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85 Cards in this Set
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demagogue
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a leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace(Gk. demagogos < demos 'people' + agein 'to lead')
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leitmotif
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melodic passage or phrase associated with a specific character or situation; a dominant or recurring theme, as in a novel (German leitmotiv < leiten 'to lead' + motiv 'motif')
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xyst
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(in ancient Greek and Roman architechture) a covered portico; a garden walk planted with trees (L. xystus 'shaded walk' <Gk. xystos 'covered colonnade)
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anserine
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of or like a goose; silly (L. anser, "goose")
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panoply
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complete suit of armor; any complete or magnificent covering; array (Gk. pan 'all'+ hopla 'arms')
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glom
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(V) to catch or grab; to look at (N) a look or glimpse (Scottish glammis 'jaws of a vise' < ScotGael galm)
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turpitude
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(N) vileness; depravity; baseness (L. turpis 'base' 'vile')
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mashie
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a golf club with a wide blade used for medium distances, the fore-runner of a 5-iron (F. massue 'club' < Vulgar Latin mattia 'mace')
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Mollycoddle
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to treat with fond indulgence; protect and cater to (F. Molly + ME cuadel < Old N French caud-, caut 'warm'<L. calidus 'warm')
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nepenthe
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a potion used by the Ancients to give forgetfulness of pain and sorrow; something capable of causing oblivion and grief (L. nepenthes < Gk. nepentheses 'banishing pain and sorrow < ne 'not' + penthos 'grief')
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martinet
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a strict disciplinarian; one who stubbornly adheres to mehods of rules (1670 after General Jean Martine, a French inventor of a system of drill)
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mammon
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material wealth or possesions, especially having an evil or debasing power (L. mammona < Gk. mamona< Aramaic mamona 'riches)
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suppurate
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to form or discharge pus (L. sub 'under' + pus, pur-, 'pus')
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nabob
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governor in India under the Mogul Empire; a person of wealth and prominence (Hindi nawab<Arabin na'ib 'deputy')
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putsch
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sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government (German < Middle High German 'thrust)
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Anathema
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curse; one that is cursed, reviled, loathed or shunned (Gk. anathema 'dedication' < ana 'upon' + tithenai 'to put')
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desultory
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moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected; occuring randomly ( L. de 'down from' + salire 'to jump')
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chimera
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fire-breathing she-monster usually represnted as a composite of a lion, goat, and serpent; an imaginary monster; an illusion, fancy (ME chimere 'Chimera' < OF < L. <Gk. khimaira 'she-goat')
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histrionic
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(ADJ) of or relating to actors or acting; excessively dramatic or emotional; affected (N) exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effected (L. histrio 'actor')
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hegemony
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leadership or dominance, especially that of one state or nation in a league or confederation
(Gk. Hegemonia 'leadership<hegemon 'leader) |
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consternation
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dismay, paralyzing amazement (L. constenare "to throw into confusion")
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succinct
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terse, briefly or precisely stated (L. 'sub' under + 'cingere' to gird)
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maffick
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to celebrate with extravagant public demonstrations (Brit. After Mafeking an enclave in South Africa beseiged for 217 days and then liberated by the British)
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ominous
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threatening, sinister ( L. ominosus 'having to do with an evil omen'<omen 'omen')
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lucidity
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clarity, clearness of expression or thought process (L. lucere 'to shine')
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preclude
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to shut out, hinder, prevent (L. prae 'before' + claudere 'to close')
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incisive
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sharp, keen, penetration (L. incidere 'to cut into')
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pernicious
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baneful, injurious, hurtful (L. pernicius 'ruinous)
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troglodyte
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cave man, hermit (Gk. trogle 'hole' +dutai 'those who enter')
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nefarious
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very wicked, evil (L. nefas 'crime')
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miscreant
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villian, evil-doear, heretic (Of mescreant>mescroire 'to disbelieve>L credere 'believe)
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mendacious
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false, lying (L. mendax 'lying')
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pseudonym
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pen name
(Gk. pseudes 'false + onyma 'name') |
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sinecure
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a position or job requiring little or no work, especially one yielding godd profits (L. sine cura 'without care')
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lassitude
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feeling of weariness, langour (L. lassus 'tired, 'weary')
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gainsay
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to deny, speak or act against (OE gegn- 'against + secgan 'say)
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ruminate
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to chew the cud, to ponder (L. ruminare 'to chew cud', to meditate)
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inexorable
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inflexible, unrelenting, unable to be moved by persuasion (L. in 'not' + ex 'out of' + orare 'to pray)
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eviscerate
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to disembowel, remove the entrails of (L. e 'out of' + viscera 'entrails)
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apotheosis
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the ideal example, epitome, the elvation or exalation of a person to the rank of god (LateL<Gk. apo 'off' + theo 'god')
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pique
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n) irritation resentment at being slighted v) to irritate, provoke (OF piquer 'to prick')
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winsome
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attractivein appearance and manner; charming (OE wynn 'joy' + sum 'characterized by')
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tumbrel
