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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Aardvark
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def-animal that in the Earth for termites and ants
syn-Earth pig/anteater ety-Dutch aard"earth" vark"pig" |
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abacus
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def-Manual computing device consisting of a frame holding parallel bars and counter
syn-none ety-Greek abak"counter" |
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Matthew Brady
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Amiercan pioneer photographer, was appointed official Union photographer of the Civil War in 1861
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circumlocution
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def- a round about way of speaking
syn- none ety- Latin circum"round" loqui"speak" |
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Dark Horse
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def- One who acheives unexpected support and success as a political candidate
syn-underdog or unknown ety- from a movie by American writers |
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ecumenical
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def- Of or relating world wide christian church.
syn- none ety- Greek oikkoumen"inhabited world" and oikous"house" |
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greenhouse effect
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Earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gasses such as CO2
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inculcate
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to impress uponthe mind of another by repitition;instill
ety- Latin inculcat"to force upon" |
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keelhauling
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def- to rebuke harshly by dragging under the keel of the ship
ety- Dtuch halem"haul" kiel"keel of a ship" |
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lugubriously
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def- mournful, dismal, or gloomy especially to an exaggerated degree
ety- Latin lugere"to mourn" |
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mumbo jumbo
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def-incomprehensible language; gibberish or complicated obscure ritual
syn- gibberish, nonsense, drivel, rubbish ety- Mandingo origin |
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prestissimo
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def-In as fast a tempo as possible, used cheifly as a direction
ety- Italian presto"quick" |
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quindecennial
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def-Ocurring or lasting 15 years
ety- Latin quindecim"fifteen" |
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Rasmussen's Laugh
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def- A horrible ironic laughter over his dead son which never stopped
ety- Isylic legend |
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reparation
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def- the act of making amends, repairing or compemsating
syn-Compensation, amends, reimbursement, recompense, restitution ety- Old English reparacion |
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sternutation
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def- act of sneezing or a sneeze
ety- Latin sterntutation "sneeze" |
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tautology
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def- a statement that is necessarily true or a needless redundancy
ety- Greek tautologos"redundant |
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St. Elmo's Fire
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def- Atmospheric electricity that usually appears in stormy weater around church spires, sailing masts, and airplane wings
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whelp
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def- Impudent young person. To give birth to puppies
ety- Old English hwlep |
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ziggurat
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Temple of the ancient Assyrians and Babolonyians having the form of a terreced pyramid of successively receeding stories
ety- Akkadian zigguratee "temple tower" |
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abjure
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def- Formally recounce something; to give up a previously held belief
syn- avoid, renounce, shun, give up, recant, repudiate ety- Latin abjurare "deny under oath" |
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Buffalo Soldier
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def- African American soldiers that served in the U.S army between the Civil War and WWI
ety- They principally fought Native Americans and their afros resembled hair on a buffalo's head |
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dystopia
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def- Vision of a very bad place or a very bad place
ety- mid 20th century dys + utopia |
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El Nino
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Change in Pacific currents ever 4-12 years and warms the western South American coast
ety- Spanish nino"Christ Child" |
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grimalkin
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def- Old female cat or ill tempered old lady
syn- crone ety- Late 16th century malkin"cat" |
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immolate
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def- kill as a sacrifice or committ suicide as protest(particularly by burning)
syn-sacrifice, slaughter, kill ety- Latin immolat"sacrifice" |
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lavaliere
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def- Pendant on a chain worn around the neck
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metronome
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def- Device used to indicate a tempo by means of recurring signal
syn- alarm and timer ety- Greek metron "measure" + nomos"rule |
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mystique
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def- Special quality that makes someone appear power and/or mysterious
syn- mystery, aura, magic, charm, air of secrecy ety- Greek Murtikos "initiated person" |
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Oligarchy
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def- Government controlled by a few people
ety- Greek oligos"few" + arkia"government" |
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quotidian
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Def- Done or experienced on a daily basis
