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250 Cards in this Set
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abet
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aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage
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abeyance
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suspended action
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abjure
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renounce upon oath
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abnegation
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repudiation (disown); self-sacrifice
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aboriginal
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being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native
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abrade
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wear away by friction; scrape; erode
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abrogate
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abolish
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abscond
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depart secretly and hide
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absolve
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pardon (an offense)
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abstruse
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obscure; profound; difficult to understand
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academic
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related to school; not practical or directly useful
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accede
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agree
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accolade
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award of merit
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accost
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approach and speak first to a person
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accretion
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growth; increase
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acoustics
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science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
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acquittal
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deliverance from a charge
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acrimonious
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bitter in words or manner
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actuate
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v. motivate
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adapt
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alter; modify
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adherent
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supporter; follower
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adjunct
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something added on or attached (generally nonessential or inferior)
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adventitious
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accidental; casual
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adversity
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poverty; misfortune
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advocate
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urge; plead for
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aerie
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nest of a large bird or prey (eagle, hawk)
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affable
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easily approachable; warmly friendly
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affront
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insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect
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agglomeration
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collection; heap
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agnostic
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one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
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alchemy
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medieval chemistry
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alcove
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nook; small, recessed section of a room
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allege
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state without proof
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allegory
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story in which characters are used as symbols; fable
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alloy
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mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate
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allude
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refer indirectly
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aloft
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upward
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ambivalence
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the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
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amble
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moving at an easy pace
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amenable
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easily managed; willing to be led
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amoral
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nonmoral
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amorphous
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formless; lacking shape or definition
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analogy
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similarity; parallelism
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anathema
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solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse
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annals
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records; history
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annex
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attach; take possession of
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annuity
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yearly allowance
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antediluvian
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antiquated; extremely ancient
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anthropocentric
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regarding human beings as the center of the universe
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anthropomorphic
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having human form or characteristics
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aphasia
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loss of speech due to injury or illness
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apocryphal
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untrue; made up
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apologist
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one who writes in defense of a cause or institution
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apostate
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one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
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apotheosis
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elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
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application
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diligent attention
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apposite
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appropriate; fitting
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appraise
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estimate value of
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appreciate
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be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of
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apprehend
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arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive
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apprise
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inform
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apropos
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with reference to; regarding
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aquiline
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curved, hooked
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arable
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fit for growing crops
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arboretum
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place where different tree varieties are exhibited
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arcane
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secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated
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archetype
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prototype; primitive pattern
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arrears
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being in debt
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arrest
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stop or slow down; catch someone's attention
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artifact
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object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced
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ascendancy
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controlling influence; domination
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ascribe
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refer; attribute; assign
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I can ascribe no motive for her acts.
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aspire
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seek to attain; long for
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assay
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analyze; evaluate
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assumption
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something taken for granted; taking over or taking possession of
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attribute
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n. essential quality
v. ascribe; explain |
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auditory
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pertaining to the sense of hearing
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augury
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omen; prophecy
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august
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impressive; majestic
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aureole
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sun's corona; halo
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autocratic
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having absolute, unchecked power; dictatorial
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averse
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reluctant; disinclined
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avert
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prevent; turn away
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aviary
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enclosure for birds
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avocation
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secondary or minor occupation
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avow
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declare openly
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awry
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distorted; crooked
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bacchanalian
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drunken
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badinage
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teasing conversation
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bait
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harass; tease
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ballast
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heavy substance used to add stability or weight
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balmy
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mild; fragrant
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bandy
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discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly
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bawdy
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indecent; obscene
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bedizen
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dress with vulgar finery
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bedraggle
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wet thoroughly; stain with mud
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beeline
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direct, quick route
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beguile
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mislead or delude; pass time
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belabor
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explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; attack verbally
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belie
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contradict; give a false impression
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bemoan
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lament; express disapproval of
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bemused
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confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
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bent
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determined; natural talent or inclination
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berserk
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frenzied
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beset
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harass or trouble; hem in
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betoken
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signify; indicate
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bilious
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suffering from indigestion; irritable
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bilk
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swindle; cheat
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billowing
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swelling out in waves; surging
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bivouac
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temporary encampment
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bland
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soothing or mild; agreeable
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blandishment
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flattery
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blasphemy
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irreverence; sacrilege; cursing
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blighted
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suffering from a disease; destroyed
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bluff
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adj. rough but good-natured
n. pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff |
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bluster
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blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully
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bohemian
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unconventional (in an artistic way)
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bolt
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n. door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric
v. dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down |
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boon
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blessing; benefit
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bourgeois
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middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional
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bovine
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cowlike; placid and dull
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bowdlerize
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expurgate
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brandish
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wave around; flourish
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brindled
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tawny or grayish with streaks or spots
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broach
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introduce; open up
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browbeat
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bully; intimidate
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brunt
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main impact or shock
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buccaneer
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pirate
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buffet
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slap; batter; knock about
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bulwark
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earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
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bumptious
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self-assertive
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burgeon
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grow forth; send out buds
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buxom
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plump; vigorous; jolly
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cache
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hiding place
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cacophonous
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discordant; inharmonious
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cadence
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rhythmic rise and fall (of words or sounds); beat
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calculated
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deliberately planned; likely
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caliber
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ability; quality
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callous
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hardened; unfeeling
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canny
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shrewd; thrifty
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cant
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insincere expressions of piety; jargon of thieves
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canter
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slow gallop
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canto
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division of a long poem
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canvass
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determine votes, etc.
