procure
vb.1) (tr) to obtain or acquire; secure.
2) to obtain (women or girls) to act as prostitutes.
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profane
adj.1) having or indicating contempt, irreverence, or disrespect for a divinity or something sacred.
2) not designed or used for religious purposes; secular.
3) not initiated into the inner mysteries or sacred rites.
4) vulgar, coarse, or blasphemous.
;vb. (tr).
5) to treat or use (something sacred) with irreverence.
6) to put to an unworthy or improper use.
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prohibitive
adj.1) prohibiting or tending to prohibit.
2) (esp of prices) tending or designed to discourage sale or purchase.
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proliferate
vb.1) to grow or reproduce (new parts, cells, etc.) rapidly.
2) to grow or increase or cause to grow or increase rapidly.
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promulgate
vb. (tr).
1) to put into effect (a law, decree, etc.), esp by formal proclamation.
2) to announce or declare officially.
3) to make widespread.
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propagate
vb.1) biology to reproduce or cause to reproduce; breed.
2) (tr) horticulture to produce (plants) by layering, grafting, cuttings, etc.
3) (tr) to promulgate; disseminate.
4) physics to move through, cause to move through, or transmit, esp in the form of a wave.
5) (tr) to transmit (characteristics) from one generation to the next.
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propensity
n., pl -ties.
1) a natural tendency or disposition.
2) obsolete partiality.
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propitiate
vb. (tr).
to appease or make well disposed; conciliate
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propitious
adj.1) favourable; auguring well.
2) gracious or favourably inclined.
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propriety
n., pl -ties.
1) the quality or state of being appropriate or fitting.
2) conformity to the prevailing standard of behaviour, speech, etc.
3) (plural).
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proscribe
vb. (tr).
1) to condemn or prohibit.
2) to outlaw; banish; exile.
3) (in ancient Rome) to outlaw (a citizen) by posting his name in public.
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protean
adj.readily taking on various shapes or forms; variable
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prowess
n.1) outstanding or superior skill or ability.
2) bravery or fearlessness, esp in battle.
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prudence
n.1) caution in practical affairs; discretion or circumspection.
2) care taken in the management of one's resources.
3) consideration for one's own interests.
4) the condition or quality of being prudent.
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prurient
adj.1) unusually or morbidly interested in sexual thoughts or practices.
2) exciting or encouraging lustfulness; erotic.
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puerile
adj.1) exhibiting silliness; immature; trivial.
2) of or characteristic of a child.
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pugnacious
adj.readily disposed to fight; belligerent
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pulchritude
n. formal or literary.
physical beauty
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punctilious
adj.1) paying scrupulous attention to correctness in etiquette.
2) attentive to detail.
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punitive
adj.relating to, involving, or with the intention of inflicting punishment
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quagmire
n.1) a soft wet area of land that gives way under the feet; bog.
2) an awkward, complex, or embarrassing situation.
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qualified
adj.1) having the abilities, qualities, attributes, etc., necessary to perform a particular job or task.
2) limited, modified, or restricted; not absolute.
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quell
vb. (tr).
1) to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc.); subdue.
2) to overcome or allay.
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querulous
adj.1) inclined to make whining or peevish complaints.
2) characterized by or proceeding from a complaining fretful attitude or disposition.
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quibble
vb. (intr).
1) to make trivial objections; prevaricate.
2) archaic to play on words; pun.
;n.3) a trivial objection or equivocation, esp one used to avoid an issue.
4) archaic a pun.
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quiescent
adj.quiet, inactive, or dormant
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quixotic
adj.preoccupied with an unrealistically optimistic or chivalrous approach to life; impractically idealistic
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rail
n.1) a horizontal bar of wood, metal, etc., supported by vertical posts, functioning as a fence, barrier, handrail, etc.
2) a horizontal bar fixed to a wall on which to hang things.
3) a horizontal framing member in a door or piece of panelling.
4) short for railing.
5) one of a pair of parallel bars laid on a prepared track, roadway, etc., that serve as a guide and running surface for the wheels of a railway train, tramcar, etc.
6).
a) short for railway.
b) (as modifier).
7) nautical a trim for finishing the top of a bulwark.
8).
;vb. (tr).
9) to provide with a rail or railings.
10) (usually foll by in or off) to fence (an area) with rails.
;vb. (intr; foll by at or against).
to complain bitterly or vehemently
;n.any of various small wading birds of the genus Rallus and related genera: family Rallidae, order Gruiformes (cranes, etc.). They have short wings, long legs, and dark plumage
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rarefied
adj.1) exalted in nature or character; lofty.
2) current within only a small group; esoteric or exclusive.
