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105 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
grate
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make a harsh noise; have an unpleasant effect; shred. The screams of the quarreling children grated on her nerves
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grapple
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wrstle; come to grips with. He grappled with the burglar and overpowered him
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graphic
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pertaining to the art of delineating; vividly described. I was particularly impressed by the graphic presentation of the storm
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granulate
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form into grains. Sugar that has been granulated dissolves mre readily than lump sugar. granule n.
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grandiose
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pretentiou; high-flownl ridiculously exaggerated; impressive. The aged matinee idol still have grandiose ontions of his supposed importance in the theatrical world
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grandiloquent
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pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language. The politician could never speak simply; she was always grandiloquent
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grandeur
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impressiveness; stateliness; majesty. no matter how often he hiked through the mountains, David never failed to be struck by the grandeur of the Sierra NEvada range
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granary
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storehouse for grain. We have reason to be thankful, for our crops were good and our granaries are full
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graduated
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arranged by degrees (of heigh, difficulty) Maragret loved her graduated set of Russian hollow wooden dolls; she spent hours happily putting the smaller dolls into their larger counterparts
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gourmet
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connoisseru of food and drink. The gourmet stated that this was the best onion soup she had ever tasted
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gourmand
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epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink. Gourmands lack self-restrain; if they enjoy a nparticular cusine. they eat far too much of it
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gouge
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overcharge. During the world series, ticket scalpers tried to gouge the public, asking astronomical prices even for bleacher seats
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gouge
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tear out. In that fight, all the rules were forgoten; the adversaries bit, kicked, andt ried to gouge each other's eyes out
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gossamer
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sheer; likecobwebs. Nylon can be woven into gossamer or thick fabrics
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gory
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bloody. The audience shuddered as they listened to the details of the gory massacre
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gorge
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stuff onself. The gluttonous guest gorged himself with food as though he had not eaten for days
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gorget
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narrow canyon; steep, rocky cleft. Terrified of heights, George could not bring himself to peer down into the gorget to see the rapids below
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goad
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urge on. She was goaded by her friends until she yielded to their wishes
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gnome
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dwarf; underground spirit. In medieval mythology, gnomes were the special guardians and inhabitants of subterranean mines
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gnarled
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twisted. The gnarled oak tree had been a landmark for years and was mentioned in several deeds
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glutton
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someone who eats too much. When Mother saw that Bobby had eaten all the cookies, she called him a little glutton
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glutinous
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sticky; viscous. Molasses is a glutinous substance
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glut
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overstock; fill to excess. The many manufacturers glutted the market and could not find purchasers for the many articles they had produced.
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glower
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scowl. The angry boy glowered at his father
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glossy
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smooth and shiing. I want this photograph printed on glossy paper, not matte
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glossary
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brief explanation of words used in the text. I have found the glossary in this book very usefull it has elimiinated many trips to the dictionary
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gloss over
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explain way. No matter how hard he tried to talk around the issue. President Bush could not glass over the fact that he had raised taxes after all
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gloat
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express evil satisfaction; view malevolently. As you gloat over your ill-gotten wealth, do you think of the many victims you have defrauded?
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glimmer
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shine erratically; twinkle. In the darkness of the cavern, the glowworms hanging from the cavern roof flimmered like distant stars
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glib
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fluent; facile; slick. Keeping up a steady patter to entertain his customers, the kitchen gadget salesman was a glib speaker, never at a loss for a word
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glean
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gather leavings. After the crops had been harvested by the machines, the peasants were permitted to glean the wheat left in th fields
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glaze
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cover with a thin and shiny surface. The freezing rain glazed the streets and made driving hazardous.
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glaring
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highly conspicuous; harshly bright. Glaring spelling or grammatical errors in your resume will unfavorably impress potential employers
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glacial
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like a glacier; extremely cold. Never a warm person, when offended Hugo could seem positively glacial
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gist
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essence. She was asked to give the gist of the essay in two sentences.
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girth
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distance around seomthing; circumference. It took an extra large cummerbund to fit around Andrew Carnegie's considerable girth
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gingerly
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very carefully. To separate egg whites, first crack the egg gingerly.
