Word of the Day Archive/May 2004
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commensurate:
equal in measure or extent; also, proportionate.
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urbane:
polished and smooth in manner.
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abstruse:
difficult to comprehend.
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militate:
to have force or influence.
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embonpoint:
plumpness of person.
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preternatural:
beyond of different from what is natural; inexplicable; extraordinary;
abnormal.
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hardscrabble:
barren, marginal; also, marked by poverty.
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ignoramus:
an ignorant person; a dunce.
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apologia:
a formal defense or justification.
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sentient:
capable of perceiving by the senses.
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conflagration:
a large and destructive fire.
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bromide:
a commonplace or conventional saying.
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suasion:
the act of persuading.
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roue:
a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure.
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hullabaloo:
a confused noise; uproar.
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neologism:
a new word or expression; the use or creation of new words or expressions.
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redoubtable:
formidable; also, illustrious; eminent.
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accede:
to agree or assent; also, to become a party.
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doyen:
the senior member of a body or group.
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abecedarian:
pertaining to the alphabet; also, rudimentary; also, a
beginner.
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crabwise:
sideways; also, in a cautiously indirect manner.
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glabrous:
without hairs or projections; smooth.
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tarradiddle:
a fib; also, pretentious nonsense.
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irrupt:
to burst in forcibly or suddenly.
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agrestic:
pertaining to fields or the country.
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cap-a-pie:
from head to foot.
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fetor:
a strong, offensive smell.
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olla
podrida: a kind of seasoned stew; also, a mixture, a hodgepodge.
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pernicious:
deadly; destructive; exceedingly harmful.
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aegis:
a shield; protection.
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politic:
political; also, shrewdly tactful.