Barron's 5000 Flashcards
(201 cards)
1
Q
A
1
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abase
A
lower; degrade; humiliate; make humble; make (oneself) lose self-respect
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abash
A
embarrass
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abate
A
subside or moderate
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abbreviate
A
shorten
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abdicate
A
renounce; give up (position, right, or responsibility)
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aberrant
A
abnormal or deviant
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aberration
A
deviation from the normal; mental disorder
8
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abet
A
assist usually in doing something wrong; encourage
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abeyance
A
suspended action
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abhor
A
detest; hate
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abject
A
(of a condition) wretched; as low as possible; lacking pride; very humble; showing lack of self-respect; Ex. abject apology
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abjure
A
renounce upon oath
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ablution
A
washing
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abnegation
A
renunciation; self-sacrifice; self-abnegation
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abolish
A
cancel; put an end to
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abominable
A
detestable; extremely unpleasant
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aboriginal
A
being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native; indigenous; N. aborigine
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abortive
A
unsuccessful; fruitless
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abrasive
A
rubbing away; tending to grind down
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abridge
A
condense or shorten
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abrogate
A
abolish
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abscission
A
cutting off; separation
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abscond
A
depart secretly and hide
24
absolute
complete; totally unlimited; having complete power; certain; not relative; Ex. absolute honesty/ruler; CF. absolutism
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absolve
pardon (an offense)
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abstain
refrain; withhold from participation; intentionally not use one's vote; ±â±ÇÇÏ´Ù
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abstemious
sparing in eating and drinking; temperate
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abstinence
restraint from pleasant things, esp. eating or drinking; CF. abstention: act of abstaining from vote
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abstract
theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
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abstruse
obscure; profound; difficult to understand
31
abusive
coarsely insulting; physically harmful
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abut
border upon; adjoin
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abysmal
bottomless
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abyss
enormous chasm; vast bottomless pit
35
academic
related to a school; not practical or directly useful
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accede
agree
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accelerate
move faster
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accessible
easy to approach; obtainable
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accessory
additional object; useful but not essential thing
40
acclaim
applaud; praise; greet with great approval; announce with great approval; Ex. The new drung has been acclaimed as the most important discoveries for years; N: strong expression of approval and praise
41
acclimate
adjust to climate or environment; adapt
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acclivity
sharp upslope of a hill; OP. declivity
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accolade
award of merit; strong praise and approval
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accommodate
oblige or help someone; adjust or bring into harmony; adapt; make enough space for; ADJ. accommodative; CF. accomodating: helpful and obliging
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accomplice
partner in crime
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accord
agreement
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accost
approach and speak first to a person
48
accoutre
equip; N. accoutrement
49
accretion
growth or increase in size by gradual addition; growth; increase; increase by natural growth; Ex. towers and other accretions of the castle; V. accrete
50
accrue
come to one as a gain; accumulate over time; come about by addition; Ex. benefits that accrue from scientific research; Ex. interest accruing in a bank account; N. accrual
51
acerbity
bitterness of speech and temper; ADJ. acerbic: bitter; acrid (in taste, manner, or tone)
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acetic
vinegary
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acidulous
slightly sour (in taste or manner); sharp; caustic
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acknowledge
recognize; admit
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acme
peak; pinnacle; highest point
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acoustics
science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
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acquiesce
assent; agree passively; comply without protest
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acquittal
deliverance from a charge; V. acquit: free from a charge or accusation; discharge from a duty; conduct (oneself) in a specified manner
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acrid
bitter (to the taste or smell); sharp; bitterly pungent
60
acrimonious
stinging; caustic; bitter in words or manner; N. acrimony: bitter ill-natured animosity in speech or behavior
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acrophobia
fear of heights
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actuarial
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
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actuate
motivate; activate; cause to act
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acuity
sharpness (of mind or senses of sight or hearing)
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acumen
mental keenness; sharpness of judgment; ability to judge quickly and well; Ex. business acumen
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acute
(of the senses) sharp; quickly perceptive; keen; penetrating; brief and severe; Ex. acute sense of smell/analysis/pain
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adage
wise saying; proverb
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adamant
hard; inflexible
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adapt
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel.
