College-Level English Vocabulary (G-Pe) – Flashcards
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gadfly
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nuisance, irritating criticism; a goad or one that acts as a provocative stimulus
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gaff
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a large iron hook attached to a pole or handle to land a large fish; harshness of treatment; abuse
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gainsay
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to declare false, deny; to oppose especially by contradiction
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galleon
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large three-masted sailing ship with a square rig and usually two or more decks
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galvanize
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to stimulate or shock with an electric current; to arouse to awareness or action, spur; to coat with rust-resistant zinc
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gambit
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maneuver, stratagem or ploy used at an initial stage; remark intended to open a conversation
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gambol
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to leap about playfully, frolic
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gamut
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complete range or extent; entire series of recognized notes
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garish
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gaudy, marred by strident color or excessive ornamentation; loud and flashy
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garrulity
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loquaciousness; excessive talkativeness
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gasconade
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boastfulness; bravado
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gauche
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lacking social polish; tactless
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gelid
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extremely cold
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geniality
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pleasantness, friendliness; of or relating to marriage, nuptial
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genuflect
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to bend the knee or touch one knee to the ground as in worship; to grovel
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germane
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being both pertinent and fitting, relevant
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germinal
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occurring in the earliest stages of development
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gerrymander
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to divide into voting districts differing widely in size and population; to give an unfair advantage to one party
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gibber
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to prattle and chatter unintelligibly
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gibbet
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an instrument of execution consisting of a wooden frame from which condemned persons are executed by hanging; to expose to infamy or public ridicule
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glutinous
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resembling glue, sticky
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gluttonous
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excessive indulgence--especially food or drink; voracious
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halcyon
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idyllically calm and peaceful; tranquil; calm; golden; the kingfisher--a fabled bird that calmed the wind and the waves while it nested on the sea during the winter solstice
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harbinger
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forerunner; presage to signal the approach of
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harrow
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farm implement used to plow; to inflict distress, torment; to plunder, sack
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hauteur
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arrogance, haughtiness in bearing and attitude
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hilarity
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great merriment, mirth
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hireling
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one who works solely for compensation especially a person willing to perform (for a fee) tasks considered menial or offensive
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hortatory
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marked by exhortation or strong urging; ANTONYM=dissuading
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hostelry
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an inn, hotel
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hoyden
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high-spirited, boisterous girl; heathen
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husbandry
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the act or practice of cultivating crops and raising livestock; economy
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hustings
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a place where political campaign speeches are made; activities involved in political campaigning
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hyperborean
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Arctic, cold, frigid
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hypothecate
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to pledge as security for a debt without transfer of title possession; to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
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iconoclast
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one who destroys sacred religious images, overthrows traditional or popular ideas or institutions
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ideology
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the body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, a group, class, or culture; a set of doctrines or beliefs
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idiosyncrasy
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structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group
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igneous
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relating to fire; rock formed by molten slate
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ignoble
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not noble in quality, character or purpose; low, base
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imbroglio
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difficult or intricate situation; entanglement; disagreement, tangle
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ignominious
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marked by shame or disgrace; despicable, degrading, debasing
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imbrue
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to stain (in a negative sense)
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imbue
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to inspire, permeate (in a positive sense)
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immolate
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To kill as a sacrifice especially by fire
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immure
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to confine within or as if within walls; imprison; entomb in a wall
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impecunious
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lacking money; penniless; poor
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impenitent
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unrepentant, not penitent
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imperious
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arrogantly domineering or overbearing; urgent, pressing
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impervious
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incapable of being penetrated
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impetuous
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characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; impulsive and passionate
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impetus
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an impelling force, an impulse; a stimulus
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impiety
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undutifulness; unrighteousness by virtue of lacking respect for a god
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impious
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lacking piety or reverence for a god
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implacable
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unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
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impolitic
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not wise or expedient
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imponderable
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a factor whose effects cannot be accurately assessed
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importunate
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persistent
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improbity
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dishonesty; lack of integrity
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imprecate
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to invoke evil upon; curse
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impregnable
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impossible to capture or enter by force; difficult or impossible to attack
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imprimatur
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official approval or license to print or publish; to sanction
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improvident
