"Badinage"

The witty badinage continued until the boy tired of his girlfriend's sarcastic remarks.

Official Definition

"Clandestine"

The clandestine organization was brought to the surface when one of its members leaked information to the outside world. Then the little boys had to open up their clubhouse to their little sisters, 'cuz Mom said so.

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"Orotund"

The preacher's orotund speaking ability entranced those around him. Even when he wasn't in the pulpit.

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"Quidnunc"

The young girls at the water cooler were no match for the quidnunc Bob, who seemed to always know the latest scandals--mainly because he was always directly involved in them.

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"Encomium"

So often, when people try to give an encomium, the praise comes across sounding insincere.

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"Sough"

With a sough of yearning and sadness, the young woman watched her former love repeat his vows to another woman--and that's when I turned off the TV.

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"Daedal"

Not everyone appreciates the daedal pyramid at the Louvre.

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"Pule"

Hearing a kitten pule, my dad went on a search and rescue mission and brought her back, safe and sound.

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"Copse"

Frightened by the noise of nearby traffic, the rabbits dashed into the safety of a small copse of grasses and brush.

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"Tutelary"

Raised to believe that St. Christopher was the tutelary of travel, his namesake always brought his St. Christopher medal along with him on any trips he took, long or short.

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"Ebullient"

The evangelist's ebullient tent meeting revival brought in crowds of people from miles around.

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"Nimiety"

A poster child of nimiety, he always went further in debt to try to buy friendships with elaborate and exotic gifts.

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"Prescience"

Believing in the prescience of fortune-tellers, the young girl had an amateur read her cards; unfortunately for her, the amateur grabbed the wrong stack, and thus, the young girl got her playing cards read.

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"Gravid"

The gravid mother cat's belly dragged the ground when she walked.

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"Salutary"

During the summer months, she practices salutary diet and exercise habits; in the winter, she lets herself go, indulging in all sorts of pies, cookies, cocoas, and coffees.

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"Effulgence"

The effulgence of the carnival lights made the children dizzy with delight.

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"Aver"

The child will always aver that his opinion is right and his mother's is wrong.

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"Prestidigitation"

The children were awed by the magician's prestidigitation at the school carnival.

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"Megrim"

My friend finally decided to see the doctor when her megrim was so bad that she nearly passed out just walking to class.

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"Redivivus"

Sometimes I think dictionary.com likes to feature archaic words redivivus.

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"Disport"

The children miraculously found ways to disport themselves during the long days of summer vacation.

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"Paragon"

The model student was to be a paragon of excellence and an inspiration to the entire student body, but the pressure became too much and he dropped out of school.

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"Tergiversation"

His tergiversation on the capital punishment issue was a factor in his failing the persuasive argument assignment in composition class.

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"Oneiric"

Sometimes the oneiric world is pleasant, but oftentimes it is frightening.

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"Mores"

Nobody stopped to consider that the social club's mores were a little bizarre; it had become tradition to begin each meeting by throwing a glass of water on one's head, and the meetings degenerated from there.

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"Abstemious"

Though the wide array of desserts tempted her, she remained abstemious and only chose one low-fat fruit dish.

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"Pother"

Choosing a motto for the new English club created such a pother than the club's president adjourned the meeting to another time and inserted one of his own quotes into the newsletter's letterhead.

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"Espy"

Good thing I watched that episode of Monty Python; I am now able to espy a larch tree from quite a long way away.

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"Hortatory"

I recently finished reading about Elmer Gantry and his hortatory sermons.

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"Cosset"

His mother thought it best to cosset him all his life; the poor guy never did learn to be independent or think for himself.

Official Definition