3) (of a gas, esp the atmosphere at high altitudes) having a low density; thin.
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rash
adj.1) acting without due consideration or thought; impetuous.
2) characterized by or resulting from excessive haste or impetuosity.
;n.1) pathology any skin eruption.
2) a series of unpleasant and unexpected occurrences.
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raze
vb. (tr).
1) to demolish (a town, buildings, etc.) completely; level (esp in the phrase raze to the ground).
2) to delete; erase.
3) archaic to graze.
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rebuke
vb.1) (tr) to scold or reprimand (someone).
;n.2) a reprimand or scolding.
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recant
vb.to repudiate or withdraw (a former belief or statement), esp formally in public
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recapitulate
vb.1) to restate the main points of (an argument, speech, etc.); summarize.
2) (tr) (of an animal) to repeat (stages of its evolutionary development) during the embryonic stages of its life.
3) to repeat at some point during a piece of music (material used earlier in the same work).
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recluse
n.1) a person who lives in seclusion.
2) a person who lives in solitude to devote himself to prayer and religious meditation; a hermit, anchorite, or anchoress.
;adj.3) solitary; retiring.
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reclusive
<No meaning yet.>
reconcile
vb. (tr).
1) (often passive; usually foll by to) to make (oneself or another) no longer opposed; cause to acquiesce in something unpleasant.
2) to become friendly with (someone) after estrangement or to re-establish friendly relations between (two or more people).
3) to settle (a quarrel or difference).
4) to make (two apparently conflicting things) compatible or consistent with each other.
5) to reconsecrate (a desecrated church, etc.).
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recondite
adj.1) requiring special knowledge to be understood; abstruse.
2) dealing with abstruse or profound subjects.
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rectitude
n.1) moral or religious correctness.
2) correctness of judgment.
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redoubtable
adj.1) to be feared; formidable.
2) worthy of respect.
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refract
vb. (tr).
1) to cause to undergo refraction.
2) to measure the refractive capabilities of (the eye, a lens, etc.).
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refractory
adj.1) unmanageable or obstinate.
2) medicine not responding to treatment.
3) (of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition.
;n., pl -ries.
4) a material, such as fireclay or alumina, that is able to withstand high temperatures: used to line furnaces, kilns, etc.
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refurbish
vb. (tr).
to make neat, clean, or complete, as by renovating, re-equipping, or restoring
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refute
vb.1) (tr) to prove (a statement, theory, charge, etc.) of (a person) to be false or incorrect; disprove.
2) to deny (a claim, charge, allegation, etc.).
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regurgitate
vb.1) to vomit forth (partially digested food).
2) (of some birds and certain other animals) to bring back to the mouth (undigested or partly digested food with which to feed the young).
3) (intr) to be cast up or out, esp from the mouth.
4) (intr) medicine (of blood) to flow backwards, in a direction opposite to the normal one, esp through a defective heart valve.
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remedial
adj.1) affording a remedy; curative.
2) denoting or relating to special teaching, teaching methods, or material for backward and slow learners.
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remiss
adj. (postpositive).
1) lacking in care or attention to duty; negligent.
2) lacking in energy; dilatory.
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renovate
vb. (tr).
1) to restore (something) to good condition.
2) to revive or refresh (one's spirits, health, etc.).
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renown
n.widespread reputation, esp of a good kind; fame
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renunciation
n.1) the act or an instance of renouncing.
2) a formal declaration renouncing something.
3) stock exchange the surrender to another of the rights to buy new shares in a rights issue.
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repentant
adj.1) reproaching oneself for one's past actions or sins; contrite.
2) characterized by or proceeding from a sense of contrition.
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replete
adj. (usually postpositive).
1) (often foll by with) copiously supplied (with); abounding (in).
2) having one's appetite completely or excessively satisfied by food and drink; stuffed; gorged; satiated.
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reprehensible
adj.open to criticism or rebuke; blameworthy
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reprieve
vb. (tr).
1) to postpone or remit the punishment of (a person, esp one condemned to death).
2) to give temporary relief to (a person or thing), esp from otherwise irrevocable harm.
;n.3) a postponement or remission of punishment, esp of a person condemned to death.
4) a warrant granting a postponement.
5) a temporary relief from pain or harm; respite.
6) the act of reprieving or the state of being reprieved.
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reproach
vb. (tr).
1) to impute blame to (a person) for an action or fault; rebuke.
2) archaic to bring disgrace or shame upon.
;n.3) the act of reproaching.
4) rebuke or censure; reproof.
5) disgrace or shame.
6) something that causes or merits blame, rebuke, or disgrace.
7).
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reprobate
adj.1) morally unprincipled; depraved.
