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299 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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amplify
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to make stronger, larger, greater, louder, or like
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armistice
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a temporary peace, halt in fighting
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arrogant
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haughty, too convinced of one's own importance
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bland
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gentle, soothing, mild; lacking in interest
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disclaim
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to deny interest in or connection with; to give up all claim to
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epoch
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a distinct period of time, era, age
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estrange
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to drift apart or become unfriendly; to cause such a separation; to remove or keep at a distance
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gratify
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to please, satisfy; to indulge or humor
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infinite
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exceedingly great, inexhaustible, without limit, endless, incalculable number, the concept of infinity; a name for god
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irascible
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easily made angry, hot tempered
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kindred
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a person's relatives; a family relationship; related by blood; like, similar
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naive
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innocent, unsophisticated, showing lack of worldly knowledge and experience
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obliterate
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to blot out completely, destroy utterly
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ramshackle
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appearing ready to collapse, loose and shaky
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ransack
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to search or examine thoroughly; to rob, plunder
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rote
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unthinking routine, a fixed or mechanical way of doing something; based on a mechanical routine
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solvent
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able to meet one's financial obligations; having the power to dissolve other substances; a liquid used to dissolve other substances; something that solves, explains, eliminates, or softens
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tedious
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long and tiresome
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vendor
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a person who sells something
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abyss
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a deep or bottomless pit
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befall
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to happen, occur; to happen to
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crucial
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of supreme importance, decisive, critical
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dregs
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the last remaining part; the part of least worth
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embody
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to give form to; to incorporate, include; to personify
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exasperate
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to irritate, annoy, or anger
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fiasco
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the complete collapse or failure of a project
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garnish
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to adorn decorate, especially food an ornament or decoration, especially for food
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heritage
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an inheritance; a birthright
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inert
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lifeless, unable to move or act; slow, inactive
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mercenary
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acting or working for self gain only; a hired soldier
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negligent
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marked by carelessness or indifference; falling to do what should be done
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oblivion
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forgetfulness, disregard; a state of being forgotten; an amnesty, general pardon
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opus
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an impressive piece of work
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pallid
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pale, lacking color; weak and lifeless
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parable
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a short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson
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rational
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based on reasoning; able to make use of reason; sensible, reasonable
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reciprocal
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shared; involving give and take between two persons or things; working in both directions; a number that, when multiplied by another number, gives 1
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stricture
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a limitation or restriction; a criticism; a narrowing of a passage in the body
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veneer
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a thin outer layer; the surface appearance of decoration; to cover with a thin layer
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adapt
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to adjust or change to suit conditions
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attest
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to bear witness, affirm to be true or genuine
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dovetail
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to fit together exactly; to connect so as to form a whole; a carpentry figure resembling a dove's tail
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enormity
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the quality of exceeding all moral bounds; an exceedingly evil act; huge size, immensity
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falter
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to hesitate, stumble, lose courage; to speak hesitatingly; to lose drive, weaken, decline
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foreboding
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a warning or feeling that something bad will happen; marked by fear, ominous
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forlorn
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totally abandoned and helpless; sad and lonely; wretched or pitiful; almost hopeless
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haughty
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chillingly proud and scornful
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imperative
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necessary, urgent; a form of a verb expressing a command; that which is necessary or required
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impediment
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a physical defect; a hindrance, obstacle
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loiter
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to linger in an aimless way, hang around
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malinger
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to pretend illness to avoid duty or work
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pithy
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short but full of meaning and point
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plunder
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to rob by force, especially during wartime; to seize wrongfully; property stolen by force, booty
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simper
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to smile or speak in a silly, forced way; a silly forced smile
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steadfast
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firmly fixed; constant, not moving or changing
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vaunted
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much boasted about in a vain or swaggering way
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vilify
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to abuse or belittle unjustly or maliciously
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waif
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a person without a home or friend; a stray person or animal; something that comes along by chance, a stray bit
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wry
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twisted, turned to one side; cleverly and often grimly humorous
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abdicate
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to resign, formally give up an office or a duty; to disown, discard
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bestow
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to give as a gift; to provide with lodgings
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capacious
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abel to hold much, roomy
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caustic
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able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic
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crusade
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a strong movement to advance a cause or idea; campaign, work vigorously
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deface
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to injure or destroy the surface or appearance of; to damage the value, influence, or effect of; to face down, outshine
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embargo
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an order forbidding the trade in or movement of commercial goods; any restraint or hindrance; to forbid to enter or leave port; to forbid trade with
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fallacy
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a false notion or belief; an error in thinking
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levity
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a lack of seriousness or earnestness, especially about things that should be treated with respect; buoyancy, lightness in weight
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mendicant
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a beggar; depending on begging for a living
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nauseate
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to make sick to the stomach; to fill with disgust
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negate
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to nullify, deny, bring to nothing
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pivotal
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vitally important
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recipient
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one who receives; receiving; able or willing to receive
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ruse
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an action designed to confuse or mislead, a trick
