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acquire
V. obtain; get. Frederick Douglass was determined to acquire an education despite his master's efforts to prevent his doing so.
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acquittal
N. deliverance from a charge. His acquittal by the jury surprised those who had thought him guilty. acquit,V.
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acrid
ADJ. sharp; bitterly pungent. The acrid odor of burnt gunpowder filled the room after the pistol had been fired.
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acrimonious
ADJ. bitter in words or manner. The candidate attacked his opponent in highly acrimonious terms. acrimony,
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acrophobia
N. fear of heights. A born salesman, he could convince someone with a bad case of acrophobia to sign up for a life membership in a sky-diving club.
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actuarial
ADJ. calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics. According to recent actuarial tables, life expectancy is greater today than it was a century ago.
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actuate
V. motivate. I fail to understand what actuated you to reply to this letter so nastily.
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acuity
N. sharpness. In time his youthful acuity of vision failed him, and he needed glasses.
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acumen
N. mental keenness. His business acumen helped him to succeed where others had failed.
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acute
ADJ. quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe. The acute young doctor realized immediately that the gradual deterioration of her patient's once acute hearing was due to a chronic illness, not an acute one.
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adage
N. wise saying; proverb. There is much truth in the old adage about fools and their money.
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adamant
ADJ. hard; inflexible. Bronson played the part of a revenge-driven man, adamant in his determination to punish the criminals who destroyed his family. adamancy, N.
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adapt
V. alter; modify. Some species of animals have become extinct because they could not adapt to a changing environment.
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addendum
N. an addition or supplement. As an addendum to the minutes, let me point out that Susan moved to appoint Kathy and Arthur to the finance committee.
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addiction
N. compulsive, habitual need. His addiction to drugs caused his friends much grief.
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addle
V. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten. This idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone. addled,ADJ.
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address
V. direct a speech to; deal with or discuss. Due to address the convention in July, Brown planned to address the issue of low-income housing in his speech.
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adept
ADJ. expert at. She was adept at the fine art of irritating people. also N.
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adhere
V. stick fast. I will adhere to this opinion until proof that I am wrong is presented. adhesion, N.
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adherent
N. supporter; follower. In the wake of the scandal, the senator's one-time adherents quickly deserted him.
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adjacent
ADJ. adjoining; neighboring; close by. Philip's best friend Jason lived only four houses down the block, close but not immediately adjacent.
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adjunct
N. something added on or attached (generally nonessential or inferior). Although I don't absolutely need a second computer, I plan to buy a laptop to serve as an adjunct to my desktop model.
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admonish
V. warn; reprove. He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways. admonition, N.
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admonition
N. warning. After the student protesters repeatedly rejected Chairman Deng's admonitions, the government issued an ultimatum: either the students would end the demonstration at once or the soldiers would fire on the crowd.
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adorn
V. decorate. Wall paintings and carved statues adorned the temple. adornment, N.
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adroit
ADJ. skillful. His adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased his employers.
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