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SNEAKERNET

PRONUNCIATION: (SNEE-kuhr-net)

MEANING: Noun: The transfer of electronic information by physically moving it (storing it on a device and moving the device), instead of doing it over a computer network.

ETYMOLOGY: From sneaker (a shoe popular in everyday use) + net, alluding to someone carrying a disk, memory key, etc. from one computer to another. The shoes were called sneakers because their rubber soles made them very quiet. Earliest documented use: 1984.
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SPEAKERNET - 1. the coarse cloth covering the cone of a large loudspeaker; 2. a collection of loudspeakers linked together a a common control board

SNEAKERTET - subdued public lectures on the occasion of the Vietnamese New Year

SNEAKER WET - why you don't step into puddles leaving the Basketball court

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BOOT-FACED

PRONUNCIATION: (BOOT-fayst)

MEANING: adjective: Having a stern, angry, or sad expression.

ETYMOLOGY: From the expression “to have a seaboot face” (to have grim face), probably alluding to seaboots being worn on a ship in bad weather. Earliest documented use: 1925.
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BOOT-FARAD - the strength of the start-up capacitor

TOOT-FACED - red-cheeked from blowing the tuuba too hard

BOOT-ACED - cheated out of the pot because your opponent pulls out an ace that was hidden in his footwear

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IKIGAI

PRONUNCIATION: (I-ki-gai)

MEANING: noun:
1. A sense of purpose or something that gives a sense of purpose; a reason for living.
2. Something that brings fulfillment or enjoyment.

ETYMOLOGY: From Japanese ikigai (a reason for being), from iki (life) + -gai (worth). Earliest documented use: 1972. The French equivalent is raison d’être.
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IKI-GAI - unappealing young man

I-KIRAI - [possible trigger warning] the final moments of a ritual suicide (seppuku)

I, KING AI - self-proclaimed Ruler of the Sloths

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CHAEBOL

PRONUNCIATION: (CHAY/JAY-bol/buhl)

MEANING: A large conglomerate of businesses, tightly controlled by a person or a family.

ETYMOLOGY: From Korean chaebol, from chae (wealth) + bol (faction), modeled after Japanese zaibatsu, by the use of Korean pronunciations of the two Chinese characters with which the word zaibatsu is formed. Earliest documented use: 1972.
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CHAEBOT - Artificial Intelligence app to imitate the governance of a cartel

CHATBOL - A talking soccer ball; it says "Ouch" when you kick it, "Aah" when you head it, "Gotcha!" when you do a good dribble maneuver

AHA! EBOL' - Uh-oh, there's a new outbreak of virus in rural Africa

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COSH

PRONUNCIATION: (kosh)

MEANING: noun: 1. A short, thick, heavy stick, used as a weapon. Also known as a truncheon, blackjack, bludgeon, etc.
2. An attack with, or as if with, such a weapon.
verb tr.: To hit with, or as if with, such a weapon.

ETYMOLOGY: From Romani kosh, from koshter (stick). Earliest documented use: 1869.
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COSHA - food that's OK to be eaten by Orthodox Bostonian Jews

COASH - what a drunken athlete calls the head of his team

COKH - a Klingon delicacy, made of live beetle larvae. Just ask Will Riker.

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TOCO

PRONUNCIATION: (TOH-koh)

MEANING: noun: Chastisement; punishment; beatings.

ETYMOLOGY: From Hindi thoko, imperative of thokna (to strike or beat). Earliest documented use: 1823. Also see dekko.
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ROCO - an artistic style characterized by not-very-elaborate ornamentation

TO CD - where to move your funds when you're worried about an imminent stock market crash

TOE CO. - a firm that makes polydactyl feet

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CHURL

PRONUNCIATION: (chuhrl)

MEANING: noun:
1. A rude person.
2. A miserly person.
3. A peasant.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English ceorl (peasant). Earliest documented use: 800.
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C.O. HURL - the Company commander is pitching for the ball team

D.C. HURL - sick drunk in the nation's Capital

CHURE - "Of course," with a heavy Slavic accent

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DICKEY, DICKY, or DICKIE

PRONUNCIATION: (DIK-ee)

MEANING:
noun: 1. A detachable shirtfront, collar, bib, etc.
2. A small bird. [as in "Oh willow, tit willow, tit willow" - Wofa]
3. A donkey.
4. The driver’s seat or rear seat in a carriage.
5. The luggage compartment of a vehicle; also known as trunk or a boot.

adjective: 1. Not working properly.
2. In poor health.

