huddle
     n 1: (informal) a quick private conference [syn: {powwow}]
     2: a disorganized and densely packed crowd; "a huddle of
        frightened women"
     v 1: crowd or draw together [syn: {huddle together}]
     2: crouch or curl up [syn: {cower}]

meager
     adj 1: deficient in amount or quality or extent; "meager
            resources"; "meager fare" [syn: {meagre}, {meagerly}]
            [ant: {ample}]
     2: barely adequate; "a meager allowance" [syn: {scrimpy}]

allotment
     n 1: a share set aside for a specific purpose [syn: {allocation}]
     2: the act of distributing by allotting or apportioning; "the
        apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is
        based on the relative population of each state" [syn: {apportionment},
         {apportioning}, {allocation}, {parceling}, {parcelling},
        {assignation}]

bundle
     n 1: a collection of things wrapped or boxed together [syn: {package},
           {packet}, {parcel}]
     2: a package of several things tied together for carrying or
        storing [syn: {sheaf}]
     v 1: make into a bundle; "he bundled up his few possessions"
          [syn: {bundle up}, {roll up}]
     2: gather or cause to gather into a cluster; "She bunched her
        fingers into a fist"; "The students bunched up at the
        registration desk" [syn: {bunch}, {bunch up}, {cluster}, {clump}]
     3: compress into a wad; "wad paper into the box" [syn: {pack},
        {wad}, {compact}]
     4: sleep fully clothed in the same bed with one's betrothed
        [syn: {practice bundling}]

laden
     adj 1: filled with a great quantity; "a tray loaded with dishes";
            "table laden with food"; "`ladened' is not current
            usage" [syn: {loaded}, {ladened}]
     2: burdened psychologically or mentally; "laden with grief";
        "oppressed by a sense of failure" [syn: {oppressed}]
     v 1: remove with or as if with a ladle; of liquids [syn: {ladle},
           {lade}]
     2: fill or load; "load a car" [syn: {load}, {lade}, {load up}]

concourse
     n 1: a large gathering of people [syn: {multitude}, {throng}]
     2: a wide hallway in a building where people can walk
     3: a coming together of people [syn: {confluence}]

subdue
     v 1: put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes
          any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her
          dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners
          subjugated the peasants working the land" [syn: {repress},
           {quash}, {keep down}, {subjugate}, {reduce}]
     2: to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent
        uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's
        desires" [syn: {suppress}, {stamp down}, {inhibit}, {conquer},
         {curb}]
     3: hold within limits and control; "subdue one's appetites";
        "mortify the flesh" [syn: {mortify}, {cricify}]
     4: get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his
        shyness" [syn: {overcome}, {get over}, {surmount}, {master}]
     5: make subordinate, dependent, or subservient; "Our wishes
        have to be subordinated to that of our ruler" [syn: {subordinate}]
     6: correct by punishment or discipline [syn: {tame}, {chasten}]

jostle
     n : the act of jostling (forcing your way by pushing) [syn: {jostling}]
     v 1: make one's way by jostling, pushing, or shoving; "We had to
          jostle our way to the front of the platform"
     2: come into rough contact with while moving; "The passengers
        jostled each other in the overcrowded train" [syn: {shove}]

irksome
     adj : 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}, {dull},
            {ho-hum}, {slow}, {tedious}, {tiresome}, {wearisome}]

drone
     n 1: stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially
          honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
     2: an unchanging intonation [syn: {monotone}, {droning}]
     3: someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags
        behind [syn: {dawdler}, {laggard}, {lagger}, {trailer}]
     4: an aircraft without a pilot that is operated by remote
        control [syn: {pilotless aircraft}, {radio-controlled
        aircraft}]
     5: a pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single
        continuous tone [syn: {drone pipe}, {bourdon}]
     v 1: make a monotonous low dull sound
     2: talk in a monotonous voice [syn: {drone on}]

handsome
     adj 1: pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to
            ideals of form and proportion; "a fine-looking woman";
            "a good-looking man"; "better-looking than her
            sister"; "very pretty but not so extraordinarily
            handsome"- Thackeray; "our southern women are
            well-favored"- Lillian Hellman [syn: {fine-looking}, {good-looking},
             {better-looking}, {well-favored}, {well-favoured}]
     2: given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous
        goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded
        host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving
        and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent
        gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather" [syn: {big},
        {bighearted}, {bounteous}, {bountiful}, {freehanded}, {giving},
         {liberal}, {openhanded}]

lean-to
     n : rough shelter whose roof has only one slope

plumbing
     n 1: utility consisting of the pipes and fixtures for the
          distribution of water or gas in a building and for the
          disposal of sewage [syn: {plumbing system}]
     2: the occupation of a plumber (installing and repairing pipes
        and fixtures for water or gas or sewage in a building)
        [syn: {plumbery}]
     3: measuring the depths of the oceans [syn: {bathymetry}]

anxious
     adj 1: mentally upset over possible misfortune or danger etc;
            worried; "anxious parents"; "anxious about her job";
            "not used to a city and anxious about small things";
            "felt apprehensive about the consequences" [syn: {apprehensive}]
     2: (colloquial) eagerly desirous; "anxious to see the new show
        at the museum"; "dying to hear who won" [syn: {anxious(p)},
         {dying(p)}]
     3: causing or fraught with or showing anxiety; "spent an
        anxious night waiting for the test results"; "cast anxious
        glances behind her"; "those nervous moments before
        takeoff"; "an unquiet mind" [syn: {nervous}, {uneasy}, {unquiet}]

curb
     n 1: an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a
          line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)
          [syn: {kerb}]
     2: a horse's bit with an attached chain or strap to check the
        horse [syn: {curb bit}]
     3: a stock exchange in New York [syn: {American Stock Exchange},
         {AMEX}, {Curb}]
     4: the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess;
        "his common sense is a bridle to his quick temper" [syn: {bridle},
         {check}]
     v 1: lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or
          keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake";
          "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your
          anger" [syn: {control}, {hold in}, {hold}, {contain}, {check},
           {moderate}]
     2: to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent
        uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's
        desires" [syn: {suppress}, {stamp down}, {inhibit}, {subdue},
         {conquer}]
     3: keep to the curb; "curb your dogs"
     4: place restrictions on; "curtail drinking in school" [syn: {restrict},
         {curtail}, {cut back}]

