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264 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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adjuration
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solemn urging
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addle
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muddle; confuse
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accoutre
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equip
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acrophobia
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fear of heights
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acme
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peak; pinnacle
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acerbic
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bitter or sour in nature
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abstruse
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profound; obscure
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actuate
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motivate
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adventitious
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accidental
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advert
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refer to
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aerie
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nest of a large bird of prey
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agog
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highly excited
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alimentary
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supply nourishment
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amenable
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readily managed or willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally
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amok
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state of rage
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anathema
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solemn curse; something so cursed
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angular
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sharp cornered; stiff in manner
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animadversion
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critical remark
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animus
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hostile feeling or intent
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antic
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extravagantly odd
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ape
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imitate or mimic
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aphasia
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loss of speech
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aplomb
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poise; assurance
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apocryphal
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spurious; not authentic
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apothecary
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druggist
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apotheosis
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elevation to godhood
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apprise
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inform
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appurtenances
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subordinate possessions
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apropos adj.
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to the point and timely
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apropos prep.
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with reference to
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arbitrary
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unreasonable or capricious
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arcane
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secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated
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aria
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operatic solo
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arraign
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charge in court; indict
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arroyo
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gully
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artifice
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deception; trickery
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aseptic
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preventing infection
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askance
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with a sideways or indirect look
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assay
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analyse; evaluate
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astringent
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binding: harsh or severe
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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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auroral
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pertaining to the aurora borealis
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auspicious
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favouring success
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automaton
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mechanism that imitates actions of humans
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awl
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tool used for piercing
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azure
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blue sky
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badinage
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teasing conversation
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baleful
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threatening; menacing
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balk v.
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foil
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balk v.
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stop short
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barefaced
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shameless; bold; unconcealed
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baroque
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highly ornate
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bate
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let down
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bauble
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trinket; trifle
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beatitude
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blessedness; state of bliss
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belabor
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explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree
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benison
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blessing
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betoken
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signify; indicate
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bicameral
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two-chambered, as a legislative body
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bilious
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suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humored
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bilk
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swindle; cheat
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blanch
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bleach; whiten
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blithe
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carefree and unconcerned; cheerful and gay
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bluff
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rough but good-natured
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bouillon
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clear beef soup
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bowdlerize
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expurgate
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brackish
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somewhat saline
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brindled
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tawny or grayish with streaks or spots
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brocade
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rich, figured fabric
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bucolic
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rustic; pastoral
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bugaboo
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bugbear; object of baseless terror
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burlesque
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give an imitation that ridicules
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cabal
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small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
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callow
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youthful; immature; inexperienced
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canker
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ulcerous sore; any evil
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cant
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insincere talk
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cantata
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story set to music, to be sung by a chorus
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caprice
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whim
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captious
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faultfinding
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carillon
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a set of bells capable of being played
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carousal
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drunken revel
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carrion
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rotting flesh of a dead body
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cascade
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small waterfall
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cataract
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great waterfall; eye abnormality
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catcall
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shout of disapproval
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catechism
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book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
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catharsis
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purging or cleansing of any passage of the body
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caulk
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to waterproof
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cavalcade
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procession; parade
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cavalier
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casual and offhand; arrogant
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cavil
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make frivolous objections
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censorious
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critical
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cerebration
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thought
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cession
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yielding something to another; ceding
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chary
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cautious; sparing or restrained about giving
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chimerical
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fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic; imaginative
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chisel
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swindle or cheat
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choleric
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hot-tempered
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churlish
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boorish; rude
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ciliated
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having minute hairs
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cipher
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nonentity; worthless person or thing
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circlet
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small ring; band
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circumscribe
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limit narrowly; confine or restrict
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circumspect
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prudent; cautious
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circumvent
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outwit; baffle
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clangor
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loud, resounding noise
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clapper
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striker (tongue) of a bell
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clarion
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shrill, trumpetlike sound
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cleave
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split or sever
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clime
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region; climate
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cloying
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distasteful (because excessive; excessively sweet or sentimental
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coda
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concluding section of a musical or literary composition
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codicil
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supplement to the body of a will
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cogitate
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think over
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cognate
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related linguistically; allied by blood; similar or akin in nature
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coiffure
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hairstyle
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collation
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a light meal
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colloquy
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informal discussion
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comestible
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something fit to be eaten
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comestible
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something fit to be eaten
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compunction
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remorse
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concatenate
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link as in a chain
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concerted
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mutually agreed on; done together
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conclave
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private meeting
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concord
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harmony
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condign
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appropriate; deserved (esp. condign punishment)
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connivance
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pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend
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connubial
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pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state
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consonance
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harmony; agreement
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consequential
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pompous; self-important
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continence
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self-restraint; sexual chastity
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convival
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festive; gay
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convoke
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call together
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corpulent
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very fat
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coterie
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social group; select circle
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contenance v.
