deficiency
     n 1: the state of needing something that is absent or
          unavailable; "there is a serious lack of insight into
          the problem"; "water is the critical deficiency in
          desert regions"; "for want of a nail the shoe was lost"
          [syn: {lack}, {want}]
     2: lack of an adequate quantity or number; "the inadequacy of
        unemployment benefits" [syn: {insufficiency}, {inadequacy}]
        [ant: {sufficiency}, {sufficiency}]

tending
     adj : (usually followed by `to') naturally disposed toward; "he is
           apt to ignore matters he considers unimportant"; "I am
           not minded to answer any questions" [syn: {apt(p)}, {disposed(p)},
            {given(p)}, {minded(p)}, {tending(p)}]
     n : the work of caring for or attending to someone or something;
         "no medical care was required"; "the old car needed
         constant attention" [syn: {care}, {attention}, {aid}]

jerking
     adj : not having a steady rhythm; "an arrhythmic heartbeat" [syn:
           {arrhythmic}, {jerky}, {unsteady}]
     n : an abrupt spasmodic movement [syn: {jerk}, {jolt}]

decay
     n 1: the process of gradually becoming inferior
     2: a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current [syn: {decline}]
     3: the organic phenomenon of rotting [syn: {decomposition}]
     4: an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying;
        "the corpse was in an advanced state of decay"; "the house
        had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair"
     5: the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance
        along with the emission of ionizing radiation [syn: {radioactive
        decay}, {disintegration}]
     v 1: lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current; as of
          particles in nuclear fission [syn: {disintegrate}, {decompose}]
     2: fall into decay or ruin; "The unoccupied house started to
        decay" [syn: {crumble}, {delapidate}]
     3: undergo decay or decomposition

tan
     adj : of a light yellowish-brown color
     n 1: a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays
          of the sun [syn: {suntan}, {sunburn}, {burn}]
     2: a light brown [syn: {topaz}]
     3: ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled
        triangle [syn: {tangent}]
     v 1: treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them
          into leather
     2: get a tan, from wind or sun [syn: {bronze}]

ridged
     adj 1: having a ridge or shaped like a ridge or the keel of a ship;
            "a carinate sepal" [syn: {carinate}, {carinated}, {keeled}]
     2: having or shaped like a carina or keel [syn: {carinate}, {carinated},
         {keeled}]

tribal
     adj : relating to or characteristic of a tribe; "tribal customs"

nudge
     n : a slight push or shake [syn: {jog}]
     v 1: to push against gently [syn: {poke at}, {prod}]
     2: push into action by pestering or annoying gently

ugliness
     n : qualities that do not give pleasure to the senses [ant: {beauty}]

mug
     n 1: the quantity that can be held in a mug [syn: {mugful}]
     2: a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of [syn:
         {chump}, {fool}, {gull}, {mark}, {patsy}, {fall guy}, {sucker},
         {schlemiel}, {shlemiel}, {soft touch}]
     3: the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal
        terms for `face'; `phiz' is British) [syn: {countenance},
        {physiognomy}, {phiz}, {visage}, {kisser}, {smiler}]
     4: with handle and usually cylindrical
     v : rob at gunpoint or with the threat of violence; "I was
         mugged in the streets of New York last night"

belly
     n 1: the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax
          and the pelvis [syn: {abdomen}, {venter}, {stomach}]
     2: a protruding abdomen [syn: {paunch}]
     3: a part that bulges deeply; "the belly of a sail"
     4: the hollow inside of something; "in the belly of the ship"
     5: the underpart of the body of certain vertebrates such as
        snakes or fish
     v : swell out or bulge out [syn: {belly out}]

swab
     n 1: implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used
          to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a
          specimen of a secretion
     2: cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened
        to a handle; for cleaning floors [syn: {swob}, {mop}]
     v 1: wash with a swab or a mop; "swab the ship's decks" [syn: {swob}]
     2: apply (usually a liquid) to a surface [syn: {dab}, {swob}]

scarred
     adj 1: deeply affected or marked by mental or physical pain or
            injury; "Could her scarred mind ever be free of
            fear?"; "a face scarred by anxiety"; "the fire left
            her arm badly scarred"
     2: blemished by injury or rough wear; "the scarred piano
        bench"; "walls marred by graffiti" [syn: {marred}]

rag
     n 1: a small piece of cloth [syn: {shred}, {tag}, {tag end}, {tatter}]
     2: (British) a week at British universities during which
        side-shows and processions of floats are organized to
        raise money for charities [syn: {rag week}]
     3: music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano) [syn:
         {ragtime}]
     4: newspaper with half-size pages [syn: {tabloid}, {sheet}]
     5: (British) a boisterous practical joke (especially by college
        students)
     v 1: treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering
          teacher" [syn: {torment}, {bedevil}, {crucify}, {dun}, {frustrate}]
     2: cause annoyance in; disturb, esp. by minor irritations;
        "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It
        irritates me that she never closes the door after she
        leaves" [syn: {annoy}, {get to}, {bother}, {get at}, {irritate},
         {rile}, {nark}, {nettle}, {gravel}, {vex}, {chafe}, {devil}]
     3: play in ragtime, as of a musical piece
     4: harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children
        teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my
        failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a
        jacket and tie" [syn: {tease}, {razz}, {cod}, {tantalize},
         {tantalise}, {bait}, {taunt}, {twit}, {rally}, {ride}]
     5: censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child
        for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the
        Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for
        bringing cold soup"; "check" is archaic [syn: {rebuke}, {trounce},
         {reproof}, {lecture}, {reprimand}, {jaw}, {dress down}, {scold},
         {chide}, {berate}, {bawl out}, {remonstrate}, {chew out},
         {chew up}, {have words}, {lambaste}, {lambast}]
     6: break into lumps before sorting, as of ore

ting
     n : a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell [syn: {tinkle}]
     v 1: cause to make a ting
     2: go"ting"

flesh
     n 1: the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle
          tissue and fat
     2: alternative names for the body of a human being; "Leonardo
        studied the human body"; "he has a strong physique"; "the
        spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" [syn: {human body},
         {physical body}, {material body}, {soma}, {build}, {figure},
         {physique}, {anatomy}, {shape}, {bod}, {chassis}, {frame},
         {form}]
     3: a soft moist part of a fruit [syn: {pulp}]

hunch
     n 1: an impression that something might be the case; "he had an
          intuition that something had gone wrong" [syn: {intuition},
           {suspicion}]
     2: the act of bending yourself up together
     v : arch one's back [syn: {hump}, {hunch forward}, {hunch over}]

thread
     n 1: a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or
          nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving [syn: {yarn}]
     2: any long object resembling a thin line; "a mere ribbon of
        land"; "the lighted ribbon of traffic"; "from the air the
        road was a gray thread"; "a thread of smoke climbed
        upward" [syn: {ribbon}]
     3: the connections that link the various parts of an event or
        argument together; "I couldn't follow his train of
        thought"; "he lost the thread of his argument" [syn: {train
        of thought}]
     4: the raised helical rib going around a screw [syn: {screw
        thread}]
     v 1: to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular
          course; "the river winds through the hills"; "the path
          meanders through the vineyards"; "sometimes, the gout
          wanders through the entire body" [syn: {weave}, {wind},
          {meander}, {wander}]
     2: pass a thread through; "thread a needle"
     3: thread on or as if on a string; "string pearls on a string";
        "the child drew glass beads on a string" [syn: {string}, {draw}]

stale
     adj 1: showing deterioration from age; "stale bread" [ant: {fresh}]
     2: lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new;
        "moth-eaten theories about race" [syn: {old}, {moth-eaten}]
     3: no longer new; uninteresting; "cold (or stale) news" [syn: {cold}]
     v : urinate, of cattle and horses

minute
     adj 1: infinitely or immeasurably small; "two minute whiplike
            threads of protoplasm"; "reduced to a microscopic
            scale" [syn: {infinitesimal}, {microscopic}]
     2: immeasurably small [syn: {atomic}, {atomlike}]
     3: characterized by painstaking care and detailed examination;
        "a minute inspection of the grounds"; "a narrow scrutiny";
        "an exact and minute report" [syn: {narrow}]
     n 1: a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour; "he
          ran a 4 minute mile" [syn: {min}]
     2: an indefinitely short time; "wait just a moment"; "it only
        takes a minute"; "in just a bit" [syn: {moment}, {second},
         {bit}]
     3: a particular point in time; "the moment he arrived the party
        began" [syn: {moment}, {second}, {instant}]
     4: a unit of angular distance equal to a 60th of a degree [syn:
         {arcminute}, {minute of arc}]
     5: a short note; "the secretary keeps the minutes of the
        meeting"
     6: distance measured by the time taken to cover it; "we live an
        hour from the airport"; "its just 10 minutes away" [syn: {hour}]

exultation
     n 1: a feeling of extreme joy [syn: {jubilance}, {jubilancy}, {jubilation}]
     2: the utterance of sounds expressing great joy [syn: {rejoicing},
         {jubilation}]

stance
     n 1: standing posture
     2: a rationalized mental attitude [syn: {position}, {posture}]

contempt
     n 1: lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike;
          "he was held in contempt"; "the despite in which
          outsiders were held is legendary" [syn: {disdain}, {scorn},
           {despite}]
     2: a manner that is generally disrespectful and contemptuous
        [syn: {disrespect}]
     3: open disrespect for a person or thing [syn: {scorn}]
     4: a willful disobedience to or disrespect for the authority of
        a court or legislative body

sheaf
     n : a package of several things tied together for carrying or
         storing [syn: {bundle}]

maimed
     adj 1: badly injured, perhaps with amputation; "the maimed right
            hand twisted and clutched"- P.B.Kyne; "mutilated
            victims of the rocket attack" [syn: {mutilated}]
     2: having a part of the body crippled or disabled [syn: {mutilated}]
     n : people who are wounded; "they had to leave the wounded where
         they fell" [syn: {wounded}]

inert
     adj 1: unable to move or resist motion
     2: (chemistry) having only a limited ability to react
        chemically; not active; "inert matter"; "an indifferent
        chemical in a reaction" [syn: {indifferent}, {neutral}]
     3: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish
        worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: {sluggish},
         {torpid}]

pill
     n 1: something that resembles a pill in shape or size
     2: a dose of medicine in the form of a small pellet [syn: {lozenge},
         {tablet}]
     3: a contraceptive in the form of a pill containing estrogen
        and progestin to inhibit ovulation and so prevent
        conception [syn: {birth control pill}, {contraceptive pill},
         {oral contraceptive pill}, {oral contraceptive}, {anovulatory
        drug}, {anovulant}]

wear
     n 1: impairment resulting from long use; "the tires showed uneven
          wear"
     2: covering designed to be worn on a person's body [syn: {clothing},
         {clothes}, {apparel}, {vesture}, {wearing apparel}, {article
        of clothing}]
     3: the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment;
        "she bought it for everyday wear" [syn: {wearing}]
     v 1: be dressed in; "She was wearing yellow that day" [syn: {have
          on}]
     2: have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar"
        [syn: {bear}]
     3: have in one's aspect; wear an expression of one's attitude
        or personality; "He always wears a smile"
     4: deteriorate through use or stress; "The constant friction
        wore out the cloth" [syn: {wear off}, {wear out}, {wear
        thin}]
     5: have or show an appearance of; "wear one's hair in a certain
        way"
     6: last and be usable; "This dress wore well for almost ten
        years" [syn: {hold out}, {endure}]
     7: go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears
        wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"
        [syn: {break}, {wear out}, {bust}, {fall apart}]
     8: exhaust or tire though overuse or great strain or stress;
        "We wore ourselves out on this hike" [syn: {tire}, {wear
        upon}, {tire out}, {weary}, {jade}, {wear out}, {outwear},
         {wear down}, {fag out}, {fag}, {fatigue}] [ant: {refresh}]
     9: put clothing on one's body; "What should I wear today?"; "He
        put on his best suit for the wedding"; "The princess
        donned a long blue dress"; "The queen assumed the stately
        robes"; "He got into his jeans" [syn: {put on}, {get into},
         {don}, {assume}]

derange
     v 1: derange mentally, throw out of mental balance; make insane
          [syn: {unbalance}]
     2: throw into great confusion or disorder; "Fundamental
        Islamicists threaten to perturb the social order in
        Algeria and Egypt" [syn: {perturb}, {throw out of kilter}]

