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ALICIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-LISH-uhn)

MEANING: adjective: Surreal, whimsical, or illogical.

ETYMOLOGY: After Alice, the heroine of Lewis Carroll’s books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). Earliest documented use: 1898. See also: words coined by Lewis Carroll.
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GALICIAN - pertaining to the northwest corner of Spain, between Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
(Not "from France," which you might guess; that would have 2 Ls)

AÖLICIAN - garlicky, and on the oily side

APICIAN - animal doctor who specializes in primates

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ATLANTEAN

PRONUNCIATION: (at-lan-TEE-uhn)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Extremely strong, often alluding to mythical or superhuman capabilities.
2. Related to the legendary island of Atlantis said to have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean.

ETYMOLOGY: After Atlas, a Titan in Greek mythology. After the defeat of the Titans, he was condemned by Zeus to support the heavens. Earliest documented use: 1667.
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AT-LAST-EAN - terminating a long period of waiting

A TANTE-AN - like my mother's French sister, who has a plume on my Uncle's chest of drawers

ATLAN TEAL - a species of duck found mainly in the mountains of northwest Africa, between the Sahara Desert and the southwestern Mediterranean Sea

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PARTURITION

PRONUNCIATION: (par-chuh/too-RISH-uhn)

MEANING: noun: The act of giving birth.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin parturire (to be in labor). Earliest documented use: 1646
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MARTURITION - what the name should have been all along, since it's a she who does it

PARTURATION - the portion you dole out sparingly

PASTURITION - subjecting to 140 degrees (F) to reduce the rate of spoilage

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AVARICE

PRONUNCIATION: (AV-uh-ris)

MEANING: noun: An extreme desire for wealth or material gain.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin avaritia (greed), from avarus (greedy), from avere (to crave). Earliest documented use: 1386.
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OVARICE - how I like my whiskey

ALAR ICE - what caused many airplane delays last winter

'AVARIDE? - response to a roadside upright thumb, in Britain

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PANACEA

PRONUNCIATION: (pan-uh-SEE-uh)

MEANING: noun: A remedy for all difficulties or diseases; a universal cure.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin panacea, from Greek panakeia, from panakes (all-healing), from pan (all) + akos (cure). In Greek mythology, Panacea was the goddess of universal remedy. Earliest documented use: 1548.
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PAN-ACERA - bread so stale that in Mexico City they would walk on it

PAN ACE - bread and butter to a Madrid cardsharp, in the form of a high card up his sleeve

PAN AREA - a region where the subsoil forms a hard layer limiting penetration by plant roots

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SCEPTER or SCEPTRE

PRONUNCIATION: (SEP-tuhr)

MEANING: noun: A wand held by a sovereign as an emblem of authority and power.
verb tr.: To invest with authority and power.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French sceptre, from Latin sceptrum, from Greek skeptron (staff), from skeptesthai (to prop oneself). Earliest documented use: 1340.
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SCENTER - perfume detector; sometimes, an aroma dispenser

'S COPTER - Whazzat sound I hear coming from the helipad?

SIC ETRE - thus to be in Paris

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VERITY

PRONUNCIATION: (VER-i-tee)

MEANING: noun:
1. The quality of being true.
2. Something that is true: a universally accepted truth.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin veritas (truth), from verus (true). Earliest documented use: 1422.
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VERSITY - rhymingness

OVERITY - the truthiness of an Irishman's story

VEXITY - the index of refraction of a magnifying lens; 2) the degree of irritation produced by such distortion

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EXUBERANT

PRONUNCIATION: (ig-ZOO-buh-ruhnt)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Overflowing with energy, enthusiasm, and joy.
2. Plentiful; productive; growing abundantly.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin exuberare (to be abundant), from ex- (out) + uberare (to be fruitful), from uber (fertile). Earliest documented use: 1504.
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EXTUBERANT - delighted to have had the endotracheal tube removed

ENUBERANT - overflowing with happiness, but not showing it; Appolonian, rather than Dionysian

EXUBERANT - a person who, having had a bad experience with an Uber trip, declines to use that ride service again. Ever. Anything else in preference.

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SENESCENT

PRONUNCIATION: (si-NES-uhnt)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Growing old; aging.
2. Deteriorating or decaying with the passage of time.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin senescere (to grow old), from senex (old). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sen- (old), which is also the ancestor of senior, senate, senile, Spanish señor, sir, sire, and surly (which is an alteration of sirly, as in sir-ly). Earliest documented use: 1656.
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SENESCANT - Why, you've hardly aged at all since I saw you !

SENASCENT - the lament of Sisyphus - this pushing a rock uphill over and over is getting old already...

SENSE:SCENT - usually considered the fifth of the five ways we get information about the outside world

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AVUNCULAR

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-VUNG-kyuh-luhr)

MEANING: adjective: Kind, friendly, and helpful, like an uncle, especially in a benevolent or indulgent way.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin avunculus (maternal uncle), diminutive of avus (grandfather). Ultimately from the Indo-European root awo- (an adult male relative), which is also the source of atavism, uncle, and ayah. Earliest documented use: 1831.
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RAVUNCULAR - pertaining to the teacher's parent's brother. (either parent will do)

AVINCULAR - without any periwinkles

AVONCULAR - like a miniature of a beauty product that was formerly sold door-to-door

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