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165 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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clericalism
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A policy of supporting the influence and power of the clergy in secular or political matters
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obloquy
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noun [mass noun] strong public condemnation: he endured years of contempt and XXXX.
• disgrace, especially that brought about by public condemnation. synonym: opprobrium |
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eidetic memory
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Adjective
1. Of visual imagery of almost photographic accuracy |
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irenic
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Adjective
1. Conducive to peace |
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scourge
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Noun:
1. A whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor) 2. Something causing misery or death 3. A person who inspires fear or dread Verb: 1. Punish severely; excoriate 2. Whip 3. Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly |
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artifice
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Noun
1. A deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture) |
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tetchy
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Adjective
1. Easily irritated or annoyed |
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bonny
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Adjective
1. Very pleasing to the eye |
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gainsay
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Verb
1. Question the truth or validity of; take exception to [WordWeb.info] |
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hypertrophy
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Noun
1. Abnormal enlargement of a body part or organ Verb 1. Undergo XXXX |
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myopathy
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Noun:
1. Any pathology of the muscles that is not attributable to nerve dysfunction |
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myopic
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Adjective
1. Unable to see distant objects clearly 2. Lacking foresight or scope |
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anosmia
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Adjective
1. Unable to see distant objects clearly 2. Lacking foresight or scope |
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desultory
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Adjective
1. Marked by lack of definite plan, regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another |
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hapless
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Adjective
1. Deserving or inciting pity |
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rubicon
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Noun
1. The boundary in ancient times between Italy and Gaul; Caesar's crossing it with his army in 49 BC was an act of war 2. A line that when crossed permits of no return and typically results in irrevocable commitment |
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maudlin
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Adjective
1. Effusively or insincerely emotional |
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nostrum
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Noun
1. Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists 2. Patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable |
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sumptuary
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Adjective
1. Regulating or controlling expenditure or personal behavior |
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autopoiesis
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"auto (self)-creation" (from the Greek: αυτό – auto for "self"; and ποίησις – poiesis for "creation or production")
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ineluctable
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Adjective
1. Impossible to avoid or evade |
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usurious
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Adjective
1. Greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation |
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opprobrium
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Noun
1. State of disgrace resulting from public abuse 2. A state of extreme dishonor synonym: obloquy |
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calumny
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Noun
1. A false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions 2. An abusive attack on a person's character or good name |
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irredenta
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Noun
1. A region that is related ethnically or historically to one country but is controlled politically by another |
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forlorn
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Adjective
1. Marked by or showing hopelessness |
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nomology
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noun
1. The study of laws 2. The study of general physical and logical laws |
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nomothetic
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Adjective
1. (psychology) relating to or involving the search for abstract universal principles |
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nonplus
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Verb
1. Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly |
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sui generis
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Adjective
1. Constituting a class of its own; unique |
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bete noire
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Noun
1. A detested person |
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modus vivendi
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Noun
1. A temporary accommodation of a disagreement between parties pending a permanent settlement 2. A manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes |
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precept
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Noun
1. Rule of personal conduct 2. A doctrine that is taught |
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supernumerary
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Adjective
1. More than is needed, desired, or required Noun: 1. A person serving no apparent function 2. A minor actor in crowd scenes |
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felicitous
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Adjective
1. Exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style 2. Marked by good fortune |
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procrustean
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to the mythical giant xxxx or the mode of torture practiced by him 2. (especially of a framework or system) enforcing uniformity or conformity without regard to natural variation or individuality |
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epigram
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Noun
1. A witty saying |
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epigraph
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Noun
1. A quotation at the beginning of some piece of writing 2. An engraved inscription |
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otiose
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Adjective
1. Serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being 2. Producing no result or effect 3. Disinclined to work or exertion |
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apodictic
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Adjective
1. (logic) of a proposition; necessarily true or logically certain |
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sardonic
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Adjective
1. Disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking |
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pleonexia
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Roughly corresponds to greed, covetousness, or avarice, and is strictly defined as "the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others", suggesting what Ritenbaugh describes as "ruthless self-seeking and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one's own benefit"
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pleonasm
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Noun
1. Using more words than necessary |
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fin de siècle
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Adjective