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giddy
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light-hearted; dizzy. He felt his giddy youth was past
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gibe
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mock. As you gibe at their superstitious beliefs, do you realize that you, to are guilty of smilarly foolish thoughts?
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gibberish
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nonsense; babling. Did you hear that foolish boy spouting gibberish about monsters from outer space?
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ghastly
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horrible. The murdered man was a ghastly sight
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gesticulation
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motion; gesture. Operatic performers are trained to make exaggerated gesticulations because of the large auditoriums in which they appear
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gestate
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evolve. as in prenatal growth. While this scheme was being gestated by the conspirators, they maintained complete silence about their intentions
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gerrymander
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change voting district lines in order to favor a political party. The illogical pattern of the map of this congressional district is proof that the state legislature gerrymandered this area in order to favor the majority party
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gerontocracy
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government ruled by old people. Gulliver visited a gerontocracy in which the young people acted as servants to their elders, all the while dreaming of the day they would be old enough to have servants of their own
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germinate
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cause to sprout; sprout. After the seeds germinate and develop their permanent leaves, the plants may be removed from the cold frames and transplanted ot the garden
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germinal
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pertaining to a germ; creative. Such an idea is germinal; I am certain that it will influence thinkers and philosophers for many generations
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germane
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pertinent; beraing upon the case at hand, closerly related. The lawyer objected that the testimoney being offered was not germane to the case at hand.
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genuflect
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bend the knee as in worship. A proud democrat, he refused to genuflect to any man.
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gentry
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people of standing; class of people jsut below nobility. The local gentry did not welcome the visits of the summer tourists and tried to ignore their presence in the community
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gentility
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those of gentle birth; refinement. Her family was proud of its gentility and elegance
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genteel
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well-bred; elegant. We are looking for a man with a genteel appearance who can inspire confidence by his cultivated manner.
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genre
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particular variety of art or literature. Both a short story writer and a poet, Langston Hughes proved himself equally skilled in either genre
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geniality
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cheerfulness; kindliness; sympathy. This restaurant is famous and popular because of the genialit of the proprietor, whot ries to make everyone happy. genial adj
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genesis
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beginning; origin. Tracing the genesis of a family is thet heme of 'roots'
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generic
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characteristic of an entire class or species. Sue knew so many computer programmers who spent their spare time playing fantasy games that she began to teir spare time playing fantasy games that she began to think that playing Dungeons & Dragons was a generic trait
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generate
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cause; produce; create. In his first days in office, President Clinton managed to generate a new mood of optimism; we hoped he could also generate a few new jobs
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generality
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vague statement. This report is filled with generalities; you must be more specific in your statements
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genealogy
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record of descent; lineage. He was proud of his genealogy and constantly referred to the achievements of his ancestors
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gazette
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official periodical publication. He read the gazettes regularly for the announcement of his promotion
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gawk
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stare foolishly; look in ope-mouthed we. The country boy gawked at the skyscrapers and neon lights of the big city
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gavel
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hammerlike too; mallet. 'sold!' cried the auctioneer, banging her gavel on the table to indicate she'd accepted the final bid
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gaunt
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lean and angular; barren. His once-round face looked surprisingly gaunt after he had lost weight.
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gaudy
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flashy; showy. The newest Trump shyscraper is typically gaudy, covered in gilded panels that gleam in the sun.
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gauche
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clumsy; coasrse and uncouth. Compared to the sophisticated young laides in their elegant gowns, tomboyish Jo felt gauche and out of place
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gastronomy
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science of preparing and serving good food. One of the by-products of his trip to Europe was his interest in gastronomy; he enjoyed preparing and serving foreign dishes to his friends
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garrulous
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loquacious; wordly; talkative. My uncle henry can out talk any other three people I know. He is the mst garrulous person in Cayuga County
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garnish
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decorate. Parsley was used to garnish the boiled potato
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garner
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gather; store up. Jennifer Garner garner her clothes and put them into the laundry.
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garish
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overbright in color; gaudy. She wore a rhinestone necklace with a garish red and gold dress trimmed with sequins
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gargoyle
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waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building. The gargoyles adorning the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris are amusing in their grotesqueness
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gargantuan
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huge; enormous. The gargantuan wrestler was terrified of mice
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garbled
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mixed up; jumbled; distorted. A facorite party game involves passing a whispered message from one person to another; by the time it reaches the last player, the message has become totally garbled.
