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charnel
gruesomely indicative of death or the dead
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apostasy
the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)
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quixotic
not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
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bathos
a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one
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autodidact
a person who has taught himself
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lodestar
guiding star; a star that is used as a reference point in navigation or astronomy
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Jacobin
a member of the radical movement that instituted the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution
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hegemony
the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others
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bromide
a trite or obvious remark
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brio
quality of being active or spirited or alive and vigorous
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culverin
a medieval musket
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afflatus
a strong creative impulse; divine inspiration
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boreas
a wind that blows from the north
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cambric
a finely woven white linen
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jabot
a ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt
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hecatomb
a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen
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venal
capable of being corrupted
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reticule
a woman's drawstring handbag; usually made of net or beading or brocade; used in 18th and 19th centuries
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existential
relating to or dealing with existence (especially with human existence)
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fin de siecle
relating to or characteristic of the end of a century (especially the end of the 19th century)
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griot
a storyteller in West Africa; perpetuates the oral traditions of a family or village
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insular
relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
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winsome
charming in a childlike or naive way
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punctilious
marked by precise accordance with details
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lapidary
a skilled worker who cuts and engraves precious stones
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redact
formulate in a particular style or language
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irridentism
the doctrine that irredenta should be controlled by the country to which they are ethnically or historically related
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strident
unpleasantly loud and harsh
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puerile
displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
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palindrome
a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward
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bel esprit
a witty or clever person with a fine mind
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diffidence
lack of self-confidence
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cynosure
something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners)
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crepuscular
like twilight; dim
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droll
comical in an odd or whimsical manner
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threnody
a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
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videlicet
as follows
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soutache
a narrow braid used as a decorative trimming
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postiche
something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
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lambrequin
short and decorative hanging for a shelf edge or top of a window casing
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leister
a spear with three or more prongs; used for spearing fish (especially salmon)
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pasquinade
a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
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janissary
a loyal supporter
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hejira
a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment
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expatiate
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
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caitiff
a cowardly and despicable person
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parlous
fraught with danger
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lebensraum
space sought for occupation by a nation whose population is expanding
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trumpery
ornamental objects of no great value
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pastiche
a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
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falderol
ornamental objects of no great value
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foil
hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
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synecdoche
substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa
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sororal
like or characteristic of or befitting a sister
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fervid
characterized by intense emotion
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thrall
the state of being under the control of another person
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soubrette
a pert or flirtatious young girl
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gamin
(sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets
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waif
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
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picaresque
involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction
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doggerel
a comic verse of irregular measure
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lingua franca
a common language used by speakers of different languages
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progenitor
an ancestor in the direct line
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jocose
characterized by jokes and good humor
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uncanny
surpassing the ordinary or normal
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revenant
a person who returns after a lengthy absence
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accretion
an increase by natural growth or addition
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bandy
discuss lightly
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shuttlecock
badminton equipment consisting of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of feathers