dull
adj.1) slow to think or understand; stupid.
2) lacking in interest.
3) lacking in perception or the ability to respond; insensitive.
4) lacking sharpness; blunt.
5) not acute, intense, or piercing.
6) (of weather) not bright or clear; cloudy.
7) not active, busy, or brisk.
8) lacking in spirit or animation; listless.
9) (of colour) lacking brilliance or brightness; sombre.
10) not loud or clear; muffled.
11) medicine (of sound elicited by percussion, esp of the chest) not resonant.
;vb.12) to make or become dull.
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condiment
n.any spice or sauce such as salt, pepper, mustard, etc
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revamp
vb. (tr).
1) to patch up or renovate; repair or restore.
;n.2) something that has been renovated or revamped.
3) the act or process of revamping.
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detrimental
adj. (when postpositive, foll by to).
harmful; injurious; prejudicial
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extravaganza
n.1) an elaborately staged and costumed light entertainment.
2) any lavish or fanciful display, literary or other composition, etc.
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inconspicuous
<No meaning yet.>
cusp
n.1) any of the small elevations on the grinding or chewing surface of a tooth.
2) any of the triangular flaps of a heart valve.
3) a point or pointed end.
4) Also called: spinode.
5) architecture a carving at the meeting place of two arcs.
6) astronomy either of the points of a crescent moon or of a satellite or inferior planet in a similar phase.
7) astrology any division between houses or signs of the zodiac.
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juxtaposition
<No meaning yet.>
candid
adj.1) frank and outspoken.
2) without partiality; unbiased.
3) unposed or informal.
4) obsolete.
a) white.
b) clear or pure.
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intraday
<No meaning yet.>
proprietor
n.1) an owner of an unincorporated business enterprise.
2) a person enjoying exclusive right of ownership to some property.
3) US history a governor or body of governors of a proprietary colony.
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billow
n.1) a large sea wave.
2) a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound.
3) a large atmospheric wave, usually in the lee of a hill.
4) (plural) poetic the sea itself.
;vb.5) to rise up, swell out, or cause to rise up or swell out.
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soot
n.1) finely divided carbon deposited from flames during the incomplete combustion of organic substances such as coal.
;vb.2) (tr) to cover with soot.
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picturesque
adj.1) visually pleasing, esp in being striking or vivid.
2) having a striking or colourful character, nature, etc.
3) (of language) graphic; vivid.
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obliterate
vb. (tr).
to destroy every trace of; wipe out completely
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complacent
adj.1) pleased or satisfied, esp extremely self-satisfied.
2) an obsolete word for complaisant.
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cutlery
n.1) implements used for eating, such as knives, forks, and spoons.
2) instruments used for cutting.
3) the art or business of a cutler.
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peruse
vb. (tr).
1) to read or examine with care; study.
2) to browse or read through in a leisurely way.
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glossy
adj. glossier, glossiest.
1) smooth and shiny; lustrous.
2) superficially attractive; plausible.
3) (of a magazine) lavishly produced on shiny paper and usually with many colour photographs.
;n., pl glossies.
4) Also called (US): slick.
5) a photograph printed on paper that has a smooth shiny surface.
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cocksure
adj.overconfident; arrogant
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distraught
adj.1) distracted or agitated.
2) rare mad.
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bogus
adj.spurious or counterfeit; not genuine
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proponent
n.1) a person who argues in favour of something.
2) law a person who seeks probate of a will.
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confound
vb. (tr).
1) to astound or perplex; bewilder.
2) to mix up; confuse.
3) to treat mistakenly as similar to or identical with (one or more other things).
4) <FONT COLOR=RED>[kɑnˈfaund]</FONT> to curse or damn (usually as an expletive in the phrase confound it!).
5) to contradict or refute (an argument, etc.).
6) to rout or defeat (an enemy).
7) obsolete to waste.
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liquidate
vb.1).
a) to settle or pay off (a debt, claim, etc.).
b) to determine by litigation or agreement the amount of (damages, indebtedness, etc.).
