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249 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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orator
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public speaker
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havoc
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widespread damage; disorder; chaos
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demean
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disgrace; humiliate; debase in dignity; behave
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colloquy
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informal discussion; conversation
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primogeniture
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seniority by birth; state of being the first-born child; right of the eldest child (to inherit the entire property of one or both parents)
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delude
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deceive
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antipathy
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aversion; dislike or opposition
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regime
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method of system or government
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prognosticate
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predict (according to present indications)
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rarefied
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made less dense (of a gas); V. rarefy: make less dense; N. rarefaction
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notch
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V-shaped cut in a surface; V.
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mar
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spoil the appearance of
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pithy
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concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty
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dictum
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authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; CF. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)
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welt
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raised mark from a beating or whipping
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delirium
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mental disorder marked by confusion; uncontrolled excitement; ADJ. delirious
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gaudy
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flashy; showy
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gorge
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stuff oneself (with food); glut; CF. gorgeous: dazzlingly beautiful
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ewe
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female sheep
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intimate
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hint; suggest; imply; ADJ: marked by close relationship; familiar; private; personal; Ex. intimate knowledge/thoughts in the diary; N: close friend or confidant; CF. intimacy
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iconoclastic
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attacking cherished traditions; N. iconoclast: one who attacks traditional ideas; one who destroys sacred images
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verdigris
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green coating or patina on copper which has been exposed to the weather
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autonomous
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self-governing; N. autonomy
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spartan
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without attention to comfort; lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined; Ex. spartan living condition/life
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psychic
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of psyche; mental; of or possessing extraordinary mental powers
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culpable
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deserving blame; blameworthy
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pang
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sudden sharp feeling of pain
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detrimental
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harmful; damaging; N. detriment
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increment
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increase
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polemic
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attack or defense of an opinion; controversy or refutation; argument in support of point of view; N. polemics: art of debate or controversy
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marked
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noticeable; targeted for vengeance or attack; Ex. marked improvement/man
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practicable
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feasible
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submissive
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willing to obey orders; yielding; timid
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existential
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pertaining to existence; pertaining to the philosophy of existentialism
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unerringly
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infallibly; ADJ. unerring: making no mistakes
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clime
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climate
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gist
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essence; main point; substance
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facade(fa\c{c}ade)
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front or face (of building); superficial or false appearance
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compatible
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harmonious; in harmony with; able to exist together
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motif
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theme; recurrent thematic element in a musical or literary work; single or repeated pattern; figure
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intermediary
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intermediate; acting as a mediator; N: mediator; go-between
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sacrosanct
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invioably sacred; most sacred; inviolable
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impetus
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moving force; momentum; force of a moving body; incentive; stimulus; impulse
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transcendental
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going beyond common thought or ideas; impossible to understand by practical experiences or practices; known only by studying thoughts or intuition; OP. empirical; CF. transcendentalism
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esoteric
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hard to understand; known only to the chosen few, esp. initiates; N. esoterica
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impenitent
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not repentant
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facilitate
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help bring about; make less difficult
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entail
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make necessary; require; necessitate; involve; limit the inheritance of (property) to a specified succession of heirs; Ex. entail A on/upon B
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ursine
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bearlike; pertaining to a bear
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viable
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capable of maintaining life; feasible; practical or workable; Ex. viable scheme
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proselytize
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(induce someone to) convert to a religion or belief; N. proselyte: new convert to a doctrine or religion
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hindsight
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understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened
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pristine
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unspoiled; remaining in a pure state; characteristic of earlier times; primitive; Ex. an old book in pristine condition
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elope
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run away secretly with the intention of getting married
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scad
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a great quantity; Ex. scads of clothes
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diadem
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crown
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fervid
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ardent; zealous; hot
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taxonomist
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specialist in classifying (animals, etc.); CF. taxonomy: science of classification
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decorous
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proper (in behavior, conduct, or appearance)
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atrophy
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wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle (through lack of blood or lack of use)
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cogent
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convincing
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rustic
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pertaining to country people; unsophisticated; simple; crude; uncouth; (of furniture) rough with the bark left on; N. rural person; rustic person
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metallurgical
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pertaining to the art of removing metals from ores; N. metallurgy: science that deals with extracting metals from ores
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versatile
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having many talents; capable of working in many fields; having many uses or functions; N. versatility
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verisimilar
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having the appearance of truth or reality; probable or likely to be true; plausible
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endemic
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prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country; peculiar to a particular region or people; CF. pandemic
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penology
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study of prison management and criminal rehabilitation
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franchise
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right or privilege granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
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prosaic
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lacking in imagination; dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact(concerned with facts, not imagination or feelings); factual; CF. prose
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barb
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sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
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nebula
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diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas; galaxy
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politic
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prudent; judicious; well judged; expedient; well devised
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overthrow
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topple; N.