swiftly
     adv : in a swift manner; "she moved swiftly" [syn: {fleetly}]

fixture
     n 1: a object firmly fixed in place (especially in a household)
     2: a regular patron; "an habitue of the racetrack"; "a bum who
        is a Central Park fixture" [syn: {regular}, {habitue}]
     3: the quality of being fixed in place [syn: {fastness}, {fixedness},
         {fixity}, {secureness}]
     4: the act of putting something in working order again [syn: {repair},
         {fix}, {fixing}, {mending}, {reparation}]

subliminal
     adj : below the threshold of conscious perception

hum
     n : a humming noise; "the hum of distant traffic" [syn: {humming}]
     v 1: sing with closed lips; "She hummed a melody"
     2: be noisy with activity; "This office is buzzing with
        activity" [syn: {buzz}, {seethe}]
     3: sound with a monotonous hum [syn: {thrum}]
     4: make a low continuous sound; "The refrigerator is humming"

heed
     n : paying particular notice (as to children or helpless
         people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends
         without heed to the consequences" [syn: {attentiveness},
         {regard}, {paying attention}] [ant: {inattentiveness}]
     v : pay close attention to; give heed to; "Heed the advice of
         the old men" [syn: {mind}, {listen}]

intricate
     adj : highly involved or intricate; "the Byzantine tax structure";
           "convoluted legal language"; "convoluted reasoning";
           "intricate needlework"; "an intricate labyrinth of
           refined phraseology"; "the plot was too involved"; "a
           knotty problem"; "got his way by labyrinthine
           maneuvering"; "Oh, what a tangled web we weave"- Sir
           Walter Scott; "tortuous legal procedures"; "tortuous
           negotiations lasting for months" [syn: {Byzantine}, {convoluted},
            {involved}, {knotty}, {labyrinthine}, {tangled}, {tortuous}]

bask
     v 1: derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take
          pleasure in; "She relished her fame and basked in her
          glory" [syn: {enjoy}, {relish}, {savor}, {savour}]
     2: be exposed; "The seals were basking in the sun"

smug
     adj : marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction; "a
           smug glow of self-congratulation" [syn: {self-satisfied}]

flaring
     adj 1: having a gradual increase in width; "flared nostrils"; "a
            skirt flaring from the waist" [syn: {flared}]
     2: streaming or flapping or spreading wide as if in a current
        of air; "ran quickly, her flaring coat behind her"; "a
        fluttering scarf"; "flying banners"; "flags waving in the
        breeze" [syn: {aflare}, {fluttering}, {flying}, {waving}]

scarlet
     adj : having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent
           of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
           [syn: {red}, {reddish}, {ruddy}, {blood-red}, {carmine},
            {cerise}, {cherry}, {cherry-red}, {crimson}, {ruby}, {ruby-red}]
     n : a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an
         orange tinge [syn: {vermilion}, {orange red}]

drench
     v 1: drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged; "The tsunami
          swamped every boat in the harbor" [syn: {swamp}]
     2: force (animals) to drink
     3: permeate or impregnate; "The war drenched the country in
        blood" [syn: {imbrue}]
     4: cover with liquid; pour liquid onto; "souse water on his hot
        face" [syn: {douse}, {dowse}, {soak}, {sop}, {souse}]

strike
     n 1: a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad
          work conditions; "the strike lasted more than a month
          before it was settled" [syn: {work stoppage}]
     2: an attack that is intended to seize or inflict damage on or
        destroy an objective; "the strike was scheduled to begin
        at dawn"
     3: a pitch that is in the strike zone and that the batter does
        not hit; "this pitcher throws more strikes than balls"
     4: a gentle blow [syn: {rap}, {tap}]
     5: a score in tenpins: knocking down all ten with the first
        ball; "he finished with three strikes in the tenth frame"
        [syn: {ten-strike}]
     6: a conspicuous success; "that song was his first hit and
        marked the beginning of his career"; "that new Broadway
        show is a real smasher" [syn: {hit}, {bang}, {smash}, {smasher}]
     v 1: hit against; come into sudden contact with; "The car hit a
          tree"; "He struck the table with his elbow" [syn: {hit},
           {impinge on}, {run into}, {collide with}] [ant: {miss}]
     2: deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon;
        "The teacher struck the child"; "the opponent refused to
        strike"; "The boxer struck the attacker dead"
     3: have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child
        impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck
        me as odd" [syn: {affect}, {impress}, {move}]
     4: make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy,
        opponent, or a target; "The Germans struck Poland on Sept.
        1, 1939"; "We must strike the enemy's oil fields"; "in the
        fifth inning, the Giants struck, sending three runners
        home to win the game 5 to 2" [syn: {hit}]
     5: indicate (a certain time) by striking; "The clock struck
        midnight"; "Just when I entered, the clock struck"
     6: affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely; "We were hit
        by really bad weather"; "He was stricken with cancer when
        he was still a teenager"; "The earthquake struck at
        midnight" [syn: {hit}]
     7: stop work in order to press demands; "The auto workers are
        striking for higher wages"; "The employees walked out when
        their demand for better benefits was not met" [syn: {walk
        out}]
     8: touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly; "Light
        fell on her face"; "The sun shone on the fields"; "The
        light struck the golden necklace"; "A strange sound struck
        my ears" [syn: {fall}, {shine}]
     9: attain; "The horse finally struck a pace" [syn: {come to}]
     10: produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical
         instruments, also metaphorically; "The pianist strikes a
         middle C"; "strike `z' on the keyboard"; "her comments
         struck a sour note" [syn: {hit}]
     11: cause to form between electrodes of an arc lamp; "strike an
         arc"
     12: find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old
         tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally
         struck the main path to the lake" [syn: {fall upon}, {come
         upon}, {light upon}, {chance upon}, {come across}, {chance
         on}, {happen upon}, {attain}, {discover}]
     13: produce by ignition or a blow; "strike fire from the
         flintstone"; "strike a match"
     14: remove by erasing or crossing out; "Please strike this
         remark from the record" [syn: {expunge}, {excise}]
     15: cause to experience suddenly; "Panic struck me"; "An
         interesting idea hit her"; "A thought came to me"; "The
         thought struck terror in our minds"; "They were struck
         with fear" [syn: {hit}, {come to}]
     16: occupy or take on, as of a position or posture; "He assumes
         the lotus position"; "She took her seat on the stage";
         "We took our seats in the orchestra"; "She took up her
         position behind the tree"; "strike a pose" [syn: {assume},
          {take}, {take up}]
     17: form by stamping, punching, or printing; "strike coins";
         "strike a medal" [syn: {mint}, {coin}]
     18: smooth with a strickle; "strickle the grain in the measure"
         [syn: {strickle}]
     19: pierce with force; "The bullet struck her thigh"; "The icy
         wind struck through our coats"
     20: arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing;
         "strike a balance"; "strike a bargain"

spark
     n 1: a momentary flash of light [syn: {flicker}, {glint}]
     2: brightness and animation of countenance; "he had a sparkle
        in his eye" [syn: {sparkle}, {light}]
     3: electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric
        field [syn: {discharge}, {arc}, {electric arc}, {electric
        discharge}]
     4: a small but noticeable trace of some quality that might
        become stronger; "a spark of interest"; "a spark of
        decency"
     5: Scottish writer of satirical novels (born in 1918) [syn: {Spark},
         {Muriel Spark}, {Dame Muriel Spark}, {Muriel Sarah Spark}]
     6: a small fragment of a burning substance thrown out by
        burning material or by friction
     v 1: put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate
          the circuits" [syn: {trip}, {actuate}, {trigger}, {activate},
           {set off}, {spark off}, {trigger off}, {touch off}]
     2: emit or produce sparks; "A high tension wire, brought down
        by a storm, can continue to spark" [syn: {sparkle}]

single
     adj 1: existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect
            or individual; "upon the hill stood a single tower";
            "had but a single thought which was to escape"; "a
            single survivor"; "a single serving"; "a single lens";
            "a single thickness" [syn: {single(a)}] [ant: {multiple}]
     2: (botany; of flowers) having usually only one row or whorl of
        petals; "single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may
        have more than one row of petals" [ant: {double}]
     3: not married or related to the unmarried state; "unmarried
        men and women"; "unmarried life"; "sex and the single
        girl"; "single parenthood"; "are you married or single?"
        [syn: {unmarried}] [ant: {married}]
     4: characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing; "an
        individual serving"; "separate rooms"; "single occupancy";
        "a single bed" [syn: {individual}, {separate}, {single(a)}]
     5: having uniform application; "a single legal code for all"
        [syn: {single(a)}]
     6: not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object
        or objective; "judging a contest with a single eye"; "a
        single devotion to duty"; "undivided affection"; "gained
        their exclusive attention" [syn: {single(a)}, {undivided},
         {exclusive}]
     7: involved two individuals; "single combat" [syn: {single(a)}]
     8: individual and distinct; "pegged down each separate branch
        to the earth"; "a gift for every single child" [syn: {separate},
         {single(a)}]
     n 1: a base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base
     2: the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this
        number; "he has the one but will need a two and three to
        go with it"; "they had lunch at one" [syn: {one}, {1}, {I},
         {ace}, {unity}]
     v : hit a one-base hit, in baseball

clatter
     n : a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement); "the
         shutters clattered against the house"; "the clatter of
         iron wheels on cobblestones"
     v : make a rattling sound [syn: {clack}, {brattle}]

pachinko
     n : a Japanese pinball game played on a vertical board

parlor
     n 1: reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be
          received [syn: {parlour}]
     2: a room in a private house or establishment where people can
        sit and talk and relax [syn: {living room}, {livingroom},
        {sitting room}, {front room}, {parlour}]

calving
     n : giving birth to a calf

addiction
     n 1: being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that
          is psychologically or physically habit-forming
          (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs) [syn: {dependence},
           {dependency}, {habituation}]
     2: an abnormally strong craving

hustler
     n 1: a prostitute who attracts customers by walking the streets
          [syn: {streetwalker}, {street girl}, {hooker}, {floozy},
           {floozie}, {slattern}]
     2: (informal) a shrewd or unscrupulous person who knows how to
        circumvent difficulties [syn: {wheeler dealer}, {operator}]

intricate
     adj : highly involved or intricate; "the Byzantine tax structure";
           "convoluted legal language"; "convoluted reasoning";
           "intricate needlework"; "an intricate labyrinth of
           refined phraseology"; "the plot was too involved"; "a
           knotty problem"; "got his way by labyrinthine
           maneuvering"; "Oh, what a tangled web we weave"- Sir
           Walter Scott; "tortuous legal procedures"; "tortuous
           negotiations lasting for months" [syn: {Byzantine}, {convoluted},
            {involved}, {knotty}, {labyrinthine}, {tangled}, {tortuous}]

humble
     adj 1: low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage";
            "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people";
            "small beginnings" [syn: {low}, {lowly}, {modest}, {small}]
     2: marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful; "a
        humble apology"; "essentially humble...and self-effacing,
        he achieved the highest formal honors and distinctions"-
        B.K.Malinowski [ant: {proud}]
     3: used of unskilled work (especially domestic work) [syn: {menial},
         {lowly}]
     4: of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense);
        "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or
        lowly) birth" [syn: {base}, {baseborn}, {lowly}]
     v 1: cause to be unpretentious; "This experience will humble him"
     2: cause to fee shame; hurt the pride of [syn: {humiliate}, {mortify},
         {chagrin}, {abase}]

burgeon
     v : grow and flourish; "The burgeoning administration"; "The
         burgeoning population"

betrayal
     n 1: an act of deliberate betrayal [syn: {treachery}, {treason},
          {perfidy}]
     2: the quality of aiding an enemy

glandular
     adj : relating to or affecting or functioning as a gland;
           "glandular malfunctions"

stratify
     v 1: divide society into social classes or castes; "Income
          distribution often stratifies a society"
     2: form layers or strata; "The rock stratifies"
     3: develop different social levels, classes, or castes;
        "Society stratifies when the income gap widens"
     4: form, arrange, or deposit in layers; "The fish are
        stratified in barrels"; "The rock was stratified by the
        force of the water"; "A statistician stratifies the list
        of names according to the addresses"
     5: render fertile and preserve by placing between layers of
        earth or sand; "stratify seeds"

