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5000 Collegiate Words With Brief Definitions - Amass An Ivy League Vocabulary!
5000 Collegiate Words With Brief Definitions - Amass An Ivy League Vocabulary!
EASY 7-CD Edition: All you have to do is listen 15 minutes a day for 4 weeks to absorb 5000 words. + FREE Memory Course. FreeVocabulary.com
abase v. To lower in position, estimation, or the like; degrade. accredit v. To give credit or authority to.
abbess n. The lady superior of a nunnery. accumulate v. To become greater in quantity or number.
abbey n. The group of buildings which collectively form the dwelling-place of a society of accuracy n. Exactness.
monks or nuns. accurate adj. Conforming exactly to truth or to a standard.
abbot n. The superior of a community of monks. accursed adj. Doomed to evil, misery, or misfortune.
abdicate v. To give up (royal power or the like). accusation n. A charge of crime, misdemeanor, or error.
abdomen n. In mammals, the visceral cavity between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor; accusatory adj. Of, pertaining to, or involving an accusation.
the belly. accuse v. To charge with wrong doing, misconduct, or error.
abdominal n. Of, pertaining to, or situated on the abdomen. accustom v. To make familiar by use.
abduction n. A carrying away of a person against his will, or illegally. acerbity n. Sourness, with bitterness and astringency.
abed adv. In bed; on a bed. acetate n. A salt of acetic acid.
aberration n. Deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course. acetic adj. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of vinegar.
abet v. To aid, promote, or encourage the commission of (an offense). ache v. To be in pain or distress.
abeyance n. A state of suspension or temporary inaction. Achillean adj. Invulnerable.
abhorrence n. The act of detesting extremely. achromatic adj. Colorless,
abhorrent adj. Very repugnant; hateful. acid n. A sour substance.
abidance n. An abiding. acidify v. To change into acid.
abject adj. Sunk to a low condition. acknowledge v. To recognize; to admit the genuineness or validity of.
abjure v. To recant, renounce, repudiate under oath. acknowledgment n. Recognition.
able-bodied adj. Competent for physical service. acme n. The highest point, or summit.
ablution n. A washing or cleansing, especially of the body. acoustic adj. Pertaining to the act or sense of hearing.
abnegate v. To renounce (a right or privilege). acquaint v. To make familiar or conversant.
abnormal adj. Not conformed to the ordinary rule or standard. acquiesce v. To comply; submit.
abominable adj. Very hateful. acquiescence n. Passive consent.
abominate v. To hate violently. acquire v. To get as one's own.
abomination n. A very detestable act or practice. acquisition n. Anything gained, or made one's own, usually by effort or labor.
aboriginal adj. Primitive; unsophisticated. acquit v. To free or clear, as from accusation.
aborigines n. The original of earliest known inhabitants of a country. acquittal n. A discharge from accusation by judicial action.
aboveboard adv. & adj. Without concealment, fraud, or trickery. acquittance n. Release or discharge from indebtedness, obligation, or responsibility.
abrade v. To wear away the surface or some part of by friction. acreage n. Quantity or extent of land, especially of cultivated land.
abrasion n. That which is rubbed off. acrid adj. Harshly pungent or bitter.
abridge v. To make shorter in words, keeping the essential features, leaning out minor particles. acrimonious adj. Full of bitterness.
abridgment n. A condensed form as of a book or play. acrimony n. Sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper.
abrogate v. To abolish, repeal. actionable adj. Affording cause for instituting an action, as trespass, slanderous words.
abrupt adj. Beginning, ending, or changing suddenly or with a break. actuality n. Any reality.
abscess n. A Collection of pus in a cavity formed within some tissue of the body. actuary n. An officer, as of an insurance company, who calculates and states the risks and premiums.
abscission n. The act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation. actuate v. To move or incite to action.
abscond v. To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest. acumen n. Quickness of intellectual insight, or discernment; keenness of discrimination.
absence n. The fact of not being present or available. acute adj. Having fine and penetrating discernment.
absent-minded adj. Lacking in attention to immediate surroundings or business. adamant n. Any substance of exceeding hardness or impenetrability.
absolution n. Forgiveness, or passing over of offenses. addendum n. Something added, or to be added.
absolve v. To free from sin or its penalties. addle v. To make inefficient or worthless; muddle.
absorb v. To drink in or suck up, as a sponge absorbs water. adduce v. To bring forward or name for consideration.
absorption n. The act or process of absorbing. adhere v. To stick fast or together.
abstain v. To keep oneself back (from doing or using something). adherence n. Attachment.
abstemious adj. Characterized by self denial or abstinence, as in the use of drink, food. adherent adj. Clinging or sticking fast.
abstinence n. Self denial. adhesion n. The state of being attached or joined.
abstruse adj. Dealing with matters difficult to be understood. adieu inter. Good-by; farewell.
absurd adj. Inconsistent with reason or common sense. adjacency n. The state of being adjacent.
abundant adj. Plentiful. adjacent n. That which is near or bordering upon.
abusive adj. Employing harsh words or ill treatment. adjudge v. To award or bestow by formal decision.
abut v. To touch at the end or boundary line. adjunct n. Something joined to or connected with another thing, but holding a subordinate place.
abyss n. Bottomless gulf. adjuration n. A vehement appeal.
academic adj. Of or pertaining to an academy, college, or university. adjutant adj. Auxiliary.
academician n. A member of an academy of literature, art, or science. administrator n. One who manages affairs of any kind.
academy n. Any institution where the higher branches of learning are taught. admissible adj. Having the right or privilege of entry.
accede v. To agree. admittance n. Entrance, or the right or permission to enter.
accelerate v. To move faster. admonish v. To warn of a fault.
accept v. To take when offered. admonition n. Gentle reproof.
access n. A way of approach or entrance; passage. ado n. unnecessary activity or ceremony.
accessible adj. Approachable. adoration n. Profound devotion.
accession n. Induction or elevation, as to dignity, office, or government. adroit adj. Having skill in the use of the bodily or mental powers.
accessory n. A person or thing that aids the principal agent. adulterant n. An adulterating substance.
acclaim v. To utter with a shout. adulterate v. To make impure by the admixture of other or baser ingredients.
accommodate v. To furnish something as a kindness or favor. adumbrate v. To represent beforehand in outline or by emblem.
accompaniment n. A subordinate part or parts, enriching or supporting the leading part. advent n. The coming or arrival, as of any important change, event, state, or personage.
accompanist n. One who or that which accompanies. adverse adj. Opposing or opposed.
accompany v. To go with, or be associated with, as a companion. adversity n. Misfortune.
accomplice n. An associate in wrong-doing. advert v. To refer incidentally.
accomplish v. To bring to pass. advertiser n. One who advertises, especially in newspapers.
accordion n. A portable free-reed musical instrument. advisory adj. Not mandatory.
accost v. To speak to. advocacy n. The act of pleading a cause.
account n. A record or statement of receipts and expenditures, or of business transactions. advocate n. One who pleads the cause of another, as in a legal or ecclesiastical court.
accouter v. To dress. aerial adj. Of, pertaining to, or like the air.
5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions – Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary!
EASY 7-CD Edition: All you have to do is listen 15 minutes a day for 4 weeks to absorb 5000 words. + FREE Memory Course. FreeVocabulary.com
aeronaut n. One who navigates the air, a balloonist. altercate v. To contend angrily or zealously in words.
aeronautics n. the art or practice of flying aircraft alternate n. One chosen to act in place of another, in case of the absence or incapacity of that other.
aerostat n. A balloon or other apparatus floating in or sustained by the air. alternative n. Something that may or must exist, be taken or chosen, or done instead of
aerostatics n. The branch of pneumatics that treats of the equilibrium, pressure, and something else.
mechanical properties. altitude n. Vertical distance or elevation above any point or base-level, as the sea.
affable adj. Easy to approach. alto n. The lowest or deepest female voice or part.
affect v. To act upon altruism n. Benevolence to others on subordination to self-interest.
affectation n. A studied or ostentatious pretense or attempt. altruist n. One who advocates or practices altruism.
affiliate n. Some auxiliary person or thing. amalgam n. An alloy or union of mercury with another metal.
affirmative adj. Answering yes; to a question at issue. amalgamate v. To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body.
affix v. To fasten. amateur adj. Practicing an art or occupation for the love of it, but not as a profession.
affluence n. A profuse or abundant supply of riches. amatory adj. Designed to excite love.
affront n. An open insult or indignity. ambidextrous adj. Having the ability of using both hands with equal skill or ease.
afire adv. & adj. On fire, literally or figuratively. ambiguous adj. Having a double meaning.
afoot adv. In progress. ambitious adj. Eagerly desirous and aspiring.
aforesaid adj. Said in a preceding part or before. ambrosial adj. Divinely sweet, fragrant, or delicious.
afresh adv. Once more, after rest or interval. ambulance n. A vehicle fitted for conveying the sick and wounded.
afterthought n. A thought that comes later than its appropriate or expected time. ambulate v. To walk about
agglomerate v. To pile or heap together. ambush n. The act or state of lying concealed for the purpose of surprising or attacking the
aggrandize v. To cause to appear greatly. enemy.
aggravate v. To make heavier, worse, or more burdensome. ameliorate v. To relieve, as from pain or hardship
aggravation n. The fact of being made heavier or more heinous, as a crime , offense, misfortune, etc. amenable adj. Willing and ready to submit.
aggregate n. The entire number, sum, mass, or quantity of something. Americanism n. A peculiar sense in which an English word or phrase is used in the United
aggress v. To make the first attack. States.
aggression n. An unprovoked attack. amicable adj. Done in a friendly spirit.
aggrieve v. To give grief or sorrow to. amity n. Friendship.
aghast adj. Struck with terror and amazement. amorous adj. Having a propensity for falling in love.
agile adj. Able to move or act quickly, physically, or mentally. amorphous adj. Without determinate shape.
agitate v. To move or excite (the feelings or thoughts). amour n. A love-affair, especially one of an illicit nature.
agrarian adj. Pertaining to land, especially agricultural land. ampere n. The practical unit of electric-current strength.
aide-de-camp n. An officer who receives and transmits the orders of the general. ampersand n. The character &; and.
ailment n. Slight sickness. amphibious adj. Living both on land and in water.
airy adj. Delicate, ethereal. amphitheater n. An edifice of elliptical shape, constructed about a central open space or arena.
akin adj. Of similar nature or qualities. amplitude n. Largeness.
alabaster n. A white or delicately tinted fine-grained gypsum. amply adv. Sufficiently.
alacrity n. Cheerful willingness. amputate v. To remove by cutting, as a limb or some portion of the body.
albeit conj. Even though. amusement n. Diversion.
albino n. A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright red pupil and usually pink iris. anachronism n. Anything occurring or existing out of its proper time.
album n. A book whose leaves are so made to form paper frames for holding photographs or the like. anagram n. The letters of a word or phrase so transposed as to make a different word or
alchemy n. Chemistry of the middle ages, characterized by the pursuit of changing base phrase.
metals to gold. analogous adj. Corresponding (to some other) in certain respects, as in form, proportion,
alcohol n. A volatile, inflammable, colorless liquid of a penetrating odor and burning taste. relations.
alcoholism n. A condition resulting from the inordinate or persistent use of alcoholic beverages. analogy n. Reasoning in which from certain and known relations or resemblance others
alcove n. A covered recess connected with or at the side of a larger room. are formed.
alder n. Any shrub or small tree of the genus Alumnus, of the oak family. analyst n. One who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method.
alderman n. A member of a municipal legislative body, who usually exercises also certain analyze v. To examine minutely or critically.
judicial functions. anarchy n. Absence or utter disregard of government.
aldermanship n. The dignity, condition, office, or term of office of an alderman. anathema n. Anything forbidden, as by social usage.
alias n. An assumed name. anatomy n. That branch of morphology which treats of the structure of organisms.
alien n. One who owes allegiance to a foreign government. ancestry n. One's ancestors collectively.
alienable adj. Capable of being aliened or alienated, as lands. anecdote n. A brief account of some interesting event or incident.
alienate v. To cause to turn away. anemia n. Deficiency of blood or red corpuscles.
alienation n. Estrangement. anemic adj. Affected with anemia.
aliment n. That which nourishes. anemometer n. An instrument for measuring the force or velocity of wind.
alkali n. Anything that will neutralize an acid, as lime, magnesia, etc. anesthetic adj. Pertaining to or producing loss of sensation.
allay v. To calm the violence or reduce the intensity of; mitigate. anew adv. Once more.
allege v. To assert to be true, especially in a formal manner, as in court. angelic adj. Saintly.
allegory n. The setting forth of a subject under the guise of another subject of aptly Anglophobia n. Hatred or dread of England or of what is English.
suggestive likeness. Anglo-Saxon n. The entire English race wherever found, as in Europe, the United States,
alleviate v. To make less burdensome or less hard to bear. or India.
alley n. A narrow street, garden path, walk, or the like. angular adj. Sharp-cornered.
alliance n. Any combination or union for some common purpose. anhydrous adj. Withered.
allot v. To assign a definite thing or part to a certain person. animadversion n. The utterance of criticism or censure.
allotment n. Portion. animadvert v. To pass criticism or censure.
allude v. To refer incidentally, or by suggestion. animalcule n. An animal of microscopic smallness.
allusion n. An indirect and incidental reference to something without definite mention of it. animate v. To make alive.
alluvion n. Flood. animosity n. Hatred.
ally n. A person or thing connected with another, usually in some relation of helpfulness. annalist n. Historian.
almanac n. A series of tables giving the days of the week together with certain annals n. A record of events in their chronological order, year by year.
astronomical information. annex v. To add or affix at the end.
aloof adv. Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others. annihilate v. To destroy absolutely.
altar n. Any raised place or structure on which sacrifices may be offered or incense burned. annotate v. To make explanatory or critical notes on or upon.
alter v. To make change in. annual adj. Occurring every year.
alteration n. Change or modification. annuity n. An annual allowance, payment, or income.
5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions – Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary!
EASY 7-CD Edition: All you have to do is listen 15 minutes a day for 4 weeks to absorb 5000 words. + FREE Memory Course. FreeVocabulary.com
annunciation n. Proclamation. appropriate adj. Suitable for the purpose and circumstances.
anode n. The point where or path by which a voltaic current enters an electrolyte or the aqueduct n. A water-conduit, particularly one for supplying a community from a distance.
like. aqueous adj. Of, pertaining to, or containing water.
anonymous adj. Of unknown authorship. arbiter n. One chosen or appointed, by mutual consent of parties in dispute, to decide matters.
antagonism n. Mutual opposition or resistance of counteracting forces, principles, or arbitrary adj. Fixed or done capriciously.
persons. arbitrate v. To act or give judgment as umpire.
Antarctic adj. Pertaining to the south pole or the regions near it. arbor n. A tree.
ante v. In the game of poker, to put up a stake before the cards are dealt. arboreal adj. Of or pertaining to a tree or trees.
antecede v. To precede. arborescent adj. Having the nature of a tree.
antecedent n. One who or that which precedes or goes before, as in time, place, rank, arboretum n. A botanical garden or place devoted to the cultivation of trees or shrubs.
order, or causality. arboriculture n. The cultivation of trees or shrubs.
antechamber n. A waiting room for those who seek audience. arcade n. A vaulted passageway or street; a roofed passageway having shops, etc., opening from it.
antedate v. To assign or affix a date to earlier than the actual one. archaic adj. Antiquated
antediluvian adj. Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before the great flood in the archaism n. Obsolescence.
days of Noah. archangel n. An angel of high rank.
antemeridian adj. Before noon. archbishop n. The chief of the bishops of an ecclesiastical province in the Greek, Roman,
antemundane adj. Pertaining to time before the world's creation. and Anglican church.
antenatal adj. Occurring or existing before birth. archdeacon n. A high official administrator of the affairs of a diocese.
anterior adj. Prior. archaeology n. The branch of anthropology concerned with the systematic investigation of
anteroom n. A room situated before and opening into another, usually larger. the relics of man.
anthology n. A collection of extracts from the writings of various authors. archetype n. A prototype.
anthracite n. Hard coal. archipelago n. Any large body of water studded with islands, or the islands collectively
anthropology n. The science of man in general. themselves.
anthropomorphous adj. Having or resembling human form. ardent adj. Burning with passion.
antic n. A grotesque, ludicrous, or fantastic action. ardor n. Intensity of passion or affection.
