abasement
     n 1: a low or downcast state; "each confession brought her into
          an attitude of abasement"- H.L.Menchken [syn: {degradation},
           {abjection}]
     2: depriving one of self-esteem [syn: {humiliation}]
%
abdicate
     v : give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or
         duties and obligations; "The King abdicated when he
         married a divorcee" [syn: {renounce}]
%
abeyance
     n : temporary cessation or suspension [syn: {suspension}]
%
abject
     adj 1: of the most contemptible kind; "abject cowardice"; "a low
            stunt to pull"; "a low-down sneak"; "his miserable
            treatment of his family"; "You miserable skunk!"; "a
            scummy rabble"; "a scurvy trick" [syn: {low}, {low-down},
             {miserable}, {scummy}, {scurvy}]
     2: most unfortunate or miserable; "the most abject slaves
        joined in the revolt"; "abject poverty"
     3: showing utter resignation or hopelessness; "abject
        surrender" [syn: {resigned}, {unhopeful}]
%
abjure
     v : formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually
         under pressure; "He retracted his earlier statements
         about his religion"; "She abjured her beliefs" [syn: {recant},
          {forswear}, {retract}, {resile}]
%
abstruse
     adj : difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary
           understanding or knowledge; "the professor's lectures
           were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them";
           "a deep metaphysical theory"; "some recondite problem
           in historiography" [syn: {deep}, {recondite}]
%
accouchement
     n : the parturition process in human beings; having a baby; the
         process of giving birth to a child [syn: {childbirth}, {childbearing},
          {vaginal birth}]
%
acquiesce
     v : to agree or express agreement; "The Maestro assented to the
         request for an encore" [syn: {assent}, {accede}] [ant: {dissent}]
%
acquiescence
     n 1: acceptance without protest
     2: agreement with a statement or proposal to do something; "he
        gave his assent eagerly"; "a murmur of acquiescence from
        the assembly" [syn: {assent}]
%
acrostic
     n 1: a puzzle where you fill a square grid with words reading the
          same down as across [syn: {word square}]
     2: verse in which certain letters such as the first in each
        line form a word or message
%
acumen
     n 1: a tapering point
     2: shrewdness shown by keen insight [syn: {insightfulness}]
%
adjudicate
     v 1: put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the
          trial of; "The football star was tried for the murder of
          his wife"; "The judge tried both father and son in
          separate trials" [syn: {judge}, {try}]
     2: bring to an end; settle conclusively; "The case was
        decided"; "The judge decided the case in favor of the
        plaintiff"; "The father adjudicated when the sons were
        quarreling over their inheritance" [syn: {decide}, {settle},
         {resolve}]
%
adjure
     v 1: ask for or request earnestly; "The prophet bid all people to
          become good persons" [syn: {bid}, {beseech}, {entreat},
          {press}, {conjure}]
     2: command solemnly
%
admonish
     v 1: admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I
          warned him not to go too far"; "I warn you against false
          assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet" [syn: {warn},
           {discourage}, {monish}]
     2: warn strongly; put on guard [syn: {caution}, {monish}]
     3: take to task; "He admonished the child for his bad behavior"
        [syn: {reprove}]
%
adroit
     adj 1: skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends; "cool
            prudence and sensitive selfishness along with quick
            perception of what is possible--these distinguish an
            adroit politician"; "came up with a clever story"; "an
            ingenious press agent"; "an ingenious scheme" [syn: {clever},
             {ingenious}]
     2: quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; "an
        exceptionally adroit pianist"; "an adroit technician";
        "his adroit replies to hecklers won him many followers";
%
adumbrate
     v 1: describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or
          summary of; "sketch the outline of the book"; "outline
          his ideas" [syn: {sketch}, {outline}]
     2: give to understand; "I insinuated that I did not like his
        wife" [syn: {intimate}, {insinuate}]
%
adventitious
     adj : associated by chance and not an integral part; "poetry is
           something to which words are the accidental, not by any
           means the essential form"- Frederick W. Robertson;
           "they had to decide whether his misconduct was
           adventitious or the result of a flaw in his character"
           [syn: {accidental}]
%
affinity
     n 1: the force attracting atoms to each other and binding them
          together in a molecule; "basic dyes have an affinity for
          wool and silk" [syn: {chemical attraction}]
     2: (immunology) the attraction between an antigen and an
        antibody
     3: kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship
        [syn: {kinship by marriage}] [ant: {consanguinity}]
     4: (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups
        of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or
%
agal
     n : a cord (usually of goat's hair) that Arabs (especially
         Bedouins) wind around their heads to hold down the
         kaffiyeh
%
agnation
     n : line of descent traced through the paternal side of the
         family [syn: {patrilineage}]
%
agrarian
     adj : relating to rural matters; "an agrarian (or agricultural)
           society"; "farming communities" [syn: {agricultural}, {farming(a)}]
%
akimbo
     adj : (used of arms and legs) bent outward with the joint away
           from the body; "a tailor sitting with legs akimbo";
           "stood with arms akimbo" [syn: {akimbo(ip)}]
     adv : with hands on hips and elbows extending outward; "she stood
           there akimbo"
%
albedo
     n : the ratio of reflected to incident light [syn: {reflective
         power}]
%
albuginea
     n : whitish tunic
%
alembic
     n : an obsolete kind of container used for distillation; two
         retorts connected by a tube
%
allegory
     n 1: a short moral story (often with animal characters) [syn: {fable},
           {parable}, {apologue}]
     2: a visible symbol representing an abstract idea [syn: {emblem}]
     3: an expressive style that uses fictional characters and
        events to describe some subject by suggestive
        resemblances; an extended metaphor
%
altercation
     n : noisy quarrel [syn: {affray}, {fracas}]
%
amalgamate
     adj : joined together into a whole; "United Industries"; "the
           amalgamated colleges constituted a university"; "a
           consolidated school" [syn: {amalgamated}, {coalesced},
           {consolidated}, {fused}]
amalgamate
     v : to bring or combine together or with something else;
         "resourcefully he mingled music and dance" [syn: {mix}, {mingle},
          {commix}, {unify}]
%
ambage
     n : a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
         [syn: {circumlocution}, {periphrasis}]
%
ambo
     n : a platform raised above the surrounding level to give
         prominence to the person on it [syn: {dais}, {podium}, {pulpit},
          {rostrum}, {stump}, {soapbox}]
%
amorphous
     adj 1: having no definite form or distinct shape; "amorphous clouds
            of insects"; "an aggregate of formless particles"; "a
            shapeless mass of protoplasm" [syn: {formless}, {shapeless}]
     2: lacking the system or structure characteristic of living
        bodies [syn: {unstructured}]
     3: without real or apparent crystalline form; "an amorphous
        mineral"; "amorphous structure" [syn: {uncrystallized}, {uncrystallised}]
%
amort
     adj : utterly cast down
%
amortize
     v : liquidate gradually [syn: {amortise}]
%
anachronism
     n 1: something located at a time when it could not have existed
          or occurred [syn: {mistiming}, {misdating}]
     2: an artifact that belongs to another time
     3: a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to
        another age
%
analytical
     adj 1: using or skilled in using analysis (i.e., separating a
            whole--intellectual or substantial--into its elemental
            parts or basic principles); "an analytic experiment";
            "an analytic approach"; "a keenly analytic man";
            "analytical reasoning"; "an analytical mind" [syn: {analytic}]
            [ant: {synthetic}]
     2: of a proposition that is necessarily true independent of
        fact or experience; "`all spinsters are unmarried' is an
        analytic proposition" [syn: {analytic}] [ant: {synthetic}]
%
ancillary
     adj : relating to something that is added but is not essential;
           "an ancillary pump"; "an adjuvant discipline to forms
           of mysticism"; "The mind and emotions are auxilliary to
           each other" [syn: {accessory}, {adjunct}, {adjuvant}, {appurtenant},
            {auxiliary}, {subsidiary}]
%
anhedonia
     n : an inability to experience pleasure
%
animus
     n : a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility [syn: {animosity},
          {bad blood}]
%
anomaly
     n 1: deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
          [syn: {anomalousness}]
     2: a person who is unusual [syn: {unusual person}]
     3: (astronomy) position of a planet as defined by its angular
        distance from its perihelion (as observed from the sun)
%
anorectic
     adj 1: suffering from anorexia nervosa; pathologically thin [syn: {anorexic}]
     2: causing loss of appetite; "an anorectic (or anorexigenic)
        drug" [syn: {anorexigenic}]
     n : a person suffering from anorexia nervosa [syn: {anorexic}]
%
anserine
     adj 1: of or resembling a goose
     2: having or revealing stupidity; "ridiculous anserine
        behavior"; "a dopey answer"; "a dopey kid"; "some fool
        idea about rewriting authors' books" [syn: {dopy}, {dopey},
         {foolish}, {goosey}, {goosy}, {gooselike}]
%
antebellum
     adj : belonging to a period before a war especially the American
           Civil War
%
antecedent
     adj : preceding in time or order [syn: {preceding}] [ant: {subsequent}]
antecedent
     n 1: someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote
          than a grandparent) [syn: {ancestor}, {ascendant}, {ascendent},
           {root}] [ant: {descendant}]
     2: a preceding occurrence or cause or event
     3: anything that precedes something similar in time;
        "phrenology was an antecedent of modern neuroscience"
        [syn: {forerunner}]
%
antinomy
     n : a contradiction between two statements that seem equally
         reasonable
%
antiphrasis
     n : the use of a word in a sense opposite to its normal sense
         (especially in irony)
%
antithetic
     adj : sharply contrasted in character or purpose; "practices
           entirely antithetical to her professed beliefs"; "hope
           is antithetic to despair" [syn: {antithetical}]
%
apathy
     n 1: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
     2: the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things
        generally [syn: {indifference}, {spiritlessness}]
%
aperient
     adj : mildly laxative
     n : a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
         [syn: {purgative}, {cathartic}, {physic}]
%
aperture
     n 1: a device that controls amount of light admitted
     2: a natural opening in something
     3: an man-made opening; usually small
%
aphorism
     n : a short pithy instructive saying [syn: {apothegm}, {apophthegm}]
%
apocryphal
     adj 1: of questionable authenticity
     2: of or belonging to the Apocrypha
%
apogee
     n 1: a final climactic stage; "their achievements stand as a
          culmination of centuries of development" [syn: {culmination}]
     2: apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a
        satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth [ant:
         {perigee}]
%
apopemptic
     adj : addressed to one who is departing; "apopemptic hymns"
%
apophatic
     adj : of or relating to the belief that God can be known to humans
           only in terms of what He is not (such as `God is
           unknowable')
%
apostasy
     n 1: the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your
          political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing
          beliefs or causes) [syn: {renunciation}, {defection}]
     2: the act of abandoning a party or cause [syn: {tergiversation}]
%
apostate
     adj : not faithful to religion or party or cause
     n : a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or
         religion or political party or friend etc. [syn: {deserter},
          {renegade}, {turncoat}, {recreant}, {ratter}]
%
apostatise
     v : abandon one's beliefs or allegiances [syn: {apostatize}, {tergiversate}]
%
appellation
     n : identifying word or words by which someone or something is
         called and classified or distinguished from others [syn:
         {denomination}, {designation}, {appellative}]
%
apropos
     adj : of an appropriate or pertinent nature [ant: {malapropos}]
     adv 1: by the way; "apropos, can you lend me some money for the
            weekend?" [syn: {incidentally}]
     2: at an opportune time; "your letter arrived apropos" [syn: {seasonably},
         {timely}, {well-timed}]
%
arcadian
     adj : used of idealized country life; "a country life of arcadian
           contentment"; "a pleasant bucolic scene"; "charming in
           its pastoral setting"; "rustic tranquility" [syn: {bucolic},
            {pastoral}, {rustic}]
     n : an inhabitant of Arcadia
%
archipelago
     n : a group of many islands in a large body of water
     [also: {archipelagoes} (pl)]
%
arduous
     adj 1: characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion;
            especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way
            up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard
            labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many
            laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing
            pace" [syn: {backbreaking}, {grueling}, {gruelling}, {hard},
             {heavy}, {laborious}, {punishing}, {toilsome}]
     2: taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance; "his
        final, straining burst of speed"; "a strenuous task";
%
arrogate
     v 1: demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or
          title to; "He claimed his suitcases at the airline
          counter"; "Mr. Smith claims special tax exemptions
          because he is a foreign resident" [syn: {claim}, {lay
          claim}] [ant: {forfeit}]
     2: make undue claims to having [syn: {assign}]
     3: seize and take control without authority and possibly with
        force; take as one's right or possession; "He assumed to
        himself the right to fill all positions in the town"; "he
%
artifice
     n : a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture) [syn: {ruse}]
%
aside
     n 1: a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended
          for others on the stage
     2: a message that departs from the main subject [syn: {digression},
         {excursus}, {divagation}, {parenthesis}]
     adv 1: on or to one side; "step aside"; "stood aside to let him
            pass"; "threw the book aside"; "put her sewing aside
            when he entered"
     2: out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts); "brush
        the objections aside"; "pushed all doubts away" [syn: {away}]
%
assail
     v 1: attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger
          assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him
          regularly" [syn: {assault}, {set on}, {attack}]
     2: launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start
        warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939
        and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed
        Bosnian towns all week" [syn: {attack}] [ant: {defend}]
     3: attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the
        left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" [syn: {attack},
%
assent
     n : agreement with a statement or proposal to do something; "he
         gave his assent eagerly"; "a murmur of acquiescence from
         the assembly" [syn: {acquiescence}]
     v : to agree or express agreement; "The Maestro assented to the
         request for an encore" [syn: {accede}, {acquiesce}] [ant:
          {dissent}]
%
assiduous
     adj : marked by care and persistent effort; "her assiduous
           attempts to learn French"; "assiduous research";
           "sedulous pursuit of legal and moral principles" [syn:
           {sedulous}]
%
assuage
     v 1: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of;
          "She managed to mollify the angry customer" [syn: {pacify},
           {lenify}, {conciliate}, {appease}, {mollify}, {placate},
           {gentle}, {gruntle}]
     2: satisfy (thirst); "The cold water quenched his thirst" [syn:
         {quench}, {slake}, {allay}]
     3: provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will
        relieve your headaches" [syn: {relieve}, {alleviate}, {palliate}]
%
atelier
     n : a studio especially for an artist or designer [syn: {artist's
         workroom}]
%
atrophy
     n 1: a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse
          [syn: {wasting}, {wasting away}]
     2: any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of
        use) [syn: {withering}]
     v : undergo atrophy; "Muscles that are not used will atrophy"
     [also: {atrophied}]
%
attainder
     n : cancellation of civil rights [syn: {civil death}]
%
attrition
     n 1: erosion by friction [syn: {abrasion}, {corrasion}, {detrition}]
     2: the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water
        or wind or ice [syn: {grinding}, {abrasion}, {detrition}]
     3: sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation [syn: {contrition},
         {contriteness}]
     4: a wearing down to weaken or destroy; "a war of attrition"
     5: the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by
        friction
%
audacious
     adj 1: invulnerable to fear or intimidation; "audacious explorers";
            "fearless reporters and photographers"; "intrepid
            pioneers" [syn: {brave}, {dauntless}, {fearless}, {intrepid},
             {unfearing}]
     2: unrestrained by convention or propriety; "an audacious trick
        to pull"; "a barefaced hypocrite"; "the most bodacious
        display of tourism this side of Anaheim"- Los Angeles
        Times; "bold-faced lies"; "brazen arrogance"; "the modern
        world with its quick material successes and insolent
%
augend
     n : a number to which another number (the addend) is added
%
augur
     n : (ancient Rome) a religious official who interpreted omens to
         guide public policy [syn: {auspex}]
     v 1: indicate by signs; "These signs bode bad news" [syn: {bode},
           {portend}, {auspicate}, {prognosticate}, {omen}, {presage},
           {betoken}, {foreshadow}, {foretell}, {prefigure}, {forecast},
           {predict}]
     2: predict from an omen
%
aureate
     adj 1: elaborately or excessively ornamented; "flamboyant
            handwriting"; "the senator's florid speech" [syn: {florid},
             {flamboyant}, {showy}]
     2: having the deep slightly brownish color of gold; "long
        aureate (or golden) hair"; "a gold carpet" [syn: {gilded},
         {gilt}, {gold}, {golden}]
%
auspicious
     adj 1: attended by favorable circumstances; "an auspicious
            beginning for the campaign" [ant: {inauspicious}]
     2: tending to favor or bring good luck; "miracles are
        auspicious accidents"; "encouraging omens"; "a favorable
        time to ask for a raise"; "lucky stars"; "a prosperous
        moment to make a decision" [syn: {encouraging}, {favorable},
         {favourable}, {lucky}, {prosperous}]
%
austere
     adj 1: severely simple; "a stark interior" [syn: {severe}, {stark}]
     2: of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in
        aspect; "an austere expression"; "a stern face" [syn: {stern}]
     3: practicing great self-denial; "Be systematically
        ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you