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reactionary
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strongly opposed to social or political change; opposing progress; politically ultraconservative; N. OP. radical
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grandiloquent
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(of a person or speech) using high sounding or important-sounding language; pompous; bombastic
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cleave
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split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to; N. cleavage; ADJ. cloven
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quisling
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traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling
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relegate
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put into a lower or worse place; banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign; Ex. relegate the old furniture to the children's room; Ex. relegated to the second division
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ordination
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ceremony conferring holy orders; ceremony of ordaining a priest
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goad
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urge on; drive with a goad; cause (someone) to do something by continued annoyance; Ex. They goaded him into doing it by saying he was a coward; N: sharp-pointed stick for driving cattle; stimulus; CF. annoy continually
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uproarious
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marked by commotion or uproar; very noisy (esp. with laughter); hilarious; causing loud laughter; extremely funny
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tantamount
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equivalent in effect or value; Ex. This invasion is tantamount to a declaration of war; CF. amount
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disinter
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dig up; unearth; OP. inter
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guile
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deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning; Ex. persuade her by guile
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pluck
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courage; V: pull off or out; pull out the hair or feathers of; ADJ. plucky: courageous; brave
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copious
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plentiful
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knell
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tolling of a bell especially to indicate a funeral, disaster, etc.; sound of the funeral bell; V.
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grouch
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bad-tempered complaint; person who keeps complaining; V: complain; grumble
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narcissist
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conceited person; N. narcissism; CF. narcissus
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sheaf
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bundle of stalks of grain; any bundle of things tied together
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vertebrate
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having a backbone or spinal column; N: group of animals having a segmented spinal column
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provisional
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tentative; temporary
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habitat
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natural home of a plant or animal; CF. habitation
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venal
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capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal
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viscid
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adhesive; gluey
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indignity
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treatment or situation that causes shame or loss of dignity, respect; offensive or insulting treatment; humiliating or degrading treatment; Ex. I suffered the indignity of having to say that in front of them.
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lexicon
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dictionary
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academic
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related to a school; not practical or directly useful
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impending
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nearing; approaching; about to happen
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turpitude
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depravity; baseness; Ex. moral turpitude
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studied
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carefully contrived; calculated; unspontaneous; deliberate; thoughtful; Ex. studied remark
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sober
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serious; solemn; not drunken; abstemious or temperate; V: make or become sober
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musky
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having the odor of musk; N. musk: odorous substance secreted by an Asian deer
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seminary
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school for training future ministers; secondary school, especially for young women
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wan
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having a pale or sickly color; pallid
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effectual
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able to produce a desired effect; valid
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shun
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keep away from; avoid deliberately; Ex. She has been shunned by her neighbors.
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latent
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present but not yet noticeable or active; dormant; hidden; N. latency; CF. potential
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feasible
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practical; able to be carried out; practicable
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benign
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kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor
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enterprising
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full of initiative; showing enterprise
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cog
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tooth projecting from a wheel
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sidetrack
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switch (a railroad car) to a siding; divert from a main issue; N. CF. siding: short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track
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detraction
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slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor
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unguent
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ointment
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supposition
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assumption; hypothesis; surmise; V. suppose
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gnome
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dwarf; underground spirit who guards treasure hoards
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redress
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remedy; compensation; Ex. seek redress for the damage to your car; V: put right; remedy or rectify (a wrong); make amends for
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microcosm
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small representative world; world in miniature; Ex. microcosm of English society
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miasma
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swamp gas; heavy vaporous atmosphere often emanating from decaying matter; pervasive corrupting influence; noxious atmosphere or influence
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stupefy
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stun; make numb (as with a drug); amaze
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supplicate
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petition humbly; pray to grant a favor
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condone
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overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
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cognitive
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having to do with knowing or perceiving related to the mental processes; N. cognition: the mental process of knowing
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eulogistic
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praising; full of eulogy
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rivet
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metal pin used for fastening metal plates together; V: fasten with a rivet; engross
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incoherent
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unintelligible; muddled; unable to express one's thoughts in an orderly manner; illogical; lacking cohesion; not coherent
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desperate
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having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort
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inequity
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unfairness; ADJ. inequitable
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prosperity
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good fortune and financial success; physical well-being
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abstemious
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sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
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ostracize
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banish from a group; exclude from public favor; ban; Ex. His friends ostracized him. N. ostracism
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numismatist
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person who collects coins; N. numismatics: study or collection of money, coins, and medals
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cauterize
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burn (a wound or snakebite, etc.) with hot iron or caustic substance to stop bleeding and prevent infection
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requiem
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mass for the dead; dirge
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ciliated
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having minute hairs; CF. cilium; CF. cilia: eyelash
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adverse
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going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
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subterfuge
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stratagem(deceptive scheme); pretense; evasion; Ex. resort to a harmless subterfuge
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embed(imbed)
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enclose; place in something; fix firmly in a surrounding mass
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veneer
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thin surface layer (of good quality wood, glued to a base of inferior material); cover; surface show; fa\c{c}ade; V.
