banal
adj.lacking force or originality; trite; commonplace
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bard
<No meaning yet.>
battery
n., pl -teries.
1).
a) two or more primary cells connected together, usually in series, to provide a source of electric current.
b) short for dry battery.
2) another name for accumulator 1).
3) a number of similar things occurring together.
4) criminal law unlawful beating or wounding of a person or mere touching in a hostile or offensive manner.
5) a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted.
6) a group of guns, missile launchers, searchlights, or torpedo tubes of similar type or size operated as a single entity.
7) a small tactical unit of artillery usually consisting of two or more troops, each of two, three or four guns.
8) chiefly Brit.
a) a large group of cages for intensive rearing of poultry.
b) (as modifier).
9) psychology a series of tests.
10) chess two pieces of the same colour placed so that one can unmask an attack by the other by moving.
11) the percussion section in an orchestra.
12) baseball the pitcher and the catcher considered together.
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beguile
vb. -guiles, -guiling, -guiled (tr).
1) to charm; fascinate.
2) to delude; influence by slyness.
3) (often foll by of or out of) to deprive (someone) of something by trickery; cheat (someone) of.
4) to pass pleasantly; while away.
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behemoth
n.1) Old Testament a gigantic beast, probably a hippopotamus, described in Job 40:15.
2) a huge or monstrous person or thing.
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beneficent
adj.charitable; generous
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benevolent
adj.1) intending or showing goodwill; kindly; friendly.
2) doing good or giving aid to others, rather than making profit; charitable.
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bequeath
vb. (tr).
1) law to dispose of (property, esp personal property) by will.
2) to hand down; pass on, as to following generations.
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berate
vb. (tr).
to scold harshly
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bereft
adj. (usually foll by of).
deprived; parted (from)
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bias
n.1) mental tendency or inclination, esp an irrational preference or prejudice.
2) a diagonal line or cut across the weave of a fabric.
3) electronics the voltage applied to an electronic device or system to establish suitable working conditions.
4) bowls.
a) a bulge or weight inside one side of a bowl.
b) the curved course of such a bowl on the green.
5) statistics.
a) an extraneous latent influence on, unrecognized conflated variable in, or selectivity in a sample which influences its distribution and so renders it unable to reflect the desired population parameters.
b) if T is an estimator of the parameter θ, the expected value of (T-θ).
6) an inaudible high-frequency signal used to improve the quality of a tape recording.
;adj.7) slanting obliquely; diagonal.
;adv.8) obliquely; diagonally.
;vb. -ases, -asing, -ased or -asses, -assing, -assed (tr).
9) (usually passive) to cause to have a bias; prejudice; influence.
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bilk
vb. (tr).
1) to balk; thwart.
2) (often foll by of) to cheat or deceive, esp to avoid making payment to.
3) to escape from; elude.
4) cribbage to play a card that hinders (one's opponent) from scoring in his or her crib.
;n.5) a swindle or cheat.
6) a person who swindles or cheats.
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blandish
vb. (tr).
to seek to persuade or influence by mild flattery; coax
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boisterous
adj.1) noisy and lively; unrestrained or unruly.
2) (of the wind, sea, etc.) turbulent or stormy.
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bombastic
<No meaning yet.>
boorish
adj.ill-mannered, clumsy, or insensitive; rude
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bourgeois
n., pl -geois.
1) a member of the middle class, esp one regarded as being conservative and materialistic or (in Marxist thought) a capitalist exploiting the working class.
2) a mediocre, unimaginative, or materialistic person.
;adj.3) characteristic of, relating to, or comprising the middle class.
4) conservative or materialistic in outlook.
5) (in Marxist thought) dominated by capitalists or capitalist interests.
;n.(formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 9 point
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buttress
n.1) Also called: pier.
2) any support or prop.
3) something shaped like a buttress, such as a projection from a mountainside.
4) either of the two pointed rear parts of a horse's hoof.
;vb. (tr).
5) to support (a wall) with a buttress.
6) to support or sustain.
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cacophonous
adj.jarring in sound; discordant; harsh
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cajole
vb.to persuade (someone) by flattery or pleasing talk to do what one wants; wheedle; coax
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calibrate
vb. (tr).
1) to measure the calibre of (a gun, mortar, etc.).
2) to mark (the scale of a measuring instrument) so that readings can be made in appropriate units.
3) to determine the accuracy of (a measuring instrument, etc.).
4) to determine or check the range and accuracy of (a piece of artillery).
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calumny
n., pl -nies.