ETYMOLOGY: For noun: A diminutive of Dick, a nickname for Richard. Earliest documented use: 1753.
For adjective: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1788.
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I.C. KEY - needed to reverse-engineer an integrated circuit

DICEY - cubical

DICK ICE - cure for the hots

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DINGBAT

PRONUNCIATION: (DING-bat)

MEANING: noun: 1. An eccentric or crazy person.
2. An ornamental typographical symbol, such as ✲, ❏, ☛, ♥.
3. An object, such as a brick, used as a missile.
4. A gadget or an object whose name is unknown or forgotten. Aka, thingamajig, gizmo, etc.
5. A two- to three-story boxy apartment building with parking spaces directly under it.
adjective: Eccentric or crazy.

ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown. Earliest documented use: 1838.
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DANGBAT - annoying baseball hitter

DING BAIT - leaving your car where it's likely to be struck by another, so you can file for insurance payments

DIN-GOAT - one noisy caprid

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DECOLLATE

PRONUNCIATION: (for 1: dee-KAH-layt, for 2: DEK-uh-layt)

MEANING: verb tr.:
1. To behead.
2. To separate sheets of paper, from a multiple-copy printout, for example.

ETYMOLOGY: For 1: From Latin decollare, from de- (from) + collum (neck). Earliest documented use: 1599.
For 2: From de- (from) + collate (to gather, merge, etc.), from conferre (to bring together). Earliest documented use: 1967.

NOTES: Sometimes the word decollate is used as an alternate spelling for the decollete (which is a short for decolletage: a low neckline on a woman’s dress). If your name is Chasity and you’re writing a romance novel (The Other Wife), any spelling is fine. But when you need to refer to a low neckline in a formal context -- an office memo, a research paper, a court brief, a patent application, etc. -- it’s best to go with decollete.
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DECOLLAGE - to be expunged from the University records for inferior spelling

DE DOLL ATE - Raggedy Ann had dinner

DECOR LATE - the interior furnishings were only an afterthought

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LAVE

PRONUNCIATION:
(layv)

MEANING:
noun: Residue or remainder.
verb tr.: 1. To wash or bathe.
2. To flow.
3. To pour.

ETYMOLOGY:
For noun: From Old English laf (remainder). Earliest documented use: 971.
For verb: From Old English lafian (to pour or wash), from Latin lavare (to wash). Earliest documented use: 450.
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FLAVE - taste

LLAVE - wash your South American beast of burden

GLAVE - medieval weapon, basically a 50-cm blade at the end of a 2-meter pole

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ARMIPOTENT

PRONUNCIATION: (ahr-MIP-uh-tuhnt)

MEANING: adjective: Strong in war, battle, contest, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin arma (arms) + potent (powerful). Earliest documented use: 1405.
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AM I POTENT - do I have erectile dysfunction

ARMIPATENT - if you make weapons you owe me a royalty

ACMI POTENT - Wile E Coyote has a powerful supplier

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LEGATION

PRONUNCIATION: (li-GAY-shuhn)

MEANING: noun:
1. A diplomatic mission ranking below an embassy.
2. The premises of such a mission.
3. The diplomat and staff of such a mission.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin legare (to depute). Earliest documented use: 1425.
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LEGOTION - conversion to brightly-colored interlocking bricks

LEGATHON - a trial that goes on for days without interruption

LE CATION - an ion with a positive charge, first discovered and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris

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LIPOGRAPHY

PRONUNCIATION: (li-POG-ruh-fee, ly-)

MEANING: noun: The omission of a letter or syllable in writing.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek lipo- (lacking) + -graphy (writing). Earliest documented use: 1888.

NOTES: In spite of what it sounds like, lipography is not writing with lips. Instead, it’s the omission, inadvertent or on purpose, of a letter or syllable in writing.
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SLIPOGRAPHY - creating catalogs of women's undergarments

LIMOGRAPHY - making images of citrus fruit

LIMPOGRAPHY - documenting asymmetrical gaits

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RIBALD

PRONUNCIATION: (RI-buhld, RAI-bald)

MEANINGG: adjective: Relating to coarse humor of sexual nature.
noun: A person who uses such language or humor.

