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249 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
forte
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strong point or special talent in a person's character
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fussy
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fastidious; finicky; easily upset
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credential
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evidence concerning one's authority; written proof of a person's position; Ex. The new ambassador presented his credentials to the court.
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conifer
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pine tree (usu. evergreen); cone-bearing tree; ADJ. coniferous; CF. deciduous; CF. evergreen
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gazette
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official periodical publication; newspaper
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demographic
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related to population balance; N. demography: statistical study of human population
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vision
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eyesight; foresight; mental image produced by the imagination; experience of seeing the supernatural
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impute
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attribute; ascribe; charge; N. imputation
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rolling
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(of land) rising and falling in long gentle slopes; happening continuously by stages; Ex. rolling devolution of power to local governments
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lucre
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money; profit; Ex. filthy lucre
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adjutant
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staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
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neophyte
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recent convert; new member of a religious group; beginner; CF. plant
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soothsayer
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one who foretells the future
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foment
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stir up; incite; instigate; promote the growth of (something evil or unpleasant)
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yore
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time long past; Ex. in the days of yore
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prelate
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church dignitary; priest of high position in the church (esp. bishop)
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daze
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stun as with a blow or shock; bemuse; benumb; N.
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incompatible
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inharmonious; N. incompatibility
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integral
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complete; necessary for completeness; Ex. integral part
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raiment
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clothing; garments; Ex. I have no raiment fit to wear.
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weird
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eerie; strange; unnatural
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accost
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approach and speak first to a person
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labyrinth
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maze
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predicament
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difficult situation; tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma
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rickety
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(of buildings) likely to break or fall apart; of rickets; CF. rickets; CF. vitamin D
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inroad
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hostile invasion; advance that lessens the quantity or difficulty of something; Ex. The long illness made serious inroads on his savings; CF. raid
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abrasive
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rubbing away; tending to grind down
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jest
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playful remark or act; V. act or speak playfully
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prosper
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become successful (esp. financially); thrive; grow well; Ex. children prospering under his care
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elysian
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relating to paradise; blissful
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abscission
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cutting off; separation
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luminary
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celebrity (in a specific field); dignitary; object that gives light (as a celestial body)
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selective
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careful in choosing; having an effect only on certain things; not general; Ex. eclectic weed killer
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shoddy
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made of inferior material; sham; not genuine; inferior; dishonest; Ex. shoddy goods/trick
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windfall
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fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event
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catechism
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book for religious instruction in question-and-answer form; religious instruction by question and answer; V. catechize
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sear
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burn the surface of; char or burn; brand; parch; cause (a plant) to wither
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indefatigable
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tireless; untiring; showing no sign of getting tired
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suavity
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urbanity; polish; ADJ. suave: smooth and courteous
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secession
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withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership
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impasse
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predicament(dangerous condition) from which there is no escape; situation allowing for no further progress
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fructify
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bear fruit; produce fruit
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effervescence
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inner excitement or exuberance; showing high spirits; emitting bubbles forming inside; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation; ADJ. effervescent; V. effervesce
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obnoxious
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offensive; disagreeable; Ex. obnoxious smell
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expos\'e
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public revelation of something discreditable
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natation
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swimming
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dislodge
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remove (forcibly); force out of a position; Ex. dislodge the food caught in his throat; CF. lodge
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partiality
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state of being partial; inclination; favorable bias; special fondness; preference
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stereotype
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one regarded as embodying a set image or type; fixed and unvarying representation; standardized mental picture often reflecting prejudice; Ex. stereotype of the happy slave; V: make a stereotype of; represent by a stereotype; Ex. It is wrong to stereotype
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humility
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humbleness of spirit
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odorous
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having an odor
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tinge
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give a slight degree of a color or quality to; N: slight degree of a color or quality; Ex. tinged with grey/jealousy
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antiquated
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obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated
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curator
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superintendent; manager (in charge of a museum or a library)
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pandemonium
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wild tumult(commotion); wild noisy disorder; CF. Paradise Lost
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adversary
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opponent; enemy
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derivation
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deriving; origin or source of something; Ex. the derivation of the word
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flippant
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lacking proper seriousness; Ex. flippant remarks about death; N. flippancy
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collected
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composed; calm; self-possessed
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avid
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greedy; extremely eager for; Ex. avid learner; N. avidity
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ballast
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heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast
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wince
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move back suddenly; shrink back; flinch; Ex. She winced as she touched the cold body.
