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ANGARY or ANGARIA

PRONUNCIATION: (ANG-guh-ree, ang-GAR-ee-uh)

MEANING: noun: The right of a warring nation to seize the property, for example, ships, of a neutral country, provided compensation is paid.

ETYMOLOGY: From French angarie (imposition), from Latin angaria (forced service), from Greek angareia (impressment for public service), from Persian hamkara (herald). Earliest documented use: 1880.
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HANGARY - having an abundance of places to store and shelter aircraft

APGARY - the practice of predicting a child's adult destiny by considering its status at one minute and five minutes after birth

ANYGARY - it doesn't matter which industrial city in Indiana

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SERENADE

PRONUNCIATION: (ser-uh-NAYD)

MEANING: noun: 1. A love song sung directly to one’s love interest.
2. A composition for such a performance.
verb tr.: To sing such a song.

ETYMOLOGY: From French sérénade, from Italian serenata, from sereno (serene), from Latin serenus (calm). Earliest documented use: 1649.
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SERENA-DEO - tennis champions are godlike

SEVENADE - one week's time

SIRENADE - enhances ones alluring nature

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ZION or SION

PRONUNCIATION: (ZY-uhn or SY-uhn)

MEANING: noun:
1. Utopia.
2. Heaven.
3. The collective term for the Jewish people.
4. The religious and cultural practices and beliefs of Judaism.
5. A reference to the nation of Israel, especially in a historical or religious context.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English Sion, from Latin Sion, from Greek Seion, from Hebrew Siyon. Historically, Zion refers to one of the hills on which Jerusalem was built thus holding significant religious and cultural importance in Judaism. Earliest documented use: c. 450 CE.
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ZOÖN - places in Germany where captive exotic animals are kept on display

SI-NON - a device for contacting the spirits of the departed to ask them questions, similar to a Ouija board

ZINON - an inert gas to rest your wine on (may be white wine or red, sweet or dry, lower or higher proof, depending on how the wine is prepared)

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ASSASSIN

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-SAS-in)

MEANING: noun: A person who kills someone important, especially for political or ideological reasons.

ETYMOLOGY: From French assassin, from Latin assassinus, from Arabic hashshashin (hashish user). The word arose from the myth that members of the Nizari sect killed under the influence of hashish. Earliest documented use: 1340.
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GASSASSIN - death by exposure to flatulence

ASSAYS IN - tests for purity are fashionable

ASS, ASSIGN - Dummy, make your designation already!

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APROSEXIA

PRONUNCIATION: (ap-ruh-SEK-see-uh)

MEANING: noun: The inability to concentrate.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin aprosexia, from Dutch aprosexia, from Greek prosekhein (to turn one’s attention). Earliest documented use: 1889.
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APROLEXIA - being against the use of fancy words (cf. APROLIXIA - terseness)

APROSOXIA - a fan of neither the Boston nor Chicago American League baseball teams

APYROSEXIA - not your most provocative courtesan

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MONOSEMIOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (mon-uh-SEE-muhs)

MEANING: adjective: Having only one meaning.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek mono- (one) + sema (sign). Earliest documented use: 1975.
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MONOSERIOUS - Infectious Mononucleosis is a nasty disease

MONO-STEMIOUS - the only thing he ever drinks is single-malt Scotch

MY NOSE MIOUS - when I blow my nose I sound like a French cat

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DOUBLE-BARRELED

PRONUNCIATION: (duhb-uhl BAR-uhld)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Having two barrels mounted side by side, as in a gun.
2. Having two parts, purposes, impacts, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From double, from Old French duble/doble (double), from Latin duplus (twofold), from duo (two) + barrel, from Old French baril, from Latin barriclus (small cask). Earliest documented use: 1709.
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DOUBLE BAR RELIED - placed too much emphasis on the ][ cattle brand

DOUBLE-BAR REED - the oboe music just before the end of the work

DOUBLET BARRELED - wearing a close-fitting men's jacket made of wooden staves

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EXOLETE

PRONUNCIATION: (EK-suh-leet, ek-suh-LEET)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Obsolete.
2. Stale.
3. Faded.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin exoletus , past participle of exolescere (to be obsolete), from ex- (out) + -olescere (to grow). Earliest documented use: 1611.
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EVOLETE - changing and developing

REXOLETE - regal, kinglike

EXPLETE - interject a taboo word

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PENTASYLLABIC

PRONUNCIATION: (pen-tuh-si-LAB-ik)

MEANING: adjective: Having five syllables.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek penta- (five) + syllabic, from syllabe (syllable). Earliest documented use: 1771.
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PENNA.-SYLLABIC - its capital is Harrrisburg, and, as abbreviated, indeed it has five syllables.

KENT ASYLLABIC - It's a good thing Superman's secret identity is as a newspaper reporter and not a TV commentator, 'cause here he is with laryngitis and can't utter a sound (let alone a word)

"PEN!" TA SELL A BIC - new advertising campaign to sell ball-points

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BACK-FORM

PRONUNCIATION: (BAK-form)

MEANING: verb tr.: To make a word by dropping an apparent affix from a longer word.

ETYMOLOGY:Back-formation from back-formation.Earliest documented use: 1911.

NOTES: The word make has been with us from at least 1150. We later added the suffix
-er to make maker (from 1297). Had maker come first, and we made make from it by removing a part, that would be a back-formation.

To back-form is to coin a new word (usually a verb) by removing an actual or supposed affix from another word (usually a noun)...

The word back-form itself is back-formed from back-formation.
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BACH-FORM - fugal

LACK-FORM - why the skater earned only a 2 in a competitive routine

BANK-FORM - any of dozens of hoops to jump through in a financial transaction

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