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approve; tolerate
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coup
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highly successful action or sudden attack
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crabbed
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sour; peevish
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crone
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hag
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crotchety
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eccentric; whimsical
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cupidity
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greed
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curmudgeon
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churlish, miserly individual
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cursive
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flowing; running
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cynosure
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object of general attention
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dapper
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neat and trim
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dappled
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spotted
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daub
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smear (as with paint)
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decollete
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having a low cut neckline
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decrepitude
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state of collapse caused by illness or old age
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demagogue
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person who appeals to people's prejudice; false leader
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denotation
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meaning; distinguishing by name
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deprecate
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express disapproval of; protest against; belitte
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depredation
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plundering
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descry
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catch sight of
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desolate v.
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rob of joy; lay waste to; forsake
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despoil
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strip of valuables
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desultory
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aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
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detraction
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slandering; aspersion
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diadem
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crown
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dialectical
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relating to teh art of debate; mutual or reciprocal
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dictum
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authoritative and weighty statement
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didactic
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teaching; instructional
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diffidence
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shyness
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dilatory
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tending to delay
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dilettante
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aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler
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dint
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means; effort
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disaffected
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disloyal
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disclaim
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disown; renounce claim to
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discomfit
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put to rout; defeat; disconcert
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discursive
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digressing; rambling
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disgorge
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surrender something; eject; vomit
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disinter
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dig up; unearth
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disinterested
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unprejudiced
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disjunction
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act or state of separation
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disparate
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basically different; unrelated
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dispassionate
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calm; impartial
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dispatch
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speediness; prompt execution; message sent with all due speed
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disport
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amuse
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disputatious
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argumentative; fond of arguing
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disquietude
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uneasiness; anxiety
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disquisition
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a formal systematic inquiry; an explanation of the results of a formal inquiry
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dissemble
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disguise; pretend
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dissimulate
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pretend; conceal
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dissolution
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disintegration; looseness in morals
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distrait
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inattentive; distracted
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docket
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program as for trial; book where such entries are made
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doddering
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shaky; infirm from old age
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doff
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take off
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dolorous
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sorrowful
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dolt
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stupid person; dunce
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dormer
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window projecting from roof
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dotage
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senility
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dowdy
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slovenly; untidy
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droll
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queer and amusing
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drone
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idle person; male bee
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dross
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waste matter; worthless impurities
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dulcet
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sweet sounding
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dupe n.
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someone easily fooled
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dyspeptic
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suffering from indigestion
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effete
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lacking vigor; worn out; sterile
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effluvium
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noxious smell
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effrontery
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impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve
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effusion
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pouring forth
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elegy
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poem or song expressing lamentation
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elliptical
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oval; ambiguous; either purposefully or because key words have been left out
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emend
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correct, usually a text
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emendation
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correction of errors; improvement
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emetic
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substance causing vomiting
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emolument
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salary; compensation
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enclave
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territory enclosed within an alien land
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encomiastic
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praising; eulogistic
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encomium
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high praise; eulogy
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endue
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endow
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enjoin
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command; order; forbid
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ennui
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boredom
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enrapture
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please intensely
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entree
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entrance; a way in
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environ
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enclose; surround
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epaulet
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ornament worn on the shoulder
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epicure
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connoiseur of food and drink
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epilogue
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short speech at the conclusion of a dramatic work
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episodic
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loosely connected
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epithet
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word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing
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epitome
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perfect example or embodiment
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epoch
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period of time
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equipoise
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balance; balancing force
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ethereal
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light; heavenly; unusually refined
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euphony
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sweet sound
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evanescent
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fleeting; vanishing
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exceptionable
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objectionable
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excise
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cut away; cut out
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excoriate
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scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off
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exculpate
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clear from blame
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execrate
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curse; express abhorrence for
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exiguous
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small; minute
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expansive
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outgoing and sociable
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expiate
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make amends for (a sin)
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expostulation
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protest; remonstrance
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expropriate
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take possession of
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expunge
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cancel; remove
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expurgate
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clean; remove offensive parts of a book
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extenuate
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weaken; mitigate
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facile
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easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial
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facismile
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copy
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factious
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inclined to form factions
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factotum
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handyman; person who does all kinds of work
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fatous
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brainless; inane; foolish
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febrile
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feverish
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feckless
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feeble and ineffective
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fecundity
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fertility; fruitfulness
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felicitous
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apt; suitably expressed; well-chosen
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fell
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cruel; deadly
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ferment
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agitation; commotion
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fete
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honour at a festival
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filial
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pertaining to a son or daughter
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filigree
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delicate, lacelike metalwork
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floe
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mass of floating ice
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fluted
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having vertical parallel groves
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foible
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weakness; slight fault
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foil
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contrast
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foist
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insert improperly
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fop
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dandy; man obsessively preoccupied with clothes
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fructify
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bear fruit
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