prevaricate
vb. (intr).
to speak or act falsely or evasively with intent to deceive
;
chicanery
n., pl -eries.
1) verbal deception or trickery, esp in legal quibbling; dishonest or sharp practice.
2) a trick, deception, or quibble.
;
gainsay
vb. -says, -saying, -said (tr) archaic or literary.
to deny (an allegation, a statement, etc.); contradict
;
eulogy
n., pl -gies.
1) a formal speech or piece of writing praising a person or thing, esp a person who has recently died.
2) high praise or commendation.
;
belligerent
adj.1) marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive.
2) relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare.
;n.3) a person or country engaged in fighting or war.
;
dispassionate
adj.devoid of or uninfluenced by emotion or prejudice; objective; impartial
;
providential
adj.relating to, characteristic of, or presumed to proceed from or as if from divine providence
;
diffidence
<No meaning yet.>
fractious
adj.1) irritable.
2) unruly.
;
plausible
adj.1) apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc.
2) apparently trustworthy or believable.
;
sanguine
adj.1) cheerful and confident; optimistic.
2) (esp of the complexion) ruddy in appearance.
3) blood-red.
4) an obsolete word for sanguinary 2).
;n.5) Also called: red chalk.
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venerate
vb. (tr).
1) to hold in deep respect; revere.
2) to honour in recognition of qualities of holiness, excellence, wisdom, etc.
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ingenious
adj.1) possessing or done with ingenuity; skilful or clever.
2) obsolete having great intelligence; displaying genius.
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meticulous
adj.very precise about details, even trivial ones; painstaking
;
erudite
adj.having or showing extensive scholarship; learned
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anachronism
n.1) the representation of an event, person, or thing in a historical context in which it could not have occurred or existed.
2) a person or thing that belongs or seems to belong to another time.
;
trivial
adj.1) of little importance; petty or frivolous.
2) ordinary or commonplace; trite.
3) mathematics (of the solutions of a set of homogeneous equations) having zero values for all the variables.
4) biology denoting the specific name of an organism in binomial nomenclature.
5) biology, chemistry denoting the popular name of an organism or substance, as opposed to the scientific one.
6) of or relating to the trivium.
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advocate
<No meaning yet.>
conspicuous
adj.1) clearly visible; obvious or showy.
2) attracting attention because of a striking quality or feature.
;
audacious
adj.1) recklessly bold or daring; fearless.
2) impudent or presumptuous.
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tumultuous
adj.1) uproarious, riotous, or turbulent.
2) greatly agitated, confused, or disturbed.
3) making a loud or unruly disturbance.
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fervid
<No meaning yet.>
enervate
vb.1) (tr) to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken physically or mentally; debilitate.
;adj.2) deprived of strength or vitality; weakened.
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prodigal
adj.1) recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money.
2) lavish in giving or yielding.
;n.3) a person who spends lavishly or squanders money.
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auspicious
adj.1) favourable or propitious.
2) archaic prosperous or fortunate.
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soporific
adj. also archaic soporiferous.
1) inducing sleep.
2) drowsy; sleepy.
;n.3) a drug or other agent that induces sleep.
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engender
vb.1) (tr) to bring about or give rise to; produce or cause.
2) to be born or cause to be born; bring or come into being.
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equivocate
vb. (intr).
to use vague or ambiguous language, esp in order to avoid speaking directly or honestly; hedge
;
inimical
adj.1) adverse or unfavourable.
2) not friendly; hostile.
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superfluous
adj.1) exceeding what is sufficient or required.
2) not necessary or relevant; uncalled-for.
3) obsolete extravagant in expenditure or oversupplied with possessions.
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fastidious
adj.1) very critical; hard to please.
2) excessively particular about details.
3) exceedingly delicate; easily disgusted.
;
recalcitrant
adj.1) not susceptible to control or authority; refractory.
;n.2) a recalcitrant person.
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ephemeral
adj.1) lasting for only a short time; transitory; short-lived.
;n.2) a short-lived organism, such as the mayfly.
3) a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year, usually less than six months.
;
pusillanimous
adj.characterized by a lack of courage or determination
;
vacillate
vb. (intr).
1) to fluctuate in one's opinions; be indecisive.
2) to sway from side to side physically; totter or waver.
