Words that rhyme with stimuli

n 1: any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water; "bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia" [syn: base, alkali] 2: a mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture

n 1: a friendly nation 2: an associate who provides cooperation or assistance; "he's a good ally in fight" [syn: ally, friend] [ant: enemy, foe] v 1: become an ally or associate, as by a treaty or marriage; "He allied himself with the Communists"

n 1: a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops

n 1: a coffin along with its stand; "we followed the bier to the graveyard" 2: a stand to support a corpse or a coffin prior to burial

adj 1: tired to the point of exhaustion [syn: bleary, blear, bleary-eyed, blear-eyed] v 1: make dim or indistinct; "The fog blurs my vision" [syn: blur, blear] [ant: focalise, focalize, focus, sharpen]

n 1: an advantageous purchase; "she got a bargain at the auction"; "the stock was a real buy at that price" [syn: bargain, buy, steal] v 1: obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; "She buys for the big department store" [syn: buy, purchase] [ant: sell] 2: make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence; "This judge can be bought" [syn: bribe, corrupt, buy, grease one's palms] 3: be worth or be capable of buying; "This sum will buy you a ride on the train" 4: acquire by trade or sacrifice or exchange; "She wanted to buy his love with her dedication to him and his work" 5: accept as true; "I can't buy this story"

adv 1: so as to pass a given point; "every hour a train goes past" [syn: by, past] 2: in reserve; not for immediate use; "started setting aside money to buy a car"; "put something by for her old age"; "has a nest egg tucked away for a rainy day" [syn: aside, by, away]

n 1: you advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent; "he had a bye in the first round" [syn: bye, pass] 2: a farewell remark; "they said their good-byes" [syn: adieu, adios, arrivederci, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, bye, bye-bye, cheerio, good-by, goodby, good-bye, goodbye, good day, sayonara, so long]

n 1: a cry or shout of approval 2: the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom; "flowers added a note of cheerfulness to the drab room" [syn: cheerfulness, cheer, sunniness, sunshine] [ant: uncheerfulness] v 1: give encouragement to [syn: cheer, hearten, recreate, embolden] [ant: dishearten, put off] 2: show approval or good wishes by shouting; "everybody cheered the birthday boy" 3: cause (somebody) to feel happier or more cheerful; "She tried to cheer up the disappointed child when he failed to win the spelling bee" [syn: cheer, cheer up, jolly along, jolly up] 4: become cheerful [syn: cheer, cheer up, chirk up] [ant: complain, kick, kvetch, plain, quetch, sound off] 5: spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts; "The crowd cheered the demonstrating strikers" [syn: cheer, root on, inspire, urge, barrack, urge on, exhort, pep up]