        would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's
        austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence"
        [syn: {ascetic}, {ascetical}, {spartan}]
%
avarice
     n 1: reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
          (personified as one of the deadly sins) [syn: {greed}, {covetousness},
           {rapacity}, {avaritia}]
     2: extreme greed for material wealth [syn: {avariciousness}, {covetousness},
         {cupidity}]
%
aversive
     adj : tending to repel or dissuade; "aversive conditioning"
%
avidity
     n : a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something
         [syn: {eagerness}, {avidness}, {keenness}]
%
axil
     n : the upper angle between an axis and an offshoot such as a
         branch or leafstalk
%
azure
     adj : of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a
           clear October sky; "October's bright blue weather"
           [syn: {cerulean}, {sky-blue}, {bright blue}]
azure
     n : a light shade of blue [syn: {cerulean}, {sapphire}, {lazuline},
          {sky-blue}]
     v : color azure; "Morning azured the village"
%
banal
     adj 1: obvious and dull; "trivial conversation"; "commonplace
            prose" [syn: {commonplace}, {trivial}]
     2: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse; "bromidic
        sermons"; "his remarks were trite and commonplace";
        "hackneyed phrases"; "a stock answer"; "repeating
        threadbare jokes"; "parroting some timeworn axiom"; "the
        trite metaphor `hard as nails'" [syn: {commonplace}, {hackneyed},
         {old-hat}, {shopworn}, {stock(a)}, {threadbare}, {timeworn},
         {tired}, {trite}, {well-worn}]
%
bedesman
     n : a person who is paid to pray for the soul of another [syn: {beadsman}]
%
belie
     v 1: be in contradiction with [syn: {contradict}, {negate}]
     2: represent falsely; "This statement misrepresents my
        intentions" [syn: {misrepresent}]
     [also: {belying}]
%
bellicose
     adj : having or showing a ready disposition to fight; "bellicose
           young officers"; "a combative impulse"; "a contentious
           nature" [syn: {battleful}, {combative}, {contentious}]
%
bibulous
     adj : given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol; "a
           bibulous fellow"; "a bibulous evening"; "his boozy
           drinking companions"; "thick boozy singing"; "a drunken
           binge"; "two drunken gentleman holding each other up";
           "sottish behavior" [syn: {boozy}, {drunken}, {sottish}]
%
bier
     n 1: a coffin along with its stand; "we followed the bier to the
          graveyard"
     2: a stand to support a corpse or a coffin prior to burial
%
bigot
     n : a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions
         differing from his own
%
blandish
     v : praise somewhat dishonestly [syn: {flatter}] [ant: {disparage}]
%
blarney
     v : influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or
         flattering; "He palavered her into going along" [syn: {wheedle},
          {cajole}, {palaver}, {coax}, {sweet-talk}, {inveigle}]
blarney
     n : flattery designed to gain favor [syn: {coaxing}, {soft soap},
          {sweet talk}]
%
blithe
     adj 1: lacking or showing a lack of due concern; "spoke with blithe
            ignorance of the true situation"
     2: carefree and happy and lighthearted; "was loved for her
        blithe spirit"; "a merry blithesome nature"; "her
        lighthearted nature"; "trilling songs with a lightsome
        heart" [syn: {blithesome}, {lighthearted}, {lightsome}]
%
bourgeois
     adj 1: (according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning
            class and exploitive of the working class
     2: conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle
        class; "a bourgeois mentality" [syn: {conservative}, {materialistic}]
     3: belonging to the middle class
bourgeois
     n 1: a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise
          [syn: {businessperson}]
     2: a member of the middle class [syn: {burgher}]
%
brigand
     n : an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band [syn: {bandit}]
%
bromide
     n 1: any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; used as a sedative
     2: a trite or obvious remark [syn: {platitude}, {cliche}, {banality},
         {commonplace}]
     3: a sedative in the form of sodium or potassium bromide
%
bucolic
     adj 1: used of idealized country life; "a country life of arcadian
            contentment"; "a pleasant bucolic scene"; "charming in
            its pastoral setting"; "rustic tranquility" [syn: {arcadian},
             {pastoral}, {rustic}]
     2: relating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising
        sheep or cattle; "pastoral seminomadic people"; "pastoral
        land"; "a pastoral economy" [syn: {pastoral}]
     n 1: a country person [syn: {peasant}, {provincial}]
     2: a short descriptive poem of rural or pastoral life [syn: {eclogue},
%
cachet
     n 1: an indication of approved or superior status [syn: {seal}, {seal
          of approval}]
     2: a warrant formerly issued by a French king who could warrant
        imprisonment or death in a signed letter under his seal
        [syn: {lettre de cachet}]
     3: a seal on a letter
%
caitiff
     adj : despicably mean and cowardly
     n : a cowardly and despicable person
%
cajole
     v : influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or
         flattering; "He palavered her into going along" [syn: {wheedle},
          {palaver}, {blarney}, {coax}, {sweet-talk}, {inveigle}]
%
callow
     adj : lacking experience of life; "a callow youth of seventeen"
           [syn: {inexperienced}, {naive}, {unsophisticated}]
%
calumny
     n 1: a malicious attack [syn: {defamation}, {obloquy}, {traducement},
           {hatchet job}]
     2: an abusive attack on a person's character or good name [syn:
         {aspersion}, {slander}, {defamation}, {denigration}]
%
capitulate
     v : surrender under agreed conditions
%
caprice
     n : a sudden desire; "he bought it on an impulse" [syn: {impulse},
          {whim}]
%
capricious
     adj 1: changeable; "a capricious summer breeze"; "freakish weather"
            [syn: {freakish}]
     2: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by
        necessity or reason; "a capricious refusal";
        "authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious"; "the
        victim of whimsical persecutions" [syn: {impulsive}, {whimsical}]
%
captious
     adj : tending to find and call attention to faults; "a captious
           pedant"; "an excessively demanding and faultfinding
           tutor" [syn: {faultfinding}]
%
carnalize
     v 1: represent materialistically, as in a painting or a sculpture
          [syn: {sensualize}]
     2: ascribe to an origin in sensation [syn: {sensualize}]
     3: debase through carnal gratification [syn: {sensualize}, {sensualise},
         {carnalise}]
%
castigate
     v 1: censure severely; "She chastised him for his insensitive
          remarks" [syn: {chastise}, {objurgate}, {chasten}, {correct}]
     2: inflict severe punishment on
%
catabatic
     adj : of an air current or wind; moving downward or down a slope
           because of cooling especially at night [syn: {katabatic}]
           [ant: {anabatic}]
%
catafalque
     n : a decorated bier on which a coffin rests in state during a
         funeral
%
cataphatic
     adj : of or relating to the religious belief that God can be known
           to humans positively or affirmatively
%
cavil
     n : an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant
         distinctions or objections [syn: {quibble}, {quiddity}]
     v : raise trivial objections [syn: {carp}, {chicane}]
     [also: {cavilling}, {cavilled}]
%
ceremonious
     adj : rigidly formal or bound by convention; "their ceremonious
           greetings did not seem heartfelt" [syn: {conventional}]
%
chagrin
     n : strong feelings of embarrassment [syn: {humiliation}, {mortification}]
     v : cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of; "He humiliated his
         colleague by criticising him in front of the boss" [syn:
         {humiliate}, {mortify}, {humble}, {abase}]
%
chicanery
     n : the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract
         money from them) [syn: {trickery}, {chicane}, {guile}, {wile},
          {shenanigan}]
%
cinque
     n : the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one [syn: {five},
          {5}, {V}, {quint}, {quintet}, {fivesome}, {quintuplet},
         {pentad}, {fin}, {Phoebe}, {Little Phoebe}]
%
circumambulate
     v : walk around something [syn: {walk around}]
%
circumlocution
     n 1: a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
          [syn: {periphrasis}, {ambage}]
     2: an indirect way of expressing something [syn: {indirect
        expression}]
%
circumscribe
     v 1: draw a line around; "He drew a circle around the points"
     2: restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a
        day" [syn: {limit}, {confine}]
     3: to draw a geometric figure around another figure so that the
        two are in contact but do not intersect
%
clamant
     adj 1: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement
            outcry; "blatant radios"; "a clamorous uproar";
            "strident demands"; "a vociferous mob" [syn: {blatant},
             {clamorous}, {strident}, {vociferous}]
     2: demanding attention; "clamant needs"; "a crying need";
        "regarded literary questions as exigent and momentous"-
        H.L.Mencken; "insistent hunger"; "an instant need" [syn: {crying},
         {exigent}, {insistent}, {instant}]
%
cloister
     n 1: residence that is a place of religious seclusion (such as a
          monastery) [syn: {religious residence}]
     2: a courtyard with covered walks (as in religious
        institutions)
     v 1: surround with a cloister, as of a garden
     2: seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister; "She
        cloistered herself in the office"
%
cogent
     adj 1: having the power to influence or convince; "a cogent
            analysis of the problem"; "potent arguments" [syn: {potent},
             {powerful}]
     2: powerfully persuasive; "a cogent argument"; "a telling
        presentation"; "a weighty argument" [syn: {telling}, {weighty}]
%
cognation
     n 1: line of descent traced through the maternal side of the
          family [syn: {matrilineage}, {enation}]
     2: related by blood [syn: {consanguinity}, {blood kinship}]
        [ant: {affinity}]
%
cognomen
     n 1: a familiar name  for a person (often a shortened version of
          a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his
          nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's
          nickname was Slim" [syn: {nickname}, {moniker}, {sobriquet},
           {soubriquet}]
     2: the name used to identify the members of a family (as
        distinguished from each member's given name) [syn: {surname},
         {family name}, {last name}]
     [also: {cognomina} (pl)]
%
cohort
     n 1: a company of companions or supporters
     2: a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion)
     3: a group people having approximately the same age [syn: {age
        group}, {age bracket}]
%
collateral
     adj 1: descended from a common ancestor but through different
            lines; "cousins are collateral relatives"; "an
            indirect descendant of the Stuarts" [syn: {indirect}]
            [ant: {lineal}]
     2: serving to support or corroborate; "collateral evidence"
        [syn: {confirmative}, {confirming}, {confirmatory}, {corroborative},
         {corroboratory}, {substantiating}, {substantiative}, {validating},
         {validatory}, {verificatory}, {verifying}]
     3: accompaniment to something else; "collateral target damage
%
collocate
     v 1: have a strong tendency to occur side by side; "The words
          'new' and 'world' collocate"
     2: group or chunk together in a certain order or place side by
        side [syn: {lump}, {chunk}]
%
colloquy
     n 1: a conversation especially a formal one
     2: formal conversation
%
commiserate
     v : to feel or express sympathy or compassion [syn: {sympathize},
          {sympathise}]
%
complicity
     n : guilt as an accomplice in a crime or offense
%
compulsive
     adj 1: caused by or suggestive of psychological compulsion;
            "compulsive drinking"
     2: strongly motivated to succeed [syn: {determined}, {driven}]
compulsive
     n : a person with a compulsive disposition; someone who feels
         compelled to do certain things
%
compunction
     n : a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed) [syn: {remorse},
          {self-reproach}]
%
concatenation
     n 1: the state of being linked together as in a chain; union in a
          linked series
     2: the linking together of a consecutive series of symbols or
        events or ideas etc; "it was caused by an improbable
        concatenation of circumstances"
     3: a series of things depending on each other as if linked
        together; "the chain of command"; "a complicated
        concatenation of circumstances" [syn: {chain}]
     4: the act of linking together as in a series or chain
%
conciliatory
     adj 1: making or willing to make concessions; "loneliness tore
            through him...whenever he thought of...even the
            compromising Louis du Tillet" [syn: {compromising}, {flexible}]
            [ant: {uncompromising}]
     2: overcoming animosity or hostility; "spoke in a conciliating
        tone"; "a conciliatory visit" [syn: {conciliative}] [ant:
        {antagonistic}]
%
condescend
     v 1: behave in a patronizing and condescending manner
     2: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
        [syn: {deign}, {descend}]
     3: debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or
        dishonorable way; "I won't stoop to reading other people's
        mail" [syn: {stoop}, {lower oneself}]
     4: treat condescendingly [syn: {patronize}, {patronise}]
%
condign
     adj : fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of
           punishment; "condign censure"
%
confiscate
     adj 1: surrendered as a penalty [syn: {forfeit}, {forfeited}]
     2: taken without permission or consent especially by public
        authority; "the condemned land was used for a highway
        cloverleaf"; "the confiscated liquor was poured down the
        drain" [syn: {appropriated}, {condemned}, {confiscated}, {seized},
         {taken over}]
confiscate
     v : take temporary possession of as a security, by legal
         authority; "The FBI seized the drugs"; "The customs
%
conflate
     v : mix together different elements; "The colors blend well"
         [syn: {blend}, {flux}, {mix}, {commingle}, {immix}, {fuse},
          {coalesce}, {meld}, {combine}, {merge}]
%
conflux
     n : a flowing together [syn: {confluence}, {merging}]
%
confute
     v : prove to be false; "The physicist disproved his colleagues'
         theories" [syn: {disprove}] [ant: {prove}]
%
congruent
     adj 1: corresponding in character or kind [syn: {congruous}] [ant:
            {incongruous}]
     2: coinciding when superimposed [ant: {incongruent}]
%
congruous
     adj 1: corresponding in character or kind [syn: {congruent}] [ant:
            {incongruous}]
     2: suitable or appropriate together
%
conjugate
     n : a mixture of two partially miscible liquids A and B produces
         two conjugate solutions: one of A in B and another of B
         in A [syn: {conjugate solution}]
conjugate
     adj 1: joined together especially in a pair or pairs [syn: {conjugated},
             {coupled}]
     2: of a pinnate leaflet; having only one pair of leaflets
     3: formed by the union of two compounds; "a conjugated protein"
        [syn: {conjugated}]
%
connivance
     n 1: agreement on a secret plot [syn: {collusion}]
     2: (law) tacit approval of someone's wrongdoing [syn: {secret
        approval}, {tacit consent}]
%
connive
     v 1: encourage or assent to illegally or criminally
     2: form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner [syn: {scheme},
        {intrigue}]
%
consanguine
     adj : related by blood [syn: {akin(p)}, {blood-related}, {cognate},
            {consanguineous}, {kin(p)}]
%
consensus
     n : agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a
         whole; "the lack of consensus reflected differences in
         theoretical positions"; "those rights and obligations are
         based on an unstated consensus"
%
consociate
     v : bring or come into association or action; "The churches
         consociated to fight their dissolution" [syn: {associate}]
%
constituent
     adj : constitutional in the structure of something (especially
           your physical makeup) [syn: {constituent(a)}, {constitutional},
            {constitutive(a)}, {organic}]
     n 1: an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a
          composite entity is made up; especially a part that can
          be separated from or attached to a system; "spare
          components for cars"; "a component or constituent
          element of a system" [syn: {component}, {element}]
     2: a member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in
%
consultative
     adj : giving advice; "an advisory memorandum", "his function was
           purely consultative" [syn: {advisory}, {consultatory},
           {consultive}]
%
contention
     n 1: a point asserted as part of an argument
     2: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong
        disagreement; "they were involved in a violent argument"
        [syn: {controversy}, {contestation}, {disputation}, {disceptation},
         {tilt}, {argument}, {arguing}]
     3: the act of competing as for profit or a prize; "the teams
        were in fierce contention for first place" [syn: {competition},
         {rivalry}] [ant: {cooperation}]
%
contest
     n 1: an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or
          more contestants [syn: {competition}]
     2: a struggle between rivals
     v : to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation;
         "They contested the outcome of the race" [syn: {contend},
          {repugn}]
%
contiguity
     n : the attribute of being so near as to be touching [syn: {adjacency},
          {contiguousness}]
%
continence
     n 1: the exercise of self constraint in sexual matters [syn: {continency}]
     2: voluntary control over urinary and fecal discharge
%
contingent
     adj 1: possible but not certain to occur; "they had to plan for
            contingent expenses"
     2: determined by conditions or circumstances not yet
        established; "arms sales contingent on the approval of
        congress" [syn: {contingent on(p)}, {dependent on(p)}, {dependant
        on(p)}, {depending on(p)}]
     3: uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances; "the
        results of confession were not contingent, they were
        certain"- George Eliot
%
contrite
     adj 1: feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
            [syn: {remorseful}, {rueful}, {ruthful}, {sorry}]
     2: feeling regret for a fault or offence
%
contrition
     n : sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation [syn: {attrition},
          {contriteness}]
%
contrivance
     n 1: a device that is very useful for a particular job [syn: {appliance},
           {contraption}, {convenience}, {gadget}, {gizmo}, {gismo},
           {widget}]
     2: the faculty of contriving; inventive skill; "his skillful
        contrivance of answers to every problem"
     3: an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or
        evade; "his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us
        off the track" [syn: {stratagem}, {dodge}]
     4: an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived
%
convection
     n 1: the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused
          by molecular motion
     2: (meteorology) the vertical movement of heat or other
        properties by massive motion within the atmosphere
%
corpulent
     adj : excessively fat; "a weighty man" [syn: {obese}, {weighty}, {rotund}]
%
corrade
     v : wear away [syn: {abrade}, {abrase}, {rub down}, {rub off}]
%
correlate
     adj : mutually related [syn: {correlative}, {correlated}]
correlate
     n : either of two correlated variables [syn: {correlative}]
     v 1: to bear a reciprocal or mutual relation; "Do these facts
          correlate?"