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alchemy
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medieval chemistry
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feign
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pretend
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prohibitive
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so high as to prohibit purchase or use; tending to prevent the purchase or use of something; prohibiting; inclined to prevent or forbid; Ex. prohibitive tax
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ultimatum
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last demand; last warning; last statement of conditions that must be met; Ex. They have ignored our ultimatum.
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spruce
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neat and trim in appearance; smart; Ex. Be spruce for your job interview; V.
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perpetrate
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commit an offense; do (something wrong)
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uxorious
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excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife; CF. uxor: wife
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insubordination
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disobedience; rebelliousness; ADJ. insubordinate
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fake
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not genuine; N: one that is not genuine; impostor; sham; V: counterfeit; Ex. fake the results of the experiment/the signature
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morose
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ill-humored; sullen; sullenly melancholy
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ecliptic
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path of the sun and the planets
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anesthetic
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substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
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carillon
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a set of bells (often in a tower) capable of being played
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asperity
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sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter
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paramour
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illicit lover
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captious
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faultfinding; too critical
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forge
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counterfeit; reproduce fraudulently; form by heating in a forge and hammering into shape; move with a sudden increase of speed or power; Ex. forged ahead in the last two years; N: furnace where metals are heated
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topple
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become unsteady and fall down
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buccaneer
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pirate
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pernicious
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very harmful; deadly; very destructive; Ex. pernicious effect/anemia
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wax
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increase gradually (as the moon); grow
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stem
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stop or check (the flow of); Ex. stem the bleeding from the slashed artery; N: main axis of a plant; stalk
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cloying
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distasteful (because excessive); excessively sweet or sentimental; V. cloy: become unpleasant through too much sweetness or excess
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flinch
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hesitate; shrink back (in fear of something unpleasant); Ex. She did not flinch in the face of danger.
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ramification
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branching out; subdivision; one branch of a system; one of the results following from an action or decision; Ex. ramifications of a business/the decision
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stifle
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suppress; extinguish; inhibit; smother or suffocate
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bargain
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agreement between two groups or people; something for sale at a price advantageous to the buyer; V: negotiate; trade; Ex. bargaining power
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spasmodic
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fitful; periodic; of or like a spasm; N. spasm: sudden involuntary muscular contraction; sudden burst of energy or emotion
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complement
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complete; consummate; make perfect; N.
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titillate
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tickle; excite pleasantly; Ex. not to titillate the audience but to enlighten it
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ferment
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agitation; commotion(noisy and excited activity); unrest (of a political kind); V. produce by fermentation; undergo fermentation; cause (a state of trouble)
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gambol
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romp; skip about; leap about playfully; frolic; N.
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kaleidoscope
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tube in which patterns made by the reflection in mirrors of colored pieces of glass, etc. produce interesting symmetrical effects; series of changing events; Ex. kaleidoscope of European history; CF. beautiful
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figurative
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not literal but metaphorical; using a figure(impression) of speech
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hazard
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venture; put in danger; risk; Ex. hazard a guess; N: possible source of danger
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adjoin
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be next to
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licentious
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amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained
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nexus
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connection
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fluency
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smoothness of speech; ADJ. fluent
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cajole
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persuade by praise or false promise; coax; wheedle
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patent
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obvious; easily seen; open for the public to read; of or protected by a patent; Ex. patent to everyone; N.
