burnish
vb.1) to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish.
;n.2) a shiny finish; lustre.
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dissemble
vb.1) to conceal (one's real motives, emotions, etc.) by pretence.
2) (tr) to pretend; simulate.
3) obsolete to ignore.
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savor
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invective
n.1) vehement accusation or denunciation, esp of a bitterly abusive or sarcastic kind.
;adj.2) characterized by or using abusive language, bitter sarcasm, etc.
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oscillate
vb.1) (intr) to move or swing from side to side regularly.
2) (intr) to waver between opinions, courses of action, etc.
3) physics to undergo or produce or cause to undergo or produce oscillation.
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conciliatory
adj.intended to placate or reconcile
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desultory
adj.1) passing or jumping from one thing to another, esp in a fitful way; unmethodical; disconnected.
2) occurring in a random or incidental way; haphazard.
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maverick
n.1) (in US and Canadian cattle-raising regions) an unbranded animal, esp a stray calf.
2).
a) a person of independent or unorthodox views.
b) (as modifier).
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discrepancy
n., pl -cies.
a conflict or variation, as between facts, figures, or claims
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amalgamate
vb.1) to combine or cause to combine; unite.
2) to alloy (a metal) with mercury.
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facetious
adj.1) characterized by levity of attitude and love of joking.
2) jocular or amusing, esp at inappropriate times.
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immutable
adj.unchanging through time; unalterable; ageless
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homogeneous
adj.1) composed of similar or identical parts or elements.
2) of uniform nature.
3) similar in kind or nature.
4) having a constant property, such as density, throughout.
5) mathematics.
a) (of a polynomial) containing terms of the same degree with respect to all the variables, as in x2 + 2xy + y2.
b) (of a function) containing a set of variables such that when each is multiplied by a constant, this constant can be eliminated without altering the value of the function, as in cos x/y + x/y.
c) (of an equation) containing a homogeneous function made equal to 0.
6) chemistry of, composed of, or concerned with a single phase.
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obsequious
adj.1) obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner.
2) now rare submissive or compliant.
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equanimity
n.calmness of mind or temper; composure
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distend
vb.1) to expand or be expanded by or as if by pressure from within; swell; inflate.
2) (tr) to stretch out or extend.
3) (tr) to magnify in importance; exaggerate.
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laconic
adj.(of a person's speech) using few words; terse
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insipid
adj.1) lacking spirit; boring.
2) lacking taste; unpalatable.
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tractable
adj.1) easily controlled or persuaded.
2) readily worked; malleable.
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discerning
adj.having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating
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adulterate
vb.1) (tr) to debase by adding inferior material.
;adj.2) adulterated; debased or impure.
3) a less common word for adulterous.
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clout
n.1) informal a blow with the hand or a hard object.
2) power or influence, esp in politics.
3) archery.
a) the target used in long-distance shooting.
b) the centre of this target.
c) a shot that hits the centre.
4) Also called: clout nail.
5) Brit dialect.
a) a piece of cloth.
b) a garment.
c) a patch.
;vb. (tr).
6) informal to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand.
7) to patch with a piece of cloth or leather.
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tortuous
adj.1) twisted or winding.
2) devious or cunning.
3) intricate.
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vacillate
vb. (intr).
1) to fluctuate in one's opinions; be indecisive.
2) to sway from side to side physically; totter or waver.
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obviate
vb. (tr).
to do away with or counter
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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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ameliorate
vb.to make or become better; improve
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complaisant
adj.showing a desire to comply or oblige; polite
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specious
adj.1) apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false.
2) deceptively attractive in appearance.
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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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maroon
vb. (tr).
1) to leave ashore and abandon, esp on an island.
2) to isolate without resources.
;n.3) a descendant of a group of runaway slaves living in the remoter areas of the Caribbean or Guyana.
4) US and Canadian informal a person who has been marooned, esp on an island.
;n.1).
a) a dark red to purplish-red colour.
b) (as adjective).
2) an exploding firework, esp one used as a warning signal.
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vagary
n., pl -garies.
an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim
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obdurate
adj.1) not easily moved by feelings or supplication; hardhearted.
2) impervious to persuasion, esp to moral persuasion.
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digression
n.an act or instance of digressing from a main subject in speech or writing
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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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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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assuage
vb. (tr).
1) to soothe, moderate, or relieve (grief, pain, etc.).
2) to give relief to (thirst, appetite, etc.); satisfy.
3) to pacify; calm.
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inadvertently
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dialectic
n.1) disputation or debate, esp intended to resolve differences between two views rather than to establish one of them as true.
2) philosophy.
a) the conversational Socratic method of argument.
b) (in Plato) the highest study, that of the Forms.
3) (in the writings of Kant) the exposure of the contradictions implicit in applying empirical concepts beyond the limits of experience.
4) philosophy the process of reconciliation of contradiction either of beliefs or in historical processes.
;adj.5) of or relating to logical disputation.
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perfunctory
adj.1) done superficially, only as a matter of routine; careless or cursory.
2) dull or indifferent.
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preamble
n.1) a preliminary or introductory statement, esp attached to a statute or constitution setting forth its purpose.
2) a preliminary or introductory conference, event, fact, etc.
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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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disparity
n., pl -ties.
1) inequality or difference, as in age, rank, wages, etc.
2) dissimilarity.
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plummet
vb. -mets, -meting, -meted.