warped
     adj : used especially of timbers or boards; bent out of shape
           usually by moisture; "the floors were warped and
           cracked"

gratification
     n 1: state of being gratified; great satisfaction; "dull
          repetitious work gives no gratification"; "to my immense
          gratification he arrived on time" [syn: {satisfaction}]
     2: the act or an instance of satisfying

devotion
     n 1: feelings of ardent love; "their devotion to each other was
          beautiful" [syn: {devotedness}]
     2: commitment to some purpose; "the devotion of his time and
        wealth to science"
     3: religious zeal; willingness to serve God [syn: {idolatry}, {veneration}]
     4: (usually plural) religious observance or prayers (usually
        spoken silently); "he returned to his devotions"

meticulous
     adj 1: marked by precise accordance with details; "was worryingly
            meticulous about trivial details"; "punctilious in his
            attention to rules of etiquette" [syn: {punctilious}]
     2: marked by extreme care in treatment of details; "a
        meticulous craftsman"; "almost worryingly meticulous in
        his business formalities" [syn: {picky}]

affect
     n : the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion
     v 1: have an effect upon; "Will the new rules affect me?" [syn: {impact},
           {bear upon}, {bear on}, {touch on}, {touch}]
     2: act physically on; have an effect upon
     3: connect closely and often incriminatingly; "This new ruling
        affects your business" [syn: {involve}, {regard}]
     4: make believe; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a
        headache" [syn: {feign}, {sham}, {pretend}, {dissemble}]
     5: have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child
        impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck
        me as odd" [syn: {impress}, {move}, {strike}]

prescription
     adj : (of medicinal drugs) available only with a doctor's written
           prescription; "a prescription drug" [syn: {prescription(a)}]
           [ant: {nonprescription(a)}]
     n 1: directions prescribed beforehand; the action of prescribing
          authoritative rules or directions; "I tried to follow
          her prescription for success"
     2: a drug that is available only with written instructions from
        a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist; "he told the doctor
        that he had been taking his prescription regularly" [syn:
        {prescription drug}, {prescription medicine}, {ethical
        drug}] [ant: {over-the-counter drug}, {over-the-counter
        drug}]
     3: written instructions for an optician on the lenses for a
        given person
     4: written instructions from a physician or dentist to a
        druggist concerning the form and dosage of a drug to be
        issued to a given patient

sagging
     adj : hanging down (as from exhaustion or weakness) [syn: {drooping},
            {droopy}]

shipping
     n 1: the commercial enterprise of transporting goods and
          materials [syn: {transportation}, {transport}]
     2: conveyance provided by the ships belonging to one country or
        industry [syn: {cargo ships}, {merchant marine}, {merchant
        vessels}]

module
     n 1: one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the
          mind [syn: {faculty}, {mental faculty}]
     2: detachable compartment of a spacecraft
     3: computer circuit consisting of an assembly of electronic
        components (as of computer hardware)
     4: a self-contained component (unit or item) that is used in
        combination with other components

thud
     n : a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)
         [syn: {thump}, {thumping}, {clump}, {clunk}]
     v 1: make a dull sound [syn: {thump}]
     2: strike with a dull sound; "Bullets were thudding against the
        wall"
     3: make a crunching noise, as of an engine lacking lubricants
        [syn: {crump}, {crunch}, {scrunch}]

makeshift
     adj : done or made using whatever is available; "crossed the river
           on improvised bridges"; "the survivors used jury-rigged
           fishing gear"; "the rock served as a makeshift hammer"
           [syn: {improvised}, {jury-rigged}]
     n : something contrived to meet an urgent need or emergency
         [syn: {stopgap}]

seam
     n 1: joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
     2: a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface; "his
        face has many lines"; "ironing gets rid of most wrinkles"
        [syn: {wrinkle}, {furrow}, {crease}, {crinkle}, {line}]
     3: a stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with
        profit; "he worked in the coal beds" [syn: {bed}]
     v 1: put together with a seam; "seam a dress"
     2: join with a seam

found
     adj : come upon unexpectedly or after searching; "found art"; "the
           lost-and-found department" [ant: {lost}]
     n : food and lodging provided in addition to money; "they worked
         for $30 and found"
     v 1: set up or found; "She set up a literacy program" [syn: {establish},
           {set up}, {launch}] [ant: {abolish}]
     2: set up or lay the groundwork for; "establish a new
        department" [syn: {establish}, {plant}, {constitute}, {institute}]
     3: use as a basis for; found on; "base a claim on some
        observation" [syn: {establish}, {base}, {ground}]

lozenge
     n 1: a small aromatic or medicated candy
     2: a dose of medicine in the form of a small pellet [syn: {pill},
         {tablet}]

subcutaneous
     adj : relating to or located below the epidermis; "hypodermic
           needle"; "subcutaneous implant" [syn: {hypodermic}]

slender
     adj 1: being of delicate or slender build; "she was slender as a
            willow shoot is slender"- Frank Norris; "a slim girl
            with straight blonde hair"; "watched her slight figure
            cross the street" [syn: {slight}, {slim}]
     2: very narrow; "a thin line across the page" [syn: {thin}]
     3: having little width in proportion to the length or height;
        "a slender pole"
     4: small in quantity; "slender wages"; "a slim chance of
        winning"; "a small surplus" [syn: {slim}]
     5: gracefully slender; moving and bending with ease [syn: {lissome},
         {lissom}, {lithe}, {lithesome}, {supple}, {svelte}, {sylphlike}]

thong
     n 1: leather strip that forms the flexible part of a whip [syn: {lash}]
     2: a thin strip of leather; often used to lash things together

slack
     adj 1: not tense or taut; "the old man's skin hung loose and gray";
            "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack
            rope" [syn: {loose}]
     2: lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "flaccid
        muscles"; "took his lax hand in hers"; "gave a limp
        handshake"; "a limp gesture as if waving away all desire
        to know" G.K.Chesterton; "a slack grip" [syn: {flaccid}, {lax},
         {limp}]
     3: flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the
        tide; "slack water"
     4: lacking in rigor or strictness; "such lax and slipshod ways
        are no longer acceptable"; "lax in attending classes";
        "slack in maintaining discipline" [syn: {lax}]
     n 1: a noticeable decline in performance; "the team went into a
          slump"; "a sudden slack in output"; "a drop-off in
          attendance"; "a falloff in automobile sales" [syn: {slump},
           {drop-off}, {falloff}, {falling off}]
     2: a stretch of water without current or movement; "suddenly
        they were in slack water"
     3: the condition of being loose (not taut); "he hadn't counted
        on the slackness of the rope" [syn: {slackness}]
     4: a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely; "he took of
        the slack"
     v 1: avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
     2: be inattentive to, or neglect, as of duties; "He slacks his
        attention"
     3: release tension on; "slack the rope"
     4: make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got
        tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now" [syn: {slacken}, {slack
        up}, {relax}]
     5: become slow or slower; "Production slowed" [syn: {slow}, {slow
        down}, {slow up}, {slacken}]
     6: make less active or intense [syn: {slake}, {abate}]
     7: become less in amount or intensity; "The storm abated" [syn:
         {abate}, {let up}, {slack off}, {die away}]
     8: cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water, as of
        lime [syn: {slake}]

placid
     adj 1: free from disturbance; "a ribbon of sand between the angry
            sea and the placid bay"; "the quiet waters of a
            lagoon"; "a lake of tranquil blue water reflecting a
            tranquil blue sky"; "a smooth channel crossing";
            "scarcely a ripple on the still water"; "unruffled
            water" [syn: {quiet}, {still}, {tranquil}, {unruffled}]
     2: not easily irritated; "an equable temper"; "not everyone
        shared his placid temperament"; "remained placid despite
        the repeated delays" [syn: {equable}, {even-tempered}, {good-tempered}]
     3: without untoward incident or disruption; "a placid
        existence"; "quiet times" [syn: {quiet}]
     4: taking life easy; "an easygoing man rarely stirred to
        anger"; "an air of placid sufficiency" [syn: {easygoing}]

dilate
     v 1: become wider; "His pupils were dilated" [syn: {distend}]
     2: add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning
        of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing;
        "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"
        [syn: {elaborate}, {lucubrate}, {expatiate}, {exposit}, {enlarge},
         {flesh out}, {expand}, {expound}]

gaze
     n : a long fixed look; "he fixed his paternal gaze on me" [syn:
         {regard}]
     v : look at with fixed eyes; "The students stared at the teacher
         with amazement" [syn: {stare}]

bulge
     n : something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from
         a form [syn: {bump}, {hump}, {gibbosity}, {gibbousness},
         {jut}, {prominence}, {protuberance}, {protrusion}, {extrusion},
          {excrescence}]
     v 1: swell or protrude outwards; "His eyes bulged with surprise"
          [syn: {pouch}, {protrude}]
     2: bulge out; form a bulge outward, or be so full as to appear
        to bulge [syn: {bag}]
     3: bulge outward; "His eyes popped" [syn: {protrude}, {pop}, {pop
        out}, {bulge out}, {bug out}, {come out}]
     4: cause to bulge or swell outwards [syn: {bulk}]

octagon
     n : an eight-sided polygon

wasted
     adj 1: serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being;
            "otiose lines in a play"; "advice is wasted words"
            [syn: {otiose}, {pointless}, {superfluous}]
     2: not used to good advantage; "squandered money cannot be
        replaced"; "a wasted effort" [syn: {squandered}]
     3: (of an organ or body part) diminished in size or strength as
        a result of disease or injury or lack of use; "partial
        paralysis resulted in an atrophied left arm" [syn: {atrophied},
         {diminished}] [ant: {hypertrophied}]
     4: very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold;
        "emaciated bony hands"; "a nightmare population of gaunt
        men and skeletal boys"; "eyes were haggard and cavernous";
        "small pinched faces"; "kept life in his wasted frame only
        by grim concentration" [syn: {bony}, {cadaverous}, {emaciated},
         {gaunt}, {haggard}, {pinched}, {skeletal}]
     5: made uninhabitable; "upon this blasted heath"- Shakespeare;
        "a wasted landscape" [syn: {blasted}, {desolate}, {desolated},
         {devastated}, {ravaged}, {ruined}]

skid
     n 1: one of a pair of planks used to make a track for rolling or
          sliding objects
     2: an unexpected slide [syn: {slip}, {sideslip}]
     v 1: slide without control, as of a car that does not grip the
          road
     2: elevate onto skids
     3: apply a brake or skid to
     4: move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled
        manner; "the wheels skidded against the sidewalk" [syn: {slip},
         {slue}, {slew}, {slide}]

subsonic
     adj : (of speed) less than that of sound in a designated medium;
           "aircraft flying at subsonic speeds" [ant: {supersonic},
            {sonic}]

throbbing
     adj : pounding or beating strongly or violently; "a throbbing
           pain"; "the throbbing engine of the boat"
     n 1: an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart); "he
          felt a throbbing in his head" [syn: {throb}, {pounding}]
     2: a sound with a strong rhythmic beat; "the throbbing of the
        engines"

pit
     n 1: a sizeable hole (usually in the ground); "they dug a pit to
          bury the body" [syn: {cavity}]
     2: a concavity in a surface (especially an anatomical
        depression) [syn: {fossa}]
     3: the hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some
        fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that
        contains the seed; "you should remove the stones from
        prunes before cooking" [syn: {stone}, {endocarp}]
     4: a trap in the form of a concealed hole [syn: {pitfall}]
     5: a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate; "a
        British term for `quarry' is `stone pit'" [syn: {quarry},
        {stone pit}]
     6: lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra
        accompanies the performers [syn: {orchestra pit}]
     7: a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings
        and equipment connected with it [syn: {colliery}]
     v 1: set into opposition or rivalry; "let them match their best
          athletes against ours"; "pit a chess player against the
          Russian champion"; "He plays his two children off
          against each other" [syn: {oppose}, {match}, {play off}]
     2: mark with a scar; "The skin disease scarred his face
        permanently" [syn: {scar}, {mark}, {pock}]
     3: remove the pits from, as of certain fruit such as peaches
        [syn: {stone}]