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posterity
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descendants; future generations; Ex. go down to posterity; CF. posterior, anterior
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portly
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stout; corpulent
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correlation
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mutual relationship
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ensue
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follow (as a result)
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effrontery
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rudeness without any sense of shame; shameless boldness; presumptousness; nerve; cheek
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concurrent
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happening at the same time; in agreement
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mutilate
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maim; injure lastingly; deprive of a limb or an essential part
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ennui
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boredom; listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; CF. annoy
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emblazon
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ornament richly (a shield or flag); N. emblazonment
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drama
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prose or verse composition to be performed by actors; play; exciting and unusual situation
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pensive
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dreamily or deeply thoughtful; sadly thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative; CF. think over
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barrage
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barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism
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amphitheater
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oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
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carping
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petty criticism; fault-finding; fretful complaining; quibble
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wean
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accustom a baby not to nurse; accustom (the young of a mammal) to take nourishment other than by suckling; give up a cherished activity; cause to gradually leave (an interest or habit); Ex. wean oneself from cigarettes
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psychosomatic
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of the influence of the mind on the body (esp. with respect to disease)
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pith
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core or marrow; spongelike substance in the center of stems; essence; substance
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scorch
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sear; N.
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elastic
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able to spring back into shape; quick to recover (as from disappointment); able to adapt to change; Ex. elastic plans; N: elastic material
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rejoinder
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reply; retort; comeback; V. rejoin: say in reply
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wrath
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anger; fury
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requisition
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formal demand or request; Ex. requisition for more computing equipment; V.
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redundant
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superfluous; more than is necessary; verbose; excessively wordy; repetitious
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antediluvian
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antiquated; extremely ancient
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Shangri-la
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imaginary remote paradise on earth; CF. Lost Horizon
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pulse
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rhythmical throbbing of arteries; brief sudden change in a normally constant quantity; V: pulsate
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precedent
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preceding (in time, rank, etc.)
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taut
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tight; strained; tense; ready; OP. slack
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discompose
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disturb the composure of; confuse
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abstain
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refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote; ±â±ÇÇÏ´Ù
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intervene
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come between; interfere; Ex. intervened to prevent a fight; N. intervention
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ossify
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change or harden into bone; become hard and unchanging in one's ideas
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dissent
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disagree
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compartment
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one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided
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allure
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entice; attract; tempt
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blunder
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error; stupid mistake
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concession
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an act of yielding; conceding; something conceded; point, right, etc. given unwillingly; privilege of maintaining a business in a certain place; Ex. oil concessions in the North sea; CF. concessionaire
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zephyr
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gentle breeze; west wind
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fortuitous
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accidental; by chance; N. fortuity
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traverse
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go through or across
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drone
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idle person who lives on other people's work; male bee
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mischief
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behavior (of children) causing trouble with no serious harm; damage; harm; Ex. mischief to the crops; ADJ. mischievous: causing mischief; playfully troublesome
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representational
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(of a style of art) showing things as they actually appear in real life
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incantation
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singing or chanting of magic spells; magical formula; (the saying of) words used in magic; CF. enchant
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mutablility
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ability to change in form; fickleness; ADJ. mutable: able to change; fickle; CF. mutate; CF. mutant
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exorcise
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drive out evil spirits
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inextricable
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from which it is impossible to get free; that cannot be untied; Ex. inextricable troubles; Ex. inextricable two histories
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insinuate
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hint; imply; suggest indirectly; creep in; introduce or insert (oneself) by artful means; Ex. insinuate himself into the boss's favor; CF. ingratiate
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perquisite(perk)
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any gain above stipulated salary; Ex. perquisites such as free meals and a car
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dainty
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delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
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anodyne
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drug that relieves pain or trouble; ÁøÅëÁ¦; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
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hermetic
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sealed by fusion so as to be airtight; airtight
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sumptuous
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grand suggesting great expense; lavish; rich; Ex. sumptuous feast
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pestilential
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causing plague; tending to cause death; baneful; N. pestilence: fatal epidemic disease (esp. bubonic plague)
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refuse
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anything discarded or rejected as worthless; trash
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tirade
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long angry denunciatory speech; diatribe; harangue; extended scolding; denunciation
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laity
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laypersons; laymen; persons not connected with the clergy
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brackish
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somewhat saline
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surrogate
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substitute; person or thing used in place of another; Ex. surrogate mother; ADJ.