2).
a) to terminate the operations of (a commercial firm, bankrupt estate, etc.) by assessment of liabilities and appropriation of assets for their settlement.
b) (of a commercial firm, etc.) to terminate operations in this manner.
3) (tr) to convert (assets) into cash.
4) (tr) to eliminate or kill.
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beset
vb. -sets, -setting, -set (tr).
1) (esp of dangers, temptations, or difficulties) to trouble or harass constantly.
2) to surround or attack from all sides.
3) archaic to cover with, esp with jewels.
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canopy
n., pl -pies.
1) an ornamental awning above a throne or bed or held over a person of importance on ceremonial occasions.
2) a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, etc.
3) a roofed structure serving as a sheltered passageway or area.
4) a large or wide covering, esp one high above.
5) the nylon or silk hemisphere that forms the supporting surface of a parachute.
6) the transparent cover of an aircraft cockpit.
7) the highest level of branches and foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees.
;vb. -pies, -pying, -pied.
8) (tr) to cover with or as if with a canopy.
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clad
vb.a past participle of clothe
;vb. clads, cladding, clad (tr).
to bond a metal to (another metal), esp to form a protective coating
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pessimist
<No meaning yet.>
outgrowth
n.1) a thing growing out of a main body.
2) a development, result, or consequence.
3) the act of growing out.
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unison
n.1) music.
a) the interval between two sounds of identical pitch.
b) (modifier) played or sung at the same pitch.
2) complete agreement; harmony (esp in the phrase in unison).
;n.(in Britain) a trade union representing local government, health care, and other workers: formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of COHSE, NALGO, and NUPE
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esoteric
adj.1) restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity.
2) difficult to understand; abstruse.
3) not openly admitted; private.
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subdue
vb. -dues, -duing, -dued (tr).
1) to establish ascendancy over by force.
2) to overcome and bring under control, as by intimidation or persuasion.
3) to hold in check or repress (feelings, emotions, etc.).
4) to render less intense or less conspicuous.
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set in motion
<No meaning yet.>
fissure
n.1) any long narrow cleft or crack, esp in a rock.
2) a weakness or flaw indicating impending disruption or discord.
3) anatomy a narrow split or groove that divides an organ such as the brain, lung, or liver into lobes.
4) a small unnatural crack in the skin or mucous membrane, as between the toes or at the anus.
5) a minute crack in the surface of a tooth, caused by imperfect joining of enamel during development.
;vb.6) to crack or split apart.
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disenchant
vb. (tr; when passive, foll by with or by).
to make disappointed or disillusioned
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bulwark
n.1) a wall or similar structure used as a fortification; rampart.
2) a person or thing acting as a defence against injury, annoyance, etc.
3) (often plural) nautical a solid vertical fencelike structure along the outward sides of a deck.
4) a breakwater or mole.
;vb.5) (tr) to defend or fortify with or as if with a bulwark.
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repellent
adj.1) giving rise to disgust or aversion; distasteful or repulsive.
2) driving or forcing away or back; repelling.
;n. also repellant.
3) something, esp a chemical substance, that repels.
4) a substance with which fabrics are treated to increase their resistance to water.
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sentient
adj.1) having the power of sense perception or sensation; conscious.
;n.2) rare a sentient person or thing.
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splinter off
<No meaning yet.>
shunt
vb.1) to turn or cause to turn to one side; move or be moved aside.
2) railways to transfer (rolling stock) from track to track.
3) electronics to divert or be diverted through a shunt.
4) (tr) to evade by putting off onto someone else.
5) (tr) motor racing slang to crash (a car).
;n.6) the act or an instance of shunting.
7) a railway point.
8) electronics a low-resistance conductor connected in parallel across a device, circuit, or part of a circuit to provide an alternative path for a known fraction of the current.
9) medicine a channel that bypasses the normal circulation of the blood: a congenital abnormality or surgically induced.
10) Brit informal a collision which occurs when a vehicle runs into the back of the vehicle in front.
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veer
vb.1) to alter direction (of); swing around.
2) (intr) to change from one position, opinion, etc., to another.
