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120 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
talisman
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charm
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She wore the talisman to ward off evil.
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umbrage
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resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult
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She took umbrage at his remarks and stormed away in a huff.
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vagrant
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stray; random
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He tried to study, but could not collect his vagrant thoughts.
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waive
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give up temporarily; yield
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I will waive my rights in this matter in order to expedite our reaching a proper decision.
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yoke
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join together; unite
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I don't wish to be yoked to him in marriage, as if we were cattle pulling a plow.
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zephyr
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gentle breeze; west wind
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When these zephyrs blow, it is good to be in an open boat under a full sail.
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aberrant*
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abnormal or deviant
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Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
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bait
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harass; tease
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The school bully baited the smaller children, terrorizing them.
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cadence
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rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat
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Marching down the road, the troops sang out, following the cadence set by the sergeant.
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dapper
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neat and trim
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In The Odd Couple, Tony Randall played Felix Unger, an excessively dapper soul who could not stand to have a hair out of place.
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ecclesiastic
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pertaining to the church
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The minister donned his ecclesiastic garb and walked to the pulpit.
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facilitate*
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help bring about; make less difficult
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Rest and proper nourishment should facilitate the patient's recovery.
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gale
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windstorm; gust of wind; emotional outburst (laughter, tears)
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The Weather Channel warned viewers about a rising gale, with winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
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halcyon
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calm; peaceful
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In those halcyon days, people were not worried about sneak attacks and bombings.
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idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic
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individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity
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One of Richard Nixon's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for ketchup on cottage cheese. One of Hannibal Lecter's little idiosyncrasies was his liking for human flesh.
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jaunty
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lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree
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In Singing in the Rain, Gene Kelly sang and danced his way through the lighthearted title number in a properly jaunty style.
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kindred
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related; similar in nature or character
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Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were two kindred spirits.
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lackadaisical
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lacking purpose or zest; halfhearted; languid
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Because Gatsby had his mind more on his love life than on his finances, he did a very lackadaisical job of managing his money.
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maculated
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spotted; stained
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Instead of writing that Gobachev had a birthmark on his forehead, the pompous young poet sang of the former premier's maculated brow.
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natty
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neatly or smartly dressed
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Priding himself on being a natty dresser, the gangster Bugsy Siegel collected a wardrobe of imported suits and ties.
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obfuscate
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confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex
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Was the president's spokesman trying to clarify the Whitewater mystery, or was he trying to obfuscate the issue so the voters would never figure out what went on?
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palatable
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agreeable; pleasing to the taste
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Neither Jack's underbaked opinions nor his overcooked casseroles were palatable to me.
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quaint
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odd; old-fashioned; picturesque
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Her quaint clothes and old-fashioned language marked her as an eccentric.
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rakish
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stylish; sporty
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He wore his hat at a rakish and jaunty angle.
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saga
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Scandinavian myth; any legend
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This is a saga of the sea and the men who risk their lives on it.
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tangential*
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peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing
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Despite Clark's attempts to distract her with tangential remarks, Lois kept on coming back to her main question: Why couldn't he come out to dinner with Superman and her?
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unaccountable
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inexplicable; unreasonable or mysterious
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I have taken an unaccountable dislike to my doctor: "I do not love thee, Doctor Fell. The reason why, I cannot tell."
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vagrant, vagrancy
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homeless wanderer
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Because he was a stranger in town with no visible means of support, Martin feared he would be jailed as a vagrant.
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wake
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trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before
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The wake of the swan gliding through the water glistened in the moonlight. Reporters and photographers converged on South Carolina in the wake of the hurricane that devastated much of the eastern seaboard.
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yokel
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country bumpkin
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Although her older sisters both had married farmers, Rita rejected the notion of marrying some uncultivated yokel.
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aberration
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abnormality; departure from the norm; mental irregularity or disorder
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It remains the consensus among investors on Wall Street that current high oil prices are a temporary aberration and that we shall soon see a return to cheap oil.
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baleful
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threatening; meanacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
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The bully's baleful glare across the classroom warned Tim to expect trouble after school. Blood-red in color, the plant Mars has long been associated with warfare and slaughter because of its ominous, baleful appearance.
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cadge
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beg; mooch; panhandle
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While his car was in the shop, Bob had to cadge a ride to work each day. Unwilling to be a complete moocher, however, he offered to pay for the gas.
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dappled
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spotted
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The sunlight filtering through the screens created a dappled effect on the wall.
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eclectic*, eclecticism
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selective; composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
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His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishing from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor.
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facsimile
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copy
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Many museums sell facsimiles of the works of art on display.
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gall
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bitterness; nerve
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The knowledge of his failure filled him with gall.
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hale
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healthy
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After a brief illness, he was soon hale.
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idolatry*
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worship of idols; excessive admiration
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Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the excessive enthusiasm of youth.
