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160 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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abate
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to decrease; reduce
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abdicate
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to give up a postion, right, or power
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aberrant
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deviating from what is normal
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abeyance
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temporary supression or suspension
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abject
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miserable; pitiful
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abjure
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to reject; abandon formally
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abscission
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the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
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abscond
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to depart secretly
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abstemious
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moderate in appetite
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abstinence
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the giving up of certain pleasures
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abysmal
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very bad
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accretion
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growth in size or increase in amount
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accrue
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accumulate; grow by additions
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adament
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uncompromising; unyielding
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adjunct
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something added, attached, or joined
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admonish
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to caution or reprimand
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adulterate
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to corrupt or make impure
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aesthetic
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relating to beauty or art
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affected
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pretentious, phony
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affinity
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fondness; liking; similarity
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aggrandize
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to make larger or greater
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aggregate
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amounting to a whole; total
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alacrity
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cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed
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alchemy
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medieval chemical philosohpy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or processs of transmutation
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allay
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to lessen; ease; soothe
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alleviate
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to relieve; improve partially
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alloy
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a combination; a mixture of two or more metals
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allure
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the power to entice by charm
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amalgamate
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to combine into a unified whole
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ambiguous
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unclear or doubtful in meaning
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ambivalence
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the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes
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ambrosia
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something delicious; the food of the gods
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ameliorate
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to improve
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amenable
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agreeable; cooperative; suited
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amenity
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something that increases comfort
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amulet
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ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
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anachronism
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something out of proper time
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analgesic
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medication that reduces or eliminates pain
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analogous
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comparable
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anarchy
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absence of government
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anodyne
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something that calms or soothes pain
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anomalous
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irregular; deviating from the norm
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antecedent
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something that comes before
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antediluvian
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prehistoric
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antipathy
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dislike; hostility
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apathy
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indifference
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apex
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the highest point
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apogee
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the point in an orbit most distant from the body being oribited; the highest point
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apothegm
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a terse, witty saying
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appease
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to calm; pacify; placate
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appellation
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name
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apposite
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strikingly appropriate and relevant
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apprise
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to inform
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appropriation
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praise; approval
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appropriate
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to take possession for one's own use; confiscate
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apropros
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relevant
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arabesque
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ornate design featuring intertwined curves; ballet position
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archeology
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the study of material evidence of past human life
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ardor
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great emotion or passion
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arduous
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extremely difficult; laborius
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argot
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a specialized vocabulary used by a group
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arrest
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to stop; to sieze
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artifact
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item made by human craft
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artless
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guileless; natural
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ascetic
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one who practices self-denial
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asperity
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severity; harshness; irritability
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aspersion
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slander; false rumor
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assiduous
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diligent; hard-working
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assuage
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to make less severe
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astringent
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harsh; severe
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asylum
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place of refuge or shelter
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atavism
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the return of a trait after a period of absence
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attenuate
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to weaken
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audacious
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bold; daring
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austere
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stern; unadorned
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autonomous
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self-governing; independent
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avarice
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greed
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aver
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to affirm; declare to be true
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avocation
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secondary occupation
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avuncular
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like and uncle, benevolent and tolerant
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axiomatic
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taken for granted
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bacchanalian
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pertaining to rioutous or drunken festivity; revelry
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banal
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commonplace; trite
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banter
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playful conversation
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bard
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poet
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bawdy
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obscene
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beatify
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to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to
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bedizen
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to dress in a vulgar, showy manner
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behemoth
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huge creature; anything very large and powerful
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belie
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to contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression
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beneficent
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kindly; doing good
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bifurcate
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to divide into two parts
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blandishment
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flattery
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blase
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bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned
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bolster
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to gove a boost to; prop up; support
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bombastic
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pompous; using inflated language
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boorish
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rude; insensitive
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bovine
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cowlike
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brazen
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bold; shameless
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broach
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to mention for the first time
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bucolic
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characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral
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burgeon
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to flourish
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burnish
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to polish
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buttress
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to support; reinforce
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cacophonous
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unpleasant or harsh-sounding
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cadge
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to beg; sponge
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callous
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thick-skinned; insensitive
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calumny
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false and malicous accusation; slander
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canard
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false, deliberately misleading story
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canon
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an established principle; a basis or standard for judgement; group of literary works
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cant
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insincere talk; language of a particular group
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cantankerous
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irritable; ill-humored
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capricious
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fickle
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captious
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faultfinding; intended to entrap
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cardinal
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of foremost importance
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carnal
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of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites
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carping
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complaining; to find fault
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cartography
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the science of making maps
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caste
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social stratification
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castigation
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punishment; criticism; chastisement
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caraclysm
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violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change
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catalyst
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something causing change
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categorical
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absolute; without exception
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caucus
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smaller group within an organization
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causal
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involving a cause
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caustic
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sarcastically biting; burning
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celestial
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concerning the sky/heavens; sublime
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centrifugal
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moving away from a center
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centripetal
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moving toward a center
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champion
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to defend or support
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chasten
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to correct by punishment or reproof
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chicanery
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trickery; fraud
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chivalry
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the qualities idealized by knighthood: bravery, gallantry toward women
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churlish
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rude; boorish
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circuitous
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roundabout
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clairvoyent
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one who can predict the future; psychic
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clamor
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noisy outcry
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clique
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small, exclusive group
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cloister
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confine; seclude
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coagulate
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thicken; congeal
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coalesce
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to cause to become one
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coda
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summarizes or concludes (esp. literary, musical composition)
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codify
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systematize
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cognizant
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informed; conscious; aware
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commensurate
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proportional
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collage
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artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; assemblage of diverse elements
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compendium
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brief, comprehensive summary
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complacent
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self-satisfying
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complaisent
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overly polite; obliging; willing to please
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complement
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completes or makes up a whole
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compliant
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yielding
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compunction
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uneasiness caused by guilt
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concave
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curving inward
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conciliatory
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overcoming distrust or hostility
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concoct
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to invent
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concomitant
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existing concurrently
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condone
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overlook voluntarily; forgive
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confound
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to baffle; perplex; mix up
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congenial
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suited to; similar in tastes or habits
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conjugal
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pertaining to marriage agreement
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