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(n.) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends
Bellwether
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(adj.) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or axhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date
Effete
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(adj.) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious
Noisome
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(n.) a convert; a disciple
Proselyte
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(n.) good-humored ridicule; teasing
Raillery
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(adj.) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic
Supine
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(n.) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter
Vignette
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(n.) protection; patronage; sponsership
Aegis
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(n.) a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat
Claque
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(adj.) charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity derived from or provided by charity
Eleemosynary
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(n.) a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
Lexicon
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(v.) to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
Obfuscate
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(n.) the range, extent, or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute
Purview
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(n.) the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable
Verisimilitude
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(v.) to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
Bowdlerize
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(n.) a person's strong point; what a person does best
Forte
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(n.) the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure
Macrocosm
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(n.) lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
Persiflage
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(adj.) concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions
Pragmatic
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(n.) inordinate greed;the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
Rapacity
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(n.) a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj.) masterly or brilliant
Virtuoso
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(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)
Derring-do
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(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaning life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines
Elixir
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(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
Ineffable
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(adj.) relation to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory
Mnemonic
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(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
Risible
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(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle
Folderol
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(n.) an about-face; a complete reversal
Volte-face
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(n.) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan
Aficionado
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(adj.) very sheer ande light; almost completely transparent
Diaphanous
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(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinction category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted
Genre
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(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison
Immure
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(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies
Obsequies
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(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes
Persona
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(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems
Systematic
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(v.) to spread news, reports, or unsubstantiated rumors
Bruit
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(v.) to weaken, debase, or corrupt; to impair the quality or value of
Vitiate
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(adj.) Characterized by riotous or unrestrained revelry or licentiousness
Saturnalian
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(v.) to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place
Ensconce
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(adv.) in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things
In medias res
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(v.) to change or vary the intensity or pitch; to temper or soften; to regulate, adjust
Modulate
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(adj.) mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed
Internecine
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(n.) full freedom or authority to act at one's own discretion
Carte blanche
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(v.) to jump of skip about playfully
Gambol
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(n.) a malicious satire; (v.) to satirize, ridicule
Lampoon
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(adj.) lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements; such a person
Philistine
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(n.) the ability to say and do the right thing in any situation; social competence
Savoir-faire
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(n.) dazzling or conspicuous success or acclaim; great brilliance (of performance or achievement)
Eclat
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