adv 1: completely; "read the book clear to the end"; "slept clear through the night"; "there were open fields clear to the horizon" [syn: clear, all the way] 2: in an easily perceptible manner; "could be seen clearly under the microscope"; "She cried loud and clear" [syn: clearly, clear] adj 1: readily apparent to the mind; "a clear and present danger"; "a clear explanation"; "a clear case of murder"; "a clear indication that she was angry"; "gave us a clear idea of human nature" [ant: unclear] 2: free from confusion or doubt; "a complex problem requiring a clear head"; "not clear about what is expected of us" 3: affording free passage or view; "a clear view"; "a clear path to victory"; "open waters"; "the open countryside" [syn: clear, open] 4: allowing light to pass through; "clear water"; "clear plastic bags"; "clear glass"; "the air is clear and clean" [ant: opaque] 5: free from contact or proximity or connection; "we were clear of the danger"; "the ship was clear of the reef" 6: characterized by freedom from troubling thoughts (especially guilt); "a clear conscience"; "regarded her questioner with clear untroubled eyes" 7: (of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims; "efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings"; "clear laughter like a waterfall"; "clear reds and blues"; "a light lilting voice like a silver bell" [syn: clean, clear, light, unclouded] 8: (especially of a title) free from any encumbrance or limitation that presents a question of fact or law; "I have clear title to this property" [syn: clear, unmortgaged] 9: clear and distinct to the senses; easily perceptible; "as clear as a whistle"; "clear footprints in the snow"; "the letter brought back a clear image of his grandfather"; "a spire clean-cut against the sky"; "a clear-cut pattern" [syn: clear, clean-cut, clear-cut] 10: accurately stated or described; "a set of well-defined values" [syn: well-defined, clear] [ant: ill-defined, unclear] 11: free from clouds or mist or haze; "on a clear day" [ant: cloudy] 12: free of restrictions or qualifications; "a clean bill of health"; "a clear winner" [syn: clean, clear] 13: free from flaw or blemish or impurity; "a clear perfect diamond"; "the clear complexion of a healthy young woman" 14: clear of charges or deductions; "a clear profit" 15: easily deciphered [syn: clear, decipherable, readable] 16: freed from any question of guilt; "is absolved from all blame"; "was now clear of the charge of cowardice"; "his official honor is vindicated" [syn: absolved, clear, cleared, exculpated, exonerated, vindicated] 17: characterized by ease and quickness in perceiving; "clear mind"; "a percipient author" [syn: clear, percipient] n 1: the state of being free of suspicion; "investigation showed that he was in the clear" 2: a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water; "finally broke out of the forest into the open" [syn: open, clear] v 1: rid of obstructions; "Clear your desk" [syn: unclutter, clear] [ant: clutter, clutter up] 2: make a way or path by removing objects; "Clear a path through the dense forest" 3: become clear; "The sky cleared after the storm" [syn: clear up, clear, light up, brighten] [ant: cloud, overcast] 4: grant authorization or clearance for; "Clear the manuscript for publication"; "The rock star never authorized this slanderous biography" [syn: authorize, authorise, pass, clear] 5: remove; "clear the leaves from the lawn"; "Clear snow from the road" 6: go unchallenged; be approved; "The bill cleared the House" [syn: pass, clear] 7: be debited and credited to the proper bank accounts; "The check will clear within 2 business days" [ant: bounce] 8: go away or disappear; "The fog cleared in the afternoon" 9: pass by, over, or under without making contact; "the balloon cleared the tree tops" [syn: clear, top] 10: make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who is at fault" [syn: clear, clear up, shed light on, crystallize, crystallise, crystalize, crystalise, straighten out, sort out, enlighten, illuminate, elucidate] 11: free from payment of customs duties, as of a shipment; "Clear the ship and let it dock" 12: clear from impurities, blemishes, pollution, etc.; "clear the water before it can be drunk" 13: yield as a net profit; "This sale netted me $1 million" [syn: net, clear] 14: make as a net profit; "The company cleared $1 million" [syn: net, sack, sack up, clear] 15: earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages; "How much do you make a month in your new job?"; "She earns a lot in her new job"; "this merger brought in lots of money"; "He clears $5,000 each month" [syn: gain, take in, clear, make, earn, realize, realise, pull in, bring in] 16: sell; "We cleared a lot of the old model cars" 17: pass an inspection or receive authorization; "clear customs" 18: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [syn: acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exonerate, exculpate] [ant: convict] 19: settle, as of a debt; "clear a debt"; "solve an old debt" [syn: clear, solve] 20: make clear, bright, light, or translucent; "The water had to be cleared through filtering" 21: rid of instructions or data; "clear a memory buffer" 22: remove (people) from a building; "clear the patrons from the theater after the bomb threat" 23: remove the occupants of; "Clear the building" 24: free (the throat) by making a rasping sound; "Clear the throat" [syn: clear, clear up]