mushroom
     n 1: common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the
          inedible toadstool) [ant: {toadstool}]
     2: any of various fleshy fungi of the subdivision Basidiomycota
        consisting of a cap at the end of a stem arising from an
        underground mycelium
     3: a large cloud of rubble and dust shaped like a mushroom and
        rising into the sky after an explosion (especially of a
        nuclear bomb) [syn: {mushroom cloud}, {mushroom-shaped
        cloud}]
     4: fleshy body of any of numerous edible fungi
     v 1: pick or gather mushrooms; "We went mushrooming in the Fall"
     2: grow and spread fast; "The problem mushroomed"

lop
     v 1: cut off from a whole; "His head was severed from his body"
          [syn: {sever}]
     2: cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of"dress the plants
        in the garden" [syn: {snip}, {clip}, {crop}, {trim}, {dress},
         {prune}, {cut back}]

lope
     n 1: a slow pace of running [syn: {jog}, {trot}]
     2: a smooth 3-beat gait; between a trot and a gallop [syn: {canter}]
     v : run easily

proscribe
     v : command against; "I forbid you to call me late at night"
         [syn: {forbid}, {prohibit}, {interdict}, {veto}, {disallow}]
         [ant: {permit}, {permit}]

stain
     n 1: a soiled or discolored appearance; "the wine left a dark
          stain" [syn: {discoloration}, {discolouration}]
     2: a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy
        to make structures visible
     3: the state of being covered with unclean things [syn: {dirt},
         {filth}, {grime}, {soil}, {grease}, {grunge}]
     4: a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark
        upon Cain"--Genesis [syn: {mark}, {stigma}, {brand}]
     5: an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he
        made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: {blot}, {smear}, {smirch},
         {spot}]
     v 1: color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a
          beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass
          a beautiful blue in the middle ages"
     2: produce or leave stains; "Red wine stains the table cloth"
     3: color for microscopic study; "The laboratory worker dyed the
        specimen"

matting
     n 1: floor covering of coarse fabric (usually of straw or hemp)
     2: mounting consisting of a border or background for a picture
        [syn: {mat}]

protrude
     v 1: extend out or project in space; "His sharp nose jutted out";
          "A single rock stick out from the cliff" [syn: {stick
          out}, {jut out}, {jut}, {project}]
     2: bulge outward; "His eyes popped" [syn: {pop}, {pop out}, {bulge},
         {bulge out}, {bug out}, {come out}]
     3: swell or protrude outwards; "His eyes bulged with surprise"
        [syn: {bulge}, {pouch}]

nacelle
     n : a streamlined enclosure for an aircraft engine

hinge
     n 1: a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing
          relative to the other [syn: {flexible joint}]
     2: a circumstance upon which subsequent events depend; "his
        absence is the hinge of our plan"
     v : attach with a hinge

scrape
     n 1: a harsh noise made by scraping; "the scrape of violin bows
          distracted her" [syn: {scraping}, {scratch}, {scratching}]
     2: an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off [syn: {abrasion},
         {scratch}, {excoriation}]
     3: a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating
        excessive humility); "all that bowing and scraping did not
        impress him" [syn: {scraping}]
     4: an indication of damage [syn: {scratch}, {scar}, {mark}]
     v 1: scratch repeatedly; "The cat scraped at the armchair" [syn:
          {grate}]
     2: make by scraping; "They scraped a letter into the stone"
     3: cut the surface of; wear away the surface of [syn: {scratch},
         {scratch up}]
     4: bend the knees and bow in a servile manner [syn: {kowtow}, {genuflect}]
     5: gather together over time; as of money or other resources;
        "She had scraped together enough money for college" [syn:
        {scrape up}, {come up}]
     6: bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of; "The boy
        skinned his knee when he fell" [syn: {skin}]
     7: strike against an object, as of one's toe or foot [syn: {stub},
         {skin}, {abrade}]

matting
     n 1: floor covering of coarse fabric (usually of straw or hemp)
     2: mounting consisting of a border or background for a picture
        [syn: {mat}]

bravado
     n : a swaggering show of courage [syn: {bluster}]

dull
     adj 1: lacking in liveliness or animation; "he was so dull at
            parties"; "a dull political campaign"; "a large dull
            impassive man"; "dull days with nothing to do"; "how
            dull and dreary the world is"; "fell back into one of
            her dull moods" [ant: {lively}]
     2: emitting or reflecting very little light; "a dull glow";
        "dull silver badly in need of a polish"; "a dull sky"
        [ant: {bright}]
     3: being or made softer or less loud or clear; "the dull boom
        of distant breaking waves"; "muffled drums"; "the muffled
        noises of the street"; "muted trumpets" [syn: {muffled}, {muted},
         {softened}]
     4: so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness; "a
        boring evening with uninteresting people"; "the deadening
        effect of some routine tasks"; "a dull play"; "his
        competent but dull performance"; "a ho-hum speaker who
        couldn't capture their attention"; "what an irksome task
        the writing of long letters is"- Edmund Burke; "tedious
        days on the train"; "the tiresome chirping of a cricket"-
        Mark Twain; "other people's dreams are dreadfully
        wearisome" [syn: {boring}, {deadening}, {ho-hum}, {irksome},
         {slow}, {tedious}, {tiresome}, {wearisome}]
     5: (of color) very low in saturation; highly diluted; "dull
        greens and blues"
     6: not keenly felt; "a dull throbbing"; "dull pain" [ant: {sharp}]
     7: slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity;
        "so dense he never understands anything I say to him";
        "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at
        classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly
        quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb
        decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being
        deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students"
        [syn: {dense}, {dim}, {dumb}, {obtuse}, {slow}]
     8: (of business) not active or brisk; "business is dull (or
        slow)"; "a sluggish market" [syn: {slow}, {sluggish}]
     9: not having a sharp edge or point; "the knife was too dull to
        be of any use" [ant: {sharp}]
     10: blunted in responsiveness or sensibility; "a dull gaze"; "so
         exhausted she was dull to what went on about her"- Willa
         Cather
     11: not clear and resonant; sounding as if striking with or
         against something relatively soft; "the dull thud";
         "thudding bullets"; "thumping feet on the carpeted
         stairs" [syn: {thudding}, {thumping}]
     12: darkened with overcast; "a dark day"; "a dull sky"; "a gray
         rainy afternoon"; "gray clouds"; "the sky was leaden and
         thick" [syn: {gray}, {grey}, {leaden}]
     v 1: make dull in appearance; "Age had dulled the surface"
     2: become dull or lusterless in appearance; lose shine or
        brightness, as of a varnished surface
     3: deaden (a sound or noise), esp. by wrapping [syn: {muffle},
        {mute}, {damp}, {dampen}, {tone down}]
     4: make numb or insensitive; "The shock numbed her senses"
        [syn: {numb}, {benumb}, {blunt}]
     5: make dull or blunt, as of sharp edges or knives' blades
        [syn: {blunt}] [ant: {sharpen}]
     6: become less interesting or attractive [syn: {pall}]
     7: make less lively or vigorous; "Middle age dulled her
        appetite for travel"

rod
     n 1: (British) a linear measure of 16.5 feet [syn: {perch}, {pole}]
     2: a long thin implement made of metal or wood
     3: any rod-shaped bacterium
     4: a square rod of land [syn: {perch}, {pole}]
     5: visual receptor cell sensitive to dim light [syn: {rod cell},
         {retinal rod}]
     6: (slang) a gangster's pistol [syn: {gat}]

shin
     n 1: the front part of the human leg between the knee and the
          ankle
     2: a cut of meat from the lower part of the leg
     3: the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet
     4: the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg
        between the knee and ankle [syn: {tibia}, {shinbone}]
     v : climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling [syn: {clamber}, {scramble},
          {shinny}, {skin}, {struggle}, {sputter}]

hatch
     n 1: the production of young from an egg [syn: {hatching}]
     2: shading consisting of multiple crossing lines [syn: {hatching},
         {crosshatch}, {hachure}]
     3: a movable barrier covering a hatchway
     v 1: emerge from the eggs; of birds, fish, or reptiles
     2: devise or invent; "He thought up a plan to get rich
        quickly"; "no-one had ever thought of such a clever piece
        of software" [syn: {think up}, {think of}, {dream up}, {concoct}]
     3: inlay with narrow strips or lines of a different substance
        such as gold or silver, for the purpose of decorating
     4: draw, cut, or engrave lines, usually parallel, on metal,
        wood, or paper; "hatch the sheet"
     5: sit on (eggs); "Birds brood"; "The female covers the eggs"
        [syn: {brood}, {cover}, {incubate}]

soggy
     adj 1: soaked with moisture; "a soggy lawn"; "the flood left
            waterlogged fields" [syn: {waterlogged}]
     2: having the consistency of dough because of insufficient
        leavening or improper cooking; "the cake fell; it's a
        doughy mess" [syn: {doughy}]

limp
     adj 1: lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; "flaccid
            muscles"; "took his lax hand in hers"; "gave a limp
            handshake"; "a limp gesture as if waving away all
            desire to know" G.K.Chesterton; "a slack grip" [syn: {flaccid},
             {lax}, {slack}]
     2: not firm; "wilted lettuce" [syn: {wilted}]
     n : the uneven manner of walking that results from an injured
         leg [syn: {hitch}, {hobble}]
     v 1: walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury; "The old
          woman hobbles down to the store every day." [syn: {hobble},
           {hitch}]
     2: proceed slowly or with difficulty; "the boat limped into the
        harbor"

ankle
     n : a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and
         fibula and the proximal end of the talus [syn: {ankle
         joint}, {mortise joint}, {articulatio talocruralis}]

lead
     n 1: a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white
          when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray;
          "the children were playing with lead soldiers" [syn: {Pb},
           {atomic number 82}]
     2: an advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the
        lead at the last turn"
     3: evidence pointing to a possible solution; "the police are
        following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to
        the perpetrator" [syn: {track}, {trail}]
     4: a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the
        lead'); "he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just
        waiting for someone to take the lead"; "they didn't follow
        our lead"
     5: the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the
        position of a moving target (correcting for the flight
        time of the missile)
     6: the introductory section of a story; "it was an amusing
        lead-in to a very serious matter" [syn: {lead-in}]
     7: an actor who plays a principal role [syn: {star}, {principal}]
     8: (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to
        advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first"
     9: an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the
        stock market"; "a good lead for a job" [syn: {tip}, {steer},
         {confidential information}, {wind}, {hint}]
     10: a news story of major importance [syn: {lead story}]
     11: the timing of ignition relative to the position of the
         piston in an internal-combustion engine [syn: {spark
         advance}]
     12: restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to
         restrain an animal [syn: {leash}, {tether}]
     13: thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in
         printing [syn: {leading}]
     14: mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of
         hardness; the marking substance in a pencil [syn: {pencil
         lead}]
     15: a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire; "it was a
         tangle of jumper cables and clip leads" [syn: {jumper
         cable}, {jumper lead}]
     16: the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead
         was in the dummy"
     v 1: take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can
          you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to
          the palace" [syn: {take}, {direct}, {conduct}, {guide}]
     2: result in; "The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her
        blood left a stain on the napkin" [syn: {leave}, {result}]
     3: tend to or result in; "This remark lead to further arguments
        among the guests"
     4: travel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession
        was headed by John" [syn: {head}]
     5: cause to undertake a certain action; "Her greed led her to
        forge the checks"
     6: stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or
        extend between two points or beyond a certain point;
        "Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge
        doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth
        year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of
        her personal assets" [syn: {run}, {go}, {pass}, {extend}]
     7: be in charge of; "Who is heading this project?" [syn: {head}]
     8: be ahead of others; be at the top; be the first
     9: be conducive to; "The use of computers in the classroom lead
        to better writing" [syn: {contribute}, {conduce}]
     10: lead, as in the performance of a musical composition;
         "conduct an orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago
         symphony for years" [syn: {conduct}, {direct}]
     11: pass or spend; "lead a good life"
     12: lead. extend, or afford access; "This door goes to the
         basement"; "The road runs South" [syn: {go}]
     13: move ahead (of others) in time or space [syn: {precede}]
         [ant: {follow}]
     14: cause something to pass or lead somewhere; "Run the wire
         behind the cabinet" [syn: {run}]
     15: preside over; "John moderated the discussion" [syn: {moderate},
          {chair}]

