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83 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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ad hoc
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for this specific purpose; improvised; (adv) with respect to this
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aegis
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protection; patronage; sponsorship
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affinity
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a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship connection
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ancillary
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subordinate or supplementary
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apprise
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to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
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bathos
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the intrusion of commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; the lowest phase, nadir; an anticlimax, comedown
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bowdlerize
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to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
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casuistry
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the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument
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caterwaul
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to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; a harsh or noisy cat: a racket
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claque
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a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admiers; an opera hat
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cognate
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closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; such a person or thing
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contumelious
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insolent or rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating
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cul-de-sac
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a bind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse
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depredation
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the act of preying upon or plundering
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deracinate
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to pull by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of
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diaphanous
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very sheer and light; almost completely transparent
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dictum
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a short saying; an authoritative statement
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divination
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the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge
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effete
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lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
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elixir
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a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines
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emolument
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profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary
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enclave
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an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
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ensconce
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to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place
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fait accompli
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an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
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folderol
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foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle
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forte
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a person's strong point; what a person does best
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gamut
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an entire range or series
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genre
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a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scences are realistically depicted
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gratis
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free; without charge
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harbinger
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a forerunner, herald; to herald the approach of
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hedonism
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the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim; devotion to or pursuit of pleasure
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hierarchy
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any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc
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icon
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a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion
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immure
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to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate
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inchoate
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just beginning; not fully shaped or formed
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ineffable
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not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
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in medias res
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in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things
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internecine
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naturally destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed
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lackluster
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lacking brillance or vitally; dull
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lexicon
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a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
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macrocosm
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the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
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matrix
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a mold; the surrounding situation or environment
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melee
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a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling
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mellifluous
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flowing sweetly or smoothly; honeyed
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minuscule
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very small, tiny; a lowercase letter
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mnemonic
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relating to or designed to assist the memory; a device to aid the memory
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mountebank
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a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
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nepotism
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undue favoritism to or excessive patronage or one's relatives
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obfuscate
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to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
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obsequies
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funeral rites or ceremonies
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paean
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a song of praise, joy, or triumph
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panache
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a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display
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parameter
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a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary
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paternalism
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the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children
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persiflage
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lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
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persona
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a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes
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phillppic
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a bitter verbal attack
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philistine
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lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements; such a person
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polarize
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to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern
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portentous
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foreshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty, pompous
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pragmatic
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concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions
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prescience
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knowledge of events or actions before they happen; foresight
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proselyte
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a convert; a disciple
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pundit
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a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions
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purview
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the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
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quid pro quo
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something given in exchange or return for something else
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quizzical
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puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
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rapacity
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inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
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risible
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pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
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sacrosanct
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very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack
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salubrious
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conducive to health or well-bring; wholesome
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sanguine
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having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
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savoir-faire
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the ability to say and do the right thing in any situation; social competence
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schism
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a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
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solecism
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a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
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symptomatic
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typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease
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tendentious
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intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan
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touchstone
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a means of testing worth or genuineness
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verisimilitude
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the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
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vicissitude
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a change, variation, or alternation; successive or changing phases or conditions
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vignette
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a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edeges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
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virtuoso
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a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; masterly or brilliant
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volte-face
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an about-face; a complete reversal
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