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115 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
duress |
Lacking in courage
courage (pusill(us) very small, petty + -anim(is) -spirited, -minded (anim(us) spirit + -is adj. suffix) |
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Cloying
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Sickeningly sweet
(in- + Latin clāvāre, to nail) |
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Doctrinaire
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Rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality, dogmatic
(doctrīna teaching, equiv. to doct(o)r DOCTOR + -īna -INE2 ] ) |
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Meretricious
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Falsely attractive, OR related to a prostitute
(meretrix prostitute, from merēre to earn) |
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Invective
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Abusive language
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Sardonic
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Cynical, mocking scornfully. Disdainfully humourous
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Peregrinate
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To travel, esp. on foot
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Decorous
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Socially correct
(think decorum) |
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Lugubrious
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Mournful, dismal
(lygros mournful) |
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Diffident
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Lacking self-confidence
(dis- + fidere to trust) |
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Inchoate
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Being only partially formed or in existence OR incoherent
(in- + cohum part of a yoke to which the beam of a plow is fitted) |
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Exigent
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Urgent
[exigere to demand] |
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Die
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A tool used for shaping
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Mercenary
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A greedy person, or one who is only motivated by money in doing a job
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Strut
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A structural piece that resists pressure in the direction of its length. OR a pompous step or walk
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Literati
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A member of an educated class
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Signatory
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One who signes, or people who are bound by an agreement
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Beam
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The part of a plow to which handles, standard, and coulter are attached
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Covetous
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Very greedy
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Rapacious
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Excessively covetous, extremely greedy
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Pundit
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An authority. A learned person
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Divestiture
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To get rid of property, to take away
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Burnish
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To make shiny or brown by rubbing, to polish or rub
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Dampen
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To become depressed
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Ardor
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Zeal, or warmth of feeling
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Lustrous
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Radiant, but in an even, efficient way (no glitter)
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Sinuous
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Having a serpentine form
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Centrifuge
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A machine that uses centrifugal forces to separate densities
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Intransigent
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Uncompromising
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Refractory
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Resisting control OR unresponsive to stimulus
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Laconinc
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Sparse with words, to the point of being rude
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Sordid
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Muddy or nasty, vile, muddy, greedy
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Odious
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Deserving hatred
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Volubility
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Rapid speech, OR quickly turning
[volvere to roll] |
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Abrogate
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To abolish
[ab- + rogare to ask, propose a law] |
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Sedulous
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Diligent and hard working
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Incursion
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A hostile entrance to a territory
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Propitate
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To appease
[propicius < L propitius favorably inclined, propitious, prob. equiv. to pro- pro-1 + -pit-, comb. form of petere to head for, resort to, solicit + -ius] |
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Edify
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To instruct in moral/ religious knowledge, or to uplift
(think 'educate') |
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Cavalier
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Debonair, nonchalant.Or disdainfully dismissive
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Indelicate
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Improper
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Amortize
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To gradually write off a debt or to write off an expenditure
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Minatory
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Threatening
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Emaciate
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To make feeble
[e- + macies leanness, from macer lean] |
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Innundate
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To cover with a flood of
[in- + unda wave] |
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Bombast
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Pretentious, inflated speech
[bombac-, bombax cotton, alteration of Latin bombyc-, bombyx silkworm, silk, from Greek bombyk-, bombyx] |
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Excoriation
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To wear off skin
[ex- + corium skin, hide] |
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Haughty
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Blatantly and disdainfully proud
[high, from Latin altus] |
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Chary
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Discreetly cautious, slow to accept. Or hesitant
[caru sorrow — more at care] |
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Usury
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Interest, like charging a high interest
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Circumspect
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Investigating all possibilities, prudent, cautious
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Cavern
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To hollow out. Or, one of indefinie extent
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Epithet
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A disparaging comment (think "racial epithet"}
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Turpitude
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Inherent baseness
think: Moral turpitude [turpis- Vile or base] |
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Viscid
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Covered with a sticky layer, or having an adhesive quality
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Philistine
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An artless, materialistic person. Or a person uninformed about a certain subject.
