Term
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Definition
–adverb
1.
for the special purpose or end presently under consideration: a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.
–adjective
2.
concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end: The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason.
2.
attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
Indeed accusing someone falsely of an ad hominem approach to debate is itself an ad hominem argument.
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Term
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Definition
–adverb
to infinity; endlessly; without limit.
That might seem a little odd here as we appear to repeat the same commands ad infinitum because the number of colors is fixed.
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Term
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Definition
–adverb
to a sickening or disgusting degree.
She went on and on ad nauseam about her divorce.
He played the song ad nauseam.
She droned on and on ad nauseum about her genius child.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
before or existing before the war, esp. the American Civil War.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; passionate; fervent: an ardent vow; ardent love.
intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous: an ardent theatergoer. an ardent student of French history.
vehement; fierce: They were frightened by his ardent, burning eyes.
burning, fiery, or hot: the ardent core of a star.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
1.
something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, esp. for pleasure; hobby: Our doctor's avocation is painting.
2.
a person's regular occupation, calling, or vocation.
3.
Archaic. diversion or distraction.
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Term
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Definition
verb
to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belied his calm voice.
to misrepresent: The newspaper belied the facts.
to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.).
Archaic. to lie about; slander.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.
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Term
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Definition
adj
1 a : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something —usually used with of <both players are instantly bereft of their poise — A. E. Wier> b : lacking something needed, wanted, or expected —used with of <the book is…completely bereft of an index — Times Literary Supplement> |
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Term
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Definition
adjective
1.
violently or destructively frenzied; wild; crazed; deranged: He suddenly went berserk.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
made, done, presented, etc., in good faith; without deception or fraud: a bona fide statement of intent to sell.
2.
authentic; true: a bona fide sample of Lincoln's handwriting.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
like a churl; boorish; rude: churlish behavior.
2.
of a churl; peasantlike.
4.
difficult to work or deal with, as soil.
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Term
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Definition
adj
deserving blame; blameworthy
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Term
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Definition
–noun
in fact; in reality: Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country. Although the school was said to be open to all qualified students, it still practiced de facto segregation.
actually existing, esp. when without lawful authority
Australian. a person who lives in an intimate relationship with but is not married to a person of the opposite sex; lover.
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Term
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Definition
adjective
1.
injurious to health: deleterious gases.
2.
harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
of or pertaining to a dictator or dictatorship.
2.
appropriate to, or characteristic of, a dictator; absolute; unlimited: dictatorial powers in wartime.
3.
inclined to dictate or command; imperious; overbearing: a dictatorial attitude.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited: The award winner was in an ebullient mood at the dinner in her honor.
2.
bubbling up like a boiling liquid.
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Term
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Definition
noun
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
vanishing; fading away; fleeting.
2.
tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
3.
lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
fond of the company of others; sociable.
2.
living in flocks or herds, as animals.
3.
Botany. growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together.
4.
pertaining to a flock or crowd.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
different in kind; unlike; incongruous.
composed of parts of different kinds; having widely dissimilar elements or constituents: The party was attended by a heterogeneous group of artists, politicians, and social climbers.
Chemistry. (of a mixture) composed of different substances or the same substance in different phases, as solid ice and liquid water.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind; not heterogeneous: a homogeneous population.
2.
of the same kind or nature; essentially alike.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.
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Term
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Definition
–nounGeometry.
the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle.
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Term
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Definition
–verb (used with object)
to accuse (a public official) before an appropriate tribunal of misconduct in office.
Chiefly Law. to challenge the credibility of: to impeach a witness.
to bring an accusation against.
to call in question; cast an imputation upon: to impeach a person's motives.
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Term
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Definition
noun
2.
an assertion without proof.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
by the fact itself; by the very nature of the deed:
to be condemned ipso facto.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.
2.
characterized by excessive talk; wordy: easily the most loquacious play of the season.
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Term
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Definition
noun
through my fault; my fault (used as an acknowledgment of one's responsibility).
: a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error
So you're saying mea culpa, it's not George Tenet's fault, as was indicated last week? |
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Term
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Definition
noun
mode of operating or working.
: a method of procedure; especially : a distinct pattern or method of operation that indicates or suggests the work of a single criminal in more than one crime |
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Term
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Definition
–noun
1.
Logic. an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.
