consensus
n.general or widespread agreement (esp in the phrase consensus of opinion)
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consign
vb. (mainly tr).
1) to hand over or give into the care or charge of another; entrust.
2) to commit irrevocably.
3) to commit for admittance.
4) to address or deliver (goods) for sale, disposal, etc.
5) (intr) obsolete to assent; agree.
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consolation
n.1) the act of consoling or state of being consoled; solace.
2) a person or thing that is a source of comfort in a time of suffering, grief, disappointment, etc.
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consonant
n.1) a speech sound or letter of the alphabet other than a vowel; a stop, fricative, or continuant.
;adj.2) (postpositive; foll by with or to) consistent; in agreement.
3) harmonious in tone or sound.
4) music characterized by the presence of a consonance.
5) being or relating to a consonant.
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constituent
adj. (prenominal).
1) forming part of a whole; component.
2) having the power to frame a constitution or to constitute a government (esp in the phrases constituent assembly, constituent power).
3) becoming rare electing or having the power to elect.
;n.4) a component part; ingredient.
5) a resident of a constituency, esp one entitled to vote.
6) chiefly law a person who appoints another to act for him, as by power of attorney.
7) linguistics a word, phrase, or clause forming a part of a larger construction.
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constrain
vb. (tr).
1) to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc.; oblige.
2) to restrain by or as if by force; confine.
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construe
vb. -strues, -struing, -strued (mainly tr).
1) to interpret the meaning of (something).
2) (may take a clause as object) to discover by inference; deduce.
3) to analyse the grammatical structure of; parse (esp a Latin or Greek text as a preliminary to translation).
4) to combine (words) syntactically.
5) (also intr) old-fashioned to translate literally, esp aloud as an academic exercise.
;n.6) old-fashioned something that is construed, such as a piece of translation.
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consummate
vb. (tr).
1) to bring to completion or perfection; fulfil.
2) to complete (a marriage) legally by sexual intercourse.
;adj.3) accomplished or supremely skilled.
4) (prenominal) (intensifier).
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consumption
n.1) the act of consuming or the state of being consumed, esp by eating, burning, etc.
2) economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use.
3) the quantity consumed.
4) pathology a condition characterized by a wasting away of the tissues of the body, esp as seen in tuberculosis of the lungs.
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contemporaneous
adj.existing, beginning, or occurring in the same period of time
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contention
n.1) a struggling between opponents; competition.
2) dispute in an argument (esp in the phrase bone of contention).
3) a point asserted in argument.
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contentious
adj.1) tending to argue or quarrel.
2) causing or characterized by dispute; controversial.
3) law relating to a cause or legal business that is contested, esp a probate matter.
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contrite
adj.1) full of guilt or regret; remorseful.
2) arising from a sense of shame or guilt.
3) theology remorseful for past sin and resolved to avoid future sin.
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conundrum
n.1) a riddle, esp one whose answer makes a play on words.
2) a puzzling question or problem.
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convene
vb.1) to gather, call together, or summon, esp for a formal meeting.
2) (tr) to order to appear before a court of law, judge, tribunal, etc.
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convention
n.1).
a) a large formal assembly of a group with common interests, such as a political party or trade union.
b) the persons attending such an assembly.
2) US politics an assembly of delegates of one party to select candidates for office.
3) diplomacy an international agreement second only to a treaty in formality.
4) any agreement, compact, or contract.
5) the most widely accepted or established view of what is thought to be proper behaviour, good taste, etc.
6) an accepted rule, usage, etc.
7) bridge Also called: conventional.
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converge
vb.1) to move or cause to move towards the same point.
2) to meet or cause to meet; join.
3) (intr) (of opinions, effects, etc.) to tend towards a common conclusion or result.
4) (intr) mathematics (of an infinite series or sequence) to approach a finite limit as the number of terms increases.
5) (intr) (of animals and plants during evolutionary development) to undergo convergence.
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convivial
adj.sociable; jovial or festive
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coronation
n.the act or ceremony of crowning a monarch
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corpulence
<No meaning yet.>
corrosive
adj.1) (esp of acids or alkalis) capable of destroying solid materials.
2) tending to eat away or consume.
3) cutting; sarcastic.
;n.4) a corrosive substance, such as a strong acid or alkali.
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cosmopolitan
n.1) a person who has lived and travelled in many countries, esp one who is free of national prejudices.