detest
     v : dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards; "I
         hate Mexican food"; "She detests politicians" [syn: {hate}]
         [ant: {love}]

harry
     v 1: annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his
          staff when he is overworked" [syn: {harass}, {hassle}, {chivy},
           {chivvy}, {chevy}, {chevvy}, {beset}, {plague}, {molest},
           {provoke}]
     2: make a pillaging or destructive raid on (a place), as in
        wartimes [syn: {ravage}]

slosh
     v 1: make a splashing sound; of liquids [syn: {splash}, {splosh},
           {slush}]
     2: walk through mud or mire; "We had to splosh across the wet
        meadow" [syn: {squelch}, {squish}, {splash}, {splosh}, {slop}]
     3: spill or splash copiously or clumsily; "slosh paint all over
        the walls" [syn: {slush}, {slosh around}, {slush around}]

snooty
     adj : used colloquially of one who is overly conceited or
           arrogant; "a snotty little scion of a degenerate
           family"-Laurent Le Sage; "they're snobs--stuck-up and
           uppity and persnickety" [syn: {bigheaded}, {persnickety},
            {snot-nosed}, {snotty}, {stuck-up}, {too big for one's
           breeches}, {uppish}]

dash
     n 1: distinctive and stylish elegance; "he wooed her with the
          confident dash of a cavalry officer" [syn: {elan}, {flair},
           {panache}, {style}]
     2: a quick run [syn: {sprint}]
     3: a footrace run at top speed; "he is preparing for the
        100-yard dash"
     4: a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word
        or between the syllables of a word when the word is
        divided at the end of a line of text [syn: {hyphen}]
     5: the longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code
        [syn: {dah}]
     6: the act of moving with great haste; "he made a dash for the
        door" [syn: {bolt}]
     v 1: run or move very quickly or hastily; "She dashed into the
          yard" [syn: {dart}, {scoot}, {scud}, {flash}, {shoot}]
     2: break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over; "Smash a
        plate" [syn: {smash}]
     3: hurl or thrust violently; "He dashed the plate against the
        wall"; "Waves were dashing against the rock" [syn: {crash}]
     4: destroy or break; "dashed ambitions and hopes"
     5: cause to lose courage; "dashed by the refusal" [syn: {daunt},
         {scare off}, {pall}, {frighten off}, {scare away}, {frighten
        away}, {scare}]
     6: add an enlivening or altering element to; "blue paint dashed
        with white"

hush up
     v 1: cover up a misdemeanor; "Let's not whitewash the crimes of
          Stalin" [syn: {whitewash}, {gloss over}, {sleek over}]
     2: cause to be quiet or not talk; "Please silence the children
        in the church!" [syn: {hush}, {quieten}, {silence}, {still},
         {shut up}] [ant: {louden}]

ooze
     n 1: any thick messy substance [syn: {sludge}, {slime}, {goo}, {gook},
           {guck}, {gunk}, {muck}]
     2: the process of seeping [syn: {seepage}, {oozing}]
     v 1: pass gradually or leak through or as if through small
          openings [syn: {seep}]
     2: release (a liquid) in drops or small quantities; "exude
        sweat through the pores" [syn: {exude}, {exudate}, {transude},
         {ooze out}]

dodge
     n 1: an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or
          evade; "his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us
          off the track" [syn: {contrivance}, {stratagem}]
     2: a quick evasive movement
     3: a statement that evades the question by cleverness or
        trickery [syn: {dodging}, {scheme}]
     v 1: make a sudden movement in a new direction (as to evade a
          blow)
     2: move to and fro or from place to place usually in an
        irregular course
     3: 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}, {duck}, {sidestep}]

strive
     v 1: attempt by employing effort; "we endeavor to make our
          customers happy" [syn: {endeavor}, {endeavour}]
     2: to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to
        hear." [syn: {reach}, {strain}]

strive
     v 1: attempt by employing effort; "we endeavor to make our
          customers happy" [syn: {endeavor}, {endeavour}]
     2: to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to
        hear." [syn: {reach}, {strain}]

discriminate
     adj 1: marked by the ability to see or make fine distinctions;
            "discriminate judgments"; "discriminate people" [syn:
            {discriminating}] [ant: {indiscriminate}]
     2: noting distinctions with nicety; "a discriminating interior
        designer"; "a nice sense of color"; "a nice point in the
        argument" [syn: {nice}]
     v 1: recognize or perceive the difference [syn: {know apart}]
     2: treat differently on the basis of sex or race [syn: {separate},
         {single out}]
     3: distinguish; "I could not discriminate the different tastes
        in this complicated dish"

trudge
     n : a long difficult walk
     v 1: walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud;
          "Donkeys that plodded wearily in a circle around a gin"
          D.H. Lawrence [syn: {slog}, {footslog}, {plod}, {pad}, {tramp}]
     2: to walk or proceed draggingly, slowly; "Snow buried the
        streets and covered the slanting rooftops, as John trudged
        toward St. Peter's." [syn: {trail}, {shack}]

slush
     n : partially melted snow
     v 1: make a splashing sound; of liquids [syn: {splash}, {splosh},
           {slosh}]
     2: spill or splash copiously or clumsily; "slosh paint all over
        the walls" [syn: {slosh}, {slosh around}, {slush around}]

lung
     n : either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of
         vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide
         oxygen to the blood

blare
     n : a loud harsh or strident noise [syn: {blaring}, {cacophony},
          {clamor}, {din}]
     v 1: make a strident sound; "She tended to blast when speaking
          into a microphone" [syn: {blast}]
     2: make a loud noise; "The horns of the taxis blared" [syn: {honk},
         {beep}, {claxon}, {toot}]

revel
     n : unrestrained merrymaking [syn: {revelry}]
     v 1: take delight in; "he delights in his granddaughter" [syn: {delight},
           {enjoy}]
     2: celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in
        uproarious festivities; "The members of the wedding party
        made merry all night"; "Let's whoop it up--the boss is
        gone!" [syn: {racket}, {make whoopie}, {make merry}, {make
        happy}, {whoop it up}, {jollify}, {wassail}]
     3: be ecstatic with joy [syn: {wallow}, {rejoice}, {triumph}]