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Miser
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1. A person who lives in wretched circumstances in order to save and hoard money
2. A mean grasping person; especially (esp. one who is extremely stingy with money) |
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Functionary
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1. A person who functions in a specific capacity (esp. in government).
2. An office-holder |
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Raconteur
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A person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.
[re- + aconter, acompter to tell, count] |
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Calipers
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1. Any of various calibrated instruments for measuring thicknesses or distance
2.Thickness or depth, as of paper or a tree |
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Sextant
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An astronomical instrument used to determine latitude and longitude at sea by measuring angular distances, esp. the altitudes of sun, moon, and stars.
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Feint
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1.Mock blow or attack on or toward one part in order to distract attention from the point one really intends to attack
2.A feigned or assumed appearance [feint pretended, ptp. of feindre to feign] |
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Dodge
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1. To elude or evade by a sudden shift of position or by strategy
2. To evade a responsibility or duty especially by trickery or deceit (like, to dodge the draft) 3. To move aside or change position suddenly, as to avoid a blow or get behind something. |
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Cordon
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1. A line of police, sentinels, military posts, warships, etc., enclosing or guarding an area.
2. A cord or braid worn for ornament or as a fastening. [MF, dim. of corde] |
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Moat
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A deep, wide trench, usually filled with water, surrounding the rampart of a fortified place, as a town or a castle.
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Conviviality
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1. Friendly; agreeable (like, a convivial atmosphere)
2. Fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company; jovial [feast (convīv(ere) to live together, dine together (con- con- + vīvere to live] |
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Martial
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1. Inclined or disposed to war; warlike
[Mārtiālis of, belonging to Mars] |
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Limn
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1. To represent in drawing or painting.
2. To portray in words; describe in sharp detail [luminen to illuminate] |
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Parse
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1. To describe (a word in a sentence) grammatically, identifying the part of speech, inflectional form, syntactic function, etc.
[pars ōrātiōnis part of speech] |
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Stint
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1. To be frugal; get along on a scanty allowance (like, to stint on food)
2. a period of time spent doing something 3. Imitation or restriction, esp. as to amount: to give without stint. [styntan to make blunt, dull] |
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Curator
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one who has the care and superintendence of something
[cūrā(re) to care for, attend to ] |
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Prevaricate
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To speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
[praevaricari to act in collusion, literally, to straddle] |
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Perjury
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Intentionally giving a false testimony. False swearing.
[per- through, i.e., beyond the limits (see per-) + jūrāre to swear, lit., to be at law] |
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Dormancy
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State of being dormant: Temporarily in abeyance yet capable of being activated
[dormir to sleep] |
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Burgeon
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1. To grow or develop quickly; flourish
2. To send forth new growth (as buds or branches) [burion; shoot, bud] |
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Occult
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1. Beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious
2. Secret or hidden from view 3. Verb: To hide [occultus (ptp. of occulere to hide from view, cover up), equiv. to oc- oc- + -cul-, akin to célāre] |
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Nascent
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Beginning to exist or develop
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Disburse
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1. To pay out (money), esp. for expenses; expend
2. To distribute, scatter [borser, deriv. of borse purse ] |
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Abridge
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1. To shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents
2. To reduce or lessen in duration [ad- + brevis shor] |
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Extenuating
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1. To represent as less serious, severe (extenuating circumstances)
2. To underestimate, underrate, or make light of [ex- ex-1 + tenuāre to make thin or small] |
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Intractable
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Not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate
[in + tractā(re) to handle, deal with] |
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Pastoral
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Having the simplicity, charm, serenity, or other characteristics generally attributed to rural areas
[pāstor shepherd] |
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Padding
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1. Something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or a false charge on an expense account.
2. To go on foot [pad path] |
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Cloudburst
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1. A sudden and very heavy rainfall
2. A sudden outpouring : deluge |
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Fracas
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A noisy brawl
[fracassare to shatter] |
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Harrow
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1. To disturb keenly or painfully; distress the mind, feelings, etc., of.