1) (intr) to drop down; plunge.
;n.2) another word for plumb bob.
3) a lead plumb used by anglers to determine the depth of water.
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diffidence
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viable
adj.1) capable of becoming actual, useful, etc.; practicable.
2) (of seeds, eggs, etc.) capable of normal growth and development.
3) (of a fetus) having reached a stage of development at which further development can occur independently of the mother.
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flout
vb. (when intr, usually foll by at).
to show contempt (for); scoff or jeer (at)
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gainsay
vb. -says, -saying, -said (tr) archaic or literary.
to deny (an allegation, a statement, etc.); contradict
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garrulous
adj.1) given to constant and frivolous chatter; loquacious; talkative.
2) wordy or diffuse; prolix.
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precursor
n.1) a person or thing that precedes and shows or announces someone or something to come; harbinger.
2) a predecessor or forerunner.
3) a chemical substance that gives rise to another more important substance.
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condone
vb. (tr).
1) to overlook or forgive (an offence).
2) law (esp of a spouse) to pardon or overlook (an offence, usually adultery).
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substantiate
vb. (tr).
1) to establish as valid or genuine.
2) to give form or real existence to.
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impervious
adj.1) not able to be penetrated, as by water, light, etc.; impermeable.
2) (often postpositive; foll by to) not able to be influenced (by) or not receptive (to).
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incongruity
n., pl -ties.
1) something incongruous.
2) the state or quality of being incongruous.
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perfidious
adj.guilty, treacherous, or faithless; deceitful
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platitude
n.1) a trite, dull, or obvious remark or statement; a commonplace.
2) staleness or insipidity of thought or language; triteness.
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sporadic
adj.1) occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent.
2) scattered; isolated.
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meticulous
adj.very precise about details, even trivial ones; painstaking
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attenuate
vb.1) to weaken or become weak; reduce in size, strength, density, or value.
2) to make or become thin or fine; extend.
3) (tr) to make (a pathogenic bacterium, virus, etc.) less virulent, as by culture in special media or exposure to heat.
;adj.4) diluted, weakened, slender, or reduced.
5) botany tapering gradually to a point.
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penury
n.1) extreme poverty.
2) extreme scarcity.
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mollify
vb. -fies, -fying, -fied (tr).
1) to pacify; soothe.
2) to lessen the harshness or severity of.
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mundane
adj.1) everyday, ordinary, or banal.
2) relating to the world or worldly matters.
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porous
adj.1) permeable to water, air, or other fluids.
2) biology, geology having pores; poriferous.
3) easy to cross or penetrate.
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fatuous
adj.complacently or inanely foolish
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contentious
adj.1) tending to argue or quarrel.
2) causing or characterized by dispute; controversial.
3) law relating to a cause or legal business that is contested, esp a probate matter.
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subpoena
n.1) a writ issued by a court of justice requiring a person to appear before the court at a specified time.
;vb. -nas, -naing, -naed.
2) (tr) to serve with a subpoena.
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dirge
n.1) a chant of lamentation for the dead.
2) the funeral service in its solemn or sung forms.
3) any mourning song or melody.
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enervate
vb.1) (tr) to deprive of strength or vitality; weaken physically or mentally; debilitate.
;adj.2) deprived of strength or vitality; weakened.
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ephemeral
adj.1) lasting for only a short time; transitory; short-lived.
;n.2) a short-lived organism, such as the mayfly.
3) a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year, usually less than six months.
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eclectic
adj.1) (in art, philosophy, etc.) selecting what seems best from various styles, doctrines, ideas, methods, etc.
2) composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources, styles, etc.
;n.3) a person who favours an eclectic approach, esp in art or philosophy.
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contrite
adj.1) full of guilt or regret; remorseful.
2) arising from a sense of shame or guilt.
3) theology remorseful for past sin and resolved to avoid future sin.
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welter
vb. (intr).
1) to roll about, writhe, or wallow.
2) (esp of the sea) to surge, heave, or toss.
3) to lie drenched in a liquid, esp blood.
;n.4) a rolling motion, as of the sea.
5) a confused mass; jumble.
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torpor
n.a state of torpidity
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deterrent
n.1) something that deters.
2) a weapon or combination of weapons, esp nuclear, held by one state, etc., to deter attack by another.
;adj.3) tending or used to deter; restraining.
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syllogism
n.1) a deductive inference consisting of two premises and a conclusion, all of which are categorial propositions. The subject of the conclusion is the minor term and its predicate the major term; the middle term occurs in both premises but not the conclusion. There are 256 such arguments but only 24 are valid. Some men are mortal; some men are angelic; so some mortals are angelic is invalid, while some temples are in ruins; all ruins are fascinating; so some temples are fascinating is valid. Here fascinating, in ruins, and temples are respectively major, middle, and minor terms.
2) a deductive inference of certain other forms with two premises, such as the hypothetical syllogism, if P then Q; if Q then R; so if P then R.
3) a piece of deductive reasoning from the general to the particular.
4) a subtle or deceptive piece of reasoning.
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effrontery
n., pl -ies.
shameless or insolent boldness; impudent presumption; audacity; temerity
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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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recant
vb.to repudiate or withdraw (a former belief or statement), esp formally in public
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guileless
adj.free from guile; ingenuous
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pathological
adj.1) of or relating to pathology.
2) relating to, involving, or caused by disease.
3) informal compulsively motivated.
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