aback

ad. by surprise; behind; in the rear
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abbreviation

n. shortening something by omitting parts of it
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abolish

v. cancel; put an end to; destroy completely
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aboriginal

a. being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native
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abound

v. be full of; be plentiful
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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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abundance

n. great or plentiful amount; fullness to overflowing
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accelerate

v. move faster; cause to develop or progress more quickly; occur sooner than expected
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acclaim

v. applaud; announce with great approval
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accommodation

n. living quarters provided for public convenience; something that meets a need; convenience
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accord

n. settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions; written agreement between two states
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accumulate

v. pile up; collect; mount up; increase
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accumulation

n. act of gathering or amassing, as into a heap or pile
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accuser

n. one who accuses; one who brings a charge of crime or fault
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acquaint

v. inform about; cause to come to know personally; make familiar
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acquiesce

v. consent or comply passively or without protest; assent
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adept

a. expert at; very skilled; having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
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adhere

v. stick fast; stick to firmly; be compatible or in accordance with
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adjacent

a. adjoining; neighboring; close to; lying near
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adjoin

v. be next to; be contiguous to; border on
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administrate

v. administer; supply; supervise or be in charge of
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adolescence

n. state of growing up from childhood to manhood or womanhood; transitional period between youth and maturity
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adoption

n. accepting with approval; favorable reception
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advent

n. coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important
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adverse

a. in opposing direction; harmful or unfavorable; acting or serving to oppose
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aerial

a. of the air or atmosphere; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air
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aesthetic

a. elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste
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affectionately

ad. with affection; lovingly; fondly; tenderly; kindly
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affiliate

n. A person, organization, or establishment associated with another, as a subordinate, subsidiary, or member
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affirm

v. assert; confirm
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affix

v. fasten; append; add on; secure to something
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afflict

v. cause pain, suffering or distress
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affluent

a. generously supplied with money, property, or possessions; prosperous or rich; plentiful; abundant
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aggregate

v. gather into a mass, sum, or whole; amount to
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agitation

n. anxiety; extreme emotional disturbance
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agreeable

a. ready to consent or submit; acceptable
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airing

a. exposure to air for freshening or drying; exposure to public attention; radio or television broadcast
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aisle

n. a passageway between rows of seats or shelves
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albeit

ad. even though; although; notwithstanding
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allege

v. state without proof; assert to be true
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alleviate

v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part
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allocate

v. assign; distribute according to plan
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allot

v. parcel out in parts or portions; distribute to each individual concerned; assign as a share or lot
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alloy

v. combine; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderate
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alphabetical

a. arranged in customary order of the letters of a language
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ambiguity

n. state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty
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ambiguous

a. unclear or doubtful in meaning
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amend

v. change for the better; improve; remove faults or errors
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amid

ad. in the middle of; among; surrounded by
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amidst

ad. amid; in the middle of; among
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amphibian

a. able to live both on land and in water
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amplify

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

v. resolve anything complex into its elements; separate into parts for purpose of examination of each separately
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analytical

a. of analysis; resolving into elements or parts
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ancestor

n. forefather; forebear; forerunner or predecessor
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anecdote

n. short account of amusing or interesting event; short narrative; secret story of history or biography
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annihilate

v. destroy completely; reduce to nonexistence
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annuity

n. annual payment of allowance or income; periodical payment, amounting to a fixed sum in each year
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anoint

v. apply oil, ointment, or a similar substance to; choose by or as if by divine intervention
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antagonism

n. active resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factor
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antarctic

a. opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it
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antenna

n. metallic apparatus for sending or receiving electromagnetic waves
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anthology

n. book of literary selections by various authors
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antonym

n. word of opposite meaning; counter term
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apex

n. highest point; the vertex; usually pointed end of an object; the tip
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apologetic

a. offering or expressing an apology or excuse; serving as or containing a formal justification or defense
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apparatus

n. a group of parts that work together to perform given function; appliance or device for particular purpose
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appease