1) the malicious utterance of false charges or misrepresentation; slander; defamation.
2) such a false charge or misrepresentation.
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camaraderie
n.a spirit of familiarity and trust existing between friends
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candor
<No meaning yet.>
canny
adj. -nier, -niest.
1) shrewd, esp in business; astute or wary; knowing.
2) Scot and Northeast English dialect good or nice: used as a general term of approval.
3) Scot lucky or fortunate.
;adv.4) Scot and Northeast English dialect quite; rather.
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canvas
n.1).
a) a heavy durable cloth made of cotton, hemp, or jute, used for sails, tents, etc.
b) (as modifier).
2).
a) a piece of canvas or a similar material on which a painting is done, usually in oils.
b) a painting on this material, esp in oils.
3) a tent or tents collectively.
4) nautical any cloth of which sails are made.
5) nautical the sails of a vessel collectively.
6) any coarse loosely woven cloth on which embroidery, tapestry, etc., is done.
7) (preceded by the) the floor of a boxing or wrestling ring.
8) rowing the tapering covered part at either end of a racing boat, sometimes referred to as a unit of length.
9).
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capacious
adj.capable of holding much; roomy; spacious
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capitulate
vb. (intr).
to surrender, esp under agreed conditions
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captivate
vb. (tr).
1) to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant.
2) an obsolete word for capture.
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carouse
vb.1) (intr) to have a merry drinking spree; drink freely.
;n.2) another word for carousal.
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castigation
<No meaning yet.>
catalog
<No meaning yet.>
catalyze
<No meaning yet.>
caucus
n., pl -cuses.
1) chiefly US and Canadian.
a) a closed meeting of the members of one party in a legislative chamber, etc., to coordinate policy, choose candidates, etc.
b) such a bloc of politicians.
2) chiefly US.
a) a group of leading politicians of one party.
b) a meeting of such a group.
3) chiefly US a local meeting of party members.
4) Brit a group or faction within a larger group, esp a political party, who discuss tactics, choose candidates, etc.
5) Austral a meeting of the members of the Federal parliamentary Labor Party.
6) NZ a formal meeting of all Members of Parliament belonging to one political party.
;vb.7) (intr) to hold a caucus.
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caustic
adj.1) capable of burning or corroding by chemical action.
2) sarcastic; cutting.
3) of, relating to, or denoting light that is reflected or refracted by a curved surface.
;n.4) Also called: caustic surface.
5) Also called: caustic curve.
6) chemistry a caustic substance, esp an alkali.
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cavort
vb. (intr).
to prance; caper
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censure
n.1) severe disapproval; harsh criticism.
;vb.2) to criticize (someone or something) severely; condemn.
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cerebral
adj.1) of or relating to the cerebrum or to the entire brain.
2) involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct.
3) phonetics another word for cacuminal.
;n.4) phonetics a consonant articulated in the manner of a cacuminal consonant.
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chaos
n.1) complete disorder; utter confusion.
2) (usually capital) the disordered formless matter supposed to have existed before the ordered universe.
3) an obsolete word for abyss.
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chastise
vb. (tr).
1) to discipline or punish, esp by beating.
2) to scold severely.
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cherish
vb. (tr).
1) to show great tenderness for; treasure.
2) to cling fondly to (a hope, idea, etc.); nurse.
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chide
vb. chides, chiding, chided or chid; chided, chid or chidden.
1) to rebuke or scold.
2) (tr) to goad into action.
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choreography
n.1) the composition of dance steps and sequences for ballet and stage dancing.
2) the steps and sequences of a ballet or dance.
3) the notation representing such steps.
4) the art of dancing.
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chronicle
n.1) a record or register of events in chronological order.
;vb.2) (tr) to record in or as if in a chronicle.
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chronological
adj.1) (esp of a sequence of events) arranged in order of occurrence.
2) relating to or in accordance with chronology.
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circuitous
adj.indirect and lengthy; roundabout
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circumlocution
n.1) an indirect way of expressing something.
2) an indirect expression.
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circumscribed
<No meaning yet.>
circumspect
adj.cautious, prudent, or discreet
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circumvent
vb. (tr).
1) to evade or go around.
2) to outwit.
3) to encircle (an enemy) so as to intercept or capture.
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clairvoyant
adj.1) of, possessing, or relating to clairvoyance.
2) having great insight or second sight.
;n.3) a person claiming to have the power to foretell future events.
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cleave
vb. cleaves, cleaving; cleft, cleaved or clove; cleft, cleaved or cloven.
1) to split or cause to split, esp along a natural weakness.