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not providing for the future; thriftless; rash or incautious
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impugn
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to attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument
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impunity
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exemption from punishment, penalty or harm
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imputation
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attribution, charged with fault; accreditation
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inalienable
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that which cannot be transferred to another or others
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incarnadine
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flesh-colored; blood-red; redden
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inchoate
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initial or early stage; incipient; imperfectly formed or developed
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incipient
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beginning to exist or appear
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incisive
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penetrating, clear, sharp as to operation as expression
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inclement
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stormy; showing no clemency; unmerciful
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incommodious
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inconvenient or uncomfortable
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incorporeal
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lacking material form or substance; immaterial; intangible as a right or patent
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incubus
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an evil spirit believed to descend upon and have sexual intercourse with women as they sleep; nightmare; oppressive burden
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inculcate
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to impress upon the mind of another by frequent instruction, repetition; to instill; to teach by frequent repetition
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indemnify
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to protect against damage, loss, or injury; to insure; to make compensation to for damage
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indict
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accuse formally of a crime
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indite
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produce a literary work; to compose, write
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indolence
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laziness, sloth
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indomitable
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impossible to subdue; unconquerable
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indubitably
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too apparent to be doubted; unquestionable
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inductive
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using logical induction; causing or influencing
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indurate
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to make hard; inure; to make callous or obdurate
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ineffable
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incapable of being expressed; unutterable; indescribable; taboo
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inertia
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resistance to change
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inexorable
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not capable of being persuaded by entreaty; relentless
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ingenue
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artless, innocent girl; guileless
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ingenuous
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lacking in sophistication or worldliness; artless; frank; candid; naive
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ingrate
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an ungrateful person
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inimical
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injurious or harmful in effect; unfriendly, hostile
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iniquitous
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wickedness; gross immorality or injustice
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innuendo
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indirect or subtle derogatory implication; insinuation; parenthetic explanation
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inordinate
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exceeding reasonable limits; immoderate, excessive; disorderly
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inscrutable
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difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable; mysterious
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insensate
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without compunction or human feeling; unconscious; inanimate; unfeeling; witless
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insinuate
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to introduce or otherwise convey gradually or insidiously; to suggest
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insipid
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lacking flavor or zest; not tasty; lacking excitement, stimulation
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insolent
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presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech; arrogant; audaciously rude or disrespectful; impertinent
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insouciant
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marked by blithe unconcern, nonchalant
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insular
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relating to an island; circumscribed or detached in outlook and experience; narrow, provincial
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insuperable
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impossible to overcome; insurmountable
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intelligentsia
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intellectual elite
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inter
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to bury or place in a grave or tomb
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intercalate
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to insert a day or month in a calendar; to interpose, insert or interpolate
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interdict
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to prohibit or place under an ecclesiastical or legal sanction; to forbid or debar; to censure
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interlocutory
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pronounced or decided during a course of action or suit and temporary or provisional in nature
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interment
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the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
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interminable
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tiresomely long; endless; wearisome
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internecine
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relating to struggle within a nation, organization, or group; ruinous or fatal to both sides
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interstices
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a space, especially a small or narrow one between things
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intransigence
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uncompromising; refusing to moderate a position
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intrepid
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resolutely courageous; fearless, brave
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inured
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to habituate to something undesirable; to accustom
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invective
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denunciatory or abusive language; vituperative
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inveigh
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protest vehemently; angry disapproval
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inveigle
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to win over by coaxing flattery or artful talk; to obtain by cajolery
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inveterate
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firmly and long established; deep-rooted habitual; endurance
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invidious
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tending to rouse ill will, animosity, resentment;
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iota
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very small amount, a bit; 9th letter of Greek alphabet
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irascible
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easily angered, prone to outbursts of temper
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iridescent
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brilliant; lustrous
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irrefragable
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impossible to refute or controvert; indisputable
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irremediable
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impossible to remedy, correct, repair; incurable; irreparable
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itinerant
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traveling from place to place especially to perform work
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jejune
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immature, childish; dull, uninteresting; lacking in nutrition, empty