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teem
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to become filled to overflowing; to be present in large quantities
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tenet
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an opinion, belief, or principal held to be true
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tractable
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easily managed, easy to deal with; easily wrought, malleable
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ungainly
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clumsy, awkward; unwieldy
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voracious
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having a huge appetite, greedy, ravenous; excessively eager
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appease
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to make calm, soothe; to relieve, satisfy; to yield to
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belated
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late, tardy
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calamitous
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causing great misfortune
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cite
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to quote; to mention; to summon to appear in court; to commend, recommend
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conventional
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in line with accepted ideas or standards; trite
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decoy
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to lure into a trap; a person or thing used to lure into a trap
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delve
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to dig; to search deeply and thoroughly in
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ensue
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to follow in order, come immediately after and as a result
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gallantry
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heroic courage; respect and courtesy; an act or statement marked by a high level of courtesy
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impart
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to make known, tell; to give, pass something on
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judicious
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using or showing good judgment, wise, sensible
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mediate
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to bring about an agreement between persons or groups, act as a go-between; occupying a middle position; indirect, acting through an intermediary
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milieu
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the setting, surrounding, enviornment
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outlandish
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strange, freakish, odd, foreign-looking; geographically remote; exceeding reasonable limits
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overbearing
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domineering, haughty, bullying; overpowering, predominant
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pert
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high-spirited; lively; bold, saucy, jaunty
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quirk
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a peculiar way of acting; a sudden twist or turn
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regale
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to feast, entertain agreeably
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shiftless
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lazy, lacking in ambition and energy; inefficient
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taint
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a stain or spot; a mark of corruption or dishonor; to stain or contaminate
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accord
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agreement, harmony; to agree, be in harmony or bring into harmony; to grant, bestow on
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barter
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an exchange in trade; to exchange goods
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curt
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short, rudely brief
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devise
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to think out, plan, figure out, invent, create
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dexterous
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skillful in the use of hands or body; clever
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engross
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to occupy the complete attention, absorb fully
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entail
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to put a burden on, impose, require, involve; to restrict by limiting inheritance
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ferret
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a kind of weasel; to search or hunt out; to torment, badger
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habituate
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to become used to; to cause to become used to
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impending
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about to happen, hanging over
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personable
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pleasing in appearance or personality, attractive
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rue
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to regret, be sorry for; a feeling of regret
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scoff
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to make fun of; to show contempt for
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transition
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a change from one state or condition
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trepidation
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fear, fright, trembling
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upbraid
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to blame, scold; find fault with
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veritable
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actual, true, real
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vex
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to annoy, anger, exasperate; to confuse, baffle
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vitality
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strength, energy, liveliness; the capacity to live and develop; the power to endure or survive
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whimsical
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subject to odd ideas, notions, or fancies, playful; unpredictable
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apt
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suitable, fitting, likely; quick to learn
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awry
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in a turned or twisted position or direction; wrong, out of the right or hoped for course
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bludgeon
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a short club used as a weapon; to strike with a heavy club; to use force or strong arguments to gain some point
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capitulate
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to end resistance, give up, surrender
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chafe
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to warm by rubbing, to wear sore by rubbing; to feel annoyance or dissatisfaction, annoy, irk; to strain or press against; a sore or injury caused by rubbing
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defile
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to make unclean or dirty, destroy the purity of; to march in a single file line or in columns; a narrow passage
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dire
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dreadful, causing fear or suffering; warning of trouble to come; demanding immediate action to avoid disaster
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disarming
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charming, tending to get rid of unfriendliness or suspicion
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disgruntled
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in bad humor, discontented, annoyed
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encroach
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to advance beyond the usual or proper limits, trespass
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endow
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to furnish, equip, provide with funds or some other desirable thing or quality
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fend
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to ward off, resist; get along, manage
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mien
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air, manner; appearance; expression
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penal
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having to do with punishment
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pertinent
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related to the matter at hand, to the point
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predominant
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the greatest in strength or power; most common
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prodigy
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something wonderful or marvelous; something monstrous or abnormal; an unusual feat; a child or young person with extraordinary ability or talent
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recluse
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a person who leads a life shut up or withdrawn from the world
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renown
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fame, glory
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abut
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to join at one end or next to; to support, prop up
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attire
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clothes, apparel; to dress or adorn
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avail
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to be use or benefit to; to make use of; use, benefit, or value
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crony
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a very close friend, pal, chum
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cryptic
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puzzling or mystifying
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divergent
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going in different directions; differing from each other; departing from convention, deviant
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enmity
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hatred, ill-will
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fervent
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very earnest, emotional, passionate, extremely hot
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gaunt
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thin and bony, starved looking, bare, barren
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infiltrate
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to pass through or gain entrance to gradually or stealthily
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nullify
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to make of no value or consequence, cancel, wipe out
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perceptible
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capable of being grasped by the senses or mind
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plummet
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to plunge straight down; a weight fastened to a line