hiss
     n 1: a fricative sound (especially as an expression of
          disapproval); "the performers could not be heard over
          the hissing of the audience" [syn: {hissing}, {sibilation}]
     2: a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt [syn:
         {boo}, {hoot}, {Bronx cheer}, {raspberry}, {razzing}, {snort},
         {bird}]
     v 1: make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval [syn:
          {siss}, {sizz}, {sibilate}]
     2: move with a whooshing sound [syn: {whoosh}]
     3: express or utter with a hiss [syn: {sizz}, {siss}, {sibilate}]
     4: show displeasure, as after a performance or speech [syn: {boo}]
        [ant: {applaud}]

thaw
     n 1: the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a
          liquid; "the power failure caused a refrigerator melt
          that was a disaster"; "the thawing of a frozen turkey
          takes several hours" [syn: {melt}, {thawing}, {melting}]
     2: warm weather following a freeze; snow and ice melt; "they
        welcomed the spring thaw" [syn: {thawing}, {warming}]
     v : become or cause to become soft or liquid; "The sun melted
         the ice"; "the ice thawed"; "the ice cream melted"; "The
         heat melted the wax" [syn: {unfreeze}, {unthaw}, {melt}]

harness
     n 1: a support consisting of an arrangement of straps for holding
          something to the body (especially one supporting a
          person suspended from a parachute)
     2: stable gear consisting of an arrangement of leather straps
        fitted to a draft animal so that it can be attached to and
        pull a cart
     v 1: put a harness on; of animals such as horses [ant: {unharness}]
     2: exploit the power of; "harness natural forces and resources"
     3: control and direct with or as if by reins; as of a horse
        [syn: {rein in}, {draw rein}, {rein}]
     4: keep in check; "rule one's temper" [syn: {rule}, {rein}]

clamor
     n 1: a loud harsh or strident noise [syn: {blare}, {blaring}, {cacophony},
           {din}]
     2: loud and persistent outcry from many people; "he ignored the
        clamor of the crowd" [syn: {clamoring}, {clamour}, {clamouring},
         {hue and cry}]
     v 1: make loud demands; "he clamored for justice and tolerance"
          [syn: {clamour}]
     2: utter or proclaim insistently and noisily; "The delegates
        clamored their disappointment" [syn: {clamour}]
     3: compel someone to do something by insistent clamoring; "They
        clamored the mayor into building a new park"

clamour
     n : loud and persistent outcry from many people; "he ignored the
         clamor of the crowd" [syn: {clamor}, {clamoring}, {clamouring},
          {hue and cry}]
     v 1: utter or proclaim insistently and noisily; "The delegates
          clamored their disappointment" [syn: {clamor}]
     2: make loud demands; "he clamored for justice and tolerance"
        [syn: {clamor}]

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

board
     n 1: a committee having supervisory powers; "the board has seven
          members"
     2: a flat piece of material designed for a special purpose; "he
        nailed boards across the windows"
     3: a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of
        sizes and used for many purposes [syn: {plank}]
     4: a board on which information can be displayed to public view
        [syn: {display panel}, {display board}]
     5: a flat portable surface (usually rectangular) designed for
        board games; "he got out the board and set up the pieces"
        [syn: {gameboard}]
     6: food or meals in general; "she sets a fine table"; "room and
        board" [syn: {table}]
     7: electrical device consisting of an insulated panel
        containing switches and dials and meters for controlling
        other electrical devices; "he checked the instrument
        panel"; "suddenly the board lit up like a Christmas tree"
        [syn: {control panel}, {instrument panel}, {control board},
         {panel}]
     8: a printed circuit that can be inserted into expansion slots
        in a computer to increase the computer's capabilities
        [syn: {circuit board}, {circuit card}, {card}]
     9: a table at which meals are served; "he helped her clear the
        dining table"; "a feast was spread upon the board" [syn: {dining
        table}]
     v 1: get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.) [syn:
           {get on}] [ant: {get off}]
     2: live and take one's meals (in a certain place) [syn: {room}]
     3: lodge and take meals (at)
     4: provide food and lodging (for)

flinch
     n : a reflex response to sudden pain [syn: {wince}]
     v : draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they
         showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: {squinch}, {funk},
          {cringe}, {shrink}, {wince}, {recoil}, {quail}]

joint
     adj 1: united or combined; "a joint session of Congress"; "joint
            owners" [ant: {separate}]
     2: affecting or involving two or more; "joint income-tax
        return"; "joint ownership"
     3: involving both houses of a legislature; "a joint session of
        Congress"
     n 1: (anatomy) the point of connection between two bones or
          elements of a skeleton (especially if the articulation
          allows motion) [syn: {articulation}, {articulatio}]
     2: a disreputable place of entertainment
     3: the shape or manner in which things come together and a
        connection is made [syn: {articulation}, {join}, {juncture},
         {junction}]
     4: a piece of meat roasted or for roasting and of a size for
        slicing into more than one portion [syn: {roast}]
     5: junction by which parts or objects are joined together
     6: marijuana leaves rolled into a cigarette for smoking [syn: {marijuana
        cigarette}, {reefer}, {stick}, {spliff}]
     v 1: fit as if by joints; "The boards fit neatly"
     2: provide with a joint, as of two pieces of wood [syn: {articulate}]
     3: fasten with a joint

smolder
     v 1: burn slowly and without a flame; "a smoldering fire" [syn: {smoulder}]
     2: have strong suppressed feelings [syn: {smoulder}]

smoulder
     n : a smouldering fire; "the smoulder became a blaze"
     v 1: have strong suppressed feelings [syn: {smolder}]
     2: burn slowly and without a flame; "a smoldering fire" [syn: {smolder}]