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jeremiad
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a literary work or speech expressing a bitter lament or righteous prophecy of doom
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jingoism
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extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy
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jocose
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given to joking; merry; humorous
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jocular
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characterized by jokes and good humor
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jocund
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full of or showing high-spirited merriment
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junta
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a group of military officers who rule a country after seizing power
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ken
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range of what one can know or understand; perception, understanding
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kismet
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fate, fortune
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kith
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one's friends and acquaintances
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knell
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the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
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knoll
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a small natural hill
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laconic
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brief and to the point; concise, terse (GREEK Laconia area of Sparta known for brevity of speech)
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lagniappe
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a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
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laity
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laypeople considered as a group
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lambent
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softly bright or radiant; flickering lightly over or on a surface; luminous
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lapidary
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a skilled worker who cuts and engraves precious stones; conciseness, precision, refinement, delineation
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largess
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liberality in bestowing gifts; generosity (sometimes in a lofty or condescending manner)
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lassitude
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a state or feeling of weariness; diminished energy; listlessness
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lave
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to wash, bathe; to refresh or soothe (FRENCH)
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libertine
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a dissolute person; one who acts without moral restraint; freethinker
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limn
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make a portrait of; to represent
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lissome
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gracefully slender; limber; lithe
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lithe
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gracefully slender; marked by effortless grace
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litotes
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understatement for rhetorical effect--especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary
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lode
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metalliferous ore that fills a fissure in a rock formation; a vein of mineral ore deposited between clearly demarcated layers; source or supply
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lubricity
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quality or condition of being lubricious; slippery, smooth
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lucent
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giving off light, luminous; translucent, clear
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lucre
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money or profits; (LATIN lucrum)
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lugubrious
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mournful, dismal, or gloomy
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lurid
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shining with an unnatural red glow as of fire seen through smoke; causing shock or horror, gruesome; marked by sensationalism; ghastly pale, pallid
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macerate
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soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result
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maelstrom
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whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind
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magnanimous
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generous and understanding and tolerant; unselfish
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magniloquent
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lofty in style; extravagant
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maim
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to disable or disfigure by depriving use of limb; defective, impair
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maladroit
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marked by lack of adroitness; inept, awkward
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manifold
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many and varied, multiple
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manumit
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free from slavery or servitude; to emancipate
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martinet
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someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms; rigid disciplinarian
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maudlin
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effusively or insincerely emotional; sappy
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maunder
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to talk incoherently or aimlessly; to wander
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mausoleum
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a large burial chamber, usually above ground
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mawkish
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effusively or insincerely emotional
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melange
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a motley assortment of things
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melee
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a noisy riotous fight; brawl
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mellifluous
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pleasing to the ear; sweetness of voice
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mendacious
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given to lying; untruthful; false, dishonest
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mendicant
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practicing beggary; depending on alms; forbidden from owning property
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mercurial
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volatile
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meretricious
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tastelessly showy; vulgar; relating to prostitutes
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metaphysical
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highly abstract and over-theoretical; immaterial, incorporeal, abstruse
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mete
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a line that indicates a boundary; to allot, distribute as if by measure
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mettle
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the courage to carry on; fortitude
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mews
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street lined with buildings that were originally private stables but have been remodeled as dwellings; cage for hawks; secret place or hidaway
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miasma
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an unwholesome atmosphere; poisonous, putrid
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mien
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dignified manner or conduct
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minatory
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threatening
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misanthrope
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someone who hates or mistrusts humankind
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miscegenation
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mixture of different races, cohabitation; marriage involving different races
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miscellany
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a collection of various items, parts, or ingredients; diverse literary works
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miscreant
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evildoer, villain; infidel, heretic
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misogynist
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hater of women
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modicum
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small, moderate token or amount
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mollify
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ease, pacify, lessen; ANTONYM=intensify
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moiety
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part, petition, share
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moot
