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Abate
to decrease; reduce
NASA announced that it would delay the launch of the manned spacecraft until the radiation from the solar flames abated.
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Abdicate
to give up position, right or power
Romulus Augustus, the last Western Roman emperor, was forced to abdicate the throne in 476 A.D., and the Germanic chieftain Odovacar became the de fact ruler of Italy.
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Abberant
deviating from what is normal
When a person's behavior becomes aberrant, his or her peers may become concerned that the individual is becoming a deviant.
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Abeyance
temporary suppression or suspension
A good judge must hold his or her judgement in abeyance until all the facts in a case have been presented.
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Abject
miserable, pitiful
John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath portrays the abject poverty of many people during the Great Depression.
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Abjure
to reject; abandon formally
Most members of the Religious Society of Friends abjure the use of violence to settle disputes between nations.
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Abscission
the act of cutting; the natural separation of a leaf or other part of a plant
Two scientists, Alan G. Williams and Thomas G. Whitham, have hypothesized that premature leaf abscission is an adaptive plant response to herbivorous attack.
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Abscond
to depart secretly
A warrant is out for the arrest of a person believed to have absconded with three million dollars.
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Abstemious
moderate in appetite
Some research suggests that people with an abstemious lifestyle tend to live longer than people who indulge their appetites.
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Abstinence
the giving up of certain pleasures
The monk's vow of abstinence includes all intoxicating substances.
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De facto
in fact, whether by right or not; exercising power without being legally established
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