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}]

spruce
     adj : marked by smartness in dress and manners; "a dapper young
           man"; "a jaunty red hat" [syn: {dapper}, {dashing}, {jaunty},
            {natty}, {raffish}, {rakish}, {smart}, {spiffy}, {snappy}]
     n 1: light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used
          especially for timbers and millwork
     2: any coniferous tree of the genus Picea
     v 1: make neat, smart, or trim; "Spruce up your house for
          Spring"; "titivate the child" [syn: {spruce up}, {titivate},
           {tittivate}, {smarten up}, {slick up}, {spiff up}]
     2: dress and groom with particular care, as for a special
        occasion; "He spruced up for the party" [syn: {spruce up},
         {slick up}, {smarten up}]

scarf
     n : a garment worn around the head or neck or shoulders for
         warmth or decoration
     v 1: masturbate while strangling oneself
     2: unite by a scarf joint
     3: wrap in or adorn with a scarf

waffle
     n : pancake batter baked in a waffle iron
     v : pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness;
         "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures." [syn: {hesitate},
          {waver}]

benevolence
     n 1: disposition to do good [ant: {malevolence}]
     2: an inclination to do kind or charitable acts
     3: an act intending or showing kindness and good will [syn: {benefaction}]

flabbergast
     v : overcome with amazement; "This boggles the mind!" [syn: {boggle},
          {bowl over}]

perch
     n 1: support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a
          resting place (especially for a bird)
     2: (British) a linear measure of 16.5 feet [syn: {rod}, {pole}]
     3: a square rod of land [syn: {rod}, {pole}]
     4: an elevated place serving as a seat
     5: any of numerous fishes of America and Europe
     6: spiny-finned freshwater food and game fishes
     7: any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of various families of
        the order Perciformes
     v 1: sit, as on a branch; "The birds perched high in the treee"
          [syn: {roost}, {rest}]
     2: to come to rest, settle; "Misfortune lighted upon him."
        [syn: {alight}, {light}]
     3: cause to perch or sit; "She perched her hat on her head"

torrent
     n 1: a heavy rain [syn: {downpour}, {cloudburst}, {deluge}, {waterspout},
           {pelter}, {soaker}]
     2: a violently fast stream of water (or other liquid); "the
        houses were swept away in the torrent" [syn: {violent
        stream}]
     3: an overwhelming number or amount; "a flood of requests"; "a
        torrent of abuse" [syn: {flood}, {inundation}, {deluge}]

scurry
     n : rushing about hastily in an undignified way [syn: {scamper},
          {scramble}]
     v : to move about or proceed hurriedly; "so terrified by the
         extraordinary ebbing of the sea that they scurried to
         higher ground." [syn: {scamper}, {skitter}, {scuttle}]

ambush
     n : the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack
         by surprise [syn: {ambuscade}, {lying in wait}, {trap}]
     v 1: wait in hiding to attack [syn: {scupper}, {bushwhack}, {waylay},
           {lurk}, {ambuscade}, {lie in wait}]
     2: hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing [syn: {still-hunt}]

dreary
     adj 1: depressing in character or appearance; "drove through dingy
            streets"; "the dismal prison twilight"- Charles
            Dickens; "drab old buildings"; "a dreary mining town";
            "gloomy tenements"; "sorry routine that follows on the
            heels of death"- B.A.Williams [syn: {dingy}, {dismal},
             {drab}, {drear}, {gloomy}, {sorry}]
     2: lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise; "her drab
        personality"; "life was drab compared with the more
        exciting life style overseas"; "a series of dreary dinner
        parties" [syn: {drab}]

dreadful
     adj 1: causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful
            risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful
            that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the
            headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease
            it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling";
            "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible
            curse" [syn: {awful}, {dire}, {direful}, {dread(a)}, {dreaded},
             {fearful}, {fearsome}, {frightening}, {horrendous}, {horrific},
             {terrible}]
     2: exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste";
        "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful
        manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting";
        "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room" [syn: {atrocious},
         {abominable}, {awful}, {painful}, {terrible}, {unspeakable}]
     3: very unpleasant

indulge
     v 1: give free rein to; "The writer indulged in metaphorical
          language"
     2: yield (to); give satisfaction to [syn: {gratify}, {pander}]
     3: enjoy to excess [syn: {luxuriate}]
     4: treat with excessive indulgence; "grandparents often pamper
        the children"; "Let's not mollycoddle our students!" [syn:
         {pamper}, {featherbed}, {cosset}, {cocker}, {baby}, {coddle},
         {mollycoddle}, {spoil}]

flinch
     n : a reflex response to sudden pain [syn: {wince}]
     v : draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they
         showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: {squinch}, {funk},
          {cringe}, {shrink}, {wince}, {recoil}, {quail}]

ridicule
     n 1: language or behavior intended to mock or humiliate
     2: the act of deriding or treating with contempt [syn: {derision}]
     v : subject to laughter or ridicule; "The satirists ridiculed
         the plans for a new opera house"; "The students poked fun
         at the inexperienced teacher" [syn: {guy}, {blackguard},
         {laugh at}, {jest at}, {rib}, {make fun}, {poke fun}]

scorn
     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: {contempt}, {disdain},
           {despite}]
     2: open disrespect for a person or thing [syn: {contempt}]
     v 1: look down on with disdain; "He despises the people he has to
          work for"; "The professor scorns the students who don't
          catch on immediately" [syn: {contemn}, {despise}, {disdain}]
     2: reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" [syn: {reject},
         {spurn}, {freeze off}, {pooh-pooh}, {disdain}, {turn down}]

envy
     n 1: a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have
          something possessed by another [syn: {enviousness}, {the
          green-eyed monster}]
     2: spite and resentment at seeing the success of another
        (personified as one of the deadly sins) [syn: {invidia}]
     v 1: feel envious towards; admire enviously
     2: be envious of; set one's heart on [syn: {begrudge}]

jeer
     n : showing your contempt by derision [syn: {jeering}, {mockery},
          {scoff}, {scoffing}]
     v : laugh or scoff at; "The crowd jeered at the speaker" [syn: {scoff},
          {flout}, {barrack}, {gibe}]

pompous
     adj : puffed up with vanity; "a grandiloquent and boastful
           manner"; "overblown oratory"; "a pompous speech";
           "pseudo-scientific gobbledygook and pontifical hooey"-
           Newsweek [syn: {grandiloquent}, {overblown}, {pontifical},
            {portentous}]

crabby
     adj : perversely irritable [syn: {crabbed}, {cross}, {fussy}, {grouchy},
            {grumpy}, {bad-tempered}, {ill-tempered}]

