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Ab initio
adj. from the beginning
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Abase
v. to belittle or degrade
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Aberrant
adj. deviating from accepted standards
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Abetting
v. encouraging someone to do a wrong
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Abscond
v. to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft; escape
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Abstruse
v. obscure or difficult to understand
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Abut
v. (of an area of land or a building) to adjoin, to be next to or have a common boundary with
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Accretion
n. accumulation of matter; the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter
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Acerbic
adj. sharp and forthright; tasting sour or bitter
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Acolyte
n. an assistant or follower; disciple
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Acrid
adj. angry and bitter; sharp and pungent
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Acrophobia
n. fear of heights
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Effacement
n. the erasing from a surface
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Effete
adj. (of a person) affected or overrefined; no longer capable of effective action
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Effigy
n. model of a person
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Effluviated
v. to give off an odor
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Effusive
adj. expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner
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Egalitarianism
adj. of, relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities
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Egress
n. the action of going out of or leaving a place; v. to exit
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Emaciated
adj. abnormally thin or weak esp. because of illness or a lack of food; withered
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Grate
v. to annoy; aggravate; or shred something like cheese
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Gratuitous
adj. uncalled for; unwarranted
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Gregarious
adj. sociable
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Guffaw
n. or v. sudden loud laughter
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Guile
n. cunning; craftiness
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Guileless
adj. frank; straightforward; innocent and without deception
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Hackneyed
adj. unoriginal and trite; overused
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Hale
adj. strong and healthy; v.drag or draw forcefully
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Hallow
v. honor as holy; make holy
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Hapless
adj. unfortunate; unlucky
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Harbinger
n. indicator
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Hawser
n. thick rope or cable
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Hedge
v. limit or qualify by conditions or exceptions
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Odious
adj. extremely unpleasant
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Ogle
v. stare at with lecherous intent
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Olfactory
adj. concerned with smell
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Onus
n. burden; used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility
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Ossify
v. become fixed and rigid; turn into bone or bony tissue
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Ostensible
adj. appearing to be true, but not necessarily so
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Ostracism
n. exclusion from a society or group; shun
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Veracious
adj. true
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Ruse
n. an action intended to deceive someone; a trick
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Caulk
v. treat with substance such as tar to make water tight
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Decoy
v. to lure or entice (a person or animal) away from an intended course, typically into a trap
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Limpid
adj. transparently clear
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Diaphanous
adj. transparent; thin and delicate
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Quisling
n. traitor who collaborates with the enemy
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Ineffable
adj. too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
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Assent
v. express approval or agreement, typically officially; n. the expression of approval or agreement
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Belabor
v. argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail; attack or assault (someone) physically or verbally
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Pundit
n. an expert
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Dispensations
n. exemptions from a rule or usual requirement; the action of distributing or supplying something
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Saccharine
adj. excessively sweet or sentimental
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Draconian
adj. excessively harsh and severe
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Foppish
adj. excessively concerned with fashion
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Intemperate
adj. having or showing a lack of self-control; immoderate
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Verbiage
n. excessive or meaningless wordiness
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Quixotic
adj. exceedingly idealistic
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Paradigm
n. example; model
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Assaying
v. examine something in order to assess its nature; n. the testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients and quality
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Dexterous
adj. skillful with hands; mentally adroit; clever
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Malign
adj. malevolent; slander
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Somnambulist
n. sleepwalker
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Dawdler
n. slow person who falls behind others; (v. to dawdle)
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Dilatory
adj; slow to act; slow to act
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Obtuse
adj. annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand
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Skiff
n. small boat
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Coterie
n. small group of people with shared interests or tastes
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Minutiae
n. small, trivial, or precise details of something
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Fetid
adj. smelling extremely unpleasant
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Macerate
v. soften or break up by soaking; cause to grow thinner or waste away, esp. by fasting
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Anathema
n. someone or something that one vehemently dislikes
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Libertarian
n. someone who opposes tyranny, who believes in the doctrine of free will
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Poseur
n. someone who puts on an act
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Quietus
n. death or something that causes death, regarded as a release from life; something that has a calming or soothing effect
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Inconspicuous
adj. not noticeable
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Conspicuous
adj. standing out so as to be clearly visible
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Frivolous
adj. not serious; not having any serious purpose or value
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Unavailed
v. not using or taking advantage of an opportunity
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Recondite
adj. (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse; obscure
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Esoterica
n. obscure details
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Tawdry
adj. showy but cheap and of poor quality; sordid or unpleasant
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Sordid
adj. involving ignoble actions and motives
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Nugatory
adj. of minor significance
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Arcadian
adj. of or relating to an ideal rustic paradise
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Infirmity
n. physical or mental weakness
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Inter
v. place in a grave or tomb
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Redolent
adj. strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something); giving off odors
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Sententious
adj. given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner
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Mendicant
adj. given to begging; n. a beggar
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Titter
v. giggle quietly
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Claque
n. group of groupies, people hired to applaud or heckle a performer or public speaker
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Iniquitous
adj. grossly unfair and morally wrong
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Solecism
n. grammatical mistake in speech or writing
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Amortized
v. gradually write off the initial cost of an asset; reduce or extinguish (a debt) by money regularly put aside
Define:
Gerontocracy
n. government by the aged
What word most nearly fits this definition?
