haggle
vb.1) (intr; often foll by over) to bargain or wrangle (over a price, terms of an agreement, etc.); barter.
2) (tr) rare to hack.
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ethereal
adj.1) extremely delicate or refined; exquisite.
2) almost as light as air; impalpable; airy.
3) celestial or spiritual.
4) of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl ether.
5) of or relating to the ether.
;
smug
adj. smugger, smuggest.
1) excessively self-satisfied or complacent.
2) archaic trim or neat.
;
drench
vb. (tr).
1) to make completely wet; soak.
2) to give liquid medicine to (an animal), esp by force.
;n.3) the act or an instance of drenching.
4) a dose of liquid medicine given to an animal.
;
occult
adj.1).
a) of or characteristic of magical, mystical, or supernatural arts, phenomena, or influences.
b) (as noun).
2) beyond ordinary human understanding.
3) secret or esoteric.
;vb.4) astronomy (of a celestial body) to hide (another celestial body) from view by occultation or (of a celestial body) to become hidden by occultation.
5) to hide or become hidden or shut off from view.
6) (intr) (of lights, esp in lighthouses) to shut off at regular intervals.
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jolt
vb. (tr).
1) to bump against with a jarring blow; jostle.
2) to move in a jolting manner.
3) to surprise or shock.
;n.4) a sudden jar or blow.
5) an emotional shock.
;
ritual
n.1) the prescribed or established form of a religious or other ceremony.
2) such prescribed forms in general or collectively.
3) stereotyped activity or behaviour.
4) psychology any repetitive behaviour, such as hand-washing, performed by a person with a compulsive personality disorder.
5) any formal act, institution, or procedure that is followed consistently.
;adj.6) of, relating to, or characteristic of religious, social, or other rituals.
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meander
vb. (intr).
1) to follow a winding course.
2) to wander without definite aim or direction.
;n.3) (often plural) a curve or bend, as in a river.
4) (often plural) a winding course or movement.
5) an ornamental pattern, esp as used in ancient Greek architecture.
;n.a variant spelling of Maeander
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cloy
vb.to make weary or cause weariness through an excess of something initially pleasurable or sweet
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paved
<No meaning yet.>
drape
vb.1) (tr) to hang or cover with flexible material or fabric, usually in folds; adorn.
2) to hang or arrange or be hung or arranged, esp in folds.
3) (tr) to place casually and loosely; hang.
;n.4) (often plural) a cloth or hanging that covers something in folds; drapery.
5) the way in which fabric hangs.
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artifice
n.1) a clever expedient; ingenious stratagem.
2) crafty or subtle deception.
3) skill; cleverness.
4) a skilfully contrived device.
5) obsolete craftsmanship.
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dredge
n.1) Also called: dredger.
2) another name for dredger I 1).
;vb.3) to remove (material) from a riverbed, channel, etc., by means of a dredge.
4) (tr) to search for (a submerged object) with or as if with a dredge; drag.
;vb.to sprinkle or coat (food) with flour, sugar, etc
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convulse
vb.1) (tr) to shake or agitate violently.
2) (tr) to cause (muscles) to undergo violent spasms or contractions.
3) (intr; often foll by with) informal to shake or be overcome (with violent emotion, esp laughter).
4) (tr) to disrupt the normal running of (a country, etc.).
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hurl
vb.1) (tr) to throw or propel with great force.
2) (tr) to utter with force; yell.
3) <FONT COLOR=RED>[hʌrl]</FONT> Scot to transport or be transported in a driven vehicle.
;n.4) the act or an instance of hurling.
5) <FONT COLOR=RED>[hʌrl]</FONT> Scot a ride in a driven vehicle.
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allusion
n.1) the act of alluding.
2) a passing reference; oblique or obscure mention.
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officious
adj.1) unnecessarily or obtrusively ready to offer advice or services.
2) marked by such readiness.
3) diplomacy informal or unofficial.