Antichrist n. Any opponent or enemy of Christ, whether a person or a power. arid adj. Very dry.
anticlimax n. A gradual or sudden decrease in the importance or impressiveness of what is said. aristocracy n. A hereditary nobility
anticyclone n. An atmospheric condition of high central pressure, with currents flowing outward. aristocrat n. A hereditary noble or one nearly connected with nobility.
antidote n. Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison, disease, or the armada n. A fleet of war-vessels.
like. armful n. As much as can be held in the arm or arms.
antilogy n. Inconsistency or contradiction in terms or ideas. armory n. An arsenal.
antipathize v. To show or feel a feeling of antagonism, aversion, or dislike. aroma n. An agreeable odor.
antiphon n. A response or alteration of responses, generally musical. arraign v. To call into court, as a person indicted for crime, and demand whether he pleads
antiphony n. An anthem or other composition sung responsively. guilty or not.
antipodes n. A place or region on the opposite side of the earth. arrange v. To put in definite or proper order.
antiquary n. One who collects and examines old things, as coins, books, medals, weapons, etc. arrangement n. The act of putting in proper order, or the state of being put in order.
antiquate v. To make old or out of date. arrant adj. Notoriously bad.
antique adj. Pertaining to ancient times. arrear n. Something overdue and unpaid.
antiseptic n. Anything that destroys or restrains the growth of putrefactive micro- arrival n. A coming to stopping-place or destination.
organisms. arrogant adj. Unduly or excessively proud, as of wealth, station, learning, etc.
antislavery adj. Opposed to human slavery. arrogate v. To take, demand, or claim, especially presumptuously or without reasons or
antispasmodic adj. Tending to prevent or relieve non-inflammatory spasmodic affections. grounds.
antistrophe n. The inversion of terms in successive classes, as in “the home of joy” and Artesian well n. A very deep bored well. water rises due to underground pressure
“the joy of home”. artful adj. Characterized by craft or cunning.
antitoxin n. A substance which neutralizes the poisonous products of micro-organisms. Arthurian adj. Pertaining to King Arthur, the real or legendary hero of British poetic story.
antonym n. A word directly opposed to another in meaning. artifice n. Trickery.
anxious adj. Distressed in mind respecting some uncertain matter. artless adj. Ingenuous.
apathy n. Insensibility to emotion or passionate feeling. ascendant adj. Dominant.
aperture n. Hole. ascension n. The act of rising.
apex n. The highest point, as of a mountain. ascent n. A rising, soaring, or climbing.
aphorism n. Proverb. ascetic adj. Given to severe self-denial and practicing excessive abstinence and devotion.
apiary n. A place where bees are kept. ascribe v. To assign as a quality or attribute.
apogee n. The climax. asexual adj. Having no distinct sexual organs.
apology n. A disclaimer of intentional error or offense. ashen adj. Pale.
apostasy n. A total departure from one's faith or religion. askance adv. With a side or indirect glance or meaning.
apostate adj. False. asperity n. Harshness or roughness of temper.
apostle n. Any messenger commissioned by or as by divine authority. aspirant n. One who seeks earnestly, as for advancement, honors, place.
apothecary n. One who keeps drugs for sale and puts up prescriptions. aspiration n. An earnest wish for that which is above one's present reach.
apotheosis n. Deification. aspire v. To have an earnest desire, wish, or longing, as for something high and good, not
appall v. To fill with dismay or horror. yet attained.
apparent adj. Easily understood. assailant n. One who attacks.
apparition n. Ghost. assassin n. One who kills, or tries to kill, treacherously or secretly.
appease v. To soothe by quieting anger or indignation. assassinate v. To kill, as by surprise or secret assault, especially the killing of some eminent person.
appellate adj. Capable of being appealed to. assassination n. Murderer, as by secret assault or treachery.
appellation n. The name or title by which a particular person, class, or thing is called. assay n. The chemical analysis or testing of an alloy ore.
append v. To add or attach, as something accessory, subordinate, or supplementary. assent v. To express agreement with a statement or matter of opinion.
appertain v. To belong, as by right, fitness, association, classification, possession, or natural relation. assess v. To determine the amount of (a tax or other sum to be paid).
apposite adj. Appropriate. assessor n. An officer whose duty it is to assess taxes.
apposition n. The act of placing side by side, together, or in contact. assets n. pl. Property in general, regarded as applicable to the payment of debts.
appraise v. To estimate the money value of. assiduous adj. Diligent.
appreciable adj. Capable of being discerned by the senses or intellect. assignee n. One who is appointed to act for another in the management of certain property
apprehend v. To make a prisoner of (a person) in the name of the law. and interests.
apprehensible adj. Capable of being conceived. assimilate v. To adapt.
approbation n. Sanction. assonance n. Resemblance or correspondence in sound.
5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions – Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary!
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assonant adj. Having resemblance of sound. balsam n. A medical preparation, aromatic and oily, used for healing.
assonate v. To accord in sound, especially vowel sound. banal adj. Commonplace.
assuage v. To cause to be less harsh, violent, or severe, as excitement, appetite, pain, or barcarole n. A boat-song of Venetian gondoliers.
disease. barograph n. An instrument that registers graphically and continuously the atmospheric
astringent adj. Harsh in disposition or character. pressure.
astute adj. Keen in discernment. barometer n. An instrument for indicating the atmospheric pressure per unit of surface.
atheism n. The denial of the existence of God. barring prep. Apart from.
athirst adj. Wanting water. baritone adj. Having a register higher than bass and lower than tenor.
athwart adv. From side to side. bask v. To make warm by genial heat.
atomizer n. An apparatus for reducing a liquid to a fine spray, as for disinfection, inhalation, etc. bass adj. Low in tone or compass.
atone v. To make amends for. baste v. To cover with melted fat, gravy, while cooking.
atonement n. Amends, reparation, or expiation made from wrong or injury. baton n. An official staff borne either as a weapon or as an emblem of authority or
atrocious adj. Outrageously or wantonly wicked, criminal, vile, or cruel. privilege.
atrocity n. Great cruelty or reckless wickedness. battalion n. A body of infantry composed of two or more companies, forming a part of a
attaché n. A subordinate member of a diplomatic embassy. regiment.
attest v. To certify as accurate, genuine, or true. batten n. A narrow strip of wood.
attorney-general n. The chief law-officer of a government. batter n. A thick liquid mixture of two or more materials beaten together, to be used in cookery.
auburn adj. Reddish-brown, said usually of the hair. bauble n. A trinket.
audacious adj. Fearless. bawl v. To proclaim by outcry.
audible adj. Loud enough to be heard. beatify v. To make supremely happy.
audition n. The act or sensation of hearing. beatitude n. Any state of great happiness.
auditory adj. Of or pertaining to hearing or the organs or sense of hearing. beau n. An escort or lover.
augment v. To make bigger. becalm v. To make quiet.
augur v. To predict. beck v. To give a signal to, by nod or gesture.
Augustinian adj. Pertaining to St. Augustine, his doctrines, or the religious orders called bedaub v. To smear over, as with something oily or sticky.
after him. bedeck v. To cover with ornament.
aura n. Pervasive psychic influence supposed to emanate from persons bedlam n. Madhouse.
aural adj. Of or pertaining to the ear. befog v. To confuse.
auricle n. One of the two chambers of the heart which receives the blood from the veins. befriend v. To be a friend to, especially when in need.
auricular adj. Of or pertaining to the ear, its auricle, or the sense of hearing. beget v. To produce by sexual generation.
auriferous adj. Containing gold. begrudge v. To envy one of the possession of.
aurora n. A luminous phenomenon in the upper regions of the atmosphere. belate v. To delay past the proper hour.
auspice n. favoring, protecting, or propitious influence or guidance. belay v. To make fast, as a rope, by winding round a cleat.
austere adj. Severely simple; unadorned. belie v. To misrepresent.
autarchy n. Unrestricted power. believe v. To accept as true on the testimony or authority of others.
authentic adj. Of undisputed origin. belittle v. To disparage.
authenticity n. The state or quality of being genuine, or of the origin and authorship belle n. A woman who is a center of attraction because of her beauty, accomplishments,
claimed. etc.
autobiography n. The story of one's life written by himself. bellicose adj. Warlike.
autocracy n. Absolute government. belligerent adj. Manifesting a warlike spirit.
autocrat n. Any one who claims or wields unrestricted or undisputed authority or influence. bemoan v. To lament
automaton n. Any living being whose actions are or appear to be involuntary or benediction n. a solemn invocation of the divine blessing.
mechanical. benefactor n. A doer of kindly and charitable acts.
autonomous adj. Self-governing. benefice n. A church office endowed with funds or property for the maintenance of divine
autonomy n. Self-government. service.
autopsy n. The examination of a dead body by dissection to ascertain the cause of death. beneficent adj. Characterized by charity and kindness.
autumnal adj. Of or pertaining to autumn. beneficial adj. Helpful.
auxiliary n. One who or that which aids or helps, especially when regarded as subsidiary beneficiary n. One who is lawfully entitled to the profits and proceeds of an estate or
or accessory. property.
avalanche n. The fall or sliding of a mass of snow or ice down a mountain-slope, often benefit n. Helpful result.
bearing with it rock. benevolence n. Any act of kindness or well-doing.
avarice n. Passion for getting and keeping riches. benevolent adj. Loving others and actively desirous of their well-being.
aver v. To assert as a fact. benign adj. Good and kind of heart.
averse adj. Reluctant. benignant adj. Benevolent in feeling, character, or aspect.
aversion n. A mental condition of fixed opposition to or dislike of some particular thing. benignity n. Kindness of feeling, disposition, or manner.
avert v. To turn away or aside. benison n. Blessing.
aviary n. A spacious cage or enclosure in which live birds are kept. bequeath v. To give by will.
avidity n. Greediness. bereave v. To make desolate with loneliness and grief.
avocation n. Diversion. berth n. A bunk or bed in a vessel, sleeping-car, etc.
avow v. To declare openly. beseech v. To implore.
awaken v. To arouse, as emotion, interest, or the like. beset v. To attack on all sides.
awry adv. & adj. Out of the proper form, direction, or position. besmear v. To smear over, as with any oily or sticky substance.
aye adv. An expression of assent. bestial adj. Animal.
azalea n. A flowering shrub. bestrew v. To sprinkle or cover with things strewn.
azure n. The color of the sky. bestride v. To get or sit upon astride, as a horse.
Baconian adj. Of or pertaining to Lord Bacon or his system of philosophy. bethink v. To remind oneself.
bacterium n. A microbe. betide v. To happen to or befall.
badger v. To pester. betimes adv. In good season or time.
baffle v. To foil or frustrate. betroth v. To engage to marry.
bailiff n. An officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment. betrothal n. Engagement to marry.
baize n. A single-colored napped woolen fabric used for table-covers, curtains, etc. bevel n. Any inclination of two surfaces other than 90 degrees.
bale n. A large package prepared for transportation or storage. bewilder v. To confuse the perceptions or judgment of.
baleful adj. Malignant. bibliomania n. The passion for collecting books.
ballad n. Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form. bibliography n. A list of the words of an author, or the literature bearing on a particular subject.
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bibliophile n. One who loves books. Briticism n. A word, idiom, or phrase characteristic of Great Britain or the British.
bibulous adj. Fond of drinking. brittle adj. Fragile.
bide v. To await. broach v. To mention, for the first time.
biennial n. A plant that produces leaves and roots the first year and flowers and fruit the second. broadcast adj. Disseminated far and wide.
bier n. A horizontal framework with two handles at each end for carrying a corpse to the grave. brogan n. A coarse, heavy shoe.
bigamist n. One who has two spouses at the same time. brogue n. Any dialectic pronunciation of English, especially that of the Irish people.
bigamy n. The crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living. brokerage n. The business of making sales and purchases for a commission; a broker.
bight n. A slightly receding bay between headlands, formed by a long curve of a coast-line. bromine n. A dark reddish-brown, non-metallic liquid element with a suffocating odor.
bilateral adj. Two-sided. bronchitis n. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
bilingual adj. Speaking two languages. bronchus n. Either of the two subdivisions of the trachea conveying air into the lungs.
biograph n. A bibliographical sketch or notice. brooch n. An article of jewelry fastened by a hinged pin and hook on the underside.
biography n. A written account of one's life, actions, and character. brotherhood n. Spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity.
biology n. The science of life or living organisms. browbeat v. To overwhelm, or attempt to do so, by stern, haughty, or rude address or manner.
biped n. An animal having two feet. brusque adj. Somewhat rough or rude in manner or speech.
birthright n. A privilege or possession into which one is born. buffoon n. A clown.
bitterness n. Acridity, as to the taste. buffoonery n. Low drollery, coarse jokes, etc.
blasé adj. Sated with pleasure. bulbous adj. Of, or pertaining to, or like a bulb.
blaspheme v. To indulge in profane oaths. bullock n. An ox.
blatant adj. Noisily or offensively loud or clamorous. bulrush n. Any one of various tall rush-like plants growing in damp ground or water.
blaze n. A vivid glowing flame. bulwark n. Anything that gives security or defense.
blazon v. To make widely or generally known. bumper n. A cup or glass filled to the brim, especially one to be drunk as a toast or health.
bleak adj. Desolate. bumptious adj. Full of offensive and aggressive self-conceit.
blemish n. A mark that mars beauty. bungle v. To execute clumsily.
blithe adj. Joyous. buoyancy n. Power or tendency to float on or in a liquid or gas.
blithesome adj. Cheerful. buoyant adj. Having the power or tendency to float or keep afloat.
blockade n. The shutting up of a town, a frontier, or a line of coast by hostile forces. bureau n. A chest of drawers for clothing, etc.
boatswain n. A subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, bureaucracy n. Government by departments of men transacting particular branches of
anchors, etc. public business.
bodice n. A women's ornamental corset-shaped laced waist. burgess n. In colonial times, a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland or
bodily adj. Corporeal. Virginia.
boisterous adj. Unchecked merriment or animal spirits. burgher n. An inhabitant, citizen or freeman of a borough burgh, or corporate town.
bole n. The trunk or body of a tree. burnish v. To make brilliant or shining.
bolero n. A Spanish dance, illustrative of the passion of love, accompanied by caste nets and singing. bursar n. A treasurer.
boll n. A round pod or seed-capsule, as a flax or cotton. bustle v. To hurry.
bolster v. To support, as something wrong. butt v. To strike with or as with the head, or horns.
bomb n. A hollow projectile containing an explosive material. butte n. A conspicuous hill, low mountain, or natural turret, generally isolated.
bombard v. To assail with any missile or with abusive speech. buttress n. Any support or prop.
bombardier n. A person who has charge of mortars, bombs, and shells. by-law n. A rule or law adopted by an association, a corporation, or the like.
bombast n. Inflated or extravagant language, especially on unimportant subjects. cabal n. A number of persons secretly united for effecting by intrigue some private
boorish adj. Rude. purpose.
bore v. To weary by tediousness or dullness. cabalism n. Superstitious devotion to one's religion.
borough n. An incorporated village or town. cabinet n. The body of men constituting the official advisors of the executive head of a
bosom n. The breast or the upper front of the thorax of a human being, especially of a woman. nation.
botanical adj. Connected with the study or cultivation of plants. cacophony n. A disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or
botanize v. To study plant-life. tones.
botany n. The science that treats of plants. cadaverous adj. Resembling a corpse.
bountiful adj. Showing abundance. cadence n. Rhythmical or measured flow or movement, as in poetry or the time and pace
Bowdlerize v. To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting words or of marching troops.
passages. cadenza n. An embellishment or flourish, prepared or improvised, for a solo voice or instrument.
bowler n. In cricket, the player who delivers the ball. caitiff adj. Cowardly.
boycott v. To place the products or merchandise of under a ban. cajole v. To impose on or dupe by flattering speech.
brae n. Hillside. cajolery n. Delusive speech.
braggart n. A vain boaster. calculable adj. That may be estimated by reckoning.
brandish v. To wave, shake, or flourish triumphantly or defiantly, as a sword or spear. calculus n. A concretion formed in various parts of the body resembling a pebble in
bravado n. An aggressive display of boldness. hardness.
bravo interj. Well done. callosity n. The state of being hard and insensible.
bray n. A loud harsh sound, as the cry of an ass or the blast of a horn. callow adj. Without experience of the world.
braze v. To make of or ornament with brass. calorie n. Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree centigrade.
brazier n. An open pan or basin for holding live coals. calumny n. Slander.
breach n. The violation of official duty, lawful right, or a legal obligation. Calvary n. The place where Christ was crucified.
breaker n. One who trains horses, dogs, etc. Calvinism n. The system of doctrine taught by John Calvin.
breech n. The buttocks. Calvinize v. To teach or imbue with the doctrines of Calvinism.
brethren n. pl. Members of a brotherhood, gild, profession, association, or the like. came n. A leaden sash-bar or grooved strip for fastening panes in stained-glass windows.
brevity n. Shortness of duration. cameo n. Any small engraved or carved work in relief.
bric-a-brac n. Objects of curiosity or for decoration. campaign n. A complete series of connected military operations.
bridle n. The head-harness of a horse consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and the reins. Canaanite n. A member of one of the three tribes that dwelt in the land of Canaan, or
brigade n. A body of troops consisting of two or more regiments. western Palestine.
brigadier n. General officer who commands a brigade, ranking between a colonel and a canary adj. Of a bright but delicate yellow.
major-general. candid adj. Straightforward.
brigand n. One who lives by robbery and plunder. candor n. The quality of frankness or outspokenness.
brimstone n. Sulfur. canine adj. Characteristic of a dog.
brine n. Water saturated with salt. canon n. Any rule or law.
bristle n. One of the coarse, stiff hairs of swine: used in brush-making, etc. cant v. To talk in a singsong, preaching tone with affected solemnity.
Britannia n. The United Kingdom of Great Britain. cantata n. A choral composition.
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canto n. One of the divisions of an extended poem. chronology n. The science that treats of computation of time or of investigation and
cantonment n. The part of the town or district in which the troops are quartered. arrangement of events.
capacious adj. Roomy. chronometer n. A portable timekeeper of the highest attainable precision.
capillary n. A minute vessel having walls composed of a single layer of cells. cipher v. To calculate arithmetically. (also a noun meaning zero or nothing)
capitulate v. To surrender or stipulate terms. circulate v. To disseminate.
caprice n. A whim. circumference n. The boundary-line of a circle.
caption n. A heading, as of a chapter, section, document, etc. circumlocution n. Indirect or roundabout expression.
captious adj. Hypercritical. circumnavigate v. To sail quite around.
captivate v. To fascinate, as by excellence. eloquence, or beauty. circumscribe v. To confine within bounds.
carcass n. The dead body of an animal. circumspect adj. Showing watchfulness, caution, or careful consideration.
cardiac adj. Pertaining to the heart. citadel n. Any strong fortress.
cardinal adj. Of prime or special importance. cite v. To refer to specifically.
caret n. A sign (^) placed below a line, indicating where omitted words, etc., should be inserted. claimant n. One who makes a claim or demand, as of right.
caricature n. a picture or description in which natural characteristics are exaggerated or clairvoyance n. Intuitive sagacity or perception.
distorted. clamorous adj. Urgent in complaint or demand.
carnage n. Massacre. clan n. A tribe.
carnal adj. Sensual. clandestine adj. Surreptitious.
carnivorous adj. Eating or living on flesh. clangor n. Clanking or a ringing, as of arms, chains, or bells; clamor.
carouse v. To drink deeply and in boisterous or jovial manner. clarify v. To render intelligible.
carrion n. Dead and putrefying flesh. clarion n. A small shrill trumpet or bugle.
cartilage n. An elastic animal tissue of firm consistence. classify v. To arrange in a class or classes on the basis of observed resemblance; and differences.
cartridge n. A charge for a firearm, or for blasting. clearance n. A certificate from the proper authorities that a vessel has complied with the
caste n. The division of society on artificial grounds. law and may sail.
castigate v. To punish. clemency n. Mercy.
casual adj. Accidental, by chance. clement adj. Compassionate.
casualty n. A fatal or serious accident or disaster. close-hauled adj. Having the sails set for sailing as close to the wind as possible.
cataclysm n. Any overwhelming flood of water. clothier n. One who makes or sells cloth or clothing.
cataract n. Opacity of the lens of the eye resulting in complete or partial blindness. clumsy adj. Awkward of movement.
catastrophe n. Any great and sudden misfortune or calamity. coagulate v. To change into a clot or a jelly, as by heat, by chemical action, or by a
cathode n. The negative pole or electrode of a galvanic battery. ferment.
