body
Other forms: bodies; bodied; bodying
Your body is everything that makes up your physical self, including your skin, bones, muscles, and organs. Your whole body might hurt after a day spent learning to snowboard.
All animals have a body, and you can also describe some inanimate objects as having a body. For example, a car's body is its main section, mostly made of metal and plastic. A written work's body is the major part of a text, generally not including things like introductions or epilogues. In science, a body is simply any separate object that has mass. The Old English root, bodig, means "man or animal's trunk or chest."
Definitions of body
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an individual 3-dimensional object that has mass and that is distinguishable from other objects“heavenly body”
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types:
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chromosome
a threadlike strand of DNA in the cell nucleus that carries the genes in a linear order
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cellular inclusion, inclusion, inclusion body
any small intracellular body found within another (characteristic of certain diseases)
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mass
a body of matter without definite shape
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particle, subatomic particle
a body having finite mass and internal structure but negligible dimensions
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virion
(virology) a complete viral particle; nucleic acid and capsid (and a lipid envelope in some viruses)
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sex chromosome
(genetics) a chromosome that determines the sex of an individual
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autosome, somatic chromosome
any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome; appear in pairs in body cells but as single chromosomes in spermatozoa
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acentric chromosome
a chromosome lacking a centromere
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acrocentric chromosome
a chromosome with the centromere near one end so that one chromosomal arm is short and one is long
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metacentric chromosome
a chromosome having two equal arms because the centromere is in median position
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telocentric chromosome
a chromosome like a straight rod with the centromere in terminal position
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alpha particle
a positively charged particle that is the nucleus of the helium atom; emitted from natural or radioactive isotopes
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beta particle
a high-speed electron or positron emitted in the decay of a radioactive isotope
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boson
any particle that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics but not the Pauli exclusion principle; all nuclei with an even mass number are bosons
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coprolith, faecalith, fecalith, stercolith
a hard mass of fecal matter
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deuteron
the nucleus of deuterium; consists of one proton and one neutron; used as a bombarding particle in accelerators
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drift
a large mass of material that is heaped up by the wind or by water currents
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elementary particle, fundamental particle
(physics) a particle that is less complex than an atom; regarded as constituents of all matter
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fermion
any particle that obeys Fermi-Dirac statistics and is subject to the Pauli exclusion principle
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ion
a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
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magnetic monopole
a hypothetical particle with a single magnetic pole instead of the usual two
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mat
a mass that is densely tangled or interwoven
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micelle
an electrically charged particle built up from polymeric molecules or ions and occurring in certain colloidal electrolytic solutions like soaps and detergents
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plasmid, plasmid DNA
a small cellular inclusion consisting of a ring of DNA that is not in a chromosome but is capable of autonomous replication
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prion
(microbiology) an infectious protein particle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid; thought to be the agent responsible for scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system
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virino
(microbiology) a hypothetical infectious particle thought to be the cause of scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the central nervous system; consists of nucleic acid in a protective coat of host cell proteins
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mush, pulp
any soft or soggy mass
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Russell's body, cancer body
an inclusion body found in plasma cells in cases of cancer
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scintilla
a sparkling glittering particle
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superstring
a hypothetical particle that is the elementary particle in a theory of space-time
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thermion
an electrically charged particle (electron or ion) emitted by a substance at a high temperature
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type of:
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natural object
an object occurring naturally; not made by man
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the main mass of a thing
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type of:
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mass
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
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mass
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the entire structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)“he felt as if his whole body were on fire”
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synonyms:
organic structure, physical structure
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types:
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life form
the characteristic bodily form of a mature organism
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anatomy, bod, build, chassis, figure, flesh, form, frame, human body, material body, physical body, physique, shape, soma
alternate name for the body of a human being
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live body
the body of a living animal or person
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person
a human body (usually including the clothing)
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system
the living body considered as made up of interdependent components forming a unified whole
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juvenile body
the body of a young person
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adult body
the body of an adult human being
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male body
the body of a male human being
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female body
the body of a female human being
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type of:
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natural object
an object occurring naturally; not made by man
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the body excluding the head and neck and limbs
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a natural object consisting of a dead animal or person“they found the body in the lake”