cradle
     n 1: a baby bed with sides and rockers
     2: where something originated or was nurtured in its early
        existence; "the birthplace of civilization" [syn: {birthplace},
         {place of origin}, {provenance}]
     3: birth of a person; "he was taught from the cradle never to
        cry"
     4: a trough on rockers used by gold miners to shake earth in
        water in order to separate the gold [syn: {rocker}]
     v 1: hold gently and carefully; "He cradles the child in his
          arms"
     2: bring up from infancy
     3: rock or place in or as if in a cradle; "He cradled the
        infant in his arms" [syn: {rock}]
     4: cut grain with a cradle scythe
     5: wash in a cradle; of gold
     6: run with the stick, in Lacrosse

grip
     n 1: the act of grasping; "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he
          has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold
          on the railing" [syn: {clasp}, {clench}, {clutch}, {clutches},
           {grasp}, {hold}]
     2: the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in
        order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the
        handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good
        grip" [syn: {handle}, {handgrip}, {hold}]
     3: a portable rectangular traveling bag for carrying clothes;
        "he carried his small bag onto the plane with him" [syn: {bag},
         {traveling bag}, {suitcase}]
     4: the friction between a body and the surface on which it
        moves (as between an automobile tire and the road) [syn: {traction},
         {adhesive friction}]
     5: worker who moves the camera around while a film or
        television show is being made
     6: a firm controlling influence; "they kept a firm grip on the
        two top priorities"; "he was in the grip of a powerful
        emotion"; "a terrible power had her in its grasp" [syn: {grasp}]
     7: a flat wire hairpin whose prongs press tightly together;
        used to hold bobbed hair in place; "in England they call a
        bobby pin a grip" [syn: {bobby pin}, {hairgrip}]
     v 1: hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel"
     2: to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men
        grappled with each other for several minutes" [syn: {grapple}]
     3: to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing
        terror or awe; "The eye of the Ancient Mariner fascinated
        the wedding guest." Burton; "The serpent fascinates its
        prey,..by the power of his eyes." Todd & Bowman [syn: {fascinate},
         {transfix}, {spellbind}]
     4: hold firmly [syn: {grasp}, {hold on}]

consign
     v 1: commit forever; commit irrevocably
     2: give over to another for care or safekeeping; "consign your
        baggage" [syn: {charge}]
     3: send to an address

Crane
     n 1: United States writer (1871-1900) [syn: {Crane}, {Stephen
          Crane}]
     2: United States poet (1899-1932) [syn: {Crane}, {Hart Crane},
        {Harold Hart Crane}]
     3: lifts and moves heavy objects; lifting tackle is suspended
        from a pivoted boom that rotates around a vertical axis
     4: large long-necked wading bird of marshes and plains in many
        parts of the world
     v : of the neck; so as to see better [syn: {stretch out}]

creak
     n : a squeaking sound; "the creak of the floorboards gave him
         away" [syn: {creaking}]
     v : make a high-pitched, screeching noise, as of a door [syn: {squeak},
          {screech}, {screak}, {skreak}]

spring
     adj : occurring in or appropriate to the season of spring; "spring
           rains"; "springtime activities" [syn: {spring(a)}, {springtime(a)}]
     n 1: the season of growth; "the emerging buds were a sure sign of
          spring"; "he will hold office until the spring of next
          year" [syn: {springtime}]
     2: a natural flow of ground water [syn: {fountain}, {outflow},
        {outpouring}, {natural spring}]
     3: a metal elastic device that returns to its shape or position
        when pushed or pulled or pressed; "the spring was broken"
     4: a light springing movement upwards or forwards [syn: {leap},
         {leaping}, {saltation}, {bound}, {bounce}]
     5: the elasticity of something that can be stretched and
        returns to its original length [syn: {give}, {springiness}]
     6: a point at which water issues forth
     v 1: move forward by leaps and bounds; "The horse bounded across
          the meadow"; "The child leapt across the puddle"; "Can
          you jump over the fence?" [syn: {jump}, {leap}, {bound}]
     2: develop into a distinctive entity; "our plans began to take
        shape" [syn: {form}, {take form}, {take shape}]
     3: spring back; spring away from an impact; "The rubber ball
        bounced"; "These particles do not resile but they unite
        after they collide" [syn: {bounce}, {resile}, {take a hop},
         {bound}, {rebound}, {recoil}, {reverberate}, {ricochet}]
     4: produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly; "He sprang a
        new haircut on his wife"
     5: develop suddenly; "The tire sprang a leak"
     6: produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly; "He sprang
        these news on me just as I was leaving"

spin
     n 1: a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)
     2: the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it
        broke off after much twisting" [syn: {twirl}, {twist}, {twisting},
         {whirl}]
     3: rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral spin [syn: {tailspin}]
     v 1: revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The
          dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy"
          [syn: {spin around}, {whirl}, {reel}, {gyrate}]
     2: stream in jets, of liquids; "The creek spun its course
        through the woods"
     3: cause to spin; "spin a coin" [syn: {whirl}, {birl}, {twirl}]
     4: make up a story, as in"spin a yarn"
     5: form a web by making a thread, as of spiders
     6: work natural fibers into a thread; "spin silk"
     7: narrate or give a detailed account of; "Tell what happened";
        "The father told a story to his child" [syn: {tell}, {narrate},
         {recount}, {recite}]
     8: prolong or extend; "spin out a visit" [syn: {spin out}]

lab
     n : a workplace for the conduct of scientific research [syn: {laboratory},
          {research lab}, {research laboratory}, {science lab}, {science
         laboratory}]

flask
     n 1: bottle that has a narrow neck
     2: the quantity a flask will hold [syn: {flaskful}]

iffy
     adj : (informal) subject to accident or chance or change; "a
           chancy appeal at best"; "getting that job was
           definitely fluky"; "a fluky wind"; "an iffy
           proposition" [syn: {chancy}, {fluky}, {flukey}]

creak
     n : a squeaking sound; "the creak of the floorboards gave him
         away" [syn: {creaking}]
     v : make a high-pitched, screeching noise, as of a door [syn: {squeak},
          {screech}, {screak}, {skreak}]

tend
     v 1: have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be
          inclined; "She tends to be nervous before her lectures";
          "These dresses run small"; "He inclined to corpulence"
          [syn: {be given}, {lean}, {incline}, {run}]
     2: have care of or look after; "She tends to the children"
     3: manage or run; "tend a store"

skull
     n : the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

sag
     n : a shape that sags; "there was a sag in the chair seat" [syn:
          {droop}]
     v 1: droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss
          of tautness [syn: {droop}, {swag}, {flag}]
     2: cause to sag; "The children sagged their bottoms down even
        more comfortably" [syn: {sag down}]

gross
     adj 1: before any deductions; "gross income" [ant: {net}]
     2: visible to the naked eye (especially of rocks and anatomical
        features) [syn: {megascopic}]
     3: of general aspects or broad distinctions; "the gross details
        of the structure appear reasonable"
     4: repellently fat; "a bald porcine old man" [syn: {porcine}]
     5: conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible; "a
        crying shame"; "an egregious lie"; "flagrant violation of
        human rights"; "a glaring error"; "gross ineptitude";
        "gross injustice"; "rank treachery" [syn: {crying(a)}, {egregious},
         {flagrant}, {glaring}, {rank}]
     6: without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative)
        intensifiers; "an arrant fool"; "a complete coward"; "a
        consummate fool"; "a double-dyed villain"; "gross
        negligence"; "a perfect idiot"; "pure folly"; "what a
        sodding mess"; "stark staring mad"; "a thoroughgoing
        villain"; "utter nonsense" [syn: {arrant(a)}, {complete(a)},
         {consummate(a)}, {double-dyed(a)}, {everlasting(a)}, {gross(a)},
         {perfect(a)}, {pure(a)}, {sodding(a)}, {stark(a)}, {staring(a)},
         {thoroughgoing(a)}, {utter(a)}]
     7: conspicuously and tastelessly indecent; "coarse language";
        "a crude joke"; "crude behavior"; "an earthy sense of
        humor"; "a revoltingly gross expletive"; "a vulgar
        gesture"; "full of language so vulgar it should have been
        edited" [syn: {coarse}, {crude}, {earthy}, {vulgar}]
     n 1: twelve dozen [syn: {144}]
     2: the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
        [syn: {revenue}, {receipts}]
     v : earn before taxes, expenses, etc.

manipulator
     n 1: an agent that operates some apparatus or machine; "the
          operator of the switchboard" [syn: {operator}]
     2: a person who handles things manually

bracelet
     n 1: a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a
          wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist [syn: {watchband},
           {watchstrap}, {wristband}, {watch bracelet}]
     2: jewelry worn around the wrist for decoration [syn: {bangle}]

wrist
     n : a joint between the distal end of the radius and the
         proximal row of carpal bones [syn: {carpus}, {wrist joint},
          {radiocarpal joint}, {articulatio radiocarpea}]

bulge
     n : something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from
         a form [syn: {bump}, {hump}, {gibbosity}, {gibbousness},
         {jut}, {prominence}, {protuberance}, {protrusion}, {extrusion},
          {excrescence}]
     v 1: swell or protrude outwards; "His eyes bulged with surprise"
          [syn: {pouch}, {protrude}]
     2: bulge out; form a bulge outward, or be so full as to appear
        to bulge [syn: {bag}]
     3: bulge outward; "His eyes popped" [syn: {protrude}, {pop}, {pop
        out}, {bulge out}, {bug out}, {come out}]
     4: cause to bulge or swell outwards [syn: {bulk}]

shatter
     v 1: break into many pieces; "The wine glass shattered"
     2: break into many pieces; "shatter the plate"

butt
     n 1: thick end of the handle [syn: {butt end}]
     2: a victim of ridicule or pranks [syn: {goat}, {laughingstock},
         {stooge}]
     3: the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on [syn: {buttocks},
         {nates}, {arse}, {backside}, {bum}, {buns}, {can}, {fundament},
         {hindquarters}, {hind end}, {keister}, {posterior}, {prat},
         {rear}, {rear end}, {rump}, {stern}, {seat}, {tail}, {tail
        end}, {tooshie}, {tush}, {bottom}, {behind}, {derriere}, {fanny},
         {ass}]
     4: sports equipment consisting of an object set up for a
        marksman or archer to aim at [syn: {target}]
     5: finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking [syn: {cigarette},
         {cigaret}, {coffin nail}, {fag}]
     6: a joint made by fastening ends together without overlapping
        [syn: {butt joint}]
     7: a large cask (especially one holding a volume equivalent to
        2 hogsheads or 126 gallons)
     8: the small unused part of something (especially the end of a
        cigarette that is left after smoking) [syn: {stub}]
     v 1: lie adjacent to another or share a boundary; "Canada adjoins
          the U.S."; "England marches with Scotland" [syn: {border},
           {adjoin}, {edge}, {abut}, {march}, {butt against}, {butt
          on}]
     2: to strike, thrust or shove against, often with head or
        horns; "He butted his sister out of the way." [syn: {bunt}]
     3: place end to end without overlapping; "The frames must be
        butted at the joints"

shard
     n : a broken piece of a brittle artifact [syn: {sherd}, {fragment}]

thing
     n 1: a special situation; "this thing has got to end"; "it is a
          remarkable thing"
     2: an action; "how could you do such a thing?"
     3: an artifact; "how does this thing work?"
     4: an event; "a funny thing happened on the way to the..."
     5: a statement regarded as an object; "to say the same thing in
        other terms"; "how can you say such a thing?"
     6: any attribute or quality considered as having its own
        existence; "the thing I like about her is ..."
     7: a special abstraction; "a thing of the spirit"; "things of
        the heart"
     8: a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to";
        "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well" [syn:
         {matter}, {affair}]
     9: an entity that is not named specifically; "I couldn't tell
        what the thing was"
     10: a special objective; "the thing is to stay in bounds"
     11: a persistent illogical feeling of desire or aversion; "he
         has a thing about seafood"; "she has a thing about him"
     12: a separate and self-contained entity

barrel
     n 1: a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
          [syn: {gun barrel}]
     2: a cylindrical container that holds liquids [syn: {cask}]
     3: a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends [syn: {drum}]
     4: the quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold [syn: {barrelful}]
     5: any of various units of capacity; "a barrel of beer is 31
        gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons" [syn: {bbl}]
     v : put in barrels

