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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flag
n.1) a piece of cloth, esp bunting, often attached to a pole or staff, decorated with a design and used as an emblem, symbol, or standard or as a means of signalling.
2) a small paper flag, emblem, or sticker sold on flag days.
3) an indicator, that may be set or unset, used to indicate a condition or to stimulate a particular reaction in the execution of a computer program.
4) informal short for flag officer, flagship.
5) journalism another name for masthead 2).
6) the fringe of long hair, tapering towards the tip, on the underside of the tail of certain breeds of dog, such as setters.
7) the conspicuously marked tail of a deer.
8) a less common name for bookmark.
9) Austral and NZ the part of a taximeter that is raised when a taxi is for hire.
10) the pennant-shaped pattern that is formed when a price fluctuation is plotted on a chart, interrupting the steady rise or fall that precedes and then follows it.
11) the flag (in Victoria, Australia) the Australian Rules premiership.
12).
13).
14).
;vb. flags, flagging, flagged (tr).
15) to decorate or mark with a flag or flags.
16) (often foll by down) to warn or signal (a vehicle) to stop.
17) to send or communicate (messages, information, etc.) by flag.
18) to decoy (game or wild animals) by waving a flag or similar object so as to attract their attention.
19) to mark (a page in a book, card, etc.) for attention by attaching a small tab or flag.
20) (foll by away or by) NZ to consider unimportant; brush aside.
;n.1) any of various plants that have long swordlike leaves, esp the iris Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag).
2) the leaf of any such plant.
;vb. flags, flagging, flagged (intr).
1) to hang down; become limp; droop.
2) to decline in strength or vigour; become weak or tired.
;n.1) short for flagstone.
;vb. flags, flagging, flagged.
2) (tr) to furnish (a floor) with flagstones.
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document
n.1) a piece of paper, booklet, etc., providing information, esp of an official or legal nature.
2) a piece of text or text and graphics stored in a computer as a file for manipulation by document processing software.
3) archaic evidence; proof.
;vb. (tr).
4) to record or report in detail, as in the press, on television, etc.
5) to support (statements in a book) with citations, references, etc.
6) to support (a claim, etc.) with evidence or proof.
7) to furnish (a vessel) with official documents specifying its ownership, registration, weight, dimensions, and function.
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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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profound
adj.1) penetrating deeply into subjects or ideas.
2) showing or requiring great knowledge or understanding.
3) situated at or extending to a great depth.
4) reaching to or stemming from the depths of one's nature.
5) intense or absolute.
6) thoroughgoing; extensive.
;n.7) archaic or literary a great depth; abyss.
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log
n.1).
a) a section of the trunk or a main branch of a tree, when stripped of branches.
b) (modifier) constructed out of logs.
2).
a) a detailed record of a voyage of a ship or aircraft.
b) a record of the hours flown by pilots and aircrews.
c) a book in which these records are made; logbook.
3) a written record of information about transmissions kept by radio stations, amateur radio operators, etc.
4).
a) a device consisting of a float with an attached line, formerly used to measure the speed of a ship.
b).
5) Austral a claim for better pay and conditions presented by a trade union to an employer.
6).
;vb. logs, logging, logged.
7) (tr) to fell the trees of (a forest, area, etc.) for timber.
8) (tr) to saw logs from (trees).
9) (intr) to work at the felling of timber.
10) (tr) to enter (a distance, event, etc.) in a logbook or log.
11) (tr) to record the punishment received by (a sailor) in a logbook.
12) (tr) to travel (a specified distance or time) or move at (a specified speed).
;n.short for logarithm
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appropriate
adj.1) right or suitable; fitting.
2) rare particular; own.
;vb. (tr).
3) to take for one's own use, esp illegally or without permission.
4) to put aside (funds, etc.) for a particular purpose or person.
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dismiss
vb. (tr).
1) to remove or discharge from employment or service.
2) to send away or allow to go or disperse.
3) to dispel from one's mind; discard; reject.
4) to cease to consider (a subject).
5) to decline further hearing to (a claim or action).