3) (intr) (of the wind).
a) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern.
b) nautical to blow from a direction nearer the stern.
4) nautical to steer (a vessel) off the wind.
;n.5) a change of course or direction.
;vb. (tr; often foll by out or away) nautical.
to slacken or pay out (cable or chain)
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preposterous
<No meaning yet.>
purport
vb. (tr).
1) to claim (to be a certain thing, etc.) by manner or appearance, esp falsely.
2) (esp of speech or writing) to signify or imply.
;n.3) meaning; significance.
4) purpose; object; intention.
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accentuate
vb. (tr).
to stress or emphasize
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stunk
<No meaning yet.>
gridlock
<No meaning yet.>
improvise
vb.1) to perform or make quickly from materials and sources available, without previous planning.
2) to perform (a poem, play, piece of music, etc.), composing as one goes along.
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petulant
adj.irritable, impatient, or sullen in a peevish or capricious way
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haughty
adj. -tier, -tiest.
1) having or showing arrogance.
2) archaic noble or exalted.
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flaunt
vb.1) to display (possessions, oneself, etc.) ostentatiously; show off.
2) to wave or cause to wave freely; flutter.
;n.3) the act of flaunting.
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stymie
vb. -mies, -mieing, -mied or -mies, -mying, -mied (tr; often passive).
1) to hinder or thwart.
2) golf to impede with a stymie.
;n., pl -mies.
3) golf (formerly) a situation on the green in which an opponent's ball is blocking the line between the hole and the ball about to be played: an obstructing ball may now be lifted and replaced by a marker.
4) a situation of obstruction.
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complicity
n., pl -ties.
1) the fact or condition of being an accomplice, esp in a criminal act.
2) a less common word for complexity.
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shore up
<No meaning yet.>
backfire
vb. (intr).
1) (of an internal-combustion engine) to emit a loud noise as a result of an explosion in the inlet manifold or exhaust system.
2) to fail to have the desired or expected effect.
3) to start a controlled fire in order to halt an advancing forest or prairie fire by creating a barren area.
;n.4) (in an internal-combustion engine).
a) an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust system.
b) a premature explosion in a cylinder or inlet manifold.
5) a controlled fire started to create a barren area that will halt an advancing forest or prairie fire.
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sulky
adj. sulkier, sulkiest.
1) sullen, withdrawn, or moody, through or as if through resentment.
2) dull or dismal.
;n., pl sulkies.
a light two-wheeled vehicle for one person, usually drawn by one horse
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deluge
n.1) a great flood of water.
2) torrential rain; downpour.
3) an overwhelming rush or number.
;vb. (tr).
4) to flood, as with water; soak, swamp, or drown.
5) to overwhelm or overrun; inundate.
;n.- the Deluge
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placate
vb. (tr).
to pacify or appease
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meek
adj.1) patient, long-suffering, or submissive in disposition or nature; humble.
2) spineless or spiritless; compliant.
3) an obsolete word for gentle.
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complexion
n.1) the colour and general appearance of a person's skin, esp of the face.
2) aspect, character, or nature.
3) obsolete.
a) the temperament of a person.
b) the temperature and general appearance of the body.
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begrudge
vb. (tr).
1) to give, admit, or allow unwillingly or with a bad grace.
2) to envy (someone) the possession of (something).
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commotion
n.1) violent disturbance; upheaval.
2) political insurrection; disorder.
3) a confused noise; din.
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puddle
n.1) a small pool of water, esp of rain.
2) a small pool of any liquid.
3) a worked mixture of wet clay and sand that is impervious to water and is used to line a pond or canal.
4) rowing the patch of eddying water left by the blade of an oar after completion of a stroke.
;vb.5) (tr) to make (clay, etc.) into puddle.
6) (tr) to subject (iron) to puddling.
7) (intr) to dabble or wade in puddles, mud, or shallow water.
8) (intr) to mess about.
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gutter
n.1) a channel along the eaves or on the roof of a building, used to collect and carry away rainwater.
2) a channel running along the kerb or the centre of a road to collect and carry away rainwater.
