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232 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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maculated
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spotted; stained
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madrigal
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pastoral song
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maelstrom
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whirlpool
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magniloquent
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boastful; pompus
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malapropism
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comic misuse of a word
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malediction
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curse
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malfeasance
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wrongdoing
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manumit
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emancipate; free from bondage
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martinet
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excessively strict disciplinarian
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matriculate
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enroll (in college or graduate school)
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matrix
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point of origin; array of numbers or algebraic symbols; mold or die
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maudlin
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effusively sentimental
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mauve
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pale purple
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mawkish
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mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin
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mealymouthed
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indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive
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medium
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elemtn that is a creature's natural environment; nutrient setting in which microorganisms are cultivated
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mellifluous
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sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious
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mercenary
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motivated solely by money or gain
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mercurial
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capricious; changing; fickle
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meretricious
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flashy; tawdry
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miasma
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swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere
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milieu
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environment; means of expression
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militate
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work against
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mimicry
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imitation
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mincing
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affectedly dainty
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misnomer
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wrong name; incorrect designation
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modish
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fashionable
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moratorium
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legal delay of payment
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mordant
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biting; sarcastic; stinging
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mores
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conventions; moral standards; customs
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moribund
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dying
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mote
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small speck
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mote
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small speck
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motility
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ability to move spontaneously
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mottled
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blotched in colouring; spotted
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mountebank
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charlatan; boastful pretender
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multiplicity
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state of being numerous
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munificent
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very generous
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nadir
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lowest point
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natation
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swimming
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natty
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neatly or smartly dressed
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nebulous
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vague; hazy; cloudy
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nether
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lower
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nettle
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annoy; vex
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nib
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beak; pen point
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nicety
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precision; minute distinction
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niggardly
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meanly stingy; parsimonious
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noisome
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foul-smelling; unwholesome
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nominal
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in name only; trifling
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nondescript
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undistinctive; ordinary
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nonplus
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bring to a halt by confusion; perplex; bewilder
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nostrum
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questionable medicine
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nugatory
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futile; worthless
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nubile
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marriageable
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numismatist
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person who collects coins
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obeisance
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bow
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obfuscate
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confuse; muddle; cause confusion
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oblivion
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obscurity; fogetfulness
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obloquy
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slander; disgrace; infamy
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obsequy
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funeral ceremony
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obstreperous
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boisterous; noisy
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obtrude
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push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in; stick out or extrude
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obviate
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make unnecessary; get rid of
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officious
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meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services
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opalescent
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iridescent; lustrous
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opprobrium
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infamy; vilification
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opus
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work
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oratorio
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dramatic poem set to music
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overweening
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presumptious; arrogant
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ovoid
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egg-shaped
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pachyderm
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thick-skinned animal
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palimpsest
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parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased
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pall
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grow tiresome
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pallet
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small, poor bed
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pan
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criticize harshly
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panache
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flair; flamboyance
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panegyric
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formal praise
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paramour
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illict lover
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parley
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conference
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parochial
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narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes
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paroxysm
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fit or attach of pain, laughter, rage
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parquet
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floor made of wood strips inlaid in mosaic-like pattern
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passe
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old-fashioned; past the prime
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pastiche
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imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing
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patent
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open for the public to read; obvious
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pathos
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tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature
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patina
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green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
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patrician
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noble; aristocratic
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peccadillo
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slight offense
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pedant
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scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
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perjorative
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negative in connation; having a belittling effect
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pellucid
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transparent; limpid; easy to understand
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pendant adj.