     2: bring into a mutual, complementary, or reciprocal relation;
        "I cannot correlate these two pieces of information"
%
corroborate
     v 1: establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his
          story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the
          defendant" [syn: {confirm}, {sustain}, {substantiate}, {support},
           {affirm}] [ant: {negate}]
     2: give evidence for [syn: {validate}]
     3: support with evidence or authority or make more certain or
        confirm; "The stories and claims were born out by the
        evidence" [syn: {underpin}, {bear out}, {support}]
%
coruscant
     adj : having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; "bugle
           beads all aglitter"; "glinting eyes"; "glinting water";
           "his glittering eyes were cold and malevolent"; "shop
           window full of glittering Christmas trees"; "glittery
           costume jewelry"; "scintillant mica"; "the
           scintillating stars"; "a dress with sparkly sequins";
           "`glistering' is an archaic term" [syn: {aglitter(p)},
           {fulgid}, {glinting}, {glistering}, {glittering}, {glittery},
            {scintillant}, {scintillating}, {sparkling(a)}, {sparkly}]
%
coruscate
     v 1: reflect brightly; "Unquarried marble sparkled on the
          hillside" [syn: {sparkle}, {scintillate}]
     2: be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity; "The musical
        performance sparkled"; "A scintillating conversation";
        "his playing coruscated throught the concert hall" [syn: {sparkle},
         {scintillate}]
%
coterie
     n : an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose [syn: {clique},
          {ingroup}, {inner circle}, {pack}, {camp}]
%
countenance
     n 1: the appearance conveyed by a person's face; "a pleasant
          countenance"; "a stern visage" [syn: {visage}]
     2: formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the
        union's endorsement" [syn: {sanction}, {endorsement}, {indorsement},
         {warrant}, {imprimatur}]
     3: the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal
        terms for `face' and `phiz' is British) [syn: {physiognomy},
         {phiz}, {visage}, {kisser}, {smiler}, {mug}]
     v : consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit
%
credulous
     adj 1: disposed to believe on little evidence; "the gimmick would
            convince none but the most credulous" [ant: {incredulous}]
     2: showing a lack of judgment or experience; "so credulous he
        believes everything he reads"
%
criterion
     n 1: a basis for comparison; a reference point against which
          other things can be evaluated; "they set the measure for
          all subsequent work" [syn: {standard}, {measure}, {touchstone}]
     2: the ideal in terms of which something can be judged; "they
        live by the standards of their community" [syn: {standard}]
     [also: {criteria} (pl)]
%
culminate
     v 1: end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage; "The
          meeting culminated in a tearful embrace" [syn: {climax}]
     2: bring to a head or to the highest point; "Seurat culminated
        pointillism"
     3: reach the highest or most decisive point
     4: of a celestial body: reach its highest altitude or the
        meridian
     5: rise to, or form, a summit; "The helmet culminated in a
        crest"
%
cupidity
     n : extreme greed for material wealth [syn: {avarice}, {avariciousness},
          {covetousness}]
%
deciduous
     adj 1: (of plants and shrubs) shedding foliage at the end of the
            growing season [ant: {evergreen}]
     2: (of teeth, antlers, etc.) being shed at the end of a period
        of growth; "deciduous teeth"
%
decoction
     n : (pharmacology) the extraction by boiling of water-soluble
         drug substances
%
deign
     v : do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
         [syn: {condescend}, {descend}]
%
demagogue
     n : an orator who appeals to the passions and prejudices of his
         audience [syn: {demagog}, {rabble-rouser}]
%
demimonde
     n : a class of woman not considered respectable because of
         indiscreet or promiscuous behavior
%
denudation
     n : the removal of covering [syn: {stripping}, {uncovering}, {baring},
          {husking}]
%
denunciation
     n : a public act of denouncing [syn: {denouncement}]
%
deracinate
     v 1: move (people) forcibly from their homeland into a new and
          foreign environment; "The war uprooted many people"
          [syn: {displace}, {uproot}]
     2: pull up by or as if by the roots; "uproot the vine that has
        spread all over the garden" [syn: {uproot}, {extirpate}, {root
        out}]
%
desultory
     adj : marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose;
           jumping from one thing to another; "desultory
           thoughts"; "the desultory conversation characteristic
           of cocktail parties"
%
detraction
     n 1: a petty disparagement [syn: {petty criticism}]
     2: the act of discrediting or detracting from someone's
        reputation (especially by slander); "let it be no
        detraction from his merits to say he is plainspoken"
%
dialectal
     adj : belonging to or characteristic of a dialect; "dialectal
           variation"
%
dialectic
     adj : of or relating to or employing dialectic; "the dialectical
           method" [syn: {dialectical}]
dialectic
     n 1: any formal system of reasoning that arrives at the truth by
          the exchange of logical arguments
     2: a contradiction of ideas that serves as the determining
        factor in their interaction; "this situation created the
        inner dialectic of American history"
%
dianoetic
     adj : proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than
           intuition [syn: {discursive}]
%
dichotomy
     n : being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or
         subclasses; "the dichotomy between eastern and western
         culture" [syn: {duality}]
%
dilate
     v 1: become wider; "His pupils were dilated" [syn: {distend}]
     2: add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning
        of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing;
        "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"
        [syn: {elaborate}, {lucubrate}, {expatiate}, {exposit}, {enlarge},
         {flesh out}, {expand}, {expound}] [ant: {abridge}]
%
dilettante
     adj : showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; "his
           dilettantish efforts at painting" [syn: {dilettantish},
            {dilettanteish}, {sciolistic}]
     [also: {dilettanti} (pl)]
dilettante
     n : an amateur who engages in an activity without serious
         intentions and who pretends to have knowledge [syn: {dabbler},
          {sciolist}]
     [also: {dilettanti} (pl)]
%
diligent
     adj 1: quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or
            exactness; "a diligent (or patient) worker"; "with
            persevering (or patient) industry she revived the
            failing business" [syn: {persevering}]
     2: characterized by care and perseverence in carrying out
        tasks; "a diligent detective investigates all clues"; "a
        diligent search of the files" [ant: {negligent}]
%
disaffect
     v : arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly
         been love, affection, or friendliness [syn: {estrange}, {alienate},
          {alien}]
%
disambiguate
     v : state unambiguously or remove ambiguities from; "Can you
         disambiguate this statement?"
%
discursive
     adj 1: proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than
            intuition [syn: {dianoetic}]
     2: (of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main
        point or cover a wide range of subjects; "amusingly
        digressive with satirical thrusts at women's fashions
        among other things"; "a rambling discursive book"; "his
        excursive remarks"; "a rambling speech about this and
        that" [syn: {digressive}, {excursive}, {rambling}]
%
disingenuous
     adj : not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of
           frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and
           hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most
           disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a
           disingenuous excuse" [syn: {artful}] [ant: {ingenuous}]
%
disparate
     adj 1: fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind;
            "such disparate attractions as grand opera and game
            fishing"; "disparate ideas"
     2: including markedly dissimilar elements; "a disparate
        aggregate of creeds and songs and prayers"
%
dispensation
     n 1: an exemption from some rule or obligation
     2: a share that has been dispensed or distributed
     3: the act of dispensing (giving out in portions)
%
disseminate
     v : cause to become widely known; "spread information";
         "circulate a rumor"; "broadcast the news" [syn: {circulate},
          {circularize}, {circularise}, {distribute}, {propagate},
          {broadcast}, {spread}, {diffuse}, {disperse}, {pass
         around}]
%
dissertate
     v : talk or hold forth formally about a topic; "The speaker
         dissertated about the social politics in 18th century
         England" [syn: {discourse}]
%
dissimulation
     n : the act of deceiving [syn: {deception}, {deceit}, {dissembling}]
%
dissipation
     n 1: breaking up and scattering by dispersion; "the dissipation
          of the mist"
     2: dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure [syn: {profligacy},
         {dissolution}, {licentiousness}]
     3: useless or profitless activity; using or expending or
        consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; "if the effort
        brings no compensating gain it is a waste"; "mindless
        dissipation of natural resources" [syn: {waste}, {wastefulness}]
%
dissolute
     adj : unrestrained by convention or morality; "Congreve draws a
           debauched aristocratic society"; "deplorably dissipated
           and degraded"; "riotous living"; "fast women" [syn: {debauched},
            {degenerate}, {degraded}, {dissipated}, {libertine}, {profligate},
            {riotous}, {fast}]
%
distinction
     n 1: a discrimination between things as different and distinct;
          "it is necessary to make a distinction between love and
          infatuation" [syn: {differentiation}]
     2: high status importance owing to marked superiority; "a
        scholar of great eminence" [syn: {eminence}, {preeminence},
         {note}]
     3: a distinguishing quality; "it has the distinction of being
        the cheapest restaurant in town"
     4: a distinguishing difference; "he learned the distinction
%
diverge
     v 1: move or draw apart; "The two paths diverge here" [ant: {converge}]
     2: have no limits as a mathematical series [ant: {converge}, {converge}]
     3: extend in a different direction; "The lines start to diverge
        here"; "Their interests diverged" [ant: {converge}]
     4: be at variance with; be out of line with [syn: {deviate}, {vary},
         {depart}] [ant: {conform}]
%
divest
     v 1: take away possessions from someone; "The Nazis stripped the
          Jews of all their assets" [syn: {deprive}, {strip}]
     2: deprive of status or authority; "he was divested of his
        rights and his title"; "They disinvested themselves of
        their rights" [syn: {disinvest}] [ant: {invest}]
     3: reduce or dispose of; cease to hold (an investment); "The
        company decided to divest"; "the board of trustees
        divested $20 million in real estate property"; "There was
        pressure on the univeristy to disinvest in South Africa"
%
dogmatic
     adj 1: characterized by arrogant assertion of unproved or
            unprovable principles [syn: {dogmatical}]
     2: relating to or involving dogma; "dogmatic writings"
%
dragoon
     n : a member of a European military unit formerly composed of
         heavily armed cavalrymen
     v 1: compel by coercion, threats, or crude means; "They
          sandbagged him to make dinner for everyone" [syn: {sandbag},
           {railroad}]
     2: subjugate by imposing troops
%
drudge
     n 1: one who works hard at boring tasks [syn: {hack}, {hacker}]
     2: a laborer who is obliged to do menial work [syn: {peon}, {navvy},
         {galley slave}]
drudge
     v : work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework";
         "Lexicographers drudge all day long" [syn: {labor}, {labour},
          {toil}, {fag}, {travail}, {grind}, {dig}, {moil}]
%
dubious
     adj 1: fraught with uncertainty or doubt; "they were doubtful that
            the cord would hold"; "it was doubtful whether she
            would be admitted"; "dubious about agreeing to go"
            [syn: {doubtful}]
     2: open to doubt or suspicion; "the candidate's doubtful past";
        "he has a dubious record indeed"; "what one found
        uncertain the other found dubious or downright false"; "it
        was more than dubitable whether the friend was as
        influential as she thought"- Karen Horney [syn: {doubtful},
%
dulcet
     adj 1: extremely pleasant in a gentle way; "the most dulcet
            swimming on the most beautiful and remote beaches"
     2: pleasing to the ear; "the dulcet tones of the cello" [syn: {honeyed},
         {mellifluous}, {mellisonant}, {sweet}]
%
duplicitous
     adj : marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending
           one set of feelings and acting under the influence of
           another; "she was a deceitful scheming little thing"-
           Israel Zangwill; "a double-dealing double agent"; "a
           double-faced infernal traitor and schemer"-
           W.M.Thackeray [syn: {ambidextrous}, {deceitful}, {double-dealing},
            {Janus-faced}, {two-faced}, {double-faced}, {double-tongued}]
%
duplicity
     n 1: a fraudulent or duplicitous representation [syn: {fraudulence}]
     2: acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain
        one set of intentions while acting under the influence of
        another [syn: {double-dealing}]
%
durance
     n : imprisonment (especially for a long time)
%
dysphemism
     n : an offensive or disparaging expression that is substituted
         for an inoffensive one; "his favorite dysphemism was to
         ask for axle grease when he wanted butter" [ant: {euphemism}]
%
ecdemic
     adj : of or relating to a disease that originates outside the
           locality in which it occurs [ant: {endemic}, {epidemic}]
%
edacity
     n 1: excessive desire to eat [syn: {esurience}, {ravenousness}, {voracity},
           {voraciousness}]
     2: extreme gluttony [syn: {esurience}, {rapaciousness}, {rapacity},
         {voracity}, {voraciousness}]
%
efficacious
     adj 1: marked by qualities giving the power to produce an intended
            effect; "written propaganda is less efficacious than
            the habits and prejudices...of the readers"-Aldous
            Huxley; "the medicine is efficacious in stopping a
            cough" [ant: {inefficacious}]
     2: producing or capable of producing an intended result or
        having a striking effect; "an air-cooled motor was more
        effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid
        long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford; "effective
%
egalitarian
     adj : favoring social equality; "a classless society" [syn: {classless}]
egalitarian
     n : a person who believes in the equality of all people [syn: {equalitarian}]
         [ant: {elitist}]
%
egregious
     adj : conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a
           crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation
           of human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross
           ineptitude"; "gross injustice"; "rank treachery" [syn:
           {crying(a)}, {flagrant}, {glaring}, {gross}, {rank}]
%
elegy
     n : a mournful poem; a lament for the dead [syn: {lament}]
%
elucidate
     v 1: make clear and (more) comprehensible; "clarify the mystery
          surrounding her death" [syn: {clarify}, {clear up}]
          [ant: {obfuscate}]
     2: make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could
        you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who
        is at fault" [syn: {clear}, {clear up}, {shed light on}, {crystallize},
         {crystallise}, {crystalize}, {crystalise}, {straighten
        out}, {sort out}, {enlighten}, {illuminate}]
%
emaciated
     adj : very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold;
           "emaciated bony hands"; "a nightmare population of
           gaunt men and skeletal boys"; "eyes were haggard and
           cavernous"; "small pinched faces"; "kept life in his
           wasted frame only by grim concentration" [syn: {bony},
           {cadaverous}, {gaunt}, {haggard}, {pinched}, {skeletal},
            {wasted}]
%
emanation
     n 1: something that is emitted or radiated (as a gas or an odor
          or a light etc.)
     2: the act of emitting; causing to flow forth [syn: {emission}]
     3: (theology) the origination of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost;
        "the emanation of the Holy Spirit"; "the rising of the
        Holy Ghost"; "the doctrine of the procession of the Holy
        Spirit from the Father and the Son" [syn: {rise}, {procession}]
%
eminent
     adj 1: (used of persons) standing above others in character or
            attainment or reputation; "our distinguished
            professor"; "an eminent scholar"; "a great statesman"
            [syn: {distinguished}, {great}]
     2: standing above others in quality or position; "people in
        high places"; "the high priest"; "eminent members of the
        community" [syn: {high}]
     3: having achieved eminence; "an eminent physician"
     4: of imposing height; especially standing out above others;
%
empirical
     adj 1: derived from experiment and observation rather than theory;
            "an empirical basis for an ethical theory"; "empirical
            laws"; "empirical data"; "an empirical treatment of a
            disease about which little is known" [syn: {empiric}]
            [ant: {theoretical}]
     2: relying on medical quackery; "empiric treatment" [syn: {empiric}]
%
empiricism
     n 1: (philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge derives from
          experience [syn: {empiricist philosophy}, {sensationalism}]
     2: the application of empirical methods in any art or science
     3: medical practice and advice based on observation and
        experience in ignorance of scientific findings [syn: {quackery}]
%
emulation
     n 1: ambition to equal or excel
     2: (computer science) technique of one machine obtaining the
        same results as another
     3: effort to equal or surpass another
%
enation
     n 1: line of descent traced through the maternal side of the
          family [syn: {matrilineage}, {cognation}]
     2: a natural projection or outgrowth from a plant body or organ
        [syn: {plant process}]
%
encomium
     n : a formal expression of praise [syn: {eulogy}, {panegyric}, {paean},
          {pean}]
     [also: {encomia} (pl)]
%
enervate
     v 1: weaken mentally or morally
     2: disturb the composure of [syn: {faze}, {unnerve}, {unsettle}]
%
engender
     v 1: call forth [syn: {breed}, {spawn}]
     2: make children; "Abraham begot Isaac"; "Men often father
        children but don't recognize them" [syn: {beget}, {get}, {father},
         {mother}, {sire}, {generate}, {bring forth}]
%
enmity
     n 1: a state of deep-seated ill-will [syn: {hostility}, {antagonism}]
     2: the feeling of a hostile person; "he could no longer contain
        his hostility" [syn: {hostility}, {ill will}]
%
ennoble
     v 1: confer dignity or honor upon; "He was dignified with a
          title" [syn: {dignify}]
     2: give a title to someone; make someone a member of the
        nobility [syn: {gentle}, {entitle}]
%
entropy
     n 1: (communication theory) a numerical measure of the
          uncertainty of an outcome; "the signal contained
          thousands of bits of information" [syn: {information}, {selective
          information}]
     2: (thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity representing the
        amount of energy in a system that is no longer available
        for doing mechanical work; "entropy increases as matter
        and energy in the universe degrade to an ultimate state of
        inert uniformity" [syn: {randomness}, {S}]
%
environs
     n : the area in which something exists or lives; "the