Catholicism n. The system, doctrine, and practice of the Roman Catholic Church. coagulant adj. Producing coagulation.
catholicity n. Universal prevalence or acceptance. coalescence n. The act or process of coming together so as to form one body,
cat-o-nine-tails n. An instrument consisting of nine pieces of cord, formerly used for combination, or product.
flogging in the army and navy. coalition n. Combination in a body or mass.
caucus n. A private meeting of members of a political party to select candidates. coddle v. To treat as a baby or an invalid.
causal adj. Indicating or expressing a cause. codicil n. A supplement adding to, revoking, or explaining in the body of a will.
caustic adj. Sarcastic and severe. coerce v. To force.
cauterize v. To burn or sear as with a heated iron. coercion n. Forcible constraint or restraint, moral or physical.
cede v. To pass title to. coercive adj. Serving or tending to force.
censor n. An official examiner of manuscripts empowered to prohibit their publication. cogent adj. Appealing strongly to the reason or conscience.
censorious adj. Judging severely or harshly. cognate adj. Akin.
census n. An official numbering of the people of a country or district. cognizant adj. Taking notice.
centenary adj. Pertaining to a hundred years or a period of a hundred years. cohere v. To stick together.
centiliter n. A hundredth of a liter. cohesion n. Consistency.
centimeter n. A length of one hundredth of a meter. cohesive adj. Having the property of consistency.
centurion n. A captain of a company of one hundred infantry in the ancient Roman army. coincide v. To correspond.
cereal adj. Pertaining to edible grain or farinaceous seeds. coincidence n. A circumstance so agreeing with another: often implying accident.
ceremonial adj. Characterized by outward form or ceremony. coincident adj. Taking place at the same time.
ceremonious adj. Observant of ritual. collaborate v. To labor or cooperate with another or others, especially in literary or scientific pursuits.
cessation n. Discontinuance, as of action or motion. collapse v. To cause to shrink, fall in, or fail.
cession n. Surrender, as of possessions or rights. collapsible adj. That may or can collapse.
chagrin n. Keen vexation, annoyance, or mortification, as at one's failures or errors. colleague n. An associate in professional employment.
chameleon adj. Changeable in appearance. collective adj. Consisting of a number of persons or objects considered as gathered into a
chancery n. A court of equity, as distinguished from a common-law court. mass, or sum.
chaos n. Any condition of which the elements or parts are in utter disorder and confusion. collector n. One who makes a collection, as of objects of art, books, or the like.
characteristic n. A distinctive feature. collegian n. A college student.
characterize v. To describe by distinctive marks or peculiarities. collide v. To meet and strike violently.
charlatan n. A quack. collier n. One who works in a coal-mine.
chasm n. A yawning hollow, as in the earth's surface. collision n. Violent contact.
chasten v. To purify by affliction. colloquial adj. Pertaining or peculiar to common speech as distinguished from literary.
chastise v. To subject to punitive measures. colloquialism n. Form of speech used only or chiefly in conversation.
chastity n. Sexual or moral purity. colloquy n. Conversation.
chateau n. A castle or manor-house. collusion n. A secret agreement for a wrongful purpose.
chattel n. Any article of personal property. colossus n. Any strikingly great person or object.
check v. To hold back. comely adj. Handsome.
chiffon n. A very thin gauze used for trimmings, evening dress, etc. comestible adj. Fit to be eaten.
chivalry n. The knightly system of feudal times with its code, usages and practices. comical adj. Funny.
cholera n. An acute epidemic disease. commemorate v. To serve as a remembrance of.
choleric adj. Easily provoked to anger. commentary n. A series of illustrative or explanatory notes on any important work.
choral adj. Pertaining to, intended for, or performed by a chorus or choir. commingle v. To blend.
Christ n. A title of Jesus commissariat n. The department of an army charged with the provision of its food and
christen v. To name in baptism. water and daily needs.
Christendom n. That part of the world where Christianity is generally professed. commission v. To empower.
chromatic adj. Belonging, relating to, or abounding in color. commitment n. The act or process of entrusting or consigning for safe-keeping.
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committal n. The act, fact, or result of committing, or the state of being confiscate v. To appropriate (private property) as forfeited to the public use or treasury.
commodity n. Something that is bought and sold. conflagration n. A great fire, as of many buildings, a forest, or the like.
commotion n. A disturbance or violent agitation. confluence n. The place where streams meet.
commute v. To put something, especially something less severe, in place of. confluent n. A stream that unites with another.
comparable adj. Fit to be compared. conformance n. The act or state or conforming.
comparative adj. Relative. conformable adj. Harmonious.
comparison n. Examination of two or more objects with reference to their likeness or conformation n. General structure, form, or outline.
unlikeness. conformity n. Correspondence in form, manner, or use.
compensate v. To remunerate. confront v. To encounter, as difficulties or obstacles.
competence n. Adequate qualification or capacity. congeal v. To coagulate.
competent adj. Qualified. congenial adj. Having kindred character or tastes.
competitive adj. characterized by rivalry. congest v. To collect into a mass.
competitor n. A rival. congregate v. To bring together into a crowd.
complacence n. Satisfaction with one's acts or surroundings. coniferous adj. Cone-bearing trees.
complacent adj. Pleased or satisfied with oneself. conjecture n. A guess.
complaisance n. Politeness. conjoin v. To unite.
complaisant adj. Agreeable. conjugal adj. Pertaining to marriage, marital rights, or married persons.
complement v. To make complete. conjugate adj. Joined together in pairs.
complex adj. Complicated. conjugation n. The state or condition of being joined together.
compliant adj. Yielding. conjunction n. The state of being joined together, or the things so joined.
complicate v. To make complex, difficult, or hard to deal with. connive v. To be in collusion.
complication n. An intermingling or combination of things or parts, especially in a perplexing manner. connoisseur n. A critical judge of art, especially one with thorough knowledge and sound
complicity n. Participation or partnership, as in wrong-doing or with a wrong-doer. judgment of art.
compliment v. To address or gratify with expressions of delicate praise. connote v. To mean; signify.
component n. A constituent element or part. connubial adj. Pertaining to marriage or matrimony.
comport v. To conduct or behave (oneself). conquer v. To overcome by force.
composure n. Calmness. consanguineous adj. Descended from the same parent or ancestor.
comprehensible adj. Intelligible. conscience n. The faculty in man by which he distinguishes between right and wrong in
comprehension n. Ability to know. character and conduct.
comprehensive adj. Large in scope or content. conscientious adj. Governed by moral standard.
compress v. To press together or into smaller space. conscious adj. Aware that one lives, feels, and thinks.
compressible adj. Capable of being pressed into smaller compass. conscript v. To force into military service.
compression n. Constraint, as by force or authority. consecrate v. To set apart as sacred.
comprise v. To consist of. consecutive adj. Following in uninterrupted succession.
compulsion n. Coercion. consensus n. A collective unanimous opinion of a number of persons.
compulsory adj. Forced. conservatism n. Tendency to adhere to the existing order of things.
compunction n. Remorseful feeling. conservative adj. Adhering to the existing order of things.
compute v. To ascertain by mathematical calculation. conservatory n. An institution for instruction and training in music and declamation.
concede v. To surrender. consign v. To entrust.
conceit n. Self-flattering opinion. consignee n. A person to whom goods or other property has been entrusted.
conceive v. To form an idea, mental image or thought of. consignor n. One who entrusts.
concerto n. A musical composition. consistency n. A state of permanence.
concession n. Anything granted or yielded, or admitted in response to a demand, petition, console v. To comfort.
or claim. consolidate v. To combine into one body or system.
conciliate v. To obtain the friendship of. consonance n. The state or quality of being in accord with.
conciliatory adj. Tending to reconcile. consonant adj. Being in agreement or harmony with.
conclusive adj. Sufficient to convince or decide. consort n. A companion or associate.
concord n. Harmony. conspicuous adj. Clearly visible.
concordance n. Harmony. conspirator n. One who agrees with others to cooperate in accomplishing some unlawful purpose.
concur v. To agree. conspire v. To plot.
concurrence n. Agreement. constable n. An officer whose duty is to maintain the peace.
concurrent adj. Occurring or acting together. constellation n. An arbitrary assemblage or group of stars.
concussion n. A violent shock to some organ by a fall or a sudden blow. consternation n. Panic.
condensation n. The act or process of making dense or denser. constituency n. The inhabitants or voters in a district represented in a legislative body.
condense v. To abridge. constituent n. One who has the right to vote at an election.
condescend v. To come down voluntarily to equal terms with inferiors. constrict v. To bind.
condolence n. Expression of sympathy with a person in pain, sorrow, or misfortune. consul n. An officer appointed to reside in a foreign city, chiefly to represent his country.
conduce v. To bring about. consulate n. The place in which a consul transacts official business.
conducive adj. Contributing to an end. consummate v. To bring to completion.
conductible adj. Capable of being conducted or transmitted. consumption n. Gradual destruction, as by burning, eating, etc., or by using up, wearing
conduit n. A means for conducting something, particularly a tube, pipe, or passageway for out, etc.
a fluid. consumptive adj. Designed for gradual destruction.
confectionery n. The candy collectively that a confectioner makes or sells, as candy. contagion n. The communication of disease from person to person.
confederacy n. A number of states or persons in compact or league with each other, as for contagious adj. Transmitting disease.
mutual aid. contaminate v. To pollute.
confederate n. One who is united with others in a league, compact, or agreement. contemplate v. To consider thoughtfully.
confer v. To bestow. contemporaneous adj. Living, occurring, or existing at the same time.
conferee n. A person with whom another confers. contemporary adj. Living or existing at the same time.
confessor n. A spiritual advisor. contemptible adj. Worthy of scorn or disdain.
confidant n. One to whom secrets are entrusted. contemptuous adj. Disdainful.
confide v. To reveal in trust or confidence. contender n. One who exerts oneself in opposition or rivalry.
confidence n. The state or feeling of trust in or reliance upon another. contiguity n. Proximity.
confident adj. Assured. contiguous adj. Touching or joining at the edge or boundary.
confinement n. Restriction within limits or boundaries. continence n. Self-restraint with respect to desires, appetites, and passion.
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contingency n. Possibility of happening. cosmography n. The science that describes the universe, including astronomy,
contingent adj. Not predictable. geography, and geology.
continuance n. Permanence. cosmology n. The general science of the universe.
continuation n. Prolongation. cosmopolitan adj. Common to all the world.
continuity n. Uninterrupted connection in space, time, operation, or development. cosmopolitanism n. A cosmopolitan character.
continuous adj. Connected, extended, or prolonged without separation or interruption of cosmos n. The world or universe considered as a system, perfect in order and
sequence. arrangement.
contort v. To twist into a misshapen form. counter-claim n. A cross-demand alleged by a defendant in his favor against the plaintiff.
contraband n. Trade forbidden by law or treaty. counteract v. To act in opposition to.
contradiction n. The assertion of the opposite of that which has been said. counterbalance v. To oppose with an equal force.
contradictory adj. Inconsistent with itself. countercharge v. To accuse in return.
contraposition n. A placing opposite. counterfeit adj. Made to resemble something else.
contravene v. To prevent or obstruct the operation of. counterpart n. Something taken with another for the completion of either.
contribution n. The act of giving for a common purpose. countervail v. To offset.
contributor n. One who gives or furnishes, in common with others, for a common purpose. counting-house n. A house or office used for transacting business, bookkeeping,
contrite adj. Broken in spirit because of a sense of sin. correspondence, etc.
contrivance n. The act planning, devising, inventing, or adapting something to or for a countryman n. A rustic.
special purpose. courageous adj. Brave.
contrive v. To manage or carry through by some device or scheme. course n. Line of motion or direction.
control v. To exercise a directing, restraining, or governing influence over. courser n. A fleet and spirited horse.
controller n. One who or that which regulates or directs. courtesy n. Politeness originating in kindness and exercised habitually.
contumacious adj. Rebellious. covenant n. An agreement entered into by two or more persons or parties.
contumacy n. Contemptuous disregard of the requirements of rightful authority. covert adj. Concealed, especially for an evil purpose.
contuse v. To bruise by a blow, either with or without the breaking of the skin. covey n. A flock of quails or partridges.
contusion n. A bruise. cower v. To crouch down tremblingly, as through fear or shame.
convalesce v. To recover after a sickness. coxswain n. One who steers a rowboat, or one who has charge of a ship's boat and its
convalescence n. The state of progressive restoration to health and strength after the crew under an officer.
cessation of disease. crag n. A rugged, rocky projection on a cliff or ledge.
convalescent adj. Recovering health after sickness. cranium n. The skull of an animal, especially that part enclosing the brain.
convene v. To summon or cause to assemble. crass adj. Coarse or thick in nature or structure, as opposed to thin or fine.
convenience n. Fitness, as of time or place. craving n. A vehement desire.
converge v. To cause to incline and approach nearer together. creak n. A sharp, harsh, squeaking sound.
convergent adj. Tending to one point. creamery n. A butter-making establishment.
conversant adj. Thoroughly informed. creamy adj. Resembling or containing cream.
conversion n. Change from one state or position to another, or from one form to another. credence n. Belief.
convertible adj. Interchangeable. credible adj. Believable.
convex adj. Curving like the segment of the globe or of the surface of a circle. credulous adj. Easily deceived.
conveyance n. That by which anything is transported. creed n. A formal summary of fundamental points of religious belief.
convivial adj. Devoted to feasting, or to good-fellowship in eating or drinking. crematory adj. A place for cremating dead bodies.
convolution n. A winding motion. crevasse n. A deep crack or fissure in the ice of a glacier.
convolve v. To move with a circling or winding motion. crevice n. A small fissure, as between two contiguous surfaces.
convoy n. A protecting force accompanying property in course of transportation. criterion n. A standard by which to determine the correctness of a judgment or conclusion.
convulse v. To cause spasms in. critique n. A criticism or critical review.
convulsion n. A violent and abnormal muscular contraction of the body. crockery n. Earthenware made from baked clay.
copious adj. Plenteous. crucible n. A trying and purifying test or agency.
coquette n. A flirt. crusade n. Any concerted movement, vigorously prosecuted, in behalf of an idea or
cornice n. An ornamental molding running round the walls of a room close to the ceiling. principle.
cornucopia n. The horn of plenty, symbolizing peace and prosperity. crustacean adj. Pertaining to a division of arthropods, containing lobsters, crabs, crawfish, etc.
corollary n. A proposition following so obviously from another that it requires little crustaceous adj. Having a crust-like shell.
demonstration. cryptogram n. Anything written in characters that are secret or so arranged as to have
coronation n. The act or ceremony of crowning a monarch. hidden meaning.
coronet n. Inferior crown denoting, according to its form, various degrees of noble rank crystallize v. To bring together or give fixed shape to.
less than sovereign. cudgel n. A short thick stick used as a club.
corporal adj. Belonging or relating to the body as opposed to the mind. culinary adj. Of or pertaining to cooking or the kitchen.
corporate adj. Belonging to a corporation. cull v. To pick or sort out from the rest.
corporeal adj. Of a material nature; physical. culpable adj. Guilty.
corps n. A number or body of persons in some way associated or acting together. culprit n. A guilty person.
corpse n. A dead body. culvert n. Any artificial covered channel for the passage of water through a bank or under
corpulent adj. Obese. a road, canal.
corpuscle n. A minute particle of matter. cupidity n. Avarice.
correlate v. To put in some relation of connection or correspondence. curable adj. Capable of being remedied or corrected.
correlative adj. Mutually involving or implying one another. curator n. A person having charge as of a library or museum.
corrigible adj. Capable of reformation. curio n. A piece of bric-a-brac.
corroborate v. To strengthen, as proof or conviction. cursive adj. Writing in which the letters are joined together.
corroboration n. Confirmation. cursory adj. Rapid and superficial.
corrode v. To ruin or destroy little by little. curt adj. Concise, compressed, and abrupt in act or expression.
corrosion n. Gradual decay by crumbling or surface disintegration. curtail v. To cut off or cut short.
corrosive n. That which causes gradual decay by crumbling or surface disintegration. curtsy n. A downward movement of the body by bending the knees.
corruptible adj. Open to bribery. cycloid adj. Like a circle.
corruption n. Loss of purity or integrity. cygnet n. A young swan.
cosmetic adj. Pertaining to the art of beautifying, especially the complexion. cynical adj. Exhibiting moral skepticism.
cosmic adj. Pertaining to the universe. cynicism n. Contempt for the opinions of others and of what others value.
cosmogony n. A doctrine of creation or of the origin of the universe. cynosure n. That to which general interest or attention is directed.
daring adj. Brave.