70
addendum
addition; appendix to book; something that is added (as at the end of a speech or book)
71
addiction
compulsive habitual need
72
addle
make or become confused; muddle; drive crazy; become rotten (egg)
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address
direct a speech to; speak to; deal with or discuss; direct one's efforts or attention to; make with a destination; N: formal speech
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adept
expert at; very skilled
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adhere
stick fast; be a devotd follower; N. adhesion: adhering; devotion; loyality
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adherent
supporter; follower
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adjacent
adjoining; neighboring; close by
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adjunct
something attached to but holding an inferior position
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adjuration
solemn urging; V. adjure: entreat earnestly; enjoin solemnly
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adjutant
staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
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admonish
warn or speak to with gentle disapproval; reprove
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adorn
decorate
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adroit
skillful (in using mind or hand)
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adulation
flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved
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adulterate
make impure or of poorer quality by adding inferior or tainted(contaminated) substances
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advent
arrival
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adventitious
accidental; casual; happening by chance
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adversary
opponent; enemy
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adverse
going against; opposing; unfavorable; hostile
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adversity
great hardship or affliction; misfortune; calamitous event
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advert
refer
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advocacy
support; active pleading on behalf of someone or something
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advocate
speak in favor of; support (an idea or plan); urge; plead for
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aegis
shield; protection; defense
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aerie
nest of a large bird of prey
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aesthetic
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful (of a person or building); CF. aesthete; CF. aesthetics
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affable
easily approachable; easy to talk to; warmly friendly
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affected
artificial; pretended
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affidavit
written statement made under oath (for use as proof in a court of law)
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affiliation
joining; associating with
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affinity
feeling of kinship; similarity; Ex. strong affinity for her; Ex. many affinities between two languages
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affirmation
positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath; V. affirm; ADJ. affirmative; CF. affirmative action: positive discrimination
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affliction
state of distress; trial; cause of distress or suffering; V. afflict: inflict grievous suffering on
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affluence
abundance; wealth
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affront
insult; offense; intentional act of disrespect; V: insult or hurt the feelings of intentionally
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agape
openmouthed
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agenda
items of business at a meeting
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agglomeration
collection; heap; V. agglomerate: gather into a rounded mass; N. aggolmeate: jumbled mass; heap
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aggrandize
make greater; increase in power, wealth, rank, or honor; N. aggrandizement
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aggregate
sum; total; ADJ. V: gather into a mass or whole; accumulate; add up to; Ex. aggregate 100 dollars
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aghast
filled with great surprise or fear; horrified
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agility
nimbleness; ability to move quickly
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agitate
stir up; disturb
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agnostic
one who is skeptical of the existence or knowability of a god or any ultimate reality
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agog
highly excited; intensely curious
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agrarian
pertaining to land or its cultivation; Ex. agrarian reform
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alacrity
cheerful promptness without reluctance
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alchemy
medieval chemistry
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alcove
nook; recess
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alias
an assumed name esp. by a criminal (usually to mislead people); ADV. alias
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alienate
make unfriendly or hostile; estrange; separate; change the ownership of
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alimentary
supplying nourishment
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alimony
payments made regularly to an ex-spouse after divorce
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allay
calm; pacify
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allege
state without proof
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allegiance
loyalty
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allegory
story, play, or picture in which characters are used as symbols; fable
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alleviate
relieve (pain)
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alliteration
repetition of beginning sound in poetry
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allocate
assign; set apart for a particular purpose
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alloy
mixture as of metals; something added that lowers in value or purity; V: mix; make less pure; lower in value or quality; spoil; CF. unalloyed: not in mixture with other maetals; pure; complete; unqualified; Ex. unalloyed happiness
132
allude
refer indirectly; N. allusion: indirect reference
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allure
entice; attract; tempt
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siren
apparatus for making sounds; womanlike creature
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alluvial
pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
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aloof
apart; not open in one's relationship with other people; reserved; ADV.