         country--the flat agricultural surround" [syn: {environment},
          {surroundings}, {surround}]
%
envisage
     v : form a mental image of something that is not present or that
         is not the case; "Can you conceive of him as the
         president?" [syn: {imagine}, {conceive of}, {ideate}]
%
ephemera
     See {ephemeron}
     [also: {ephemerae} (pl)]
ephemeron
     n : an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form [syn:
          {ephemera}]
     [also: {ephemera} (pl)]
ephemera
     n 1: something transitory; lasting a day
     2: an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form [syn:
%
ephemeral
     adj : enduring a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of
           childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient
           beauty"; "love is transitory but at is eternal";
           "fugacious blossoms" [syn: {passing}, {short-lived}, {transient},
            {transitory}, {fugacious}]
%
epicure
     n : a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially
         good food and drink) [syn: {gourmet}, {gastronome}, {bon
         vivant}, {epicurean}, {foodie}]
%
epigram
     n : a witty saying [syn: {quip}]
%
epigraph
     n 1: a quotation at the beginning of some piece of writing
     2: an engraved inscription
%
episteme
     n : the body of ideas that determine intellectually certain
         knowledge at any particular time
%
epithet
     n 1: a defamatory or abusive word or phrase; "sticks and stones
          may break my bones but names can never hurt me" [syn: {name}]
     2: descriptive word or phrase
%
eponym
     n 1: the name of a person for whom something is supposedly named;
          "Constantine I is the eponym for Constantinople"
     2: a name derived from the name of person (real or imaginary)
        as the name of Alexandria is derived from the name of its
        founder: Alexander the Great
%
equivocal
     adj 1: open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature
            or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; "an
            equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and
            equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female
            candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior
            increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an
            equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an
            embarrassing question" [syn: {ambiguous}] [ant: {unequivocal}]
     2: open to question; "aliens of equivocal loyalty"; "his
%
erudite
     adj : having or showing profound knowledge; "a learned jurist";
           "an erudite professor" [syn: {learned}]
%
estoppel
     n : a rule of evidence whereby a person is barred from denying
         the truth of a fact that has already been settled
%
ethnography
     n : the branch of anthropology that provides scientific
         description of individual human societies [syn: {descriptive
         anthropology}]
%
etiology
     n 1: the cause of a disease [syn: {aetiology}]
     2: the philosophical study of causation [syn: {aetiology}]
%
eulogist
     n : an orator who delivers eulogies or panegyrics [syn: {panegyrist}]
%
euphemism
     n : an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that
         is considered offensive [ant: {dysphemism}]
%
exasperate
     v 1: exasperate or irritate [syn: {exacerbate}, {aggravate}]
     2: make furious [syn: {infuriate}, {incense}]
     3: make worse; "This drug aggravates the pain" [syn: {worsen},
        {aggravate}, {exacerbate}] [ant: {better}]
%
exasperated
     adj : greatly annoyed; out of patience; "had an exasperated look
           on his face"; "felt exasperated beyond endurance" [syn:
            {cheesed off}, {browned off}]
%
excerpt
     n : a passage selected from a larger work; "he presented
         excerpts from William James' philosophical writings"
         [syn: {extract}, {selection}]
     v : take out of a literary work in order to cite or copy [syn: {extract},
          {take out}]
%
excision
     n 1: the omission that is made when an editorial change shortens
          a written passage; "an editor's deletions frequently
          upset young authors"; "both parties agreed on the
          excision of the proposed clause" [syn: {deletion}, {cut}]
     2: surgical removal of a body part or tissue [syn: {ablation},
        {extirpation}, {cutting out}]
     3: the act of banishing a member of the Church from the
        communion of believers and the privileges of the Church;
        cutting a person off from a religious society [syn: {excommunication}]
%
excogitation
     n 1: thinking something out with care in order to achieve
          complete understanding of it
     2: the creation of something in the mind [syn: {invention}, {innovation},
         {conception}, {design}]
%
excoriate
     v 1: express strong disapproval of; "We condemn the racism in
          South Africa"; "These ideas were reprobated" [syn: {condemn},
           {reprobate}, {decry}, {objurgate}]
     2: tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading; "This
        leash chafes the dog's neck" [syn: {chafe}]
%
exculpate
     v : pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was
         cleared of the murder charges" [syn: {acquit}, {assoil},
         {clear}, {discharge}, {exonerate}] [ant: {convict}]
%
excursion
     n 1: a journey taken for pleasure; "many summer excursions to the
          shore"; "it was merely a pleasure trip"; "after cautious
          sashays into the field" [syn: {jaunt}, {outing}, {junket},
           {pleasure trip}, {expedition}, {sashay}]
     2: wandering from the main path of a journey [syn: {digression}]
%
excursus
     n : a message that departs from the main subject [syn: {digression},
          {aside}, {divagation}, {parenthesis}]
%
execrable
     adj 1: of very poor quality or condition; "deplorable housing
            conditions in the inner city"; "woeful treatment of
            the accused"; "woeful errors of judgment" [syn: {deplorable},
             {miserable}, {woeful}, {wretched}]
     2: unequivocally detestable; "abominable treatment of
        prisoners"; "detestable vices"; "execrable crimes";
        "consequences odious to those you govern"- Edmund Burke
        [syn: {abominable}, {detestable}, {odious}]
     3: deserving a curse; "her damnable pride" [syn: {damnable}]
%
execration
     n 1: hate coupled with disgust [syn: {abhorrence}, {abomination},
           {detestation}, {loathing}, {odium}]
     2: an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on
        someone or some group [syn: {condemnation}, {curse}]
     3: the object of cursing or detestation; that which is
        execrated
%
exegesis
     n : an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the
         Bible)
     [also: {exegeses} (pl)]
%
exhort
     v 1: urge on or encourage especially by shouts; "The crowd
          cheered the demonstrating strikers" [syn: {cheer}, {inspire},
           {urge}, {barrack}, {urge on}, {pep up}]
     2: force or impel in an indicated direction; "I urged him to
        finish his studies" [syn: {urge}, {urge on}, {press}]
%
exigency
     n 1: a pressing or urgent situation; "the health-care exigency"
     2: a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that
        requires immediate action; "he never knew what to do in an
        emergency" [syn: {emergency}, {pinch}]
%
exigent
     adj 1: demanding attention; "clamant needs"; "a crying need";
            "regarded literary questions as exigent and
            momentous"- H.L.Mencken; "insistent hunger"; "an
            instant need" [syn: {clamant}, {crying}, {insistent},
            {instant}]
     2: requiring precise accuracy; "an exacting job"; "became more
        exigent over his pronunciation" [syn: {exacting}]
%
exonerate
     v : pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was
         cleared of the murder charges" [syn: {acquit}, {assoil},
         {clear}, {discharge}, {exculpate}] [ant: {convict}]
%
expatiate
     v : add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning
         of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing;
         "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"
         [syn: {elaborate}, {lucubrate}, {exposit}, {enlarge}, {flesh
         out}, {expand}, {expound}, {dilate}] [ant: {abridge}]
%
expiate
     v : make amends for; "expiate one's sins" [syn: {aby}, {abye}, {atone}]
%
explicate
     v 1: make palin and comprehensible; "He explained the laws of
          physics to his students" [syn: {explain}]
     2: elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses; "Could you develop
        the ideas in your thesis" [syn: {formulate}, {develop}]
%
expound
     v 1: add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning
          of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing;
          "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"
          [syn: {elaborate}, {lucubrate}, {expatiate}, {exposit},
          {enlarge}, {flesh out}, {expand}, {dilate}] [ant: {abridge}]
     2: state; "set forth one's reasons" [syn: {set forth}, {exposit}]
%
expropriate
     v : deprive of possessions; "The Communist government
         expropriated the landowners"
%
extant
     adj : still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost;
           "extant manuscripts"; "specimens of graphic art found
           among extant barbaric folk"- Edward Clodd [ant: {extinct}]
%
extenuate
     v : lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of;
         "The circumstances extenuate the crime" [syn: {palliate},
          {mitigate}]
%
extirpate
     v 1: destroy completely, as if down to the roots; "the vestiges
          of political democracy were soon uprooted" [syn: {uproot},
           {eradicate}, {exterminate}]
     2: pull up by or as if by the roots; "uproot the vine that has
        spread all over the garden" [syn: {uproot}, {deracinate},
        {root out}]
     3: surgically remove (an organ)
%
extirpation
     n 1: surgical removal of a body part or tissue [syn: {ablation},
          {cutting out}, {excision}]
     2: the act of pulling up or out; uprooting; cutting off from
        existence [syn: {excision}, {deracination}]
%
extol
     v : praise, glorify, or honor; "extol the virtues of one's
         children"; "glorify one's spouse's cooking" [syn: {laud},
          {exalt}, {glorify}, {proclaim}]
     [also: {extolling}, {extolled}]
%
extrapolate
     v 1: draw from specific cases for more general cases [syn: {generalize},
           {generalise}, {infer}]
     2: estimate the value of [syn: {interpolate}]
     3: gain knowledge of (an area not known or experienced) by
        extrapolating
%
extricate
     v : release from entanglement of difficulty; "I cannot extricate
         myself from this task" [syn: {untangle}, {disentangle}, {disencumber}]
%
extrinsic
     adj : not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or
           originating from the outside; "extrinsic evidence"; "an
           extrinsic feature of the new building"; "that style is
           something extrinsic to the subject"; "looking for
           extrinsic aid" [ant: {intrinsic}]
%
exult
     v 1: feel extreme happiness or elation [syn: {walk on air}, {be
          on cloud nine}, {jump for joy}]
     2: to express great joy; "Who cannot exult in Spring?" [syn: {rejoice},
         {triumph}, {jubilate}]
%
facetious
     adj : cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious
           remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice" [syn: {bantering}, {tongue-in-cheek}]
%
factitious
     adj : not produced by natural forces; "brokers created a
           factitious demand for stocks"
%
faience
     n : glazed earthenware decorated with opaque colors
%
fain
     adv : in a willing manner; "this was gladly agreed to"; "I would
           fain do it" [syn: {gladly}, {lief}]
fain
     adj : having made preparations; "prepared to take risks" [syn: {disposed(p)},
            {inclined(p)}, {prepared}]
%
fasces
     n : bundle of rods containing an axe with the blade protruding;
         in ancient Rome it was a symbol of a magistrate's power;
         in modern Italy it is a symbol of Fascism
%
felicitate
     v : express congratulations [syn: {congratulate}]
%
ferment
     n 1: a state of agitation or turbulent change or development;
          "the political ferment produced a new leadership";
          "social unrest" [syn: {agitation}, {fermentation}, {unrest}]
     2: a substance capable of bringing about fermentation
     3: a process in which an agent causes an organic substance to
        break down into simpler substances; especially, the
        anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol [syn: {zymosis},
         {zymolysis}, {fermentation}, {fermenting}]
     4: a chemical phenomenon in which an organic molecule splits
%
fervid
     adj 1: characterized by intense emotion; "ardent love"; "an ardent
            lover"; "a burning enthusiasm"; "a fervent desire to
            change society"; "a fervent admirer"; "fiery oratory";
            "an impassioned appeal"; "a torrid love affair" [syn:
            {ardent}, {burning(a)}, {fervent}, {fiery}, {impassioned},
             {perfervid}, {torrid}]
     2: extremely hot; "the fervent heat...merely communicated a
        genial warmth to their half-torpid systems"- Nathaniel
        Hawthorne; "set out...when the fervid heat subsides"-
%
figment
     n : a contrived or fantastic idea; "a figment of the
         imagination"
%
filial
     adj 1: designating the generation or the sequence of generations
            following the parental generation [ant: {parental}]
     2: relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring;
        "filial respect" [ant: {parental}]
%
flexure
     n 1: the state of being flexed (as of a joint) [syn: {flection},
          {flexion}]
     2: an angular or rounded shape made by folding; "a fold in the
        napkin"; "a crease in his trousers"; "a plication on her
        blouse"; "a flexure of the colon"; "a bend of his elbow"
        [syn: {fold}, {crease}, {plication}, {crimp}, {bend}]
     3: act of bending a joint; especially a joint between the bones
        of a limb so that the angle between them is decreased
        [syn: {flexion}] [ant: {extension}]
%
florid
     adj : elaborately or excessively ornamented; "flamboyant
           handwriting"; "the senator's florid speech" [syn: {aureate},
            {flamboyant}, {showy}]
%
fob
     n 1: a vest pocket to hold a pocket watch [syn: {watch pocket}]
     2: an adornment that hangs from a watch chain
     3: short chain or ribbon attaching a pocket watch to a man's
        vest [syn: {watch chain}, {watch guard}]
     [also: {fobbing}, {fobbed}]
fob
     v : deceive somebody; "We tricked the teacher into thinking that
         class would be cancelled next week" [syn: {trick}, {fox},
          {pull a fast one on}, {play a trick on}]
%
foible
     n 1: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to
          an individual [syn: {idiosyncrasy}, {mannerism}]
     2: the weaker part of a sword's blade from the forte to the tip
%
foist
     v 1: to force onto another; "He foisted his work on me"
     2: insert surreptitiously or without warrant
%
fractious
     adj 1: stubbornly resistant to authority or control; "a fractious
            animal that would not submit to the harness"; "a
            refractory child" [syn: {refractory}]
     2: easily irritated or annoyed; "an incorrigibly fractious
        young man"; "not the least nettlesome of his countrymen"
        [syn: {cranky}, {irritable}, {nettlesome}, {peevish}, {peckish},
         {pettish}, {petulant}, {testy}, {tetchy}, {techy}]
     3: unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be
        troublesome; "rockets were much too fractious to be tested
%
frivolous
     adj : not serious in content or attitude or behavior; "a frivolous
           novel"; "a frivolous remark"; "a frivolous young woman"
           [ant: {serious}]
%
fugacious
     adj : enduring a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of
           childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient
           beauty"; "love is transitory but at is eternal";
           "fugacious blossoms" [syn: {ephemeral}, {passing}, {short-lived},
            {transient}, {transitory}]
%
fulgid
     adj : having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; "bugle
           beads all aglitter"; "glinting eyes"; "glinting water";
           "his glittering eyes were cold and malevolent"; "shop
           window full of glittering Christmas trees"; "glittery
           costume jewelry"; "scintillant mica"; "the
           scintillating stars"; "a dress with sparkly sequins";
           "`glistering' is an archaic term" [syn: {aglitter(p)},
           {coruscant}, {glinting}, {glistering}, {glittering}, {glittery},
            {scintillant}, {scintillating}, {sparkling(a)}, {sparkly}]
%
functionary
     n : a worker who holds or is invested with an office [syn: {official}]
%
furtive
     adj 1: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
            avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
            prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
            surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
            in the shadows" [syn: {lurking}, {skulking}, {sneak(a)},
             {sneaky}, {stealthy}, {surreptitious}]
     2: secret and sly or sordid; "backstairs gossip"; "his low
        backstairs cunning"- A.L.Guerard; "backstairs intimacies";
        "furtive behavior" [syn: {backstair}, {backstairs}]
%
gossamer
     adj 1: characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy; "this
            smallest and most ethereal of birds"; "gossamer
            shading through his playing" [syn: {ethereal}]
     2: so thin as to transmit light; "a hat with a diaphanous
        veil"; "filmy wings of a moth"; "gauzy clouds of dandelion
        down"; "gossamer cobwebs"; "sheer silk stockings";
        "transparent chiffon"; "vaporous silks" [syn: {diaphanous},
         {filmy}, {gauzy}, {see-through}, {sheer}, {transparent},
        {vaporous}, {cobwebby}]
%
grandiloquent
     adj 1: lofty in style; "he engages in so much tall talk, one never
            really realizes what he is saying" [syn: {magniloquent},
             {tall}]
     2: puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful
        manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech";
        "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"-
        Newsweek [syn: {overblown}, {pompous}, {pontifical}, {portentous}]
%
gravitas
     n : formality in bearing and appearance; "he behaved with great
         dignity" [syn: {dignity}, {lordliness}]
%
hebetude
     n : mental lethargy or dullness
%
hegemony
     n : the domination of one state over its allies
%
heuristic
     adj : of or relating to or using a general formulation that serves
           to guide investigation [ant: {algorithmic}]
     n : a commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase
         the probability of solving some problem [syn: {heuristic
         rule}, {heuristic program}]
%
hierarchy
     n 1: a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a
          system; "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values"
     2: the organization of people at different ranks in an
        administrative body [syn: {power structure}, {pecking
        order}]
%
homily
     n : a sermon on a moral or religious topic [syn: {preachment}]
%
hyperbole
     n : extravagant exaggeration [syn: {exaggeration}]
%
hyperbolic
     adj 1: enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness; "had an exaggerated
            (or inflated) opinion of himself"; "a hyperbolic
            style" [syn: {exaggerated}, {inflated}]
     2: of or relating to a hyperbola; "hyperbolic functions"
%
hypostatize
     v : construe as a real existence, of a conceptual entity [syn: {hypostatise}]
%
iconoclast
     n : someone who tries to destroy traditional ideas or
         institutions [syn: {image breaker}]
%
iconoclastic
     adj : characterized by attack on established beliefs or
           institutions
%
idyllic
     adj 1: excellent and delightful in all respects; "an idyllic spot
            for a picnic"
     2: suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple and serene; "his
        idyllic life in Tahiti"; "the pastoral legends of
        America's Golden Age" [syn: {pastoral}]
%
ignoble
     adj 1: completely lacking nobility in character or quality or
