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abalone
a large mollusk, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl
American>Rumsen
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abbatial
of or pertaining to an abbot, abbess, or abbey.
Late Latin abbātiālis
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acarophobia
a pathological belief that the skin is infested with mites or insects, often leading to self-mutilation in order to eliminate the infestation
Neo-Latin; acarus>mite
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acolyte
an altar attendant in public worship.
Medieval Latin acolytus < Greek akólouthos follower, attendant
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ad valorem
in proportion to the value
Latin: literally, according to the worth
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admissibility
allowable
Latin admiss- or < French, formed from same elements
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afforestation
to convert (bare or cultivated land) into forest, originally for the purpose of providing hunting grounds.
Medieval Latin afforēstāre
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Agincourt
a village in N France
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agrochemical
any chemical used in agricultural production, as commercial fertilizers, pesticides, and feed supplements.
<agrichemical
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Aguadilla
a seaport in NW Puerto Rico
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alfresco
out-of-doors
< Italian: in the cool, in a cool place
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alpha privative
the prefix a- or, before a vowel, an-, used in Greek and English to express negation or absence.
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ametropia
faulty refraction of light rays by the eye
< Greek ámetr ( os ) unmeasured
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amylaceous
starchy
Greek, amyl-
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anathematize
denounce; curse
(< Middle French ) < Late Latin anathematizāre to put under the ban, curse, detest < Greek anathematízein make accursed
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anemia, anaemia
a quantitative deficiency of the hemoglobin, often accompanied by a reduced number of red blood cells and causing pallor, weakness, and breathlessness.
< Neo-Latin < Greek anaimía want of blood
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annular ligament
the ligamentous envelope surrounding a part, as the joints of the wrist or ankle or the head of the radius
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anthrax
an infectious, often fatal disease of cattle, sheep, and other mammals
Middle English antrax malignant boil or growth < Latin anthrax carbuncle < Greek ánthrax a coal, carbuncle
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anthropometry
the measurement of the size and proportions of the human body.
Greek, anthropo-, meaning human
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antiphony
alternate or responsive singing by a choir in two divisions.
<Medieval Latin responsive singing < Greek sounding in answer
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antipersonnel
used against enemy personnel rather than against mechanized vehicles
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antipyretic
checking or preventing fever.
<Neo-Latin<Greek (-pyret-)
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apatetic
assuming colors and forms that effect deceptive camouflage.
< Greek fallacious (logically unsound)
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applicable
relevant; suitable; appropriate
< Latin applic or < Middle French
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apprehensible
capable of being understood.
<Late Latin, grasped
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arborescent
treelike in size and form
< Latin, to grow into a tree
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archconservative
consistently holding extremely conservative views
<Latin
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assimilable
capable of absorbing, adjusting, or adapting
< Latin likened to, made like
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assumptive
taken for granted.
Latin
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attention deficit disorder
a condition, usually in children, marked by inattentiveness, dreaminess, and passivity
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avocet
any of several long-legged, web-footed shorebirds, having a long, slender, upward-curving bill.
< French avocette, probably erroneous spelling for Neo-Latin avosetta < Italian < Upper Italian (< Venetian)
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babbitt metal
any of various alloys of tin with smaller amounts of antimony and copper, used as an antifriction lining for bearings.
Americanism ; named after Isaac Babbitt
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baguette
- a rectangular shape given to a small gem, especially a diamond, by cutting and polishing.
- 2. Architecture . a small convex molding, especially one of semicircular section.
- 3. a long, narrow loaf of french bread
< French < Italian bacchetta little stick
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