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jeopardize, jeopardy
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endanger; imperil; put at risk
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You can't give me a D in chemistry; you'll jeopardize my chances of being admitted to M.I.T.
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kinetic
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producing motion
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Designers of the electric automobile find that their greatest obstacle lies in the development of light and efficient storage batteries, the source of the kinetic energy needed to propel the vehicle.
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lackluster
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dull
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We were disappointed by the lackluster performance.
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madrigal
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pastoral song
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Her program of folk songs included several madrigals that she sang to the accompaniment of a lute.
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nauseate
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cause to become sick; fill with disgust
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The foul smells began to nauseate her.
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obituary
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death notice
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I first learned of her death when I read the obituary in the newspaper.
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palate
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roof of the mouth; sense of taste
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When you sound out the letter "d", your tongue curves up to touch the edge of your palate. When Alice was sick, her mother made special means to tempt her palate.
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qualified* (secondary meaning)
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limited; restricted
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Unable to give the candidate full support, the mayor gave him only a qualified endorsement.
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rally
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call up or summon (forces, vital powers, etc.); revive or recuperate
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Washington quickly rallied his troops to fight off the British attack. The patient had been sinking throughout the night, but at dawn she rallied and made a complete recovery.
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sagacious, sagacity
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perceptive; shrewd; having insight
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My father was a sagacious judge of character; he could spot a phony a mile away.
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tangible
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able to be touched; real; palpable
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Although Tom did not own a house, he had several tangible assets -- a car, a television, a PC -- that he could sell if he needed cash.
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unanimity, unanimous
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complete agreement
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We were surprised by the unanimity with which our proposals were accepted by the different groups.
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vainglorious
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boastful; excessively conceited
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She was a vainglorious and arrogant individual.
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wallow
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roll in; indulge in; became helpless
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The hippopotamus loves to wallow in the mud.
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yore
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time past
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She dreamed of the elegant homes of yore, but gave no thought to their inelegant plumbing.
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abet
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assist, usually in doing something wrong; encourage
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She was unwilling to abet him in the swindle he had planned.
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balk
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stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue
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The chief of police balked at sending his officers into the riot-torn area.
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cajole, cajolery
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coax; wheedle
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Cher tried to cajole her father into letting her drive the family car.
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daub
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smear (as with paint)
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From the way he daubed his paint on the canvas, I could tell he knew nothing of oils.
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eclipse
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darken; extinguish; surpass
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The new stock market high eclipsed the previous record set in 1985.
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faction
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party; clique; dissension
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The quarrels and bickering of the two small factions within the club disturbed the majority of the members.
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gall
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annoy; chafe
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Their taunts galled him.
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hallowed
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blessed; consecrated
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Although the dead girl's parents had never been active churchgoers, they insisted that their daughter be buried in hallowed ground.
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idyllic
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charmingly carefree; simple
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Far from the city, she led an idyllic existence in her rural retreat.
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jettison
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throw overboard
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In order to enable the ship to ride safely through the storm, the captain had to jettison much of his cargo.
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kismet
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fate
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Kismet is the Arabic word for "fate".
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laconic*
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brief and to the point
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Many of the characters, portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.
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maelstrom
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whirlpool
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The canoe was tossed about in the maelstrom.
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nautical
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pertaining to ships or navigation
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The Maritime Museum contains models of clipper ships, logbooks, anchors, and many other items of a nautical nature.
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objective
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not influenced by emotions; fair
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Even though he was her son, she tried to objective about his behavior.
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palatial
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magnificent
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He proudly showed us through his palatial home.
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qualms
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misgivings; uneasy fears, especially about matters of conscience
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I have no qualms about giving this assignment to Helen; I know she will handle it admirably.
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ramble
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wander aimlessly (physically or mentally)
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Listening to the teacher ramble, Judy wondered whether he'd ever get to his point.
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sage*
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person celebrated for wisdom
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Hearing tales of a mysterious Master of All Knowledge who lived in the hills of Tibet, Sandy was possessed with a burning desire to consult the legendary sage.
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tanner
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person who turns animal hides into leather
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Using a solution of tanbark, the tanner treated the cowhide, transforming it into supple leather.
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unassailable
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not subject to question; not open to attack
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Penelope's virtue was unassailable; while she waited for her husband to come back from the war, no other guy had a chance.
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valedictory
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pertaining to farewell
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I found the valedictory address too long; leave-taking should be brief.
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wan
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having a pale or sickly color; pallid
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Suckling asked, "Why so pale and wan, fond love?"
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abeyance*
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suspended action
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The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.
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balk
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foil
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When the warden learned that several inmates were planning to escape, he took steps to balk their attempt.
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calamity
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disaster; misery
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As news of the calamity spread, offers of relief poured in to the stricken community.
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daunt*
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intimidate; frighten
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"Boast all you like of your prowess. Mere words cannot daunt me," the hero answered the villain.
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ecologist
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person concerned with the interrelationship between living organisms and their environment
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The ecologist was concerned that the new dam would upset the natural balance of the creatures living in Glen Canyon.
