Words that rhyme with rubefaction

n 1: (psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensions [syn: catharsis, katharsis, abreaction]

n 1: a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person" [syn: abstraction, abstract] 2: the act of withdrawing or removing something 3: the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances [syn: abstraction, generalization, generalisation] 4: an abstract painting 5: preoccupation with something to the exclusion of all else [syn: abstractedness, abstraction] 6: a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples [syn: abstraction, abstract entity]

n 1: something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" 2: the state of being active; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action" [syn: action, activity, activeness] [ant: inaction, inactiveness, inactivity] 3: a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea" [syn: military action, action] 4: a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings); "the action of natural forces"; "volcanic activity" [syn: natural process, natural action, action, activity] 5: the series of events that form a plot; "his novels always have a lot of action" 6: the trait of being active and energetic and forceful; "a man of action" 7: the operating part that transmits power to a mechanism; "the piano had a very stiff action" [syn: action, action mechanism] 8: a judicial proceeding brought by one party against another; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong [syn: legal action, action, action at law] 9: an act by a government body or supranational organization; "recent federal action undermined the segregationist position"; "the United Nations must have the power to propose and organize action without being hobbled by irrelevant issues"; "the Union action of emancipating Southern slaves" 10: the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field; "the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds"; "gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible" v 1: institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against; "He was warned that the district attorney would process him"; "She actioned the company for discrimination" [syn: action, sue, litigate, process] 2: put in effect; "carry out a task"; "execute the decision of the people"; "He actioned the operation" [syn: carry through, accomplish, execute, carry out, action, fulfill, fulfil]

n 1: the force by which one object attracts another [syn: attraction, attractive force] [ant: repulsion, repulsive force] 2: an entertainment that is offered to the public 3: the quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attracts; "her personality held a strange attraction for him" [syn: attraction, attractiveness] 4: a characteristic that provides pleasure and attracts; "flowers are an attractor for bees" [syn: attraction, attractor, attracter, attractive feature, magnet] 5: an entertainer who attracts large audiences; "he was the biggest drawing card they had" [syn: drawing card, draw, attraction, attractor, attracter]

n 1: a contribution of money or assistance 2: an act intending or showing kindness and good will [syn: benevolence, benefaction]

n 1: an increase in the density of something [syn: compaction, compression, concretion, densification] 2: the act of crushing [syn: crush, crunch, compaction]

n 1: (physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber) [syn: contraction, muscular contraction, muscle contraction] 2: the process or result of becoming smaller or pressed together; "the contraction of a gas on cooling" [syn: compression, condensation, contraction] 3: a word formed from two or more words by omitting or combining some sounds; "`won't' is a contraction of `will not'"; "`o'clock' is a contraction of `of the clock'" 4: the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope [ant: enlargement, expansion]

n 1: action intended to nullify the effects of some previous action [syn: neutralization, neutralisation, counteraction]

n 1: a petty disparagement [syn: detraction, petty criticism] 2: the act of discrediting or detracting from someone's reputation (especially by slander); "let it be no detraction from his merits to say he is plainspoken"

n 1: when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands

n 1: the feeling of being displeased and discontent; "he was never slow to express his dissatisfaction with the service he received" [ant: satisfaction]

n 1: mental turmoil; "he drives me to distraction" 2: an obstacle to attention 3: an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations [syn: beguilement, distraction] 4: the act of distracting; drawing someone's attention away from something; "conjurers are experts at misdirection" [syn: distraction, misdirection]

n 1: act of demanding or levying by force or authority; "exaction of tribute"; "exaction of various dues and fees"

n 1: the process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound by chemical or physical or mechanical means 2: properties attributable to your ancestry; "he comes from good origins" [syn: origin, descent, extraction] 3: the action of taking out something (especially using effort or force); "the dentist gave her a local anesthetic prior to the extraction"

n 1: a clique (often secret) that seeks power usually through intrigue [syn: cabal, faction, junto, camarilla] 2: a dissenting clique [syn: faction, sect]

n 1: a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process 2: a small part or item forming a piece of a whole 3: the quotient of two rational numbers v 1: perform a division; "Can you divide 49 by seven?" [syn: divide, fraction] [ant: multiply]

n 1: the condition of being pressed closely together and firmly fixed 2: a disorder in which feces are impacted in the lower colon 3: a disorder in which a tooth is so crowded in its socket that it cannot erupt normally [syn: impaction, impacted tooth] 4: a sharp collision produced by striking or dashing against something [syn: impingement, impaction]

n 1: the state of being inactive [syn: inaction, inactivity, inactiveness] [ant: action, activeness, activity]