n 1: a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition; "the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience" [syn: cry, outcry, call, yell, shout, vociferation] 2: a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate); "a cry of rage"; "a yell of pain" [syn: cry, yell] 3: a slogan used to rally support for a cause; "a cry to arms"; "our watchword will be `democracy'" [syn: war cry, rallying cry, battle cry, cry, watchword] 4: a fit of weeping; "had a good cry" 5: the characteristic utterance of an animal; "animal cries filled the night" v 1: utter a sudden loud cry; "she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle"; "I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me" [syn: shout, shout out, cry, call, yell, scream, holler, hollo, squall] 2: shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain; "She cried bitterly when she heard the news of his death"; "The girl in the wheelchair wept with frustration when she could not get up the stairs" [syn: cry, weep] [ant: express joy, express mirth, laugh] 3: utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy; "`I won!' he exclaimed"; "`Help!' she cried"; "`I'm here,' the mother shouted when she saw her child looking lost" [syn: exclaim, cry, cry out, outcry, call out, shout] 4: proclaim or announce in public; "before we had newspapers, a town crier would cry the news"; "He cried his merchandise in the market square" [syn: cry, blazon out] 5: demand immediate action; "This situation is crying for attention" 6: utter a characteristic sound; "The cat was crying" 7: bring into a particular state by crying; "The little boy cried himself to sleep"

adv 1: with affection; "she loved him dearly"; "he treats her affectionately" [syn: dearly, affectionately, dear] 2: at a great cost; "he paid dearly for the food"; "this cost him dear" [syn: dearly, dear] adj 1: dearly loved [syn: beloved, darling, dear] 2: with or in a close or intimate relationship; "a good friend"; "my sisters and brothers are near and dear" [syn: dear, good, near] 3: earnest; "one's dearest wish"; "devout wishes for their success"; "heartfelt condolences" [syn: dear, devout, earnest, heartfelt] 4: having a high price; "costly jewelry"; "high-priced merchandise"; "much too dear for my pocketbook"; "a pricey restaurant" [syn: costly, dear(p), high-priced, pricey, pricy] n 1: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment [syn: beloved, dear, dearest, honey, love] 2: a sweet innocent mild-mannered person (especially a child) [syn: lamb, dear]

n 1: distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers [syn: deer, cervid]

adj 1: causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather"; "a disconsolate winter landscape"; "the first dismal dispiriting days of November"; "a dark gloomy day"; "grim rainy weather" [syn: blue, dark, dingy, disconsolate, dismal, gloomy, grim, sorry, drab, drear, dreary]

adj 1: free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet; "dry land"; "dry clothes"; "a dry climate"; "dry splintery boards"; "a dry river bed"; "the paint is dry" [ant: wet] 2: humorously sarcastic or mocking; "dry humor"; "an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely"; "an ironic novel"; "an ironical smile"; "with a wry Scottish wit" [syn: dry, ironic, ironical, wry] 3: lacking moisture or volatile components; "dry paint" [ant: wet] 4: opposed to or prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages; "the dry vote led by preachers and bootleggers"; "a dry state" [ant: wet] 5: not producing milk; "a dry cow" [ant: lactating, wet] 6: (of liquor) having a low residual sugar content because of decomposition of sugar during fermentation; "a dry white burgundy"; "a dry Bordeaux" [ant: sweet] 7: without a mucous or watery discharge; "a dry cough"; "that rare thing in the wintertime; a small child with a dry nose" [ant: phlegmy] 8: not shedding tears; "dry sobs"; "with dry eyes" 9: lacking interest or stimulation; dull and lifeless; "a dry book"; "a dry lecture filled with trivial details"; "dull and juiceless as only book knowledge can be when it is unrelated to...life"- John Mason Brown [syn: dry, juiceless] 10: used of solid substances in contrast with liquid ones; "dry weight" 11: unproductive especially of the expected results; "a dry run"; "a mind dry of new ideas" 12: having no adornment or coloration; "dry facts"; "rattled off the facts in a dry mechanical manner" 13: (of food) eaten without a spread or sauce or other garnish; "dry toast"; "dry meat" 14: having a large proportion of strong liquor; "a very dry martini is almost straight gin" 15: lacking warmth or emotional involvement; "a dry greeting"; "a dry reading of the lines"; "a dry critique" 16: practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages; "he's been dry for ten years"; "no thank you; I happen to be teetotal" [syn: dry, teetotal] n 1: a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages [syn: dry, prohibitionist] v 1: remove the moisture from and make dry; "dry clothes"; "dry hair" [syn: dry, dry out] [ant: wet] 2: become dry or drier; "The laundry dries in the sun" [syn: dry, dry out]