4) obsolete attentive or obliging.
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lair
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shroud
n.1) a garment or piece of cloth used to wrap a dead body.
2) anything that envelops like a garment.
3) a protective covering for a piece of equipment.
4) astronautics a streamlined protective covering used to protect the payload during a rocket-powered launch.
5) nautical one of a pattern of ropes or cables used to stay a mast.
6) any of a set of wire cables stretched between a smokestack or similar structure and the ground, to prevent side sway.
7) Also called: shroud line.
;vb.8) (tr) to wrap in a shroud.
9) (tr) to cover, envelop, or hide.
10) archaic to seek or give shelter.
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intensity
n., pl -ties.
1) the state or quality of being intense.
2) extreme force, degree, or amount.
3) physics.
a) a measure of field strength or of the energy transmitted by radiation.
b) (of sound in a specified direction) the average rate of flow of sound energy, usually in watts, for one period through unit area at right angles to the specified direction.
4) Also called: earthquake intensity.
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ravine
n.a deep narrow steep-sided valley, esp one formed by the action of running water
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blunder
n.1) a stupid or clumsy mistake.
2) a foolish tactless remark.
;vb. (mainly intr).
3) to make stupid or clumsy mistakes.
4) to make foolish tactless remarks.
5) (often foll by about, into, etc) to act clumsily; stumble.
6) (tr) to mismanage; botch.
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grimace
n.1) an ugly or distorted facial expression, as of wry humour, disgust, etc.
;vb.2) (intr) to contort the face.
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debunk
vb. (tr) informal.
to expose the pretensions or falseness of, esp by ridicule
;
apprehend
vb.1) (tr) to arrest and escort into custody; seize.
2) to perceive or grasp mentally; understand.
3) (tr) to await with fear or anxiety; dread.
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mettle
n.1) courage; spirit.
2) inherent character.
3).
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embroil
vb. (tr).
1) to involve (a person, oneself, etc.) in trouble, conflict, or argument.
2) to throw (affairs) into a state of confusion or disorder; complicate; entangle.
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chagrin
n.1) a feeling of annoyance or mortification.
;vb. (tr).
2) to embarrass and annoy; mortify.
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underdog
n.1) the competitor least likely to win a fight or contest.
2) a person in adversity or in a position of inferiority.
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sage
n.1) a man revered for his profound wisdom.
;adj.2) profoundly wise or prudent.
3) obsolete solemn.
;n.1) a perennial Mediterranean plant, Salvia officinalis, having grey-green leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates).
2) the leaves of this plant, used in cooking for flavouring.
3) short for sagebrush.
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tribulation
n.1) a cause of distress.
2) a state of suffering or distress.
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miraculous
adj.1) of, like, or caused by a miracle; marvellous.
2) surprising.
3) having the power to work miracles.
;
counteract
vb. (tr).
to oppose, neutralize, or mitigate the effects of by contrary action; check
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bead
n.1) a small usually spherical piece of glass, wood, plastic, etc., with a hole through it by means of which it may be strung with others to form a necklace, etc.
2) a small drop of moisture.
3) a small bubble in or on a liquid.
4) a small metallic knob acting as the sight of a firearm.
5).
6) Also called: astragal.
7) chemistry a small solid globule made by fusing a powdered sample with borax or a similar flux on a platinum wire. The colour of the globule serves as a test for the presence of certain metals (bead test).
8) metallurgy a deposit of welding metal on the surface of a metal workpiece, often used to examine the structure of the weld zone.
9) Roman Catholic Church one of the beads of a rosary.
10).
;vb.11) (tr) to decorate with beads.
12) to form into beads or drops.
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onlooker
n.a person who observes without taking part
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mishap
n.1) an unfortunate accident.
2) bad luck.
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waft
vb.1) to carry or be carried gently on or as if on the air or water.
;n.2) the act or an instance of wafting.
