Words 8

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apartheid

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[uh-pahrt-heyt, -hahyt] –noun 1. (in the Republic of South Africa) a rigid policy of segregation of the nonwhite population. 2. any system or practice that separates people according to race, caste, etc.

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fathom

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[fath-uhm] noun fath⋅om, verb –noun 1. a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements.

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lad⋅ing

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[ley-ding] –noun 1. that with which something is laden; load; freight; cargo.

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op⋅u⋅lence

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[op-yuh-luhns] –noun 1. wealth, riches, or affluence. 2. abundance, as of resources or goods; plenty. 3. the state of being opulent.

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pan⋅de⋅mo⋅ni⋅um

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[pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm] –noun 1. wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos. 2. a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos.

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shrewd

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[shrood]–adjective, -er, -est. 1. astute or sharp in practical matters: a shrewd politician. 2. keen; piercing.

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panjandrum

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[pan-jan-druhm] –noun a self-important or pretentious official.

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vi⋅car⋅i⋅ous

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[vahy-kair-ee-uhs, vi-] –adjective 1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment. 2. taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.

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e⋅vince

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[i-vins] –verb (used with object), e⋅vinced, e⋅vinc⋅ing. 1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove. 2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).

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af⋅flu⋅ence

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[af-loo-uhns or, often, uh-floo-] –noun 1. abundance of money, property, and other material goods; riches; wealth. 2. an abundant supply, as of thoughts or words; profusion.

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ven⋅er⋅ate

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[ven-uh-reyt] –verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing. to regard or treat with reverence; revere.

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eu⋅nuch⋅ize

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[yoo-nuh-kahyz] –verb (used with object), -ized, -iz⋅ing. to castrate; emasculate.

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fran⋅gi⋅ble

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[fran-juh-buhl] –adjective easily broken; breakable: Most frangible toys are not suitable for young children.

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for⋅ti⋅fy/bastion

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[fawr-tuh-fahy] –verb (used with object) 1. to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.

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mi⋅cro⋅cosm

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[mahy-kruh-koz-uhm] –noun 1. a little world; a world in miniature (opposed to macrocosm ).

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bi⋅be⋅lot

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[bib-loh; Fr. beebuh-loh] –noun. a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.

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col⋅lage

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[kuh-lahzh, koh- noun 3. an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition: The experimental play is a collage of sudden scene shifts, long monologues, musical interludes, and slapstick.

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pro⋅ver⋅bi⋅al

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[pruh-vur-bee-uhl] adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a proverb: proverbial brevity.

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neb⋅u⋅lous

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[neb-yuh-luhs] adjective 1. hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused: a nebulous recollection of the meeting; a nebulous distinction between pride and conceit.

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im⋅mac⋅u⋅late

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[i-mak-yuh-lit] adjective 1. free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean: immaculate linen.

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ve⋅rac⋅i⋅ty

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[vuh-ras-i-tee] noun 1. habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness: He was not noted for his veracity.

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viper

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a malignant or spiteful person. a false or treacherous person.

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for⋅tu⋅i⋅tous

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[fawr-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo-] adjective 1. happening or produced by chance; accidental: a fortuitous encounter.

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no⋅to⋅ri⋅e⋅ty

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[noh-tuh-rahy-i-tee] noun, plural -ties. 1. the state, quality, or character of being notorious or widely known: a craze for notoriety.

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ep⋅i⋅logue

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[ep-uh-lawg, -log] noun 1. a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel. 2. a speech, usually in verse, delivered by one of the actors after the conclusion of a play.

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ex⋅co⋅ri⋅ate

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 [ik-skawr-ee-eyt, -skohr-] verb (used with object), -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing. 1. to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes.

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ha⋅rangue

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[huh-rang] noun 1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.

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sur⋅rep⋅ti⋅tious

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[sur-uhp-tish-uhs] adjective 1. obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance.

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at⋅el⋅ier

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[at-l-yey, at-l-yey; Fr. atuh-lyey] noun, a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer.

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las⋅civ⋅i⋅ous

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[luh-siv-ee-uhs] adjective 1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.

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os⋅ten⋅ta⋅tious

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[os-ten-tey-shuhs, -tuhn-] adjective 1. characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.

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  dis⋅po⋅si⋅tion

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[dis-puh-zish-uhn] noun 1. the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: a girl with a pleasant disposition.

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vi⋅cis⋅si⋅tude

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[vi-sis-i-tood, -tyood] noun 1. a change or variation occurring in the course of something. 2. interchange or alternation, as of states or things.

