Term
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Definition
v.
to humble; disgrace
My intention was not to abase the comedian.
Synonyms: demean, humiliate |
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Term
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Definition
adj.
joyful, cheerful, or w/o appropriate thought
Summer finally came, and the blithe students spend their days at the beach.
Synonyms: carefree, lighthearted, merry |
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Term
| Cartography (kahr tahg ruh fee) |
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Definition
n.
science or art of making maps
Gail's interest in cartography may stem from the extensive traveling she did as a child.
Synonyms: charting; surveying; topography |
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Term
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Definition
n.
a firmly held opinion, esp. a religious belief
Linus's central dogma was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded.
Synonyms: creed; doctrines; teaching; tenet |
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Term
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Definition
adj.
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
The Gettysburg Address is moving not only because of its lofty sentiments but because of its eloquent words.
Synonyms: articulate; expressive; fluent; meaningful; significant; smooth-spoken |
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Term
| Fecund (fee kuhnd) (feh kuhnd) |
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Definition
adj.
fertile; fruitful; productive
The fecund couple yielded a total of 20 children.
Synonyms: flourishing; prolific |
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Term
| Garrulous (gaar uh luhs) gaar yuh luhs) |
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Definition
adj.
tending to talk a lot
The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking.
Synonyms: effusive; loquacious |
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Term
Heterogeneous (heh tuh ruh jee nee uhs)
(he truh jee nyuhs) |
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Definition
adj.
composed of unlike parts; different; diverse
The United Nations is by nature a heterogeneous body.
Synonyms: assorted; miscellaneous; mixed; motley; varied |
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Term
| Imprecation (ihm prih kay shuhn) |
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Definition
n.
a curse
Spouting violent imprecations, Hank searched for the person who had vandalized his truck.
Synonym: damnation |
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Term
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Definition
adj.
playful; humorous
The jocular old man entertained his grandchildren for hours.
Synonyms: amusing; comical |
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Term
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Definition
n.
sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure
When the townspeople heard the knell from the church belfry, they knew that their mayor had died.
Synonyms: chime; peal; toll |
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Term
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Definition
adj.
lacking energy; indifferent; slow
The languid cat cleaned its fur, ignoring the vicious, snarling dog chained a few feet away from it.
Synonyms: faineant; lackadaisical; listless; sluggish; weak |
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Term
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Definition
v.
to damage or deface; spoil
Telephone poles mar the natural beauty of the countryside.
Synonyms: blemish; disfigure; impair; injure; scar |
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Term
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Definition
n.
a subtle expression of meaning or quality
The scholars argued for hours over tiny nuances in the interpretation of the last line of the poem
Synonyms: gradation; subtlety; tone |
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Term
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Definition
v.
to express an opinion
At the "Let's Chat Talk Show," the audience member opined that the guest was in the wrong.
Synonyms: point out; voice |
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Term
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Definition
v.
to trim off excess; reduce
The cook's hands were sore after she pared hundreds of potatoes for the banquet.
Synonyms: clip; peel |
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Term
| Querulous (kwehr yoo luhs) |
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Definition
adj.
inclined to complain; irritable
Curtis's complaint letter received prompt attention after the company labeled him a querulous potential troublemaker.
Synonyms: peevish; puling; sniveling; whiny |
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Term
| Rejoinder (rih joyn duhr) |
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Definition
n.
response
Patrick tried desperately to think of a clever rejoinder to Marianna's joke, but he couldn't.
Synonyms: retort; riposte |
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Term
| Solecism (sah lih sishz uhm) |
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Definition
n.
grammatical mistake; blunder in speech
"I ain't going with you," she said, obviously unaware of there solecism.
Synonyms: blooper; faux pas; vulgarism |
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Term
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Definition
n.
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
After surgery, the patient's torpor lasted several hours until the anesthesia wore off.
Synonyms: apathy; languor |
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Term
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Definition
v.
to scold sharply
The teacher upbraided the student for scrawling graffiti all over the walls of the school.
Synonyms: berate; chide; rebuke; reproach; tax |
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Term
| Variegated (vaar ee uh gayt ehd) |
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Definition
adj. varied; marked with different colors
The variegated foliage of the jungle allows it to support thousands of different animal species.
Synonym: diversified |
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Term
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Definition
adj.
sickly pale
The sick child had a wan face, in contrast to her rosy-cheeked sister.
Synonyms: ashen; sickly |
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Term
| Xenophobia (zee nuh foh bee uh) |
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Definition
n.
a fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
Countries in which xenophobia is prevalent often have more restrictive immigration policies than countries that are more open to foreign influences.
Synonyms: bigotry; chauvinism; prejudice |
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Term
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Definition
v.
to join together
As soon as the farmer had yoked his oxen together, he began to plow the fields.
Synonyms: bind; harness; pair |
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Term
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Definition
n.
a gentle breeze; something airy or unsubstantial
The zephyr front he ocean made the intense heat not he beach bearable for the sunbathers.
Synonyms: breath; draft |
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