alloy
     n 1: a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or
          metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together
          or dissolving into each other when molten; "brass is an
          alloy of zinc and copper" [syn: {metal}]
     2: the state of impairing the quality or reducing the value of
        something [syn: {admixture}]
     v 1: lower in value by increasing the base-metal content; of
          metals [syn: {debase}]
     2: make an alloy of (metals)

crotch
     n 1: the angle formed by the inner sides of the legs where they
          join the human trunk [syn: {fork}]
     2: external sex organ [syn: {genitalia}, {genital organ}, {genitals},
         {private parts}, {privates}]

wig
     n 1: hairpiece covering the head and made of human or synthetic
          hair
     2: British slang for a scolding [syn: {wigging}]

clatter
     n : a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement); "the
         shutters clattered against the house"; "the clatter of
         iron wheels on cobblestones"
     v : make a rattling sound [syn: {clack}, {brattle}]

pituitary
     adj 1: of or relating to the pituitary gland; "pituitary hormone"
     2: having abnormal size with overgrown extremities resulting
        from abnormal pituitary secretion; "a protruding
        acromegalic jaw"; "a pituitary dwarf" [syn: {acromegalic}]
     n : the master gland of the endocrine system; located at the
         base of the brain [syn: {pituitary gland}, {pituitary
         body}, {hypophysis}]

lapel
     n : lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar

square
     adj 1: having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a
            right angle; "a square peg in a round hole"; "a square
            corner" [ant: {round}]
     2: (informal) leaving no balance; "my account with you is now
        all square" [syn: {square(p)}]
     3: characterized by honesty and fairness; "a square deal";
        "wanted to do the square thing" [syn: {straight}]
     4: without evasion or compromise; "a square contradiction"; "he
        is not being as straightforward as it appears" [syn: {square(a)},
         {straightforward}]
     5: (slang) rigidly conventional or old-fashioned [syn: {straight}]
     n 1: (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four
          right angles; a four-sided regular polygon; "you can
          compute the area of a square if you know the length of
          its sides" [syn: {foursquare}]
     2: the product of two equal terms; "nine is the second power of
        three"; "gravity is inversely proportional to the square
        of the distance" [syn: {second power}]
     3: an open area at the meeting of two or more streets [syn: {public
        square}]
     4: someone who doesn't understand what is going on [syn: {lame}]
     5: (informal) a formal and conservative person with
        old-fashioned views [syn: {square toes}]
     6: any artifact having a shape similar to a plane geometric
        figure with four equal sides and four right angles; "a
        checkerboard has 64 squares"
     7: a hand tool consisting of two straight arms at right angles;
        used to construct or test right angles; "the carpenter who
        built this room must have lost his square"
     adv 1: in a straight direct way; "looked him squarely in the eye";
            "ran square into me" [syn: {squarely}]
     2: with honesty and fairness; "dealt squarely with his
        customers"; "always treated me square" [syn: {squarely}]
     3: in a square shape; "a squarely cut piece of paper"; "folded
        the sheet of paper square" [syn: {squarely}]
     4: firmly and solidly; "hit the ball squarely"; "the bat met
        the ball squarely"; "planted his great bulk square before
        his enemy" [syn: {squarely}]
     v 1: raise to the second power
     2: make square; "Square the circle"; "square the wood with a
        file" [syn: {square up}]
     3: cause to match, as of ideas or acts
     4: position so as to be square; "He squared his shoulders"
     5: be compatible with; "one idea squares with another"
     6: pay someone and settle a debt; "I squared with him"
     7: turn the paddle; in canoeing [syn: {feather}]
     8: turn the oar, while rowing [syn: {feather}]

sway
     n 1: controlling influence
     2: pitching dangerously to one side [syn: {rock}, {careen}, {tilt}]
     v 1: move back and forth in an unstable manner; "the ship was
          rocking"; "the tall building swayed"; "the tree shook in
          the wind" [syn: {rock}, {shake}]
     2: move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner; "He swung
        back" [syn: {swing}]
     3: win approval or support for; "Carry all before one" [syn: {carry},
         {persuade}]
     4: move sideways or in an unsteady way, as of a ship or a
        vehicle out of control [syn: {careen}, {wobble}, {shift},
        {tilt}]
     5: sway gently back and forth, as of flowers or tress in the
        wind [syn: {nod}]
     6: cause to move back and forth; "rock the cradle"; "the wind
        swayed the trees gently" [syn: {rock}]
     7: cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or
        course of action; twist somebody's arm; "You can't
        persuade me to buy this ugly vase!"; "The teenager's
        parents were not swayed by their daughter's arguments"
        [syn: {persuade}] [ant: {dissuade}]

thimble
     n 1: as much as a thimble will hold [syn: {thimbleful}]
     2: a small metal cap to protect the finger while sewing; can be
        used as a small container

betrayal
     n 1: an act of deliberate betrayal [syn: {treachery}, {treason},
          {perfidy}]
     2: the quality of aiding an enemy

fiddle
     n : bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the
         violin family; this instrument has four strings and a
         hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played
         with a bow [syn: {violin}]
     v 1: play the violin or fiddle
     2: manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "She
        played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle
        with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for
        the Senate" [syn: {toy}, {diddle}, {play}]

latch
     n 1: spring-loaded doorlock that can only be opened from the
          outside with a key [syn: {door latch}]
     2: catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be
        lowered or slid into a groove
     v : fasten with a latch

switch
     adj : (baseball) able to bat either right-handed or left-handed;
           "a switch hitter" [syn: {switch(a)}]
     n 1: control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or
          electronic device for making or breaking or changing the
          connections in a circuit [syn: {electric switch}, {electrical
          switch}]
     2: an event in which one thing is substituted for another; "the
        replacement of lost blood by a transfusion of donor blood"
        [syn: {substitution}, {permutation}, {transposition}, {replacement}]
     3: hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women
        to give shape to a coiffure
     4: railroad track having two movable rails and necessary
        connections; used to turn a train from one track to
        another or to store rolling stock
     5: a flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment
     6: a basketball maneuver; two defensive players shift
        assignments so that each guards the player usually guarded
        by the other
     7: the act of changing one thing or position for another; "his
        switch on abortion cost him the election" [syn: {switching},
         {shift}]
     v 1: change over, change around, or switch over [syn: {switch
          over}, {exchange}]
     2: exchange or give (something) in exchange for [syn: {trade},
        {swap}, {swop}]
     3: lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a
        different brand of beer"; "She switched psychiatrists";
        "The car changed lanes" [syn: {shift}, {change}]
     4: make a shift in or exchange of; "First Joe led; then we
        switched" [syn: {change over}, {shift}]
     5: cause to go on or t be engaged; set in operation; "switch on
        the light"; "throw the lever" [syn: {throw}, {flip}]
     6: flog with or as if with a flexible rod
     7: reverse, as of direction, attitude, or course of action
        [syn: {interchange}, {tack}, {alternate}, {flip}, {flip-flop}]

socket
     n 1: a bony hollow into which a structure fits
     2: receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a
        bone) is inserted
     3: a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted

Fletcher
     n : prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis
         Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625) [syn: {Fletcher},
          {John Fletcher}]

slender
     adj 1: being of delicate or slender build; "she was slender as a
            willow shoot is slender"- Frank Norris; "a slim girl
            with straight blonde hair"; "watched her slight figure
            cross the street" [syn: {slight}, {slim}]
     2: very narrow; "a thin line across the page" [syn: {thin}]
     3: having little width in proportion to the length or height;
        "a slender pole"
     4: small in quantity; "slender wages"; "a slim chance of
        winning"; "a small surplus" [syn: {slim}]
     5: gracefully slender; moving and bending with ease [syn: {lissome},
         {lissom}, {lithe}, {lithesome}, {supple}, {svelte}, {sylphlike}]

chance
     adj : occurring or appearing or singled out by chance; "their
           accidental meeting led to a renewal of their
           friendship"; "seek help from casual passers-by"; "a
           casual meeting"; "a chance occurrence" [syn: {accidental},
            {casual}, {chance(a)}]
     n 1: a possibility due to a favorable combination of
          circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to
          visit Washington"; "now is your chance" [syn: {opportunity}]
     2: an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event
        to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused
        his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"
        [syn: {luck}, {fortune}, {hazard}]
     3: a risk involving danger; "you take a chance when you let her
        drive"
     4: a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur;
        "what is the probability of rain?"; "we have a good chance
        of winning" [syn: {probability}]
     v 1: be the case by chance; "I chanced to meet my old friend in
          the street"
     2: take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you
        buy these stocks you are gambling" [syn: {gamble}, {risk},
         {hazard}, {take chances}, {adventure}, {run a risk}, {take
        a chance}]
     3: come upon, as if by accident; meet with; "We find this idea
        in Plato"; "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not
        very far from here"; "She chanced upon an interesting book
        in the bookstore the other day" [syn: {find}, {happen}, {bump},
         {encounter}]

slop
     n : wet feed (especially for pigs) consisting of mostly kitchen
         waste mixed with water or skimmed or sour milk [syn: {slops},
          {swill}, {pigswill}, {pigwash}]
     v 1: cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a
          container; "spill the milk"; "splatter water" [syn: {spill},
           {splatter}]
     2: walk through mud or mire; "We had to splosh across the wet
        meadow" [syn: {squelch}, {squish}, {splash}, {splosh}, {slosh}]
     3: ladle clumsily; "slop the food onto the plate"
     4: feed pigs [syn: {swill}]

waist
     n 1: the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips [syn: {waistline}]
     2: the narrow part of the shoe connecting the heel and the wide
        part of the sole [syn: {shank}]

bleach
     n 1: the whiteness that results from removing the color from
          something; "a complete bleach usually requires several
          applications"
     2: an agent that makes things white or colorless [syn: {bleaching
        agent}, {blanching agent}, {whitener}]
     3: the act of whitening something by bleaching it (exposing it
        to sunlight or using a chemical bleaching agent)
     v 1: remove color from; "The sun bleached the red shirt" [syn: {bleach
          out}, {decolor}, {decolour}, {decolorize}, {decolourize},
           {decolorise}, {decolourise}, {discolorize}, {discolourise},
           {discolorise}]
     2: make whiter or lighter; "bleach the laundry"

duck
     n 1: small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming
          bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
     2: (in cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman [syn: {duck's
        egg}]
     3: flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)
     4: a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and
        tents
     v 1: to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away;
          "Before he could duck, another stone struck him."
     2: submerge or plunge suddenly
     3: dip into a liquid; "He dipped into the pool" [syn: {dip}, {douse}]
     4: avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
        (duties, questions, or issues); "He dodged the issue";
        "she skirted the problem"; "They tend to evade their
        responsibilities"; "he evaded the questions skillfully"
        [syn: {hedge}, {fudge}, {evade}, {put off}, {circumvent},
        {parry}, {elude}, {skirt}, {dodge}, {sidestep}]

scalding
     adj : hot enough to boil; "boiling water" [syn: {boiling}]

stain
     n 1: a soiled or discolored appearance; "the wine left a dark
          stain" [syn: {discoloration}, {discolouration}]
     2: a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy
        to make structures visible
     3: the state of being covered with unclean things [syn: {dirt},
         {filth}, {grime}, {soil}, {grease}, {grunge}]
     4: a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark
        upon Cain"--Genesis [syn: {mark}, {stigma}, {brand}]
     5: an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he
        made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: {blot}, {smear}, {smirch},
         {spot}]
     v 1: color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a
          beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass
          a beautiful blue in the middle ages"
     2: produce or leave stains; "Red wine stains the table cloth"
     3: color for microscopic study; "The laboratory worker dyed the
        specimen"

nexus
     n 1: the means of connection between things linked in series
          [syn: {link}]
     2: a connected series or group

zip
     n 1: a quantity of no importance; "it looked like nothing I had
          ever seen before"; "reduced to nil all the work we had
          done"; "we racked up a pathetic goose egg"; "it was all
          for naught"; "I didn't hear zilch about it" [syn: {nothing},
           {nil}, {nix}, {nada}, {null}, {aught}, {cipher}, {cypher},
           {goose egg}, {naught}, {zero}, {zilch}]
     2: a fastener for locking together two toothed edges by means
        of a sliding tab [syn: {slide fastener}, {zipper}, {zip-fastener}]
     v 1: close with a zipper; "Zip up your jacket--it's cold" [syn: {zip
          up}, {zipper}] [ant: {unzip}]
     2: move very fast; "The runner zipped past us at breakneck
        speed" [syn: {travel rapidly}, {speed}, {hurry}]