ETYMOLOGY: From Anglo-French, from Old French riber (to be wanton), from riban (to be in heat or to copulate). Earliest documented use: 1250.
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EIBALD - (colloq.) looked at

RIBAND - decorated with awards

RIBALED - tied into large, heavy bundles once again

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NOSOGRAPHY

PRONUNCIATION: (no-SOG-ruh-fee)

MEANING: noun: The systematic description of diseases.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek noso- (disease) + -graphy (writing). Earliest documented use: 1654.
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NOOS-OGRAPHY - making images of hangings

NO-SONG-RAPHY - making images of choral music is forobidden

NASOGRAPHY - making images of large probosci

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AENEOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (ay-EE-nee-uhs, EE-nee-uhs)

MEANING. adjective: Bronze- or brass-colored.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin aes (bronze, brass, copper). Earliest documented use: 1808.
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ARNEOUS - like the composer of Rule Britannia

GENEOUS - very smart, very capable spirit who should nevertheless avoid lamps

AMENEOUS - giving rise to widespread murmurs of agreement

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ARGENT

PRONUNCIATION: (AHR-juhnt)

MEANING: adjective: Of the color silver or white.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin argentum (silver). Ultimately from the Indo-European root arg- (to shine; white) that is also the source of argue (from Latin arguere, to make clear), argillaceous, and French argent (money). The word also appears in the chemical symbol for silver (Ag) and in the name of the country Argentina where Rio de la Plata (literally, river of silver) flows. Earliest documented use: 1500.
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WARGENT - Five-star General

PARGENT - a consistent but uninspiring golfer

AROGENT - haughty. And he can't spell worth a damn, either.

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STRAMINEOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (struh-MIN-ee-uhs)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Straw-colored.
2. Of or relating to straw.
3. Like straw: Valueless.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin stramen (straw). Earliest documented use: 1624.
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SCRAMINEOUS - engendering an abrupt dismissal

STRAYINEOUS - attractive to small feral animals

STRAPINEOUS - insistent that everyone use a seat belt

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RUBICUND

PRONUNCIATION: (ROO-bi-kuhnd)

MEANING: adjective: Red or reddish.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin rubere (to be red). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red), which also gave us red, rouge, ruby, ruddy, rubella, robust, rambunctious, corroborate, roborant, raddle, robustious, rufescent, and russet. Earliest documented use: 1425.
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RUBI FUND - a collection of money for the purpose of buying red jewels

RUBIC AND - a partnership of puzzlemakers, one famous and the other anonymous

RUE BICUND - Bicund Street, in Paris

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VIRESCENT

PRONUNCIATION: ( vuh/vy/vi-RES-uhnt)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Greenish.
2. Turning green.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin virescere (to become green), from virere (to be green). Earliest documented use: 1826.
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VI. DESCENT - the sixth phase of air flight, after boarding, seatbelt inspection, takeoff, climbing, and cruising at altitude

VIRUS CENT - a one-penny coin commemorating the pandemic of 2019-2023

VILE SCENT - the combined musk of a thousand angry skunks

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MEMORITER

PRONUNCIATION: (muh-MOR-uh-ter)

MEANING: adverb: By memory; by heart.
adjective: Involving memorization.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin memoriter (by memory), from memor (mindful). Earliest documented use: 1612.
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MEMO WRITER - 1. the Boss, dictating to stenographer; 2. the stenographer, transcribing

MEMORY ITER - where Julius Caesar strolls when waxing nostalgiac

MEMO RATER - grader in the course on how to write business letters

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ASTERN

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-STUHRN)

MEANING: adverb, adjective:
1. At the rear of a ship or another vessel.
2. In a reverse direction.
3. Backward.

ETYMOLOGY: From a- (toward) + stern (back part), probably from Old Norse stjorn (steering). Earliest documented use: 1627.
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A-SPERN - what an Italian does to an unwanted marriage proposal

WAS TERN - used to be a bird

E-ASTER-N - an electronic Fall flower that tries to face North

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SINISTRAD

PRONUNCIATION: (SIN-uh-strad)

MEANING: adverb, adjective: Toward the left side.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin sinister (left, left hand, unlucky). Earliest documented use: 1803.
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SIGNIST RAD - a very woke ASL translator

SINIST: READ - trigonometrician's homework assignment

SIN IS TRIAD - committed not one but three evil acts

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AGLEY

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-GLEE/GLAY/GLY)

MEANING: adverb, adjective:
1. Awry.
2. Wrong.