6) cricket to bowl out a side for a particular number of runs.
7) military an order to end an activity or give permission to disperse.
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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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reverent
adj.feeling, expressing, or characterized by reverence
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warrant
n.1) anything that gives authority for an action or decision; authorization; sanction.
2) a document that certifies or guarantees, such as a receipt for goods stored in a warehouse, a licence, or a commission.
3) law an authorization issued by a magistrate or other official allowing a constable or other officer to search or seize property, arrest a person, or perform some other specified act.
4) (in certain armed services) the official authority for the appointment of warrant officers.
5) a security that functions as a stock option by giving the owner the right to buy ordinary shares in a company at a specified date, often at a specified price.
;vb. (tr).
6) to guarantee the quality, condition, etc., of (something).
7) to give authority or power to.
8) to attest to or assure the character, worthiness, etc., of.
9) to guarantee (a purchaser of merchandise) against loss of, damage to, or misrepresentation concerning the merchandise.
10) law to guarantee (the title to an estate or other property).
11) to declare boldly and confidently.
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negate
<No meaning yet.>
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.
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venerate
vb. (tr).
1) to hold in deep respect; revere.
2) to honour in recognition of qualities of holiness, excellence, wisdom, etc.
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aristocracy
n., pl -cies.
1) a privileged class of people usually of high birth; the nobility.
2) such a class as the ruling body of a state.
3) government by such a class.
4) a state governed by such a class.
5) a class of people considered to be outstanding in a sphere of activity.
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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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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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coalition
n.1).
a) an alliance or union between groups, factions, or parties, esp for some temporary and specific reason.
b) (as modifier).
2) a fusion or merging into one body or mass.
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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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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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partisan
n.1) an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc.
2).
a) a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II.
b) (as modifier).
;adj.3) of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan.
4) relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc.; one-sided.
;n.a spear or pike with two opposing axe blades or spikes
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precipitate
vb.1) (tr) to cause to happen too soon or sooner than expected; bring on.
2) to throw or fall from or as from a height.
3) to cause (moisture) to condense and fall as snow, rain, etc., or (of moisture, rain, etc.) to condense and fall thus.
4) chemistry to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a dissolved substance separates from solution as a fine suspension of solid particles.
;adj.5) rushing ahead.
6) done rashly or with undue haste.
7) sudden and brief.
;n.8) chemistry a precipitated solid in its suspended form or after settling or filtering.
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piety
n., pl -ties.
1) dutiful devotion to God and observance of religious principles.
2) the quality or characteristic of being pious.
3) a pious action, saying, etc.
4) now rare devotion and obedience to parents or superiors.
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subside
vb. (intr).
1) to become less loud, excited, violent, etc.; abate.
2) to sink or fall to a lower level.
3) (of the surface of the earth, etc.) to cave in; collapse.
4) (of sediment, etc.) to sink or descend to the bottom; settle.
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insensible
adj.1) lacking sensation or consciousness.
2) (foll by of or to) unaware (of) or indifferent (to).
3) thoughtless or callous.
4) a less common word for imperceptible.
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incorporate
vb.1) to include or be included as a part or member of a united whole.
2) to form or cause to form a united whole or mass; merge or blend.
3) to form (individuals, an unincorporated enterprise, etc.) into a corporation or other organization with a separate legal identity from that of its owners or members.
;adj.4) combined into a whole; incorporated.
5) formed into or constituted as a corporation.
;adj.an archaic word for incorporeal
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austere
adj.1) stern or severe in attitude or manner.
2) grave, sober, or serious.
3) self-disciplined, abstemious, or ascetic.
4) severely simple or plain.
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futile
adj.1) having no effective result; unsuccessful.
2) pointless; unimportant; trifling.
3) inane or foolish.
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wary
adj. warier, wariest.
1) watchful, cautious, or alert.
2) characterized by caution or watchfulness.
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diffuse
vb.1) to spread or cause to spread in all directions.
2) to undergo or cause to undergo diffusion.
3) to scatter or cause to scatter; disseminate; disperse.