wave
     n 1: one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a
          liquid (especially across a large body of water) [syn: {moving
          ridge}]
     2: a movement like that of an ocean wave; "a wave of settlers";
        "troops advancing in waves"
     3: (physics) a progressive disturbance propagated without
        displacement of the medium itself [syn: {undulation}]
     4: something that rises rapidly and dies away; "a wave of
        emotion swept over him"; "there was a sudden wave of
        buying before the market closed"
     5: the act of signaling by a movement of the hand [syn: {waving},
         {wafture}]
     6: a hairdo that creates undulations in the hair
     7: an undulating curve [syn: {undulation}]
     v 1: signal with the hands or nod; "She waved to her friends";
          "He waved his hand hospitably" [syn: {beckon}]
     2: move or swing back and forth; "She waved her gun." [syn: {brandish},
         {flourish}]
     3: move in a wavy pattern, as of curtains [syn: {undulate}, {flap}]
     4: twist or roll into coils or ringlets; "curl my hair, please"
        [syn: {curl}]
     5: set waves in; of hair

minister
     n 1: a person authorized to conduct religious worship [syn: {curate},
           {parson}, {pastor}, {rector}]
     2: a person appointed to a high office in the government;
        "Minister of Finance" [syn: {government minister}]
     3: a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks
        below ambassador [syn: {diplomatic minister}]
     4: (British) the job of a head of a government department
     v 1: attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister
          to my mother all the time"
     2: work as a minister

gripe
     n : informal terms for objecting; "I have a gripe about the
         service here" [syn: {kick}, {beef}, {bitch}, {squawk}]
     v : complain; "What was he hollering about?" [syn: {grouse}, {beef},
          {squawk}, {bellyache}, {holler}]

stash
     n : a secret store of valuables or money [syn: {hoard}, {cache}]
     v : save up as for future use [syn: {hoard}, {cache}, {lay away},
          {hive up}, {squirrel away}]

prop
     n 1: a support placed beneath or against something to keep it
          from shaking or falling
     2: any movable articles or objects used on the set of a play or
        movie; "before every scene he ran down his checklist of
        props" [syn: {property}]
     3: a propeller that rotates to push against air [syn: {airplane
        propeller}, {airscrew}]
     v : support by placing against something solid or rigid; "shore
         and buttress an old building" [syn: {prop up}, {shore up},
          {shore}]

gush
     n 1: a sudden rapid flow (as of water); "he heard the flush of a
          toilet"; "there was a little gush of blood"; "she
          attacked him with an outpouring of words" [syn: {flush},
           {outpouring}]
     2: an unrestrained expression of emotion [syn: {effusion}, {outburst}]
     v 1: gush forth in a sudden stream or jet of liquids [syn: {spurt},
           {spirt}, {spout}]
     2: praise enthusiastically; "She raved about that new
        restaurant" [syn: {rave}]
     3: issue in a jet; come out in a jet; stream or spring forth;
        "Water jetted forth"; "flames were jetting out of the
        building" [syn: {jet}]

pout
     n 1: a disdainful pouting grimace [syn: {moue}, {wry face}]
     2: marine eellike mostly bottom-dwelling fishes of northern
        seas [syn: {eelpout}]
     3: catfish common in eastern United States [syn: {horned pout},
         {hornpout}, {Ameiurus Melas}]
     v 1: be in a huff [syn: {sulk}, {brood}]
     2: make a sad face; "mop and mow" [syn: {mop}, {mow}]

indignant
     adj : angered at something unjust or wrong; "an indignant denial";
           "incensed at the judges' unfairness"; "a look of
           outraged disbelief"; "umbrageous at the loss of their
           territory" [syn: {incensed}, {outraged}, {umbrageous}]

carp
     n 1: the lean flesh of a fish that is often farmed; can be baked
          or braised
     2: any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
     v : raise trivial objections [syn: {cavil}, {chicane}]

fray
     n : a noisy fight [syn: {affray}, {disturbance}, {ruffle}]
     v 1: wear away by rubbing; "The friction frayed the sleeve" [syn:
           {frazzle}]
     2: cause friction; "my sweater scratches" [syn: {rub}, {fret},
        {chafe}, {scratch}]

dread
     adj : causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful
           risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful
           that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the
           headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it
           once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling";
           "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible
           curse" [syn: {awful}, {dire}, {direful}, {dread(a)}, {dreaded},
            {dreadful}, {fearful}, {fearsome}, {frightening}, {horrendous},
            {horrific}, {terrible}]
     n : fearful expectation or anticipation; "the student looked
         around the examination room with apprehension" [syn: {apprehension},
          {apprehensiveness}]
     v : be afraid or scared of; be frightened of; "I fear the
         winters in Moscow"; "We should not fear the Communists!"
         [syn: {fear}]

tinsel
     adj : gaudy and showy but valueless; "trumpery ornaments" [syn: {trumpery}]
     n 1: a showy decoration that is basically valueless; "all the
          tinsel of self-promotion"
     2: a thread with glittering metal foil attached
     v 1: impart a cheap brightness to; "his tinseled image of
          Hollywood"
     2: adorn with tinsel; "snow flakes tinseled the trees"
     3: interweave with tinsel; "tinseled velvet"

ailment
     n : an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for
         complaining [syn: {complaint}, {ill}]

hone
     n : a whetstone made of fine gritstone; used for sharpening
         razors
     v 1: sharpen with a hone; "hone a knife"
     2: make perfect or complete; "perfect your French in Paris!"
        [syn: {perfect}]

in-law
     n : a relative by marriage [syn: {relative-in-law}]

envious
     adj 1: showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's
            advantages; "he was never covetous before he met her";
            "jealous of his success and covetous of his
            possessions"; "envious of their art collection"; "he
            was green with envy" [syn: {covetous}, {jealous}, {green}]
     2: that feels envy of another's possessions [syn: {begrudging},
         {grudging}]

appal
     v 1: strike with disgust or revulsion; "The scandalous behavior
          of this married woman shocked her friends" [syn: {shock},
           {offend}, {scandalize}, {scandalise}, {appall}, {outrage}]
     2: fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly
        surprised; "I was horrified at the thought of being late
        for my interview"; "The news of the executions horrified
        us" [syn: {dismay}, {alarm}, {appall}, {horrify}]