n 1: a mutual or reciprocal action; interacting 2: (physics) the transfer of energy between elementary particles or between an elementary particle and a field or between fields; mediated by gauge bosons [syn: interaction, fundamental interaction]

n 1: the conversion of a solid or a gas into a liquid

n 1: the faculty that enables us to distinguish scents [syn: smell, sense of smell, olfaction, olfactory modality]

n 1: an excessive reaction; a reaction with inappropriate emotional behavior

n 1: the process of turning some plant material into stone by infiltration with water carrying mineral particles without changing the original shape [syn: petrifaction, petrification] 2: a rock created by petrifaction; an organic object infiltrated with mineral matter and preserved in its original form

n 1: the consequence of being lengthened in duration [syn: lengthiness, prolongation, continuation, protraction] 2: the act of prolonging something; "there was an indefinite prolongation of the peace talks" [syn: prolongation, protraction, perpetuation, lengthening]

n 1: a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor [syn: putrefaction, rot] 2: (biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action [syn: decomposition, rot, rotting, putrefaction] 3: moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles; "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes"; "moral degeneracy followed intellectual degeneration"; "its brothels, its opium parlors, its depravity"; "Rome had fallen into moral putrefaction" [syn: corruption, degeneracy, depravation, depravity, putrefaction]

n 1: a decrease in the density of something; "a sound wave causes periodic rarefactions in its medium"

n 1: (chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others; "there was a chemical reaction of the lime with the ground water" [syn: chemical reaction, reaction] 2: an idea evoked by some experience; "his reaction to the news was to start planning what to do" 3: a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent; "a bad reaction to the medicine"; "his responses have slowed with age" [syn: reaction, response] 4: (mechanics) the equal and opposite force that is produced when any force is applied to a body; "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" 5: a response that reveals a person's feelings or attitude; "he was pleased by the audience's reaction to his performance"; "John feared his mother's reaction when she saw the broken lamp" 6: extreme conservatism in political or social matters; "the forces of reaction carried the election" 7: doing something in opposition to another way of doing it that you don't like; "his style of painting was a reaction against cubism"

n 1: putting something (as a literary work or a legislative bill) into acceptable form [syn: editing, redaction] 2: the act of putting something in writing

n 1: the change in direction of a propagating wave (light or sound) when passing from one medium to another 2: the amount by which a propagating wave is bent [syn: deflection, deflexion, refraction]

n 1: a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion [syn: retraction, abjuration, recantation] 2: the act of pulling or holding or drawing a part back; "the retraction of the landing gear"; "retraction of the foreskin"

n 1: the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation; "the chef tasted the sauce with great satisfaction" [ant: dissatisfaction] 2: state of being gratified or satisfied; "dull repetitious work gives no gratification"; "to my immense gratification he arrived on time" [syn: gratification, satisfaction] 3: compensation for a wrong; "we were unable to get satisfaction from the local store" [syn: atonement, expiation, satisfaction] 4: (law) the payment of a debt or fulfillment of an obligation; "the full and final satisfaction of the claim" 5: act of fulfilling a desire or need or appetite; "the satisfaction of their demand for better services"

n 1: a feeling of stupefied astonishment 2: marginal consciousness; "his grogginess was caused as much by exhaustion as by the blows"; "someone stole his wallet while he was in a drunken stupor" [syn: grogginess, stupor, stupefaction, semiconsciousness] 3: the action of stupefying; making dull or lethargic; "the professor was noted for his stupefaction of the students"

n 1: an arithmetic operation in which the difference between two numbers is calculated; "the subtraction of three from four leaves one"; "four minus three equals one" [syn: subtraction, minus] 2: the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole); "he complained about the subtraction of money from their paychecks" [syn: subtraction, deduction] [ant: addition]

n 1: the friction between a body and the surface on which it moves (as between an automobile tire and the road) [syn: grip, traction, adhesive friction] 2: (orthopedics) the act of pulling on a bone or limb (as in a fracture) to relieve pressure or align parts in a special way during healing; "his leg was in traction for several days"

n 1: the act of transacting within or between groups (as carrying on commercial activities); "no transactions are possible without him"; "he has always been honest is his dealings with me" [syn: transaction, dealing, dealings]

n 1: the process of tumefying; the organic process whereby tissue becomes swollen by the accumulation of fluid within it

n 1: act of working jointly; "they worked either in collaboration or independently" [syn: collaboration, coaction]

n 1: the property of being warming [syn: calefaction, incalescence]

n 1: the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself; "his complacency was absolutely disgusting" [syn: complacency, complacence, self-complacency, self- satisfaction]