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terse

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[turs]–adjective ters⋅er, ters⋅est. 1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language. 2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

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ethos

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[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]–noun 1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued. 2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc. 3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

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tempest

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[tem-pist]–noun 1. a violent windstorm, esp. one with rain, hail, or snow. 2. a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult. –verb (used with object) 3. to affect by or as by a tempest; disturb violently. -Idiom 4. tempest in a teacup. teacup (def. 3).

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aubade

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[oh-bad, oh-bahd; Fr. oh-bad]-noun, a piece sung or played outdoors at dawn, usually as a compliment to someone.

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synergism

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[sin-er-jiz-uhm, si-nur-jiz-]–noun 1. the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. 2. the joint action of agents, as drugs, that when taken together increase each other's effectiveness (contrasted with antagonism ). 3. Theology. the doctrine that the human will cooperates with the Holy Ghost in the work of regeneration.

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sermonette

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[sur-muh-net]–noun a brief sermon or homily: five-minute radio sermonettes.

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plenipotentiary

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[plen-uh-puh-ten-shee-er-ee, -shuh-ree]–noun 1. a person, esp. a diplomatic agent, invested with full power or authority to transact business on behalf of another. –adjective 2. invested with full power or authority, as a diplomatic agent. 3. conferring or bestowing full power, as a commission. 4. absolute or full, as power.

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hallow

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[hal-oh]–verb (used with object) 1. to make holy; sanctify; consecrate. 2. to honor as holy; consider sacred; venerate: to hallow a battlefield.

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prevaricate

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[pri-var-i-keyt]–verb (used without object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

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coopt

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[koh-opt]–verb (used with object) 1. to elect into a body by the votes of the existing members. 2. to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was coopted by the Socialist party. 3. to appropriate as one's own; preempt: The dissidents have coopted the title of her novel for their slogan.

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perambulate

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[per-am-byuh-leyt]–verb (used with object) 1. to walk through, about, or over; travel through; traverse. 2. to traverse in order to examine or inspect. –verb (used without object) 3. to walk or travel about; stroll.

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indigenous

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[in-dij-uh-nuhs]–adjective 1. originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (often fol. by to): the plants indigenous to Canada; the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. 2. innate; inherent; natural (usually fol. by to): feelings indigenous to human beings.

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amid

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[uh-mid]–preposition 1. in the middle of; surrounded by; among: to stand weeping amid the ruins. 2. during; in or throughout the course of.

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tantamount

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[tan-tuh-mount]–adjective equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification: His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.

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gesticulate

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[je-stik-yuh-leyt]–verb (used without object) 1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech. –verb (used with object) 2. to express by gesturing.

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lament/commiserate/penance

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3W [luh-ment]–verb (used with object) 1. to feel or express sorrow or regret for: to lament his absence. 2. to mourn for or over.

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lascivious

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[luh-siv-ee-uhs]–adjective 1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man. 2. arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.

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enjoin

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[en-join]–verb (used with object) 1. to prescribe (a course of action) with authority or emphasis: The doctor enjoined a strict diet.

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pretentious

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[pri-ten-shuhs] –adjective 1. full of pretense or pretension. 2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance. 3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

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hellenization

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"verb (used without object) 2. to adopt Greek ideas or customs.

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precarious

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dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood. 2. dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.

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par·a·gon

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noun a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence.

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cur·mudg·eon

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"noun a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.

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gas·tron·o·my/gastronome

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noun the art or science of good eating. a style of cooking or eating.

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vict·ual

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"noun 1. victuals, food supplies; provisions. 2. food or provisions for human beings.

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har·lot

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"[hahr-luht] –noun a prostitute; whore.

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tar·a·did·dle

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"[tar-uh-did-l] –nounInformal. 1. a small lie; fib. 2. pretentious nonsense.

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vi·ti·ate

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[vish-ee-eyt] –verb (used with object),-at·ed, -at·ing. 1. to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil. 2. to impair or weaken the effectiveness of.

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ap·pro·ba·tion

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[ap-ruh-bey-shuhn] –noun 1. approval; commendation. 2. official approval or sanction.

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qui·es·cent

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kwee-es-uhnt, kwahy-] –adjective being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless:

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con·cil·i·ate

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1. to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to conciliate an angry competitor.

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las·si·tude

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[las-i-tood, -tyood] –noun1. weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor.

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quat·rain

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"[kwo-treyn] –noun a stanza or poem of four lines, usually with alternate rhymes.

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ap·pel·la·tion

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[ap-uh-ley-shuhn] –noun 1.a name, title, or designation.