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two-wheeled cart that can be tilted to dump a load; a cart for taking convicted prisoners to the guillotine (OF tomber 'to let fall)
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quidnunc
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curious, nosy person (L. quid 'what' + nunc 'now')
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clandestine
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secret, hidden, especially for an illict reason (L. clam 'secretly)
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virago
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a woman regarded as noisy, scolding, or domineering; a large, strong, courageous woman (L. vir 'man')
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sussuration
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a murmure; whispering or rustling sound (L. susurrare 'to whisper)
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cataract
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large waterfall; great downpour (Gk. katarassein 'to dash down' < kata 'down' + arassein 'to strike)
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capricious
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impulsive and unpredictable; characterized by or subject to whim (It. capo 'head + riccio 'curly' < L. caput 'head' + ericius 'hedgehog')
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jeremiad
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a literary work or speech expressing an angry opinion or a righteous prophecy of doom (F. jeremiade < Jeremie 'Jeremiah', author of the Lamentations)
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stevedore
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a dock worker; one who loads or unloads ships (Sp. Estibador 'packer < L. stipare 'to pack')
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quay
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landing place constructed along the edge of a body of water; wharf (F. quai < OF 'kay' akin to Sp. cayo 'shoal)
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antediluvian
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extremely old, occuring or belonging to an era before the Flood of Genesis (L. ante 'before' + diluvium 'flood')
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triturate
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to rub, crush, grind, or pound into a powder (L. terere, tritus ' to thresh')
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dissemble
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to disguise; to feign (OF desembler ' to be different' < L. dis 'apart' + similis 'similar')
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congeries
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collection (L. congeries 'heap < con 'with' + gerere 'to carry')
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necromancy
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black magic; sorcery; communicating with the dead to discover prophecies (Gk. nekros 'corpse' + manteia 'prophesy')
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peregrination
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traveling; especially on foot in a foreign country (MF > L peregrinatus 'to travel in foreign lands')
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barney
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noisy argument; a rowdy good time (Brit. perhaps from the name Barney)
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scintillate
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emit sparks, gleam (L. scintillare 'to sparkle' + scintilla 'spark')
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archivolt
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architectural structure forming the inner surface of an arch (It. archivolto < L. arcus 'arch + volvere 'to roll')
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pandemonium
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state of wild uproar (from Pandemonium, capital city of hell in Milton's Paradise Lost (17th cent) Gk. pan 'all' + LateL daemonium 'evil spirits < Gk. daimon 'spirit, deity')
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pemmican
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concentrated food used by Native Americans and early explorers, made of dried buffalo meant mixed with melted fat (Cree pemikan < pimii 'grease, fat')
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soporific
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sleep-inducing; sleepy (L. sopor 'sleep')
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magnanimous
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generous in forgiving insult or injury; noble ( L. magnanimus 'great souled' < magnus 'great' + animus 'soul')
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gambol
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(v) to leap about playfully, frolic (n)playful skipping or frolicking about (F. gambade 'horse's jump' < OF gamba, 'leg')
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choleric
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easily angered; bd-tempered (Gk. khole 'bile')
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sanguine
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red in color; cheerfully optimistic or confident (L. sanguis 'blood')
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rebarbative
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tending to irritate; repellent; offensive (F. rebarbatif < OF rebarber 'to confront' < L. re 'back' + barba 'beard')
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inculcate
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to impress something upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; indoctrinate; instill (L. in 'in' + calcare 'to trample under the heels')
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bucolic
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rural, rustic; pertaining to shepherds (Gk. boukolos, 'cowherd')
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compunction
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regret; conscience; scruple (L. compungere 'to prick hard, sting')
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traduce
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to speak falsely and maliciously of; slander; defame (L. traducere 'display' < trans 'across' + ducere 'to lead')
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pediculous
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infested with lice (L. pediculus 'louse')
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torpidity
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inactivity; sluggishness (L. torpere 'to be stiff')
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gudgeon
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(n)small fish used as bait; a person who is easily duped (v) to cheat, to dupe (Gk. kobios 'small fish')
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panacea
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a cure-all; a remedy for all problems (Gk. pan 'all' + akos 'cure')
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asperity
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harshness; roughness (L. asper 'rough')
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importune
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to beg urgently or persistently (L. importunus < in 'not' + portus 'port, refuge')
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non sequitur
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illogical argument (L. non sequitur 'it does not follow')
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moniker
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a nickname (19th cent. orig. unknown)
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mercurial
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having qualities of ingenuity, quick-wittedness; characterized by unpredictable changebleness; volatile (L. Mercurialis 'of the god Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and the messenger of the gods')
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largesse
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liberal giving or assistance; generosity (ME largesse < OF largece < large 'generous')
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impugn
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to attack or assail by words or argument; call into question a statement or action (ME impugnen < MF impugner < L impugnare < in 'in' + pugnare 'fight)
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stygian
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hellish; gloomy; infernal (L. stgius 'stygian' < Gk. Styx 'mythical river of the subterranean world of the dead')
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