syn- routinely and common ety- Latin cotidie "everyday" |
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rutherfordium
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def- A radioactive element produced artificially
ety- Mid 20th century named after Ernest Rutherford for his acheivment of splitting the atom |
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supercilious
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def- full of competence and arrogance
syn- arrogant, condescending, disdainful, haughty, pompus, patronizing ety- Latin supercilium "eyebrow" |
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thistle
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def- A plant with prickly stems and leaves
ety- Germanic bistel"prickly" and national emblem of Scotland |
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umber
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def- Pigment or dye made from soil that contains oxides of Fe and Mg
ety- Latin umbra "shadow" |
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unctuous
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def- Attempting to charm someone in a smug or smooth way
syn- ingratiating, smug, phony, slimy ety- Latin unguere "smear, anoint" |
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vanguard
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def- Leading position of a movement, field, or cultural trend
syn- forefront, lead, head, precursor, forerunner ety- French avant "before" garde "guard" |
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verdigris
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def- Green or bluish depost of patina or copper carbonate
syn- rust, corrosion, tarnish ety- French vert de grece "green of Greece" |
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whipping boy
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def- Somebody who gets the blame for the wrongdoings of others
syn- scapegoat, fallman, victim, sucker ety- Boy, educated with a prince, who would take the fall |
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Xerexe's tears
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def- Persian general who wept about the thousands of men that would die in battle with the Greeks
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abrogate
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def- Do away with something; to end an agreement formally and publicly
syn- annul, void, retract, rescind,abolish ety- Latin abrogat "repeal" |
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bellicose
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def- Favoring or encouraging warlike behavior
syn- belligerent, aggressive, combative, confrontational ety- Latin bellum "war" |
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cantankerous
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def- Easily angered and difficult to get along with
syn- argumentative, quarrelsome, pugnacious ety- Mid 18th century alteration of rancorous |
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dimity
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def- Cotton fabric with a striped or checkered texture produced by weaving yarns of different thicknesses
ety- Greem dimitos "double threaded |
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exiguous
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def- scanty or meager
ety- Latin exigere "weigh precisely, measure" |
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forebearance
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def- patience, tolerance, or self control especially in not responding to provocation
syn- restraint, self control, moderation, patience |
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griffin
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def- Mythological creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle
ety- Old French "griffum" |
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hypotenuse
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def- The longest side of a right triangle which is oppsite the right angle
ety- Greek hypoteinousa "under the right angle" |
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Ishmael
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def- Son of Abraham who was expelled into the desert after the birth of Isac and is the father of 12 tribes
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Lusitania
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def- British Ocean liner that was sunk by German U-Boats, in WWI, killing 127 Americans and bring the US into WWI
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Nonsectarian
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def- Not limited to a particular religous denomination
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plagerize
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To copy another preson's ideas or written work and claim it as original
syn- copy, steal, bootleg, pirate, imitate ety- Latin plagerious "kidnap" |
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rutabaga
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def- A large rounded yellowish rooted cooked as a vegetable
ety- Sweedish rotabagge "root" |
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Soliloquy
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A section of a play in which one character speaks alone on stage
syn- monologue, oration, declamation Latin- soliloquium "speaking alone" |
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touche
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def- a word used to acknowledge a scoring hit in fencing
ety- French toucher "touch" |
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unsavory
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def- Not pleasent or appealing; morally unacceptable
syn- distasteful, unpleassent, revolting, disgusting, nasty, seedy, sleazy, |
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vichyssoise
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def- A creamy soup made from leeks, potatoes, onions, and served chilled
syn- bisuet, broth, bouillion ety- Mid 20th century French vich "iced soup" |
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winnow
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def- Separate husk from chaff by tossing corn in the air
syn- examine, inspect, pick over ety- Old English winduian "wind" |
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whist
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def- card game in which one team of two people try to get a majority of the tricks and the last card dealt is trump
ety- Mid 17th century |
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xylem
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def- Woody supportive tissue that carries water from roots to stem and leaves
ety- Greek xulon "wood" |