3) a trench running beside a canal lined with clay puddle.
4) either of the two channels running parallel to a tenpin bowling lane.
5) printing.
a) the space between two pages in a forme.
b) the white space between the facing pages of an open book.
c) the space between two columns of type.
6) the space left between stamps on a sheet in order to separate them.
7) surfing a dangerous deep channel formed by currents and waves.
8) Austral (in gold-mining) the channel of a former watercourse that is now a vein of gold.
9).
;vb.10) (tr) to make gutters in.
11) (intr) to flow in a stream or rivulet.
12) (intr) (of a candle) to melt away by the wax forming channels and running down in drops.
13) (intr) (of a flame) to flicker and be about to go out.
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retribution
n.1) the act of punishing or taking vengeance for wrongdoing, sin, or injury.
2) punishment or vengeance.
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succinct
adj.1) marked by brevity and clarity; concise.
2) compressed into a small area.
3) archaic.
a) encircled by or as if by a girdle.
b) drawn up tightly; closely fitting.
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outright
adj. (prenominal).
1) without qualifications or limitations.
2) complete; total.
3) straightforward; direct.
;adv.4) without restrictions.
5) without reservation or concealment.
6) instantly.
7) obsolete straight ahead or out.
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coalesce
vb. (intr).
to unite or come together in one body or mass; merge; fuse; blend
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lurch
vb. (intr).
1) to lean or pitch suddenly to one side.
2) to stagger or sway.
;n.3) the act or an instance of lurching.
;n.1).
2) cribbage the state of a losing player with less than 30 points at the end of a game (esp in the phrase in the lurch).
;vb. (intr) archaic or dialect.
to prowl or steal about suspiciously
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ploy
n.1) a manoeuvre or tactic in a game, conversation, etc.; stratagem; gambit.
2) any business, job, hobby, etc., with which one is occupied.
3) chiefly Brit a frolic, escapade, or practical joke.
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lore
n.1) collective knowledge or wisdom on a particular subject, esp of a traditional nature.
2) knowledge or learning.
3) archaic teaching, or something that is taught.
;n.1) the surface of the head of a bird between the eyes and the base of the bill.
2) the corresponding area in a snake or fish.
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prim
adj. primmer, primmest.
1) affectedly proper, precise, or formal.
;vb. prims, primming, primmed.
2) (tr) to make prim.
3) to purse (the mouth) primly or (of the mouth) to be so pursed.
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head-on
<No meaning yet.>
finale
n.1) the concluding part of any performance or presentation.
2) the closing section or movement of a musical composition.
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revelation
n.1) the act or process of disclosing something previously secret or obscure, esp something true.
2) a fact disclosed or revealed, esp in a dramatic or surprising way.
3) Christianity.
a) God's disclosure of his own nature and his purpose for mankind, esp through the words of human intermediaries.
b) something in which such a divine disclosure is contained, such as the Bible.
;n. (popularly, often plural).
the last book of the New Testament, containing visionary descriptions of heaven, of conflicts between good and evil, and of the end of the world. Also called: the Apocalypse, the Revelation of Saint John the Divine
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focal
adj.1) of or relating to a focus.
2) situated at, passing through, or measured from the focus.
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scoop
n.1) a utensil used as a shovel or ladle, esp a small shovel with deep sides and a short handle, used for taking up flour, corn, etc.
2) a utensil with a long handle and round bowl used for dispensing liquids.
3) a utensil with a round bowl and short handle, sometimes with a mechanical device to empty the bowl, for serving ice cream or mashed potato.
4) anything that resembles a scoop in action, such as the bucket on a dredge.
5) a spoonlike surgical instrument for scraping or extracting foreign matter, etc., from the body.
6) the quantity taken up by a scoop.
7) the act of scooping, dredging, etc.
8) a hollow cavity.
9) slang a large quick gain, as of money.
10) a news story reported in one newspaper before all the others; an exclusive.
11) any sensational piece of news.
;vb. (mainly tr).
12) (often foll by up) to take up and remove (an object or substance) with or as if with a scoop.