;adj.2) having interest in or familiar with many parts of the world.
3) sophisticated or urbane.
4) composed of people or elements from all parts of the world or from many different spheres.
5) (of plants or animals) widely distributed.
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coup
n.1) a brilliant and successful stroke or action.
2) short for coup d'état.
;vb.1) to turn or fall over.
;n.2) a rubbish tip.
;vb. Scot.
to barter; traffic; deal
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covert
adj.1) concealed or secret.
2) law See: feme covert.
;n.3) a shelter or disguise.
4) a thicket or woodland providing shelter for game.
5) short for covert cloth.
6) ornithology any of the small feathers on the wings and tail of a bird that surround the bases of the larger feathers.
7) a flock of coots.
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covet
vb. (tr) -vets, -veting, -veted.
to wish, long, or crave for (something, esp the property of another person)
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craven
adj.1) cowardly; mean-spirited.
;n.2) a coward.
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credulity
n.disposition to believe something on little evidence; gullibility
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crescendo
n., pl -dos or -di [-dɪ].
1) music.
a) a gradual increase in loudness or the musical direction or symbol indicating this.
b) (as modifier).
2) a gradual increase in loudness or intensity.
3) a peak of noise or intensity.
;vb. -does, -doing, -doed.
4) (intr) to increase in loudness or force.
;adv.5) with a crescendo.
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crestfallen
adj.dejected, depressed, or disheartened
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criteria
<No meaning yet.>
culmination
n.1) the final, highest, or decisive point.
2) the act of culminating.
3) astronomy the highest or lowest altitude attained by a heavenly body as it crosses the meridian.
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culpable
adj.deserving censure; blameworthy
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cultivate
vb. (tr).
1) to till and prepare (land or soil) for the growth of crops.
2) to plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill.
3) to break up (land or soil) with a cultivator or hoe.
4) to improve or foster (the mind, body, etc.) as by study, education, or labour.
5) to give special attention to.
6) to give or bring culture to (a person, society, etc.); civilize.
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cumulative
adj.1) growing in quantity, strength, or effect by successive additions or gradual steps.
2) gained by or resulting from a gradual building up.
3) finance.
a) (of preference shares) entitling the holder to receive any arrears of dividend before any dividend is distributed to ordinary shareholders.
b) (of dividends or interest) intended to be accumulated if not paid when due.
4) statistics.
a) (of a frequency) including all values of a variable either below or above a specified value.
b) (of error) tending to increase as the sample size is increased.
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cunning
adj.1) crafty and shrewd, esp in deception; sly.
2) made with or showing skill or cleverness; ingenious.
;n.3) craftiness, esp in deceiving; slyness.
4) cleverness, skill, or ingenuity.
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cupidity
n.strong desire, esp for possessions or money; greed
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curtail
vb. (tr).
to cut short; abridge
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daunt
vb. (tr; often passive).
1) to intimidate.
2) to dishearten.
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daunting
adj.causing fear or discouragement; intimidating
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dearth
n.an inadequate amount, esp of food; scarcity
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debacle
n.1) a sudden disastrous collapse or defeat, esp one involving a disorderly retreat; rout.
2) the breaking up of ice in a river during spring or summer, often causing flooding.
3) a violent rush of water carrying along debris.
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debase
vb. (tr).
to lower in quality, character, or value, as by adding cheaper metal to coins; adulterate
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debauch
vb.1) (when tr, usually passive) to lead into a life of depraved self-indulgence.
2) (tr) to seduce (a woman).
;n.3) an instance or period of extreme dissipation.
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decorous
adj.characterized by propriety in manners, conduct, etc
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decorum
n.1) propriety, esp in behaviour or conduct.
2) a requirement of correct behaviour in polite society.
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decry
vb. -cries, -crying, -cried (tr).
1) to express open disapproval of; disparage.
2) to depreciate by proclamation.
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deface
vb. (tr).
to spoil or mar the surface, legibility, or appearance of; disfigure
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defamatory
adj.injurious to someone's name or reputation
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default
n.1) a failure to act, esp a failure to meet a financial obligation or to appear in a court of law at a time specified.
2) absence.
3).
4).
5) lack, want, or need.
6) <FONT COLOR=RED>[also ˈdi:fɔ:lt]</FONT> computing.
a) the preset selection of an option offered by a system, which will always be followed except when explicitly altered.
b) (as modifier).
