abase

v. humiliate; lower or depress in rank or esteem
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abate

v. subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity
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abbreviation

n. shortening something by omitting parts of it
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abdicate

v. give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim
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abdication

n. the act of giving up or renouncing a right, office, or position of power etc.
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abet

v. aid, usually in doing something wrong; encourage
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abeyance

n. suspended action; temporary cessation or suspension
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abhor

v. fill with horror and loathing; horrify; hate
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abhorrent

a. disgusting, loathsome
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abjure

v. renounce upon oath; abandon forever
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ablution

n. washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of religious rite
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abnegation

n. repudiation; self-sacrifice; renouncing your own interests in favor of interests of others
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abolition

n. ending; act of abolishing; act of doing away with
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abortive

a. unsuccessful; failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless
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abrade

v. wear away by friction; scrape; erode
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abrasion

n. scratch; friction
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abridge

v. condense; shorten; reduce length of written text
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abrogate

a. abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority
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abscond

v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution
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abstemious

a. sparing or moderation in eating and drinking; temperate
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abstruse

a. obscure; profound; difficult to understand.
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accede

v. agree; give consent, often at insistence of another; concede
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acclivity

n. upward slope, as of hill
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accolade

n. award of merit; expression of approval; praise
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accretion

n. growth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusion
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acerbity

n. bitterness of speech and temper; sourness or acidness of taste, character, or tone
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acidulous

a. slightly sour in taste or in manner; sharp; caustic
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acquiesce

v. assent; agree without protesting
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acquisition

n. the act of acquiring or gaining possession
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acrimonious

a. bitter and sharp in language, tone, or manner
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acrimony

n. animosity, sharp or bitter hatred
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acronym

n. abbreviation
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adage

n. an old saying, that has obtained credit by long use
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addle

v. muddle; drive crazy; become confused
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adherent

n. person who adheres; one who follows or upholds a leader, party, cause
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adjudicate

v. hear and settle a case by judicial procedure
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adjure

v. appeal to or entreat earnestly; command or enjoin solemnly, as under oath
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adorn

v. enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments
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adornment

n. embellishment; decoration; something that beautifies or adorns; ornament
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adroit

a. skillful and adept under pressing conditions
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adulterate

v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances
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adumbrate

v. give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade
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advert

n. advertisement an ad; public promotion of some product or service
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affable

a. easily approachable; warmly friendly
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aggrandize

v. increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation
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aggregation

n. several things grouped together or considered as a whole
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aghast

a. struck by shock, terror, or amazement
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agnostic

n. one who is skeptical of existence of a god or any ultimate reality
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aka

ad. as known or named at another time or place; also known as
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alkali

n. soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash; one of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, and ammonia
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allege

v. to assert to be true
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allude

v. refer casually or indirectly, or by suggestion
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allurement

n. temptation; enticement; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to action
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allusion

n. an indirect reference
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altar

n. elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offered
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amalgam

n. a combination of many different things; an alloy of mercury and other metals
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amalgamate

v. combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury
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amass

v. collect; gather for oneself, as for one's pleasure or profit
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ambidextrous

a. capable of using either hand with equal ease
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ambivalence

n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hate
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amble

n. moving at an easy pace; walk slowly or leisurely
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amenity

n. pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions
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amorphous

a. formless; lacking shape or definition
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amplify

v. broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make larger or more powerful; increase
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amputee

n. a person who has had one or more limbs removed by amputation
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analgesic

a. serving to reduce sensibility to pain without loss of consciousness
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analogous

a. comparable; similar or alike
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anathema

n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse
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ancillary

a. serving as aid or accessory; auxiliary
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anew

ad. once more; again; in a new and different way
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animus

n. feeling of animosity
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annotate

v. comment; make explanatory notes
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annualize

v. adjust or calculate so as to reflect a rate that is based on a full year
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anodyne

n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves pain
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anomalous

a. deviating from normal or common order, form, or rule
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antagonist

n. one who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; opponent
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antedate

v. be earlier in time; go back further
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antediluvian