2) (tr) to make by or as if by cutting.
3) (when intr, foll by through) to penetrate or traverse.
;vb. (intr; foll by to).
to cling or adhere
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clemency
n., pl -cies.
1) mercy or leniency.
2) mildness, esp of the weather.
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clergy
n., pl -gies.
the collective body of men and women ordained as religious ministers, esp of the Christian Church
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cloying
adj.initially pleasurable or sweet but wearying in excess
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coagulate
vb.1) to cause (a fluid, such as blood) to change into a soft semisolid mass or (of such a fluid) to change into such a mass; clot; curdle.
2) chemistry to separate or cause to separate into distinct constituent phases.
;n.3) the solid or semisolid substance produced by coagulation.
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cobbler
n.a person who makes or mends shoes
;n.1) a sweetened iced drink, usually made from fruit and wine or liqueur.
2) chiefly US a hot dessert made of fruit covered with a rich cakelike crust.
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coda
n.;1) music .the final, sometimes inessential, part of a musical structure.
2) a concluding part of a literary work, esp a summary at the end of a novel of further developments in the lives of the characters.
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coerce
vb. (tr).
to compel or restrain by force or authority without regard to individual wishes or desires
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cogent
adj.compelling belief or assent; forcefully convincing
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cognizant
adj. (usually foll by of).
aware; having knowledge
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coherent
adj.1) capable of logical and consistent speech, thought, etc.
2) logical; consistent and orderly.
3) cohering or sticking together.
4) physics (of two or more waves) having the same phase or a fixed phase difference.
5) (of a system of units) consisting only of units the quotient or product of any two of which yield the unit of the resultant quantity.
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collateral
n.1).
a) security pledged for the repayment of a loan.
b) (as modifier).
2) a person, animal, or plant descended from the same ancestor as another but through a different line.
;adj.3) situated or running side by side.
4) descended from a common ancestor but through different lines.
5) serving to support or corroborate.
6) aside from the main issue.
7) uniting in tendency.
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colloquial
adj.1) of or relating to conversation.
2) denoting or characterized by informal or conversational idiom or vocabulary.
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collusion
n.1) secret agreement for a fraudulent purpose; connivance; conspiracy.
2) a secret agreement between opponents at law in order to obtain a judicial decision for some wrongful or improper purpose.
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colossus
n., pl -si [-saɪ] or -suses.
something very large, esp a statue
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combustion
n.1) the process of burning.
2) any process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce a significant rise in temperature and the emission of light.
3) a chemical process in which two compounds, such as sodium and chlorine, react together to produce heat and light.
4) a process in which a compound reacts slowly with oxygen to produce little heat and no light.
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commendation
<No meaning yet.>
commodious
adj.1) (of buildings, rooms, etc.) large and roomy; spacious.
2) archaic suitable; convenient.
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comparison
n.1) the act or process of comparing.
2) the state of being compared.
3) comparable quality or qualities; likeness.
4) a rhetorical device involving comparison, such as a simile.
5) Also called: degrees of comparison.
6).
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compelling
adj.1) arousing or denoting strong interest, esp admiring interest.
2) (of an argument, evidence, etc.) convincing.
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compendium
n., pl -diums or -dia [-dɪə].
1) Brit a book containing a collection of useful hints.
2) Brit a selection, esp of different games or other objects in one container.
3) a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work.
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compensate
vb.1) to make amends to (someone), esp for loss or injury.
2) (tr) to serve as compensation or damages for (injury, loss, etc.).
3) to offset or counterbalance the effects of (a force, weight, movement, etc.) so as to nullify the effects of an undesirable influence and produce equilibrium.
4) (intr) to attempt to conceal or offset one's shortcomings by the exaggerated exhibition of qualities regarded as desirable.
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complacency
n., pl -cencies or -cences.
1) a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness.
2) an obsolete word for complaisance.
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complaisant
adj.showing a desire to comply or oblige; polite
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complement
n.1) a person or thing that completes something.
2) one of two parts that make up a whole or complete each other.
3) a complete amount, number, etc. (often in the phrase full complement).
4) the officers and crew needed to man a ship.
5) grammar.
a) a noun phrase that follows a copula or similar verb, as for example an idiot in the sentence He is an idiot.
b) a clause that serves as the subject or direct object of a verb or the direct object of a preposition, as for example that he would be early in the sentence I hoped that he would be early.
6) mathematics the angle that when added to a specified angle produces a right angle.
7) logic, mathematics the class of all things, or of all members of a given universe of discourse, that are not members of a given set.