            purpose; "something cowardly and ignoble in his
            attitude"; "I think it a less evil that some criminals
            should escape than that the government should play an
            ignoble part"- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. [ant: {noble}]
     2: not of the nobility; "of ignoble (or ungentle) birth";
        "untitled civilians" [syn: {ungentle}, {untitled}]
%
ignominious
     adj : (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing
           disgrace or shame; "Man...has written one of his
           blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic
           islands"- Rachel Carson; "an ignominious retreat";
           "inglorious defeat"; "an opprobrious monument to human
           greed"; "a shameful display of cowardice" [syn: {black},
            {disgraceful}, {inglorious}, {opprobrious}, {shameful}]
%
ignominy
     n : a state of dishonor; "one mistake brought shame to all his
         family"; "suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison"
         [syn: {shame}, {disgrace}]
%
immanence
     n : the state of being within or not going beyond a given domain
         [syn: {immanency}, {inherence}]
%
immure
     v : lock up or confine, in or as in a jail; "The suspects were
         imprisoned without trial"; "the murderer was incarcerated
         for the rest of his life" [syn: {imprison}, {incarcerate},
          {lag}, {put behind bars}, {jail}, {jug}, {gaol}, {put
         away}, {remand}]
%
immutable
     adj : not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or
           quality or nature; "the view of that time was that all
           species were immutable, created by God" [syn: {changeless}]
           [ant: {mutable}]
%
imperious
     adj : able to deal authoritatively with affairs; "dismissed the
           matter with an imperious wave of her hand" [syn: {masterful}]
%
impetuous
     adj 1: characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or
            deliberation; "a hotheaded decision"; "liable to such
            impulsive acts as hugging strangers"; "an impetuous
            display of spending and gambling"; "madcap escapades";
            (`brainish' is archaic) [syn: {hotheaded}, {impulsive},
             {madcap}, {tearaway(a)}, {brainish}]
     2: marked by violent force; "impetuous heaving waves"
%
implacable
     adj : impossible to placate; "an implacable enemy" [ant: {placable}]
%
imprecate
     v 1: wish harm upon; invoke evil upon; "The bad witch cursed the
          child" [syn: {curse}, {beshrew}, {damn}, {bedamn}, {anathemize},
           {anathemise}, {maledict}] [ant: {bless}]
     2: utter obscenities or profanities; "The drunken men were
        cursing loudly in the street" [syn: {curse}, {cuss}, {blaspheme},
         {swear}]
%
imprecation
     n 1: the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and
          usually serves as an insult); "he suffered the
          imprecations of the mob" [syn: {malediction}]
     2: a slanderous accusation
%
impresario
     n : a sponsor who books and stages public entertainments [syn: {showman},
          {promoter}]
%
impudence
     n 1: an impudent statement [syn: {cheek}, {impertinence}]
     2: the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take
        liberties [syn: {crust}, {gall}, {impertinence}, {insolence},
         {cheekiness}, {freshness}]
%
impudent
     adj 1: marked by casual disrespect; "a flip answer to serious
            question"; "the student was kept in for impudent
            behavior" [syn: {insolent}, {snotty-nosed}, {flip}]
     2: improperly forward or bold; "don't be fresh with me";
        "impertinent of a child to lecture a grownup"; "an
        impudent boy given to insulting strangers" [syn: {fresh},
        {impertinent}, {overbold}, {smart}, {saucy}, {sassy}]
%
impunity
     n : exemption from punishment or loss
%
impute
     v 1: attribute or credit to; "We attributed this quotation to
          Shakespeare"; "People impute great cleverness to cats"
          [syn: {ascribe}, {assign}, {attribute}]
     2: attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source;
        "The teacher imputed the student's failure to his
        nervousness"
%
inalienable
     adj 1: incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another;
            "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
            rights" [syn: {unalienable}] [ant: {alienable}]
     2: not subject to forfeiture; "an unforfeitable right" [syn: {unforfeitable}]
%
inanition
     n 1: weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy [syn:
           {lassitude}, {lethargy}]
     2: exhaustion resulting from lack of food
%
incarnate
     adj 1: possessing or existing in bodily form; "what seemed corporal
            melted as breath into the wind"- Shakespeare; "an
            incarnate spirit"; "`corporate' is an archaic term"
            [syn: {bodied}, {corporal}, {corporate}, {embodied}]
     2: invested with a bodily form especially of a human body; "a
        monarch...regarded as a god incarnate"
     v 1: make concrete and real [ant: {disincarnate}]
     2: represent in bodily form; "He embodies all that is evil
        wrong with the system"; "The painting substantiates the
%
incorporeal
     adj : without material form or substance; "an incorporeal spirit"
           [syn: {immaterial}] [ant: {corporeal}]
%
inculcate
     v : teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions;
         "inculcate values into the young generation" [syn: {instill},
          {infuse}]
%
indecorous
     adj 1: lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct;
            "indecorous behavior" [syn: {indelicate}] [ant: {decorous}]
     2: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or
        proper in polite society; "was buried with indecent
        haste"; "indecorous behavior"; "language unbecoming to a
        lady"; "unseemly to use profanity"; "moved to curb their
        untoward ribaldry" [syn: {indecent}, {unbecoming}, {uncomely},
         {unseemly}, {untoward}]
%
indigenous
     adj : originating where it is found; "the autochthonal fauna of
           Australia includes the kangaroo"; "autochthonous rocks
           and people and folktales"; "endemic folkways"; "the
           Ainu are indigenous to the northernmost islands of
           Japan" [syn: {autochthonal}, {autochthonic}, {autochthonous},
            {endemic}]
%
indigo
     n 1: a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically [syn:
          {anil}, {indigotin}]
     2: deciduous subshrub of southeastern Asia having pinnate
        leaves and clusters of red or purple flowers; a source of
        indigo dye [syn: {indigo plant}, {Indigofera tinctoria}]
     3: a blue-violet color
     [also: {indigoes} (pl)]
%
indolent
     adj 1: disinclined to work or exertion; "faineant kings under whose
            rule the country languished"; "an indolent hanger-on";
            "too lazy to wash the dishes"; "shiftless idle youth";
            "slothful employees"; "the unemployed are not
            necessarily work-shy" [syn: {faineant}, {lazy}, {otiose},
             {slothful}, {work-shy}]
     2: of tumors e.g.; slow to heal or develop and usually
        painless; "an indolent ulcer"; "leprosy is an indolent
        infectious disease"
%
indomitable
     adj : impossible to subdue [syn: {never-say-die}, {unsubduable}]
%
induce
     v 1: cause to arise; "induce a crisis" [syn: {bring on}]
     2: cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; "The ads
        induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to
        buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa" [syn: {stimulate},
         {cause}, {have}, {get}, {make}]
     3: cause to occur rapidly; "the infection precipitated a high
        fever and allergic reactions" [syn: {stimulate}, {rush}, {hasten}]
     4: reason or establish by induction
     5:  produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic
%
induction
     n 1: a formal entry into an organization or position or office;
          "his initiation into the club"; "he was ordered to
          report for induction into the army"; "he gave a speech
          as part of his installation into the hall of fame" [syn:
           {initiation}, {installation}]
     2: an electrical phenomenon whereby an electromotive force
        (EMF) is generated in a closed circuit by a change in the
        flow of current
     3: reasoning from detailed facts to general principles [syn: {generalization},
%
ineffable
     adj 1: defying expression or description; "indefinable yearnings";
            "indescribable beauty"; "ineffable ecstasy";
            "inexpressible anguish"; "unspeakable happiness";
            "unutterable contempt"; "a thing of untellable
            splendor" [syn: {indefinable}, {indescribable}, {unspeakable},
             {untellable}, {unutterable}]
     2: too sacred to be uttered; "the ineffable name of the Deity"
        [syn: {unnameable}, {unspeakable}, {unutterable}]
%
inexorable
     adj 1: not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty; "grim
            determination"; "grim necessity"; "Russia's final
            hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable
            certainty"; "relentless persecution"; "the stern
            demands of parenthood" [syn: {grim}, {relentless}, {stern},
             {unappeasable}, {unforgiving}, {unrelenting}]
     2: not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course;
        unsusceptible to persuasion; "he is adamant in his refusal
        to change his mind"; "Cynthia was inexorable; she would
%
injudicious
     adj : lacking or showing lack of judgment or discretion; unwise;
           "an injudicious measure"; "the result of an injudicious
           decision"
%
innocuous
     adj 1: not injurious to physical or mental health [syn: {harmless}]
            [ant: {noxious}]
     2: unlikely to harm or disturb anyone; "harmless old man" [syn:
         {harmless}]
     3: not causing disapproval; "it was an innocuous remark";
        "confined himself to innocuous generalities";
        "unobjectionable behavior" [syn: {unobjectionable}]
     4: lacking intent or capacity to injure; "an innocent prank"
        [syn: {innocent}]
%
insalubrious
     adj : detrimental to health [syn: {unhealthful}, {unhealthy}]
%
insidious
     adj 1: beguiling but harmful; "insidious pleasures"
     2: intended to entrap
     3: working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way;
        "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison"
        [syn: {pernicious}, {subtle}]
%
insolence
     n 1: the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take
          liberties [syn: {crust}, {gall}, {impertinence}, {impudence},
           {cheekiness}, {freshness}]
     2: an offensive disrespectful impudent act
%
insoluble
     adj 1: (of a substance) not easily dissolved [ant: {soluble}]
     2: admitting of no solution or explanation; "an insoluble
        doubt" [ant: {soluble}]
     3: without hope of solution; "an insoluble problem"
%
insouciant
     adj : marked by blithe unconcern; "an ability to interest casual
           students"; "showed a casual disregard for cold
           weather"; "an utterly insouciant financial policy"; "an
           elegantly insouciant manner"; "drove his car with
           nonchalant abandon"; "was polite in a teasing
           nonchalant manner" [syn: {casual}, {nonchalant}]
%
insularity
     n : the state of being isolated or detached; "the insulation of
         England was preserved by the English Channel" [syn: {insulation},
          {insularism}, {detachment}]
%
insuperable
     adj 1: impossible to surmount [syn: {insurmountable}]
     2: incapable of being surmounted or excelled; "insuperable
        odds"; "insuperable heroes" [syn: {unconquerable}]
%
intractable
     adj : not tractable; difficult to manage or mold; "an intractable
           disposition"; "intractable pain"; "the most intractable
           issue of our era"; "intractable metal" [ant: {tractable}]
%
intrepid
     adj : invulnerable to fear or intimidation; "audacious explorers";
           "fearless reporters and photographers"; "intrepid
           pioneers" [syn: {audacious}, {brave}, {dauntless}, {fearless},
            {unfearing}]
%
inured
     adj : made tough by habitual exposure; "hardened fishermen"; "a
           peasant, dark, lean-faced, wind-inured"- Robert Lynd;
           "our successors...may be graver, more inured and
           equable men"- V.S.Pritchett [syn: {enured}, {hardened}]
%
invariable
     adj : not liable to or capable of change; "an invariable
           temperature"; "an invariable rule"; "his invariable
           courtesy" [ant: {variable}]
%
inveigh
     v 1: complain bitterly [syn: {rail}]
     2: speak against in an impassioned manner; "he declaimed
        against the wasteful ways of modern society" [syn: {declaim}]
%
inveterate
     adj : having a habit of long standing; "a chronic smoker" [syn: {chronic},
            {confirmed}, {habitual}, {inveterate(a)}]
%
inviolable
     adj 1: that cannot be transgressed or dishonored; "the person of
            the king is inviolable"; "an inviolable oath" [ant: {violable}]
     2: able to withstand attack; "an impregnable fortress";
        "fortifications that made the frontier inviolable" [syn: {impregnable},
         {secure}, {strong}, {unassailable}, {unattackable}]
     3: must be kept sacred [syn: {inviolate}, {sacrosanct}]
     4: not capable of being violated or infringed; "infrangible
        human rights" [syn: {absolute}, {infrangible}]
%
irascible
     adj 1: quickly aroused to anger; "a hotheaded commander" [syn: {choleric},
             {hotheaded}, {hot-tempered}, {quick-tempered}, {short},
             {short-tempered}]
     2: characterized by anger; "a choleric outburst"; "an irascible
        response" [syn: {choleric}]
%
irreducible
     adj : incapable of being made smaller or simpler; "an irreducible
           minimum"; "an irreducible formula"; "an irreducible
           hernia" [ant: {reducible}]
%
isotope
     n : one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but
         with different numbers of neutrons
%
iterate
     v : to say, state, or perform again; "She kept reiterating her
         request" [syn: {repeat}, {reiterate}, {ingeminate}, {restate},
          {retell}]
%
itinerant
     adj 1: traveling from place to place to work; "itinerant labor";
            "an itinerant judge"
     2: working for a short time in different places; "itinerant
        laborers"; "a road show"; "traveling salesman"; "touring
        company" [syn: {road}, {touring}, {traveling}]
     n : an itinerant laborer who works for a short time in various
         places
%
kindred
     adj 1: similar or related in quality or character; "a feeling akin
            to terror"; "kindred souls"; "the amateur is closely
            related to the collector" [syn: {akin(p)}, {related}]
     2: related by blood or marriage; "kindred clans"
     n : group of people related by blood or marriage [syn: {kin}, {kin
         group}, {kinship group}, {clan}, {tribe}]
%
kinesthetics
     n : the ability to feel movements of the limbs and body [syn: {kinesthesis},
          {kinaesthesis}, {kinesthesia}, {kinaesthesia}, {muscle
         sense}, {sense of movement}] [ant: {kinanesthesia}]
%
knout
     n : a whip with a lash of leather thongs twisted with wire; used
         for flogging prisoners
%
lacerate
     v 1: cut or tear irregularly
     2: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress; "his lacerating
        remarks"
lacerate
     adj 1: irregularly slashed and jagged as if torn; "lacerate leaves"
     2: having edges that are jagged from injury [syn: {lacerated},
        {mangled}, {torn}]
%
lachrymose
     adj : showing sorrow [syn: {dolorous}, {dolourous}, {tearful}, {weeping}]
%
laconic
     adj : brief and to the point; effectively cut short; "a crisp
           retort"; "a response so curt as to be almost rude";
           "the laconic reply; `yes'"; "short and terse and easy
           to understand" [syn: {crisp}, {curt}, {terse}]
%
lament
     n 1: a cry of sorrow and grief; "their pitiful laments could be
          heard throughout the ward" [syn: {lamentation}, {plaint},
           {wail}]
     2: a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a
        memorial to a dead person [syn: {dirge}, {coronach}, {requiem},
         {threnody}]
     3: a mournful poem; a lament for the dead [syn: {elegy}]
     v 1: express grief verbally; "we lamented the death of the child"
          [syn: {keen}]
%
lascivious
     adj : driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful
           desires; "libidinous orgies" [syn: {lewd}, {libidinous},
            {lustful}]
%
lavation
     n : the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water) [syn: {wash},
          {washing}]
%
lectern
     n : desk or stand with a slanted top used to hold a text at the
         proper height for a lecturer [syn: {reading desk}]
%
lexis
     n : all of the words in a language; all word forms having
         meaning or grammatical function
%
librate
     v 1: determine the weight of; "The butcher weighed the chicken"
          [syn: {weigh}]
     2: vibrate before coming to a total rest; "the children's swing
        librated"
%
licentious
     adj : lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained;
           "coarse and licentious men"
%
locution
     n : a word or phrase that particular people use in particular
         situations; "pardon the expression" [syn: {saying}, {expression}]
%
lychgate
     n : a roofed gate to a churchyard, formerly used as a temporary
         shelter for the bier during funerals [syn: {lichgate}]
%
magnanimous
     adj 1: noble and generous in spirit; "a greathearted general"; "a
            magnanimous conqueror" [syn: {greathearted}]
     2: generous and understanding and tolerant; "a heart big enough
        to hold no grudges"; "that's very big of you to be so
        forgiving"; "a large and generous spirit"; "a large
        heart"; "magnanimous toward his enemies" [syn: {big}, {large}]
%
malediction
     n : the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and
         usually serves as an insult); "he suffered the
         imprecations of the mob" [syn: {imprecation}]
%
malefactor
     n : someone who has committed (or been legally convicted of) a
         crime [syn: {criminal}, {felon}, {crook}, {outlaw}]
%
malign
     adj 1: evil or harmful in nature or influence; "prompted by malign
            motives"; "believed in witches and malign spirits";
            "gave him a malign look"; "a malign lesion" [ant: {benign}]
     2: having or exerting a malignant influence; "malevolent
        stars"; "a malefic force" [syn: {malefic}, {malevolent}, {evil}]
malign
     v : speak unfavorably about; "She badmouthes her husband
         everywhere" [syn: {badmouth}, {traduce}, {drag through
         the mud}]
%
malignant
     adj 1: dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and
            uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor) [ant: {benign}]
     2: extremely malevolent or malicious; "the malignant tongues of
        gossipers" [syn: {malevolent}]
%
malleable
     adj 1: easily influenced [syn: {ductile}]
     2: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out; "ductile
        copper"; "malleable metals such as gold"; "they soaked the
        leather to made it pliable"; "pliant molten glass"; "made
        of highly tensile steel alloy" [syn: {ductile}, {pliable},
         {pliant}, {tensile}, {tractile}]
%
malversate
     v : appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care)
         fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled
         thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy
         family" [syn: {embezzle}, {defalcate}, {peculate}, {misappropriate}]
%
martinet
     n : someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
         [syn: {disciplinarian}, {moralist}]
%
masticate
     v 1: grind and knead; "masticate rubber"
     2: chew (food); "He jawed his bubble gum"; "Chew your food and
        don't swallow it!"; "The cows were masticating the grass"
        [syn: {chew}, {manducate}, {jaw}]
%
maudlin
     adj : effusively or insincerely emotional; "a bathetic novel";
           "maudlin expressons of sympathy"; "mushy effusiveness";
           "a schmaltzy song"; "sentimental soap operas"; "slushy
           poetry" [syn: {bathetic}, {drippy}, {hokey}, {mawkish},
            {mushy}, {schmaltzy}, {schmalzy}, {sentimental}, {slushy}]
%
mawkish
     adj : effusively or insincerely emotional; "a bathetic novel";