;vb.7) (intr; often foll by on or in) to fail to make payment when due.
8) (intr) to fail to fulfil or perform an obligation, engagement, etc.
9) law to lose (a case) by failure to appear in court.
10) (tr) to declare that (someone) is in default.
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defer
vb. -fers, -ferring, -ferred (tr).
to delay or cause to be delayed until a future time; postpone
;vb. -fers, -ferring, -ferred (intr; foll by to).
to yield (to) or comply (with) the wishes or judgments of another
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defile
vb. (tr).
1) to make foul or dirty; pollute.
2) to tarnish or sully the brightness of; taint; corrupt.
3) to damage or sully (someone's good name, reputation, etc.).
4) to make unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate.
5) to violate the chastity of.
;n.1) a narrow pass or gorge, esp one between two mountains.
2) a single file of soldiers, etc.
;vb.3) chiefly military to march or cause to march in single file.
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deft
adj.quick and neat in movement; nimble; dexterous
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defunct
adj.1) no longer living; dead or extinct.
2) no longer operative or valid.
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delegate
n.1) a person chosen or elected to act for or represent another or others, esp at a conference or meeting.
2) US government a representative of a territory in the US House of Representatives.
;vb.3) to give or commit (duties, powers, etc.) to another as agent or representative; depute.
4) (tr) to send, authorize, or elect (a person) as agent or representative.
5) (tr) chiefly US to assign (a person owing a debt to oneself) to one's creditor in substitution for oneself.
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deleterious
adj.harmful; injurious; hurtful
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deliberate
adj.1) carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentional.
2) careful or unhurried in speech or action.
;vb.3) to consider (something) deeply; ponder; think over.
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delineate
vb. (tr).
1) to trace the shape or outline of; sketch.
2) to represent pictorially, as by making a chart or diagram; depict.
3) to portray in words, esp with detail and precision; describe.
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demagogue
n.1) a political agitator who appeals with crude oratory to the prejudice and passions of the mob.
2) (esp in the ancient world) any popular political leader or orator.
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demarcation
n.1) the act of establishing limits or boundaries.
2) a limit or boundary.
3).
a) a strict separation of the kinds of work performed by members of different trade unions.
b) (as modifier).
4) separation or distinction (often in the phrase line of demarcation).
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demean
vb. (tr).
to lower (oneself) in dignity, status, or character; humble; debase
;vb. (tr) rare.
to behave or conduct (oneself) in a specified way
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demure
adj.1) sedate; decorous; reserved.
2) affectedly modest or prim; coy.
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denigrate
vb.1) (tr) to belittle or disparage the character of; defame.
2) a rare word for blacken.
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denounce
vb. (tr).
1) to deplore or condemn openly or vehemently.
2) to give information against; accuse.
3) to announce formally the termination of (a treaty, etc.).
4) obsolete.
a) to announce (something evil).
b) to portend.
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deplore
vb. (tr).
1) to express or feel sorrow about; lament; regret.
2) to express or feel strong disapproval of; censure.
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deprecate
vb. (tr).
1) to express disapproval of; protest against.
2) to depreciate (a person, someone's character, etc.); belittle.
3) archaic to try to ward off by prayer.
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derelict
adj.1) deserted or abandoned, as by an owner, occupant, etc.
2) falling into ruins; neglected; dilapidated.
3) neglectful of duty or obligation; remiss.
;n.4) a person abandoned or neglected by society; a social outcast or vagrant.
5) property deserted or abandoned by an owner, occupant, etc.
6) a vessel abandoned at sea.
7) a person who is neglectful of duty or obligation.
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derivative
adj.1) resulting from derivation; derived.
2) based on or making use of other sources; not original or primary.
3) copied from others, esp slavishly; plagiaristic.
;n.4) a term, idea, etc., that is based on or derived from another in the same class.
5) a word derived from another word.
6) chemistry a compound that is formed from, or can be regarded as formed from, a structurally related compound.
7) mathematics.
a) Also called: differential coefficient, first derivative.
b) the rate of change of one quantity with respect to another.
8) finance a financial instrument, such as a futures contract or option, the price of which is largely determined by the commodity, currency, share price, interest rate, etc., to which it is linked.
9) psychoanal an activity that represents the expression of hidden impulses and desires by channelling them into socially acceptable forms.