;adj.4) spread out over a wide area.
5) lacking conciseness.
6) (esp of some creeping stems) spreading loosely over a large area.
7) characterized by or exhibiting diffusion.
8) botany (of plant growth) occurring throughout a tissue.
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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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anarchy
n.1) general lawlessness and disorder, esp when thought to result from an absence or failure of government.
2) the absence or lack of government.
3) the absence of any guiding or uniting principle; disorder; chaos.
4) the theory or practice of political anarchism.
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enhance
vb. (tr).
to intensify or increase in quality, value, power, etc.; improve; augment
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impede
vb. (tr).
to restrict or retard in action, progress, etc.; hinder; obstruct
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deride
vb. (tr).
to speak of or treat with contempt, mockery, or ridicule; scoff or jeer at
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admonish
vb. (tr).
1) to reprove firmly but not harshly.
2) to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution.
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abate
vb.1) to make or become less in amount, intensity, degree, etc.
2) (tr) law.
a) to remove, suppress, or terminate (a nuisance).
b) to suspend or extinguish (a claim or action).
c) to annul (a writ).
3) (intr) law (of a writ, legal action, etc.) to become null and void.
4) (tr) to subtract or deduct, as part of a price.
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supposition
n.1) the act of supposing.
2) a fact, theory, etc., that is supposed.
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posterity
n.1) future or succeeding generations.
2) all of one's descendants.
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deference
n.1) submission to or compliance with the will, wishes, etc., of another.
2) courteous regard; respect.
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skeptic
n., adj.
an archaic, and the usual US, spelling of sceptic
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approbation
n.1) commendation; praise.
2) official recognition or approval.
3) an obsolete word for proof.
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luminous
adj.1) radiating or reflecting light; shining; glowing.
2) (not in technical use) exhibiting luminescence.
3) full of light; well-lit.
4) (of a physical quantity in photometry) evaluated according to the visual sensation produced in an observer rather than by absolute energy measurements.
5) easily understood; lucid; clear.
6) enlightening or wise.
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insinuate
vb.1) (may take a clause as object) to suggest by indirect allusion, hints, innuendo, etc.
2) (tr) to introduce subtly or deviously.
3) (tr) to cause (someone, esp oneself) to be accepted by gradual approaches or manoeuvres.
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secrete
vb.(of a cell, organ, etc.) to synthesize and release (a secretion)
;vb. (tr).
to put in a hiding place
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impair
vb. (tr).
to reduce or weaken in strength, quality, etc
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inherent
adj.existing as an inseparable part; intrinsic
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indolent
adj.1) disliking work or effort; lazy; idle.
2) pathology causing little pain.
3) (esp of a painless ulcer) slow to heal.
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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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aggregate
adj.1) formed of separate units collected into a whole; collective; corporate.
2) (of fruits and flowers) composed of a dense cluster of carpels or florets.
;n.3) a sum or assemblage of many separate units; sum total.
4) geology a rock, such as granite, consisting of a mixture of minerals.
5) the sand and stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete.
6) a group of closely related biotypes produced by apomixis, such as brambles, which are the Rubus fruticosus aggregate.
7).
;vb.8) to combine or be combined into a body, etc.
9) (tr) to amount to (a number).
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daunt
vb. (tr; often passive).
1) to intimidate.
2) to dishearten.
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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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distill
<No meaning yet.>
appease
vb. (tr).
1) to calm, pacify, or soothe, esp by acceding to the demands of.
2) to satisfy or quell (an appetite or thirst, etc.).
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lucid
adj.1) readily understood; clear.
2) shining or glowing.
3) psychiatry of or relating to a period of normality between periods of insane or irresponsible behaviour.
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stipulate
vb.1) (tr; may take a clause as object) to specify, often as a condition of an agreement.
2) (intr; foll by for) to insist (on) as a term of an agreement.
3) Roman law to make (an oral contract) in the form of question and answer necessary to render it legally valid.
4) (tr; may take a clause as object) to guarantee or promise.
;adj.(of a plant) having stipules
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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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laud
vb.1) (tr) to praise or glorify.