covet
     v : wish, long, or crave for (something, esp. the property of
         another person); "She covets her sister's house"

quip
     n 1: a witty saying [syn: {epigram}]
     2: witty remark [syn: {wisecrack}, {crack}, {sally}]
     v : make jokes or quips; "The students were gagging during
         dinner" [syn: {gag}]

brawler
     n : a fighter (especially one who participates in brawls)

meddle
     v : intrude in other people's affairs or business; interfere
         unwantedly; "Don't meddle in my affairs!" [syn: {tamper}]

cavity
     n 1: a sizeable hole (usually in the ground); "they dug a pit to
          bury the body" [syn: {pit}]
     2: space that is surrounded by something [syn: {enclosed space}]
     3: soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to
        the death of a tooth [syn: {caries}, {dental caries}, {tooth
        decay}]
     4: (anatomy) a natural hollow or sinus within the body [syn: {bodily
        cavity}, {cavum}]

colon
     n 1: the part of the large intestine between the cecum and the
          rectum; it extracts moisture from food residues before
          they are excreted
     2: the basic unit of money in El Salvador; equal to 100
        centavos [syn: {El Salvadoran colon}]
     3: the basic unit of money in Costa Rica; equal to 100 centimos
        [syn: {Costa Rican colon}]
     4: a port city at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal
        [syn: {Colon}, {Aspinwall}]
     5: a punctuation mark (:) used after a word introducing a
        series or an example or an explanation (or after the
        salutation of a business letter)

hoist
     n : lifting device for raising heavy or cumbersome objects
     v 1: raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help; "hoist
          the bicycle onto the roof of the car" [syn: {lift}, {wind}]
     2: move from one place to another by lifting; "They hoisted the
        patient onto the operating table"
     3: raise, as of flags or sails [syn: {run up}]

shingle
     n 1: building material used as siding or roofing [syn: {shake}]
     2: coarse beach gravel of small water-worn stones and pebbles
        (or a stretch of shore covered with such gravel)
     3: a small signboard outside the office of a lawyer or doctor,
        e.g.
     v : cover with shingles; "shingle a roof"

grapple
     n 1: a tool consisting of several hooks for grasping and holding;
          often thrown with a rope [syn: {grapnel}, {grappler}, {grappling
          hook}, {grappling iron}]
     2: a dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam [syn:
         {clamshell}]
     3: the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat; "they had
        a fierce wrestle"; "we watched his grappling and wrestling
        with the bully" [syn: {wrestle}, {wrestling}, {grappling},
         {hand-to-hand struggle}]
     v 1: come to terms or deal successfully with; "We got by on just
          a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread
          every day" [syn: {cope}, {get by}, {make out}, {make do},
           {contend}, {deal}, {manage}]
     2: to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men
        grappled with each other for several minutes" [syn: {grip}]

jealous
     adj 1: showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's
            advantages; "he was never covetous before he met her";
            "jealous of his success and covetous of his
            possessions"; "envious of their art collection"; "he
            was green with envy" [syn: {covetous}, {envious}, {green}]
     2: suspicious or unduly suspicious or fearful of being
        displaced by a rival; "a jealous lover" [syn: {green-eyed},
         {overjealous}]

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}]

hedge
     n 1: a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes
          [syn: {hedgerow}]
     2: taking two positions that will offset each other if prices
        change and so limiting financial risk [syn: {hedging}]
     3: an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement; "when
        you say `maybe' you are just hedging" [syn: {hedging}]
     v : 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: {fudge}, {evade}, {put off}, {circumvent}, {parry},
          {elude}, {skirt}, {dodge}, {duck}, {sidestep}]

scurry
     n : rushing about hastily in an undignified way [syn: {scamper},
          {scramble}]
     v : to move about or proceed hurriedly; "so terrified by the
         extraordinary ebbing of the sea that they scurried to
         higher ground." [syn: {scamper}, {skitter}, {scuttle}]

juvenile
     adj 1: of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for
            children; "juvenile diabetes"; "juvenile fashions"
     2: displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; "adolescent
        insecurity"; "jejune responses to our problems"; "their
        behavior was juvenile"; "puerile jokes" [syn: {adolescent},
         {jejune}, {puerile}]
     n : a youthful person [syn: {juvenile person}] [ant: {adult}]

nocturnal
     adj 1: (biology) belonging to or active during the night;
            "nocturnal animals are active at night"; "nocturnal
            plants have flowers that open at night and close by
            day" [ant: {diurnal}]
     2: of or relating to or occurring in the night; "nocturnal
        darkness"
     3: of or during or relating to the night; "a nocturnal
        journey"; "nocturnal stillness"; "nocturnal predators"

ramble
     n : a leisurely walk (usually in some public place) [syn: {amble},
          {promenade}, {saunter}, {stroll}, {perambulation}]
     v 1: continue talking or writing in a desultory manner; "This
          novel rambles on and jogs" [syn: {ramble on}, {jog}]
     2: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in
        search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the
        woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The
        cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from
        one town to the next" [syn: {wander}, {swan}, {stray}, {tramp},
         {roam}, {cast}, {rove}, {range}, {drift}, {vagabond}]

medicate
     v 1: impregnate with a medicinal substance
     2: treat medicinally, treat with medicine [syn: {medicine}]

bash
     n 1: a vigorous blow; "the sudden knock floored him"; "he took a
          bash right in his face"; "he got a bang on the head"
          [syn: {knock}, {bang}, {smash}, {belt}]
     2: an uproarious party [syn: {do}, {brawl}]
     v : hit hard [syn: {sock}, {bop}, {whop}, {whap}, {bonk}]

brunt
     n : main force of a blow etc; "bore the brunt of the attack"

harebrained
     adj : very foolish; "harebrained ideas"; "took insane risks behind
           the wheel"; "a completely mad scheme to build a bridge
           between two mountains" [syn: {insane}, {mad}]

defiance
     n 1: intentionally contemptuous behavior or attitude [syn: {rebelliousness}]
     2: a hostile challenge
     3: a defiant act