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autocratic
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having absolute unchecked power; dictatorial; N. autocrat, autocracy
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inhibited
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(of a person) unable to express what one really feels
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repast
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meal; feast; banquet
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moribund
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dying; at the point of death; CF. death
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annals
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records arranged in yearly parts; history
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bastard
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illegitimate child
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lien
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legal claim or right on a property
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cognizance
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knowledge; ADJ. cognizant; having knowledge; aware
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voluptuous
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sensual; of or giving sensual pleasure; indulging in sensual pleasures; Ex. voluptuous lines; Ex. voluptuous life of the Romans; N. voluptuary: voluptuous person
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artisan
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a manually skilled worker
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acerbity
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bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
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refute
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disprove; prove to be false; N. refutation
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prodigy
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highly gifted child; person with exceptional talents; marvel; wonder
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primate
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group of mammals including humans
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sleigh
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large vehicle drawn by a horse over snow or ice
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crevice
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crack; fissure
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recluse
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hermit; loner; ADJ. reclusive
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apogee
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highest point; the point farthest from the earth; OP. perigee
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malapropism
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comic misuse of a word; CF. Mrs. Malaprop
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languid
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lacking energy or vitality; weary; sluggish; listless
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hap
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chance; luck
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contrive
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invent or fabricate in a clever way (by improvisation); manage; Ex. contrive to attract his attention
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inquisitor
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questioner (especially harsh); investigator; person making an inquisition
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transcendent
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exceeding ordinary limits; superior; surpassing; V. transcend: go beyond; exceed; surpass; N. transcendancy
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abnegation
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renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
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blighted
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suffering from a disease; destroyed
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betoken
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signify; indicate; be a sign of
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misogynist
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hater of woman; CF. misogyny
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suckle
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give or take milk at the breast or udder
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maleficient
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doing evil; N. maleficience
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anticlimax
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letdown in thought or emotion; something unexciting, ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting
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fleet
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fast; rapid; N. ADJ. fleeting: passing quickly; ephemeral
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document
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provide written evidence (for a claim); record with documents; N.
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rotundity
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roundness; sonorousness of speech
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incite
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arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist; Ex. incite a riot/the crowd to rebellion
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adjunct
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something attached to but holding an inferior position
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rationale
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fundamental reason or principle (on which a system or principle is based); fundamental reason or justification; grounds for an action
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solace
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comfort in sorrow or trouble; consolation; V: comfort or console in time of sorrow or trouble
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wary
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very cautious; watchful
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liability
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drawback; handicap; debts; obligation; responsibility; condition of being liable; ADJ. liable: likely; responsible (for paying)
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subsistence
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existence; means of subsisting; means of support; livelihood; V. subsist: exist; maintain life (at a meager level)
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yen
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strong desire; longing; urge; Ex. yen for travel
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putative
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supposed; reputed; generally regarded as such; Ex. putative father of the child
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strew
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spread randomly; sprinkle; scatter; Ex. flower girl strewing rose petals
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urgent
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compelling immediate action; pressing; persistent; importunate; Ex. urgent in his demands
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supplicant
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one who supplicates; ADJ.
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mawkish
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mushy(sentimental) and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; excessively and objectionably sentimental
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vulnerable
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susceptible to wounds or attack; N. vulnerability
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dynamo
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generator for producing electricity; energetic person
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pharisee
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Pharisee: member of an ancient Jewish group that emphasized strict observance of the Mosaic law (considering themselves very holy); hypocritical self-righteous person
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impale
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pierce (with a sharp point); Ex. impaled by the spear
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lucid
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easily understood; clear; intelligible; N. lucidity
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nepotism
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favoritism (to a relative); CF. nephew
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fathom
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comprehend; investigate; determine the depth of; N. unit of measurement for the depth of water
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amiss
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wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.
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onerous
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burdensome
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commune
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small (often rural) community whose members share work and income; V: exchange thoughts or feelings; Ex. commune with nature
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encircle
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surround
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blunt
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having a dull edge; abrupt and frank in speech or manner; brusque; V: make or become blunt
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authenticate
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prove genuine
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purgatory
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place of spiritual expiation; temporary state or place in which the souls must expiate their sins
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dermatologist
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one who studies the skin and its diseases
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high-flown
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highly pretentious or inflated
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facsimile
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copy
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arcane
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esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener
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clout
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great influence (especially political or social); hard blow with fist
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doom
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condemnation to a severe penalty; ruin; fate (esp. a tragic or ruinous one); V.
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incursion
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temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey
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