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aloft
upward; high up in the air
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altercation
noisy quarrel
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altruistic
unselfishly generous; concerned for others; N. altiruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; unselfishness; OP. egoism
140
amalgamate
(of societies or groups) combine; unite in one body
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amalgam
combination of different things; mixture of metals (containing mercury) used for filling holes in teeth
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amass
collect (gradually, in a very large amount)
143
amazon
female warrior
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ambidextrous
capable of using either hand with equal ease
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ambience
environment; atmosphere; Ex. restraurant with a pleasant ambience; ADJ. ambient: completely surrounding; Ex. ambient temperature
146
ambiguous
unclear or doubtful in meaning; having more than one possible interpretation
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ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes or opinions
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amble
walking at an easy unhurried pace; V: walk slowly and aimlessly
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ambrosia
food of the gods
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nectar
drink of the gods; sweet liquid collected by bees
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ambulatory
able to walk
152
ameliorate
improve
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amenable
obedient; compliant; readily managed; responsive; willing to be led; answerable or accountable legally; responsible; able to be tested by; Ex. amenable to sensible suggestions; Ex. He is very amenable; Ex. amenable to the usual tests
154
amend
correct; change ; generally for the better
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amenities
convenient features that helps to make life pleasant; social courtesies
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amiable
agreeable; lovable; warmly friendly
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amicable
peaceful; politely friendly; not quarrelsome; Ex. amicable settlement
158
amiss
wrong; faulty; Ex. something amiss; ADV.
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amity
friendship; peaceful relationship as between nations
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amnesia
loss of memory
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amnesty
pardon (allowed by government to political criminals)
162
amoral
nonmoral; having no understanding of right and wrong
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amorous
moved by sexual love; loving; of sexual love; Ex. amorous advances
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amorphous
formless; lacking shape or definition
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amphibian
able to live both on land and in water; N.
166
amphitheater
oval building with tiers of seats; CF. arena
167
ample
enough; abundant; spacious; large in size; Ex. ample opportunity/garden; N. amplitude: quality of being ample; abundance; largeness of space
168
amplify
increase in size or effect; expand; broaden or clarify by expanding; intensify; make stronger; Ex. amplify one's remarks with a graph
169
amputate
cut off part of body; prune (a limb)
170
amok(amuck)
in a state of rage; Ex. run amok
171
amulet
charm; talisman; an object worn believed to protect against evil, bad luck
172
anachronism
an error involving time in a story; something or someone misplaced in time; ADJ. anachronistic
173
analgesic
causing insensitivity to pain; N.
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analgesia
condition of being unable to feel pain
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analogous
comparable; similar
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analogy
similarity; parallelism; comparing two similar things
177
anarchist
person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
178
anarchy
absence of governing body; state of disorder
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anathema
solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse; V. anathematize
180
ancestry
family descent; ADJ. ancestral
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anchor
secure or fasten firmly; be fixed in place; N. anchorage
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ancillary
serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary; N.
183
anecdote
short story of an amusing or interesting event
184
anemia
condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles; ADJ. anemic
185
anesthetic
substance that removes sensation with or without loss of consciousness; N. anesthesia
186
anguish
acute pain; extreme suffering
187
angular
sharp-cornered; having an angle; not rounded (body); bony; lean; gaunt; stiff in manner
188
animadversion
critical remark; V. animadvert: comment critically with disapproval
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animated
lively; spirited
190
animosity
active enmity
191
animus
hostile feeling or intent; animosity; hostility; disposition
192
annals
records arranged in yearly parts; history
193
anneal
reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling (metal or glass)
194
annex
attach; add to a large thing; take possession of; incorporate (territory) into a larger existing political unit (by force); N: building added to a large one
195
annihilate
destroy
196
annotate
comment; make explanatory notes
197
annuity
yearly allowance
198
annul
make void
199
elope
run away secretly with the intention of getting married
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anodyne
drug that relieves pain or trouble; ÁøÅëÁ¦; opiate; ADJ. Ex. anodyne statement