3) something, such as a scent, carried on the air.
4) a wafting motion.
5) Also called: waif.
;n.autical (formerly) a signal flag hoisted furled to signify various messages depending on where it was flown.
•
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writ
n.1) law (formerly) a document under seal, issued in the name of the Crown or a court, commanding the person to whom it is addressed to do or refrain from doing some specified act.
2) archaic a piece or body of writing.
;vb.1) archaic or dialect a past tense and past participle of write.
2).
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grind
vb. grinds, grinding, ground.
1) to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abrading.
2) (tr) to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasion.
3) to scrape or grate together (two things, esp the teeth) with a harsh rasping sound or (of such objects) to be scraped together.
4) (tr; foll by out) to speak or say (something) in a rough voice.
5) (tr; often foll by down) to hold down; oppress; tyrannize.
6) (tr) to operate (a machine) by turning a handle.
7) (tr; foll by out) to produce in a routine or uninspired manner.
8) (tr; foll by out) to continue to play in a dull or insipid manner.
9) (tr; often foll by into) to instil (facts, information, etc.) by persistent effort.
10) (intr) informal to study or work laboriously.
11) (intr) chiefly US to dance erotically by rotating the pelvis (esp in the phrase bump and grind).
;n.12) informal laborious or routine work or study.
13) slang chiefly US a person, esp a student, who works excessively hard.
14) a specific grade of pulverization, as of coffee beans.
15) Brit slang the act of sexual intercourse.
16) chiefly US a dance movement involving an erotic rotation of the pelvis.
17) the act or sound of grinding.
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mast
n.1) nautical any vertical spar for supporting sails, rigging, flags, etc., above the deck of a vessel or any components of such a composite spar.
2) any sturdy upright pole used as a support.
3) Also called: captain's mast.
;n.autical a hearing conducted by the captain of a vessel into minor offences of the crew.
4).
;vb.5) (tr) nautical to equip with a mast or masts.
;n.the fruit of forest trees, such as beech, oak, etc., used as food for pigs
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opulent
adj.1) having or indicating wealth.
2) abundant or plentiful.
;
belie
vb. -lies, -lying, -lied (tr).
1) to show to be untrue; contradict.
2) to misrepresent; disguise the nature of.
3) to fail to justify; disappoint.
;
astute
adj.having insight or acumen; perceptive; shrewd
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erratic
adj.1) irregular in performance, behaviour, or attitude; inconsistent and unpredictable.
2) having no fixed or regular course; wandering.
;n.3) a piece of rock that differs in composition, shape, etc., from the rock surrounding it, having been transported from its place of origin, esp by glacial action.
4) an erratic person or thing.
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pawn
vb. (tr).
1) to deposit (an article) as security for the repayment of a loan, esp from a pawnbroker.
2) to stake.
;n.3) an article deposited as security.
4) the condition of being so deposited (esp in the phrase in pawn).
5) a person or thing that is held as a security, esp a hostage.
6) the act of pawning.
;n.1) a chessman of the lowest theoretical value, limited to forward moves of one square at a time with the option of two squares on its initial move: it captures with a diagonal move only.
2) a person, group, etc., manipulated by another.
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seep
vb.1) (intr) to pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings; ooze.
;n.2) a small spring or place where water, oil, etc., has oozed through the ground.
3) another word for seepage.
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flotation
n.1).
a) the launching or financing of a commercial enterprise by bond or share issues.
b) the raising of a loan or new capital by bond or share issues.
2) power or ability to float; buoyancy.
3) Also called: froth flotation.
;
sewage
n.waste matter from domestic or industrial establishments that is carried away in sewers or drains for dumping or conversion into a form that is not toxic
;
crank
n.1) a device for communicating motion or for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa. It consists of an arm projecting from a shaft, often with a second member attached to it parallel to the shaft.
2) Also called: crank handle, starting handle.