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remonstrate
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protest; objection; V. remonstrate: say in protest
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preempt
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prevent in advance; head off(forestall); forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself before others; supplant; take the place of; displace; Ex. preempt any attempts; ADJ. preemptive
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coy
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shy (flirtatiously); showing a (pretended) lack of self-confidence; modest; coquettish; CF. job offer¸¦ ¹Þ3/4ÒÀ» ¶§
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endearment
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fond word or act; expression of affection
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contend
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struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly
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kleptomaniac
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person who has a compulsive desire to steal
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molecule
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the smallest particle (one or more atoms) of a substance that has all the properties of that substance
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illusion
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misleading vision or visual image; false idea or belief; CF. delusion
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recant
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disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error; Ex. recant one's faith/a statement
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ordinance
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decree; authoritative order
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somnolent
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half asleep; drowsy; N. somnolence
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swear-word
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word considered offensive; Ex. ``bloody''
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extrapolation
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projection; conjecture; V. extrapolate: infer (unknown information) from known information
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wily
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crafty; cunning; artful; N. wile: deceitful stratagem
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gibe
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mock; make jeering remarks; N: jeering remarks
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conspiracy
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treacherous plot; secret plan against the law (by two or more people)
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allege
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state without proof
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dyslexia
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word blindness; learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to read
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prevalent
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widespread; generally accepted
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concede
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admit; acknowledge as being true (often reluctantly); yield; grant; Ex. concede a goal
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consign
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send to a person or place for sale; deliver officially; entrust; put into the care of another; set apart (for a special purpose); N. consignment; CF. consignor, consignee
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swelter
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(of a person) suffer from oppressive heat; be oppressed by heat
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relinquish
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give up something (with reluctance); yield; release; Ex. relinquish power/the claim to the land/his hold on my arm
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waif
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homeless child or animal; Ex. waifs and strays
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fitful
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spasmodic; intermittent; irregular
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plump
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pleasantly fat; nicely rounded
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lot
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object used in making a determination at random; fate; piece of land
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pivotal
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of a pivot; central; critical; crucial
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defeatist
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resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. defeatism
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helm
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steering wheel of a ship; position of control
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dissimulate
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pretend; conceal by feigning; dissemble
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impediment
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hindrance; stumbling-block; speech defect preventing clear articulation; Ex. speech impediment
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cardinal
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chief; most important; N: priest; cardinal number: number that shows quantity rather thatn order
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vicissitude
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change (esp. from good to bad); change of fortune; CF. the last emperor of China
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esteem
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respect; value; judge; N.
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mesmerize
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hypnotize; N. mesmerism; CF. Franz Mesmer
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excerpt
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selected passage (written or musical) taken from a longer work; V.
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jettison
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throw overboard (from a ship or plane)
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trance
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hypnotic state; ecstatic state; detachment from one's physical surrounding (as in contemplation or daydreaming); CF. transition
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jeopardize
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endanger; imperil; put at risk; N. jeopardy: danger
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contusion
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bruise
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juxtapose
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place side by side; CF. next
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condiments
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seasonings; spices
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lumber
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move heavily or clumsily; Ex. The bear lumbered through the woods; N: timber
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vagary
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capricious happening; caprice; whim; CF. wander
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lionize
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treat (a person) as a celebrity
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minion
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servile dependent; obsequious follower
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undulating
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moving with a wavelike motion; V. undulate; CF. und: wave
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sensual
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devoted to the pleasures of the sense; carnal; voluptuous; Ex. sensual woman/curves/lips
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casual
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happening by chance; irregular; occasional; informal; showing or feeling little interest; Ex. casual reader/labor/remark
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misconduct
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immoral behavior; bad management; V.
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allocate
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assign; set apart for a particular purpose
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dowdy
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untidy (of a woman or clothes); slovenly; dressed in an unattractive way; shabby; CF. unattractive woman
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oblivion
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obscurity; condition of being completely forgotten; forgetfulness
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vernal
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pertaining to spring
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arch-
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chief; first; Ex. archbishop
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parched
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extremely dry; very thirsty; V. parch: make or become extremely dry (by exposure to heat)
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pallid
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pale; wan; Ex. pallid complexion
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reticent
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inclined to silence; uncommunicative; reserved; Ex. He was reticent about the reasons; N. reticence
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quirk
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sudden sharp turn or twist; startling twist; caprice; idiosyncrasy; peculiarity of behavior; Ex. by a quirk of fate
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tractable
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docile; easily managed; (of something) easily changed or molded; N. tractability
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mendacious
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lying; habitually dishonest; N. mendacity
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belligerent
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quarrelsome
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unintimating
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unfrightening
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clown
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act stupidly; play the fool; N.