           "maudlin expressons of sympathy"; "mushy effusiveness";
           "a schmaltzy song"; "sentimental soap operas"; "slushy
           poetry" [syn: {bathetic}, {drippy}, {hokey}, {maudlin},
            {mushy}, {schmaltzy}, {schmalzy}, {sentimental}, {slushy}]
%
mendicant
     adj : practicing beggary; "mendicant friars"
     n 1: a male member of a religious order that originally relied
          soley on alms [syn: {friar}]
     2: a pauper who lives by begging [syn: {beggar}]
%
misanthrope
     n : someone who dislikes people in general [syn: {misanthropist}]
%
miscreant
     n : a person without moral scruples [syn: {reprobate}]
%
misogyny
     n : hatred of women [syn: {misogynism}]
%
modality
     n 1: a classification of propositions on the basis of whether
          they claim necessity or possibility or impossibility
          [syn: {mode}]
     2: verb inflections that express how the action or state is
        conceived by the speaker [syn: {mood}, {mode}]
     3: a particular sense [syn: {sense modality}, {sensory system}]
     4: a method of therapy that involves physical or electrical
        therapeutic treatment
%
modicum
     n : a small or moderate or token amount; "England still expects
         a modicum of eccentricity in its artists"- Ian Jack
%
monolithic
     adj 1: imposing in size or bulk or solidity; "massive oak doors";
            "Moore's massive sculptures"; "the monolithic
            proportions of Stalinist architecture"; "a monumental
            scale" [syn: {massive}, {monumental}]
     2: characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total
        uniformity; "a monolithic society"; "a monolithic
        worldwide movement"
%
nadir
     n 1: an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
          [syn: {low-water mark}]
     2: the point below the observer that is directly opposite the
        zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial
        bodies appear to be projected [ant: {zenith}]
%
nefarious
     adj : extremely wicked; "nefarious schemes"; "a villainous plot";
           "a villainous band of thieves" [syn: {villainous}]
%
neology
     n 1: a newly invented word or phrase [syn: {neologism}, {coinage}]
     2: the act of inventing a word or phrase [syn: {neologism}, {coinage}]
%
nexus
     n 1: the means of connection between things linked in series
          [syn: {link}]
     2: a connected series or group
%
noesis
     n : the psychological result of perception and learning and
         reasoning [syn: {cognition}, {knowledge}]
%
nonchalant
     adj : marked by blithe unconcern; "an ability to interest casual
           students"; "showed a casual disregard for cold
           weather"; "an utterly insouciant financial policy"; "an
           elegantly insouciant manner"; "drove his car with
           nonchalant abandon"; "was polite in a teasing
           nonchalant manner" [syn: {casual}, {insouciant}]
%
nonplus
     v : be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I
         don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This
         question really stuck me" [syn: {perplex}, {vex}, {stick},
          {get}, {puzzle}, {mystify}, {baffle}, {beat}, {pose}, {bewilder},
          {flummox}, {stupefy}, {gravel}, {amaze}, {dumbfound}]
     [also: {nonplussing}, {nonplusses}, {nonplussed}]
%
nous
     n 1: common sense; "she has great social nous"
     2: that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings;
        the seat of the faculty of reason; "his mind wandered"; "I
        couldn't get his words out of my head" [syn: {mind}, {head},
         {brain}, {psyche}]
%
objurgate
     v 1: express strong disapproval of; "We condemn the racism in
          South Africa"; "These ideas were reprobated" [syn: {condemn},
           {reprobate}, {decry}, {excoriate}]
     2: censure severely; "She chastised him for his insensitive
        remarks" [syn: {chastise}, {castigate}, {chasten}, {correct}]
%
obloquy
     n 1: state of disgrace resulting from public abuse [syn: {opprobrium}]
     2: a malicious attack [syn: {defamation}, {calumny}, {traducement},
         {hatchet job}]
%
obnubilate
     v 1: make less visible or unclear; "The stars are obscured by the
          clouds" [syn: {obscure}, {befog}, {becloud}, {haze over},
           {fog}, {cloud}, {mist}]
     2: make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused
        the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions"
        [syn: {confuse}, {blur}, {obscure}]
%
obsequious
     adj 1: attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
            [syn: {bootlicking}, {fawning}, {sycophantic}, {toadyish}]
     2: attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; "obsequious
        shop assistants"
%
obstreperous
     adj 1: noisily and stubbornly defiant; "obstreperous boys"
     2: boisterously and noisily aggressive; "kept up an
        obstreperous clamor"
%
obverse
     n 1: the more conspicuous of two alternatives or cases or sides;
          "the obverse of this issue"
     2: the side of a coin or medal bearing the principal stamp or
        design [ant: {reverse}]
%
ocher
     adj : of a moderate orange-yellow color [syn: {ochre}]
     n 1: a moderate yellow-orange to orange color [syn: {ochre}]
     2: any of various earths containing silica and alumina and
        ferric oxide; used as a pigment [syn: {ochre}]
%
ocular
     adj 1: of or relating to or resembling the eye; "ocular muscles";
            "an ocular organ"; "ocular diseases"; "the optic (or
            optical) axis of the eye"; "an ocular spot is a
            pigmented organ or part believed to be sensitive to
            light" [syn: {optic}, {optical}, {opthalmic}]
     2: relating to or using sight; "ocular inspection"; "an optical
        illusion"; "visual powers"; "visual navigation" [syn: {optic},
         {optical}, {visual}]
     3: able to be seen; "be sure of it; give me the ocular proof"-
%
odious
     adj : unequivocally detestable; "abominable treatment of
           prisoners"; "detestable vices"; "execrable crimes";
           "consequences odious to those you govern"- Edmund Burke
           [syn: {abominable}, {detestable}, {execrable}]
%
oligarchy
     n : a political system governed by a few people
%
omniscient
     adj : infinitely wise [syn: {all-knowing}]
%
oneiric
     adj : of or relating to or suggestive of dreams
%
oneirism
     n : absent-minded dreaming while awake [syn: {reverie}, {revery},
          {daydream}, {daydreaming}, {air castle}, {castle in the
         air}, {castle in Spain}]
%
ontology
     n : the metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence
%
opprobrious
     adj 1: expressing offensive reproach [syn: {abusive}, {insulting},
            {scornful}, {scurrilous}]
     2: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing
        disgrace or shame; "Man...has written one of his blackest
        records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands"- Rachel
        Carson; "an ignominious retreat"; "inglorious defeat"; "an
        opprobrious monument to human greed"; "a shameful display
        of cowardice" [syn: {black}, {disgraceful}, {ignominious},
         {inglorious}, {shameful}]
%
ordinal
     adj 1: of or relating to a taxonomic order; "family and ordinal
            names of animals and plants"
     2: being or denoting a numerical order in a series; "ordinal
        numbers"; "held an ordinal rank of seventh" [ant: {cardinal}]
     n : the number designating place in an ordered sequence [syn: {ordinal
         number}, {no.}]
%
orogeny
     n : the process of mountain formation (especially by the upward
         displacement of the earth's crust)
%
osculate
     v 1: be intermediate between two taxonomic groups; "These species
          osculate"
     2: have at least three points in common with; "one curve
        osculates the other"; "these two surfaces osculate"
     3: touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's
        mouth or other body part) as an expression of love,
        greeting, etc.; "The newly married couple kissed"; "She
        kissed her grandfather on the forehead when she entered
        the room" [syn: {kiss}, {buss}]
%
palaver
     n 1: flattery intended to persuade [syn: {blandishment}, {cajolery}]
     2: loud and confused and empty talk; "mere rhetoric" [syn: {hot
        air}, {empty words}, {empty talk}, {rhetoric}]
     v 1: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
          [syn: {chatter}, {piffle}, {prate}, {tittle-tattle}, {twaddle},
           {clack}, {maunder}, {prattle}, {blab}, {gibber}, {tattle},
           {blabber}, {gabble}]
     2: influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or
        flattering; "He palavered her into going along" [syn: {wheedle},
%
palindrome
     n : a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward
%
palliate
     v 1: lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of;
          "The circumstances extenuate the crime" [syn: {extenuate},
           {mitigate}]
     2: provide physical relief, as from pain; "This pill will
        relieve your headaches" [syn: {relieve}, {alleviate}, {assuage}]
%
palpable
     adj 1: capable of being perceived by the senses or the mind;
            especially capable of being handled or touched or
            felt; "a barely palpable dust"; "felt sudden anger in
            a palpable wave"; "the air was warm and
            close--palpable as cotton" [syn: {tangible}] [ant: {impalpable}]
     2: can be felt by palpation; "a palpable tumor"
%
paltry
     adj 1: not worth considering; "he considered the prize too paltry
            for the lives it must cost"; "piffling efforts"; "a
            trifling matter" [syn: {negligible}, {trifling}]
     2: contemptibly small in amount; "a measly tip"; "the company
        donated a miserable $100 for flood relief"; "a paltry
        wage"; "almost depleted his miserable store of dried
        beans" [syn: {measly}, {miserable}]
     [also: {paltriest}, {paltrier}]
%
panegyric
     adj : formally  expressing praise [syn: {encomiastic}, {eulogistic},
            {panegyrical}]
panegyric
     n : a formal expression of praise [syn: {encomium}, {eulogy}, {paean},
          {pean}]
%
parabola
     n : a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular
         cone and a plane parallel to an element of the curve
%
paradigm
     n 1: systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word
     2: a standard or typical example; "he is the prototype of good
        breeding"; "he provided America with an image of the good
        father" [syn: {prototype}, {epitome}, {image}]
     3: the class of all items that can be substituted into the same
        position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in
        paradigmatic relation with one another) [syn: {substitution
        class}]
     4: the generally accepted perspective of a particular
%
paragon
     n 1: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept [syn: {idol},
           {perfection}, {beau ideal}]
     2: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no
        equal [syn: {ideal}, {nonpareil}, {saint}, {apotheosis}, {nonesuch},
         {nonsuch}]
%
parapraxis
     n : a minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or
         writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc. [syn:
          {slip}, {slip-up}, {miscue}]
     [also: {parapraxes} (pl)]
%
pariah
     n : a person who is rejected (from society or home) [syn: {outcast},
          {castaway}, {Ishmael}]
%
parlance
     n : a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a
         language [syn: {idiom}]
%
parsimony
     n 1: extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money
          unnecessarily [syn: {parsimoniousness}, {thrift}, {penny-pinching}]
     2: extreme stinginess [syn: {meanness}, {minginess}, {niggardliness},
         {niggardness}, {parsimoniousness}, {tightness}, {tightfistedness},
         {closeness}]
%
parturition
     n : the process of giving birth [syn: {birth}, {giving birth}, {birthing}]
%
paseo
     n : a path set aside for walking; "after the blizzard he
         shoveled the front walk" [syn: {walk}, {walkway}]
%
peccadillo
     n : a petty misdeed [syn: {indiscretion}]
     [also: {peccadilloes} (pl)]
%
peculate
     v : appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care)
         fraudulently to one's own use; "The accountant embezzled
         thousands of dollars while working for the wealthy
         family" [syn: {embezzle}, {defalcate}, {misappropriate},
         {malversate}]
%
pecuniary
     adj : relating to or involving money; "monetary rewards"; "he
           received thanks but no pecuniary compensation for his
           services" [syn: {monetary}]
%
pedant
     n : a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book
         learning than they merit [syn: {bookworm}, {scholastic}]
%
pedantic
     adj : marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
           especially its trivial aspects [syn: {academic}, {donnish}]
%
pedantry
     n : a ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
%
pejorative
     adj : expressing disapproval; "dyslogistic terms like `nitwit' and
           `scalawag'" [syn: {dyslogistic}, {dislogistic}]
%
pendulous
     adj : having branches or flower heads that bend downward; "nodding
           daffodils"; "the pendulous branches of a weeping
           willow"; "lilacs with drooping panicles of fragrant
           flowers" [syn: {cernuous}, {drooping}, {nodding}]
%
pensive
     adj 1: persistently or morbidly thoughtful [syn: {brooding}, {broody},
             {contemplative}, {meditative}, {musing}, {pondering},
             {reflective}, {ruminative}]
     2: showing pensive sadness; "the sensitive and wistful response
        of a poet to the gentler phases of beauty" [syn: {wistful}]
%
penury
     n : a state of extreme poverty or destitution; "their indigence
         appalled him"; "a general state of need exists among the
         homeless" [syn: {indigence}, {need}, {beggary}, {pauperism},
          {pauperization}]
%
perceptual
     adj : of or relating to the act of perceiving; "perceptual
           stimulus"
%
perdition
     n : (Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil;
         where sinners suffer eternal punishment; "Hurl'd
         headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"- John
         Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit" [syn: {Hell},
          {Inferno}, {infernal region}, {nether region}, {the pit}]
         [ant: {Heaven}]
%
peremptory
     adj 1: offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually
            unwarranted power; "an autocratic person"; "autocratic
            behavior"; "a bossy way of ordering others around"; "a
            rather aggressive and dominating character"; "managed
            the employees in an aloof magisterial way"; "a
            swaggering peremptory manner" [syn: {autocratic}, {bossy},
             {dominating}, {high-and-mighty}, {magisterial}]
     2: not allowing contradiction or refusal; "spoke in peremptory
        tones"; "peremptory commands"
%
perfuse
     v 1: force a fluid through (a body part or tissue); "perfuse a
          liver with a salt solution"
     2: cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across;
        "The sky was suffused with a warm pink color" [syn: {suffuse}]
%
peripatetic
     adj : traveling especially on foot; "peripatetic country
           preachers"; "a poor wayfaring stranger" [syn: {wayfaring}]
     n 1: a person who walks from place to place
     2: a follower of Aristotle or an adherent of Aristotelianism
        [syn: {Aristotelian}, {Aristotelean}]
%
periphrastic
     adj : roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; "had a preference for
           circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than
           forthright expression"; "A periphrastic study in a
           worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the
           intolerable wrestle/ With words and
           meanings."-T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic) [syn: {circumlocutious},
            {circumlocutory}, {ambagious}]
%
pernicious
     adj 1: exceedingly harmful [syn: {baneful}, {deadly}, {pestilent}]
     2: working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way;
        "glaucoma is an insidious disease"; "a subtle poison"
        [syn: {insidious}, {subtle}]
%
peroration
     n 1: a flowery and highly rhetorical oration
     2: (rhetoric) the concluding section of an oration; "he
        summarized his main points in his peroration"
%
petulant
     adj : easily irritated or annoyed; "an incorrigibly fractious
           young man"; "not the least nettlesome of his
           countrymen" [syn: {cranky}, {fractious}, {irritable}, {nettlesome},
            {peevish}, {peckish}, {pettish}, {testy}, {tetchy}, {techy}]
%
philanthropic
     adj 1: generous in assistance to the poor; "a benevolent
            contributor"; "eleemosynary relief"; "philanthropic
            contributions" [syn: {beneficent}, {benevolent}, {eleemosynary}]
     2: of or relating to or characterized by philanthropy; "a
        philanthropic society"
%
philology
     n : the humanistic study of language and literature [syn: {linguistics}]
%
physiognomy
     n : the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal
         terms for `face' and `phiz' is British) [syn: {countenance},
          {phiz}, {visage}, {kisser}, {smiler}, {mug}]
%
physiological
     adj 1: of or relating to the biological study of physiology;
            "physiological psychology"; "Pavlov's physiological
            theories"
     2: of or consistent with an organism's normal functioning;
        "physiologic functions"; "physiological processes" [syn: {physiologic}]
%
pillory
     n : a wooden instrument of punishment on a post with holes for
         the neck and hands; offenders were locked in and so
         exposed to public scorn [syn: {stocks}]
     v 1: expose to ridicule or public scorn [syn: {gibbet}]
     2: punish by putting in a pillory
     3: criticize harshly or violently; "The press savaged the new
        President"; "The critics crucified the author for
        plagiarizing a famous passage" [syn: {savage}, {crucify}]
     [also: {pilloried}]
%
plaint
     n 1: a written statement of the grounds of complaint made to
          court law asking for the grievance to be redressed
     2: a cry of sorrow and grief; "their pitiful laments could be
        heard throughout the ward" [syn: {lament}, {lamentation},
        {wail}]
%
plaintive
     adj : expressing sorrow [syn: {mournful}]
%
platitude
     n : a trite or obvious remark [syn: {cliche}, {banality}, {commonplace},
          {bromide}]
%
plebeian
     adj 1: of the common people of ancient Rome; "a plebeian
            magistrate" [ant: {proletarian}, {patrician}]
     2: of or associated with the great masses of people; "the
        common people in those days suffered greatly"; "behavior
        that branded him as common"; "his square plebeian nose";
        "a vulgar and objectionable person"; "the unwashed masses"
        [syn: {common}, {vulgar}, {unwashed}]
     n : one of the common people [syn: {pleb}]
%
poach
     v 1: hunt illegally; "people are poaching elephants for their
          ivory"
     2: cook in a simmering liquid; "poached apricots"
%
polemic
     n 1: a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in
          theology) [syn: {polemicist}, {polemist}]
     2: a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)
polemic
     adj : of or involving dispute or controversy [syn: {polemical}]
%
poltroon
     adj : characterized by complete cowardliness
poltroon
     n : an abject coward [syn: {craven}, {recreant}]
%
polynomial
     adj : having the character of a polynomial; "a polynomial
           expression" [syn: {multinomial}]
     n : a mathematical expression that is the sum of a number of
         terms [syn: {multinomial}]
%
polyphonic
     adj 1: having two or more phonetic values; "polyphonic letters such
            as `a'"
     2: of or relating to or characterized by polyphony; "polyphonic
        traditions of the baroque" [syn: {polyphonous}]
     3: having two or more independent but harmonically related
        melodic parts sounding together [syn: {contrapuntal}]
        [ant: {monophonic}]
%
pompous
     adj : puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful
           manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech";
           "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"-
           Newsweek [syn: {grandiloquent}, {overblown}, {pontifical},