8) music the inverted form of an interval that, when added to the interval, completes the octave.
9) immunology a group of proteins in the blood serum that, when activated by antibodies, causes destruction of alien cells, such as bacteria.
;vb.10) (tr) to add to, make complete, or form a complement to.
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compliant
adj.complying, obliging, or yielding
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complicit
<No meaning yet.>
compliment
n.1) a remark or act expressing respect, admiration, etc.
2) (usually plural) a greeting of respect or regard.
;vb. (tr).
3) to express admiration of; congratulate or commend.
4) to express or show respect or regard for, esp by a gift.
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comprehensive
adj.1) of broad scope or content; including all or much.
2) (of a car insurance policy) providing protection against most risks, including third-party liability, fire, theft, and damage.
3) having the ability to understand.
4) of, relating to, or being a comprehensive school.
;n.5) short for comprehensive school.
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compress
vb.1) (tr) to squeeze together or compact into less space; condense.
2) computing to apply a compression program to (electronic data) so that it takes up less space.
;n.3) a wet or dry cloth or gauze pad with or without medication, applied firmly to some part of the body to relieve discomfort, reduce fever, drain a wound, etc.
4) a machine for packing material, esp cotton, under pressure.
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concede
vb.1) (when tr, may take a clause as object) to admit or acknowledge (something) as true or correct.
2) to yield or allow (something, such as a right).
3) (tr) to admit as certain in outcome.
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conciliatory
adj.intended to placate or reconcile
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concise
adj.expressing much in few words; brief and to the point
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concomitant
adj.1) existing or occurring together; associative.
;n.2) a concomitant act, person, etc.
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concord
n.1) agreement or harmony between people or nations; amity.
2) a treaty establishing peaceful relations between nations.
3) agreement or harmony between things, ideas, etc.
4) music a combination of musical notes, esp one containing a series of consonant intervals.
5) grammar another word for agreement 6).
;n.1) a town in NE Massachusetts: scene of one of the opening military actions (1775) of the War of American Independence. Pop.: 16 937 (2003 est.).
2) a city in New Hampshire, the state capital: printing, publishing. Pop.: 41 823 (2003 est.).
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condolence
n. (often plural).
an expression of sympathy with someone in grief, etc
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condone
vb. (tr).
1) to overlook or forgive (an offence).
2) law (esp of a spouse) to pardon or overlook (an offence, usually adultery).
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confection
n.1) the act or process of compounding or mixing.
2) any sweet preparation of fruit, nuts, etc., such as a preserve or a sweet.
3) old-fashioned an elaborate article of clothing, esp for women.
4) informal anything regarded as overelaborate or frivolous.
5) a medicinal drug sweetened with sugar, honey, etc.
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confidant
n.a person, esp a man, to whom private matters are confided
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conflagration
n.a large destructive fire
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confluence
n.1) a merging or flowing together, esp of rivers.
2) a gathering together, esp of people.
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conformist
n.1) a person who adopts the attitudes, behaviour, dress, etc. of the group to which he belongs.
2) a person who complies with the practices of an established church, esp the Church of England.
;adj.3) of a conforming nature or character.
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congeal
vb.1) to change or cause to change from a soft or fluid state to a firm or solid state.
2) to form or cause to form into a coagulated mass; curdle; jell.
3) (intr) (of ideas) to take shape or become fixed in form.
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congenial
adj.1) friendly, pleasant, or agreeable.
2) having a similar disposition, tastes, etc.; compatible; sympathetic.
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congregation
n.1) a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc., esp in a church or chapel.
2) the act of congregating or collecting together.
3) a group of people, objects, etc., collected together; assemblage.
4) the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc.
5) Roman Catholic Church.
a) a society of persons who follow a common rule of life but who are bound only by simple vows.
b) Also called: dicastery.
c) an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council.
6) chiefly Brit an assembly of senior members of a university.
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congruity
<No meaning yet.>
connive
vb. (intr).
1) to plot together, esp secretly; conspire.
2) (foll by at) law to give assent or encouragement (to the commission of a wrong).
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connoisseur
n.a person with special knowledge or appreciation of a field, esp in the arts
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consecrate
vb. (tr).
1) to make or declare sacred or holy; sanctify.
2) to dedicate (one's life, time, etc.) to a specific purpose.
3) to ordain (a bishop).
4) Christianity to sanctify (bread and wine) for the Eucharist to be received as the body and blood of Christ.
5) to cause to be respected or revered; venerate.
;adj.6) archaic consecrated.
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