2. A cultivating implement set with spikes, spring teeth, or disks and used primarily for pulverizing and smoothing the soil |
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Boor
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1. A churlish, rude, or unmannerly person
[bū- to dwell, build, cultivate] Synonyms (good for the GRE's): lout, oaf, boob, churl, philistine, vulgarian. |
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Sodden
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1. Dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages
2. Soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated Synonym: Torpid [oden, sothen, ptp. of sethen to seethe] |
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Gainsay
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1. To deny, contradict, speak against
[again, say] |
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Nice
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1. Having fastidious, finicky, or fussy tastes
2. Characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy 3. Minute, fine, or subtle [foolish, stupid < OF: silly, simple < L nescius ignorant, incapable, equiv. to ne- negative prefix + sci- (s. of scīre to know; see science)] |
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Punctilious
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Marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions
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Obviate
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1. to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantages, etc.) by effective measures
2. Render unnecessary. (like, to obviate the risk of drowning) [obviare to meet, withstand] |
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Sanction
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1. To authorize, approve, or allow
2. To impose a sanction on; penalize, esp. by way of discipline. 3. Something that gives binding force, as to an oath, rule of conduct, etc. [sancire to make holy] |
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Approbation
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An act of approving formally or officially
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Unencumbered
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1. Not burdened with care or responsibility.
2. Property that is not subject to any creditor claims or lien |
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Territoriality
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1. Attachment to or protection of a territory or domain
2. Behavior associated with defense of a territory |
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Ledger
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1. A book containing accounts to which debits and credits are posted from books of original entry
2. Horizontal board used for vertical support [leger large breviary, beam, probably from leyen, leggen to lay] |
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Rumination
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1. To meditate or muse; ponder.
2. To chew over and over again |
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Castigate
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To subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism
[driven to be faultless (ptp. of castigāre to chasten), equiv. to cast(us) pure, chaste + -īg-, comb. form of agere to drive, incite + -ātus -ate] |
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Reagent
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A substance used (as in detecting or measuring a component, in preparing a product, or in developing photographs) because of its chemical or biological activity
[re(act) + agent; cf. act]] |
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Summarily
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1. Comprehensive
2. Done without delay or formality [summa sum] |
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Stolid
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Not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive
[stolidus dull, stupid] |
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Asperity
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1. Rigor, severity
2. Roughness of surface : unevenness 3. Harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity; acrimony [asperitās, equiv. to asper rough] |
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Desultory
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1. Marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose. Jumping around and unconnected.
2. Disappointing in progress, performance, or quality [de- + salire to leap] |
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Adroit
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1. Expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body
2. Having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations [droit, dreit straight, just, correct] |
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Procure
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1. Get possession of
2. Bring about, achieve [pro- for + cura care] |
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Innundate
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1. Cover with a flood
2. Overwhelm [in- + unda] |
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Flourish
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1. To grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant
2. To achieve success 3. To make bold and sweeping gestures 4. An act or instance of brandishing (to shake or wave) 5. An ostentatious display. 6. A florid bit of speech or writing 7. A sudden burst [flōrére to bloom] |
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Idyll
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1. A simple poem or prose about rustic life or pastoral scenes suggesting a mood of peace and contentment
2. A romantic interlude 3. A composition, usually instrumental, of a pastoral or sentimental character. [Greek idein to see] |
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Inimical
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Being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence
[inimicus enemy ] |
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Hack
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1. To cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blow
2. Loaf 3. Annoy or vex 4. To damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; mutilate; mangle 5. Working for hire especially with mediocre professional standard |
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Mar
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1. To detract from the perfection or wholeness of
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Mettle
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Strength of spirit
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Erudition
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Extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books : profound, recondite, or bookish learning
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Esoterica
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1. Designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone (private, confidential)
2. Of special, rare, or unusual interest [esō within] |