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descendant n. One who is descended lineally from another, as a child, grandchild, etc. diphthong n. The sound produced by combining two vowels in to a single syllable or
descendent adj. Proceeding downward. running together the sounds.
descent n. The act of moving or going downward. diplomacy n. Tact, shrewdness, or skill in conducting any kind of negotiations or in social
descry v. To discern. matters.
desert v. To abandon without regard to the welfare of the abandoned diplomat n. A representative of one sovereign state at the capital or court of another.
desiccant n. Any remedy which, when applied externally, dries up or absorbs moisture, as diplomatic adj. Characterized by special tact in negotiations.
that of wounds. diplomatist n. One remarkable for tact and shrewd management.
designate v. To select or appoint, as by authority. disagree v. To be opposite in opinion.
desist v. To cease from action. disallow v. To withhold permission or sanction.
desistance n. Cessation. disappear v. To cease to exist, either actually or for the time being.
despair n. Utter hopelessness and despondency. disappoint v. To fail to fulfill the expectation, hope, wish, or desire of.
desperado n. One without regard for law or life. disapprove v. To regard with blame.
desperate adj. Resorted to in a last extremity, or as if prompted by utter despair. disarm v. To deprive of weapons.
despicable adj. Contemptible. disarrange v. To throw out of order.
despite prep. In spite of. disavow v. To disclaim responsibility for.
despond v. To lose spirit, courage, or hope. disavowal n. Denial.
despondent adj. Disheartened. disbeliever n. One who refuses to believe.
despot n. An absolute and irresponsible monarch. disburden v. To disencumber.
despotism n. Any severe and strict rule in which the judgment of the governed has little or disburse v. To pay out or expend, as money from a fund.
no part. discard v. To reject.
destitute adj. Poverty-stricken. discernible adj. Perceivable.
desultory adj. Not connected with what precedes. disciple n. One who believes the teaching of another, or who adopts and follows some doctrine.
deter v. To frighten away. disciplinary adj. Having the nature of systematic training or subjection to authority.
deteriorate v. To grow worse. discipline v. To train to obedience.
determinate adj. Definitely limited or fixed. disclaim v. To disavow any claim to, connection with, or responsibility to.
determination n. The act of deciding. discolor v. To stain.
deterrent adj. Hindering from action through fear. discomfit v. To put to confusion.
detest v. To dislike or hate with intensity. discomfort n. The state of being positively uncomfortable.
detract v. To take away in such manner as to lessen value or estimation. disconnect v. To undo or dissolve the connection or association of.
detriment n. Something that causes damage, depreciation, or loss. disconsolate adj. Grief-stricken.
detrude v. To push down forcibly. discontinuance n. Interruption or intermission.
deviate v. To take a different course. discord n. Absence of harmoniousness.
devilry n. Malicious mischief. discountenance v. To look upon with disfavor.
deviltry n. Wanton and malicious mischief. discover v. To get first sight or knowledge of, as something previously unknown or unperceived.
devious adj. Out of the common or regular track. discredit v. To injure the reputation of.
devise v. To invent. discreet adj. Judicious.
devout adj. Religious. discrepant adj. Opposite.
dexterity n. Readiness, precision, efficiency, and ease in any physical activity or in any discriminate v. To draw a distinction.
mechanical work. discursive adj. Passing from one subject to another.
diabolic adj. Characteristic of the devil. discussion n. Debate.
diacritical adj. Marking a difference. disenfranchise v. To deprive of any right privilege or power
diagnose v. To distinguish, as a disease, by its characteristic phenomena. disengage v. To become detached.
diagnosis n. Determination of the distinctive nature of a disease. disfavor n. Disregard.
dialect n. Forms of speech collectively that are peculiar to the people of a particular district. disfigure v. To impair or injure the beauty, symmetry, or appearance of.
dialectician n. A logician. dishabille n. Undress or negligent attire.
dialogue n. A formal conversation in which two or more take part. dishonest adj. Untrustworthy.
diaphanous adj. Transparent. disillusion v. To disenchant.
diatomic adj. Containing only two atoms. disinfect v. To remove or destroy the poison of infectious or contagious diseases.
diatribe n. A bitter or malicious criticism. disinfectant n. A substance used to destroy the germs of infectious diseases.
dictum n. A positive utterance. disinherit v. To deprive of an inheritance.
didactic adj. Pertaining to teaching. disinterested adj. Impartial.
difference n. Dissimilarity in any respect. disjunctive adj. Helping or serving to disconnect or separate.
differentia n. Any essential characteristic of a species by reason of which it differs from other species. dislocate v. To put out of proper place or order.
differential adj. Distinctive. dismissal n. Displacement by authority from an office or an employment.
differentiate v. To acquire a distinct and separate character. dismount v. To throw down, push off, or otherwise remove from a horse or the like.
diffidence n. Self-distrust. disobedience n. Neglect or refusal to comply with an authoritative injunction.
diffident adj. Affected or possessed with self-distrust. disobedient adj. Neglecting or refusing to obey.
diffusible adj. Spreading rapidly through the system and acting quickly. disown v. To refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as connected with oneself.
diffusion n. Dispersion. disparage v. To regard or speak of slightingly.
dignitary n. One who holds high rank. disparity n. Inequality.
digraph n. A union of two characters representing a single sound. dispel v. To drive away by or as by scattering in different directions.
digress v. To turn aside from the main subject and for a time dwell on some incidental dispensation n. That which is bestowed on or appointed to one from a higher power.
matter. displace v. To put out of the proper or accustomed place.
dilapidated pa. Fallen into decay or partial ruin. dispossess v. To deprive of actual occupancy, especially of real estate.
dilate v. To enlarge in all directions. disputation n. Verbal controversy.
dilatory adj. Tending to cause delay. disqualify v. To debar.
dilemma n. A situation in which a choice between opposing modes of conduct is disquiet v. To deprive of peace or tranquility.
necessary. disregard v. To take no notice of.
dilettante n. A superficial amateur. disreputable adj. Dishonorable or disgraceful.
diligence n. Careful and persevering effort to accomplish what is undertaken. disrepute n. A bad name or character.
dilute v. To make more fluid or less concentrated by admixture with something. disrobe v. To unclothe.
diminution n. Reduction. disrupt v. To burst or break asunder.
dimly adv. Obscurely. dissatisfy v. To displease.
dissect v. To cut apart or to pieces.
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dissection n. The act or operation of cutting in pieces, specifically of a plant or an animal. donee n. A person to whom a donation is made.
dissemble v. To hide by pretending something different. donor n. One who makes a donation or present.
disseminate v. To sow or scatter abroad, as seed is sown. dormant adj. Being in a state of or resembling sleep.
dissension n. Angry or violent difference of opinion. doublet n. One of a pair of like things.
dissent n. Disagreement. doubly adv. In twofold degree or extent.
dissentient n. One who disagrees. dowry n. The property which a wife brings to her husband in marriage.
dissentious adj. Contentious. drachma n. A modern and an ancient Greek coin.
dissertation n. Thesis. dragnet n. A net to be drawn along the bottom of the water.
disservice n. An ill turn. dragoon n. In the British army, a cavalryman.
dissever v. To divide. drainage n. The means of draining collectively, as a system of conduits, trenches, pipes,
dissimilar adj. Different. etc.
dissipate v. To disperse or disappear. dramatist n. One who writes plays.
dissipation n. The state of being dispersed or scattered. dramatize v. To relate or represent in a dramatic or theatrical manner.
dissolute adj. Lewd. drastic adj. Acting vigorously.
dissolution n. A breaking up of a union of persons. drought n. Dry weather, especially when so long continued as to cause vegetation to
dissolve v. To liquefy or soften, as by heat or moisture. wither.
dissonance n. Discord. drowsy adj. Heavy with sleepiness.
dissonant adj. Harsh or disagreeable in sound. drudgery n. Hard and constant work in any menial or dull occupation.
dissuade v. To change the purpose or alter the plans of by persuasion, counsel, or dubious adj. Doubtful.
pleading. duckling n. A young duck.
dissuasion n. The act of changing the purpose of or altering the plans of through ductile adj. Capable of being drawn out, as into wire or a thread.
persuasion, or pleading. duet n. A composition for two voices or instruments.
disyllable n. A word of two syllables. dun v. To make a demand or repeated demands on for payment.
distemper n. A disease or malady. duplex adj. Having two parts.
distend v. To stretch out or expand in every direction. duplicity n. Double-dealing.
distensible adj. Capable of being stretched out or expanded in every direction. durance n. Confinement.
distention n. Expansion. duration n. The period of time during which anything lasts.
distill v. To extract or produce by vaporization and condensation. duteous adj. Showing submission to natural superiors.
distillation n. Separation of the more volatile parts of a substance from those less volatile. dutiable adj. Subject to a duty, especially a customs duty.
distiller n. One occupied in the business of distilling alcoholic liquors. dutiful adj. Obedient.
distinction n. A note or designation of honor, officially recognizing superiority or success in dwindle v. To diminish or become less.
studies. dyne n. The force which, applied to a mass of one gram for 1 second, would give it a
distort v. To twist into an unnatural or irregular form. velocity of 1 cm/s.
distrain v. To subject a person to distress. earnest adj. Ardent in spirit and speech.
distrainor n. One who subjects a person to distress. earthenware n. Anything made of clay and baked in a kiln or dried in the sun.
distraught adj. Bewildered. eatable adj. Edible.
distrust n. Lack of confidence in the power, wisdom, or good intent of any person. ebullient adj. Showing enthusiasm or exhilaration of feeling.
disunion n. Separation of relations or interests. eccentric adj. Peculiar.
diurnal adj. Daily. eccentricity n. Idiosyncrasy.
divagation n. Digression. eclipse n. The obstruction of a heavenly body by its entering into the shadow of another
divergent adj. Tending in different directions. body.
diverse adj. Capable of various forms. economize v. To spend sparingly.
diversion n. Pastime. ecstasy n. Rapturous excitement or exaltation.
diversity n. Dissimilitude. ecstatic adj. Enraptured.
divert v. To turn from the accustomed course or a line of action already established. edible adj. Suitable to be eaten.
divertible adj. Able to be turned from the accustomed course or a line of action already established. edict n. That which is uttered or proclaimed by authority as a rule of action.
divest v. To strip, specifically of clothes, ornaments, or accouterments or disinvestment. edify v. To build up, or strengthen, especially in morals or religion.
divination n. The pretended forecast of future events or discovery of what is lost or hidden. editorial n. An article in a periodical written by the editor and published as an official argument.
divinity n. The quality or character of being godlike. educe v. To draw out.
divisible adj. Capable of being separated into parts. efface v. To obliterate.
divisor n. That by which a number or quantity is divided. effect n. A consequence.
divulge v. To tell or make known, as something previously private or secret. effective adj. Fit for a destined purpose.
divulgence n. A divulging. effectual adj. Efficient.
docile adj. Easy to manage. effeminacy n. Womanishness.
docket n. The registry of judgments of a court. effeminate adj. Having womanish traits or qualities.
doe n. The female of the deer. effervesce v. To bubble up.
dogma n. A statement of religious faith or duty formulated by a body claiming authority. effervescent adj. Giving off bubbles of gas.
dogmatic adj. Making statements without argument or evidence. effete adj. Exhausted, as having performed its functions.
dogmatize v. To make positive assertions without supporting them by argument or efficacious adj. Effective.
evidence. efficacy n. The power to produce an intended effect as shown in the production of it.
doleful adj. Melancholy. efficiency n. The state of possessing adequate skill or knowledge for the performance of a duty.
dolesome adj. Melancholy. efficient adj. Having and exercising the power to produce effects or results.
dolor n. Lamentation. efflorescence n. The state of being flowery, or a flowery appearance.
dolorous adj. Expressing or causing sorrow or pain. efflorescent adj. Opening in flower.
domain n. A sphere or field of action or interest. effluvium n. A noxious or ill-smelling exhalation from decaying or putrefying matter.
domesticity n. Life in or fondness for one's home and family. effrontery n. Unblushing impudence.
domicile n. The place where one lives. effulgence n. Splendor.
dominance n. Ascendancy. effuse v. To pour forth.
dominant adj. Conspicuously prominent. effusion n. an outpouring.
dominate v. To influence controllingly. egoism n. The theory that places man's chief good in the completeness of self.
domination n. Control by the exercise of power or constituted authority. egoist n. One who advocates or practices egoism.
domineer v. To rule with insolence or unnecessary annoyance. egotism n. Self-conceit.
donate v. To bestow as a gift, especially for a worthy cause. egotist n. One given to self-mention or who is constantly telling of his own views and
donator n. One who makes a donation or present. experiences.
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fathom n. A measure of length, 6 feet. folio n. A sheet of paper folded once, or of a size adapted to folding once.
fatuous adj. Idiotic folklore n. The traditions, beliefs, and customs of the common people.
faulty adj. Imperfect. fondle v. To handle tenderly and lovingly.
faun n. One of a class of deities of the woods and herds represented as half human, with foolery n. Folly.
goats feet. foot-note n. A note of explanation or comment at the foot of a page or column.
fawn n. A young deer. foppery n. Dandyism.
fealty n. Loyalty. foppish adj. Characteristic of one who is unduly devoted to dress and the niceties of
feasible adj. That may be done, performed, or effected; practicable. manners.
federate v. To league together. forbearance n. Patient endurance or toleration of offenses.
feint n. Any sham, pretense, or deceptive movement. forby adv. Besides.
felicitate v. To wish joy or happiness to, especially in view of a coming event. forcible adj. Violent.
felicity n. A state of well-founded happiness. forecourt n. A court opening directly from the street.
felon n. A criminal or depraved person. forejudge v. To judge of before hearing evidence.
felonious adj. Showing criminal or evil purpose. forepeak n. The extreme forward part of a ship's hold, under the lowest deck.
felony n. One of the highest class of offenses, and punishable with death or imprisonment. foreshore n. That part of a shore uncovered at low tide.
feminine adj. Characteristic of woman or womankind. forebode v. To be an omen or warning sign of, especially of evil.
fernery n. A place in which ferns are grown. forecast v. To predict.
ferocious adj. Of a wild, fierce, and savage nature. forecastle n. That part of the upper deck of a ship forward of the after fore-shrouds.
ferocity n. Savageness. foreclose v. To bar by judicial proceedings the equitable right of a mortgagor to redeem
fervent adj. Ardent in feeling. property.
fervid adj. Intense. forefather n. An ancestor.
fervor n. Ardor or intensity of feeling. forego v. To deny oneself the pleasure or profit of.
festal adj. Joyous. foreground n. That part of a landscape or picture situated or represented as nearest the
festive adj. Merry. spectator.
fete n. A festival or feast. forehead n. The upper part of the face, between the eyes and the hair.
fetus n. The young in the womb or in the egg. foreign adj. Belonging to, situated in, or derived from another country.
feudal adj. Pertaining to the relation of lord and vassal. foreigner n. A citizen of a foreign country.
feudalism n. The feudal system. foreknowledge n. Prescience.
fez n. A brimless felt cap in the shape of a truncated cone, usually red with a black tassel. foreman n. The head man.
fiasco n. A complete or humiliating failure. foreordain v. To predetermine.
fickle adj. Unduly changeable in feeling, judgment, or purpose. foreordination n. Predestination.
fictitious adj. Created or formed by the imagination. forerun v. To go before as introducing or ushering in.
fidelity n. Loyalty. foresail n. A square sail.
fiducial adj. Indicative of faith or trust. foresee v. To discern beforehand.
fief n. A landed estate held under feudal tenure. foresight n. Provision against harm or need.
filibuster n. One who attempts to obstruct legislation. foretell v. To predict.
finale n. Concluding performance. forethought n. Premeditation.
finality n. The state or quality of being final or complete. forfeit v. To lose possession of through failure to fulfill some obligation.
finally adv. At last. forfend v. To ward off.
financial adj. Monetary. forgery n. Counterfeiting.
financier n. One skilled in or occupied with financial affairs or operations. forgo v. To deny oneself.
finery n. That which is used to decorate the person or dress. formation n. Relative disposition of parts.
finesse n. Subtle contrivance used to gain a point. formidable adj. Difficult to accomplish.
finite adj. Limited. formula n. Fixed rule or set form.
fiscal adj. Pertaining to the treasury or public finances of a government. forswear v. To renounce upon oath.
fishmonger n. One who sells fish. forte n. A strong point.
fissure n. A crack or crack-like depression. forth adv. Into notice or view.
fitful adj. Spasmodic. forthright adv. With directness.
fixture n. One who or that which is expected to remain permanently in its position. fortify v. To provide with defensive works.
flag-officer n. The captain of a flag-ship. fortitude n. Patient courage.
flagrant adj. Openly scandalous. foursome adj. Consisting of four.
flamboyant adj. Characterized by extravagance and in general by want of good taste. fracture n. A break.
flatulence n. Accumulation of gas in the stomach and bowels. fragile adj. Easily broken.
flection n. The act of bending. frailty n. Liability to be broken or destroyed.
fledgling n. A young bird. fragile adj. Capable of being broken.
flexible adj. Pliable. frankincense n. A gum or resin which on burning yields aromatic fumes.
flimsy adj. Thin and weak. frantic adj. Frenzied.
flippant adj. Having a light, pert, trifling disposition. fraternal adj. Brotherly.
floe n. A collection of tabular masses of floating polar ice. fraudulence n. Deceitfulness.
flora n. The aggregate of plants growing without cultivation in a district. fraudulent adj. Counterfeit.
floral adj. Pertaining to flowers. fray v. To fret at the edge so as to loosen or break the threads.
florid adj. Flushed with red. freemason n. A member of an ancient secret fraternity originally confined to skilled
florist n. A dealer in flowers. artisans.
fluctuate v. To pass backward and forward irregularly from one state or degree to another. freethinker n. One who rejects authority or inspiration in religion.
fluctuation n. Frequent irregular change back and forth from one state or degree to free trade n. Commerce unrestricted by tariff or customs.
another. frequency n. The comparative number of any kind of occurrences within a given time or space.
flue n. A smoke-duct in a chimney. fresco n. The art of painting on a surface of plaster, particularly on walls and ceilings.
fluent adj. Having a ready or easy flow of words or ideas. freshness n. The state, quality, or degree of being fresh.
fluential adj. Pertaining to streams. fretful adj. Disposed to peevishness.
flux n. A state of constant movement, change, or renewal. frightful adj. Apt to induce terror or alarm.
foggy adj. Obscure. frigid adj. Lacking warmth.
foible n. A personal weakness or failing. frigidarium n. A room kept at a low temperature for preserving fruits, meat, etc.
foist v. To palm off. frivolity n. A trifling act, thought, saying, or practice.
foliage n. Any growth of leaves. frivolous adj. Trivial.