ETYMOLOGY: From Scots agley, from a- (toward) + gley/glee (to squint). Earliest documented use: 1785.
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GAGLEY - like a gathering of geese

AGNEY - terrble pain

ANGLEY - having lots of sharp corners

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GRATIS

PRONUNCIATION: (GRAT-is, GRA/GRAY-tis)

MEANING: adverb, adjective: Without payment; free.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin gratis, contraction of gratiis (out of kindness), from gratia (grace, kindness). Earliest documented use: 1477.
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GRAMIS - awards for Best Recording

GYRATIS - another word for "drones"

GRATIST - a vegetable shredder

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PINION

PRONUNCIATION: (PIN-yuhn)

MEANING: noun: 1. A feather or a wing, especially the terminal segment of a wing.
2. A small cogwheel engaging with a larger wheel or a rack.
verb tr.: 1. To cut or bind the wing of a bird.
2. To bind, restrain, shackle, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: For noun 2: From French pignon (cogwheel), from Latin pecten (comb), from pectere (to comb).
For the rest: From French pignon (pinion), from Latin pinna (feather, wing, fin).
Earliest documented use: For noun: 1400; for verb: 1556.

NOTES: According to one website, “The raven has five pinions in each wing and the crow has six. So the true difference between the two is a matter of a pinion!”
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pH-IN-ION - determining the acidity of a charged particle

PI? NON - Is pi the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet? (Vraiment, c'est le seizième.)

PIG ION - what the Fourth Little Pig built his Boston house of

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DEACON

PRONUNCIATION: (DEE-kuhn)

MEANING: noun: In a church, a person appointed as a lay leader to a position below a pastor, priest, etc.
verb tr.: 1. To present the best part of something.
2. To pack or arrange in a way so that the finest pieces (such as fruit) are visible.
3. To adulterate; to doctor; to falsify.
4. To kill a calf or another animal soon after birth.
5. To ordain as a deacon.
6. To read aloud lines of a verse before singing.
verb intr.: To lie.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English diacon, from Latin diaconus, from Greek diakonos (servant, minister). Earliest documented use: for noun: 900; for verb: 1839.

NOTES: A deacon typically helps with things like ushering, collecting the offering, visiting church members in their homes, etc. In churches where not enough copies of religious books were available for all attendees, a deacon or a choir leader would read one or two lines at a time before the choir or the congregation would sing them.

It’s not clear how the negative meanings of the word arose. Maybe when a deacon visited, a family did a bit of staging: moved their religious music records to the front, brought out their best china, even displayed the best fruit on the table.

Maybe it’s alluding to the deacons themselves, displaying goodness on the surface (speaking politely) that hid what lies inside. According to a New England proverb “All deacons are good, but there’s odds in deacons.”

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BEACON - 1)a signal to light the way; 2)instruction to commit crimes and be sentenced to prison

DEAFCON - a system for grading how much hearing disability there is

ODEACON - a convention of laudatory poets

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INFAME

PRONUNCIATION: (in-FAYM)

MEANING: noun: A person having a bad reputation.
verb tr.: To defame: to attack the reputation or to disgrace.
adjective: Having a bad reputation.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin in- (not) + fama (reputation). Earliest documented use: for noun: 1413; for adjective: 1551; for verb: 1413.
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IN GAME - where a bridge player wants to end up

IN FLAME - how we might go down in the Army Air Corps

SINFAME - Ebenezer Scrooge, Casanova, Lizzie Borden had it

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SCEND or SEND

PRONUNCIATION: (send)

MEANING: verb intr.: To rise or lift by, or as if by, a wave.
noun: The rising movement of a wave or a ship on a wave.

ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps an alteration of send, influenced by ascend or descend. Earliest documented use: for verb: 1625; for noun: 1726.
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SLEND - not particulary thin (positive form of the comparative SLENDER)

'SCAND - wise-guy reply to the question "Is that fresh or frozen?"

SACEND - what makes a cul-de-sac a cul-de-sac

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SWAN

PRONUNCIATION: (swan)

MEANING: noun: 1. Any of various long-necked large waterbirds, usually in white plumage.
2. Someone or something of unusual beauty, grace, purity, etc.
verb intr.: 1. To move about in an idle, aimless way.
2. To declare or to swear.

