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208 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Penchant
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strong inclination; liking
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Pendant
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handing down from something like an ornament
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Peerless
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having no equal; incomparable; matchless
as is peerless (incomparable) beauty |
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Pejorative
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negative in connotation; having a belittling effect
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Pedagogy
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teaching; art of education
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Pedagogue
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teacher
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Pecuniary
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Pertaining to money
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Paucity
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Scarcity
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Peruse
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to study or read carefully
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plumage
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feathers of a bird
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Plummet
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sharply fall
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Pluck
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courage
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Pliant
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flexible; easily influenced
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Pliable
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flexible; yielding; adaptable
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Plethora
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excess; overabundance
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Plentitude
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abundance;completeness
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Plenary
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Complete; full
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Plebeian
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Common; pertaining to the common people
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Plausible
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having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious
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Plaudit
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enthusiastic approval; round of applause
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Platitude
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trite remark; commonplace statement
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Plait
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braid; intertwine
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Platonic
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nonsexual; purely spiritual;
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Plasticity
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ability to be molded
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Plaintive
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mournful
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Placid
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Calm
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Placebo
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harmless substance prescribed as dummy pill
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Plagiarize
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steal another's idea and pass it as own
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Placate
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pacify; conciliate
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Pivotal
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central;critical
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Pittance
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small allowance or wage
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Pithy
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concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty
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Piquant
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Pleasantly tart-tasting and stimulating
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Pious
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devout; religious
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Pinnacle
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peak
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Pinion
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Restrain
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Pine
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languish; decline; yearn for
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Pillory
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punish by placing in wood frame; subject to criticism and ridicule
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Pillage
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plunder and despoil
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pigment
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coloring matter
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Piety
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devoutness; reverence for God
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Piecemeal
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one part at a time; gradually
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Piebald
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of different colors; mottled;spotted
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physiological
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pertaining to the function of living organisms
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physiognomy
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face
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phylum
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major classification, second to kingdom
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phoenix
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symbol of immortality and rebirth
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posture
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act artificially; assume an affected pose
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posthumous
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after death
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poseur
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person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant to impress others
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portly
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stout; corpulent
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portend
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foretell; presage
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porous
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full of pores; like a sieve
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pomposity
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self important behavior
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polyglot
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speaking several languages
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polemic
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controversy; argument in support of pt of view
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polemical
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aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious
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polarize
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spit into opposite extremes or camps
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poignancy
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quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion
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podium
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pedestal;raised platform
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plutocracy
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society ruled by wealthy
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paleontology
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study of prehistoric life
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paradox
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seemingly contradictory in nature; something that appears to be false but is actually true
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plumb
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vertical
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paroxysm
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fit or attach of pain, laughter or rage
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parochial
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narrow in outlook;provincial; related to parishes
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parlance
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language; idiom
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parley
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conference
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parity
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equality; close resemblance
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paraphernalia
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equipment; odds and ends
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patriach
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father ruled tribe or society
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patronize
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support; act superior; be customer of
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patois
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local or provincial dialect
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parquet
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wood floor laid in strips like a mosaic pattern
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partial
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incomplete; having a liking for something
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panegyric
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formal praise
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parable
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story with moral
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paradigm
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model, example
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paragon
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model of perfection
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paramount
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foremost importance
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paramour
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illicit lover
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patina
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green crust on old bronze work; tone slowly taken away by varnished paintings
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paean
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song of joy or praise
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palpitate
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throb; flutter
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overwrought
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extremely agitated; hysterical
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parsimony
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stinginess; excessively frugal
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parallelism
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state of being parallel; similarity
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parameter
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limit; independent variable
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paranoia
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psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur or persecution
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parasite
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animal or plant living on another; very thirsty; sycophant
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pariah
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social outcast
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paucity
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scarcity
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palliate
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ease pain; make less severe or offensive
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pathos
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tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces feeling
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pathological
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pertaining to disease
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patent
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open for public to read obvious
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pastoral
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rural
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parry
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ward off; deflect
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peccadillo
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slight offense
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phlegmatic
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calm; not easily disturbed
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philology
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study of language
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philistine
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narrow-minded person; uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain
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philanthropist