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immoral adj. Habitually engaged in licentious or lewd practices. inaudible adj. That can not be heard.
immortalize v. To cause to last or to be known or remembered throughout a great or inborn adj. Implanted by nature.
indefinite length of time. inbred adj. Innate.
immovable adj. Steadfast. incandescence n. The state of being white or glowing with heat.
immune adj. Exempt, as from disease. incandescent adj. White or glowing with heat.
immutable adj. Unchangeable. incapacitate v. To deprive of power, capacity, competency, or qualification.
impair v. To cause to become less or worse. incapacity n. Want of power to apprehend, understand, and manage.
impalpable adj. Imperceptible to the touch. incarcerate v. To imprison.
impartial adj. Unbiased. incendiary n. Chemical or person who starts a fire-literally or figuratively.
impassable adj. That can not be passed through or over. incentive n. That which moves the mind or inflames the passions.
impassible adj. Not moved or affected by feeling. inception n. The beginning.
impassive adj. Unmoved by or not exhibiting feeling. inceptive adj. Beginning.
impatience n. Unwillingness to brook delays or wait the natural course of things. incessant adj. Unceasing.
impeccable adj. Blameless. inchmeal adv. Piecemeal.
impecunious adj. Having no money. inchoate adj. Incipient.
impede v. To be an obstacle or to place obstacles in the way of. inchoative n. That which begins, or expresses beginning.
impel v. To drive or urge forward. incidence n. Casual occurrence.
impend v. To be imminent. incident n. A happening in general, especially one of little importance.
imperative adj. Obligatory. incidentally adv. Without intention.
imperceptible adj. Indiscernible. incinerate v. To reduce to ashes.
imperfectible adj. That can not be perfected. incipience n. Beginning.
imperil v. To endanger. incipient adj. Initial.
imperious adj. Insisting on obedience. incisor n. A front or cutting tooth.
impermissible adj. Not permissible. incite v. To rouse to a particular action.
impersonal adj. Not relating to a particular person or thing. incitement n. That which moves to action, or serves as an incentive or stimulus.
impersonate v. To appear or act in the character of. incoercible adj. Incapable of being forced, constrained, or compelled.
impersuadable adj. Unyielding. incoherence n. Want of connection, or agreement, as of parts or ideas in thought, speech, etc.
impertinence n. Rudeness. incoherent adj. Not logically coordinated, as to parts, elements, or details.
imperturbable adj. Calm. incombustible adj. That can not be burned.
impervious adj. Impenetrable. incomparable adj. Matchless.
impetuosity n. Rashness. incompatible adj. Discordant.
impetuous adj. Impulsive. incompetence n. General lack of capacity or fitness.
impetus n. Any impulse or incentive. incompetent adj. Not having the abilities desired or necessary for any purpose.
impiety n. Irreverence toward God. incomplete adj. Lacking some element, part, or adjunct necessary or required.
impious adj. Characterized by irreverence or irreligion. incomprehensible adj. Not understandable.
implausible adj. Not plausible. incompressible adj. Resisting all attempts to reduce volume by pressure.
impliable adj. Capable of being inferred. inconceivable adj. Incomprehensible.
implicate v. To show or prove to be involved in or concerned incongruous adj. Unsuitable for the time, place, or occasion.
implicit adj. Implied. inconsequential adj. Valueless.
imply v. To signify. inconsiderable adj. Small in quantity or importance.
impolitic adj. Inexpedient. inconsistent adj. Contradictory.
importation n. The act or practice of bringing from one country into another. inconstant adj. Changeable.
importunate adj. Urgent in character, request, or demand. incontrovertible adj. Indisputable.
importune v. To harass with persistent demands or entreaties. inconvenient adj. Interfering with comfort or progress.
impotent adj. Destitute of or lacking in power, physical, moral, or intellectual. indefensible adj. Untenable.
impoverish v. To make indigent or poor. indefinitely adv. In a vague or uncertain way.
impracticable adj. Not feasible. indelible adj. That can not be blotted out, effaced, destroyed, or removed.
impregnable adj. That can not be taken by assault. indescribable adj. That can not be described.
impregnate v. To make pregnant. indestructible adj. That can not be destroyed.
impromptu n. Anything done or said on the impulse of the moment. indicant adj. That which points out.
improper adj. Not appropriate, suitable, or becoming. indicator n. One who or that which points out.
impropriety n. The state or quality of being unfit, unseemly, or inappropriate. indict v. To find and declare chargeable with crime.
improvident adj. Lacking foresight or thrift. indigence n. Poverty.
improvise v. To do anything extemporaneously or offhand. indigenous adj. Native.
imprudent adj. Heedless. indigent adj. Poor.
impudence n. Insolent disrespect. indigestible adj. Not digestible, or difficult to digest.
impugn v. To assail with arguments, insinuations, or accusations. indigestion n. Difficulty or failure in the alimentary canal in changing food into absorptive
impulsion n. Impetus. nutriment.
impulsive adj. Unpremeditated. indignant adj. Having such anger and scorn as is aroused by meanness or wickedness.
impunity n. Freedom from punishment. indignity n. Unmerited contemptuous conduct or treatment.
impure adj. Tainted. indiscernible adj. Not perceptible.
impute v. To attribute. indiscreet adj. Lacking wise judgment.
inaccessible adj. Difficult of approach. indiscriminate adj. Promiscuous.
inaccurate adj. Not exactly according to the facts. indispensable adj. Necessary or requisite for the purpose.
inactive adj. Inert. indistinct adj. Vague.
inadequate adj. Insufficient. indivertible adj. That can not be turned aside.
inadmissible adj. Not to be approved, considered, or allowed, as testimony. indivisible adj. Not separable into parts.
inadvertent adj. Accidental. indolence n. Laziness.
inadvisable adj. Unadvisable. indolent adj. Habitually inactive or idle.
inane adj. Silly. indomitable adj. Unconquerable.
inanimate adj. Destitute of animal life. induct v. To bring in.
inapprehensible adj. Not to be understood. indulgence n. The yielding to inclination, passion, desire, or propensity in oneself or
inapt adj. Awkward or slow. another.
inarticulate adj. Speechless. indulgent adj. Yielding to the desires or humor of oneself or those under one's care.
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interrogative adj. Having the nature or form of a question. irrational adj. Not possessed of reasoning powers or understanding.
interrogatory n. A question or inquiry. irreducible adj. That can not be lessened.
interrupt v. To stop while in progress. irrefragable adj. That can not be refuted or disproved.
intersect v. To cut through or into so as to divide. irrefrangible adj. That can not be broken or violated.
intervale n. A low tract of land between hills, especially along a river. irrelevant adj. Inapplicable.
intervene v. To interfere for some end. irreligious adj. Indifferent or opposed to religion.
intestacy n. The condition resulting from one's dying not having made a valid will. irreparable adj. That can not be rectified or made amends for.
intestate adj. Not having made a valid will. irrepressible adj. That can not be restrained or kept down.
intestine n. That part of the digestive tube below or behind the stomach, extending to the irresistible adj. That can not be successfully withstood or opposed.
anus. irresponsible adj. Careless of or unable to meet responsibilities.
intimacy n. Close or confidential friendship. irreverence n. The quality showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for
intimidate v. To cause to become frightened. sacred things.
intolerable adj. Insufferable. irreverent adj. Showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred
intolerance n. Inability or unwillingness to bear or endure. things.
intolerant adj. Bigoted. irreverential adj. Showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred
intoxicant n. Anything that unduly exhilarates or excites. things.
intoxicate v. To make drunk. irreversible adj. Irrevocable.
intracellular adj. Occurring or situated within a cell. irrigant adj. Serving to water lands by artificial means.
intramural adj. Situated within the walls of a city. irrigate v. To water, as land, by ditches or other artificial means.
intrepid adj. Fearless and bold. irritable adj. Showing impatience or ill temper on little provocation.
intricacy n. Perplexity. irritancy n. The quality of producing vexation.
intricate adj. Difficult to follow or understand. irritant n. A mechanical, chemical, or pathological agent of inflammation, pain, or tension.
intrigue n. A plot or scheme, usually complicated and intended to accomplish something irritate v. To excite ill temper or impatience in.
by secret ways. irruption n. Sudden invasion.
intrinsic adj. Inherent. isle n. An island.
introductory adj. Preliminary. islet n. A little island.
introgression n. Entrance. isobar n. A line joining points at which the barometric pressure is the same at a specified
intromit v. To insert. moment.
introspect v. To look into. isochronous adj. Relating to or denoting equal intervals of time.
introspection n. The act of observing and analyzing one's own thoughts and feelings. isolate v. To separate from others of its kind.
introversion n. The act of turning or directing inward, physically or mentally. isothermal adj. Having or marking equality of temperature.
introvert v. To turn within. itinerant adj. Wandering.
intrude v. To come in without leave or license. itinerary n. A detailed account or diary of a journey.
intrusion n. The act of entering without warrant or invitation; encroachment. itinerate v. To wander from place to place.
intuition n. Instinctive knowledge or feeling. jargon n. Confused, unintelligible speech or highly technical speech.
inundate v. To fill with an overflowing abundance. jaundice n. A morbid condition, due to obstructed excretion of bile or characterized by
inundation n. Flood. yellowing of the skin.
inure v. To harden or toughen by use, exercise, or exposure. jeopardize v. To imperil.
invalid adj. Having no force, weight, or cogency. Jingo n. One of a party in Great Britain in favor of spirited and demonstrative foreign policy.
invalid n. One who is disabled by illness or injury. jocose adj. Done or made in jest.
invalidate v. To render of no force or effect. jocular adj. Inclined to joke.
invaluable adj. Exceedingly precious. joggle n. A sudden irregular shake or a push causing such a shake.
invariable adj. Unchangeable. journalize v. To keep a diary.
invasion n. Encroachment, as by an act of intrusion or trespass. jovial adj. Merry.
invective n. An utterance intended to cast censure, or reproach. jubilation n. Exultation.
inveigh v. To utter vehement censure or invective. judgment n. The faculty by the exercise of which a deliberate conclusion is reached.
inventive adj. Quick at contrivance. judicature n. Distribution and administration of justice by trial and judgment.
inverse adj. Contrary in tendency or direction. judicial adj. Pertaining to the administration of justice.
inversion n. Change of order so that the first shall become last and the last first. judiciary n. That department of government which administers the law relating to civil and
invert v. To turn inside out, upside down, or in opposite direction. criminal justice.
investigator n. One who investigates. judicious adj. Prudent.
investor n. One who invests money. juggle v. To play tricks of sleight of hand.
inveterate adj. Habitual. jugglery n. The art or practice of sleight of hand.
invidious adj. Showing or feeling envy. jugular adj. Pertaining to the throat.
invigorate v. To animate. juicy adj. Succulent.
invincible adj. Not to be conquered, subdued, or overcome. junction n. The condition of being joined.
inviolable adj. Incapable of being injured or disturbed. juncture n. An articulation, joint, or seam.
invoke v. To call on for assistance or protection. junta n. A council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government.
involuntary adj. Unwilling. juridical adj. Assumed by law to exist.
involution n. Complication. jurisdiction n. Lawful power or right to exercise official authority.
involve v. To draw into entanglement, literally or figuratively. jurisprudence n. The science of rights in accordance with positive law.
invulnerable adj. That can not be wounded or hurt. juror n. One who serves on a jury or is sworn in for jury duty in a court of justice.
inwardly adv. With no outward manifestation. joust v. To engage in a tilt with lances on horseback.
iota n. A small or insignificant mark or part. justification n. Vindication.
irascible adj. Prone to anger. juvenile adj. Characteristic of youth.
irate adj. Moved to anger. juxtapose v. To place close together.
ire n. Wrath. keepsake n. Anything kept or given to be kept for the sake of the giver.
iridescence n. A many-colored appearance. kerchief n. A square of linen, silk, or other material, used as a covering for the head or
iridescent adj. Exhibiting changing rainbow-colors due to the interference of the light. neck.
irk v. To afflict with pain, vexation, or fatigue. kernel n. A grain or seed.
irksome adj. Wearisome. kiln n. An oven or furnace for baking, burning, or drying industrial products.
irony n. Censure or ridicule under cover of praise or compliment. kiloliter n. One thousand liters.
irradiance n. Luster. kilometer n. A length of 1,000 meters.
irradiate v. To render clear and intelligible. kilowatt n. One thousand watts.
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kimono n. A loose robe, fastening with a sash, the principal outer garment in Japan. levity n. Frivolity.
kind-hearted adj. Having a kind and sympathetic nature. levy v. To impose and collect by force or threat of force.
kingling n. A petty king. lewd adj. Characterized by lust or lasciviousness.
kingship n. Royal state. lexicographer n. One who makes dictionaries.
kinsfolk n. pl. Relatives. lexicography n. The making of dictionaries.
knavery n. Deceitfulness in dealing. lexicon n. A dictionary.
knead v. To mix and work into a homogeneous mass, especially with the hands. liable adj. Justly or legally responsible.
knickknack n. A small article, more for ornament that use. libel n. Defamation.
knight errant n. One of the wandering knights who in the middle ages went forth in search liberalism n. Opposition to conservatism.
of adventure. liberate v. To set free or release from bondage.
knighthood n. Chivalry. licentious adj. Wanton.
laborious adj. Toilsome. licit adj. Lawful.
labyrinth n. A maze. liege adj. Sovereign.
lacerate v. To tear rudely or raggedly. lien n. A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge.
lackadaisical adj. Listless. lieu n. Stead.
lactation n. The secretion of milk. lifelike adj. Realistic.
lacteal adj. Milky. lifelong adj. Lasting or continuous through life.
lactic adj. Pertaining to milk. lifetime n. The time that life continues.
laddie n. A lad. ligament n. That which binds objects together.
ladle n. A cup-shaped vessel with a long handle, intended for dipping up and pouring ligature n. Anything that constricts, or serves for binding or tying.
liquids. light-hearted adj. Free from care.
laggard adj. Falling behind. ligneous adj. Having the texture of appearance of wood.
landholder n. Landowner. likelihood n. A probability.
landlord n. A man who owns and lets a tenement or tenements. likely adj. Plausible.
landmark n. A familiar object in the landscape serving as a guide to an area otherwise liking n. Fondness.
easily lost track of. limitation n. A restriction.
landscape n. A rural view, especially one of picturesque effect, as seen from a distance or linear adj. Of the nature of a line.
an elevation. liner n. A vessel belonging to a steamship-line.
languid adj. Relaxed. lingo n. Language.
languor n. Lassitude of body or depression. lingua n. The tongue.
lapse n. A slight deviation from what is right, proper, or just. lingual adj. Pertaining to the use of the tongue in utterance.
lascivious adj. Lustful. linguist n. One who is acquainted with several languages.
lassie n. A little lass. linguistics n. The science of languages, or of the origin, history, and significance of words.
latent adj. Dormant. liniment n. A liquid preparation for rubbing on the skin in cases of bruises, inflammation,
latency n. The state of being dormant. etc.
later adv. At a subsequent time. liquefacient adj. Possessing a liquefying nature or power.
lateral adj. Directed toward the side. liquefy v. To convert into a liquid or into liquid form.
latish adj. Rather late. liqueur n. An alcoholic cordial sweetened and flavored with aromatic substances.
lattice n. Openwork of metal or wood, formed by crossing or interlacing strips or bars. liquidate v. To deliver the amount or value of.
laud v. To praise in words or song. liquor n. Any alcoholic or intoxicating liquid.
laudable adj. Praiseworthy. listless adj. Inattentive.
laudation n. High praise. literacy n. The state or condition of knowing how to read and write.
laudatory adj. Pertaining to, expressing, or containing praise. literal adj. Following the exact words.
laundress n. Washerwoman. literature n. The written or printed productions of the human mind collectively.
laureate adj. Crowned with laurel, as a mark of distinction. lithe adj. Supple.
lave v. To wash or bathe. lithesome adj. Nimble.
lawgiver n. A legislator. lithograph n. A print made by printing from stone.
lawmaker n. A legislator. lithotype n. In engraving, an etched stone surface for printing.
lax adj. Not stringent or energetic. litigant n. A party to a lawsuit.
laxative adj. Having power to open or loosen the bowels. litigate v. To cause to become the subject-matter of a suit at law.
lea n. A field. litigious adj. Quarrelsome.
leaflet n. A little leaf or a booklet. littoral adj. Of, pertaining to, or living on a shore.
leaven v. To make light by fermentation, as dough. liturgy n. A ritual.
leeward n. That side or direction toward which the wind blows. livelihood n. Means of subsistence.
left-handed adj. Using the left hand or arm more dexterously than the right. livid adj. Black-and-blue, as contused flesh.
legacy n. A bequest. loam n. A non-coherent mixture of sand and clay.
legalize v. To give the authority of law to. loath adj. Averse.
legging n. A covering for the leg. loathe v. To abominate.
legible adj. That may be read with ease. locative adj. Indicating place, or the place where or wherein an action occurs.
legionary n. A member of an ancient Roman legion or of the modern French Legion of loch n. A lake.
Honor. locomotion n. The act or power of moving from one place to another.
legislate v. To make or enact a law or laws. lode n. A somewhat continuous unstratified metal- bearing vein.
legislative adj. That makes or enacts laws. lodgment n. The act of furnishing with temporary quarters.
legislator n. A lawgiver. logic n. The science of correct thinking.
legitimacy n. Accordance with law. logical adj. Capable of or characterized by clear reasoning.
legitimate adj. Having the sanction of law or established custom. logician n. An expert reasoner.
leisure n. Spare time. loiterer n. One who consumes time idly.
leniency n. Forbearance. loneliness n. Solitude.
lenient adj. Not harsh. longevity n. Unusually prolonged life.
leonine adj. Like a lion. loot v. To plunder.
lethargy n. Prolonged sluggishness of body or mind. loquacious adj. Talkative.
levee n. An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow. lordling n. A little lord.
lever n. That which exerts, or through which one may exert great power. lough n. A lake or loch.
leviathan n. Any large animal, as a whale. louse n. A small insect parasitic on and sucking the blood of mammals.
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observance n. A traditional form or customary act. opposite adj. Radically different or contrary in action or movement.
observant adj. Quick to notice. opprobrium n. The state of being scornfully reproached or accused of evil.
observatory n. A building designed for systematic astronomical observations. optic n. Pertaining to the eye or vision.
obsolescence n. The condition or process of gradually falling into disuse. optician n. One who makes or deals in optical instruments or eye-glasses.
obsolescent adj. Passing out of use, as a word. optics n. The science that treats of light and vision, and all that is connected with sight.
obsolete adj. No longer practiced or accepted. optimism n. The view that everything in nature and the history of mankind is ordered for
obstetrician n. A practitioner of midwifery. the best.
obstetrics n. The branch of medical science concerned with the treatment and care of option n. The right, power, or liberty of choosing.
women during pregnancy. optometry n. Measurement of the powers of vision.
obstinacy n. Stubborn adherence to opinion, arising from conceit or the desire to have opulence n. Affluence.
one's own way. opulent adj. Wealthy.
obstreperous adj. Boisterous. oral adj. Uttered through the mouth.
obstruct v. To fill with impediments so as to prevent passage, either wholly or in part. orate v. To deliver an elaborate or formal public speech.
obstruction n. Hindrance. oration n. An elaborate or formal public speech.
obtrude v. To be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. orator n. One who delivers an elaborate or formal speech.
obtrusive adj. Tending to be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. oratorio n. A composition for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, generally taken from the
obvert v. To turn the front or principal side of (a thing) toward any person or object. Scriptures.
obviate v. To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty. oratory n. The art of public speaking.
occasion n. An important event or celebration. ordeal n. Anything that severely tests courage, strength, patience, conscience, etc.