;n.2) praise or glorification.
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facilitate
vb. (tr).
to make easier; assist the progress of
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efficacy
n.the quality of being successful in producing an intended result; effectiveness
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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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beneficent
adj.charitable; generous
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implicit
adj.1) not explicit; implied; indirect.
2) absolute and unreserved; unquestioning.
3) (when postpositive, foll by in) contained or inherent.
4) mathematics (of a function) having an equation of the form f(x,y) = 0, in which y cannot be directly expressed in terms of x, as in xy + x2 + y3x 2 = 0.
5) obsolete intertwined.
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mitigate
vb.to make or become less severe or harsh; moderate
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dissolution
n.1) the resolution or separation into component parts; disintegration.
2) destruction by breaking up and dispersing.
3) the termination of a meeting or assembly, such as Parliament.
4) the termination of a formal or legal relationship, such as a business enterprise, marriage, etc.
5) the state of being dissolute; dissipation.
6) the act or process of dissolving.
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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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idolatry
n.1) the worship of idols.
2) great devotion or reverence.
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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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diverge
vb.1) to separate or cause to separate and go in different directions from a point.
2) (intr) to be at variance; differ.
3) (intr) to deviate from a prescribed course.
4) (intr) mathematics (of a series or sequence) to have no limit.
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dispel
vb. -pels, -pelling, -pelled (tr).
to disperse or drive away
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disinterested
adj.1) free from bias or partiality; objective.
2) not interested.
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volatile
adj.1) (of a substance) capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point.
2) (of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial.
3) (of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change.
4) lasting only a short time.
5) computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off.
6) obsolete flying or capable of flight; volant.
;n.7) a volatile substance.
8) rare a winged creature.
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supersede
vb. (tr).
1) to take the place of (something old-fashioned or less appropriate); supplant.
2) to replace in function, office, etc.; succeed.
3) to discard or set aside or cause to be set aside as obsolete or inferior.
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affinity
n., pl -ties.
1) (foll by with or for) a natural liking, taste, or inclination towards a person or thing.
2) the person or thing so liked.
3) a close similarity in appearance or quality; inherent likeness.
4) relationship by marriage or by ties other than of blood, as by adoption.
5) similarity in structure, form, etc., between different animals, plants, or languages.
6) chemistry.
a) the tendency for two substances to combine; chemical attraction.
b) a measure of the tendency of a chemical reaction to take place expressed in terms of the free energy change.
7) biology a measure of the degree of interaction between two molecules, such as an antigen and antibody or a hormone and its receptor.
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aesthetic
adj. also aesthetical or sometimes US esthetical.
1) connected with aesthetics or its principles.
2).
a) relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations.
b) artistic or relating to good taste.
;n.3) a principle of taste or style adopted by a particular person, group, or culture.
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ambiguous
adj.1) having more than one possible interpretation or meaning.
2) difficult to understand or classify; obscure.
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ascetic
n.1) a person who practises great self-denial and austerities and abstains from worldly comforts and pleasures, esp for religious reasons.
2) (in the early Christian Church) a monk.
;adj. also as'cetical.
3) rigidly abstinent or abstemious; austere.
4) of or relating to ascetics or asceticism.
5) intensely rigorous in religious austerities.
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prodigal
adj.1) recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money.
2) lavish in giving or yielding.
;n.3) a person who spends lavishly or squanders money.
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assiduous
adj.1) hard-working; persevering.
2) undertaken with perseverance and care.
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placate
vb. (tr).
to pacify or appease
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whimsical
adj.1) spontaneously fanciful or playful.
2) given to whims; capricious.
3) quaint, unusual, or fantastic.
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emulate
vb. (tr).
1) to attempt to equal or surpass, esp by imitation.
2) to rival or compete with.
3) to make one computer behave like (another different type of computer) so that the imitating system can operate on the same data and execute the same programs as the imitated system.
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precarious
adj.1) liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous.
2) archaic dependent on another's will.
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latent
adj.1) potential but not obvious or explicit.
