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132 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Abrade
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to wear off by scraping or rubbing; wear down or erode
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Abrogate
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To abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority
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Abut
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border on
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Acarpous
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effete; no longer fertile; worn out
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Alloy
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to debase by mixing with something inferior
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Ambrosial
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extremely pleasing to taste
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Apartheid
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brutal racial discrimination
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Aplomb
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self-confidence
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Apotheosis
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deification; glorification to godliness
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Apprise
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give notice; inform
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Arabesque
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a complex, ornate design
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Arboreal
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connected to or dealing with trees
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Argot
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jargon; slang
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Arrant
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in the highest degree
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Asperity
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roughness; harshness; ill-temper; irritability
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Aspersion
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slander
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Attenuate
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make thin; weaken; enervate
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Aver
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affirm; assert; prove; justify
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Baleful
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harmful; ominous; causing evil
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Balk
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obstacle; hindrance
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Baneful
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causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
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Barrage
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artificial obstacle built across a river
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Beatify
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to bless; make happy; ascribe a virtue to
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Bedizen
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to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner
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Belabor
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beat hard
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Bellicose
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belligerent; pugnacious; warlike
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Benefactor
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person who has given help
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Bequest
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arrangement to give something at death
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Bilge
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The bulging part of a barrel or cask
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Blandishment
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flattery; coaxing
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Brazen
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made of brass
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Broach
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bring up; announce; begin to talk about
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Brook
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to tolerate; endure
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Burgeon
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grow forth; send out buds
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Cadge
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to beg; to get by begging
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Cant
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insincere talk or jargon
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Canvass
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to discuss thoroughly; debate; solicit votes or opinions
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Chauvinist
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a blindly devoted patriot
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Churl
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bad-tempered person
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Cloture
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(in Parliament) immediate ending of a debate by voting
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Coeval
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of the same period; coexisting
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Cogent
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strong; convincing
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Cogitate
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think deeply; meditate
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Collusion
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secret agreement for a deceitful purpose
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Commodious
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having plenty of space for what is needed
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Compunction
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feeling of regret for one's action
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Concord
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agreement or harmony
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Consternation
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surprise; fear; dismay
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Contemn
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to scorn or despise
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Convoke
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call together; summon
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Cordon
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line of police acting as a guard
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Cornucopia
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abundant supply
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Corporeal
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physical; for the body
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Countenance
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to favor or approve of; tolerate
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Countervail
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to compensate for; counterbalance
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Crease
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line made by crushing; white line on the ground in cricket
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Dearth
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shortage
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Demur
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to hesitate; raise objections
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Descry
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catch sight of; see something in the distance
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Desuetude
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cessation of use; disuse
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Detumescence
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diminishing or lessening of swelling
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Discomfit
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to confuse; embarrass
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Disconcert
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upset the self-possession of
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Discountenance
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refuse to approve of
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Dissolution
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disintegration; looseness in morals
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Dulcet
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melodious; harmonious
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Dynamo
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a generator; something that produces electric current
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Ebullient
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overflowing with enthusiasm; showing excitement
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Ecumenical
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representing the whole Christian world
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Edacious
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voracious; devouring
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Eddy
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circular or spiral movement (e.g. of wind)
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Effete
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infertile; worn out; weak
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Effluvia
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outflow in a stream of particles; a noxious odor or vapor
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Egress
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way out; exit
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Emote
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stir up; excite
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Epiphany
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A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.
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Engender
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cause; produce; give rise to
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Excoriation
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severe criticism
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Expiate
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to atone for; make amends or reparation for
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Extricable
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can be freed
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Feckless
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lacking purpose or vitality; ineffective; careless
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Figurehead
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carved image on the prow of a ship
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Flax
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pale yellow (hair); a plant
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Fledged
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able to fly; trained; experienced
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Forage
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food for horses and cattle
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Fracas
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noisy quarrel
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Froward
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intractable; not willing to yield or comply; stubborn
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Fulmination
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bitter protest
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Fulsome
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disgusting; offensive, due to excessiveness
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Gaucherie
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socially awkward; tactless behavior
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Gossamer
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soft, light, delicate material
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Halcyon
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calm and peaceful
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Harangue
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a long, passionate speech
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Hirsute
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hairy; shaggy
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Hoi polloi
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the common people; the masses
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Homiletics
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act of preaching
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Ignoble
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dishonorable; common; undignified
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Ignominious
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shameful; dishonorable; undignified; disgraceful
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Imbroglio
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complicated and embarrassing situation
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Imperious
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commanding; haughty; arrogant
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Impute
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to attribute to a cause or source; ascribe
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Incursion
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a raid; a sudden attack
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Indigence
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poverty
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Ineffable
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too great to be expressed in words
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Ineluctable
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certain; inevitable
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Insipid
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without taste or flavor
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Insouciant
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unconcerned; carefree
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Interdict
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prohibit; forbid
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Inveigh
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to attack verbally; denounce; deprecate
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Inveterate
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deep-rooted; long-established
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Involute
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intricate; complex
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Levee
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embankment on a river; a formal reception in someone's honor
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Lien
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legal claim until a debt is repaid
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Limn
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to paint; to portray
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Lithe
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bending readily; flexible; pliable; twisting
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Lope
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to move with long strides
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Lucubrate
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write scholarly; study laboriously
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Luculent
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clear; lucid; convincing; easily understood
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Macerate
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make soft by soaking in water
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Malevolence
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wishing to do evil
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Mellifluous
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sweetly flowing; sweet sounding
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Mettle
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quality of endurance or courage
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Mettlesome
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courageous; high-spirited
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Middling
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fairly good, but not very good
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Minatory
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menacing; threatening
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Nebulous
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cloud-like; hazy; vague; indistinct
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Nexus
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connection; tie; link
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Nonplused
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greatly surprised; perplexed; puzzled
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Nostrum
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a quack remedy; an untested cure
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Nugatory
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trifling; worthless; of no real value
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Obloquy
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abusively detractive language; sharp criticism; vituperation
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Obstreperous
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Unruly; noisy; clamorous; loud
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