Occident n. The countries lying west of Asia and the Turkish dominions. ordinal n. That form of the numeral that shows the order of anything in a series, as first, second, third.
occlude v. To absorb, as a gas by a metal. ordination n. A consecration to the ministry.
occult adj. Existing but not immediately perceptible. ordnance n. A general name for all kinds of weapons and their appliances used in war.
occupant n. A tenant in possession of property, as distinguished from the actual owner. orgies n. Wild or wanton revelry.
occurrence n. A happening. origin n. The beginning of that which becomes or is made to be.
octagon n. A figure with eight sides and eight angles. original adj. Not copied nor produced by imitation.
octave n. A note at this interval above or below any other, considered in relation to that originate v. To cause or constitute the beginning or first stage of the existence of.
other. ornate adj. Ornamented to a marked degree.
octavo n. A book, or collection of paper in which the sheets are so folded as to make eight orthodox adj. Holding the commonly accepted faith.
leaves. orthodoxy n. Acceptance of the common faith.
octogenarian adj. A person of between eighty and ninety years. orthogonal adj. Having or determined by right angles.
ocular adj. Of or pertaining to the eye. orthopedic adj. Relating to the correcting or preventing of deformity
oculist n. One versed or skilled in treating diseases of the eye. orthopedist n. One who practices the correcting or preventing of deformity
oddity n. An eccentricity. oscillate v. To swing back and forth.
ode n. The form of lyric poetry anciently intended to be sung. osculate v. To kiss.
odious adj. Hateful. ossify v. to convert into bone.
odium n. A feeling of extreme repugnance, or of dislike and disgust. ostentation n. A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery.
odoriferous adj. Having or diffusing an odor or scent, especially an agreeable one. ostracism n. Exclusion from intercourse or favor, as in society or politics.
odorous adj. Having an odor, especially a fragrant one. ostracize v. To exclude from public or private favor.
off adj. Farther or more distant. ought v. To be under moral obligation to be or do.
offhand adv. Without preparation. oust v. To eject.
officiate v. To act as an officer or leader. out-and-out adv. Genuinely.
officious adj. Intermeddling with what is not one's concern. outbreak n. A sudden and violent breaking forth, as of something that has been pent up or restrained.
offshoot n. Something that branches off from the parent stock. outburst n. A violent issue, especially of passion in an individual.
ogre n. A demon or monster that was supposed to devour human beings. outcast n. One rejected and despised, especially socially.
ointment n. A fatty preparation with a butter-like consistency in which a medicinal outcry n. A vehement or loud cry or clamor.
substance exists. outdo v. To surpass.
olfactory adj. of or pertaining to the sense of smell. outlandish adj. Of barbarous, uncouth, and unfamiliar aspect or action.
olive-branch n. A branch of the olive-tree, as an emblem of peace. outlast v. To last longer than.
ominous adj. Portentous. outlaw n. A habitual lawbreaker.
omission n. Exclusion. outlive v. To continue to exist after.
omnipotence n. Unlimited and universal power. out-of-the-way adj. Remotely situated.
Omnipotent adj. Possessed of unlimited and universal power. outpost n. A detachment of troops stationed at a distance from the main body to guard
omniscience n. Unlimited or infinite knowledge. against surprise.
omniscient adj. Characterized by unlimited or infinite knowledge. outrage n. A gross infringement of morality or decency.
omnivorous adj. Eating or living upon food of all kinds indiscriminately. outrageous adj. Shocking in conduct.
onerous adj. Burdensome or oppressive. outreach v. To reach or go beyond.
onrush n. Onset. outride v. To ride faster than.
onset n. An assault, especially of troops, upon an enemy or fortification. outrigger n. A part built or arranged to project beyond a natural outline for support.
onslaught n. A violent onset. outright adv. Entirely.
onus n. A burden or responsibility. outskirt n. A border region.
opalescence n. The property of combined refraction and reflection of light, resulting in outstretch v. To extend.
smoky tints. outstrip v. To go beyond.
opaque adj. Impervious to light. outweigh v. To surpass in importance or excellence.
operate v. To put in action and supervise the working of. overdo v. To overtax the strength of.
operative adj. Active. overdose n. An excessive dose, usually so large a dose of a medicine that its effect is
operator n. One who works with or controls some machine or scientific apparatus. toxic.
operetta n. A humorous play in dialogue and music, of more than one act. overeat v. To eat to excess.
opinion n. A conclusion or judgment held with confidence, but falling short of positive overhang n. A portion of a structure which projects or hangs over.
knowledge. overleap v. To leap beyond.
opponent n. One who supports the opposite side in a debate, discussion, struggle, or overlord n. One who holds supremacy over another.
sport. overpass v. To pass across or over, as a river.
opportune adj. Especially fit as occurring, said, or done at the right moment. overpay v. To pay or reward in excess.
opportunist n. One who takes advantage of circumstances to gain his ends. overpower v. To gain supremacy or victory over by superior power.
opportunity n. Favorable or advantageous chance or opening. overproduction n. Excessive production.
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overreach v. To stretch out too far. participant n. One having a share or part.
overrun v. To infest or ravage. participate v. To receive or have a part or share of.
oversee v. To superintend. partition n. That which separates anything into distinct parts.
overseer n. A supervisor. partisan adj. Characterized by or exhibiting undue or unreasoning devotion to a party.
overshadow v. To cast into the shade or render insignificant by comparison. passible adj. Capable of feeling of suffering.
overstride v. To step beyond. passive adj. Unresponsive.
overthrow v. To vanquish an established ruler or government. pastoral adj. Having the spirit or sentiment of rural life.
overtone n. A harmonic. paternal adj. Fatherly.
overture n. An instrumental prelude to an opera, oratorio, or ballet. paternity n. Fatherhood.
overweight n. Preponderance. pathos n. The quality in any form of representation that rouses emotion or sympathy.
pacify v. To bring into a peaceful state. patriarch n. The chief of a tribe or race who rules by paternal right.
packet n. A bundle, as of letters. patrician adj. Of senatorial or noble rank.
pact n. A covenant. patrimony n. An inheritance from an ancestor, especially from one's father.
pagan n. A worshiper of false gods. patriotism n. Love and devotion to one's country.
pageant n. A dramatic representation, especially a spectacular one. patronize v. To exercise an arrogant condescension toward.
palate n. The roof of the mouth. patronymic adj. Formed after one's father's name.
palatial adj. Magnificent. patter v. To mumble something over and over.
paleontology n. The branch of biology that treats of ancient life and fossil organisms. paucity n. Fewness.
palette n. A thin tablet, with a hole for the thumb, upon which artists lay their colors for pauper n. One without means of support.
painting. pauperism n. Dependence on charity.
palinode n. A retraction. pavilion n. An open structure for temporary shelter.
pall v. To make dull by satiety. payee n. A person to whom money has been or is to be paid.
palliate v. To cause to appear less guilty. peaceable adj. Tranquil.
pallid adj. Of a pale or wan appearance. peaceful adj. Tranquil.
palpable n. perceptible by feeling or touch. peccable adj. Capable of sinning.
palsy n. Paralysis. peccadillo n. A small breach of propriety or principle.
paly adj. Lacking color or brilliancy. peccant adj. Guilty.
pamphlet n. A brief treatise or essay, usually on a subject of current interest. pectoral adj. Pertaining to the breast or thorax.
pamphleteer v. To compose or issue pamphlets, especially controversial ones. pecuniary adj. Consisting of money.
panacea n. A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases. pedagogics n. The science and art of teaching.
Pan-American adj. Including or pertaining to the whole of America, both North and South. pedagogue n. A schoolmaster.
pandemic adj. Affecting a whole people or all classes, as a disease. pedagogy n. The science and art of teaching
pandemonium n. A fiendish or riotous uproar. pedal n. A lever for the foot usually applied only to musical instruments, cycles, and other
panegyric n. A formal and elaborate eulogy, written or spoken, of a person or of an act. machines.
panel n. A rectangular piece set in or as in a frame. pedant n. A scholar who makes needless and inopportune display of his learning.
panic n. A sudden, unreasonable, overpowering fear. peddle v. To go about with a small stock of goods to sell.
panoply n. A full set of armor. pedestal n. A base or support as for a column, statue, or vase.
panorama n. A series of large pictures representing a continuous scene. pedestrian n. One who journeys on foot.
pantheism n. The worship of nature for itself or its beauty. pediatrics n. The department of medical science that relates to the treatment of diseases of
Pantheon n. A circular temple at Rome with a fine Corinthian portico and a great domed childhood.
roof. pedigree n. One's line of ancestors.
pantomime n. Sign-language. peddler n. One who travels from house to house with an assortment of goods for retail.
pantoscope n. A very wide-angled photographic lens. peerage n. The nobility.
papacy n. The official head of the Roman Catholic Church. peerless adj. Of unequaled excellence or worth.
papyrus n. The writing-paper of the ancient Egyptians, and later of the Romans. peevish adj. Petulant. (irritable)
parable n. A brief narrative founded on real scenes or events usually with a moral. pellucid adj. Translucent.
paradox n. A statement or doctrine seemingly in contradiction to the received belief. penalty n. The consequences that follow the transgression of natural or divine law.
paragon n. A model of excellence. penance n. Punishment to which one voluntarily submits or subjects himself as an
parallel v. To cause to correspond or lie in the same direction and equidistant in all parts. expression of penitence.
parallelism n. Essential likeness. penchant n. A bias in favor of something.
paralysis n. Loss of the power of contractility in the voluntary or involuntary muscles. pendant n. Anything that hangs from something else, either for ornament or for use.
paralyze v. To deprive of the power to act. pendulous adj. Hanging, especially so as to swing by an attached end or part.
paramount adj. Supreme in authority. pendulum n. A weight hung on a rod, serving by its oscillation to regulate the rate of a
paramour n. One who is unlawfully and immorally a lover or a mistress. clock.
paraphernalia n. Miscellaneous articles of equipment or adornment. penetrable adj. That may be pierced by physical, moral, or intellectual force.
paraphrase v. Translate freely. penetrate v. To enter or force a way into the interior parts of.
pare v. To cut, shave, or remove (the outside) from anything. penetration n. Discernment.
parentage n. The relation of parent to child, of the producer to the produced, or of cause to peninsular adj. Pertaining to a piece of land almost surrounded by water.
effect. penitence n. Sorrow for sin with desire to amend and to atone.
Pariah n. A member of a degraded class; a social outcast. penitential adj. Pertaining to sorrow for sin with desire to amend and to atone.
parish n. The ecclesiastical district in charge of a pastor. pennant n. A small flag.
Parisian adj. Of or pertaining to the city of Paris. pension n. A periodical allowance to an individual on account of past service done by
parity n. Equality, as of condition or rank. him/her.
parlance n. Mode of speech. pentagram n. A figure having five points or lobes.
parley v. To converse in. pentavalent adj. Quinqeuvalent.
parliament n. A legislative body. pentad n. The number five.
parlor n. A room for reception of callers or entertainment of guests. pentagon n. A figure, especially, with five angles and five sides.
parody v. To render ludicrous by imitating the language of. pentahedron n. A solid bounded by five plane faces.
paronymous adj. Derived from the same root or primitive word. pentameter n. In prosody, a line of verse containing five units or feet.
paroxysm n. A sudden outburst of any kind of activity. pentathlon n. The contest of five associated exercises in the great games and the same
parricide n. The murder of a parent. contestants.
parse v. To describe, as a sentence, by separating it into its elements and describing each word. penultimate adj. A syllable or member of a series that is last but one.
parsimonious adj. Unduly sparing in the use or expenditure of money. penurious adj. Excessively sparing in the use of money.
partible adj. Separable. penury n. Indigence.
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perambulate v. To walk about. petrify v. To convert into a substance of stony hardness and character.
perceive v. To have knowledge of, or receive impressions concerning, through the medium petulance n. The character or condition of being impatient, capricious or petulant.
of the body senses. petulant adj. Displaying impatience.
perceptible adj. Cognizable. pharmacopoeia n. A book containing the formulas and methods of preparation of
perception n. Knowledge through the senses of the existence and properties of matter or medicines for the use of druggists.
the external world. pharmacy n. The art or business of compounding and dispensing medicines.
percipience n. The act of perceiving. phenomenal adj. Extraordinary or marvelous.
percipient n. One who or that which perceives. phenomenon n. Any unusual occurrence.
percolate v. To filter. philander v. To play at courtship with a woman.
percolator n. A filter. philanthropic adj. Benevolent.
percussion n. The sharp striking of one body against another. philanthropist n. One who endeavors to help his fellow men.
peremptory adj. Precluding question or appeal. philanthropy n. Active humanitarianism.
perennial adj. Continuing though the year or through many years. philately n. The study and collection of stamps.
perfectible adj. Capable of being made perfect. philharmonic adj. Fond of music.
perfidy n. Treachery. philogynist n. One who is fond of women.
perforate v. To make a hole or holes through. philologist n. An expert in linguistics.
perform v. To accomplish. philology n. The study of language in connection with history and literature.
perfumery n. The preparation of perfumes. philosophize v. To seek ultimate causes and principles.
perfunctory adj. Half-hearted. philosophy n. The general principles, laws, or causes that furnish the rational explanation
perhaps adv. Possibly. of anything.
perigee n. The point in the orbit of the moon when it is nearest the earth. phlegmatic adj. Not easily roused to feeling or action.
periodicity n. The habit or characteristic of recurrence at regular intervals. phonetic adj. Representing articulate sounds or speech.
peripatetic adj. Walking about. phonic adj. Pertaining to the nature of sound.
perjure v. To swear falsely to. phonogram n. A graphic character symbolizing an articulate sound.
perjury n. A solemn assertion of a falsity. phonology n. The science of human vocal sounds.
permanence n. A continuance in the same state, or without any change that destroys the phosphorescence n. The property of emitting light.
essential form or nature. photoelectric adj. Pertaining to the combined action of light and electricity.
permanent adj. Durable. photometer n. Any instrument for measuring the intensity of light or comparing the
permeate v. To pervade. intensity of two lights.
permissible adj. That may be allowed. photometry n. The art of measuring the intensity of light.
permutation n. Reciprocal change, different ordering of same items. physicist n. A specialist in the science that treats of the phenomena associated with matter and
pernicious adj. Tending to kill or hurt. energy.
perpendicular adj. Straight up and down. physics n. The science that treats of the phenomena associated with matter and energy.
perpetrator n. The doer of a wrong or a criminal act. physiocracy n. The doctrine that land and its products are the only true wealth.
perpetuate v. To preserve from extinction or oblivion. physiognomy n. The external appearance merely.
perquisite n. Any profit from service beyond the amount fixed as salary or wages. physiography n. Description of nature.
persecution n. Harsh or malignant oppression. physiology n. The science of organic functions.
perseverance n. A persistence in purpose and effort. physique n. The physical structure or organization of a person.
persevere v. To continue striving in spite of discouragements. picayune adj. Of small value.
persiflage n. Banter. piccolo n. A small flute.
persist v. To continue steadfast against opposition. piece n. A loose or separated part, as distinguished from the whole or the mass.
persistence n. A fixed adherence to a resolve, course of conduct, or the like. piecemeal adv. Gradually.
personage n. A man or woman as an individual, especially one of rank or high station. pillage n. Open robbery, as in war.
personal adj. Not general or public. pillory n. A wooden framework in which an offender is fastened to boards and is exposed
personality n. The attributes, taken collectively, that make up the character and nature of to public scorn.
an individual. pincers n. An instrument having two lever-handles and two jaws working on a pivot.
personnel n. The force of persons collectively employed in some service. pinchers n. An instrument having two jaws working on a pivot.
perspective n. The relative importance of facts or matters from any special point of view. pinnacle n. A high or topmost point, as a mountain-peak.
perspicacious adj. Astute. pioneer n. One among the first to explore a country.
perspicacity n. Acuteness or discernment. pious adj. Religious.
perspicuous adj. Lucid. pique v. To excite a slight degree of anger in.
perspiration n. Sweat. piteous adj. Compassionate.
perspire v. To excrete through the pores of the skin. pitiable adj. Contemptible.
persuade v. To win the mind of by argument, eloquence, evidence, or reflection. pitiful adj. Wretched.
persuadable adj. capable of influencing to action by entreaty, statement, or anything that pitiless adj. Hard-hearted.
moves the feelings. pittance n. Any small portion or meager allowance.
pertinacious adj. Persistent or unyielding. placate v. To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or
pertinacity n. Unyielding adherence. friendliness.
pertinent adj. Relevant. placid adj. Serene.
perturb v. To disturb greatly. plagiarism n. The stealing of passages from the writings of another and publishing them
perturbation n. Mental excitement or confusion. as one's own.
perusal n. The act of reading carefully or thoughtfully. planisphere n. A polar projection of the heavens on a chart.
pervade v. To pass or spread through every part. plasticity n. The property of some substances through which the form of the mass can
pervasion n. The state of spreading through every part. readily be changed.
pervasive adj. Thoroughly penetrating or permeating. platitude n. A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace.
perverse adj. Unreasonable. plaudit n. An expression of applause.
perversion n. Diversion from the true meaning or proper purpose. plausible adj. Seeming likely to be true, though open to doubt.
perversity n. Wickedness. playful adj. Frolicsome.
pervert n. One who has forsaken a doctrine regarded as true for one esteemed false. playwright n. A maker of plays for the stage.
pervious adj. Admitting the entrance or passage of another substance. plea n. An argument to obtain some desired action.
pestilence n. A raging epidemic. pleasant adj. Agreeable.
pestilent adj. Having a malign influence or effect. pleasurable adj. Affording gratification.
pestilential adj. having the nature of or breeding pestilence. plebeian adj. Common.
peter v. To fail or lose power, efficiency, or value. pledgee n. The person to whom anything is pledged.