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proclaim
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to declare publicly or officially
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proxy
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an agent, substitute; a written permission allowing one person to act in another's place
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rankle
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to cause anger, irritation, or bitterness
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scavenger
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a person who collects or removes usable items from waste materials; an animal that feeds on refuse or dead bodies
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stint
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to limit be sparing or frugal; a limit or restriction; a fixed share or work or duty; a period of activity
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stoical
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self controlled, not showing feeling in response to pleasure or pain
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unflagging
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tireless, continuing with vigor
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acme
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the highest point
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attribute
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a quality or characteristic belonging to or associated with someone or something; to assign to, credit with; to regard as caused by or resulting from
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belittle
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to make something appear smaller than it is; to refer to in a way that suggests lack of importance or value
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convey
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to transport, to transmit; to communicate, make known; to transfer ownership or title to
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doctrine
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a belief, principal or teaching; a system of such beliefs or principals; a formulation of such beliefs or principals
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excise
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to remove by cutting; an indirect tax on manufacture, sale, or distribution of a commodity or service
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exotic
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foreign, charmingly unfamiliar or strikingly unusual
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haggard
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thin, pale, and careworn as a result of worry or suffering; wild-looking
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jaunty
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lively, easy and carefree; smart or trim
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juncture
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a joining together; the point at which two things are joined; any important point in time
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menial
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lowly, humble, lacking importance or dignity; a servant who does the humble and unpleasant tasks
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parry
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to ward off, evade, avoid; a defensive movement in fencing and other sports
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predatory
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preying on, plundering or piratical
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ravage
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to destroy, lay waste, ruin; ruinous damage, destruction
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stance
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a way of holding the body; an attitude or position on an issue
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tawdry
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showy and flashy but lacking in good taste
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turncoat
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a person who switches to an opposing side or party
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unassuming
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not putting on airs, modest
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wallow
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to roll about in a lazy, clumsy or helpless way; to overindulge in; to have in abundance; a wet muddy or dusty area
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waver
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to move to and fro, become unsteady; to show lack of firmness or decision
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abashed
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embarrassed or ashamed
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aloof
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withdrawn, standing apart from others
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anguish
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great suffering, distress, or pain; to be deeply tormented by pain or sorrow
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articulate
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to pronounce distinctly
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bask
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to be in or exposed oneself to pleasant warmth; to take pleasure to or derive from enjoyment from
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defect
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an imperfection or flaw of some kind, to desert a cause or organization
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finesse
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delicate skill; tact and cleverness; to accomplish something by cleverness, good judgment, or skillful evasion
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flaunt
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to wave or flutter showily; to display in a conceited offensive way
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forthright
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frank, direct, straightforward
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genial
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cordial, pleasantly cheerful or warm
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instill
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to add gradually; to introduce or cause to be taken
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ostracize
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to exclude from a group, banish, send away
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premonition
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a forewarning or foreboding of a future event
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pseudonym
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a pen name, name assumed by a writer
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purge
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to wash away impurities, clean up; the process of getting rid of something or someone decisively
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rehabilitate
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to make over in good form; to restore to good condition or to a former position
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repercussion
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an effect or consequence of some action or event; an echo or reverberation
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resolute
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bold, determined; firm
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retentive
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able to hold or keep; retaining knowledge easily
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scapegoat
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a person or thing carrying the blame for others
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aghast
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filled with amazement, disgust, fear, or terror
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ample
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more than enough, large, spacious
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apparition
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a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained of unusual appearance
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assert
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a declare or state as truth, maintain or defend, put forward forcefully
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cower
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to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame
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disdain
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to look upon with scorn; to refuse scornfully
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epitaph
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a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone
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ethical
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having to do with morals, values, right and wrong, in accordance with standards of right conduct; requiring a prescription for purchase
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facetious
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humorous, not meant seriously
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inaudible
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not able to be heard
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indiscriminate
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without restraint or control; unselective
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intrigue
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crafty dealings, underhanded plotting; to form and carry out plots; to puzzle or excite the curiosity
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jurisdiction
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an area of authority or control, the right to administer justice
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plausible
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appearing true, reasonable, or fair
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plebeian
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common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class; a common person, member of the lower class
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prodigal
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wasteful extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; one who is wasteful and self indulgent
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proximity
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neatness, closeness
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pulverize
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to grind of pound to a powder or dust; to destroy or over come (as though by smashing into fragments)
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sequel
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that which follows, a result; a literary work or film continuing the story of one made earlier
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volatile
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highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state
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annul
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to reduce to nothing; to make in effective or inoperative; to declare legally invalid or void
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blase
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indifferent, bored as a result of having enjoyed many pleasures
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bolster
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to support, give a boost; a long pillow or cushion; a supporting post
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deplore
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to feel or express regret or disapproval
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frivolous
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of little importance, not worthy of serious attention; not meant seriously
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muster