scorch
     n 1: a surface burn [syn: {singe}]
     2: a discoloration caused by heat
     v 1: make very hot and dry; "The heat scorched the countryside"
          [syn: {sear}]
     2: censor and criticize sharply and harshly; "scorching
        remarks"
     3: become superficially burned; "my eyebrows singed when I bent
        over the flames" [syn: {sear}, {singe}]
     4: destroy completely by or as if by fire; "The wildfire
        scorched the forest and several homes"
     5: burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color; "The
        cook blackened the chicken breast"; "The fire charred the
        ceiling above the mantelpiece"; "the flames scorched the
        ceiling" [syn: {char}, {blacken}]
     6: cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat; "The sun
        parched the earth" [syn: {parch}, {sear}]

spree
     n : a brief indulgence of your impulses [syn: {fling}]
     v : go on a spree and indulge, e.g., a shopping spree

jolt
     n 1: a sudden impact; "the door closed with a jolt" [syn: {jar},
          {jounce}]
     2: an abrupt spasmodic movement [syn: {jerk}, {jerking}]
     v 1: move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion [syn: {jar}]
     2: disturb (someone's) composure; "The audience was jolted by
        the play"

fortitude
     n : strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with
         courage

affluent
     adj : having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value;
           "an affluent banker"; "a speculator flush with cash";
           "not merely rich but loaded"; "moneyed aristocrats";
           "wealthy corporations" [syn: {flush}, {loaded}, {moneyed},
            {wealthy}]
     n 1: an affluent person; a person who is financially well off;
          "the so-called emerging affluents"
     2: a branch that flows into the main stream [syn: {feeder}, {tributary}]
        [ant: {distributary}]

beefy
     adj : muscular and heavily built; "a beefy wrestler"; "had a tall
           burly frame"; "clothing sizes for husky boys"; "a
           strapping boy of eighteen"; (`buirdly' is a Scottish
           term; "a buirdly lad of twelve") [syn: {burly}, {husky},
            {strapping}, {buirdly}]

lockjaw
     n : an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system
         caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of
         the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late
         stages [syn: {tetanus}]

lad
     n 1: a boy or man; "that chap is your host"; "there's a fellow at
          the door"; "he's a likable cuss" [syn: {chap}, {fellow},
           {feller}, {gent}, {fella}, {blighter}, {cuss}]
     2: a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy) [syn: {cub},
         {laddie}, {sonny}, {sonny boy}]

quilt
     n : bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and
         stitched together [syn: {comforter}, {puff}]
     v 1: stitch or sew together; of textiles
     2: create by stitching together

grope
     n : the act of groping; and instance of groping
     v 1: feel about uncertainly or blindly; "She groped for her
          glasses in the darkness of the bedroom" [syn: {fumble}]
     2: search blindly or uncertainly; "His mind groped to make the
        connection"
     3: fondle for sexual pleasure; "He made some sexual advances at
        the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly"

squirm
     n : the act of wiggling [syn: {wiggle}, {wriggle}]
     v : to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (esp. when
         struggling); "The prisoner writhed in discomfort."; "The
         child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace."
         [syn: {writhe}, {wrestle}, {wriggle}, {worm}, {twist}]

obituary
     n : a notice of someone's death; usually includes a short
         biography [syn: {obit}, {necrology}]

dread
     adj : causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful
           risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful
           that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the
           headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it
           once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling";
           "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible
           curse" [syn: {awful}, {dire}, {direful}, {dread(a)}, {dreaded},
            {dreadful}, {fearful}, {fearsome}, {frightening}, {horrendous},
            {horrific}, {terrible}]
     n : fearful expectation or anticipation; "the student looked
         around the examination room with apprehension" [syn: {apprehension},
          {apprehensiveness}]
     v : be afraid or scared of; be frightened of; "I fear the
         winters in Moscow"; "We should not fear the Communists!"
         [syn: {fear}]

scrawny
     adj 1: having unattractive thinness; "a child with skinny freckled
            legs"; "a long scrawny neck" [syn: {scraggy}, {skinny},
             {underweight}, {weedy}]
     2: inferior in size or quality; "scrawny cattle"; "scrubby
        cut-over pine"; "old stunted thorn trees" [syn: {scrubby},
         {stunted}]

crunchy
     adj : pleasingly firm and fresh and making a crunching noise when
           chewed; "crisp carrot and celery sticks"; "a firm
           apple"; "crunchy lettuce" [syn: {crisp}, {firm}]

crave
     v 1: have a craving, appetite, or great desire for [syn: {hunger},
           {thirst}, {starve}, {lust}]
     2: plead or ask for earnestly

barren
     adj 1: without offspring; "in some societies a barren woman is
            rejected by her tribesmen" [syn: {childless}]
     2: not fertile or productive; "a barren tree"; "soil too
        infertile to sustain real pasture" [syn: {infertile}]
     3: providing no shelter or sustenance; "bare rocky hills";
        "barren lands"; "the bleak treeless regions of the high
        Andes"; "the desolate surface of the moon"; "a stark
        landscape" [syn: {bare}, {bleak}, {desolate}, {stark}]
     4: not bearing offspring; "a barren woman"; "learned early in
        his marriage that he was sterile" [syn: {sterile}]
     5: incapable of sustaining life; "the dead and barren Moon"
     n : an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation;
         "the barrens of central Africa"; "the trackless wastes of
         the desert" [syn: {waste}, {wasteland}]

buzzer
     n 1: a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or
          buzzing signal when pushed [syn: {doorbell}, {bell}]
     2: a signaling device that makes a buzzing sound