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

v. attach; add as supplement or appendix
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appliance

n. durable goods for home or office use; device or instrument for household use
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applicant

n. candidate
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appraisal

n. assessment; evaluation; the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth
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appreciable

a. considerable; perceptible
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apprentice

n. works for an expert to learn a trade; beginner; learner
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approximate

v. approach; come near
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apt

a. likely; exactly suitable; appropriate; quick to learn or understand
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aquatic

a. consisting of, relating to, or being in water
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arbitrary

a. randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle
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archaic

a. no longer current or applicable; antiquated
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ardent

a. displaying or by strong enthusiasm or devotion; passionate
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arduous

a. demanding great effort or labor; difficult
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arid

a. lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants
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armour

n. defensive covering, as of metal, wood, or leather, worn to protect the body against weapons
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arouse

v. excite; stimulate; awaken from or as if from sleep
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array

v. set out for display or use; place in orderly arrangement
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arsenal

n. stock or supply, usually of weapons
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ascend

v. climb; mount
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ascent

n. the act of rising or going upward
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ascertain

v. find out for certain; discover with certainty; make sure of
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ascribe

v. inscribe or dedicate; attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin; assign as a quality
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aspiration

n. ambition; longing
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aspire

v. seek to attain; long for; strive toward an end
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assert

v. declare or state with confidence; put oneself forward boldly
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assorted

a. varied; miscellaneous
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astound

v. affect with wonder; surprise; shock
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astronaut

n. person to pilot, navigate, or as a crew member of spacecraft
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asylum

n. a place offering protection and shelter
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attain

v. achieve or accomplish; gain
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attendee

n. person who is present and participates in a meeting
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attribute

n. essential quality; reputation; honor
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audible

a. perceptible; heard or perceptible by the ear
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augment

v. make greater, as in size, extent, or quantity
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authenticity

n. quality of being genuine or trustworthy
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authoritative

a. having weight of authority; peremptory and dictatorial
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automate

v. replace or enhance human labor with machines
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automation

n. act or process of converting the controlling of a machine or device to a more automatic system, such as computer or electronic controls
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autonomy

n. independence; self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination
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auxiliary

a. helper, additional or subsidiary
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avail

v. turn to advantage of; be of service to; profit; promote
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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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avenue

n. a method or means by which something may be accomplished
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avert

v. prevent; turn or cause to turn off or away
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avian

n. thin A bird-like or flying creature
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aviation

n. design, development, and production of aircraft
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awake

v. rouse from sleep;stir the interest of; excite
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axis

n. the center around which something rotates; pivot
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backstage

ad. In or toward the area behind the performing space in a theater, especially the area comprising the dressing rooms
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bacterium

n. single celled organism with no nucleus
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badminton

n. game played on a court with light long-handled rackets
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baffle

v. frustrate as by confusing or perplexing; impede force or movement of
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bamboo

n. plant of the family of grasses, and genus Bambusa, growing in tropical countries
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barbaric

a. resembling uncivilized persons, lacking refinement
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barometer

n. instrument for determining the weight or pressure of the atmosphere
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barrage

n. an artificial obstruction, such as a dam, built in a watercourse to increase its depth or to divert its flow; rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication
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barricade

n. structure set up across a route of access to obstruct the passage of an enemy
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barter

v. trade goods or services without the exchange of money
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bay

n. body of water partially enclosed by land but with a wide mouth; reddish-brown animal, especially a horse having a black tail
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bead

n. small piece of material, such as glass, plastic, or wood, that is pierced for stringing
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beautician

n. one skilled in giving cosmetic treatments; one who does hair styling, manicures, and other beauty treatments
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beneficial

a. helpful; tending to promote physical well-being
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berth

n. space for ship to dock or anchor; allotted place; place to sleep or stay; appointment or job
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beset

v. attack from all sides; trouble persistently; hem in
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bewilder

v. lead into perplexity or confusion; perplex with mazes
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bibliography

n. list of works of a specific author or publisher; list of writings relating to a given subject
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bilateral

a. two-sided; mutual
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bilingual

n. using or able to use two languages, especially with equal or nearly equal fluency
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bitumen

n. mineral pitch; black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame
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blade

n. sharp cutting edge of a knife; sword or knife; swords-man
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blaze

n. brilliant burst of fire; flame
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bloc

n. a group of nations, parties, or persons united for common action
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blot

n. spot or stain, as of ink on paper; blur; weak point or failing
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blunder

n. serious mistake typically caused by ignorance or confusion
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boast

v. show off oneself; speak of with excessive pride
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bonding

n. formation of a close human relationship, as between friends; emotional and physical attachment occurring between a parent or parent figure
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bookcase

n. case with shelves for holding books, especially one with glazed doors
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bookkeeper

n. one who keeps accounts; one who has charge of keeping books and accounts in an office
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bookstall

n. stall where books are sold, as on a street; table with enclosed sides, for displaying books for sale
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boom

n. deep resonant sound, as of an explosion
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boot up

v. start a computer using its bootstrap procedure
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