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pledgeor n. One who gives a pledge. precession n. The act of going forward.
plenary adj. Entire. precipice n. A high and very steep or approximately vertical cliff.
plenipotentiary n. A person fully empowered to transact any business. precipitant adj. Moving onward quickly and heedlessly.
plenitude n. Abundance. precipitate v. To force forward prematurely.
plenteous adj. Abundant. precise adj. Exact.
plumb n. A weight suspended by a line to test the verticality of something. precision n. Accuracy of limitation, definition, or adjustment.
plummet n. A piece of lead for making soundings, adjusting walls to the vertical. preclude v. To prevent.
pluperfect adj. Expressing past time or action prior to some other past time or action. precocious adj. Having the mental faculties prematurely developed.
plural adj. Containing or consisting of more than one. precursor n. A forerunner or herald.
plurality n. A majority. predatory adj. Prone to pillaging.
plutocracy n. A wealthy class in a political community who control the government by predecessor n. An incumbent of a given office previous to another.
means of their money. predicament n. A difficult, trying situation or plight.
pneumatic adj. Pertaining to or consisting of air or gas. predicate v. To state as belonging to something.
poesy n. Poetry. predict v. To foretell.
poetaster n. An inferior poet. prediction n. A prophecy.
poetic adj. Pertaining to poetry. predominance n. Ascendancy or preponderance.
poetics n. The rules and principles of poetry. predominant adj. Superior in power, influence, effectiveness, number, or degree.
poignancy n. Severity or acuteness, especially of pain or grief. predominate v. To be chief in importance, quantity, or degree.
poignant adj. Severely painful or acute to the spirit. preeminence n. Special eminence.
poise n. Equilibrium. preempt v. To secure the right of preference in the purchase of public land.
polar adj. Pertaining to the poles of a sphere, especially of the earth. preemption n. The right or act of purchasing before others.
polemics n. The art of controversy or disputation. preengage v. To preoccupy.
pollen n. The fine dust-like grains or powder formed within the anther of a flowering plant. preestablish v. To settle or arrange beforehand.
pollute v. To contaminate. preexist v. To exist at a period or in a state earlier than something else.
polyarchy n. Government by several or many persons of what-ever class. preexistence n. Existence antecedent to something.
polycracy n. The rule of many. preface n. A brief explanation or address to the reader, at the beginning of a book.
polygamy n. the fact or condition of having more than one wife or husband at once. prefatory adj. Pertaining to a brief explanation to the reader at the beginning of a book.
polyglot adj. Speaking several tongues. prefer v. To hold in higher estimation.
polygon n. A figure having many angles. preferable adj. More desirable than others.
polyhedron n. A solid bounded by plane faces, especially by more than four. preference n. An object of favor or choice.
polysyllable adj. Having several syllables, especially more than three syllables. preferential adj. Possessing, giving, or constituting preference or priority.
polytechnic adj. Pertaining to, embracing, or practicing many arts. preferment n. Preference.
polytheism n. The doctrine or belief that there are more gods than one. prefix v. To attach at the beginning.
pommel v. To beat with something thick or bulky. prehensible adj. Capable of being grasped.
pomposity n. The quality of being marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner. prehensile adj. Adapted for grasping or holding.
pompous adj. Marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner. prehension n. The act of laying hold of or grasping.
ponder v. To meditate or reflect upon. prejudice n. A judgment or opinion formed without due examination of the facts.
ponderous adj. Unusually weighty or forcible. prelacy n. A system of church government.
pontiff n. The Pope. prelate n. One of a higher order of clergy having direct authority over other clergy.
populace n. The common people. prelude n. An introductory or opening performance.
populous adj. Containing many inhabitants, especially in proportion to the territory. premature adj. Coming too soon.
portend v. To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs. premier adj. First in rank or position.
portent n. Anything that indicates what is to happen. premise n. A judgment as a conclusion.
portfolio n. A portable case for holding writing-materials, drawings, etc. premonition n. Foreboding.
posit v. To present in an orderly manner. preoccupation n. The state of having the mind, attention, or inclination preoccupied.
position n. The manner in which a thing is placed. preoccupy v. To fill the mind of a person to the exclusion of other subjects.
positive adj. Free from doubt or hesitation. preordain v. To foreordain.
posse n. A force of men. preparation n. An act or proceeding designed to bring about some event.
possess v. To own. preparatory adj. Having to do with what is preliminary.
possession n. The having, holding, or detention of property in one's power or command. preponderant adj. Prevalent.
possessive adj. Pertaining to the having, holding, or detention of property in one's power preponderate v. To exceed in influence or power.
or command. prepossession n. A preconceived liking.
possessor n. One who owns, enjoys, or controls anything, as property. preposterous adj. Utterly ridiculous or absurd.
possible adj. Being not beyond the reach of power natural, moral, or supernatural. prerogative adj. Having superior rank or precedence.
postdate v. To make the date of any writing later than the real date. presage v. To foretell.
posterior n. The hinder part. prescience n. Knowledge of events before they take place.
postgraduate adj. Pertaining to studies that are pursued after receiving a degree. prescient adj. Foreknowing.
postscript n. Something added to a letter after the writer's signature. prescript adj. Prescribed as a rule or model.
potency n. Power. prescriptible adj. Derived from authoritative direction.
potent adj. Physically powerful. prescription n. An authoritative direction.
potentate n. One possessed of great power or sway. presentient adj. Perceiving or feeling beforehand.
potential n. Anything that may be possible. presentiment n. Foreboding.
potion n. A dose of liquid medicine. presentment n. Semblance.
powerless adj. Impotent. preservation n. Conservation.
practicable adj. Feasible. presumption n. That which may be logically assumed to be true until disproved.
prate v. To talk about vainly or foolishly. presumptuous adj. Assuming too much.
prattle v. To utter in simple or childish talk. pretension n. A bold or presumptuous assertion.
preamble n. A statement introductory to and explanatory of what follows. pretentious adj. Marked by pretense, conceit, or display.
precarious adj. Perilous. preternatural adj. Extraordinary.
precaution n. A provision made in advance for some possible emergency or danger. pretext n. A fictitious reason or motive.
precede v. To happen first. prevalence n. Frequency.
precedence n. Priority in place, time, or rank. prevalent adj. Of wide extent or frequent occurrence.
precedent n. An instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule. prevaricate v. To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or
precedential adj. Of the nature of an instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule. diverting attention.
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pyx n. A vessel or casket, usually of precious metal, in which the host is preserved. receivable adj. Capable of being or fit to be received - often money.
quackery n. Charlatanry receptive adj. Having the capacity, quality, or ability of receiving, as truths or impressions.
quadrate v. To divide into quarters. recessive adj. Having a tendency to go back.
quadruple v. To multiply by four. recidivist n. A confirmed criminal.
qualification n. A requisite for an employment, position, right, or privilege. reciprocal adj. Mutually interchangeable or convertible.
qualify v. To endow or furnish with requisite ability, character, knowledge, skill, or reciprocate v. To give and take mutually.
possessions. reciprocity n. Equal mutual rights and benefits granted and enjoyed.
qualm n. A fit of nausea. recitation n. The act of reciting or repeating, especially in public and from memory.
quandary n. A puzzling predicament. reck v. To have a care or thought for.
quantity n. Magnitude. reckless adj. Foolishly headless of danger.
quarantine n. The enforced isolation of any person or place infected with contagious reclaim v. To demand or to obtain the return or restoration of.
disease. recline v. To cause to assume a leaning or recumbent attitude or position.
quarrelsome adj. Irascible. recluse n. One who lives in retirement or seclusion.
quarter n. One of four equal parts into which anything is or may be divided. reclusory n. A hermitage.
quarterly adj. Occurring or made at intervals of three months. recognizance n. An acknowledgment entered into before a court with condition to do some
quartet n. A composition for four voices or four instruments. particular act.
quarto n. An eight-page newspaper of any size. recognize v. To recall the identity of (a person or thing).
quay n. A wharf or artificial landing-place on the shore of a harbor or projecting into it. recoil v. To start back as in dismay, loathing, or dread.
querulous adj. Habitually complaining. recollect v. To recall the knowledge of.
query v. To make inquiry. reconcilable adj. Capable of being adjusted or harmonized.
queue n. A file of persons waiting in order of their arrival, as for admittance. reconnoiter v. To make a preliminary examination of for military, surveying, or geological
quibble n. An utterly trivial distinction or objection. purposes.
quiescence n. Quiet. reconsider v. To review with care, especially with a view to a reversal of previous action.
quiescent adj. Being in a state of repose or inaction. reconstruct v. To rebuild.
quiet adj. Making no noise. recourse n. Resort to or application for help in exigency or trouble.
quietus n. A silencing, suppressing, or ending. recover v. To regain.
quintessence n. The most essential part of anything. recreant n. A cowardly or faithless person.
quintet n. Musical composition arranged for five voices or instruments. recreate v. To refresh after labor.
quite adv. Fully. recrudescence n. The state of becoming raw or sore again.
Quixotic adj. Chivalrous or romantic to a ridiculous or extravagant degree. recrudescent adj. Becoming raw or sore again.
rabid adj. Affected with rabies or hydrophobia. recruit v. To enlist men for military or naval service.
racy adj. Exciting or exhilarating to the mind. rectify v. To correct.
radiance n. Brilliant or sparkling luster. rectitude n. The quality of being upright in principles and conduct.
radiate v. To extend in all directions, as from a source or focus. recuperate v. To recover.
radical n. One who holds extreme views or advocates extreme measures. recur v. To happen again or repeatedly, especially at regular intervals.
radix n. That from or on which something is developed. recure v. To cure again.
raillery n. Good-humored satire. recurrent adj. Returning from time to time, especially at regular or stated intervals.
ramify v. To divide or subdivide into branches or subdivisions. redemption n. The recovery of what is mortgaged or pledged, by paying the debt.
ramose adj. Branch-like. redolent adj. Smelling sweet and agreeable.
rampant adj. Growing, climbing, or running without check or restraint. redolence n. Smelling sweet and agreeable.
rampart n. A bulwark or construction to oppose assault or hostile entry. redoubtable adj. Formidable.
rancor n. Malice. redound n. Rebound.
rankle v. To produce irritation or festering. redress v. To set right, as a wrong by compensation or the punishment of the wrong-doer.
rapacious adj. Disposed to seize by violence or by unlawful or greedy methods. reducible adj. That may be reduced.
rapid adj. Having great speed. redundance n. Excess.
rapine n. The act of seizing and carrying off property by superior force, as in war. redundant adj. Constituting an excess.
rapt adj. Enraptured. reestablish v. To restore.
raptorial adj. Seizing and devouring living prey. refer v. To direct or send for information or other purpose.
ration v. To provide with a fixed allowance or portion, especially of food. referrer n. One who refers.
rationalism n. The formation of opinions by relying upon reason alone, independently of referable adj. Ascribable.
authority. referee n. An umpire.
raucous adj. Harsh. refinery n. A place where some crude material, as sugar or petroleum, is purified.
ravage v. To lay waste by pillage, rapine, devouring, or other destructive methods. reflectible adj. Capable of being turned back.
ravenous adj. Furiously voracious or hungry. reflection n. The throwing off or back of light, heat, sound, or any form of energy that travels in waves.
ravine n. A deep gorge or hollow, especially one worn by a stream or flow of water. reflector n. A mirror, as of metal, for reflecting light, heat, or sound in a particular direction.
reaction n. Tendency towards a former, or opposite state of things, as after reform, reflexible adj. Capable of being reflected.
revolution, or inflation. reform n. Change for the better.
reactionary adj. Pertaining to, of the nature of, causing, or favoring reaction. reformer n. One who carries out a reform.
readily adv. Without objection or reluctance. refract v. To bend or turn from a direct course.
readjust v. To put in order after disarrangement. refractory adj. Not amenable to control.
ready adj. In a state of preparedness for any given purpose or occasion. refragable adj. Capable of being refuted.
realism n. The principle and practice of depicting persons and scenes as they are believed refringency n. Power to refract.
really to exist. refringent adj. Having the power to refract.
rearrange v. To arrange again or in a different order. refusal n. Denial of what is asked.
reassure v. To give new confidence. refute v. To prove to be wrong.
rebellious adj. Insubordinate. regale v. To give unusual pleasure.
rebuff n. A peremptory or unexpected rejection of advances or approaches. regalia n. pl. The emblems of royalty.
rebuild v. To build again or anew. regality n. Royalty.
rebut v. To oppose by argument or a sufficient answer. regenerate v. To reproduce.
recant v. To withdraw formally one's belief (in something previously believed or regent n. One who is lawfully deputized to administer the government for the time being in
maintained). the name of the ruler.
recapitulate v. To repeat again the principal points of. regicide n. The killing of a king or sovereign.
recapture v. To capture again. regime n. Particular conduct or administration of affairs.
recede v. To move back or away.
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regimen n. A systematized order or course of living with reference to food, clothing and repugnance n. Thorough dislike.
personal habits. repugnant adj. Offensive to taste and feeling.
regiment n. A body of soldiers. repulse n. The act of beating or driving back, as an attacking or advancing enemy.
regnant adj. Exercising royal authority in one's own right. repulsive adj. Grossly offensive.
regress v. To return to a former place or condition. repute v. To hold in general opinion.
regretful adj. Feeling, expressive of, or full of regret. requiem n. A solemn mass sung for the repose of the souls of the dead.
rehabilitate v. To restore to a former status, capacity, right rank, or privilege. requisite adj. Necessary.
reign v. To hold and exercise sovereign power. requital n. Adequate return for good or ill.
reimburse v. To pay back as an equivalent of what has been expended. requite v. To repay either good or evil to, as to a person.
rein n. A step attached to the bit for controlling a horse or other draft-animal. rescind v. To make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority.
reinstate v. To restore to a former state, station, or authority. reseat v. To place in position of office again.
reiterate v. To say or do again and again. resemblance n. Similarity in quality or form.
rejoin v. To reunite after separation. resent v. To be indignant at, as an injury or insult.
rejuvenate v. To restore to youth. reservoir n. A receptacle where a quantity of some material, especially of a liquid or gas, may be kept.
rejuvenescence n. A renewal of youth. residue n. A remainder or surplus after a part has been separated or otherwise treated.
relapse v. To suffer a return of a disease after partial recovery. resilience n. The power of springing back to a former position
relegate v. To send off or consign, as to an obscure position or remote destination. resilient adj. Having the quality of springing back to a former position.
relent v. To yield. resistance n. The exertion of opposite effort or effect.
relevant adj. Bearing upon the matter in hand. resistant adj. Offering or tending to produce resistance.
reliance n. Dependence. resistive adj. Having or exercising the power of resistance.
reliant adj. Having confidence. resistless adj. Powerless.
relinquish v. To give up using or having. resonance n. The quality of being able to reinforce sound by sympathetic vibrations.
reliquary n. A casket, coffer, or repository in which relics are kept. resonance adj. Able to reinforce sound by sympathetic vibrations.
relish v. To like the taste or savor of. resonate v. To have or produce resonance.
reluctance n. Unwillingness. resource n. That which is restored to, relied upon, or made available for aid or support.
reluctant adj. Unwilling. respite n. Interval of rest.
remembrance n. Recollection. resplendent adj. Very bright.
reminiscence n. The calling to mind of incidents within the range of personal knowledge or respondent adj. Answering.
experience. restitution n. Restoration of anything to the one to whom it properly belongs.
reminiscent adj. Pertaining to the recollection of matters of personal interest. resumption n. The act of taking back, or taking again.
remiss adj. Negligent. resurgent adj. Surging back or again.
remission n. Temporary diminution of a disease. resurrection n. A return from death to life
remodel v. Reconstruct. resuscitate v. To restore from apparent death.
remonstrance n. Reproof. retaliate v. To repay evil with a similar evil.
remonstrant adj. Having the character of a reproof. retch v. To make an effort to vomit.
remonstrate v. To present a verbal or written protest to those who have power to right or retention n. The keeping of a thing within one's power or possession.
prevent a wrong. reticence n. The quality of habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance.
remunerate v. To pay or pay for. reticent adj. Habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance.
remuneration n. Compensation. retinue n. The body of persons who attend a person of importance in travel or public
Renaissance n. The revival of letters, and then of art, which marks the transition from appearance.
medieval to modern time. retort n. A retaliatory speech.
rendezvous n. A prearranged place of meeting. retouch v. To modify the details of.
rendition n. Interpretation. retrace v. To follow backward or toward the place of beginning, as a track or marking.
renovate v. To restore after deterioration, as a building. retract v. To recall or take back (something that one has said).
renunciation n. An explicit disclaimer of a right or privilege. retrench v. To cut down or reduce in extent or quantity.
reorganize v. To change to a more satisfactory form of organization. retrieve v. To recover something by searching.
reparable adj. Capable of repair. retroactive adj. Operative on, affecting, or having reference to past events, transactions,
reparation n. The act of making amends, as for an injury, loss, or wrong. responsibilities.
repartee n. A ready, witty, or apt reply. retrograde v. To cause to deteriorate or to move backward.
repeal v. To render of no further effect. retrogression n. A going or moving backward or in a reverse direction.
repel v. To force or keep back in a manner, physically or mentally. retrospect n. A view or contemplation of something past.
repellent adj. Having power to force back in a manner, physically or mentally. retrospective adj. Looking back on the past.
repentance n. Sorrow for something done or left undone, with desire to make things right reunite v. To unite or join again, as after separation.
by undoing the wrong. revelation n. A disclosing, discovering, or making known of what was before secret,
repertory n. A place where things are stored or gathered together. private, or unknown.
repetition n. The act of repeating. revere v. To regard with worshipful veneration.
repine v. To indulge in fretfulness and faultfinding. reverent adj. Humble.
replenish v. To fill again, as something that has been emptied. reversion n. A return to or toward some former state or condition.
replete adj. Full to the uttermost. revert v. To return, or turn or look back, as toward a former position or the like.
replica n. A duplicate executed by the artist himself, and regarded, equally with the first, as an original. revile v. To heap approach or abuse upon.
repository n. A place in which goods are stored. revisal n. Revision.
reprehend v. To find fault with. revise v. To examine for the correction of errors, or for the purpose of making changes.
reprehensible adj. Censurable. revocation n. Repeal.
reprehension n. Expression of blame. revoke v. To rescind.
repress v. To keep under restraint or control. rhapsody n. Rapt or rapturous utterance.
repressible adj. Able to be kept under restraint or control. rhetoric n. The art of discourse.
reprieve v. To grant a respite from punishment to. rhetorician n. A showy writer or speaker.
reprimand v. To chide or rebuke for a fault. ribald adj. Indulging in or manifesting coarse indecency or obscenity.
reprisal n. Any infliction or act by way of retaliation on an enemy. riddance n. The act or ridding or delivering from something undesirable.
reprobate n. One abandoned to depravity and sin. ridicule n. Looks or acts expressing amused contempt.
reproduce v. To make a copy of. ridiculous adj. Laughable and contemptible.
reproduction n. The process by which an animal or plant gives rise to another of its kind. rife adj. Abundant.
reproof n. An expression of disapproval or blame personally addressed to one censured. righteousness n. Rectitude.
repudiate v. To refuse to have anything to do with. rightful adj. Conformed to a just claim according to established laws or usage.