            {portentous}]
%
pontificate
     n : the government of the Roman Catholic Church [syn: {papacy}]
     v 1: administer a pontifical office
     2: talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner; "The new professor
        always pontificates"
%
portentous
     adj 1: of momentous or ominous significance; "such a
            portentous...monster raised all my curiosity"- Herman
            Melville; "a prodigious vision" [syn: {prodigious}]
     2: of ominous significance [syn: {fateful}, {foreboding(a)}]
     3: puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful
        manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech";
        "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"-
        Newsweek [syn: {grandiloquent}, {overblown}, {pompous}, {pontifical}]
%
poultice
     n : a medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal
         or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin
         to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc. [syn:
          {cataplasm}, {plaster}]
     v : dress by covering with a therapeutic substance [syn: {plaster}]
%
prater
     n : an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker [syn: {chatterer},
          {babbler}, {chatterbox}, {magpie}, {spouter}]
%
precedence
     n 1: status established in order of importance or urgency;
          "...its precedence as the world's leading manufacturer
          of pharmaceuticals"; "national independence takes
          priority over class struggle" [syn: {precedency}, {priority}]
     2: preceding in time [syn: {priority}, {antecedence}, {antecedency},
         {anteriority}, {precedency}] [ant: {posteriority}]
     3: the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a
        ceremony) [syn: {precession}, {precedency}]
%
precept
     n 1: rule of personal conduct [syn: {principle}]
     2: a doctrine that is taught; "the teachings of religion"; "he
        believed all the Christian precepts" [syn: {teaching}, {commandment}]
%
precipitous
     adj 1: done with very great haste and without due deliberation;
            "hasty marriage seldom proveth well"- Shakespeare;
            "hasty makeshifts take the place of planning"- Arthur
            Geddes; "rejected what was regarded as an overhasty
            plan for reconversion"; "wondered whether they had
            been rather precipitate in deposing the king" [syn: {hasty},
             {overhasty}, {precipitate}, {precipitant}]
     2: characterized by precipices; "a precipitous bluff"
     3: extremely steep; "an abrupt canyon"; "the precipitous rapids
%
precocious
     adj 1: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early
            development or maturity (especially in mental
            aptitude); "a precocious child"; "a precocious
            achievement" [ant: {retarded}]
     2: appearing or developing early; "precocious flowers appear
        before the leaves as in some species of magnolias"
%
predation
     n 1: an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding [syn: {depredation}]
     2: the act of preying by a predator who kills and eats the prey
%
predication
     n : (logic) a declaration of something self-evident; something
         that can be assumed as the basis for argument [syn: {postulation}]
%
preponderant
     adj : having superior power and influence; "the predominant mood
           among policy-makers is optimism" [syn: {overriding}, {paramount},
            {predominant}, {predominate}, {preponderating}]
%
preposition
     n 1: a function word that combines with a noun or pronoun or noun
          phrase to form a prepositional phrase that can have an
          adverbial or adjectival relation to some other word
     2: (linguistics) the placing of one linguistic element before
        another (as placing a modifier before the word it modifies
        in a sentence or placing an affix before the base to which
        it is attached)
%
privation
     n 1: a state of extreme poverty [syn: {want}, {deprivation}]
     2: act of depriving someone of food or money or rights;
        "nutritional privation"; "deprivation of civil rights"
        [syn: {deprivation}]
%
prodigious
     adj 1: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe;
            "colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple"; "has
            a colossal nerve"; "a prodigious storm"; "a stupendous
            field of grass"; "stupendous demand" [syn: {colossal},
             {stupendous}]
     2: of momentous or ominous significance; "such a
        portentous...monster raised all my curiosity"- Herman
        Melville; "a prodigious vision" [syn: {portentous}]
     3: far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; "a night of
%
profligate
     adj 1: recklessly wasteful; "prodigal in their expenditures" [syn:
            {extravagant}, {prodigal}, {spendthrift}]
     2: unrestrained by convention or morality; "Congreve draws a
        debauched aristocratic society"; "deplorably dissipated
        and degraded"; "riotous living"; "fast women" [syn: {debauched},
         {degenerate}, {degraded}, {dissipated}, {dissolute}, {libertine},
         {riotous}, {fast}]
profligate
     n 1: a dissolute man in fashionable society [syn: {rake}, {rip},
%
profundity
     n 1: wisdom that is recondite and abstruse and profound; "the
          anthropologist was impressed by the reconditeness of the
          native proverbs" [syn: {reconditeness}, {abstruseness},
          {abstrusity}, {profoundness}]
     2: intellectual depth; penetrating knowledge; keen insight;
        etc; "the depth of my feeling"; "the profoundness of the
        silence" [syn: {profoundness}] [ant: {superficiality}]
     3: the intellectual ability to penetrate deeply into ideas
        [syn: {astuteness}, {profoundness}, {depth}]
%
progenitor
     n : an ancestor in the direct line [syn: {primogenitor}]
%
progeny
     n : the immediate descendants of a person; "she was the mother
         of many offspring"; "he died without issue" [syn: {offspring},
          {issue}]
%
prole
     n : a member of the working class (not necessarily employed);
         "workers of the world--unite!" [syn: {proletarian}, {worker}]
%
proletarian
     adj 1: the lowest class of citizens of ancient Rome who had no
            property [syn: {propertyless}] [ant: {patrician}, {plebeian}]
     2: belonging to or characteristic of the proletariat
     n : a member of the working class (not necessarily employed);
         "workers of the world--unite!" [syn: {prole}, {worker}]
%
proletariat
     n : a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work
         for wages; "there is a shortage of skilled labor in this
         field" [syn: {labor}, {labour}, {working class}]
%
proliferate
     v 1: grow rapidly; "Pizza parlors proliferate in this area"
     2: cause to grow or increase rapidly; "We must not proliferate
        nuclear arms"
%
promptitude
     n : the characteristic of doing things without delay [syn: {promptness}]
%
promulgate
     v 1: state or announce; "`I am not a Communist,' " he exclaimed;
          "The King will proclaim an amnesty" [syn: {proclaim}, {exclaim}]
     2: put a law into effect by formal declaration
%
propaedeutic
     adj : preceding and preparing for something; "preparatory steps"
           [syn: {preparatory}, {preparative}]
     n : a course that provides and introduction to an art or science
         (or to more advanced study generally) [syn: {propaedeutics}]
%
propitiate
     v : make peace with [syn: {appease}]
%
prorogue
     v 1: hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam" [syn: {postpone},
           {hold over}, {put over}, {table}, {shelve}, {set back},
           {defer}, {remit}, {put off}]
     2: adjourn by royal prerogative; without dissolving the
        legislative body
%
prosaic
     adj 1: not fanciful or imaginative; "local guides describe the
            history of various places in matter-of-fact tones"; "a
            prosaic and unimaginative essay" [syn: {matter-of-fact}]
     2: lacking wit or imagination; "a pedestrian movie plot" [syn:
        {pedestrian}, {prosy}, {earthbound}]
     3: not challenging; dull and lacking excitement; "an
        unglamorous job greasing engines" [syn: {commonplace}, {humdrum},
         {unglamorous}, {unglamourous}]
%
proverbial
     adj 1: of or relating to or resembling or expressed in a proverb;
            "he kicked the proverbial bucket"; "the proverbial
            grasshopper"
     2: widely known and spoken of; "her proverbial lateness"; "the
        proverbial absentiminded professor"; "your proverbial
        dizzy blonde"
%
provident
     adj 1: providing carefully for the future; "wild squirrels are
            provident"; "a provident father plans for his
            children's education" [ant: {improvident}]
     2: careful in regard to your own interests; "the prudent use
        and development of resources"; "wild squirrels are
        provident"
%
psychotropic
     adj : affecting the mind or mood or other mental processes;
           "psychoactive drugs" [syn: {psychoactive}] [ant: {nonpsychoactive}]
%
punctilious
     adj : marked by precise accordance with details; "was worryingly
           meticulous about trivial details"; "punctilious in his
           attention to rules of etiquette" [syn: {meticulous}]
%
punctiliousness
     n : strict attention to minute details [syn: {meticulousness}, {meticulosity},
          {scrupulousness}]
%
purl
     v 1: flow in a circular current, of liquids [syn: {eddy}, {whirlpool},
           {swirl}, {whirl}]
     2: make a murmuring sound; "the water was purling"
     3: knit with a purl stitch
     4: edge or border with gold or silver embroidery
     5: embroider with gold or silver thread
purl
     n 1: gold or silver wire thread
     2: a basic knitting stitch [syn: {purl stitch}]
%
purloin
     v : make off with belongings of others [syn: {pilfer}, {cabbage},
          {pinch}, {abstract}, {snarf}, {swipe}, {hook}, {sneak},
         {filch}, {nobble}, {lift}]
%
purview
     n : the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated;
         "It is beyond the horizon of present knowledge" [syn: {horizon},
          {view}]
%
putative
     adj : commonly put forth or accepted as true on inconclusive
           grounds; "the foundling's putative father"; "the
           reputed (or purported) author of the book"; "the
           supposed date of birth" [syn: {putative(a)}, {purported(a)},
            {reputed(a)}, {supposed(a)}]
%
quaestor
     n : any of several public officials of ancient Rome (usually in
         charge of finance and administration)
%
qualitative
     adj 1: involving distinctions based on qualities; "qualitative
            change"; "qualitative data"; "qualitative analysis
            determines the chemical constituents of a substance or
            mixture" [ant: {quantitative}]
     2: relating to or involving comparisons based on qualities
%
quantal
     adj : of or relating to a quantum or capable of existing in only
           one of two states [syn: {quantized}]
%
quantifier
     n 1: (logic) a word (such as `some' or `all' or `no') that binds
          the variables in a logical proposition [syn: {logical
          quantifier}]
     2: (grammar) a word that expresses a quantity (as `fifteen' or
        `many')
%
quantitative
     adj 1: expressible as a quantity or relating to or susceptible of
            measurement; "export wheat without quantitative
            limitations"; "quantitative analysis determines the
            amounts and proportions of the chemical constituents
            of a substance or mixture" [ant: {qualitative}]
     2: relating to the measurement of quantity; "quantitative
        studies"
     3: (of verse) having a metric system based on relative duration
        of syllables; "in typical Greek and Latin verse of the
%
quid
     n 1: the basic unit of money in Great Britain; equal to 100 pence
          [syn: {British pound}, {pound}, {pound sterling}]
     2: something for something; that which a party receives (or is
        promised) in return for something he does or gives or
        promises [syn: {quid pro quo}]
     3: a wad of something chewable as tobacco [syn: {chew}, {chaw},
         {cud}, {plug}, {wad}]
%
quiddity
     n 1: an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant
          distinctions or objections [syn: {quibble}, {cavil}]
     2: the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and
        makes it different from any other [syn: {haecceity}]
%
quixotic
     adj : not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic; "as
           quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood"; "a
           romantic disregard for money"; "a wild-eyed dream of a
           world state" [syn: {romantic}, {wild-eyed}]
%
radix
     n : (numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent
         to one in the next higher counting place; "10 is the
         radix of the decimal system" [syn: {base}]
     [also: {radices} (pl)]
%
raillery
     n : light teasing repartee [syn: {banter}, {give-and-take}, {backchat}]
%
rancour
     n : a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will [syn: {resentment},
          {bitterness}, {gall}, {rancor}]
%
rapacious
     adj 1: living by preying on other animals especially by catching
            living prey; "a predatory bird"; "the rapacious wolf";
            "raptorial birds"; "ravening wolves"; "a vulturine
            taste for offal" [syn: {predatory}, {raptorial}, {ravening},
             {vulturine}, {vulturous}]
     2: excessively greedy and grasping; "a rapacious divorcee on
        the prowl"; "ravening creditors"; "paying taxes to
        voracious governments" [syn: {ravening}, {voracious}]
     3: devouring or craving food in great quantities; "edacious
%
rapacity
     n 1: extreme gluttony [syn: {edacity}, {esurience}, {rapaciousness},
           {voracity}, {voraciousness}]
     2: reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
        (personified as one of the deadly sins) [syn: {avarice}, {greed},
         {covetousness}, {avaritia}]
%
recalcitrant
     adj 1: marked by stubborn resistance to and defiant of authority or
            guidance; "a recalcitrant teenager"; "everything
            revolves around a refractory individual genius" [syn:
            {refractory}]
     2: marked by stubborn resistance to authority; "the University
        suspended the most recalcitrant demonstrators"
%
recce
     n : reconnaissance (by shortening) [syn: {recco}, {reccy}]
%
reciprocity
     n 1: a relation of mutual dependence or action or influence [syn:
           {reciprocality}]
     2: mutual exchange of commercial or other privileges
%
recondite
     adj : difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary
           understanding or knowledge; "the professor's lectures
           were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them";
           "a deep metaphysical theory"; "some recondite problem
           in historiography" [syn: {abstruse}, {deep}]
%
reconnoiter
     v : explore, often with the goal of finding something or
         somebody [syn: {scout}, {reconnoitre}]
%
reconnoitre
     v : explore, often with the goal of finding something or
         somebody [syn: {scout}, {reconnoiter}]
%
recriminate
     v : return an accusation against someone or engage in mutual
         accusations; charge in return
%
regale
     v : provide with choice or abundant food or drink; "Don't worry
         about the expensive wine--I'm treating"; "She treated her
         houseguests with good food every night" [syn: {treat}]
%
regalia
     n 1: paraphernalia indicative of royalty (or other high office)
     2: especially fine or decorative clothing [syn: {array}, {raiment}]
%
reify
     v : consider an abstract concept to be real
     [also: {reified}]
%
remittal
     n 1: a payment of money sent to a person in another place [syn: {remittance},
           {remission}, {remitment}]
     2: an abatement in intensity or degree (as in the
        manifestations of a disease); "his cancer is in remission"
        [syn: {remission}, {subsidence}]
     3: the act of absolving or remitting; formal redemption as
        pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance [syn: {absolution},
         {remission}, {remission of sin}]
%
remonstrance
     n : the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest [syn: {expostulation},
          {objection}]
%
remonstrate
     v 1: argue in protest or opposition
     2: present and urge reasons in opposition [syn: {point out}]
     3: censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child
        for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the
        Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for
        bringing cold soup" [syn: {call on the carpet}, {rebuke},
        {rag}, {trounce}, {reproof}, {lecture}, {reprimand}, {jaw},
         {dress down}, {call down}, {scold}, {chide}, {berate}, {bawl
        out}, {chew out}, {chew up}, {have words}, {lambaste}, {lambast}]
%
reprobate
     adj : marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered
           right or proper or good; "depraved criminals"; "a
           perverted sense of loyalty"; "the reprobate conduct of
           a gambling aristocrat" [syn: {depraved}, {immoral}, {perverse},
            {perverted}]
     n : a person without moral scruples [syn: {miscreant}]
     v 1: reject (documents) as invalid [ant: {approbate}]
     2: abandon to eternal damnation; "God reprobated the
        unrepenting sinner"
%
repudiate
     v 1: cast off or disown; "She renounced her husband"; "The
          parents repudiated their son" [syn: {renounce}]
     2: refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid; "The
        woman repudiated the divorce settlement"
     3: refuse to recognize or pay; "repudiate a debt"
     4: reject as untrue, unfounded, or unjust; "She repudiated the
        accusations"
%
repugn
     v : to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation;
         "They contested the outcome of the race" [syn: {contest},
          {contend}]
%
requite
     v : make repayment for or return something [syn: {repay}]
%
reserve
     n 1: formality and propriety of manner [syn: {modesty}]
     2: something kept back or saved for future use or a special
        purpose [syn: {backlog}, {stockpile}]
     3: an athlete who plays only when another member of the team
        drops out [syn: {substitute}]
     4: (medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to
        maintain vital functions
     5: a district that is reserved for particular purpose [syn: {reservation}]
     6: armed forces that are not on active duty but can be called
%
resilient
     adj 1: recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
     2: rebounds readily; "clean bouncy hair"; "a lively tennis
        ball"; "as resiliant as seasoned hickory"; "springy turf"
        [syn: {bouncy}, {live}, {lively}, {springy}, {whippy}]
%
respite
     n 1: a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort [syn: {reprieve}]
     2: a pause from doing something (as work); "we took a 10-minute
        break"; "he took time out to recuperate" [syn: {recess}, {break},
         {time out}]
     3: an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
        [syn: {suspension}, {reprieve}, {hiatus}, {abatement}]
     4: a pause for relaxation; "people actually accomplish more
        when they take time for short rests" [syn: {rest}, {relief},
         {rest period}]
%
reticent
     adj 1: temperamentally disinclined to talk [syn: {untalkative}]
     2: cool and formal in manner [syn: {reserved}, {restrained}, {unemotional}]
     3: reluctant to draw attention to yourself [syn: {self-effacing}]
%
reticulate
     adj : resembling or forming a network; "the reticulate veins of a
           leaf"; "a reticulated highway system" [syn: {reticulated},
            {reticular}] [ant: {nonreticulate}]
reticulate
     v 1: form a net or a network
     2: distribute by a network, as of water or electricity
     3: divide so as to form a network
%
retinue
     n : the group following and attending to some important person
         [syn: {cortege}, {suite}, {entourage}]
%
retribution
     n 1: a justly deserved penalty [syn: {requital}]
     2: the act of correcting for your wrongdoing
     3: the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation
        for something harmful that they have done) especially in
        the next life; "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the
        Lord"--Romans 12:19; "For vengeance I would do nothing.