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factious
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inclined to form factions; causing dissension
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The pollsters' practice of dividing up the map of America into Red and Blue states reinforces factious feelings among Americans, who increasingly define themselves as members of one of the two major political parties. Do not confuse factious with fractious (unruly, unmanageable) or with factitious (not natural; not genuine; bogus).
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galleon
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large sailing ship
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The Spaniards pinned their hopes on the galleon, the large warship; the British, on the smaller and faster pinnace.
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hallucination
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delusion
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I think you were frightened by a hallucination that you created in your own mind.
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igneous
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produced by fire; volcanic
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Lava, pumice, and other igneous rocks are found in great abundance around Mount Vesuvius near Naples.
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jibe
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agree; be in harmony with
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Moe says Curly started the fight; Curly insists it was Moe. Their stories just don't jibe.
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kleptomaniac
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person who has a compulsive desire to steal
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They discovered that the wealthy customer was a kleptomaniac when they caught her stealing some cheap trinkets.
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laggard, lag
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slow; sluggish
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The sailor had been taught not to be laggard in carrying out orders.
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magisterial
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authoritative; imperious
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The learned doctor laid down the law to his patient in a magisterial tone of voice.
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navigable
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wide and deep enough to allow ships to pass through; able to be steered
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So much sand had built up at the bottom of the canal that the waterway was barely navigable.
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objective
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goal; aim
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A degree in medicine was her ultimate objective.
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paleontology
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study of prehistoric life
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The professor of paleontology had a superb collection of fossils.
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quandary
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dilemma
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When both Harvard and Stanford accepted Laura, she was in a quandary as to which school she should attend.
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ramification
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branching out; subdivision
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We must examine all the ramifications of this problem.
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salacious
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lascivious; lustful
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Chaucer's monk is not pious but salacious, a taller of lewd tales and ribald jests.
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tantalize
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tease; torture with disappointment
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Tom loved to tantalize his younger brother with candy; he knew the boy was forbidden to have it.
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unassuaged
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unsatisfied; not soothed
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His anger is unassuaged by your apology.
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valid
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logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable
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You're going to have to come up with a better argument if you want to convince me that your reasoning is valid.
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wanderlust
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strong longing to travel
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Don't set your heart on a traveling man. He's got too much wanderlust to settle down.
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abhor, abhorrence
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detest; hate
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She abhorred all forms of bigotry.
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ballast
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heavy substance used to add stability or weight
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The ship was listing badly to one side; it was necessary to shift the ballast in the hold to get back on an even keel.
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calculated
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deliberately planned; likely
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Lexy's choice of clothes to wear to the debate tournament was carefully calculated. Her conventional suit was calculated to appeal to the conservative judges.
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dauntless
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bold
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Despite the dangerous nature of the undertaking, the dauntless soldier volunteered for the assignment.
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economy
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efficiency or conciseness in using something (secondary meaning)
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Reading the epigrams of Pope, I admire the economy of his verse: in few words he conveys worlds of meaning.
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factitious
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artificial; sham
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Hollywood actresses often create factitious tears by using glycerine.
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galvanize
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stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize
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News that the prince was almost at their door galvanized the ugly stepsisters into a frenzy of combing and primping.
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halting
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hesitant; faltering
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Novice extemporaneous speakers often talk in a halting fashion as they grope for the right words.
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ignite
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kindle; light
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When Desi crooned, "Baby, light my fire," literal-minded Lucy looked around for some paper to ignite.
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jingoist, jingoism
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extremely aggressive and militant patriot; warlike chauvinist
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Always bellowing "America first!" the congressman was such a jingoist you could almost hear the sabers rattling as he marched down the halls.
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knave, knavery
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untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel
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Any politician nicknamed Tricky Dick clearly has the reputation of a knave.
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lagoon
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shallow body of water near a sea; lake
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They enjoyed their swim in the calm lagoon.
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magnanimity*, magnanimous
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generosity
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Noted for his magnanimity, philanthropist Eugene Lang donated millions to charity.
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nebulous
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vague; hazy; cloudy
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Phil and Dave tried to come up with a clear, intelligible business plan, not some hazy, nebulous proposal.
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obligatory
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binding; required
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It is obligatory that books borrowed from the library be returned within two weeks.
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palette
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board on which a painter mixes pigments
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At the present time, art supply stores are selling a paper palette that may be discarded after use.
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quarantine
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isolation of a person, place, or ship to prevent spread of infection
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We will have to place this house under quarantine until we determine the exact nature of the disease.
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ramify
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divide into branches or subdivisions
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When the plant begins to ramify, it is advisable to rip off most of the new branches.
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salient
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prominent
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One of the salient features of that newspaper is its excellent editorial page.
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tantamount
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equivalent in effect or value
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Because so few Southern blacks could afford to pay the poll tax, the imposition of this tax on prospective voters was tantamount to disenfranchisement for black voters.
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