adj. from the beginning
Ab initio
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v. to belittle or degrade
Abase
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adj. deviating from accepted standards
Aberrant
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v. encouraging someone to do a wrong
Abetting
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v. to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft; escape
Abscond
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v. obscure or difficult to understand
Abstruse
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v. (of an area of land or a building) to adjoin, to be next to or have a common boundary with
Abut
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n. accumulation of matter; the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter
Accretion
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adj. sharp and forthright; tasting sour or bitter
Acerbic
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n. an assistant or follower; disciple
Acolyte
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adj. angry and bitter; sharp and pungent
Acrid
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n. fear of heights
Acrophobia
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n. the erasing from a surface
Effacement
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adj. (of a person) affected or overrefined; no longer capable of effective action
Effete
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n. model of a person
Effigy
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v. to give off an odor
Effluviated
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adj. expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner
Effusive
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adj. of, relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities
Egalitarianism
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n. the action of going out of or leaving a place; v. to exit
Egress
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adj. abnormally thin or weak esp. because of illness or a lack of food; withered
Emaciated
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v. to annoy; aggravate; or shred something like cheese
Grate
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adj. uncalled for; unwarranted
Gratuitous
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adj. sociable
Gregarious
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n. or v. sudden loud laughter
Guffaw
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n. cunning; craftiness
Guile
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adj. frank; straightforward; innocent and without deception
Guileless
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adj. unoriginal and trite; overused
Hackneyed
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adj. strong and healthy; v.drag or draw forcefully
Hale
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v. honor as holy; make holy
Hallow
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adj. unfortunate; unlucky
Hapless
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n. indicator
Harbinger
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n. thick rope or cable
Hawser
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v. limit or qualify by conditions or exceptions
Hedge
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adj. extremely unpleasant
Odious
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v. stare at with lecherous intent
Ogle
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adj. concerned with smell
Olfactory
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n. burden; used to refer to something that is one’s duty or responsibility
Onus
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v. become fixed and rigid; turn into bone or bony tissue
Ossify
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adj. appearing to be true, but not necessarily so
Ostensible
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n. exclusion from a society or group; shun
Ostracism
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adj. true
Veracious
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n. an action intended to deceive someone; a trick
Ruse
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v. treat with substance such as tar to make water tight
Caulk
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v. to lure or entice (a person or animal) away from an intended course, typically into a trap
Decoy
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adj. transparently clear
Limpid
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adj. transparent; thin and delicate
Diaphanous
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n. traitor who collaborates with the enemy
Quisling
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adj. too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
Ineffable
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v. express approval or agreement, typically officially; n. the expression of approval or agreement
Assent
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v. argue or elaborate (a subject) in excessive detail; attack or assault (someone) physically or verbally
Belabor
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n. an expert
Pundit
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n. exemptions from a rule or usual requirement; the action of distributing or supplying something
Dispensations
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adj. excessively sweet or sentimental
Saccharine
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adj. excessively harsh and severe
Draconian
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adj. excessively concerned with fashion
Foppish
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adj. having or showing a lack of self-control; immoderate
Intemperate
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n. excessive or meaningless wordiness
Verbiage
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adj. exceedingly idealistic
Quixotic
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n. example; model
Paradigm
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v. examine something in order to assess its nature; n. the testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients and quality
Assaying
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adj. skillful with hands; mentally adroit; clever
Dexterous
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adj. malevolent; slander
Malign
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n. sleepwalker
Somnambulist
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n. slow person who falls behind others; (v. to dawdle)
Dawdler
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adj; slow to act; slow to act
Dilatory
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adj. annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand
Obtuse
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n. small boat
Skiff
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n. small group of people with shared interests or tastes
Coterie
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n. small, trivial, or precise details of something
Minutiae
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adj. smelling extremely unpleasant
Fetid
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v. soften or break up by soaking; cause to grow thinner or waste away, esp. by fasting
Macerate
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n. someone or something that one vehemently dislikes
Anathema
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n. someone who opposes tyranny, who believes in the doctrine of free will
Libertarian
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n. someone who puts on an act
Poseur
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n. death or something that causes death, regarded as a release from life; something that has a calming or soothing effect
Quietus
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adj. not noticeable
Inconspicuous
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adj. standing out so as to be clearly visible
Conspicuous
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adj. not serious; not having any serious purpose or value
Frivolous
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v. not using or taking advantage of an opportunity
Unavailed
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adj. (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse; obscure
Recondite
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n. obscure details
Esoterica
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adj. showy but cheap and of poor quality; sordid or unpleasant
Tawdry
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adj. involving ignoble actions and motives
Sordid
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adj. of minor significance
Nugatory
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adj. of or relating to an ideal rustic paradise
Arcadian
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n. physical or mental weakness
Infirmity
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v. place in a grave or tomb
Inter
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adj. strongly reminiscent or suggestive of (something); giving off odors
Redolent
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adj. given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner
Sententious
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adj. given to begging; n. a beggar
Mendicant
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v. giggle quietly
Titter
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n. group of groupies, people hired to applaud or heckle a performer or public speaker
Claque
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adj. grossly unfair and morally wrong
Iniquitous
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n. grammatical mistake in speech or writing
Solecism
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v. gradually write off the initial cost of an asset; reduce or extinguish (a debt) by money regularly put aside
Amortized
What word most nearly fits this definition?
n. government by the aged
Gerontocracy