pancreas
     n : a large elongated exocrine gland located behind the stomach;
         secretes pancreatic juice and insulin

inert
     adj 1: unable to move or resist motion
     2: (chemistry) having only a limited ability to react
        chemically; not active; "inert matter"; "an indifferent
        chemical in a reaction" [syn: {indifferent}, {neutral}]
     3: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish
        worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: {sluggish},
         {torpid}]

seam
     n 1: joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
     2: a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface; "his
        face has many lines"; "ironing gets rid of most wrinkles"
        [syn: {wrinkle}, {furrow}, {crease}, {crinkle}, {line}]
     3: a stratum of ore or coal thick enough to be mined with
        profit; "he worked in the coal beds" [syn: {bed}]
     v 1: put together with a seam; "seam a dress"
     2: join with a seam

tending
     adj : (usually followed by `to') naturally disposed toward; "he is
           apt to ignore matters he considers unimportant"; "I am
           not minded to answer any questions" [syn: {apt(p)}, {disposed(p)},
            {given(p)}, {minded(p)}, {tending(p)}]
     n : the work of caring for or attending to someone or something;
         "no medical care was required"; "the old car needed
         constant attention" [syn: {care}, {attention}, {aid}]

thumb
     n 1: the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb [syn: {pollex}]
     2: the part of a glove that provides a covering for the thumb
     3: a convex molding having a cross section in the form of a
        quarter of a circle or of an ellipse [syn: {ovolo}, {quarter
        round}]
     v 1: travel by getting free rides from motorists [syn: {hitchhike},
           {hitch}]
     2: look through a book or other written material; "He thumbed
        through the report"; "She leafed through the volume" [syn:
         {flick}, {flip}, {riffle}, {leaf}, {riff}]
     3: feel or handle with the fingers; "finger the binding of the
        book" [syn: {finger}]

sheathed
     adj : enclosed in a protective covering; sometimes used in
           combination; "his sheathed sword"; "the cat's sheathed
           claws"; "a ship's bottom sheathed in copper";
           "copper-sheathed" [ant: {unsheathed}]

carapace
     n : hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as
         arthropods and turtles [syn: {shell}, {cuticle}]

spine
     n 1: the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and
          protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back"
          [syn: {spinal column}, {vertebral column}, {backbone}, {back},
           {rachis}]
     2: any pointed projection [syn: {spur}]
     3: a sharp-pointed tip on a stem or leaf [syn: {thorn}, {prickle},
         {pricker}, {sticker}]
     4: a sharp rigid animal process or appendage; as a porcupine
        quill or a ridge on a bone or a ray of a fish fin

skull
     n : the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

straddle
     n 1: the act of sitting or standing astride [syn: {span}]
     2: the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or
        commodity future) at a given price before a given date;
        consists of an equal number of put and call options
     v 1: sit or stand astride of
     2: range or extend over; occupy a certain area; "The plants
        straddle the entire state" [syn: {range}]
     3: be noncommittal [ant: {side}]

inhibitor
     n : a substance that retards or stops an activity [ant: {activator}]

brittle
     adj 1: having little elasticity; hence easily cracked or fractured
            or snapped; "brittle bones"; "glass is brittle";
            "`brickle' and `brickly' are dialectal" [syn: {brickle},
             {brickly}]
     2: lacking warmth and generosity of spirit; "a brittle and
        calculating woman"
     3: (of metal or glass) not annealed and consequently easily
        cracked or fractured [syn: {unannealed}]
     n : caramelized sugar cooled in thin sheets [syn: {toffee}, {toffy}]

twig
     n : small branch or division of a branch; usually applied to
         branches of the current or preceding year [syn: {branchlet},
          {sprig}]
     v 1: branch out in a twiglike manner; "The lightning bolt twigged
          in several directions"
     2: understand, usually after some initial difficulty [syn: {catch
        on}, {get onto}, {tumble}, {latch on}, {cotton on}, {get
        it}]

ragged
     adj 1: being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn; "clothes
            as ragged as a scarecrow's"; "a ragged tramp"
     2: worn out from stress or strain; "run ragged"
     3: having an irregular outline; "text set with ragged right
        margins"; "herded the class into a ragged line"

foil
     n 1: a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal; "the photographic
          film was wrapped in foil"
     2: anything that serves by contrast to call attention to
        another thing's good qualities; "pretty girls like plain
        friends as foils" [syn: {enhancer}]
     3: a device consisting of a flat or curved piece (as a metal
        plate) so that its surface reacts to the water it is
        passing through; "the fins of a fish act as hydrofoils"
        [syn: {hydrofoil}]
     4: picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a
        transparent base; viewed with a projector [syn: {transparency}]
     5: a light slender flexible sword tipped by a button
     v 1: enhance by contrast; "In this picture, the figures are
          foiled against the background"
     2: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What
        ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing
        September surge"; "foil your opponent" [syn: {thwart}, {queer},
         {spoil}, {scotch}, {cross}, {frustrate}, {baffle}, {bilk}]
     3: cover or back with foil; "foil mirrors"

seal
     n 1: fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is
          plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and
          parcels and letters [syn: {sealing wax}]
     2: a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a
        closing or to authenticate documents [syn: {stamp}]
     3: the pelt or fur (especially the underfur) of a seal; "a coat
        of seal" [syn: {sealskin}]
     4: a stamp affixed to a document (as to attest to its
        authenticity or to seal it); "the warrant bore the
        sheriff's seal"
     5: an indication of approved or superior status [syn: {cachet},
         {seal of approval}]
     6: a finishing coat applied to exclude moisture
     7: fastener that provides a tight and perfect closure
     8: any of numerous marine mammals that come on shore to breed;
        chiefly of cold regions
     v 1: close with or as if with a seal; "She sealed the letter with
          hot wax" [ant: {unseal}]
     2: make tight; secure against leakage; "seal the windows" [syn:
         {seal off}]
     3: decide irrevocably; "sealing dooms"
     4: affix a seal to
     5: cover with varnish [syn: {varnish}]
     6: hunt seals

gag
     n 1: a humorous anecdote or remark [syn: {joke}, {laugh}, {jest},
           {jape}, {yak}, {wheeze}]
     2: restraint put into a person's mouth to prevent speaking or
        shouting [syn: {muzzle}]
     v 1: prevent from speaking [syn: {muzzle}]
     2: be too tight; rub or press; "This neckband is choking the
        cat" [syn: {choke}, {fret}]
     3: make jokes or quips; "The students were gagging during
        dinner" [syn: {quip}]
     4: struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake; "he
        swallowed a fishbone and gagged" [syn: {choke}, {strangle},
         {suffocate}]
     5: cause to retch or choke [syn: {choke}]
     6: make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; strain to vomit [syn:
        {heave}, {retch}]

cough
     n 1: sudden expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air
          passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory
          infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis
          [syn: {coughing}]
     2: the act of exhaling air suddenly with a noise [syn: {coughing}]
     v : exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion;
         "The smoker coughs all day"

thigh
     n 1: the part of the leg between the hip and the knee
     2: the upper joint of the leg of a fowl [syn: {second joint}]

groping
     adj : acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence;
           "a groping effort to understand" [syn: {hesitant}]

bead
     n 1: a small ball with a hole through the middle
     2: a shape that is small and round; "he studied the shapes of
        low-viscosity drops"; "beads of sweat on his forehead"
        [syn: {drop}, {pearl}]
     3: a beaded molding for edging or decorating furniture [syn: {beading},
         {beadwork}, {astragal}]
     v 1: form into beads, as of water or sweat, for example
     2: decorate by sewing beads onto
     3: string together like beads

thigh
     n 1: the part of the leg between the hip and the knee
     2: the upper joint of the leg of a fowl [syn: {second joint}]

scrotum
     n : the external pouch that contains the testes

throb
     n 1: a deep pulsating type of pain
     2: an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart); "he
        felt a throbbing in his head" [syn: {throbbing}, {pounding}]
     v 1: pulsate or pound with abnormal force; "my head is
          throbbing"; "Her heart was throbbing"
     2: expand and contract rhythmically; beat rhythmically; "The
        baby's heart was pulsating again after the surgeon
        massaged it" [syn: {pulsate}, {pulse}]
     3: tremble convulsively [syn: {shudder}, {shiver}, {thrill}]

brittle
     adj 1: having little elasticity; hence easily cracked or fractured
            or snapped; "brittle bones"; "glass is brittle";
            "`brickle' and `brickly' are dialectal" [syn: {brickle},
             {brickly}]
     2: lacking warmth and generosity of spirit; "a brittle and
        calculating woman"
     3: (of metal or glass) not annealed and consequently easily
        cracked or fractured [syn: {unannealed}]
     n : caramelized sugar cooled in thin sheets [syn: {toffee}, {toffy}]

retreat
     n 1: (military) withdrawal to a more favorable position
     2: a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
     3: (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous
        position
     4: (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag
        at sunset
     5: an area where you can be alone [syn: {hideaway}]
     6: withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; "a religious
        retreat" [syn: {retirement}]
     v 1: pull back or move away or backward; "The enemy withdrew";
          "The limo pulled away from the curb" [syn: {withdraw}, {pull
          away}, {draw back}, {recede}, {pull back}, {retire}, {move
          back}]
     2: move away, as for privacy; "The Pope retreats to
        Castelgondolfo every summer"
     3: move back; "The glacier retrogrades" [syn: {retrograde}]
     4: make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity;
        "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"; "He
        backed out of his earlier promise"; "The aggressive
        investment company pulled in its horns" [syn: {pull back},
         {back out}, {back away}, {crawfish}, {crawfish out}, {pull
        in one's horns}, {withdraw}]

straddle
     n 1: the act of sitting or standing astride [syn: {span}]
     2: the option to buy or sell a given stock (or stock index or
        commodity future) at a given price before a given date;
        consists of an equal number of put and call options
     v 1: sit or stand astride of
     2: range or extend over; occupy a certain area; "The plants
        straddle the entire state" [syn: {range}]
     3: be noncommittal [ant: {side}]

cleft
     adj 1: used of hooves [syn: {cloven}, {bisulcate}]
     2: having one or more incisions reaching nearly to the midrib
        [syn: {dissected}]
     n 1: a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)
     2: a long narrow opening [syn: {crack}, {crevice}, {fissure}, {scissure}]

buttock
     n : either of the two large fleshy masses of muscular tissue
         that form the human rump [syn: {cheek}]