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desecrate
vb. (tr).
1) to violate or outrage the sacred character of (an object or place) by destructive, blasphemous, or sacrilegious action.
2) to remove the consecration from (a person, object, building, etc.); deconsecrate.
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desiccate
vb.1) (tr) to remove most of the water from (a substance or material); dehydrate.
2) (tr) to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dry.
3) (intr) to become dried up.
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desiccated
adj.1) dehydrated and powdered.
2) lacking in spirit or animation.
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desolate
adj.1) uninhabited; deserted.
2) made uninhabitable; laid waste; devastated.
3) without friends, hope, or encouragement; forlorn, wretched, or abandoned.
4) gloomy or dismal; depressing.
;vb. (tr).
5) to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate.
6) to make barren or lay waste; devastate.
7) to make wretched or forlorn.
8) to forsake or abandon.
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despondent
adj.downcast or disheartened; lacking hope or courage; dejected
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despot
n.1) an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant.
2) any person in power who acts tyrannically.
3) a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.
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destitute
adj.1) lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished.
2) (postpositive; foll by of) completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of).
3) obsolete abandoned or deserted.
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desultory
adj.1) passing or jumping from one thing to another, esp in a fitful way; unmethodical; disconnected.
2) occurring in a random or incidental way; haphazard.
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deter
vb. -ters, -terring, -terred (tr).
to discourage (from acting) or prevent (from occurring), usually by instilling fear, doubt, or anxiety
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deterrent
n.1) something that deters.
2) a weapon or combination of weapons, esp nuclear, held by one state, etc., to deter attack by another.
;adj.3) tending or used to deter; restraining.
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devious
adj.1) not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand.
2) (of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout.
3) going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring.
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dialect
n.a) a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular social class or occupational group, distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
b) a form of a language that is considered inferior.
c) (as modifier).
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diaphanous
adj.(usually of fabrics such as silk) fine and translucent
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dichotomy
n., pl -mies.
1) division into two parts or classifications, esp when they are sharply distinguished or opposed.
2) logic the division of a class into two mutually exclusive subclasses.
3) botany a simple method of branching by repeated division into two equal parts.
4) the phase of the moon, Venus, or Mercury when half of the disc is visible.
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diffident
<No meaning yet.>
digression
n.an act or instance of digressing from a main subject in speech or writing
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dilatory
adj.1) tending or inclined to delay or waste time.
2) intended or designed to waste time or defer action.
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diligent
adj.1) careful and persevering in carrying out tasks or duties.
2) carried out with care and perseverance.
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dirge
n.1) a chant of lamentation for the dead.
2) the funeral service in its solemn or sung forms.
3) any mourning song or melody.
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disabuse
vb. (tr; usually foll by of).
to rid (oneself, another person, etc.) of a mistaken or misguided idea; set right
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disaffected
<No meaning yet.>
disavow
vb. (tr).
to deny knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for
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discerning
adj.having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating
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disclose
vb. (tr).
1) to make (information) known.
2) to allow to be seen; lay bare.
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discomfit
vb. (tr).
1) to make uneasy, confused, or embarrassed.
2) to frustrate the plans or purpose of.
3) archaic to defeat in battle.
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discordant
adj.1) at variance; disagreeing.
2) harsh in sound; inharmonious.
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discredit
vb. (tr).
1) to damage the reputation of.
2) to cause to be disbelieved or distrusted.
3) to reject as untrue or of questionable accuracy.
;n.4) a person, thing, or state of affairs that causes disgrace.
5) damage to a reputation.
6) lack of belief or confidence.
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discrete
adj.1) separate or distinct in form or concept.
2) consisting of distinct or separate parts.
3) statistics.
a) (of a variable) having consecutive values that are not infinitesimally close, so that its analysis requires summation rather than integration.
b) (of a distribution) relating to a discrete variable.
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discursive
adj.1) passing from one topic to another, usually in an unmethodical way; digressive.
2) philosophy of or relating to knowledge obtained by reason and argument rather than intuition.
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disdain
n.1) a feeling or show of superiority and dislike; contempt; scorn.
;vb.2) (tr; may take an infinitive) to refuse or reject with disdain.
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disgruntled
adj.feeling or expressing discontent or anger
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disheartened
<No meaning yet.>
disingenuous
adj.;n.ot sincere; lacking candour.
Derived words:
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