        This nation is too great to look for mere revenge"--James
        Garfield; "he swore vengeance on the man who betrayed
        him"; "the swiftness of divine retribution" [syn: {vengeance},
%
reverie
     n 1: absent-minded dreaming while awake [syn: {revery}, {daydream},
           {daydreaming}, {oneirism}, {air castle}, {castle in the
          air}, {castle in Spain}]
     2: an abstracted state of absorption [syn: {revery}]
%
riparian
     adj : of or relating to or located on the banks of a river or
           stream; "riparian land"
%
riposte
     n : a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or
         critical one); "it brought a sharp rejoinder from the
         teacher" [syn: {rejoinder}, {retort}, {return}, {replication},
          {comeback}, {counter}]
     v : answer back [syn: {retort}, {come back}, {repay}, {return},
         {rejoin}]
%
rubicund
     adj : inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with
           outdoor life; "a ruddy complexion"; "Santa's rubicund
           cheeks"; "a fresh and sanguine complexion" [syn: {ruddy},
            {sanguine}]
%
rumination
     n 1: a calm lengthy intent consideration [syn: {contemplation}, {reflection},
           {reflexion}, {musing}, {thoughtfulness}]
     2: (of ruminants) chewing (the cud); "ruminants have remarkable
        powers of rumination"
     3: regurgitation of small amounts of food; seen in some infants
        after feeding
%
sacrosanct
     adj : must be kept sacred [syn: {inviolable}, {inviolate}]
%
sagacity
     n 1: ability to make good judgments [syn: {sagaciousness}, {judgment},
           {judgement}, {discernment}]
     2: the trait of forming opinions by distinguishing and
        evaluating [syn: {judiciousness}, {sagaciousness}]
%
salient
     adj 1: having a quality that thrusts itself into attention; "an
            outstanding fact of our time is that nations poisoned
            by anti semitism proved less fortunate in regard to
            their own freedom"; "a new theory is the most
            prominent feature of the book"; "salient traits"; "a
            spectacular rise in prices"; "a striking thing about
            Picadilly Circus is the statue of Eros in the center";
            "a striking resemblance between parent and child"
            [syn: {outstanding}, {prominent}, {spectacular}, {striking}]
%
salutary
     adj : tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to
           health; "beneficial effects of a balanced diet"; "a
           good night's sleep"; "the salutary influence of pure
           air" [syn: {beneficial}, {good}]
%
sanctimonious
     adj : excessively or hypocritically pious; "a sickening
           sanctimonious smile" [syn: {holier-than-thou}, {pietistic},
            {pietistical}, {pharisaic}, {pharisaical}, {self-righteous}]
%
sanction
     n 1: formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the
          union's endorsement" [syn: {countenance}, {endorsement},
           {indorsement}, {warrant}, {imprimatur}]
     2: a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's
        standards
     3: official permission or approval; "authority for the program
        was renewed several times" [syn: {authority}, {authorization},
         {authorisation}]
     4: the act of final authorization; "it had the sanction of the
%
sanguine
     adj 1: confidently optimistic and cheerful
     2: inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with
        outdoor life; "a ruddy complexion"; "Santa's rubicund
        cheeks"; "a fresh and sanguine complexion" [syn: {rubicund},
         {ruddy}]
%
sapience
     n : ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or
         common sense and insight [syn: {wisdom}]
%
sardonic
     adj : disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking;
           "his rebellion is the bitter, sardonic laughter of all
           great satirists"- Frank Schoenberner; "a wry pleasure
           to be...reminded of all that one is missing"- Irwin
           Edman [syn: {wry}]
%
scintillant
     adj : having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; "bugle
           beads all aglitter"; "glinting eyes"; "glinting water";
           "his glittering eyes were cold and malevolent"; "shop
           window full of glittering Christmas trees"; "glittery
           costume jewelry"; "scintillant mica"; "the
           scintillating stars"; "a dress with sparkly sequins";
           "`glistering' is an archaic term" [syn: {aglitter(p)},
           {coruscant}, {fulgid}, {glinting}, {glistering}, {glittering},
            {glittery}, {scintillating}, {sparkling(a)}, {sparkly}]
%
sclera
     n : whitish fibrous membrane (albuginea) that with the cornea
         forms the outer covering of the eyeball [syn: {sclerotic
         coat}]
%
sedulous
     adj : marked by care and persistent effort; "her assiduous
           attempts to learn French"; "assiduous research";
           "sedulous pursuit of legal and moral principles" [syn:
           {assiduous}]
%
silex
     n 1: a pure form of finely ground silica
     2: a vacuum coffee maker
%
sobriquet
     n : a familiar name  for a person (often a shortened version of
         a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his
         nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname
         was Slim" [syn: {nickname}, {moniker}, {cognomen}, {soubriquet}]
%
socage
     n : land tenure by agricultural service or payment of rent; not
         burdened with military service
%
sociology
     n : the study and classification of human societies
%
solecism
     n : a socially awkward or tactless act [syn: {faux pas}, {gaffe},
          {slip}, {gaucherie}]
%
solicitous
     adj 1: full of anxiety and concern; "solicitous parents";
            "solicitous about the future"
     2: showing hovering attentiveness; "solicitous about about her
        health"; "made solicitous inquiries about our family"
%
solicitude
     n : a feeling of excessive concern [syn: {solicitousness}]
%
somatic
     adj : affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the
           mind or spirit; "bodily needs"; "a corporal defect";
           "corporeal suffering"; "a somatic symptom or somatic
           illness" [syn: {bodily}, {corporal}, {corporeal}]
%
sophism
     n : a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in
         reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone [syn: {sophistry},
          {sophistication}]
%
soubriquet
     n : a familiar name  for a person (often a shortened version of
         a person's given name); "Joe's mother would not use his
         nickname and always called him Joseph"; "Henry's nickname
         was Slim" [syn: {nickname}, {moniker}, {cognomen}, {sobriquet}]
%
sovereign
     adj 1: of political bodies; "an autonomous judiciary"; "a sovereign
            state" [syn: {autonomous}, {independent}, {self-governing}]
     2: greatest in status or authority or power; "a supreme
        tribunal" [syn: {supreme}]
sovereign
     n : a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary
         right [syn: {crowned head}, {monarch}]
%
specular
     adj : capable of reflecting light like a mirror; "mirrorlike
           surface of the lake"; "a specular metal" [syn: {mirrorlike}]
%
speculator
     n 1: someone who makes conjectures without knowing the facts
     2: someone who risks losses for the possibility of considerable
        gains [syn: {plunger}]
%
stalwart
     adj 1: having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or
            hardships; "hardy explorers of northern Canada";
            "proud of her tall stalwart son"; "stout seamen";
            "sturdy young athletes" [syn: {hardy}, {stout}, {sturdy}]
     2: dependable; "the stalwart citizens at Lexington"; "a
        stalwart supporter of the UN"; "stout hearts" [syn: {stout}]
     3: used especially of persons; "a stalwart knight"; "a
        stouthearted fellow who had an active career in the army"
        [syn: {stouthearted}]
%
strafe
     n : an attack of machine-gun fire or cannon fire from a low
         flying airplane; "the next morning they carried out a
         strafe of enemy airfields"
strafe
     v : attack with machine guns or cannon fire from a low-flying
         plane; "civilians were strafed in an effort to force the
         country's surrender"
%
stratum
     n 1: one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on
          top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an
          organism)
     2: an abstract place usually conceived as having depth; "a good
        actor communicates on several levels"; "a simile has at
        least two layers of meaning"; "the mind functions on many
        strata simultaneously" [syn: {level}, {layer}]
     [also: {strata} (pl)]
%
subjacent
     adj : lying nearby but lower; "hills and subjacent valleys" [ant:
           {superjacent}]
%
subjective
     adj 1: taking place within the mind and modified by individual
            bias; "a subjective judgment" [ant: {objective}]
     2: of a mental act performed entirely within the mind; "a
        cognition is an immanent act of mind" [syn: {immanent}]
        [ant: {transeunt}]
%
sublimate
     adj : made pure [syn: {purified}, {refined}]
sublimate
     n : the product of vaporization of a solid
     v 1: direct energy or urges into useful activities
     2: make more subtle or refined [syn: {rarefy}, {subtilize}]
     3: remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and
        separate through the process of distillation; "purify the
        water" [syn: {purify}, {make pure}, {distill}]
     4: change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor
%
subterfuge
     n : something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an
         activity; "he wasn't sick--it was just a subterfuge";
         "the holding company was just a blind" [syn: {blind}]
%
subversive
     adj : in opposition to a civil authority or government [syn: {insurgent},
            {seditious}]
subversive
     n : a radical supporter of political or social revolution [syn:
         {revolutionist}, {revolutionary}, {subverter}]
%
suffuse
     v 1: cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across;
          "The sky was suffused with a warm pink color" [syn: {perfuse}]
     2: to become overspread as with a fluid, a colour, a gleam of
        light; "His whole frame suffused with a cold dew"
%
sumptuary
     adj : regulating or controlling expenditure or personal behavior;
           "sumptuary laws discouraging construction of large
           houses on small plots"; "sumptuary laws forbidding
           gambling"
%
sumptuous
     adj : rich and superior in quality; "a princely sum"; "gilded
           dining rooms" [syn: {deluxe}, {gilded}, {luxurious}, {opulent},
            {princely}]
%
superfluity
     n : extreme excess; "an embarrassment of riches" [syn: {overplus},
          {plethora}, {embarrassment}]
%
superfluous
     adj 1: serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being;
            "otiose lines in a play"; "advice is wasted words"
            [syn: {otiose}, {pointless}, {wasted}]
     2: more than is needed, desired, or required; "trying to lose
        excess weight"; "found some extra change lying on the
        dresser"; "yet another book on heraldry might be thought
        redundant"; "skills made redundant by technological
        advance"; "sleeping in the spare room"; "supernumerary
        ornamentation"; "it was supererogatory of her to gloat";
%
superlative
     n 1: an exaggerated expression (usually of praise); "the critics
          lavished superlatives on it"
     2: the highest level or degree attainable; "his landscapes were
        deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at
        their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of
        perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted
        Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his
        ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man";
        "at the top of his profession" [syn: {acme}, {height}, {elevation},
%
suppliant
     adj : humbly entreating; "a suppliant sinner seeking forgiveness"
           [syn: {supplicant}, {supplicatory}]
     n : one praying humbly for something; "a suppliant for her
         favors" [syn: {petitioner}, {supplicant}]
%
supplicant
     adj : humbly entreating; "a suppliant sinner seeking forgiveness"
           [syn: {suppliant}, {supplicatory}]
     n 1: someone who prays to God [syn: {prayer}]
     2: one praying humbly for something; "a suppliant for her
        favors" [syn: {petitioner}, {suppliant}]
%
supplicate
     v 1: ask humbly (for something); "He supplicated the King for
          clemency"
     2: make a humble, earnest petition; "supplicate for permission"
     3: ask for humbly or earnestly, as in prayer; "supplicate God's
        blessing"
%
suppurate
     v 1: cause to ripen and discharge pus; "The oil suppurates the
          pustules" [syn: {mature}]
     2: ripen and generate pus; "her wounds are festering" [syn: {fester},
         {maturate}]
%
surmount
     v 1: get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his
          shyness" [syn: {overcome}, {get over}, {subdue}, {master}]
     2: be on top of; "The scarf surmounted the gown"
     3: reach the highest point of; "We scaled the Mont Blanc" [syn:
         {scale}]
     4: be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance
        surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes
        all other athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations";
        "This car outperforms all others in its class" [syn: {surpass},
%
surreptitious
     adj 1: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
            avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
            prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
            surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
            in the shadows" [syn: {furtive}, {lurking}, {skulking},
             {sneak(a)}, {sneaky}, {stealthy}]
     2: conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;
        "clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger
        activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner
%
sycophant
     n : a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a
         personal advantage [syn: {toady}, {crawler}, {lackey}]
%
sylph
     n 1: a slender graceful young woman
     2: an elemental being believed to inhabit the air
%
symposium
     n : a meeting or conference for the public discussion of some
         topic especially one in which the participants form an
         audience and make presentations
     [also: {symposia} (pl)]
%
synthetical
     adj 1: involving or of the nature of synthesis (combining separate
            elements to form a coherent whole) as opposed to
            analysis; "limnology is essentially a synthetic
            science composed of elements...that extend well beyond
            the limits of biology"- P.S.Welch [syn: {synthetic}]
            [ant: {analytic}]
     2: of a proposition whose truth value is determined by
        observation or facts; "`all men are arrogant' is a
        synthetic proposition" [syn: {synthetic}] [ant: {analytic}]
%
tacit
     adj : indicated by necessary connotation though not expressed
           directly; "gave silent consent"; "a tacit agreement";
           "the understood provisos of a custody agreement" [syn:
           {implied}, {silent}, {understood}]
%
taciturn
     adj : habitually reserved and uncommunicative [ant: {voluble}]
%
tautology
     n 1: (logic) a statement that is necessarily true; "the statement
          `he is brave or he is not brave' is a tautology"
     2: useless repetition; "to say that something is `adequate
        enough' is a tautology"
%
tempestuousness
     n : a state of wild storminess
%
tentative
     adj 1: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon;
            "probationary employees"; "a provisional government";
            "just a tentative schedule" [syn: {probationary}, {provisional},
             {provisionary}]
     2: unsettled in mind or opinion; "drew a few tentative
        conclusions" [syn: {doubtful}]
%
termagant
     n : a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman [syn: {shrew}]
%
tertiary
     adj : coming next after the second and just before the fourth in
           position [syn: {third}, {3rd}]
     n : from 63 million to 2 million years ago [syn: {Tertiary
         period}]
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tetchy
     adj : easily irritated or annoyed; "an incorrigibly fractious
           young man"; "not the least nettlesome of his
           countrymen" [syn: {cranky}, {fractious}, {irritable}, {nettlesome},
            {peevish}, {peckish}, {pettish}, {petulant}, {testy},
           {techy}]
     [also: {tetchiest}, {tetchier}]
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thespian
     adj : of or relating to drama; "the movie director had thespian
           cooperation"
     n : a theatrical performer [syn: {actor}, {histrion}, {player},
         {role player}]
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tonsure
     n 1: the shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head
     2: shaving the crown of the head by priests or members of a
        monastic order
     v : shave the head of a newly inducted monk
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torpid
     adj 1: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish
            worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: {inert},
             {sluggish}]
     2: in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation;
        "dormant buds"; "a hibernating bear"; "torpid frogs" [syn:
         {dormant}, {hibernating(a)}]
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torpor
     n 1: a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial
          suspension of sensibility; "he fell into a deep torpor"
          [syn: {torpidity}]
     2: inactivity resulting from torpidity and lack of vigor or
        energy [syn: {listlessness}, {torpidity}, {torpidness}]
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tractable
     adj 1: easily managed (controlled or taught or molded); "tractable
            young minds"; "gold is tractable"; "the
            natives...being...of an intelligent tractable
            disposition"- Samuel Butler [syn: {manipulable}] [ant:
             {intractable}]
     2: readily reacting to suggestions and influences; "a
        responsive student" [syn: {responsive}, {amenable}]
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transcend
     v 1: go beyond; "Their loyalty exceeds their national bonds"
          [syn: {exceed}, {surpass}]
     2: go beyond; "She exceeded our expectations"; "She topped her
        performance of last year" [syn: {exceed}, {overstep}, {pass},
         {go past}, {top}]
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transcendence
     n 1: a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of
          material experience [syn: {transcendency}]
     2: the state of excelling or surpassing or going beyond usual
        limits [syn: {transcendency}, {superiority}]
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transverse
     adj : extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at
           right angles to the long axis; "cross members should be
           all steel"; "from the transverse hall the stairway
           ascends gracefully"; "transversal vibrations";
           "transverse colon" [syn: {cross(a)}, {transversal}, {thwartwise}]
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travail
     n 1: concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of labor to
          the birth of a child; "she was in labor for six hours"
          [syn: {parturiency}, {labor}, {labour}, {confinement}, {lying-in},
           {childbed}]
     2: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; "he got an A
        for effort"; "they managed only with great exertion" [syn:
         {effort}, {elbow grease}, {exertion}, {sweat}]
     v : work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework";
         "Lexicographers drudge all day long" [syn: {labor}, {labour},
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treacle
     n 1: a pale cane syrup [syn: {golden syrup}]
     2: an expression that is excessively sweet and sentimental
        [syn: {mush}]
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tremulous
     adj : (of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear; "the old
           lady's quavering voice"; "spoke timidly in a tremulous
           voice" [syn: {quavering}]
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trepid
     adj : timid by nature or revealing timidity; "timorous little
           mouse"; "in a timorous tone"; "cast fearful glances at
           the large dog" [syn: {fearful}, {timorous}]
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truculence
     n : obstreperous and defiant aggressiveness [syn: {truculency}]
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truculent
     adj 1: defiantly aggressive; "as truculent as a small boy who
            thinks his big brother can lick anybody"
     2: aggressively hostile; "a truculent speech against the new
        government"
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tumid
     adj 1: ostentatiously lofty in style; "a man given to large talk";
            "tumid political prose" [syn: {bombastic}, {declamatory},
             {large}, {orotund}, {turgid}]
     2: abnormally distended especially by fluids or gas; "hungry
        children with bloated stomachs"; "he had a grossly
        distended stomach"; "eyes with puffed (or puffy) lids";
        "swollen hands"; "tumescent tissue"; "puffy tumid flesh"
        [syn: {bloated}, {distended}, {puffed}, {puffy}, {swollen},
         {tumescent}, {turgid}]
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ubiquitous
     adj : being present everywhere at once [syn: {omnipresent}]
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umbrage
     n : a feeling of anger caused by being offended; "he took
         offence at my question" [syn: {offense}, {offence}]
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undiversified
     adj : not diversified [syn: {unvaried}] [ant: {diversified}]
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undulate
     adj : having a sinuate margin and rippled surface
     v 1: stir up (water) so as to form ripples [syn: {ripple}, {ruffle},
           {riffle}, {cockle}]
     2: occur in soft rounded shapes; "The hills rolled past" [syn:
        {roll}]
     3: move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion;
        "The curtains undulated"; "the waves rolled towards the
        beach" [syn: {roll}, {flap}, {wave}]
     4: increase and decrease in volume or pitch, as if in waves;
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urticate
     v 1: whip with or as with nettles
     2: sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or
        sensation [syn: {nettle}]
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vacuity
     n 1: the absence of matter [syn: {vacuum}]
     2: total absence of matter [syn: {vacuousness}]
     3: a region empty of matter [syn: {vacuum}]
     4: total lack of meaning or ideas [syn: {inanity}, {senselessness},
         {mindlessness}, {pointlessness}]
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vagabond
     adj 1: wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community;
            "led a vagabond life"; "a rootless wanderer" [syn: {rootless}]
     2: continually changing especially as from one abode or
        occupation to another; "a drifting double-dealer"; "the
        floating population"; "vagrant hippies of the sixties"
        [syn: {aimless}, {drifting}, {floating}, {vagrant}]
vagabond
     n 1: anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place;
          "pirate ships were vagabonds of the sea"
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valance
     n : a decorative framework to conceal curtain fixtures at the
         top of a window casing [syn: {cornice}, {valance board},
         {pelmet}]
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valetudinarian
     adj : of or relating to or characteristic of a person who is a
           valetudinarian
     n : weak or sickly person especially one morbidly concerned with
         his or her health
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vehemence
     n 1: intensity or forcefulness of expression; "the vehemence of
          his denial"; "his emphasis on civil rights" [syn: {emphasis}]
     2: the property of being wild or turbulent; "the storm's
        violence" [syn: {ferocity}, {fierceness}, {furiousness}, {fury},
         {violence}, {wildness}]
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vernal
     adj 1: suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh [syn: {youthful}]
     2: of or characteristic of or occurring in spring; "the vernal
        equinox" [ant: {summery}, {autumnal}, {wintry}]
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vertex
     n 1: the point of intersection of lines or the point opposite the
          base of a figure
     2: the highest point (of something); "at the peak of the
        pyramid" [syn: {peak}, {apex}, {acme}]
     [also: {vertices} (pl)]
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vicissitude
     n 1: a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times
          in your life or in the development of something; "the
          project was subject to the usual vicissitudes of
          exploratory research"
     2: mutability in life or nature (especially successive
        alternation from one condition to another)
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viscosity
     n : resistance of a liquid to sheer forces (and hence to flow)
         [syn: {viscousness}]
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vitriol
     n 1: (H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide;
          widely used in the chemical industry [syn: {oil of
          vitriol}, {sulfuric acid}, {sulphuric acid}]
     2: abusive or venomous language used to express blame or
        censure or bitter deep-seated ill will [syn: {vituperation},
         {invective}]
     v 1: expose to the effects of vitriol or injure with vitriol
     2: subject to bitter verbal abuse
     [also: {vitriolling}, {vitriolled}]
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voluble
     adj : marked by a ready flow of speech; "she is an extremely
           voluble young woman who engages in soliloquies not
           conversations" [ant: {taciturn}]
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wastrel
     n : someone who dissipates resources self-indulgently [syn: {waster}]
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wizen
     adj : lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness; "the
           old woman's shriveled skin"; "he looked shriveled and
           ill"; "a shrunken old man"; "a lanky scarecrow of a man
           with withered face and lantern jaws"-W.F.Starkie; "he
           did well despite his withered arm"; "a wizened little
           man with frizzy gray hair" [syn: {shriveled}, {shrivelled},
            {shrunken}, {withered}, {wizened}]
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zamia
     n : any of various cycads of the genus Zamia; among the smallest
         and most verdant cycads
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ziti
     n : medium-sized tubular pasta in short pieces
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