;
ambivalent
<No meaning yet.>
enigma
n.a person, thing, or situation that is mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous
;
euphoric
<No meaning yet.>
pedant
n.1) a person who relies too much on academic learning or who is concerned chiefly with insignificant detail.
2) archaic a schoolmaster or teacher.
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profound
adj.1) penetrating deeply into subjects or ideas.
2) showing or requiring great knowledge or understanding.
3) situated at or extending to a great depth.
4) reaching to or stemming from the depths of one's nature.
5) intense or absolute.
6) thoroughgoing; extensive.
;n.7) archaic or literary a great depth; abyss.
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inchoate
adj.1) just beginning; incipient.
2) undeveloped; immature; rudimentary.
3) (of a legal document, promissory note, etc.) in an uncompleted state; not yet made specific or valid.
;vb. (tr).
4) to begin.
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lethargic
<No meaning yet.>
beget
vb. -gets, -getting, -got or -gat; -gotten or -got (tr).
1) to father.
2) to cause or create.
;
hiss
n.1) a voiceless fricative sound like that of a prolonged s.
2) such a sound uttered as an exclamation of derision, contempt, etc., esp by an audience or crowd.
3) electronics receiver noise with a continuous spectrum, caused by thermal agitation, shot noise, etc.
;interj.4) an exclamation of derision or disapproval.
;vb.5) (intr) to produce or utter a hiss.
6) (tr) to express with a hiss, usually to indicate derision or anger.
7) (tr) to show derision or anger towards (a speaker, performer, etc.) by hissing.
;
dilate
vb.1) to expand or cause to expand; make or become wider or larger.
2) (intr; often foll by on or upon) to speak or write at length; expand or enlarge.
;
sulfur
n.the US preferred spelling of sulphur
;
steward
n.1) a person who administers the property, house, finances, etc., of another.
2) a person who manages the eating arrangements, staff, or service at a club, hotel, etc.
3) a person who attends to passengers on an aircraft, ship or train.
4) a mess attendant in a naval mess afloat or ashore.
5) a person who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity.
6) short for shop steward.
;vb.7) to act or serve as a steward (of something).
;
infinitesimal
adj.1) infinitely or immeasurably small.
2) mathematics of, relating to, or involving a small change in the value of a variable that approaches zero as a limit.
;n.3) mathematics an infinitesimal quantity.
;
hoax
n.1) a deception, esp a practical joke.
;vb.2) (tr) to deceive or play a joke on (someone).
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plaza
n.1) an open space or square, esp in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country.
2) chiefly US and Canadian.
a) a modern complex of shops, buildings, and parking areas.
b) (capital when part of a name).
;
filament
n.1) the thin wire, usually tungsten, inside a light bulb that emits light when heated to incandescence by an electric current.
2) electronics a high-resistance wire or ribbon, forming the cathode in some valves.
3) a single strand of a natural or synthetic fibre; fibril.
4) botany.
a) the stalk of a stamen.
b) any of the long slender chains of cells into which some algae and fungi are divided.
5) ornithology the barb of a down feather.
6) anatomy any slender structure or part, such as the tail of a spermatozoon; filum.
7) astronomy.
a) a long structure of relatively cool material in the solar corona.
b) a long large-scale cluster of galaxies.
;
atone
vb.1) (intr; foll by for) to make amends or reparation (for a crime, sin, etc.).
2) (tr) to expiate.
3) obsolete to be in or bring into agreement.
;
arousal
<No meaning yet.>
stun
vb. stuns, stunning, stunned (tr).
1) to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall.
2) to shock or overwhelm.
3) to surprise or astound.
;n.4) the state or effect of being stunned.
;
moratorium
n., pl -ria [-rɪə] or -riums.
1) a legally authorized postponement of the fulfilment of an obligation.
2) an agreed suspension of activity.
;
comical
adj.1) causing laughter.
2) ludicrous; laughable.
;
conclave
n.1) a confidential or secret meeting.
2) Roman Catholic Church.
a) the closed apartments where the college of cardinals elects a new pope.
b) a meeting of the college of cardinals for this purpose.
;
fillip
n.1) something that adds stimulation or enjoyment.
2) the action of holding a finger towards the palm with the thumb and suddenly releasing it outwards to produce a snapping sound.