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}]

squeal
     n : a high-pitched howl
     v 1: utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs [syn: {oink}]
     2: confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under
        pressure [syn: {confess}, {shrive}]

cane
     n 1: a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
     2: a strong slender often flexible stem as of bamboos, reeds,
        rattans, or sugar cane
     3: a stiff switch used to hit students as punishment
     v : beat with a cane [syn: {flog}, {lambaste}, {lambast}]

witty
     adj : combining clever conception and facetious expression; "his
           sermons were unpredictably witty and satirical as well
           as eloquent"

flow
     n 1: the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases) [syn:
           {flowing}]
     2: the amount of fluid that flows in a given time [syn: {flow
        rate}, {rate of flow}]
     3: the act of flowing or streaming; continuous progression
        [syn: {stream}]
     4: any uninterrupted stream or discharge
     5: something that resembles a flowing stream in moving
        continuously; "a stream of people emptied from the
        terminal"; "the museum had planned carefully for the flow
        of visitors" [syn: {stream}]
     6: dominant course (suggestive of running water) of successive
        events or ideas; "two streams of development run through
        American history"; "stream of consciousness"; "the flow of
        thought"; "the current of history" [syn: {stream}, {current}]
     7: the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of
        nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause; "the women
        were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation"; "a
        woman does not take the gout unless her menses be
        stopped"--Hippocrates; "the semen begins to appear in
        males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the
        catamenia begin to flow in females"--Aristotle [syn: {menstruation},
         {menses}, {catamenia}, {period}]
     v 1: move or progress freely as if in a stream; "The crowd flowed
          out of the stadium" [syn: {flux}]
     2: move along, of liquids; "Water flowed into the cave" [syn: {run},
         {course}]
     3: cause to flow; "The artist flowed the washes on the paper"
     4: be abundantly present; "The champagne flowed at the wedding"
     5: fall or flow in a certain way; "This dress hangs well"; "Her
        long black hair flowed down her back" [syn: {hang}, {fall}]
     6: cover or swamp with water
     7: undergo menstruation; "She started menstruating at the age
        of 11" [syn: {menstruate}]

starch
     n : a complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits,
         tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn,
         potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and
         used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and
         stiffeners for paper and textiles [syn: {amylum}]
     v : stiffen with starch; "starch clothes"

grope
     n : the act of groping; and instance of groping
     v 1: feel about uncertainly or blindly; "She groped for her
          glasses in the darkness of the bedroom" [syn: {fumble}]
     2: search blindly or uncertainly; "His mind groped to make the
        connection"
     3: fondle for sexual pleasure; "He made some sexual advances at
        the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly"

riddance
     n 1: the act of removing or getting rid of something [syn: {elimination}]
     2: the act of expelling someone [syn: {ejection}, {exclusion},
        {expulsion}]

savage
     adj 1: (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict
            pain or suffering; "a barbarous crime"; "brutal
            beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod
            treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious
            kicks" [syn: {barbarous}, {brutal}, {cruel}, {fell}, {roughshod},
             {vicious}]
     2: wild and menacing; "a ferocious dog" [syn: {feral}]
     3: without civilizing influences; "barbarian invaders";
        "barbaric practices"; "a savage people"; "fighting is
        crude and uncivilized especially if the weapons are
        efficient"-Margaret Meade; "wild tribes" [syn: {barbarian},
         {barbaric}, {uncivilized}, {uncivilised}, {wild}]
     4: marked by extreme and violent energy; "a ferocious beating";
        "fierce fighting"; "a furious battle" [syn: {ferocious}, {fierce},
         {furious}]
     n 1: a member of an uncivilized people [syn: {barbarian}]
     2: a cruelly rapacious person [syn: {beast}, {wolf}, {brute}, {wildcat}]
     v 1: attack brutally and fiercely
     2: criticize harshly or violently; "The press savaged the new
        President"; "The critics crucified the author for
        plagiarizing a famous passage" [syn: {pillory}, {crucify}]

prank
     n 1: acting like a clown or buffoon [syn: {buffoonery}, {clowning},
           {frivolity}, {harlequinade}]
     2: a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
        [syn: {antic}, {joke}, {trick}, {caper}, {put-on}]
     v 1: dress or decorate showily or gaudily; "Roses were pranking
          the lawn"
     2: dress up showily; "He pranked himself out in his best
        clothes"

solitude
     n 1: a state of social isolation [syn: {purdah}]
     2: a solitary place
     3: a disposition toward being alone [syn: {aloneness}, {loneliness},
         {lonesomeness}]

hideous
     adj 1: grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror;
            "subjected to outrageous cruelty"; "a hideous pattern
            of injustice"; "horrific conditions in the mining
            industry" [syn: {horrid}, {horrific}, {outrageous}]
     2: so extremely ugly as to be terrifying; "a hideous scar"; "a
        repulsive mask" [syn: {repulsive}]

mange
     n : a persistent and contagious disease of the skin causing
         inflammation and itching and loss of hair; affects
         domestic animals (and sometimes people)

jerk
     n 1: a dull stupid fatuous person [syn: {dork}]
     2: an abrupt spasmodic movement [syn: {jerking}, {jolt}]
     3: (mechanics) the rate of change of velocity [syn: {rate of
        acceleration}]
     4: a sudden abrupt pull [syn: {tug}]
     v 1: pull, or move with a sudden movement; "He turned the handle
          and jerked the door open.." [syn: {yank}]
     2: move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions; "The
        patient's legs were jerkings" [syn: {twitch}]
     3: make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion; "his face is
        twitching" [syn: {twitch}]
     4: jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched, as of
        horses [syn: {buck}, {hitch}]
     5: throw or toss with a quick motion; "flick a piece of paper
        across the table"; "jerk his head" [syn: {flick}, {flip}]

bullwhip
   Peitsche {f}

humiliation
     n 1: state of disgrace or loss of self-respect
     2: strong feelings of embarrassment [syn: {chagrin}, {mortification}]
     3: an instance in which you are caused to lose your prestige or
        self-respect; "he had to undergo one humiliation after
        another" [syn: {mortification}]
     4: depriving one of self-esteem [syn: {abasement}]

stride
     n 1: a step in walking or running [syn: {pace}, {tread}]
     2: the distance covered by a step; "he stepped off ten paces
        from the old tree and began to dig" [syn: {footstep}, {pace},
         {step}]
     3: significant progress (especially in the phrase"make
        strides"; "make rapid strides")
     v 1: walk with long steps; "He strode confidently across the
          hall"
     2: cover or traverse by taking long steps; "She strode several
        miles towards the woods"

huff
     n : a state of irritation or annoyance [syn: {miff}, {seeing red}]
     v 1: inhale recreational drugs [syn: {snort}]
     2: blow hard and loudly [syn: {puff}, {chuff}]