a. antiquated; extremely old and ancient; belonging to very ancient times
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anthology

n. book of literary selections by various authors
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anthropoid

a. manlike; resembling a human, especially in shape or outward appearance
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antipathy

n. strong feelings of aversion or dislike
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antithesis

n. contrast; direct contrast; opposition
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antler

n. entire horn, or any branch of the horn
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apartheid

n. South Africa's policy of racial separation, in place from 1948 to 1990.
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aperitif

n. alcoholic beverage taken before a meal as an appetizer
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aperture

n. opening; diameter of such an opening; hole
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aphasia

n. loss of speech due to injury or illness
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aphorism

n. definition or concise statement of principle; tersely phrased statement of truth or opinion
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apiary

n. place where bees and beehives are kept, especially where bees are raised for their honey
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aplomb

n. poise; self-confident assurance
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apocryphal

a. untrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitious
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apogee

n. the highest point; point in orbit most distant from the body being orbited
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apostate

n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
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apotheosis

n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of something
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appease

v. bring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieve
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appellation

n. name; title; act of naming; act of appealing for aid, sympathy
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apposite

a. strikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suited
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apprise

v. inform; give notice to; make aware
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approbation

n. expression of warm approval; praise
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appropriation

n. funding; money set aside for a specific purpose
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aquifer

n. underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etc
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aquiline

a. curved or hooked like an eagle's beak
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arable

a. fit for growing crops, as by plowing
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arbiter

n. person with power to decide a dispute; judge
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arboreal

a. tree-dwelling; treelike; living in trees
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archetype

n. prototype; original model or type after which other similar things are patterned
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archipelago

n. a large group of islands; a sea, containing a large number of scattered islands
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arena

n. an enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events or other spectacular events
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aromatic

a. fragrant or sweet-smelling; caused by fragrant odor
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arraign

v. officially charge someone in a court of law
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arrears

n. being in debt; unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation
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arrogate

v. claim without justification; claim for oneself without right
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artifice

n. subtle but base deception; trickery; cleverness or skill; ingenuity
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artless

a. free of artificiality; natural; open and honest
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ascendancy

n. superiority or decisive advantage; domination
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ascetic

a. leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere
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aseptic

a. preventing infection; having cleansing effect
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aspect

n. look, or particular appearance of the face; the visual percept of a region
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asperity

n. harshness of manner, roughness
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asphyxiate

v. deprive of oxygen to the extent of producing death or very serious symptoms; suffocate
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aspirant

n. one who aspires, as to advancement, honors, or a high position
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assail

v. assault; attack with or as if with violent blows
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assent

v. express agreement to what is alleged or proposed; accept
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assiduous

a. constant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistent
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assimilate

v. to make similar, to incorporate or absorb into
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assuage

v. ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease
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astigmatism

n. eye defect that prevents proper focus
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astringent

a. causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere
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asymmetric

a. not identical on both sides of a dividing central line
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at loggerheads

ad. engaged in a dispute
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atrial

a. of or pertaining to an atrium, especially the upper chambers of the heart
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attainment

n. something, such as an accomplishment or achievement; achievement
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attenuate

v. make slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density of
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attrition

n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment
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audacious

a. fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold
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augury

n. sign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omens
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aura

n. an invisible breath; distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something
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austere

a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented
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austerity

n. severe and rigid economy; severe or rigorous simplicity; absence of adornment or luxury
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authenticate

v. prove genuine; establish authenticity of
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autocrat

n. dictator; ruler having unlimited power
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autonomous

a. self-governing; not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent
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avalanche

n. fall or slide of a large mass, as of snow or rock, down a mountainside
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avant-garde

n. radically new or original; cutting edge
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avarice

n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain
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aver

v. declare to be true; affirm
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aviation

n. art or act of flying; specifically, the science or art of directing and controlling flying-machines
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avocation

n. activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment
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avow

v. declare openly; acknowledge openly, boldly, and unashamedly
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avowal

n. open declaration; frank acknowledgment
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