Labium \La"bi*um\, n.; pl. L. {Labia}, E. {Labiums}. [L.]
   1. A lip, or liplike organ.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The lip of an organ pipe.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. pl. (Anat.) The folds of integument at the opening of the
      vulva.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The organ of insects which covers the mouth beneath,
          and serves as an under lip. It consists of the second
          pair of maxill[ae], usually closely united in the
          middle line, but bearing a pair of palpi in most
          insects. It often consists of a thin anterior part
          (ligula or palpiger) and a firmer posterior plate
          (mentum).
      (b) Inner margin of the aperture of a shell.
          [1913 Webster]

convulsively
     adv : in a convulsive way; "her leg twitched convulsively" [syn: {with
           convulsions}]

impale
     v 1: pierce with a sharp stake or point; "impale a shrimp on a
          skewer" [syn: {transfix}, {empale}, {spike}]
     2: kill by piercing with a spear or sharp pole; "the enemies
        were impaled and left to die" [syn: {stake}]

taut
     adj 1: pulled or drawn tight; "taut sails"; "a tight drumhead"; "a
            tight rope" [syn: {tight}]
     2: subjected to great tension; stretched tight; "the skin of
        his face looked drawn and tight"; "her nerves were taut as
        the strings of a bow" [syn: {drawn}]

plywood
     n : a laminate made of thin layers of wood [syn: {plyboard}]

tense
     adj 1: in or of a state of physical or nervous tension [ant: {relaxed}]
     2: (phonetics) pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles
        (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat') [ant: {lax}]
     3: taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings" [ant:
        {lax}]
     n : a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions
         of time
     v 1: stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope" [syn: {strain}]
     2: increase the tension on; "tense a rope"
     3: become tense or tenser; "He tensed up when he saw his
        opponent enter the room" [syn: {tense up}] [ant: {relax}]
     4: make tense [syn: {strain}, {tense up}] [ant: {relax}, {relax}]

hush
     n : (poetic) tranquil silence; "the still of the night" [syn: {stillness},
          {still}]
     v 1: become quiet or still; fall silent; "hush my babay!"
     2: cause to be quiet or not talk; "Please silence the children
        in the church!" [syn: {quieten}, {silence}, {still}, {shut
        up}, {hush up}] [ant: {louden}]
     3: become quiet or quieter; "The audience fell silent when the
        speaker entered" [syn: {quieten}, {quiet}, {quiesce}, {quiet
        down}, {pipe down}] [ant: {louden}]
     4: wash by removing particles; in mining; "Wash ores"
     5: run water over the ground to erode (soil), revealing the
        underlying strata and valuable minerals; in mining

towering
     adj : of imposing height; especially standing out above others;
           "an eminent peak"; "lofty mountains"; "the soaring
           spires of the cathedral"; "towering iceburgs" [syn: {eminent},
            {lofty}, {soaring}]

puppet
     n 1: a small figure of a person operated from above with strings
          by a puppeteer [syn: {marionette}]
     2: a person who is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest
        tasks for someone else [syn: {creature}, {tool}]
     3: a doll with a hollow head of a person or animal and a cloth
        body; intended to fit over the hand and be manipulated
        with the fingers

ringed
     adj 1: shaped like a ring [syn: {annular}, {annulate}, {annulated},
             {circinate}, {circular}, {ring-shaped}]
     2: wearing a wedding ring; lawfully married; "a ringed wife"-
        Tennyson
     3: adorned or crowned with a circlet; sometimes used as
        combining forms; "a brow encircled with laurel"; "wreathed
        in an extraordinary luminescence"; "ringed round with
        daisies"; "smoke-wreathed" [syn: {encircled}, {wreathed}]

thicket
     n : a dense growth of bushes [syn: {brush}, {brushwood}, {coppice},
          {copse}]

projection
     n 1: a prediction made by extrapolating from past observations
     2: the projection of an image from a film onto a screen
     3: a planned undertaking [syn: {project}]
     4: any structure that branches out from a central support
     5: any solid convex shape that juts out from something
     6: (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your own traits
        and emotions are attributed to someone else
     7: the representation of a figure or solid on a plane as it
        would look from a particular direction
     8: the act of projecting out from something [syn: {protrusion},
         {jut}, {jutting}]
     9: the act of expelling or projecting or ejecting [syn: {expulsion},
         {ejection}, {forcing out}]

gear
     n 1: a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in
          order to change the speed or direction of transmitted
          motion [syn: {gear wheel}, {cogwheel}]
     2: a mechanism for transmitting motion by gears for some
        specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle) [syn:
         {gear mechanism}]
     3: equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a
        particular operation or sport etc. [syn: {paraphernalia},
        {appurtenances}]
     v : set the level or character of; "She pitched her speech to
         the teenagers in the audience" [syn: {pitch}]

Stratum \Stra"tum\, n.; pl. E. {Stratums}, L. {Strata}. The
   latter is more common. [L., from sternere, stratum, to
   spread; akin to Gr. ? to spread, strew. See {Strew}, and cf.
   {Consternation}, {Estrade}, {Prostrate}, {Stratus},
   {Street}.]
   1. (Geol.) A bed of earth or rock of one kind, formed by
      natural causes, and consisting usually of a series of
      layers, which form a rock as it lies between beds of other
      kinds. Also used figuratively.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A bed or layer artificially made; a course.
      [1913 Webster]

tier
     n 1: a relative position or degree of value in a graded group;
          "lumber of the highest grade" [syn: {grade}, {level}]
     2: any one of two or more competitors who tie one another
     3: a worker who ties something [syn: {tier up}]
     4: something that is used for tying; "the sail is fastened to
        the yard with tiers"
     5: one of two or more layers one atop another; "tier upon tier
        of huge casks"; "a three-tier wedding cake"

grip
     n 1: the act of grasping; "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he
          has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold
          on the railing" [syn: {clasp}, {clench}, {clutch}, {clutches},
           {grasp}, {hold}]
     2: the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in
        order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the
        handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good
        grip" [syn: {handle}, {handgrip}, {hold}]
     3: a portable rectangular traveling bag for carrying clothes;
        "he carried his small bag onto the plane with him" [syn: {bag},
         {traveling bag}, {suitcase}]
     4: the friction between a body and the surface on which it
        moves (as between an automobile tire and the road) [syn: {traction},
         {adhesive friction}]
     5: worker who moves the camera around while a film or
        television show is being made
     6: a firm controlling influence; "they kept a firm grip on the
        two top priorities"; "he was in the grip of a powerful
        emotion"; "a terrible power had her in its grasp" [syn: {grasp}]
     7: a flat wire hairpin whose prongs press tightly together;
        used to hold bobbed hair in place; "in England they call a
        bobby pin a grip" [syn: {bobby pin}, {hairgrip}]
     v 1: hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel"
     2: to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men
        grappled with each other for several minutes" [syn: {grapple}]
     3: to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing
        terror or awe; "The eye of the Ancient Mariner fascinated
        the wedding guest." Burton; "The serpent fascinates its
        prey,..by the power of his eyes." Todd & Bowman [syn: {fascinate},
         {transfix}, {spellbind}]
     4: hold firmly [syn: {grasp}, {hold on}]

fencer
     n : someone skilled at fencing [syn: {swordsman}]

skewer
     n : a long pin for holding meat in position while it is being
         roasted
     v : drive a skewer through; "skewer the meat for the BBQ" [syn:
         {spit}]

knuckle
     n : a joint of a finger when the fist is closed [syn: {knuckle
         joint}, {metacarpophalangeal joint}]
     v 1: press or rub with the knuckles
     2: shoot a marble while keeping one's knuckles on the ground

knot
     n 1: a tight cluster of people or things; "a small knot of women
          listened to his sermon"
     2: any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a rope
        (or cord) upon itself or to another rope or to another
        object
     3: a hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a
        branch emerged; "the saw buckled when it hit a knot"
     4: something twisted and tight and swollen; "their muscles
        stood out in knots"; "the old man's fists were two great
        gnarls"; "his stomach was in knots" [syn: {gnarl}]
     5: a unit of length used in navigation; equivalent to the
        distance spanned by one minute of arc in latitude; 1,852
        meters [syn: {nautical mile}, {mile}, {mi}, {naut mi}, {international
        nautical mile}, {air mile}]
     6: soft lump or unevenness in a yarn; either an imperfection or
        created by design [syn: {slub}, {burl}]
     7: sandpiper that breeds in the arctic and winters in the S
        hemisphere [syn: {grayback}, {Calidris canutus}]
     v 1: make into knots; make knots out of
     2: tie or fasten into a knot
     3: tangle or complicate; "a ravelled story" [syn: {ravel}, {tangle}]
        [ant: {unravel}, {unravel}]

fatigues
     n : military uniform worn by military personnel when doing
         menial labor

bob
     n 1: a former monetary unit in Great Britain [syn: {British
          shilling}, {shilling}]
     2: a hair style for women and children; a short haircut all
        around
     3: a long racing sled (for 2 or more people) with a steering
        mechanism [syn: {bobsled}, {bobsleigh}]
     4: a hanging weight, especially a metal ball on a string
     5: a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing
        line [syn: {bobber}, {cork}, {bobfloat}]
     6: a short or shortened tail of certain animals [syn: {bobtail},
         {dock}]
     7: a short abrupt inclination (as of the head); "he gave me a
        short bob of acknowledgement"
     v 1: move up and down repeatedly; "her rucksack bobbed gently on
          her back"
     2: ride a bobsled; "The boys bobbed down the hill screaming
        with pleasure" [syn: {bobsled}]
     3: remove or shorten the tail of an animal [syn: {dock}, {tail}]
     4: make a curtsy; usually done only by girls and women; as a
        sign of respect; "She curtsied when she shook the Queen's
        hand" [syn: {curtsy}]
     5: cut hair in the style of a bob; "Bernice bobs her hair these
        days!"

trip
     n 1: a journey for some purpose (usually including the return);
          "he took a trip to the shopping center"
     2: a hallucinatory experience induced by drugs; "an acid trip"
     3: an accidental misstep threatening (or causing) a fall; "he
        blamed his slip on the ice"; "the jolt caused many slips
        and a few spills" [syn: {slip}]
     4: a catch mechanism that acts as a switch; "the pressure
        activates the tripper and releases the water" [syn: {tripper}]
     5: a light or nimble tread; "he heard the trip of women's feet
        overhead"
     6: an unintentional but embarrassing blunder; "he recited the
        whole poem without a single trip"; "confusion caused his
        unfortunate misstep" [syn: {stumble}, {misstep}]
     v 1: miss a step and fall or nearly fall; "She stumbled over the
          tree root." [syn: {stumble}]
     2: cause to stumble [syn: {trip up}]
     3: make a trip for pleasure [syn: {travel}, {jaunt}]
     4: put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate
        the circuits" [syn: {actuate}, {trigger}, {activate}, {set
        off}, {spark off}, {spark}, {trigger off}, {touch off}]
     5: get high, stoned, or drugged; "He trips every weekend" [syn:
         {trip out}, {turn on}, {get off}]

sleeve
     n 1: the part of a garment that is attached at armhole and
          provides a cloth covering for the arm [syn: {arm}]
     2: small case into which an object fits

dowser
     n 1: someone who uses a divining rod to find underground water
          [syn: {water witch}]
     2: forked stick said to indicate underground water or oil [syn:
         {diving rod}, {waterfinder}, {water finder}]

convulsively
     adv : in a convulsive way; "her leg twitched convulsively" [syn: {with
           convulsions}]

stalls
     n 1: (British) seating in the forward part of the main level of a
          theater
     2: a farm building for housing horses or other livestock [syn:
        {stable}, {horse barn}]

ruby
     adj : having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent
           of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
           [syn: {red}, {reddish}, {ruddy}, {blood-red}, {carmine},
            {cerise}, {cherry}, {cherry-red}, {crimson}, {ruby-red},
            {scarlet}]
     n 1: a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished
          and is valued as a precious gem
     2: a transparent deep red variety of corundum; used as a
        gemstone and in lasers
     3: a deep and vivid red [syn: {crimson}, {deep red}]

pillar
     n 1: a fundamental principle or practice; "science eroded the
          pillars of superstition"
     2: anything tall and thin approximating the shape of a column
        or tower; "the test tube held a column of white powder";
        "a tower of dust rose above the horizon"; "a thin pillar
        of smoke betrayed their campsite" [syn: {column}, {tower}]
     3: a prominent supporter; "he is a pillar of the community"
        [syn: {mainstay}]
     4: a vertical structure standing alone and not supporting
        anything (as a monument or a column of air) [syn: {column}]
     5: a tall cylindrical vertical upright [syn: {column}]

chanting
     n : the act of singing in a monotonous tone [syn: {intonation}]

bubble
     n 1: a hollow globule of gas (e.g., air or carbon dioxide)
     2: a speculative scheme that depends on unstable factors that
        the planner cannot control; "his proposal was nothing but
        a house of cards"; "a real estate bubble" [syn: {house of
        cards}]
     3: an impracticable and illusory idea; "he didn't want to burst
        the newcomer's bubble"
     4: a dome-shaped covering made of transparent glass or plastic
     v 1: form produce, or emit bubbles, as of liquids or gases; "The
          soup was bubbling"
     2: flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise, as of
        water; "babbling brooks" [syn: {ripple}, {babble}, {guggle},
         {burble}, {gurgle}]
     3: expel gas from the stomach; "In China it is polite to burp
        at the table" [syn: {burp}, {belch}, {eruct}]

fence
     n 1: a barrier that serves to enclose an area [syn: {fencing}]
     2: (informal) a dealer in stolen property
     v 1: enclose with a fence; "we fenced in our yard" [syn: {fence
          in}]
     2: receive stolen goods
     3: fight with fencing swords
     4: surround with a wall in order to fortify [syn: {wall}, {palisade},
         {fence in}, {surround}]
     5: have an argument about something [syn: {argue}, {contend}, {debate}]