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94 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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bacchanalian
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drunken
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bacchanal
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noisy party with a lot of drinking
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Bacchanalia
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the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus
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badinage
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teasing conversation; banter; joking talk
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baleful
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evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look
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balk
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1. stop short
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ballast
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heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast
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balm
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something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
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pang
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sudden sharp feeling of pain
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balmy
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soft and mild (of air); fragrant
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banal
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hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; clich\'ed
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bandy
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discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with
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bane
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posion; cause of ruin; ADJ. baneful: harmful; poisonous
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barb
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sharp projection from fishhook
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bard
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poet
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barefaced
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shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
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unregenerate
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making no attempt to change one's bad practices
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baroque
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highly ornate
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barrage
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barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
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barrister
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counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; CF. bar
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bastion
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stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism
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bate
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let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate
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bauble
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trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
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bawdy
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indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd
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beatific
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giving or showing bliss; blissful
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beatitude
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blessedness; state of great happiness
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bedizen
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dress with vulgar finery
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finery
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beautiful clothes for a special occasion
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bedraggle
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wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled
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fuddle
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make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused
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begrudge
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envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn't begrudge him his success.
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beguile
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deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile
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behoove(behove)
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be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
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belabor
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harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically
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beleaguer
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besiege or attack (with an army); harass; beset
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belie
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contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure.
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bellicose
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warlike
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bemoan
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lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of
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bemused
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confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
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benediction
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blessing
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beneficent
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kindly; doing good
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benison
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blessing
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bent
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determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination
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bequeath
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leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest
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bereavement
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state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
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bereaved
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deprived of (someone beloved through death)
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bereft
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deprived of (something valuable); lacking
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beset
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harass or trouble from all directions; hem in
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hem
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surround tightly so that movement is impossible; Ex. hem in; N.
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besiege
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surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually
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besmirch
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soil; defile; make dirty
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betoken
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signify; indicate; be a sign of
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bevy
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large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets
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bicameral
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two-chambered as a legislative body
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bifurcated
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divided into two branches; forked
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bilious
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suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated
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bilk
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swindle; cheat
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bivouac
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temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.
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blanch
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bleach; whiten; make white or pale
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blandishment
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flattery
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blare
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loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
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blas\'e
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bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
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blighted
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suffering from a disease; destroyed
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blight
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plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy
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blithe(blithesome)
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gay; joyous
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bluster
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blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze
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bode
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foreshadow; portend
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bombastic
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pompous; using inflated language
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bombast
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grandiloquent
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boon
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blessing; benefit; something very helpful
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bowdlerize
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expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler
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brackish
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somewhat saline
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braggadocio
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boasting
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braggart
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boaster; bragger
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brandish
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wave around (a weapon); flourish
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brazen
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insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
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brindled
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tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
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tawny
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brownish yellow
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bristling
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rising like bristles; showing irritation
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brocade
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rich
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brooch
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ornamental clasp; pin
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brook
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tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream
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brusque
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blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
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bucolic
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rustic; pastoral
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buffet
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strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that's been set
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bugaboo
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bugbear; object of baseless terror
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bullion
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gold and silver in the form of bars
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bulwark
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strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
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burgeon
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grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon
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burlesque
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give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
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burnish
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make shiny by rubbing; polish
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buxom
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full-bosomed; plump; jolly
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bromide
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platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
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battalion
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army unit made up of four or more companies
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