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aux·il·ia·ry

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" [awg-zil-yuh-ree, -zil-uh-] –adjective 1. additional; supplementary; reserve: an auxiliary police force. 4. giving support; serving as an aid; helpful: The mind and emotions are auxiliary to each other. Passion is auxiliary to art.

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nu·mi·nous

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[noo-muh-nuhs, nyoo-] –adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or like a numen; spiritual or supernatural. 2. surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious: that element in artistic expression that remains numinous.

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con·cede

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[kuhn-seed] –verb (used with object) 1. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit: He finally conceded that she was right.

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di·chot·o·my

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[dahy-kot-uh-mee] –noun,plural-mies. 1. division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs. 2. division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups: a dichotomy between thought and action.

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ra·ti·oc·i·na·tion

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"[rash-ee-os-uh-ney-shuhn, -oh-suh-, rat-ee-] –noun the process of logical reasoning.

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e·gress

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[n. ee-gres; v. ih-gres] –noun 1.the act or an instance of going, esp. from an enclosed place. 2. a means or place of going out; an exit.

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de·ba·cle

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"[dey-bah-kuhl, -bak-uhl, duh-] –noun 1. a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle.

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li·ai·son

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noun 1. the contact or connection maintained by communications between units of the armed forces or of any other organization in order to ensure concerted action, cooperation, etc.

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fe·lic·i·tate

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[fi-lis-i-teyt] –verb (used with object) 1. to compliment upon a happy event; congratulate.

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vo·cif·er·ous

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[voh-sif-er-uhs] –adjective 1. crying out noisily; clamorous.

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pur·port

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"verb (used with object) 1. to present, esp. deliberately, the appearance of being; profess or claim, often falsely: a document purporting to be official.

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rep·ro·bate

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"noun1. a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate. 2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.

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cou·ture

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noun 1. the occupation of a couturier; dressmaking and designing. 2. fashion designers or couturiers collectively.

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pros·o·dy

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"3.Linguistics. the stress and intonation patterns of an utterance.

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in·to·na·tion

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noun 1. the pattern or melody of pitch changes in connected speech, esp. the pitch pattern of a sentence, which distinguishes kinds of sentences or speakers of different language cultures.

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lit·ur·gy

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noun,plural-gies. 1. a form of public worship; ritual.

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a·grar·i·an

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[uh-grair-ee-uhn] –adjective 1.relating to land, land tenure, or the division of landed property: agrarian laws.

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ger·und

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[jer-uhnd] –nounGrammar. 1. (in certain languages, as Latin) a form regularly derived from a verb and functioning as a noun, having in Latin all case forms but the nominative, as Latin dicendī gen., dicendō, dat., abl., etc., “saying.”

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pro·vi·sion·al//temporize

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[pruh-vizh-uh-nl] –adjective Also, pro·vi·sion·ar·y 1. providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary: a provisional government.

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domicile

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[dom-uh-sahyl, -suhl, doh-muh-] –noun 1. a place of residence; abode; house or home.

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rus·ti·cate

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"[ruhs-ti-keyt] –verb (used without object) 1. to go to the country. 2. to stay or sojourn in the country.

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portico

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a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns or piers, usually attached to a building as a porch.

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mu·nif·i·cent/largess

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"2W[myoo-nif-uh-suhnt] –adjective 1. extremely liberal in giving; very generous. 2. characterized by great generosity: a munificent bequest.

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Di·as·po·ra

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[dahy-as-per-uh] –noun 1. the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity. 2. (often lowercase) the body of Jews living in countries outside Palestine or modern Israel.

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in·can·ta·tion

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[in-kan-tey-shuhn] –noun 1. the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power. 2. the formula employed; a spell or charm.

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mag·nan·i·mous

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adjective 1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies. 2. high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.

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blithe

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adjective,blith·er, blith·est. 1. joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful: Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.

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con·cil·i·ate//placate/appease/pacify/mollify/propitiate"

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6W [kuhn-sil-ee-eyt] verb (used with object) 1. to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to conciliate an angry competitor.

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ex·as·per·ate

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[v. ig-zas-puh-reyt; adj. ig-zas-per-it] –verb (used with object) 1. to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He was exasperated by the senseless delays.

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os·ten·si·ble

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"[o-sten-suh-buhl] –adjective 1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness. 2. apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.

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ce·ler·i·ty/tantivies

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"2W [suh-ler-i-tee] –noun swiftness; speed.

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ar·du·ous

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[ahr-joo-uhs] adjective 1. requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking. 2. requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort.

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ad·age/proverbial

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"2W [ad-ij] –noun A traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.