1. Relating to or characteristic of the end of a century (especially the end of the 19th century) |
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rebarbative
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Adjective
1. Serving or tending to repel |
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insouciance
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Noun
1. The cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you |
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philology
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Noun
1. The humanistic study of language and literature |
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dissipation
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Noun
1. Breaking up and scattering by dispersion 2. Dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure 3. Useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly |
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simpliciter
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adverb
1. chiefly Law simply; unconditionally. |
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meretricious
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Adjective
1. Tastelessly showy 2. Based on pretense; deceptively pleasing 3. Like or relating to a prostitute |
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mortmain
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Noun
1. (corporation) real property held inalienably (as by an ecclesiastical corporation) 2. The oppressive influence of past events or decisions |
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hermeneutic
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Adjective
1. Interpretive or explanatory |
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pretermit
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Verb
1. Disregard intentionally or let pass 2. Leave undone or leave out |
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venal
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Adjective
1. Capable of being corrupted |
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resplendent
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Adjective
1. Having great beauty and splendor |
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baleful
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Adjective
1. Deadly or sinister 2. Indicating evil intent or suggesting tragic developments |
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revanchism
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Noun
1. The political policy of retaliating to regain lost territory |
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sartorial
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to the sartorius muscle 2. Of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring |
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solipsism
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Noun
1. (philosophy) the philosophical theory that the self is all that you know to exist |
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hagiographic
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Adjective
1. (or writing or talk) treating the subject like a saint, esp. with too much reverence |
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risible
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Adjective
1. Arousing or provoking laughter |
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obscurantist
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noun
1. the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known. |
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inchoate
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Adjective
1. Only partly in existence; imperfectly formed |
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echelon
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Noun
1. (military) a body of troops arranged in a line 2. A diffraction grating consisting of a pile of plates of equal thickness arranged stepwise with a constant offset |
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double entendre
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Noun
1. An ambiguity with one interpretation that is indelicate |
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beguiling
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Adjective
1. Highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire 2. Misleading by means of pleasant or alluring methods Verb 1. Influence by slyness 2. Attract; cause to be enamored |
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polyglot
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Adjective
1. Having a command of or composed in many languages Noun: 1. A person who speaks more than one language |
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polymath
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Noun
1. A person of great and varied learning |
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vituperative
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Adjective
1. Marked by harshly abusive criticism |
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altricial
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Adjective
1. (of hatchlings) naked and blind and dependent on parents for food |
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limbic system
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Noun:
1. A system of functionally related neural structures in the brain that are involved in emotional behavior |
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niqab
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Noun
1. A face veil covering the lower part of the face (up to the eyes) worn by observant Muslim women |
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burqa
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Noun
1. A loose garment (usually with veiled holes for the eyes) worn by Muslim women especially in India and Pakistan |
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palimpsest
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Noun
1. A manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible |
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antediluvian
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to the period before the biblical flood 2. So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period Noun: 1. Any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge 2. A very old person |
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lionize
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Verb
1. Assign great social importance to |
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cosmopolitan
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Adjective
1. (ecology) growing or occurring in many parts of the world 2. Composed of people from or at home in many parts of the world; especially not provincial in attitudes or interests 3. Of worldwide scope or applicability Noun 1. A sophisticated person who has travelled in many countries 2. A cocktail containing vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice |
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provincial
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Adjective
1. Of or associated with a province 2. Characteristic of the provinces or their people Noun: provincial 1. (Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order 2. A country person |
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elegiac
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Adjective
1. Resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy 2. Expressing sorrow often for something past |
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eulogy
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Noun
1. A formal expression of praise for someone who has died recently 2. A formal expression of praise |
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penury
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Noun
1. A state of extreme poverty or destitution |
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sui generis
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Adjective
1. Constituting a class of its own; unique |
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sinecure
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Noun
1. A benefice to which no spiritual or pastoral duties are attached 2. An office that involves minimal duties [WordWeb.info |
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uxorious
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Adjective
1. Foolishly fond of or submissive to your wife 2. having or showing a great or excessive fondness for one's wife. |
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deontic
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Adjective
1. (philosophy) pertaining to necessity, duty or obligation, or expressions conveying this |
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denuded
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Adjective
1. Without the natural or usual covering Verb: 1. Remove or clear everything so that nothing is left |
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arcane
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Adjective
1. Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge |
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redound
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Verb
1. Return or recoil 2. Contribute 3. Have an effect for good or ill |
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deontological
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noun
1. Philosophy the study of the nature of duty and obligation. |
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teleology
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Noun
1. (philosophy) a doctrine explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes |
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sententious
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Adjective
1. Abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing 2. Concise and full of meaning |
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sisyphean
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Adjective
1. Both extremely effortful and futile 2. Of or relating to the Greek god XXXX |
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plaintive
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Adjective
1. Expressing sorrow, mournful |
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skein
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noun
1. A length of thread or yarn, loosely coiled and knotted. 2. a tangled or complicated arrangement, state, or situation: the XXXX's of her long hair | figurative a skein of lies. 3.bA flock of wild geese or swans in flight, typically in a V-shaped formation. etymology: Middle English: shortening of Old |
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ischemia
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Noun
1. Local anemia in a given body part sometimes resulting from vasoconstriction, thrombosis or embolism |
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dorsal
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Adjective
1. Belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part 2. (biology) facing away from the axis of an organ or organism Lateral ---> away from the midline Medial ---> toward the midline Dorsal ---> Back or top side Ventral ---> Belly or bottom side |
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esthesia
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Noun
1. Mental responsiveness and awareness |
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occiput
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Noun
1. Back part of the head or skull |
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baleful
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Adjective
1. Deadly or sinister 2. Indicating evil intent or suggesting tragic developments |
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vitriolic
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Adjective
1. Harsh or corrosive in tone 2. Of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action synonym: caustic |
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ventral
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Adjective
1. Toward or on or near the belly (front of a primate or lower surface of a lower animal) 2. (biology) nearest to or facing toward the axis of an organ or organism Lateral ---> away from the midline Medial ---> toward the midline Dorsal ---> Back or top side Ventral ---> Belly or bottom side |
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ontology
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Noun
1. (computing) a rigorous and exhaustive organization of some knowledge domain that is usually hierarchical and contains all the relevant entities and their relations 2. The metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence |
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isomorphism
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Noun
1. (biology) similarity or identity of form or shape or structure |
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callow
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Adjective
1. Young and inexperienced |
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inexorable
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Adjective
1. Not to be placated, appeased or moved by entreaty 2. Impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason synonym: implacable |
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forlorn
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Adjective
1. Marked by or showing hopelessness |
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cosset
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Verb
1. Treat with excessive indulgence |
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impecunious
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Adjective
1. Not having enough money to pay for necessities |
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evitable
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Adjective
1. Capable of being avoided or warded off |
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prodigal
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Adjective
1. Recklessly wasteful Noun 1. A recklessly extravagant consumer |
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phatic
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adjective
1. denoting or relating to language used for general purposes of social interaction, rather than to convey information or ask questions. Utterances such as hello, how are you? and nice morning, isn't it? are XXXX |
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approbation
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Noun
1. Official approval 2. Official recognition or approval |
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morbidity
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Noun
1. The relative incidence of a particular disease 2. An abnormally gloomy or unhealthy state of mind 3. The quality of being unhealthful and generally bad for you |
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hap
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Noun
1. An accidental happening Verb 1. (of an event) come to pass (in time, so that is is real and actual at some time) |
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ex nihilo
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Adverb
1. From or out of nothing |
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simulacrum
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Noun:
1. An insubstantial or vague semblance 2. A representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture) [WordWeb.info |
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aphorism
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Noun
1. A short pithy instructive saying |
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autarky
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Noun
1. Economic independence as a national policy |
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enervate
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Verb
1. Weaken mentally or morally 2. Disturb the composure of |
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in vivo
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Adverb
1. In the living organism Adjective 1. (biology) within a living organism [WordWeb.info |
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axiological
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to the study of values |
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sanguine
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Adjective
1. Confidently optimistic and cheerful 2. Inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life Noun 1. A blood-red color [WordWeb.info |
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precis
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Noun
1. A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory Verb 1. Make a summary (of) |
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ambient
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Adjective
1. Completely enveloping |
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ambient
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Adjective
1. Completely enveloping |
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iatrogenic
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Adjective
1. (medicine) induced by a physician's words or therapy (used especially of a complication resulting from treatment) |
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belie
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Verb
1. Be in contradiction with 2. Represent falsely |
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arrogate
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Verb
1. Demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to 2. Make undue claims to having 3. Take control of (without authority and possibly with force); take as one's right or possession |
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chimera
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Noun
1. A grotesque product of the imagination 2. A deep-sea fish with a tapering body, smooth skin, and long threadlike tail Noun 1. (Greek mythology) fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head and a goat's body and a serpent's tail; daughter of Typhon |