13) (often foll by out) to hollow out with or as if with a scoop.
14) to win (a prize, award, or large amount of money).
15) to beat (rival newspapers) in uncovering a news item.
16) sport to hit (the ball) on its underside so that it rises into the air.
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wisp
<No meaning yet.>
curdle
vb.1) to turn or cause to turn into curd.
2).
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haze
n.1) meteorology.
a) reduced visibility in the air as a result of condensed water vapour, dust, etc., in the atmosphere.
b) the moisture or dust causing this.
2) obscurity of perception, feeling, etc.
;vb.3) (when intr, often foll by over) to make or become hazy.
;vb. (tr).
1) chiefly US and Canadian to subject (fellow students) to ridicule or abuse.
2) nautical to harass with humiliating tasks.
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putrid
adj.1) (of organic matter) in a state of decomposition, usually giving off a foul smell.
2) morally corrupt or worthless.
3) sickening; foul.
4) informal deficient in quality or value.
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cauldron
n.a large pot used for boiling, esp one with handles
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nexus
n., pl nexus.
1) a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond.
2) a connected group or series.
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wrench
vb.1) to give (something) a sudden or violent twist or pull esp so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached.
2) (tr) to twist suddenly so as to sprain (a limb).
3) (tr) to give pain to.
4) (tr) to twist from the original meaning or purpose.
5) (intr) to make a sudden twisting motion.
;n.6) a forceful twist or pull.
7) an injury to a limb, caused by twisting.
8) sudden pain caused esp by parting.
9) a parting that is difficult or painful to make.
10) a distorting of the original meaning or purpose.
11) a spanner, esp one with adjustable jaws.
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outpost
n.1) military.
a) a position stationed at a distance from the area occupied by a major formation.
b) the troops assigned to such a position.
2) an outlying settlement or position.
3) a limit or frontier.
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revulsion
n.1) a sudden and unpleasant violent reaction in feeling, esp one of extreme loathing.
2) the act or an instance of drawing back or recoiling from something.
3) obsolete the diversion of disease or congestion from one part of the body to another by cupping, counterirritants, etc.
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spew
vb.1) to eject (the contents of the stomach) involuntarily through the mouth; vomit.
2) to spit (spittle, phlegm, etc.) out of the mouth.
3) (usually foll by out) to send or be sent out in a stream.
;n.4) something ejected from the mouth.
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veritable
adj. (prenominal).
1) (intensifier; usually qualifying a word used metaphorically).
2) rare genuine or true; proper.
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unbridled
adj.1) with all restraints removed.
2) (of a horse, etc.) wearing no bridle.
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pomposity
n., pl -ties.
1) vain or ostentatious display of dignity or importance.
2) the quality of being pompous.
3) ostentatiously lofty style, language, etc.
4) a pompous action, remark, etc.
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hypocrisy
n., pl -sies.
1) the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety.
2) an act or instance of this.
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clandestine
adj.secret and concealed, often for illicit reasons; furtive
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skirmish
n.1) a minor short-lived military engagement.
2) any brisk clash or encounter, usually of a minor nature.
;vb.3) (intr; often foll by with) to engage in a skirmish.
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foment
vb. (tr).
1) to encourage or instigate (trouble, discord, etc.); stir up.
2) medicine to apply heat and moisture to (a part of the body) to relieve pain and inflammation.
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innocuous
adj.having little or no adverse or harmful effect; harmless
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juxtapose
vb. (tr).
to place close together or side by side
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furtively
<No meaning yet.>
afoot
adj. (postpositive).
;adv.1) in circulation or operation; astir.
2) on or by foot.
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besiege
vb. (tr).
1) to surround (a fortified area, esp a city) with military forces to bring about its surrender.
2) to crowd round; hem in.
3) to overwhelm, as with requests or queries.
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ebb
vb. (intr).
1) (of tide water) to flow back or recede.
2) to fall away or decline.
;n.3).
a) the flowing back of the tide from high to low water or the period in which this takes place.
b) (as modifier).
4).
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