2) Christianity destined or condemned to eternal punishment in hell.
;n.3) an unprincipled, depraved, or damned person.
4) a disreputable or roguish person.
;vb. (tr).
5) to disapprove of; condemn.
6) (of God) to destine, consign, or condemn to eternal punishment in hell.
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reprove
vb. (tr).
to speak disapprovingly to (a person); rebuke or scold
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repudiate
vb. (tr).
1) to reject the authority or validity of; refuse to accept or ratify.
2) to refuse to acknowledge or pay (a debt).
3) to cast off or disown (a son, lover, etc.).
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repulse
vb. (tr).
1) to drive back or ward off (an attacking force); repel; rebuff.
2) to reject with coldness or discourtesy.
3) to produce a feeling of aversion or distaste.
;n.4) the act or an instance of driving back or warding off; rebuff.
5) a cold discourteous rejection or refusal.
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reputable
adj.1) having a good reputation; honoured, trustworthy, or respectable.
2) (of words) acceptable as good usage; standard.
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requisition
n.1) a request or demand, esp an authoritative or formal one.
2) an official form on which such a demand is made.
3) the act of taking something over, esp temporarily for military or public use in time of emergency.
4) a necessary or essential condition; requisite.
5) a formal request by one government to another for the surrender of a fugitive from justice.
;vb. (tr).
6) to demand and take for use or service, esp by military or public authority.
7) (may take an infinitive) to require (someone) formally to do (something).
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rescind
vb. (tr).
to annul or repeal
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reservoir
n.1) a natural or artificial lake or large tank used for collecting and storing water, esp for community water supplies or irrigation.
2) a receptacle for storing gas, esp one attached to a stove.
3) biology a vacuole or cavity in an organism, containing a secretion or some other fluid.
4) anatomy another name for cisterna.
5) a place where a great stock of anything is accumulated.
6) a large supply of something; reserve.
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resilient
adj.1) (of an object or material) capable of regaining its original shape or position after bending, stretching, compression, or other deformation; elastic.
2) (of a person) recovering easily and quickly from shock, illness, hardship, etc.; irrepressible.
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resolute
adj.1) firm in purpose or belief; steadfast.
2) characterized by resolution; determined.
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resolution
n.1) the act or an instance of resolving.
2) the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination.
3) something resolved or determined; decision.
4) a formal expression of opinion by a meeting, esp one agreed by a vote.
5) a judicial decision on some matter; verdict; judgment.
6) the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements.
7) medicine.
a) return from a pathological to a normal condition.
b) subsidence of the symptoms of a disease, esp the disappearance of inflammation without the formation of pus.
8) music the process in harmony whereby a dissonant note or chord is followed by a consonant one.
9) the ability of a television or film image to reproduce fine detail.
10) physics another word for resolving power.
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resolve
vb. (mainly tr).
1) (takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to decide or determine firmly.
2) to express (an opinion) formally, esp (of a public meeting) one agreed by a vote.
3) (also intr; usually foll by into) to separate or cause to separate (into) (constituent parts or elements).
4) (usually reflexive) to change, alter, or appear to change or alter.
5) to make up the mind of; cause to decide.
6) to find the answer or solution to; solve.
7) to explain away or dispel.
8) to bring to an end; conclude.
9) medicine to cause (a swelling or inflammation) to subside, esp without the formation of pus.
10) (also intr) to follow (a dissonant note or chord) or (of a dissonant note or chord) to be followed by one producing a consonance.
11) chemistry to separate (a racemic mixture) into its optically active constituents.
12) physics.
a) to distinguish between (separate parts) of (an image) as in a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument.
b) to separate (two adjacent peaks) in a spectrum by means of a spectrometer.
13) mathematics to split (a vector) into its components in specified directions.
14) an obsolete word for dissolve.
;n.15) something determined or decided; resolution.
16) firmness of purpose; determination.
;n.othing can break his resolve.
•
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respite
n.1) a pause from exertion; interval of rest.
2) a temporary delay.
3) a temporary stay of execution; reprieve.
;vb.4) (tr) to grant a respite to; reprieve.
;
restitution
n.1) the act of giving back something that has been lost or stolen.
2) law the act of compensating for loss or injury by reverting as far as possible to the position before such injury occurred.
3) the return of an object or system to its original state, esp a restoration of shape after elastic deformation.
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restive
adj.1) restless, nervous, or uneasy.
2) impatient of control or authority.
;
retract
vb.1) (tr) to draw in (a part or appendage).
2) to withdraw (a statement, opinion, charge, etc.) as invalid or unjustified.
3) to go back on (a promise or agreement).