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wile
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Noun
1. The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) |
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fortuitous
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Adjective
1. Having no cause or apparent cause 2. Occurring by happy chance |
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summum bonum
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Noun
1. The supreme good in which all moral values are included or from which they are derived |
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anthropogenic
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to the study of the origins and development of human beings 2. (chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity. |
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bona fides
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noun [mass noun]
1. a person's honesty and sincerity of intention: he went to great lengths to establish his liberal xxxx's . noun 1. [treated as pl.] informal documentary evidence showing that a person is what they claim to be; credentials. |
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obtund
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Verb
1. Reduce the edge or violence of |
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druthers
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noun
1. one's preference in a matter: |
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exegesis
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Noun
1. (Bible) an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible) |
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facile
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Adjective
1. Arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth 2. Performing adroitly and without effort 3. Speaking readily, clearly, and effectively |
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dimorphism
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Noun
1. (chemistry) the property of certain substances that enables them to exist in two distinct crystalline forms 2. (biology) the existence of two forms of individual within the same animal species (independent of sex differences) |
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laconic
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Adjective
1. Brief and to the point; effectively cut short |
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conspecific
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Adjective
1. Belonging to the same species Noun 1. An organism belonging to the same species as another organism |
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ethology
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Noun
1. The branch of zoology that studies the behavior of animals in their natural habitats |
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tortious
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Adjective
1. Of or pertaining to the nature of a tort |
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vainglorious
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Adjective
1. Feeling self-importance |
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cuckold
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Noun
1. A man whose wife committed adultery Verb 1. Be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage |
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ontogeny
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Noun
1. (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level |
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anthropogenesis
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Noun
1. The evolution or genesis of the human race |
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liminal
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Adjective
1. At a threshold or transitional stage 2. Of a stimulus just strong enough to be consciously experienced |
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redoubt
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Noun
1. (military) a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses 2. An entrenched stronghold or refuge |
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glossolalia
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Noun
1. Repetitive nonmeaningful speech (especially that associated with a trance state or religious fervor) |
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sessile
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Adjective
1. (biology) permanently attached to a substrate; not free to move about 2. (biology) attached directly by the base; not having an intervening stalk |
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pietistic
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Adjective
1. Of or relating to Pietism 2. Excessively or hypocritically pious |
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strident
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Adjective
1. Conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry 2. Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then') 3. Being sharply insistent on being heard 4. Unpleasantly loud and harsh |
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truculent
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Adjective
1. Defiantly aggressive |
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bereave
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Verb
1. Deprive through death |
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otiose
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Adjective
1. Serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being 2. Producing no result or effect 3. Disinclined to work or exertion |
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protean
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Adjective
1. Taking on different forms |
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piloerection
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Erection of the hair of the skin. xxxx of the hair, for example, on the arm makes it "stand on end."
xxxx starts when a stimulus such as cold or fright causes a discharge from the (involuntary) nervous system that triggers contraction of the little arrectores pilorum muscles. Contraction of these muscles elevates the hair follicles above the rest of the skin so the hair seems to "stands on end." |
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fetter
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n.
1. A chain or shackle for the ankles or feet. 2. Something that serves to restrict; a restraint. tr.v. 1. To put XXXX on; shackle. 2. To restrict the freedom of. See Synonyms at hamper1. |
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tmesis
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MEANING:
noun: Stuffing a word into the middle of another word. Examples: a-whole-nother, abso-bloody-lutely. ETYMOLOGY: From Greek xxxx (a cutting), from temnein (to cut). Ultimately from the Indo-European root tem- (to cut), which is also the source of tonsure, temple, contemplate, epitome, tome, anatomy, and atomy. First recorded use: 1586. USAGE: "I don't like xxxx; it's abso-bloody-lutely ri-flipping-diculous." |
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mettle
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n.
1. Courage and fortitude; spirit: troops who showed their xxxx in combat. 2. Inherent quality of character and temperament. Idiom: on (one's) XXXX Prepared to accept a challenge and do one's best. |
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febrile
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adj.
Of, relating to, or characterized by fever; feverish. |
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languid
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adj
1. without energy or spirit 2. without interest or enthusiasm 3. sluggish; inactive |
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ungulate
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adj.
1. a. Having hooves. b. Resembling hooves; hooflike. 2. Of or belonging to the former order xxxx, now divided into the orders Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla and composed of the hoofed mammals such as horses, cattle, deer, swine, and elephants. n. An XXXX mammal. |
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burlesque
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1. A literary or dramatic work that ridicules a subject either by presenting a solemn subject in an undignified style or an inconsequential subject in a dignified style. See Synonyms at caricature.
2. A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty: The antics of the defense attorneys turned the trial into a xxxx of justice. 3. A variety show characterized by broad ribald comedy, dancing, and striptease. v. v.tr. To imitate mockingly or humorously: "always bringing junk . . . home, as if he were xxxing his role as provider" (John Updike). v.intr. To use the methods or techniques of xxx. |