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hypothetical case argued by law students as an exercise; no practical importance, irrelevent
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moratorium
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authorization to a debtor, such as a bank or nation, permitting temporary suspension of payments; delay
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mordant
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harshly ironic or sinister; incisive and trenchant; corrosive substance used in etching
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mordent
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An ornament in which the written note is played, followed by the note below the written note and the written note again
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mores
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accepted traditional customs and usages of a particular group; moral attitudes; manners, ways
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morganatic
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(of marriages) of a marriage between one of royal or noble birth and one of lower rank
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moribund
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approaching death, about to die; obsolete
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mote
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small particle or speck
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motley
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heterogeneous, having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly; great variety
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mountebank
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a flamboyant deceiver; charlatan; a hawker who uses stories, jokes, or tricks to sell quack medicines
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mulct
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money extracted as a penalty; fine; to defraud or swindle (noun or verb)
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multiform
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occurring in or having many forms or shapes or appearances
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murrain
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any plaguelike disease of domestic animals (e.g. anthrax)
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musky
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resembling the odor of musk from deer; perfumy
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natation
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act of skill of swimming
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neap
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a less than average high tide occurring at the first and third quarters of the moon
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necrology
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a list of people who died recently; obituary
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necromancy
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conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying
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nepotism
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favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
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nettle
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any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)
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nexus
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a connected series or group
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nib
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horny projecting mouth of a bird; the writing point of a pen, especially a quill pen; sharp point or tip
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noisome
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offensively malodorous; not fragrant
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non prosequitur
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a judgment entered in favor of the defendant when the plaintiff has not continued his action (e.g., has not appeared in court)
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non sequitur
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an inference that does not follow from the facts or evidence as stated
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nonpareil
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a flat disk of chocolate covered with beads of colored sugar; , model of excellence or perfection of a kind
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nonplus
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VERB to put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; bewilder NOUN perplexity, confusion, bewilderment
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nosegay
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a small bunch of flowers
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nugatory
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of no real value; trifling; invalid
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numismatist
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a collector and student of money (and coins in particular)
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obdurate
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showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings; hardened
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obeisance
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bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame (e.g. curtsy)
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obelisk
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a stone pillar having a rectangular cross section tapering towards a pyramidal top; the dagger sign used especially as a reference mark
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obfuscate
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make obscure or unclear
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objurgate
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censure severely; to berate, scold, or rebuke harshly
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oblique
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indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; indirect or evasive, devious, misleading, dishonest
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obloquy
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a malicious attack; abusively detractive language or utterance; calumny; vilification
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obsequious
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attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
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obsidian
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A usually black or banded, hard volcanic glass that displays shiny, curved surfaces when fractured and is formed by rapid cooling of lava
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obstreperous
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boisterously and noisily aggressive
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obtrude
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thrust oneself in as if by force; to impose with undue insistence
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obtuse
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slow to learn or understand; not sharp
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obviate
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prevent the occurrence of; render unnecessary
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oculist
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a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of diseases of the eye
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odium
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hate coupled with disgust; aversion, contempt; ANTONYM=infatuation
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offal
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rubbish, waste parts
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officious
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intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
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ominous
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presaging ill-fortune; menacing, threatening; minatory
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onerous
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troublesome or oppressive; burdensome
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onus
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difficult or disagreeable responsibility or burden; stigma, blame
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opalescent
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having a play of lustrous rainbow-like colors; milky iridescence like an opal
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opaque
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impenetrable by light; obscure, unintelligible
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opportune
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at a convenient or suitable time; unawkward
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opprobrium
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a state of extreme dishonor; ignominy; disgrace
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orison
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prayer
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orotund
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sonorous, full in sound; pompous and bombastic
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orthography
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correct spelling; spelling system
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paddock
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pen where racehorses are saddled and paraded before a race; fenced area used for grazing horses; an area where cars are prepared before a race
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paean
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a formal expression of praise; song of joyful praise or exultation; fervent expression of joy or praise; thanksgiving prayer
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palaver
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loud and confused and empty talk; idle chatter
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palimpsest
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a manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible; an object place or area that reflects its history