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synonyms:
dead body
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types:
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carcase, carcass
the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food
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carrion
the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human food
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roadkill
the dead body of an animal that has been killed on a road by a vehicle
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cadaver, clay, corpse, remains, stiff
the dead body of a human being
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mummy
a body embalmed and dried and wrapped for burial (as in ancient Egypt)
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cremains
the remains of a dead body after cremation
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type of:
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natural object
an object occurring naturally; not made by man
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a resonating chamber in a musical instrument (as the body of a violin)
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synonyms:
soundbox
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type of:
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cavity resonator, resonating chamber, resonator
a hollow chamber whose dimensions allow the resonant oscillation of electromagnetic or acoustic waves
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cavity resonator, resonating chamber, resonator
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the external structure of a vehicle“the body of the car was badly rusted”
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types:
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bodywork
the exterior body of a motor vehicle
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fuselage
the central body of an airplane that is designed to accommodate the crew and passengers (or cargo)
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type of:
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construction, structure
a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
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bodywork
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invest with or as with a body; give body to
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a collection of particulars considered as a system
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the central message of a communication“the body of the message was short”
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type of:
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content, message, subject matter, substance
what a communication that is about something is about
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content, message, subject matter, substance
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a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity“the whole body filed out of the auditorium”“the student body”“administrative body”
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types:
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public
a body of people sharing some common interest
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Christendom, Christianity
the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia)
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church
the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church
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College of Cardinals, Sacred College
(Roman Catholic Church) the body of cardinals who advise the Pope and elect new Popes
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administration, brass, establishment, governance, governing body, organisation, organization
the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something
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corps
a body of people associated together
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constituency
the body of voters who elect a representative for their area
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electoral college
the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice president
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school
a body of creative artists or writers or thinkers linked by a similar style or by similar teachers
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college
the body of faculty and students of a college
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university
the body of faculty and students at a university
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faculty, staff
the body of teachers and administrators at a school
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representation
a body of legislators that serve in behalf of some constituency
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colony, settlement
a body of people who settle far from home but maintain ties with their homeland; inhabitants remain nationals of their home state but are not literally under the home state's system of government
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ulama, ulema
the body of Mullahs (Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law) who are the interpreters of Islam's sciences and doctrines and laws and the chief guarantors of continuity in the spiritual and intellectual history of the Islamic community
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leaders, leadership
the body of people who lead a group
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militia
the entire body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service
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membership, rank
the body of members of an organization or group
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occupational group, vocation
a body of people doing the same kind of work
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opposition
a body of people united in opposing something
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immigration
the body of immigrants arriving during a specified interval
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inspectorate
a body of inspectors
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jury
a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law
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panel
a group of people gathered for a special purpose as to plan or discuss an issue or judge a contest etc
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panel, venire
(law) a group of people summoned for jury service (from whom a jury will be chosen)
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enrollment, registration
the body of people (such as students) who register or enroll at the same time
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vote
a body of voters who have the same interests
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diaspora
the body of Jews (or Jewish communities) outside Palestine or modern Israel
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Rome
the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church
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Curia
(Roman Catholic Church) the central administration governing the Roman Catholic Church
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profession
the body of people in a learned occupation
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top brass
the most important persons in a governing body
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executive
persons who administer the law
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bench, judiciary
persons who administer justice
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Ashcan School, Eight
a group of United States painters founded in 1907 and noted for their realistic depictions of sordid aspects of city life
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deconstructivism