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to bring together for service or battle; to gather or summon; to amount to, compromise, include; a list of men for military service; a gathering, accumulation
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nonentity
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a person or thing of no importance
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obsess
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to trouble, haunt, fill the mind
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ornate
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elaborately decorated; showily splendid
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oust
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to remove, drive out of a position or place
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peruse
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to read thoroughly and carefully
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porous
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full of tiny holes; able to be penetrated
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promontory
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a high point of land extending out into water
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prone
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lying face down; inclined, likely
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qualm
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a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt; a feeling of faintness or nausea
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recourse
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a person or thing turned to for help or advice; the act of seeking help or protection
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residue
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a remainder , that which remains when a part has been used up or removed
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solicitous
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showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something
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staid
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serious and dignified; quiet or subdued in character or conduct
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sustain
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to support, nourish, keep up, to suffer, undergo, to bear up under, withstand
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allot
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to assign or distribute into shares or portions
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amass
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to bring together, collect, gather, especially for oneself; to come together, assemble
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audacious
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bold, adventurous, recklessly daring
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comply
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to yield to a request or command
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devoid
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not having or using, lacking
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elite
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the choice part of a group of people or things; superior
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grapple
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an iron hook used to grab and hold; to come to grips with, wrestle with, fight with
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incapacitate
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to deprive of strength or ability; to make legally ineligible
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instigate
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to urge on; stir up
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longevity
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long life, long duration
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myriad
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in very great numbers; a very great number
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perspective
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a point of view or general standpoint from which different things are viewed, physically or mentally; the appearance to the eye of various objects at a given time, place or distance
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perturb
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to trouble, make uneasy, to disturb greatly, to throw into confusion
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prodigious
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immense, extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree
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relevant
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connected with or related to the matter at hand
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skittish
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extremely nervous and easily frightened; shy or timid; extremely cautious; unstable
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tether
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a rope or chain used to fasten something to a fixed object; the outer limit of strength or resources; to fasten with a rope or chain
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unison
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sounding together; agreement or accord
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vie
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to compete; strive for victory or superiority
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willful
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stubbornly self willed; done on purpose, deliberate
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antics
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ridiculous and unpredictable behavior or actions
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avowed
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declared openly public and without shame, acknowledged
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banter
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to exchange playful remarks, tease; talk that is playful and teasing
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bountiful
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giving freely, generous; plentiful, given abundantly
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congested
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overcrowded, filled or occupied to excess
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detriment
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harm or loss; injury, damage; a disadvantage; a cause of harm, injury, loss or damage
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durable
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sturdy, not easily worn out
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enterprising
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energetic, willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination
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frugal
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economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager
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gingerly
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with extreme care or caution
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glut
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to provide more than is needed or wanted
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incognito
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in a disguised state, under an assumed name
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invalidate
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to make valueless, take away all force or effort
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legendary
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described in well-known stories; existing in stories rather than real life
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maim
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to cripple, disable
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minimize
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to make as small as possible, make the least of; to make smaller than before
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oblique
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slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct
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veer
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to regard with reverence, look up to with great respect
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wanton
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reckless; heartless, unjustifiable; loose in morals; a spoiled pampered person
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adage
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a proverb
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bonanza
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a rich mass of ore in a mine, something very valuble, profitable, or rewarding, a source of wealth
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churlish
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lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with
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citadel
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a fortress that overlooks and protects a city; any strong or commanding place
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collaborate
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to work with, work together
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decree
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an order having the force of law; to issue such an order; to command firmly or forcefully
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decree
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an order having the force of law; to issue such an order; to command firmly or forcefully
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discordant
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disagreeable in sound, jarring, lacking harmony
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evolve
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to develop gradually
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excerpt
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a passage taken from a book
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grope
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to feel about hesitantly with the hands; to blindly and uncertainly
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hover
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to float hang or suspend over; to move back and forth uncertainly over or around
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jostle
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to make force one's way by pushing or elbowing; to bump, shove, brush against; vie for
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laggard
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a person who moves slowly or falls behind
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plaudits
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applause, enthusiastic praise or approval
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preclude
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to make impossinle, prevent, shut out
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preclude
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to make impossible, prevent, shut out
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revert
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to return, go back
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tubble
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broken stone or bricks; ruins
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servile
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of or relating to a slave, behaving like a slave, menial
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vigil
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a watch, especially at night;at period of watchful attention
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wrangle
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to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way; to obtain by argument; to herd; a noisy quarrel
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