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25 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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billet
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board and lodging for troops
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The old cabins served as the soldiers' billets for two months.
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biped
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two-footed animal
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Human beings are bipeds, whereas horses are quadrupeds.
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bisect
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to cut into two (usually equal) parts
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We were so hungry that we bisected the cake and each ate a half.
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blanch
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to pale; take the color out of
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The murderess blanched when the man she thought she had killed walked into the room.
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blandish
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to coax with flattery
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We blandished the bouncer with compliments until he finally let us into the club.
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blasphemous
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cursing, profane, irreverent
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The protesters found the politician's offhanded biblical references blasphemous and inappropriate.
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blatant
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glaring, obvious, showy
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The movie was a blatant rip-off of Star Wars; they didn't even change the name of the villain!
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blight
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to afflict, destroy
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The farmers feared that the previous night's frost had blighted the potato crops entirely.
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blithe
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joyful, cheerful, without appropriate thought
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She blithely assumed that no one would care if she took the only printer in the office home with her.
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bludgeon
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to hit as with a short, heavy club
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Rudy was horrified to discover that vandals had bludgeoned his car with a baseball bat.
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boisterous
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rowdy, loud, unrestrained
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The boisterous football fans ran riot in the streets until the police restrained them.
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bombastic
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using high-sounding but meaningless language
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Mussolini's speeches were mostly bombastic, his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.
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bonanza
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extremely large amount; something profitable
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Judy was overjoyed at the unexpected bonanza of winning the lottery.
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bonhomie
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good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer
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The general bonhomie that characterized the party made it a joy to attend.
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boon
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blessing, something to be thankful for
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Dick realized that his new coworker's computer skills would be a real boon to the company.
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boor
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crude person, one lacking manners or taste
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"That utter boor ruined my recital with his constant guffawing!" wailed the pianist.
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botanist
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scientist who studies plants
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The botanist spent endless hours studying the orchids that fascinated her.
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bountiful
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plentiful
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Food is bountiful in the United States, yet some people are still hungry.
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bourgeois
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middle-class
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The bourgeois family was horrified when the lower-class family moved in next door.
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bovine
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cow like; relating to cows
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An epidemic commonly know as "mad cow disease" devastated Britain's bovine population not long ago.
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brazen
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bold, shameless, impudent; of or like brass
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"I can't believe Hayward was brazen enough to quit during the busy season!" fumed his boss.
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breach
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act of breaking, violation
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The record company sued the singer for breach of contract when he recorded for another company without permission.
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brigand
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bandit, outlaw
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Brigands held up the bank and off with the contents of the safe.
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broach
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to mention or suggest for the first time
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Polly was nervous about broaching the subject of a raise to her boss.
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brusque
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rough and abrupt in manner
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The bank teller's brusque treatment of his customers soon evoked several complaints.
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