a school of architecture based on the philosophical theory of deconstruction
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historical school
a school of 19th century German economists and legal philosophers who tried to explain modern economic systems in evolutionary or historical terms
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pointillism
a school of painters who used a technique of painting with tiny dots of pure colors that would blend in the viewer's eye; developed by Georges Seurat and his followers late in 19th century France
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gown
the members of a university as distinguished from the other residents of the town in which the university is located
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varsity
a British abbreviation of `university'; usually refers to Oxford University or Cambridge University
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county council
the elected governing body of a county
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corps diplomatique, diplomatic corps, diplomatic service
the body of diplomatic personnel
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government officials, officialdom
people elected or appointed to administer a government
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frontier settlement, outpost
a settlement on the frontier of civilization
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Plantation
a newly established colony (especially in the colonization of North America)
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proprietary colony
a colony given to a proprietor to govern (in 17th century)
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management
those in charge of running a business
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press corps
a group of journalists representing different publications who all cover the same topics
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INC, Iraqi National Congress
a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government
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high command, supreme headquarters
the highest leaders in an organization (e.g. the commander-in-chief and senior officers of the military)
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grand jury
a jury to inquire into accusations of crime and to evaluate the grounds for indictments
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hung jury
a jury that is unable to agree on a verdict (the result is a mistrial)
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petit jury, petty jury
a jury of 12 to determine the facts and decide the issue in civil or criminal proceedings
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blue ribbon jury, special jury
a jury whose members are selected for special knowledge for a case involving complicated issues
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art nouveau
a French school of art and architecture popular in the 1890s; characterized by stylized natural forms and sinuous outlines of such objects as leaves and vines and flowers
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lake poets
English poets at the beginning of the 19th century who lived in the Lake District and were inspired by it
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secession, sezession
an Austrian school of art and architecture parallel to the French art nouveau in the 1890s
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type of:
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social group
people sharing some social relation
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the property of holding together and retaining its shape“wool has more body than rayon”
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synonyms:
consistence, consistency, eubstance
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types:
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gaseousness
having the consistency of a gas
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viscosity, viscousness
resistance of a liquid to shear forces (and hence to flow)
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thickness
resistance to flow
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thinness
a consistency of low viscosity
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hardness
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
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softness
the property of giving little resistance to pressure and being easily cut or molded
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breakableness
the consistency of something that breaks under pressure
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unbreakableness
a consistency of something that does not break under pressure
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porosity, porousness
the property of being porous; being able to absorb fluids
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solidity, solidness
the consistency of a solid
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bubbliness, effervescence, frothiness
the property of giving off bubbles
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foaminess
the property of being foamy
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stickiness
the property of sticking to a surface
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sliminess
a property resembling or being covered with slime
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cohesiveness, glueyness, gluiness, gumminess, ropiness, tackiness, viscidity, viscidness
the property of being cohesive and sticky
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gelatinousness, glutinosity, glutinousness
the property of having a viscosity like jelly
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semifluidity
a property midway between a solid and a liquid
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creaminess, soupiness
the property of having the thickness of heavy cream
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fluidity, fluidness, liquidity, liquidness, runniness
the property of flowing easily
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wateriness
the property of resembling the viscosity of water
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firmness
the property of being unyielding to the touch
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compressibility, sponginess, squeezability
the property of being able to occupy less space
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incompressibility
the property of being incompressible
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downiness, featheriness, fluffiness
a light softness
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flabbiness, flaccidity, limpness
a flabby softness
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mushiness, pulpiness
a mushy pulpy softness
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brittleness, crispiness, crispness
the trait of being firm but easily broken
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crumbliness, friability
excessive breakableness
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sponginess
the porosity of a sponge
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permeability, permeableness
the property of something that can be pervaded by a liquid (as by osmosis or diffusion)
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compactness
the consistency of a compact solid
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impermeability, impermeableness
the property of something that cannot be pervaded by a liquid
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type of:
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property
a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class
Pronunciation
US
/ˈbɑdi/
UK
/ˈbɒdi/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘body'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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