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severance n. Separation. sophistry n. Reasoning sound in appearance only, especially when designedly deceptive.
severely adv. Extremely. soprano n. A woman's or boy's voice of high range.
sextet n. A band of six singers or players. sorcery n. Witchcraft.
sextuple adj. Multiplied by six. sordid adj. Of degraded character or nature.
sheer adj. Absolute. souvenir n. A token of remembrance.
shiftless adj. Wanting in resource, energy, or executive ability. sparse adj. Thinly diffused.
shrewd adj. Characterized by skill at understanding and profiting by circumstances. Spartan adj. Exceptionally brave; rigorously severe.
shriek n. A sharp, shrill outcry or scream, caused by agony or terror. spasmodic adj. Convulsive.
shrinkage n. A contraction of any material into less bulk or dimension. specialize v. To assume an individual or specific character, or adopt a singular or special
shrivel v. To draw or be drawn into wrinkles. course.
shuffle n. A mixing or changing the order of things. specialty n. An employment limited to one particular line of work.
sibilance n. A hissing sound. specie n. A coin or coins of gold, silver, copper, or other metal.
sibilant adj. Made with a hissing sound. species n. A classificatory group of animals or plants subordinate to a genus.
sibilate v. To give a hissing sound to, as in pronouncing the letter s. specimen n. One of a class of persons or things regarded as representative of the class.
sidelong adj. Inclining or tending to one side. specious adj. Plausible.
sidereal adj. Pertaining to stars or constellations. spectator n. One who beholds or looks on.
siege n. A beleaguerment. specter n. Apparition.
significance n. Importance. spectrum n. An image formed by rays of light or other radiant energy.
significant adj. Important, especially as pointing something out. speculate v. To pursue inquiries and form conjectures.
signification n. The meaning conveyed by language, actions, or signs. speculator n. One who makes an investment that involves a risk of loss, but also a chance
similar adj. Bearing resemblance to one another or to something else. of profit.
simile n. A comparison which directs the mind to the representative object itself. sphericity n. The state or condition of being a sphere.
similitude n. Similarity. spheroid n. A body having nearly the form of a sphere.
simplify v. To make less complex or difficult. spherometer n. An instrument for measuring curvature or radii of spherical surfaces.
simulate v. Imitate. spinous adj. Having spines.
simultaneous adj. Occurring, done, or existing at the same time. spinster n. A woman who has never been married.
sinecure n. Any position having emoluments with few or no duties. spontaneous adj. Arising from inherent qualities or tendencies without external efficient
singe v. To burn slightly or superficially. cause.
sinister adj. Evil. sprightly adj. Vivacious.
sinuosity n. The quality of curving in and out. spurious adj. Not genuine.
sinuous adj. Curving in and out. squabble v. To quarrel.
sinus n. An opening or cavity. squalid adj. Having a dirty, mean, poverty-stricken appearance.
siren n. A sea-nymph, described by Homer as dwelling between the island of Circe and squatter n. One who settles on land without permission or right.
Scylla. stagnant adj. Not flowing: said of water, as in a pool.
sirocco n. hot winds from Africa. stagnate v. To become dull or inert.
sisterhood n. A body of sisters united by some bond of sympathy or by a religious vow. stagnation n. The condition of not flowing or not changing.
skeptic n. One who doubts any statements. stagy adj. Having a theatrical manner.
skepticism n. The entertainment of doubt concerning something. staid adj. Of a steady and sober character.
skiff n. Usually, a small light boat propelled by oars. stallion n. An uncastrated male horse, commonly one kept for breeding.
skirmish n. Desultory fighting between advanced detachments of two armies. stanchion n. A vertical bar, or a pair of bars, used to confine cattle in a stall.
sleight n. A trick or feat so deftly done that the manner of performance escapes stanza n. A group of rimed lines, usually forming one of a series of similar divisions in a
observation. poem.
slight adj. Of a small importance or significance. statecraft n. The art of conducting state affairs.
slothful adj. Lazy. static adj. Pertaining to or designating bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium.
sluggard n. A person habitually lazy or idle. statics n. The branch of mechanics that treats of the relations that subsist among forces in
sociable adj. Inclined to seek company. order.
socialism n. A theory of civil polity that aims to secure the reconstruction of society. stationary adj. Not moving.
socialist adj. One who advocates reconstruction of society by collective ownership of land and capital. statistician n. One who is skilled in collecting and tabulating numerical facts.
sociology n. The philosophical study of society. statuesque adj. Having the grace, pose, or quietude of a statue.
Sol n. The sun. statuette n. A figurine.
solace n. Comfort in grief, trouble, or calamity. stature n. The natural height of an animal body.
solar adj. Pertaining to the sun. statute n. Any authoritatively declared rule, ordinance, decree, or law.
solder n. A fusible alloy used for joining metallic surfaces or margins. stealth n. A concealed manner of acting.
soldier n. A person engaged in military service. stellar adj. Pertaining to the stars.
solecism n. Any violation of established rules or customs. steppe n. One of the extensive plains in Russia and Siberia.
solicitor n. One who represents a client in court of justice; an attorney. sterling adj. Genuine.
solicitude n. Uneasiness of mind occasioned by desire, anxiety, or fear. stifle v. To smother.
soliloquy n. A monologue. stigma n. A mark of infamy or token of disgrace attaching to a person as the result of evil-
solstice n. The time of year when the sun is at its greatest declination. doing.
soluble adj. Capable of being dissolved, as in a fluid. stiletto n. A small dagger.
solvent adj. Having sufficient funds to pay all debts. stimulant n. Anything that rouses to activity or to quickened action.
somber adj. Gloomy. stimulate v. To rouse to activity or to quickened action.
somniferous adj. Tending to produce sleep. stimulus n. Incentive.
somnolence n. Oppressive drowsiness. stingy adj. Cheap, unwilling to spend money.
somnolent adj. Sleepy. stipend n. A definite amount paid at stated periods in compensation for services or as an
sonata n. An instrumental composition. allowance.
sonnet n. A poem of fourteen decasyllabic or octosyllabiclines expressing two successive Stoicism n. The principles or the practice of the Stoics-being very even tempered in
phrases. success and failure.
sonorous adj. Resonant. stolid adj. Expressing no power of feeling or perceiving.
soothsayer n. One who claims to have supernatural insight or foresight. strait n. A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
sophism n. A false argument understood to be such by the reasoner himself and stratagem n. Any clever trick or device for obtaining an advantage.
intentionally used to deceive stratum n. A natural or artificial layer, bed, or thickness of any substance or material.
sophistical adj. Fallacious. streamlet n. Rivulet.
sophisticate v. To deprive of simplicity of mind or manner. stringency n. Strictness.
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telephony n. The art or process of communicating by telephone. trait n. A distinguishing feature or quality.
telescope v. To drive together so that one slides into the another like the sections of a spy- trajectory n. The path described by a projectile moving under given forces.
glass. trammel n. An impediment.
telltale adj. That gives warning or information. tranquil adj. Calm.
temerity n. Recklessness. tranquilize v. To soothe.
temporal adj. Pertaining to or concerned with the affairs of the present life. tranquility n. Calmness.
temporary adj. Lasting for a short time only. transalpine adj. Situated on the other side of the Alps.
temporize v. To pursue a policy of delay. transact v. To do business.
tempt v. To offer to (somebody) an inducement to do wrong. transatlantic adj. Situated beyond or on the other side of the Atlantic.
tempter n. An allurer or enticer to evil. transcend v. To surpass.
tenacious adj. Unyielding. transcendent adj. Surpassing.
tenant n. An occupant. transcontinental adj. Extending or passing across a continent.
tendency n. Direction or inclination, as toward some objector end. transcribe v. To write over again (something already written)
tenet n. Any opinion, principle, dogma, or doctrine that a person believes or maintains as transcript n. A copy made directly from an original.
true. transfer v. To convey, remove, or cause to pass from one person or place to another.
tenor n. A settled course or manner of progress. transferable adj. Capable of being conveyed from one person or place to another.
tense adj. Strained to stiffness. transferee n. The person to whom a transfer is made.
tentative adj. Done as an experiment. transference n. The act of conveying from one person or place to another.
tenure n. The term during which a thing is held. transferrer n. One who or that which conveys from one person or place to another.
tercentenary adj. Pertaining to a period of 300 years. transfigure v. To give an exalted meaning or glorified appearance to.
termagant adj. Violently abusive and quarrelsome. transfuse v. To pour or cause to pass, as a fluid, from one vessel to another.
terminal adj. Pertaining to or creative of a boundary, limit. transfusible adj. Capable of being poured from one vessel to another.
terminate v. To put an end or stop to. transfusion n. The act of pouring from one vessel to another.
termination n. The act of ending or concluding. transgress v. To break a law.
terminus n. The final point or goal. transience n. Something that is of short duration.
terrify v. To fill with extreme fear. transient n. One who or that which is only of temporary existence.
territorial adj. Pertaining to the domain over which a sovereign state exercises jurisdiction. transition n. Passage from one place, condition, or action to another.
terse adj. Pithy. transitory adj. Existing for a short time only.
testament n. A will. translate v. To give the sense or equivalent of in another language or dialect.
testator n. The maker of a will. translator n. An interpreter.
testimonial n. A formal token of regard, often presented in public. translucence n. The property or state of allowing the passage of light.
thearchy n. Government by a supreme deity. translucent adj. Allowing the passage of light.
theism n. Belief in God. transmissible adj. That may e sent through or across.
theocracy n. A government administered by ecclesiastics. transmission n. The act of sending through or across.
theocrasy n. The mixed worship of polytheism. transmit v. To send trough or across.
theologian n. A professor of divinity. transmute v. To change in nature, substance, or form.
theological adj. Based on or growing out of divine revelation. transparent adj. Easy to see through or understand.
theology n. The branch of theological science that treats of God. transpire v. To come to pass.
theoretical adj. Directed toward knowledge for its own sake without respect to applications. transplant v. To remove and plant in another place.
theorist n. One given to speculating. transposition n. The act of reversing the order or changing the place of.
theorize v. To speculate. transverse adj. Lying or being across or in a crosswise direction.
thereabout adv. Near that number, quantity, degree, place, or time, approximately. travail n. Hard or agonizing labor.
therefor adv. For that or this. travesty n. A grotesque imitation.
thermal adj. Of or pertaining to heat. treacherous adj. Perfidious.
thermoelectric adj. Denoting electricity produced by heat. treachery n. Violation of allegiance, confidence, or plighted faith.
thermoelectricity n. Electricity generated by differences of temperature, treasonable adj. Of the nature of betrayal, treachery, or breech of allegiance.
thesis n. An essay or treatise on a particular subject. treatise n. An elaborate literary composition presenting a subject in all its parts.
thoroughbred adj. Bred from the best or purest blood or stock. treble adj. Multiplied by three.
thoroughfare n. A public street or road. trebly adv. Triply.
thrall n. One controlled by an appetite or a passion. tremendous adj. Awe-inspiring.
tilth n. Cultivation. tremor n. An involuntary trembling or shivering.
timbre n. The quality of a tone, as distinguished from intensity and pitch. tremulous adj. Characterized by quivering or unsteadiness.
timorous adj. Lacking courage. trenchant adj. Cutting deeply and quickly.
tincture n. A solution, usually alcoholic, of some principle used in medicine. trepidation n. Nervous uncertainty of feeling.
tinge n. A faint trace of color. trestle n. An open braced framework for supporting the horizontal stringers of a railway-
tipsy adj. Befuddled with drinks. bridge.
tirade n. Harangue. triad n. A group of three persons of things.
tireless adj. Untiring. tribune n. Any champion of the rights and liberties of the people: often used as the name
tiresome adj. Wearisome. for a newspaper.
Titanic adj. Of vast size or strength. trickery n. Artifice.
toilsome adj. Laborious. tricolor adj. Of three colors.
tolerable adj. Moderately good. tricycle n. A three-wheeled vehicle.
tolerance n. Forbearance in judging of the acts or opinions of others. trident n. The three-pronged fork that was the emblem of Neptune.
tolerant adj. Indulgent. triennial adj. Taking place every third year.
tolerate v. To passively permit or put up with. trimness n. Neatness.
toleration n. A spirit of charitable leniency. trinity n. A threefold personality existing in the one divine being or substance.
topography n. The art of representing on a map the physical features of any locality or trio n. Three things grouped or associated together.
region with accuracy. triple adj. Threefold.
torpor n. Apathy. triplicate adj. Composed of or pertaining to three related things or parts.
torrid adj. Excessively hot. triplicity n. The state of being triple or threefold.
tortious adj. Wrongful. tripod n. A three-legged stand, usually hinged near the top, for supporting some
tortuous adj. Abounding in irregular bends or turns. instrument.
torturous adj. Marked by extreme suffering. trisect v. To divide into three parts, especially into three equal parts.
tractable adj. Easily led or controlled. trite adj. Made commonplace by frequent repetition.
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triumvir n. One of three men united coordinately in public office or authority. unlimited adj. Unconstrained.
trivial adj. Of little importance or value. unnatural adj. Artificial.
troublesome adj. Burdensome. unnecessary adj. Not essential under the circumstances.
truculence n. Ferocity. unsettle v. To put into confusion.
truculent adj. Having the character or the spirit of a savage. unsophisticated adj. Showing inexperience.
truism n. A statement so plainly true as hardly to require statement or proof. unspeakable adj. Abominable.
truthful adj. Veracious. untimely adj. Unseasonable.
turgid adj. Swollen. untoward adj. Causing annoyance or hindrance.
turpitude n. Depravity. unutterable adj. Inexpressible.
tutelage n. The act of training or the state of being under instruction. unwieldy adj. Moved or managed with difficulty, as from great size or awkward shape.
tutelar adj. Protective. unwise adj. Foolish.
tutorship n. The office of a guardian. unyoke v. To separate.
twinge n. A darting momentary local pain. up-keep n. Maintenance.
typical adj. Characteristic. upbraid v. To reproach as deserving blame.
typify v. To serve as a characteristic example of. upcast n. A throwing upward.
typographical adj. Pertaining to typography or printing. upheaval n. Overthrow or violent disturbance of established order or condition.
typography n. The arrangement of composed type, or the appearance of printed matter. upheave v. To raise or lift with effort.
tyrannical adj. Despotic. uppermost adj. First in order of precedence.
tyranny n. Absolute power arbitrarily or unjustly administrated. uproarious adj. Noisy.
tyro n. One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession. uproot v. To eradicate.
ubiquitous adj. Being present everywhere. upturn v. To throw into confusion.
ulterior adj. Not so pertinent as something else to the matter spoken of. urban adj. Of, or pertaining to, or like a city.
ultimate adj. Beyond which there is nothing else. urbanity n. Refined or elegant courtesy.
ultimatum n. A final statement or proposal, as concerning terms or conditions. urchin n. A roguish, mischievous boy.
ultramundane adj. Pertaining to supernatural things or to another life. urgency n. The pressure of necessity.
ultramontane adj. Beyond the mountains, especially beyond the Alps (that is, on their usage n. Treatment.
Italian side). usurious adj. Taking unlawful or exorbitant interest on money loaned.
umbrage n. A sense of injury. usurp v. To take possession of by force.
unaccountable adj. Inexplicable. usury n. The demanding for the use of money as a loan, a rate of interest beyond what is
unaffected adj. Sincere. allowed by law.
unanimous adj. Sharing the same views or sentiments. utilitarianism n. The ethical doctrine that actions are right because they are useful or of
unanimity n. The state or quality of being of one mind. beneficial tendency.
unavoidable adj. Inevitable. utility n. Fitness for some desirable practical purpose.
unbearable adj. Unendurable. utmost n. The greatest possible extent.
unbecoming adj. Unsuited to the wearer, place, or surroundings. vacate v. To leave.
unbelief n. Doubt. vaccinate v. To inoculate with vaccine virus or virus of cowpox.
unbiased adj. Impartial, as judgment. vacillate v. To waver.
unbridled adj. Being without restraint. vacuous adj. Empty.
uncommon adj. Rare. vacuum n. A space entirely devoid of matter.
unconscionable adj. Ridiculously or unjustly excessive. vagabond n. A wanderer.
unconscious adj. Not cognizant of objects, actions, etc. vagrant n. An idle wanderer.
unction n. The art of anointing as with oil. vainglory n. Excessive, pretentious, and demonstrative vanity.
unctuous adj. Oily. vale n. Level or low land between hills.
undeceive v. To free from deception, as by apprising of the real state of affairs. valediction n. A bidding farewell.
undercharge v. To make an inadequate charge for. valedictorian n. Student who delivers an address at graduating exercises of an
underexposed adj. Insufficiently exposed for proper or full development, as negatives in educational institution.
photography. valedictory n. A parting address.
undergarment n. A garment to be worn under the ordinary outer garments. valid adj. Founded on truth.
underman v. To equip with less than the full complement of men. valorous adj. Courageous.
undersell v. To sell at a lower price than. vapid adj. Having lost sparkling quality and flavor.
undersized adj. Of less than the customary size. vaporizer n. An atomizer.
underhanded adj. Clandestinely carried on. variable adj. Having a tendency to change.
underlie v. To be the ground or support of. variance n. Change.
underling n. A subordinate. variant n. A thing that differs from another in form only, being the same in essence or
undermine v. To subvert in an underhand way. substance.
underrate v. To undervalue. variation n. Modification.
understate v. To fail to put strongly enough, as a case. variegate v. To mark with different shades or colors.
undervalue v. To underestimate. vassal n. A slave or bondman.
underworld n. Hades. vaudeville n. A variety show.
underwrite v. To issue or be party to the issue of a policy of insurance. vegetal adj. Of or pertaining to plants.
undue adj. More than sufficient. vegetarian n. One who believes in the theory that man's food should be exclusively
undulate v. To move like a wave or in waves. vegetable.
undulous adj. Resembling waves. vegetate v. To live in a monotonous, passive way without exercise of the mental faculties.
unfavorable adj. Adverse. vegetation n. Plant-life in the aggregate.
ungainly adj. Clumsy. vegetative adj. Pertaining to the process of plant-life.
unguent n. Any ointment or lubricant for local application. vehement adj. Very eager or urgent.
unicellular adj. Consisting of a single cell. velocity n. Rapid motion.
univalence n. Monovalency. velvety adj. Marked by lightness and softness.
unify v. To cause to be one. venal adj. Mercenary, corrupt.
unique adj. Being the only one of its kind. vendible adj. Marketable.
unison n. A condition of perfect agreement and accord. vendition n. The act of selling.
unisonant adj. Being in a condition of perfect agreement and accord. vendor n. A seller.
Unitarian adj. Pertaining to a religious body that rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. veneer n. Outside show or elegance.
unlawful adj. Illegal. venerable adj. Meriting or commanding high esteem.
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