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hanging down from something
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pendulous
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hanging; suspended
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penumbra
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partial shadow (in an eclipse)
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perdition
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damnation; complete ruin
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peripatetic
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walking about; moving
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pernicious
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very destructive
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peroration
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conclusion of an oration
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perquisite
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any gain above stipulated salary
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perspicacious
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having insight; penetrating; astute
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perspicuity
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clearness of expression
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perspicuous
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plainly expressed
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pert
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impertinent; forward
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pertinacious
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stubborn; persistent
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petulant
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touchy, peevish
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philistine
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narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain
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philology
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study of language
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physiognomy
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face
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piebald
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of different colours; mottled; spotted
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piecemeal
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one part at a time; gradually
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pied
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variegated; multicoloured
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pillory
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punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule
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pinion
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restrain
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piscatorial
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pertaining to fishing
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pith
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core or marrow; essence; substance
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plenary
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complete; full
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plenitude
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abundance; completeness
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plumage
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feathers of a bird
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plumb
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vertical
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plutocracy
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society ruled by the wealthy
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polemic
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controversy; argument in support of point of view
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politic
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expedient; prudent; well devised
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polity
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form of government of nation or state
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pontifical
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pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious
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pore
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study industriously
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portent
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sign; omen; forewarning
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potentate
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monarch, sovereign
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potpourri
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heterogeneous mixture; medley
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prate
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speak foolishly
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precis
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concise summing up of main points
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precocious
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advanced in development
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predilection
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partiality; preference
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prelate
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church dignitary
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prescience
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ability to foretell the future
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presentiment
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feeling something will happen; premonition
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pretentious
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ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; over ambitious
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preternatural
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beyond that which is normal in nature
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prim
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very precise and formal
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primogeniture
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seniority by birth
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prodigious
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marvelous; enormous
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profane
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violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
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profusion
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overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess
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progenitor
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ancestor
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prognosticate
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predict
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prolixity
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tedious wordiness; verbosity
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promulgate
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proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication
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prophylactic
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used to prevent disease
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propinquity
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nearness; kinship
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propitiate
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appease; win over
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querulous
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fretful; whining
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quiescent
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at rest; dormant
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quietude
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tranquility
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quintessence
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purest and highest embodiment
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quip
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taunt
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quirk
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startling twist; caprice
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quisling
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traitor who aids invaders
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quixotic
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idealistic but impractical
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quizzical
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teasing; bantering; mocking; curious
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quotidian
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daily; commonplace; customary
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rabid
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like a fanatic; furious
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ragamuffin
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person wearing tattered clothes
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rakish
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stylish; sporty
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ramble
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wander aimlessly
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ramification
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branching out; subdivision
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ramify
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divide into branches or subdivisions
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rampant
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growing in profusion; unrestrained
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rancid
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having the ordor of stale fat
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rancor
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bitterness; hatred
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rankle
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irritate; fester
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rant
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rave; talk excitedly; scolt
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rapacious
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excessively grasping; plundering
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rapt
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absorbed; enchanted
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rarefied
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refined; less dense [gas]
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ratiocination
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reasoning
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rationalize
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give a plausible reason for an action in place of a true, less admirable one; offer an excuse
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raucous
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harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous
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rave
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overwhelmingly favourable review
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ravel
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fall apart apart into tangles; entangle
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reactionary
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opposing progress; politically ultraconservative
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rebus
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puzzle in which pictures stand for words
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recalcitrant
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obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly
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recapitulate
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summarize
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recast
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reconstruct (a sentence, story etc); fashion again
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recondite
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abstruse; profound; secret
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recourse
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resorting to help when in trouble
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recrimination
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countercharges
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rectitude
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moral uprightness
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recumbent
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reclining; lying down completely or in part
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redolent
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fragrant; odorous
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redress
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remedy; compensation
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refractory
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stubborn; unmanageable
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rejoinder
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retort; comeback
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remonstrance
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protest; objection
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reparable
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capable of being repaired
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repast
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meal; feast; banquet
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replete
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filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied
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requiem
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mass for the dead; dirge
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requite
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repay; revenge
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propitious
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favourable; fortunate
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propound
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put forth for analysis
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prosaic
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dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact
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proscenium
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part of stage in front of curtain
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prosody
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the art of versification
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protean
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versatile; able to take on many forms
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protuberance
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protrusion; bulge
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provenance
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origin or source of something
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provender
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dry food; fodder
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proviso
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stipulation
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prurient
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having or causing lustful thoughts and desires
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puerile
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childish
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pundit
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authority on a subject; learned person; expert
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purport
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intention; meaning
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purveyor
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furnisher of foodstuffs; caterer
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putative
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supposed; reputed
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quack
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charlatan; imposter
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quaff
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drink with relish
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restive
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restlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control
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retinue
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following; attendants
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retrench
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cut down; economize
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retrograde
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go backwards; degenerate
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reverie
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daydream; musing
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ribald
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wanton; profane
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riddle
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pierce with holes; permeate or spread throughout
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rider
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amendment or clause added to a legislative bill
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rococo
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ornate; highly decorated
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roil
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to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment
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roseate
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rosy; optimistic
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rotunda
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circular building or hall covered with a dome
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rubric
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title or heading (in red print); directions for religious ceremony; protocol
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runic
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mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet
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rusticate
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banish to the country; dwell in the country
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