2) (of buds, spores, etc.) dormant.
3) pathology (esp of an infectious disease) not yet revealed or manifest.
4) (of a virus) inactive in the host cell, its nucleic acid being integrated into, and replicated with, the host cell's DNA.
5) psychoanal relating to that part of a dream expressive of repressed desires.
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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.
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apathy
n.1) absence of interest in or enthusiasm for things generally considered interesting or moving.
2) absence of emotion.
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audacious
adj.1) recklessly bold or daring; fearless.
2) impudent or presumptuous.
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arduous
adj.1) requiring great physical or mental effort; difficult to accomplish; strenuous.
2) hard to endure; harsh.
3) hard to overcome or surmount; steep or difficult.
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stint
vb.1) to be frugal or miserly towards (someone) with (something).
2) archaic to stop or check (something).
;n.3) an allotted or fixed amount of work.
4) a limitation or check.
5) obsolete a pause or stoppage.
;n.any of various small sandpipers of the chiefly northern genus Calidris (or Erolia), such as C. minuta (little stint)
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embellish
vb. (tr).
1) to improve or beautify by adding detail or ornament; adorn.
2) to make (a story) more interesting by adding detail.
3) to provide (a melody, part, etc.) with ornaments.
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analogous
adj.1) similar or corresponding in some respect.
2) biology (of organs and parts) having the same function but different evolutionary origin.
3) linguistics formed by analogy.
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satiate
vb. (tr).
1) to fill or supply beyond capacity or desire, often arousing weariness.
2) to supply to satisfaction or capacity.
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ingenuous
adj.1) naive, artless, or innocent.
2) candid; frank; straightforward.
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capricious
adj.characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle
;
stolid
adj.showing little or no emotion or interest
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pelt
vb.1) (tr) to throw (missiles) at (a person).
2) (tr) to hurl (insults) at (a person).
3) (intr; foll by along, over, etc.) to move rapidly; hurry.
4) (intr; often foll by down) to rain heavily.
;n.5) a blow.
6) speed (esp in the phrase at full pelt).
;n.1) the skin of a fur-bearing animal, such as a mink, esp when it has been removed from the carcass.
2) the hide of an animal, stripped of hair and ready for tanning.
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spectrum
n., pl -tra [-trə].
1) the distribution of colours produced when white light is dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating. There is a continuous change in wavelength from red, the longest wavelength, to violet, the shortest. Seven colours are usually distinguished: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
2) the whole range of electromagnetic radiation with respect to its wavelength or frequency.
3) any particular distribution of electromagnetic radiation often showing lines or bands characteristic of the substance emitting the radiation or absorbing it.
4) any similar distribution or record of the energies, velocities, masses, etc., of atoms, ions, electrons, etc.
5) any range or scale, as of capabilities, emotions, or moods.
6) another name for an: afterimage.
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bolster
vb. (tr).
1) (often foll by up) to support or reinforce; strengthen.
2) to prop up with a pillow or cushion.
3) to add padding to.
;n.4) a long narrow pillow or cushion.
5) any pad or padded support.
6) architecture a short horizontal length of timber fixed to the top of a post to increase the bearing area and reduce the span of the supported beam.
7) a cold chisel having a broad blade splayed towards the cutting edge, used for cutting stone slabs, etc.
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stigma
n., pl stigmas or for sense 7 stigmata [ˈstɪgmətəˌ stɪgˈmɑ:tə].
1) a distinguishing mark of social disgrace.
2) a small scar or mark such as a birthmark.
3) pathology.
a) any mark on the skin, such as one characteristic of a specific disease.
b) any sign of a mental deficiency or emotional upset.
4) botany the receptive surface of a carpel, where deposited pollen germinates.
5) zoology.
a) a pigmented eyespot in some protozoans and other invertebrates.
b) the spiracle of an insect.
6) archaic a mark branded on the skin.
7) (plural) Christianity marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ, believed to appear on the bodies of certain individuals.
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craven
adj.1) cowardly; mean-spirited.
;n.2) a coward.
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