ETYMOLOGY: For verb 2: From shortening of “I shall warrant” or “I swear on”.
For the rest: From Old English swan. Ultimately from the Indo-European root swen- (to sound), which also gave us sound, sonic, sonnet, sonata, and unison.
Earliest documented use: for noun: 700; for verb 1: 1893; for verb 2: 1823.
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SHWAN - an obsolete catalog of long-playing classical music records, usually 33 1/3 rpm

SWAR - blasphemed, in Ozark country

St. WAN - the fourth Gospel in Madrid, transcribed phonetically

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INTERPUNCTION

PRONUNCIATION: (in-tuhr-PUNGK-shuhn)

MEANING: noun:
1. Punctuation.
2. A punctuation mark.
3. The insertion of punctuation marks in a text.

ETYMOLOGY:
from Latin inter- (between) + punctum (dot, point). Earliest documented use: 1617.
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INTER JUNCTION - Old Western city of mortuaries

INTERN PUNCTION - the empathy shown by junior House Officers in a hospital

INTER-FUNCTION - when you switch your focus while multitasking

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EXUVIATE

PRONUNCIATION: (ig-ZOO-vee-ayt)

MEANING: verb tr., intr.: To shed or cast off.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin exuere (to take off). Earliest documented use: 1855.
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EXUVLATE - recently divorced

TEXU-VIA-TE - I order you to go by way of Texas

LEXUVIATE - rejoioce because of the new luxury car

EXUVATE - all the grape has been removed

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CYESIS

PRONUNCIATION: (sy-EE-sis)

MEANING: noun: Pregnancy.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek kyesis (pregnancy).
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CHYE, SIS - would you like some tea, my sibling?

CY, AS IS - With so many fantastic pitchers of late, shouldn't we change the name of the award?

O YES. "IS." - I've forgotten the third person singular of "to be"

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COGITATE

PRONUNCIATION: (KOJ-i/uh-tayt)

MEANING: verb tr., intr.: To think, reflect, meditate, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin cogitare, from co- (together) + agitare (to turn over, to consider). Earliest documented use: 1570.
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COGITO TE - I think of you

COPITATE - enumerate the members of the police force

CO-GIRATE - dance with a partner

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BLATTEROON

PRONUNCIATION: (blat-uh-ROON)

MEANING: noun: A babbler.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin blaterare (to babble). Earliest documented use: 1647.
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BLÄTTEROOM - a special display of Teutonic leaves

BATTEROON - hitters' convention

BLASTEROON - candy made with red-hot Cinnamon and other stimulating ingredients

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ADERATION or ADAERATION

PRONUNCIATION: (ay-di-RAY-shuhn)

MEANING: noun: The act of giving a monetary value to something.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin adaerare (to calculate or estimate), from ad- (to, toward) + aes (copper, brass). Earliest documented use: 1623.
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ADORATION - The act of giving a value in gold to something.

ADAGERATION - citing an old folksy saying that overstates its moral

ALE RATION - a reward for soldiers, analogous to a ration of grog in the Navy

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SATURNALIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (sat-uhr-NAY-lee-uhn)

MEANING: adjective: Marked by unrestrained revelry, overindulgence, licentiousness, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin Saturnalia (relating to Saturn). In ancient Rome, Saturnalia was a festival organized in honor of the Roman god Saturn who also gave his name to the planet Saturn. Earliest documented use: 1621.
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SATURDALIAN - pertaining to the seventh day of the week

SAT URINAL, IAN - Listen, Mr F, I figured out how Bond can empty his bladder on the Moonrakers!

SATURN, ALLAN - NASA used it to launch several early space vehicles, Mr Dulles

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BISSEXTILE

PRONUNCIATION: (by-SEKS-til/tyl)

MEANING: adjective: Relating to the leap year or the extra day in a leap year.
noun: Leap year.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin bisextilis annus (leap year), from Latin bissextus (Feb 29: leap day), from bi- (two) + sextus (sixth), from the fact that the sixth day before the Calends of March (Feb 24) appeared twice every leap year. Earliest documented use: 1398.
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BISSEL TILE - bathroom flooring you can clean with a carpet sweeper

BISS EXILE - the villainous Mr Biss has been expelled from the country

BI-SEXTILE - tertile (a third part)

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LUNATION

PRONUNCIATION:
(loo-NAY-shuhn)

MEANING:
noun: The time between two new moons, about 29 and a half days. A lunar month.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin luna (moon). Earliest documented use: 1398.
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LUNATHON - watching the moon continuously from new one moon to the next one

LANATION - Miss Lane is jealous of Miss Lang and so officially changes her name

U-NATION - the country formerly known as Burma (re-named in honor of the former U N Secretary General)

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