 2. shameless; impudent; audacious: a barefaced lie. 3. without concealment or disguise; boldly open: a barefaced approach. Synonyms: 2. brazen, bold, unabashed. 3. patent, palpable, transparent. |
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blandishment
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noun
an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coax, entice, etc.: Our blandishments left him unmoved. We succumbed to the blandishments of tropical living. Synonyms: flattery, cajolery, wheedling, ingratiation, fawning, blarney. |
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bombast
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noun
speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words. |
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breach
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noun
1. the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture. 2. an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise. 3. a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure. 4. a severance of friendly relations. 5. the leap of a whale above the surface of the water. 6. Archaic. the breaking of waves; the dashing of surf. verb (used with object) 7. to make a breach or opening in. 8. to break or act contrary to (a law, promise, etc.). verb (used without object) 9. (of a whale) to leap partly or completely out of the water, head first, and land on the back or belly with a resounding splash. |
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burgeon
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verb (used without object)
1. to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor. 2. to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often fol. by out, forth). verb (used with object) 3. to put forth, as buds. noun 4. a bud; sprout. —Synonyms 1. bloom, blossom, mushroom, expand. |
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buttress
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noun
1. a projecting structure, generally of brick or stone, built against a wall to support or reinforce it anything like a buttress; support or prop transitive verb 2. to support or reinforce with a buttress to prop up; bolster Syn: prop (up), bolster, sustain, support |
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cadge
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–verb (used with object)
1. to obtain by imposing on another's generosity or friendship. 2. to borrow without intent to repay. 3. to beg or obtain by begging. –verb (used without object) 4. to ask, expect, or encourage another person to pay for or provide one's drinks, meals, etc. 5. to beg. Synonyms: These verbs mean to ask for or obtain by charity: cadged a meal; begging for change; bum a ride; mooching food; homeless people forced to panhandle. |
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caprice
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–noun
1. a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. 2. a tendency to change one's mind without apparent or adequate motive; whimsicality; capriciousness: With the caprice of a despotic king, he alternated between kindness and cruelty. 3. Music. —Synonyms 1. vagary, notion, whim, fancy. |
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castigate
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–verb (used with object
1. to criticize or reprimand severely. 2. to punish in order to correct. —Synonyms 1. scold, reprove. 2. discipline, chastise, chasten. |
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catalyst
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–noun
1. Chemistry. a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. 2. something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected. 3. a person or thing that precipitates an event or change: His imprisonment by the government served as the catalyst that helped transform social unrest into revolution. 4. a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. |
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caustic
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adjective
1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue. 2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark. –noun 3. a caustic substance. 4. Optics. a. caustic curve. b. caustic surface. —Synonyms 2. biting, mordant, bitter, scathing, acid. |
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chicanery
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–noun
1. trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry: He resorted to the worst flattery and chicanery to win the job. 2. a quibble or subterfuge used to trick, deceive, or evade. —Synonyms 1. fraud, deception, knavery. 2. evasion. |
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complaisant
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–adjective
inclined or disposed to please; obliging; agreeable or gracious; compliant: the most complaisant child I've ever met. |
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conflagration
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noun
a destructive fire, usually an extensive one. |
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corporeal
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adjective
1. of the nature of the physical body; bodily. 2. material; tangible: corporeal property. —Synonyms 1. physical. —Antonyms 1. spiritual. 2. intangible. |
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corporal
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adjective
1. of the human body; bodily; physical: corporal suffering. 2. Zoology. of the body proper, as distinguished from the head and limbs. 3. personal: corporal possession. 4. Obsolete. corporeal; belonging to the material world. Synonyms 1. material |
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corroborate
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–verb (used with object)
1. to make more certain; confirm: He corroborated my account of the accident. –adjective 2. Archaic. confirmed. —Synonyms 1. verify, authenticate, support, validate. |
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craven
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adjective
1. cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous. noun 2. a coward. verb (used with object) 3. to make cowardly. Idiom 4. cry craven, to yield; capitulate; give up. Synonyms 1. dastardly, fearful, timorous. |
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culpable
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adjective
deserving blame or censure; blameworthy. Synonyms reprehensible. |
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dearth
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noun
1. an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack: There is a dearth of good engineers. 2. scarcity and dearness of food; famine. Synonyms 1. shortage, want, paucity, insufficiency. Antonyms 1. abundance, plenty, sufficiency; surplus. |
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deference
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noun
1. respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another. 2. respectful or courteous regard: in deference to his wishes. "He held his tongue in deference to his father." |
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depict
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verb (used with object)
1. to represent by or as if by painting; portray; delineate. 2. to represent or characterize in words; describe. Synonyms 1. reproduce, draw, paint, limn |
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deprecation
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verb (used with object)
1. to express earnest disapproval of. 2. to urge reasons against; protest against (a scheme, purpose, etc.). 3. to depreciate; belittle. 4. Archaic. to pray for deliverance from. Synonyms 1. condemn, denounce, disparage. See decry. |
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depredation
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noun
the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage. "The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population." |
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descry
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verb (used with object)
1. to see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern; espy: The lookout descried land. 2. to discover; perceive; detect. Synonyms 1. notice. |
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desiccate
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verb (used with object)
1. to dry thoroughly; dry up. 2. to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dehydrate. verb (used without object) 3. to become thoroughly dried or dried up. |
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diatribe
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noun
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: repeated diatribes against the senator. Synonyms tirade, harangue. |
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diffident
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adjective
1. lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy. 2. restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc. 3. Archaic. distrustful. Synonyms 1. self-conscious, self-effacing, abashed, embarrassed, modest, unassuming, unconfident. |