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quixotic
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idealistic but impractical; CF. Don Quixote
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chaste
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morally pure; virginal; abstaining from illicit sexual acts; modest; simple (of a style of writing); not highly decorated; austere
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truculence
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aggressiveness; ferocity; ADJ. truculent: aggressive; pugnacious; fierce
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devious
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roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route
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beneficial
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helpful; useful; advantageous
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magniloquent
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boastful; pompous
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incongruity
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lack of harmony; absurdity; ADJ. incongruous: lacking in harmony; inappropriate
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tessellated
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mosaic; inlaid; Ex. tessellated pattern
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cow
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terrorize; intimidate
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veritable
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being truly so; real or genuine; actual; not false or imaginary
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shambles
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(place or scene of) complete disorder or ruin; wreck; mess; Ex. After the hurricane, the coast was a shambles.
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matrimony
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state of being married
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illusive
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deceiving; based on illusion; causing illusion; deceptive
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expatriate
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exile; someone who has withdrawn from his native land; V: exile; banish; leave one's country
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contravene
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contradict; oppose; violate (a rule, law, or custom); N. contravention
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conformity
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harmony; agreement with established rules or customs; similarity; Ex. behave in conformity with; V. conform: be similar; act in agreement; comply; Ex. conform to the rule; CF. conformance
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potion
|
dose (of liquids); liquid dose
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patrimony
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property inherited from a father
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offensive
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attacking; insulting; distasteful; V. offend: violate; hurt the feelings of; N. offense: offending; violating of a moral or social code; crime; attack; Ex. first offense
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vital
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full of life; animated; vibrant and lively; critical; of great importance; necessary to stay alive; of life; living; breathing; N. vitality; V. vitalize
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ascendancy
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controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant
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thrash
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beat with a whip or flail; defeat utterly; talk about thoroughly in order to find the answer; move wildly or violently; Ex. The fishes thrashed about in the net.
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lust
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intense sexual desire; intense eagerness; V.
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multiplicity
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state of being numerous or multiple; large number; Ex. multiplicity of details; ADJ. multiple: of more than one element
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imprecation
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curse; swearword
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servile
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slavish; cringing; N. servility
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calorific
|
heat-producing; N. calorie
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thesis
|
opinion put forward and supported by reasoned arguments
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metaphysical
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pertaining to speculative philosophy; of metaphysics; N. metaphysics: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
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nutritious
|
providing nourishment
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despot
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tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism
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hedonist
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one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life; CF. hedonism: practice of living one's life purely for pleasure
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visage
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face; appearance
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tangential
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only slightly connected; not central; peripheral; digressing; showing divergence; CF. tangent
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thespian
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pertaining to drama; N: actor or actress
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controvert
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oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict; ADJ. controversial; N. controversy
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mash
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crush into mash; convert into mash; N: mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl
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artless
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without guile; open and honest
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crest
|
top (as of a hill or wave); showy feathers on the head of a bird
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temperate
|
moderate; restrained; self-controlled; moderate in respect to temperature; CF. temperance: moderation and self-restraint; abstinence of alcoholic drinks; Ex. temperance society
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demoniac
|
fiendish; cruel; N. demon: evil supernatural being; devil
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inordinate
|
beyond reasonable limits; unrestrained; excessive; Ex. inordinate demands
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exorbitant
|
(of costs or demands) excessive; exceeding reasonable bounds
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slur
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slander; insult to one's character or reputation; V.
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inimical
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(of someone) unfriendly; hostile; (of something) harmful; detrimental; CF. enemy
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maculated
|
spotted; stained; CF. immaculate
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poultice
|
soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
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viand
|
food; CF. live
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duration
|
length of time something lasts
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plumb
|
exactly vertical; N: weight on the end of a line; V: examine very carefully or critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding); Ex. plumb the depth of
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pillage
|
plunder
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fallible
|
liable to err
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battalion
|
army unit made up of four or more companies
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parchment
|
writing material made from the skin of a sheep or goat
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attenuate
|
make thin; weaken
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enact
|
make (a bill) into law
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substantial
|
of substance; material; solid; essential or fundamental; ample; considerable; well-to-do; wealthy
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pyromaniac
|
person with an insane desire to set things on fire
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idyllic
|
charmingly carefree; simple and happy; Ex. idyllic scene
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prepossessing
|
attractive; CF. preoccupying ?
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mortify
|
humiliate by embarassing excessively; shame; punish the flesh; discipline (one's body) by self-denial; Ex. mortified by her blunder; Ex. mortify the flesh; CF. cause to die
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psychosis
|
mental disorder; ADJ. N. psychotic
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wilt
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loose freshness; droop
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