2.
a statement containing an illogical conclusion.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
not affiliated with or limited to a specific religious denomination.
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Term
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Definition
–noun,plural-chies.
1.
a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
2.
a state or organization so ruled.
3.
the persons or class so ruling.
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Term
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Definition
–nounGeometry.
a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to a generator of the cone; the set of points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed line and a fixed point in the same plane or in a parallel plane. Equation: y2 = 2px or x2 = 2py.
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Term
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Definition
–nounChemistry.
a compound of high molecular weight derived either by the addition of many smaller molecules, as polyethylene, or by the condensation of many smaller molecules with the elimination of water, alcohol, or the like, as nylon.
a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds.
a product of polymerization.
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Term
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Definition
noun
a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name |
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Term
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Definition
noun
1.
(italics[image]) Latin. one thing in return for another.
2.
something that is given or taken in return for something else; substitute.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
daily: a quotidian report.
usual or customary; everyday: quotidian needs.
ordinary; commonplace: paintings of no more than quotidian artistry.
(of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: a sanguine disposition; sanguine expectations.
reddish; ruddy: a sanguine complexion.
(in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc.
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Term
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Definition
noun
1.
an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts): Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”
2.
the act of talking while or as if alone.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
the existing state or condition.
<seeks to preserve the status quo>
defined as "the existing state of affairs (at a particular time)" or "the situation as it currently exists." The concept of status quo is often used when referring to political or social conditions. The idea is often debated vis-à-vis the dialectic between power systems that reinforce the status quo and those who seek to subvert it.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
Sociology. a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group: The cowboy and Indian are American stereotypes.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
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Term
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Definition
–adjective
1.
not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.
2.
lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority.
3.
staying only a short time: the transient guests at a hotel.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a whirling mass of water, esp. one in which a force of suction operates, as a whirlpool.
a whirling mass of air, esp. one in the form of a visible column or spiral, as a tornado.
a whirling mass of fire, flame, etc.
a state of affairs likened to a whirlpool for violent activity, irresistible force, etc.
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Term
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Definition
–noun
a person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, etc.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
a petty officer in a navy, having chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy.
British. a farmer who cultivates his own land.
History/Historical. one of a class of lesser freeholders, below the gentry, who cultivated their own land, early admitted in England to political rights.
Archaic.
a servant, attendant, or subordinate official in a royal or other great household.
a subordinate or assistant, as of a sheriff or other official or in a craft or trade.
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Term
|
Definition
verb
1.
to renounce, repudiate, or retract, esp. with formal solemnity; recant: to abjure one's errors.
2.
to renounce or give up under oath; forswear: to abjure allegiance.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
1.
expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body.
2.
cleverly skillful, resourceful, or ingenious: an adroit debater.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
: a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity |
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
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Term
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Definition
noun
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish. |
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
the advance group in any field, esp. in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.
–adjective
of or pertaining to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.
belonging to the avant-garde: an avant-garde composer.
unorthodox or daring; radical.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
a tip, present, or gratuity.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite:
a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena, esp. with reference to origin, growth, reproduction, structure, and behavior.
the living organisms of a region: the biology of Pennsylvania.
the biological phenomena characteristic of an organism or a group of organisms: the biology of a worm.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
1.
unconditional authority; full discretionary power.
2.
a sheet of paper that is blank except for a signature and given by the signer to another person to write in what he or she pleases.
3.
Cards. a hand having no face card but with a special scoring value, as in piquet.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
a warning or caution; admonition.
2.
Law. a legal notice to a court or public officer to suspend a certain proceeding until the notifier is given a hearing: a caveat filed against the probate of a will.
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Term
|
Definition
–nounGenetics.
any of several threadlike bodies, consisting of chromatin, that carry the genes in a linear order: the human species has 23 pairs, designated 1 to 22 in order of decreasing size and X and Y for the female and male sex chromosomes respectively.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a sudden and decisive action in politics, esp. one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force. |
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
a general breakup or dispersion; sudden downfall or rout: The revolution ended in a debacle.
2.
a complete collapse or failure.
3.
a breaking up of ice in a river.Compare embacle.
4.
a violent rush of waters or ice.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
Psychology. the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time.
2.
disagreeable familiarity or sameness: The new television season had a sense of déjà vu about it—the same old plots and characters with new names.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2.
a lover of an art or science, esp. of a fine art.
