alleviate
vb. (tr).
to make (pain, sorrow, etc.) easier to bear; lessen; relieve
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expedient
adj.1) suitable to the circumstances; appropriate.
2) inclined towards methods or means that are advantageous rather than fair or just.
;n. also expediency.
3) something suitable or appropriate, esp something used during an urgent situation.
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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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tentative
adj.1) provisional or experimental; conjectural.
2) hesitant, uncertain, or cautious.
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lethargic
<No meaning yet.>
listless
adj.disinclined for any effort or exertion; lacking vigour, enthusiasm, or energy
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lurid
adj.1) vivid in shocking detail; sensational.
2) horrible in savagery or violence.
3) pallid in colour; wan.
4) glowing with an unnatural glare.
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pragmatic
adj.1) advocating behaviour that is dictated more by practical consequences than by theory or dogma.
2) philosophy of or relating to pragmatism.
3) involving everyday or practical business.
4) of or concerned with the affairs of a state or community.
5) rare interfering or meddlesome; officious.
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augment
vb.1) to make or become greater in number, amount, strength, etc.; increase.
2) (tr) music to increase (a major or perfect interval) by a semitone.
3) (tr) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) to <br><font color=green><i>prefix</font></i> a vowel or diphthong to (a verb) to form a past tense.
;n.4) (in Greek and Sanskrit grammar) a vowel or diphthong <br><font color=green><i>prefix</font></i>ed to a verb to form a past tense.
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stolid
adj.showing little or no emotion or interest
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mundane
adj.1) everyday, ordinary, or banal.
2) relating to the world or worldly matters.
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duplicity
n., pl -ties.
deception; double-dealing
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efface
vb. (tr).
1) to obliterate or make dim.
2) to make (oneself) inconspicuous or humble through modesty, cowardice, or obsequiousness.
3) to rub out (a line, drawing, etc.); erase.
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certitude
n.confidence; certainty
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dehydrate
vb.1) to lose or cause to lose water; make or become anhydrous.
2) to lose or cause to lose hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in the proportions in which they occur in water, as in a chemical reaction.
3) to lose or deprive of water, as the body or tissues.
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censorious
adj.harshly critical; fault-finding
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methodical
adj.characterized by method or orderliness; systematic
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sporadic
adj.1) occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent.
2) scattered; isolated.
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incontrovertible
adj.incapable of being contradicted or disputed; undeniable
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florid
adj.1) having a red or flushed complexion.
2) excessively ornate; flowery.
3) an archaic word for flowery.
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opulence
<No meaning yet.>
retract
vb.1) (tr) to draw in (a part or appendage).
2) to withdraw (a statement, opinion, charge, etc.) as invalid or unjustified.
3) to go back on (a promise or agreement).
4) (intr) to shrink back, as in fear.
5) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue back away from the lips.
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incite
vb. (tr).
to stir up or provoke to action
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virtuoso
n., pl -sos or -si [-si:].
1) a consummate master of musical technique and artistry.
2) a person who has a masterly or dazzling skill or technique in any field of activity.
3) a connoisseur, dilettante, or collector of art objects.
4) obsolete a scholar or savant.
5) (modifier) showing masterly skill or brilliance.
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dissent
vb. (intr).
1) to have a disagreement or withhold assent.
2) Christianity to refuse to conform to the doctrines, beliefs, or practices of an established church, and to adhere to a different system of beliefs and practices.
;n.3) a difference of opinion.
4) Christianity separation from an established church; Nonconformism.
5) the voicing of a minority opinion in announcing the decision on a case at law; dissenting judgment.
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penury
n.1) extreme poverty.
2) extreme scarcity.
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sluggish
adj.1) lacking energy; inactive; slow-moving.
2) functioning at below normal rate or level.
3) exhibiting poor response to stimulation.
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equanimity
n.calmness of mind or temper; composure
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anomaly
n., pl -lies.
1) something anomalous.
2) deviation from the normal or usual order, type, etc.; irregularity.
3) astronomy.
a) Also called: true anomaly.
b) Also called: eccentric anomaly.
c) Also called: mean anomaly.
4) geology.
a) Also called: gravity anomaly.
b) Also called: magnetic anomaly.
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stupefy
vb. -fies, -fying, -fied (tr).
1) to render insensitive or lethargic.
2) to confuse or astound.
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comprehensive
adj.1) of broad scope or content; including all or much.
2) (of a car insurance policy) providing protection against most risks, including third-party liability, fire, theft, and damage.
3) having the ability to understand.
4) of, relating to, or being a comprehensive school.
;n.5) short for comprehensive school.
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criterion
n., pl -ria [-rɪə] or -rions.
1) a standard by which something can be judged or decided.
2) philosophy a defining characteristic of something.
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detrimental
adj. (when postpositive, foll by to).
harmful; injurious; prejudicial
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astute
adj.having insight or acumen; perceptive; shrewd
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hamper
vb.1) (tr) to prevent the progress or free movement of.
;n.2) nautical gear aboard a vessel that, though essential, is often in the way.
;n.1) a large basket, usually with a cover.
2) Brit such a basket and its contents, usually food.
3) US a laundry basket.
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vilify
vb. -fies, -fying, -fied (tr).
1) to revile with abusive or defamatory language; malign.
2) rare to make vile; debase; degrade.
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vindicate
vb. (tr).