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palliate
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to make seem less serious; extenuate; mitigate; relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder
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panacea
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remedy for all diseases, evils, difficulties; cure-all
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pander
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to act as a go-between or liaison in sexual intrigues; function as a procurer; to cater to the lower tastes and desires of others
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panegyric
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a formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment; elaborate praise, laudation; encomium
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panoply
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splendid or striking array; something that covers and protects (e.g. porcupine quills); arms and armor of a warrior
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paramour
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lover
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parapet
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a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony
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pariah
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a person who is rejected (from society or home)
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parity
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functional equality; having given birth
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parlance
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particular manner of speaking; speech
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parley
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a negotiation between enemies; conference
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parlous
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fraught with danger; perilous, dangerous
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parry
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a return punch (especially by a boxer); avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball); block
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parsimonious
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frugal, stingy
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parvenu
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a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
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pastiche
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a musical, dramatic, or literary composition consisting of pieces from various sources; hodgepodge
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patent
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exclusive right or title; obvious, plain, apparent; not blocked, open, expanded
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patina
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a fine greenish coating of oxide on the surface of a metal; change in appearance produced by long-standing behavior
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patois
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regional dialect, especially one without a literary tradition
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peccadillo
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a petty misdeed; small sin or fault
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peculate
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to embezzle
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pecuniary
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money, relating to money
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pedagogue
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someone who educates young people; dull schoolmaster
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pedant
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a formalist or precisionist in teaching; unimaginative; one who unduly emphasizes the minutiae
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pedantic
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narrow; unimaginative; pedestrian; ostentatiously learned
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pediment
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a triangular gable between a horizontal entablature and a sloping roof; decoration
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pejorative
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expressing disapproval; negative connotations; tending to disparage or belittle, depreciatory
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pelf
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informal terms for money, riches
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pell-mell
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mingled confusion or disorder; haste
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pellucid
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admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion; easy to understand
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penance
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voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing
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pendant
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hanging ornament; secondary or supplementary, suspended or undetermined; pending
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pennate
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having feathered wings
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penumbra
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shaded region surrounding a full shadow, fringe; surrounding; shrowd
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penurious
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extremely poor; stingy, mean
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penury
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severe poverty
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perdition
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loss, destruction, eternal damnation; hell
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peregrination
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to walk; to travel by foot; to traverse
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peremptory
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putting an end to all debate or action; no contradiction; not open to appeal or challenge; brusque; imperious
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perfidious
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faithless, tending to betray; disloyal
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perfidy
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treachery, disloyalty, faithlessness
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perforce
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by necessity (ADVERB); by force of circumstances
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perfunctory
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mechanical, routine
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perigee
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the point in the orbit of an object orbiting nearest to the center of the Earth
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pernicious
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deadly, wicked; working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
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peripatetic
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itinerant; walking or traveling; lack of subordination, preferring coordination in sentence structure
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peristyle
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a colonnade surrounding a building or enclosing a court
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peroration
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(rhetoric) the concluding section of an oration
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perquisite
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a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right)
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persiflage
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light teasing; frivolous bantering talk; light raillery
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perspicacious
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mentally acute or penetratingly discerning; keen, shrewd
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perspicuity
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clarity, plain to understanding
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pert
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saucily free and forward; flippantly cocky and assured; trim and chic; jaunty; piquantly stimulating; lively and vivacious
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pertinacious
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obstinate, persistent, adhering resolutely to an opinion
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pervious
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accessible; permeable
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pestilential
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deadly, pernicious, vexation, annoyance, irritating
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petulant
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insolent or rude in speech or behavior, peevish; capricious ill humor
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hierophant
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supporter
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immanent
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inherent
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infrangible
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unbreakable
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judicious
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sensible
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monolithic
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massive
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numinous
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spiritual
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otiose
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useless
question
palpable
answer
noticeable
question
nescience
answer
ignorance
question
osculate
answer
kiss