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do gooder; lover of mankind
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precarious
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uncertain; risky
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preamble
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introductory statement
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prattle
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babble
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prate
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speak foolish; boast idly
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pragmatist
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practical
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practicable
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feasible
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poultice
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soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of body
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potpourri
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medley; heterogeneous mixture
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potent
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powerful; persuasive; greatly influential
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potable
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suitable for drinking
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passive
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not active
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ovoid
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egg shape
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painstaking
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showing hard work; taking great care
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passe
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old fashioned; past prime
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pallid
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pale; wan
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plumb
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examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding)
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pitfall
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hidden danger; concealed trap
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plight
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condition, bad state or predicament
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piscatorial
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pertaining to fishing
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pique
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irritation and resentment
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pique
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provoke or arouse; annoy
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pied
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variegated; multicolored
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postulate
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self-evident truth
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posterity
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descendants; future generations
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pore(v)
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study industriously; ponder; scrutinize
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pontifical
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pertaining to bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious
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ponderous
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weighty; unwieldy (difficult to use or handle because of weight)
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politic
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expedient (practical; serving to support interest); prudent; well devised
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polity
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form of government nation or state
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patrician
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noble or aristocrat
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palate
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roof of mouth; sense of taste
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pallet
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small, poor bed
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pan
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criticize harshly
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pander
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cater to the low tastes of others
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panache
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flair; flamboyant
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philatelist
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stamp collector
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potentate
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sovereign; monarch
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pedant
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scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
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pedantic
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show off learning;bookish
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pith
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core or marrow; essence; substance
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Defeatist
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resigned to defeat; accepting defeat as a natural outcome
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Derivative
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unoriginal; obtained from another source
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Deride
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ridicule; make fun of
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Derelict
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abandoned; negligent
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Derange
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make insane; disarrange
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Depredation
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plundering
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Depreciation
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lessen in value
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Deprecate
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express disapproval of; protest against; belittle
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Depravity
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extreme corruption; wickedness
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Deposition
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testimony under oath
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Depose
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dethrone; remove from office
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Deploy
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spread out (troops) in an extended though shallow battle line
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Deplore
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regret
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Deplete
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reduce; exhaust
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Depict
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portray
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denounce
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condemn;criticize
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denouement
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outcome; final development of plot or play or other literary work
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denotation
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meaning; distinguishing by name
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denizen
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inhabitant or resident regular visitor
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denigrate
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blacken;malign
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demure
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grave; serious; ray
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demur
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object (b/c of doubts; scruples); hesitate
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demoniac
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fiendish; extremely evil or cursed
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demotic
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pertaining to the people
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demur
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objection; protest
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demise
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death
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demented
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insane
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demean
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degrade; humiliate
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demeanor
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behavior; bearing
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demagogue
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person who appeals to people's prejudice
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delve
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dig; investigate
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delusive
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deceptive; raising vain hopes
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delusion
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false behavior; hallucination
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deluge
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flood; rush
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delude
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deceive
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delta
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flat plain of mud or sand between branches of river
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delirium
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mental disorder marked by confusion
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delineate
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portray; depict; sketch
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deliberate
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consider; pander
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deleterious
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harmful
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deign
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condescend; stoop
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deify
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turn into god; idolize
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degradation
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humiliation; debasement
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degenerate
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worsen; deteriorate
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defunct
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dead; no longer in use or existence
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deft
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neat; skillful
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defrock
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to strip a priest or minister of church authority
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defray
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provide for the payment of
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defoliate
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destroy leaves
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deflect
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turn a side
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definitive
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most reliable or complete ; clearly defined dor formulated
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defile
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pollute; profane
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defiance
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refusal to yield; resistance
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defer
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give in respectfully; submissive
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deference
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courteous regard for another's wish; great respect
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defer
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delay till alter; exempt temporarily
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defection
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desertion
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deducible
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derived by reasoning
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default
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failure to act
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defame
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malign; slander
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deface
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disfigure
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decollete
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having a low cut neckline
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decorum
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propriety; orderliness good taste in manners
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decoy
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lure or bait
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decry
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express strong disapproval of; disparage
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