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Term
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Definition
verb
to draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke:
to elicit the truth;
to elicit a response with a question. |
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial: an ersatz coffee made from grain.
–noun
an artificial substance or article used to replace something natural or genuine; a substitute |
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Term
|
Definition
noun
: the common basic monetary unit of most countries of the European Union
short for european |
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Term
|
Definition
verb
to free or release from entanglement; disengage: to extricate someone from a dangerous situation.
to liberate (gas) from combination, as in a chemical process.
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Term
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Definition
noun
an accomplished fact; a thing already done: The enemy's defeat was a fait accompli long before the formal surrender.
: a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible |
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion. |
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
U.S. Politics.
the use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member of a legislative assembly to prevent the adoption of a measure generally favored or to force a decision against the will of the majority.
an exceptionally long speech, as one lasting for a day or days, or a series of such speeches to accomplish this purpose.
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Term
|
Definition
–nounBiology.
a mature sexual reproductive cell, as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to form a new organism.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless:
Their exquisite manners always make me feel gauche.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
U.S. Politics. the dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
(esp. of a prisoner) deprived of any communication with others.
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Term
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Definition
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, joy of living
Date: 1889
: keen or buoyant enjoyment of life |
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
(often lowercase[image]) any large, overpowering, destructive force or object, as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team.
2.
(often lowercase[image]) anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
a small group ruling a country, esp. immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted.
a deliberative or administrative council, esp. in Spain and Latin America.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
being or acting in accordance with the principles of government analyzed in Machiavelli's The Prince, in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler is described.
characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, expediency, or dishonesty:
He resorted to Machiavellian tactics in order to get ahead.
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Term
|
Definition
–nounCell Biology.
the usual method of cell division, characterized typically by the resolving of the chromatin of the nucleus into a threadlike form, which condenses into chromosomes, each of which separates longitudinally into two parts, one part of each chromosome being retained in each of two new cells resulting from the original cell.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a half.
an indefinite portion, part, or share.
Anthropology. one of two units into which a tribe or community is divided on the basis of unilineal descent.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
(sometimes initial capital letter[image]) a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes.
–adjective
(sometimes initial capital letter[image]) lacking in or hostile to culture.
5.(initial capital letter[image]) of or belonging to the ancient Philistines |
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Term
|
Definition
–nounAstronomy.
one of over a thousand known extragalactic objects, starlike in appearance and having spectra with characteristically large redshifts, that are thought to be the most distant and most luminous objects in the universe.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
(sometimes initial capital letter[image]) resembling or befitting Don Quixote.
extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.
impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
reason or justification for being or existence:
Art is the artist's raison d'être. |
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
a mode or system of rule or government: a dictatorial regime
a ruling or prevailing system.
the period during which a particular government or ruling system is in power.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
an agreement between two or more persons to meet at a certain time and place.
a place designated for a meeting or assembling, esp. of troops or ships.
a meeting of two or more spacecraft in outer space.
a favorite or popular gathering place.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact.
Origin:
1805–15; < F: lit., knowing how to do
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Term
|
Definition
–verb (used with object)
to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude.
Law. to remove (property) temporarily from the possession of the owner; seize and hold, as the property and income of a debtor, until legal claims are satisfied.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
1.
rigorously binding or exacting; strict; severe: stringent laws.
2.
compelling, constraining, or urgent: stringent necessity.
3.
convincing or forcible: stringent arguments.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable: taboo words.
(among the Polynesians and other peoples of the South Pacific) separated or set apart as sacred; forbidden for general use; placed under a prohibition or ban.
–noun
a prohibition or interdiction of anything; exclusion from use or practice.
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Term
|
Definition
–noun
1.
a private conversation or interview, usually between two people.
also called vis-a-vis. a sofa shaped like an S so two people are able to converse face to face.
head to head
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.
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Term
|
Definition
–adjective
forbidden, as by law; prohibited.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field.
a person who excels in musical technique or execution.
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Term
|
Definition
–adverb
face to face: They sat vis-à-vis at the table.
–noun
a person face to face with or situated opposite to another: He offered a cigarette to his vis-à-vis.
a date at a social affair: She introduced her vis-à-vis to the hostess.
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Term
|
Definition
noun
the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time. |
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Term
|
Definition
noun
Date: 1877
: an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form |
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