3) a quick blow or tap made by a finger snapped in this way.
;vb.4) (tr) to stimulate or excite.
5) (tr) to strike or project sharply with a fillip.
6) (intr) to make a fillip.
;
outstrip
vb. -strips, -stripping, -stripped (tr).
1) to surpass in a sphere of activity, competition, etc.
2) to be or grow greater than.
3) to go faster than and leave behind.
;
resultant
adj.1) that results; resulting.
;n.2) mathematics, physics a single vector that is the vector sum of two or more other vectors.
;
contravene
vb. (tr).
1) to come into conflict with or infringe (rules, laws, etc.).
2) to dispute or contradict (a statement, proposition, etc.).
;
parable
n.1) a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point.
2) any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ.
;
heft
vb. (tr).
1) to assess the weight of (something) by lifting.
2) to lift.
;n.3) US weight.
4) US the main part.
;
linchpin
n.1) a pin placed transversely through an axle to keep a wheel in position.
2) a person or thing regarded as an essential or coordinating element.
;
glib
adj. glibber, glibbest.
fluent and easy, often in an insincere or deceptive way
;
designation
n.1) something that designates, such as a name or distinctive mark.
2) the act of designating or the fact of being designated.
;
verve
n.1) great vitality, enthusiasm, and liveliness; sparkle.
2) a rare word for talent.
;
pulley
n.1) a wheel with a grooved rim in which a rope, chain, or belt can run in order to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope, etc.
2) a number of such wheels pivoted in parallel in a block, used to raise heavy loads.
3) a wheel with a flat, convex, or grooved rim mounted on a shaft and driven by or driving a belt passing around it.
;
befuddle
vb. (tr).
1) to confuse, muddle, or perplex.
2) to make stupid with drink.
;
amiss
adv.1) in an incorrect, inappropriate, or defective manner.
2).
;adj.3) (postpositive) wrong, incorrect, or faulty.
;
abase
vb. (tr).
1) to humble or belittle (oneself, etc.).
2) to lower or reduce, as in rank or estimation.
;
abdicate
vb.to renounce (a throne, power, responsibility, rights, etc.), esp formally
;
abduct
vb. (tr).
1) to remove (a person) by force or cunning; kidnap.
2) (of certain muscles) to pull (a leg, arm, etc.) away from the median axis of the body.
;
aberrant
adj.1) deviating from the normal or usual type, as certain animals from the group in which they are classified.
2) behaving in an abnormal or untypical way.
3) deviating from truth, morality, etc.
;
aberration
n.1) deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual.
2) departure from truth, morality, etc.
3) a lapse in control of one's mental faculties.
4) optics a defect in a lens or mirror that causes the formation of either a distorted image (see spherical aberration) or one with coloured fringes (see chromatic aberration).
5) astronomy the apparent displacement of a celestial body due to the finite speed of light and the motion of the observer with the earth.
;
abeyance
n.1) (usually preceded by in or into) a state of being suspended or put aside temporarily.
2) (usually preceded by in) law an indeterminate state of ownership, as when the person entitled to an estate has not been ascertained.
;
abhor
vb. -hors, -horring, -horred (tr).
to detest vehemently; find repugnant; reject
;
abject
adj.1) utterly wretched or hopeless.
2) miserable; forlorn; dejected.
3) indicating humiliation; submissive.
4) contemptible; despicable; servile.
;
abjure
vb. (tr).
1) to renounce or retract, esp formally, solemnly, or under oath.
2) to abstain from or reject.
;
abnegation
<No meaning yet.>
abort
vb.1) to undergo or cause (a woman) to undergo the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable.
2) (tr) to cause (a fetus) to be expelled from the womb before it is viable.
3) (intr) to fail to come to completion; go wrong.
4) (tr) to stop the development of; cause to be abandoned.
5) (intr) to give birth to a dead or nonviable fetus.
6) (of a space flight, military operation, etc.) to fail or terminate prematurely.
7) (intr) (of an organism or part of an organism) to fail to develop into the mature form.
;n.8) the premature termination or failure of (a space flight, military operation, etc.).
;
abridge
vb. (tr).
1) to reduce the length of (a written work) by condensing or rewriting.