3) informal.
a) an eccentric or odd person, esp someone who stubbornly maintains unusual views.
b) US and Canadian a bad-tempered person.
;vb.4) (tr) to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank.
5) (tr) to start (an engine, motor, etc.) by means of a crank handle.
6) (tr) to bend, twist, or make into the shape of a crank.
7) (intr) obsolete to twist or wind.
;adj.(of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by the wind; tender
;
vanquish
vb. (tr).
1) to defeat or overcome in a battle, contest, etc.; conquer.
2) to defeat or overcome in argument or debate.
3) to conquer (an emotion).
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symbiosis
n.1) a close and usually obligatory association of two organisms of different species that live together, often to their mutual benefit.
2) a similar relationship between interdependent persons or groups.
;
implausible
adj.;n.ot plausible; provoking disbelief; unlikely.
Derived words:
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fleece
n.1) the coat of wool that covers the body of a sheep or similar animal and consists of a mass of crinkly hairs.
2) the wool removed from a single sheep.
3) something resembling a fleece in texture or warmth.
4) sheepskin or a fabric with soft pile, used as a lining for coats, etc.
5) a warm polyester fabric with a brushed nap, used for outdoor garments.
6) a jacket or top made from such a fabric.
;vb. (tr).
7) to defraud or charge exorbitantly; swindle.
8) another term for shear 1).
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muck
n.1) farmyard dung or decaying vegetable matter.
2) Also called: muck soil.
3) dirt or filth.
4) earth, rock material, etc., removed during mining excavations.
5) slang chiefly Brit rubbish.
6) See: Lord Muck, Lady Muck.
7).
;vb. (tr).
8) to spread manure upon (fields, gardens, etc.).
9) to soil or pollute.
10) (often foll by out) to clear muck from.
;
forlorn
adj.1) miserable, wretched, or cheerless; desolate.
2) deserted; forsaken.
3) (postpositive; foll by of) destitute; bereft.
4) desperate.
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subject to
<No meaning yet.>
chimera
n.1) (often capital) Greek mythology a fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent.
2) a fabulous beast made up of parts taken from various animals.
3) a wild and unrealistic dream or notion.
4) biology an organism, esp a cultivated plant, consisting of at least two genetically different kinds of tissue as a result of mutation, grafting, etc.
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wedge
n.1) a block of solid material, esp wood or metal, that is shaped like a narrow V in cross section and can be pushed or driven between two objects or parts of an object in order to split or secure them.
2) any formation, structure, or substance in the shape of a wedge.
3) something such as an idea, action, etc., that tends to cause division.
4) a shoe with a wedge heel.
5) golf a club with a face angle of more than 50°, used for bunker shots (sand wedge) or pitch shots (pitching wedge).
6) a wedge-shaped extension of the high pressure area of an anticyclone, narrower than a ridge.
7) mountaineering a wedge-shaped device, formerly of wood, now usually of hollow steel, for hammering into a crack to provide an anchor point.
8) any of the triangular characters used in cuneiform writing.
9) (formerly) a body of troops formed in a V-shape.
10) photography a strip of glass coated in such a way that it is clear at one end but becomes progressively more opaque towards the other end: used in making measurements of transmission density.
11) Brit slang a bribe.
12).
;vb.13) (tr) to secure with or as if with a wedge.
14) to squeeze or be squeezed like a wedge into a narrow space.
15) (tr) to force apart or divide with or as if with a wedge.
;
gruel
n.a drink or thin porridge, made by boiling meal, esp oatmeal, in water or milk
;
object to
<No meaning yet.>
discretion
n.1) the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid social embarrassment or distress.
2) freedom or authority to make judgments and to act as one sees fit (esp in the phrases at one's own discretion, at the discretion of).
3).
;
staple
n.1) a short length of thin wire bent into a square U-shape, used to fasten papers, cloth, etc.
2) a short length of stiff wire formed into a U-shape with pointed ends, used for holding a hasp to a post, securing electric cables, etc.