1) to clear from guilt, accusation, blame, etc., as by evidence or argument.
2) to provide justification for.
3) to uphold, maintain, or defend (a cause, etc.).
4) Roman law to bring an action to regain possession of (property) under claim of legal title.
5) rare to claim, as for oneself or another.
6) obsolete to take revenge on or for; punish.
7) obsolete to set free.
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rancor
<No meaning yet.>
circumlocution
n.1) an indirect way of expressing something.
2) an indirect expression.
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complacency
n., pl -cencies or -cences.
1) a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness.
2) an obsolete word for complaisance.
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impregnable
adj.1) unable to be broken into or taken by force.
2) unable to be shaken or overcome.
3) incapable of being refuted.
;adj.able to be impregnated; fertile
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disparage
vb. (tr).
1) to speak contemptuously of; belittle.
2) to damage the reputation of.
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corrode
vb.1) to eat away or be eaten away, esp by chemical action as in the oxidation or rusting of a metal.
2) (tr) to destroy gradually; consume.
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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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charlatan
n.someone who professes knowledge or expertise, esp in medicine, that he or she does not have; quack
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rant
vb.1) to utter (something) in loud, violent, or bombastic tones.
2) (intr) chiefly Scot to make merry; frolic.
;n.3) loud, declamatory, or extravagant speech; bombast.
4) chiefly Scot a wild revel.
5) Scot an energetic dance or its tune.
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extricate
<No meaning yet.>
scrutinize
vb. (tr).
to examine carefully or in minute detail
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hypothetical
adj.1) having the nature of a hypothesis.
2) assumed or thought to exist.
3) logic another word for conditional 4).
4) existing only as an idea or concept.
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fallow
adj.1) (of land) left unseeded after being ploughed and harrowed to regain fertility for a crop.
2) (of an idea, state of mind, etc.) undeveloped or inactive, but potentially useful.
;n.3) land treated in this way.
;vb.4) (tr) to leave (land) unseeded after ploughing and harrowing it.
;adj.of a light yellowish-brown colour
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strident
adj.1) (of a shout, voice, etc.) having or making a loud or harsh sound.
2) urgent, clamorous, or vociferous.
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querulous
adj.1) inclined to make whining or peevish complaints.
2) characterized by or proceeding from a complaining fretful attitude or disposition.
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tranquility
<No meaning yet.>
composure
n.calmness, esp of the mind; tranquillity; serenity
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incorrigible
adj.1) beyond correction, reform, or alteration.
2) firmly rooted; ineradicable.
3) philosophy (of a belief) having the property that whoever honestly believes it cannot be mistaken.
;n.4) a person or animal that is incorrigible.
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elusive
adj.1) difficult to catch.
2) preferring or living in solitude and anonymity.
3) difficult to remember.
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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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reprove
vb. (tr).
to speak disapprovingly to (a person); rebuke or scold
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pervasive
adj.pervading or tending to pervade
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immutable
adj.unchanging through time; unalterable; ageless
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truncate
vb.1) (tr) to shorten by cutting off a part, end, or top.
;adj.2) cut short; truncated.
3) biology having a blunt end, as though cut off at the tip.
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acquiesce
vb. (intr; often foll by in or to).
to comply (with); assent (to) without protest
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ravenous
adj.1) famished; starving.
2) rapacious; voracious.
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capricious
adj.characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle
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insipid
adj.1) lacking spirit; boring.
2) lacking taste; unpalatable.
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supplant
vb. (tr).
to take the place of, often by trickery or force
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scrupulous
adj.1) characterized by careful observation of what is morally right.
2) very careful or precise.
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explicit
adj.1) precisely and clearly expressed, leaving nothing to implication; fully stated.
2) graphically detailed, leaving little to the imagination.
3) openly expressed without reservations; unreserved.
4) mathematics (of a function) having an equation of the form y=f(x), in which y is expressed directly in terms of x, as in y=x4 + x + z.
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impudence
n.1) the quality of being impudent.
2) an impudent act or statement.
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nefarious
<No meaning yet.>
devious
adj.1) not sincere or candid; deceitful; underhand.
2) (of a route or course of action) rambling; indirect; roundabout.
3) going astray from a proper or accepted way; erring.
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exacerbate
vb. (tr).
1) to make (pain, disease, emotion, etc.) more intense; aggravate.
2) to exasperate or irritate (a person).
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threadbare
adj.1) (of cloth, clothing, etc.) having the nap worn off so that the threads are exposed.
2) meagre or poor.
3) hackneyed.
4) wearing threadbare clothes; shabby.
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ignominy
n., pl -minies.
1) disgrace or public shame; dishonour.
2) a cause of disgrace; a shameful act.
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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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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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rhetorical
adj.1) concerned with effect or style rather than content or meaning; bombastic.
2) of or relating to rhetoric or oratory.
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carping
adj.tending to make petty complaints; fault-finding
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rescind
vb. (tr).
to annul or repeal
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autonomous
adj.1) (of a community, country, etc.) possessing a large degree of self-government.
2) of or relating to an autonomous community.
3) independent of others.
4) philosophy.
a) acting or able to act in accordance with rules and principles of one's own choosing.
b) (in the moral philosophy of Kant, of an individual's will) directed to duty rather than to some other end.
5) biology existing as an organism independent of other organisms or parts.
6) a variant spelling of autonomic 3).
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