2) to curtail; diminish.
3) archaic to deprive of (privileges, rights, etc.).
;
abrogate
vb. (tr).
to cancel or revoke formally or officially; repeal; annul
;
abscond
vb. (intr).
to run away secretly, esp from an open institution or to avoid prosecution or punishment
;
absolution
n.1) the act of absolving or the state of being absolved; release from guilt, obligation, or punishment.
2) Christianity.
a) a formal remission of sin pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance.
b) the prescribed form of words granting such a remission.
;
abstain
vb. (intr; usually foll by from).
1) to choose to refrain.
2) to refrain from voting, esp in a committee, legislature, etc.
;
abstemious
adj.moderate or sparing, esp in the consumption of alcohol or food; temperate
;
abstruse
<No meaning yet.>
accede
vb. (intr; usually foll by to).
1) to assent or give one's consent; agree.
2) to enter upon or attain (to an office, right, etc.).
3) international law to become a party (to an agreement between nations, etc.), as by signing a treaty.
;
accessible
adj.1) easy to approach, enter, or use.
2).
3) obtainable; available.
4) easy for disabled people to enter or use.
5) logic (of a possible world) surveyable from some other world so that the truth value of statements about it can be known. A statement possibly p is true in a world W if and only if p is true in some worlds accessible to W.
;
acclaim
vb.1) (tr) to acknowledge publicly the excellence of (a person, act, etc.).
2) to salute with cheering, clapping, etc.; applaud.
3) (tr) to acknowledge publicly that (a person) has (some position, quality, etc.).
;n.4) an enthusiastic approval, expression of enthusiasm, etc.
;
accolade
n.1) strong praise or approval; acclaim.
2) an award or honour.
3) the ceremonial gesture used to confer knighthood, originally an embrace, now a touch on the shoulder with a sword.
4) a rare word for brace 7).
5) architecture a curved ornamental moulding, esp one having the shape of an ogee arch.
;
accommodating
adj.willing to help; kind; obliging
;
accord
n.1) agreement; conformity; accordance (esp in the phrase in accord with).
2) consent or concurrence of opinion.
3).
4) pleasing relationship between sounds, colours, etc.; harmony.
5) a settlement of differences, as between nations; compromise.
6).
;vb.7) to be or cause to be in harmony or agreement.
8) (tr) to grant; bestow.
;
accost
vb.1) (tr) to approach, stop, and speak to (a person), as to ask a question, accuse of a crime, solicit sexually, etc.
;n.2) rare a greeting.
;
accretion
n.1) any gradual increase in size, as through growth or external addition.
2) something added, esp extraneously, to cause growth or an increase in size.
3) the growing together of normally separate plant or animal parts.
4) pathology.
a) abnormal union or growing together of parts; adhesion.
b) a mass of foreign matter collected in a cavity.
5) law an increase in the share of a beneficiary in an estate, as when a co-beneficiary fails to take his share.
6) astronomy the process in which matter under the influence of gravity is attracted to and increases the mass of a celestial body. The matter usually forms an accretion disc around the accreting object.
7) geology the process in which a continent is enlarged by the tectonic movement and deformation of the earth's crust.
;
acerbic
adj.harsh, bitter, or astringent; sour
;
acrimony
n., pl -nies.
bitterness or sharpness of manner, speech, temper, etc
;
acumen
n.the ability to judge well; keen discernment; insight
;
acute
adj.1) penetrating in perception or insight.
2) sensitive to details; keen.
3) of extreme importance; crucial.
4) sharp or severe; intense.
5) having a sharp end or point.
6) mathematics.
a) (of an angle) less than 90°.
b) (of a triangle) having all its interior angles less than 90°.
7) (of a disease).
a) arising suddenly and manifesting intense severity.
b) of relatively short duration.
8) phonetics.
a) (of a vowel or syllable in some languages with a pitch accent, such as ancient Greek) spoken or sung on a higher musical pitch relative to neighbouring syllables or vowels.
b) of or relating to an accent (´) placed over vowels, denoting that the vowel is pronounced with higher musical pitch (as in ancient Greek), with a certain special quality (as in French), etc.
9) (of a hospital, hospital bed, or ward) intended to accommodate short-term patients with acute illnesses.
;n.10) an acute accent.
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