;vb.3) (tr) to secure (papers, wire, etc.) with a staple or staples.
;adj.1) of prime importance; principal.
2) (of a commodity) forming a predominant element in the product, consumption, or trade of a nation, region, etc.
;n.3) a staple commodity.
4) a main constituent; integral part.
5) chiefly US and Canadian a principal raw material produced or grown in a region.
6) the fibre of wool, cotton, etc., graded as to length and fineness.
7) (in medieval Europe) a town appointed to be the exclusive market for one or more major exports of the land.
;vb.8) (tr) to arrange or sort (wool, cotton, etc.) according to length and fineness.
;
trepidation
n.1) a state of fear or anxiety.
2) a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety.
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cacophony
n., pl -nies.
1) harsh discordant sound; dissonance.
2) the use of unharmonious or dissonant speech sounds in language.
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fester
vb.1) to form or cause to form pus.
2) (intr) to become rotten; decay.
3) to become or cause to become bitter, irritated, etc., esp over a long period of time; rankle.
4) (intr) informal to be idle or inactive.
;n.5) a small ulcer or sore containing pus.
;
jagged
adj.having sharp projecting notches; ragged; serrate
;
leer
vb.1) (intr) to give an oblique, sneering, or suggestive look or grin.
;n.2) such a look.
;
faucet
n.1) a tap fitted to a barrel.
2) US and Canadian a valve by which a fluid flow from a pipe can be controlled by opening and closing an orifice.
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geometric
adj.1) of, relating to, or following the methods and principles of geometry.
2) consisting of, formed by, or characterized by points, lines, curves, or surfaces.
3) (of design or ornamentation) composed predominantly of simple geometric forms, such as circles, rectangles, triangles, etc.
;
exuberance
<No meaning yet.>
armrests
<No meaning yet.>
dole
n.1) a small portion or share, as of money or food, given to a poor person.
2) the act of giving or distributing such portions.
3) (usually preceded by the) Brit informal money received from the state while out of work.
4).
5) archaic fate.
;vb.6) (tr; usually foll by out) to distribute, esp in small portions.
;n. archaic.
grief or mourning
;
slither
vb.1) to move or slide or cause to move or slide unsteadily, as on a slippery surface.
2) (intr) to travel with a sliding motion.
;n.3) a slithering motion.
;
vigor
<No meaning yet.>
splay
adj.1) spread out; broad and flat.
2) turned outwards in an awkward manner.
;vb.3) to spread out; turn out or expand.
4) (tr) vet science to dislocate (a joint).
;n.5) a surface of a wall that forms an oblique angle to the main flat surfaces, esp at a doorway or window opening.
6) enlargement.
;
perversion
n.1) any abnormal means of obtaining sexual satisfaction.
2) the act of perverting or the state of being perverted.
3) a perverted form or usage.
;
depravity
n., pl -ties.
the state or an instance of moral corruption
;
pungent
adj.1) having an acrid smell or sharp bitter flavour.
2) (of wit, satire, etc.) biting; caustic.
3) biology ending in a sharp point.
;
grime
n.1) dirt, soot, or filth, esp when thickly accumulated or ingrained.
2) a genre of music originating in the East End of London and combining elements of garage, hip-hop, rap, and jungle.
;vb.3) (tr) to make dirty or coat with filth.
;
hubris
n.1) pride or arrogance.
2) (in Greek tragedy) an excess of ambition, pride, etc., ultimately causing the transgressor's ruin.
;
concoction
n.1) the act or process of concocting.
2) something concocted.
3) an untruth; lie.
;
pulpy
adj. pulpier, pulpiest.
having a soft or soggy consistency
;
burrow
n.1) a hole or tunnel dug in the ground by a rabbit, fox, or other small animal, for habitation or shelter.
2) a small snug place affording shelter or retreat.
;vb.3) to dig (a burrow) in, through, or under (ground).