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capitulate
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surrender
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cardinal
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chief
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cataclysm
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upheaval; deluge
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catcall
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shout of disapproval; boo
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catechism
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book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
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categorical
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without exceptions; absolute
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catholic
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broadly sympathetic; liberal
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caulk
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make watertight by filling on cracks
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cavalcade
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procession; parade
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cavalier
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offhand or casual; haughty
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cavil
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make frivolous objections
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censorious
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critical (inclined to criticize)
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centurion
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Roman army officer
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ceremonious
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marked by formality
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cession
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yielding to another; ceding
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chafe
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warm by rubbing; make sore (by rubbing)
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chaffing
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bantering; joking
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champion
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support militantly
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chary
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cautious; sparing or restrained about giving
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chassis
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framework and working parts of an automobile
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chaste
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pure
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chasten
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discipline; punish in order to correct
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chauvinist
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blindly devoted patriot
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checkered
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marked by changes in fortune
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chicanery
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trickery; deception
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chide
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scold
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chisel
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swindle or cheat; cut with a chisel
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chivalrous
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courteous; faithful; brave
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chronicle
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report; record (in chronological order)
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cipher
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n. secret code
n. nonentity; worthless person or thing |
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circumscribe
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limit; confine
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circumvent
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outwit; baffle
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cistern
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reservoir or water tank
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cite
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quote; command (order)
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civil
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having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite
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clamber
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climb by crawling
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cleave
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split or sever; cling to; remain faithful to
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cloister
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monastery or convent
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clout
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great influence (especially political or social)
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clump
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cluster or close group (of bushes, trees); mass; sound of heavy treading
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coalesce
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combine; fuse
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coddle
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to treat gently
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codify
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arrange (laws, rules) as a code; classify
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cogent
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convincing
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cognate
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related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature
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cognizance
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knowledge
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cohere
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stick together
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cohesion
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tendency to keep together
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coiffure
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hairstyle
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collate
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examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order
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collateral
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security given for loan
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collusion
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conspiring in a fraudulent scheme
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commandeer
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to draft for military purposes; to take for public use
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commensurate
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equal in extent
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commiserate
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feel or express pity or sympathy for
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compact
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agreement; contract
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complacency
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self-satisfaction; smugness
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complaisant
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trying to please; obliging
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complicity
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participation; involvement
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compound
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combine; constitute (make up, form); pay interest; increase
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compunction
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remorse
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concave
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hollow
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conceit
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vanity or self-love; whimsical idea; extravagant metaphor
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concentric
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having a common center
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concerted
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mutually agreed on; done together
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conclusive
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decisive; ending all debate
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conducive
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contributive; tending to
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rest and proper diet are conducive to good health
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confluence
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flowing together; crowd
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congenial
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pleasant; friendly
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conjure
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summon a devil; practice magic; imagine or invent
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connivance
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assistance; pretense of ignorance of something wrong; permission to offend
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connoisseur
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person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art
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consecrate
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dedicate; sanctify
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consequential
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pompous; important; self-important
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consign
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deliver officially; entrust
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consistency
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absence of contradictions; dependability; degree of thickness
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consort
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v. associate with
n. husband or wife |
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contend
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struggle; compete; assert earnestly
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contention
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claim; thesis
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continence
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self-restraint; sexual chastity
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contingent
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adj. dependent on; conditional
n. group that makes up part of a gathering |
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contraband
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illegal trade; smuggling
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contravene
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contradict; oppose; infringe on or transgress
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contrite
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penitent
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contrived
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forced; artificial; not spontaneous
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controvert
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oppose with arguments; attempt to refute; contradict
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convention
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social or moral custom; established practice
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conventional
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ordinary; typical
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converse
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n. opposite
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the inevitable converse or peace is not war but annihilation
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conveyance
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vehicle; transfer
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cornucopia
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horn overflowing with fruit and grain; symbol of abundance
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corollary
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consequence; accompaniment
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cosmopolitan
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sophisticated
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coterie
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group that meets socially; select circle
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countenance
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n. face
v. approve; tolerate |
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countermand
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cancel; revoke
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cow
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terrorize; intimidate
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cozen
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cheat; hoodwink; swindle
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craftiness
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slyness; trickiness
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craven
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cowardly
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credulity
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belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete
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crop
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cut off unwanted parts of a photograph; graze
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crotchety
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eccentric; whimsical
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cursory
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casual; hastily done
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cynosure
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the object of general attention
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dabble
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work at in a non-serious fashion; splash around
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