4) (intr) to shrink back, as in fear.
5) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue back away from the lips.
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revere
vb. (tr).
to be in awe of and respect deeply; venerate
;
reverent
adj.feeling, expressing, or characterized by reverence
;
revoke
vb.1) (tr) to take back or withdraw; cancel; rescind.
2) (intr) cards to break a rule of play by failing to follow suit when able to do so; renege.
;n.3) cards the act of revoking; a renege.
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rhapsodize
vb.1) to speak or write (something) with extravagant enthusiasm.
2) (intr) to recite or write rhapsodies.
;
ribald
adj.1) coarse, obscene, or licentious, usually in a humorous or mocking way.
;n.2) a ribald person.
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riddance
n.the act of getting rid of something undesirable or unpleasant; deliverance or removal (esp in the phrase good riddance)
;
rife
adj. (postpositive).
1) of widespread occurrence; prevalent or current.
2) very plentiful; abundant.
3) (foll by with) abounding (in).
;
saccharine
adj.1) excessively sweet; sugary.
2) of, relating to, of the nature of, or containing sugar or saccharin.
;
sagacity
n.foresight, discernment, or keen perception; ability to make good judgments
;
salient
adj.1) prominent, conspicuous, or striking.
2) (esp in fortifications) projecting outwards at an angle of less than 180°.
3) geometry (of an angle) pointing outwards from a polygon and hence less than 180°.
4) (esp of animals) leaping.
;n.5) military a projection of the forward line into enemy-held territory.
6) a salient angle.
;
salubrious
adj.conducive or favourable to health; wholesome
;
salutation
n.1) an act, phrase, gesture, etc., that serves as a greeting.
2) a form of words used as an opening to a speech or letter, such as Dear Sir or Ladies and Gentlemen.
3) the act of saluting.
;
sanctimonious
adj.affecting piety or making a display of holiness
;
sanction
n.1) final permission; authorization.
2) aid or encouragement.
3) something, such as an ethical principle, that imparts binding force to a rule, oath, etc.
4) the penalty laid down in a law for contravention of its provisions.
5) (often plural) a coercive measure, esp one taken by one or more states against another guilty of violating international law.
;vb. (tr).
6) to give authority to; permit.
7) to make authorized; confirm.
;
satiate
vb. (tr).
1) to fill or supply beyond capacity or desire, often arousing weariness.
2) to supply to satisfaction or capacity.
;
saturate
vb.1) to fill, soak, or imbue totally.
2) to make (a chemical compound, vapour, solution, magnetic material, etc.) saturated or (of a compound, vapour, etc.) to become saturated.
3) (tr) military to bomb or shell heavily.
;adj.4) a less common word for saturated.
;
savor
<No meaning yet.>
scintillating
<No meaning yet.>
scurrilous
adj.1) grossly or obscenely abusive or defamatory.
2) characterized by gross or obscene humour.
;
secrete
vb.(of a cell, organ, etc.) to synthesize and release (a secretion)
;vb. (tr).
to put in a hiding place
;
sedentary
adj.1) characterized by or requiring a sitting position.
2) tending to sit about without taking much exercise.
3) (of animals) moving about very little, usually because of attachment to a rock or other surface.
4) (of animals) not migratory.
;
semaphore
n.1) an apparatus for conveying information by means of visual signals, as with movable arms or railway signals, flags, etc.
2) a system of signalling by holding a flag in each hand and moving the arms to designated positions to denote each letter of the alphabet.
;vb.3) to signal (information) by means of semaphore.
;
seminal
adj.1) potentially capable of development.
2) highly original, influential and important.
3) rudimentary or unformed.
4) of or relating to semen.
5) biology of or relating to seed.
;
sensual
adj.1) of or relating to any of the senses or sense organs; bodily.
2) strongly or unduly inclined to gratification of the senses.
3) tending to arouse the bodily appetites, esp the sexual appetite.
4) of or relating to sensualism.
;
sensuous
adj.1) aesthetically pleasing to the senses.
2) appreciative of or moved by qualities perceived by the senses.
3) of, relating to, or derived from the senses.
;
serendipity
n.the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident
;
serene
adj.1) peaceful or tranquil; calm.
2) clear or bright.
3) (often capital) honoured: used as part of certain royal titles.
;
servile
adj.1) obsequious or fawning in attitude or behaviour; submissive.
2) of or suitable for a slave.
3) existing in or relating to a state of slavery.
4) (when postpositive, foll by to) submitting or obedient.
;
shard
n.1) a broken piece or fragment of a brittle substance, esp of pottery.
2) zoology a tough sheath, scale, or shell, esp the elytra of a beetle.
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