4) (intr; often foll by through) to move through by or as by digging.
5) (intr) to hide or live in a burrow.
6) (intr) to delve deeply.
7) to hide (oneself).
;
discrepancy
n., pl -cies.
a conflict or variation, as between facts, figures, or claims
;
infuse
vb.1) (tr; often foll by into) to instil or inculcate.
2) (tr; foll by with) to inspire; emotionally charge.
3) to soak or be soaked in order to extract flavour or other properties.
4) rare (foll by into) to pour.
;
treasurer
n.a person appointed to look after the funds of a society, company, city, or other governing body
;n.(in the Commonwealth of Australia and each of the Australian states) the minister of finance
;
juggle
vb.1) to throw and catch (several objects) continuously so that most are in the air all the time, as an entertainment.
2) to arrange or manipulate (facts, figures, etc.) so as to give a false or misleading picture.
3) (tr) to keep (several activities) in progress, esp with difficulty.
;n.4) an act of juggling.
;
bask
vb. (intr; usually foll by in).
1) to lie in or be exposed to pleasant warmth, esp that of the sun.
2) to flourish or feel secure under some benevolent influence or favourable condition.
;
treacherous
adj.1) betraying or likely to betray faith or confidence.
2) unstable, unreliable, or dangerous.
;
visceral
adj.1) of, relating to, or affecting the viscera.
2) characterized by intuition or instinct rather than intellect.
;
corrugate
vb.1) (usually tr) to fold or be folded into alternate furrows and ridges.
;adj.2) folded into furrows and ridges; wrinkled.
;
spire
n.1) Also called: steeple.
2) a slender tapering shoot or stem, such as a blade of grass.
3) the apical part of any tapering formation; summit.
;vb.4) (intr) to assume the shape of a spire; point up.
5) (tr) to furnish with a spire or spires.
;n.1) any of the coils or turns in a spiral structure.
2) the apical part of a spiral shell.
;
rapt
adj.1) totally absorbed; engrossed; spellbound, esp through or as if through emotion.
2) characterized by or proceeding from rapture.
;adj.Also: wrapped
;
dew
n.1).
a) drops of water condensed on a cool surface, esp at night, from vapour in the air.
b) (in combination).
2) something like or suggestive of this, esp in freshness.
3) small drops of moisture, such as tears.
;vb.4) (tr) poetic to moisten with or as with dew.
;
languid
adj.1) without energy or spirit.
2) without interest or enthusiasm.
3) sluggish; inactive.
;
smear
vb. (mainly tr).
1) to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc.
2) to rub over or apply thickly.
3) to rub so as to produce a smudge.
4) to slander.
5) US slang to defeat completely.
6) (intr) to be or become smeared or dirtied.
;n.7) a dirty mark or smudge.
8).
a) a slanderous attack.
b) (as modifier).
9) a preparation of blood, secretions, etc., smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope.
;
rote
n.1) a habitual or mechanical routine or procedure.
2).
;n.an ancient violin-like musical instrument; crwth
;
conduit
n.1) a pipe or channel for carrying a fluid.
2) a rigid tube or duct for carrying and protecting electrical wires or cables.
3) an agency or means of access, communication, etc.
4) botany a water-transporting element in a plant; a xylem vessel or a tracheid.
5) a rare word for fountain.
;
taut
adj.1) tightly stretched; tense.
2) showing nervous strain; stressed.
3) chiefly nautical in good order; neat.
;
articulate
adj.1) able to express oneself fluently and coherently.
2) having the power of speech.
3) distinct, clear, or definite; well-constructed.
4) zoology (of arthropods and higher vertebrates) possessing joints or jointed segments.
;vb.5) to speak or enunciate (words, syllables, etc.) clearly and distinctly.
6) (tr) to express coherently in words.
7) (intr) zoology to be jointed or form a joint.
8) (tr) to separate into jointed segments.
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