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gape
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open widely. The huge pit gaped before him; if he stumbled, he would fall in. Slack-jawed in wonder, Huck gaped at the huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the limestone cavern
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gamut
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entire range. During the disaster, the gamut of Orlean is covered in water.
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gamely
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in a spirited manner; with courage. Because he had fought gamely against a much superior boxr, the crowd gave him a standing ovation when he left the arena
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gambol
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romp; skip about; leap playfully. Watching the children gambol in the park, Betty marveled at thir youthful energy and zest.
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gambit
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opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed. The player was afriaid to accept his oppoent's gambit because he feared a trap that as yet he could not see
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galvanize
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stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize. News that the prince was almost at their door galvanized the ugly stepsisters into a frenzy of combing and primping
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galleon
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large saililng ship. The Spaniards pinned their hopes on the galleon, the large warship; the British, on the smaller and faster pinnace.
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gall
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annoy; chafe. Their taunts galled him
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gall
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bitterness; nerve. The knowledge of his failure filled him with gall
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gale
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windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears). The Weater Channel warned viewers about a rishing gale, with winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
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galaxy
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large, isolated system of stars, such as the Milky Way; a collection of brilliant personalities. Science fiction speculates about the possible existence of life in other galaxies. The deaths of such famous actors as Bob Hope and Marlon Brando tells us that the galax of Hollywood superstars is rapidly disappearing
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gait
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manner of walking or running; speed. The lame man walked with an uneven gait
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gainsay
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deny. She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report.
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gaffe
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social blunder. According to Miss Manners, to call your husband by your lover's name is worse than a mere gaffe; it is a tactical mistake
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gadfly
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animal-biting fly; an irritating person. Like a gadly, he irritated all the guests at the hote; within forty-eight hours, everyone regarded him as an annoing busybody.
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tutile
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useless; hopeless; ineffectual. It is futile for m tro try to get any work done around here while the telphone is ringing every 30 seconds
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fusion
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union; blending; synthesis. So-called rockabitly music represents a fusion of country music and blues that became rock and roll
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fusillade
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simultaneous firing or outburst (or missles, questions) Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture concludes with a thunderous fusillade of annon fire
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furtive
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stealthy; sneaky. Noticing the furtive glance the customer gave the diamond bracelet on the counter, the jeweler wondered whether he had a potential shoplifter on his hands
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furor
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frenzy; great excitementt. The story of her embezzlement of the funds created a furor on the stock exchange
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funereal
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sad; solemn. I fail to understand why there is such a funereal atmosphere; we have lost a battle, not a war.
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fundamental
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basic; primary; essential. The committee discussed all sorts of side issues without ever getting down to addressing the fundamental problem.
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functionary
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official. As his case was transferred from one functionary to anotehr, he began to despair of ever reaching a settlement
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fulsome
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disgustingly excessive. Disgusted by her fans' fulsome admiration, the movie star retreated from the public, crying, 'i want to be alone!'
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fulminate
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denouce thunderously; exploe. Known for his 'fire and brimstone' sermons, the preacher fulminated against sinners and backsliders, consigning them to the flames of hell
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fulcrum
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support on which a lever rests. If we use this stone as a fulcrum and the crowbar as a lever, we may be able to move this boulder.
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fugitive
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fleeting or transitory; roving. The film brought a few fugitive images to her mind, but on the whole it made no lasting impression upon her
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frustrate
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thwart; defeat. Constant partisan bickering frustrated the governor's efforts to persuade the legislature to approve his proposed budget
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fruition
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bearing of fruit; fulfillment; realization. After years of scrimping and saving, her dream of owning her own home finally came to fruition
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froward
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stubbornly contray; obstinately disobedient. Miss Watson declared that Huck was a froward child, stubborn in his wickedness, and that no good would come of condoning his diobedience
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frolicsome
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prankish, gay. The frolicsome puppy tried to lick the face of its master
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frivolous
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lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant. Though Nancy enjoyed Bill's frivolous, lighthearted companionship, she sometimes wondered whether he could ever be serious
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