n 1: an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight) [syn: fear, fearfulness, fright] [ant: bravery, fearlessness] 2: an anxious feeling; "care had aged him"; "they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction" [syn: concern, care, fear] 3: a feeling of profound respect for someone or something; "the fear of God"; "the Chinese reverence for the dead"; "the French treat food with gentle reverence"; "his respect for the law bordered on veneration" [syn: fear, reverence, awe, veneration] v 1: be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event; "I fear she might get aggressive" 2: be afraid or scared of; be frightened of; "I fear the winters in Moscow"; "We should not fear the Communists!" [syn: fear, dread] 3: be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement; "I fear I won't make it to your wedding party" 4: be uneasy or apprehensive about; "I fear the results of the final exams" 5: regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of; "Fear God as your father"; "We venerate genius" [syn: reverence, fear, revere, venerate]

n 1: someone who flees from an uncongenial situation; "fugitives from the sweatshops" [syn: fugitive, runaway, fleer] 2: contempt expressed by mockery in looks or words v 1: to smirk contemptuously

adj 1: (British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked n 1: two-winged insects characterized by active flight 2: flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent [syn: tent-fly, rainfly, fly sheet, fly, tent flap] 3: an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth [syn: fly, fly front] 4: (baseball) a hit that flies up in the air [syn: fly, fly ball] 5: fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect v 1: travel through the air; be airborne; "Man cannot fly" [syn: fly, wing] 2: move quickly or suddenly; "He flew about the place" 3: operate an airplane; "The pilot flew to Cuba" [syn: fly, aviate, pilot] 4: transport by aeroplane; "We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America" 5: cause to fly or float; "fly a kite" 6: be dispersed or disseminated; "Rumors and accusations are flying" 7: change quickly from one emotional state to another; "fly into a rage" 8: pass away rapidly; "Time flies like an arrow"; "Time fleeing beneath him" [syn: fly, fell, vanish] 9: travel in an airplane; "she is flying to Cincinnati tonight"; "Are we driving or flying?" 10: display in the air or cause to float; "fly a kite"; "All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N." 11: run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled" [syn: flee, fly, take flight] 12: travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft; "Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic" 13: hit a fly 14: decrease rapidly and disappear; "the money vanished in las Vegas"; "all my stock assets have vaporized" [syn: vanish, fly, vaporize]

n 1: English painter and art critic (1866-1934) [syn: Fry, Roger Fry, Roger Eliot Fry] 2: English dramatist noted for his comic verse dramas (born 1907) [syn: Fry, Christopher Fry] 3: a young person of either sex; "she writes books for children"; "they're just kids"; "`tiddler' is a British term for youngster" [syn: child, kid, youngster, minor, shaver, nipper, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, fry, nestling] v 1: be excessively hot; "If the children stay out on the beach for another hour, they'll be fried" 2: cook on a hot surface using fat; "fry the pancakes" 3: kill by electrocution, as in the electric chair; "The serial killer was electrocuted" [syn: electrocute, fry]

n 1: a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion [syn: gear, gear wheel, geared wheel, cogwheel] 2: wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed; "the fool got his tie caught in the geartrain" [syn: gearing, gear, geartrain, power train, train] 3: a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle) [syn: gear, gear mechanism] 4: equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc. [syn: gear, paraphernalia, appurtenance] v 1: set the level or character of; "She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience" [syn: gear, pitch]

n 1: an informal term for a youth or man; "a nice guy"; "the guy's only doing it for some doll" [syn: guy, cat, hombre, bozo] 2: an effigy of Guy Fawkes that is burned on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day 3: a cable, wire, or rope that is used to brace something (especially a tent) [syn: guy, guy cable, guy wire, guy rope] v 1: subject to laughter or ridicule; "The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house"; "The students poked fun at the inexperienced teacher"; "His former students roasted the professor at his 60th birthday" [syn: ridicule, roast, guy, blackguard, laugh at, jest at, rib, make fun, poke fun] 2: steady or support with a guy wire or cable; "The Italians guyed the Tower of Pisa to prevent it from collapsing"

v 1: perceive (sound) via the auditory sense 2: get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally; "I learned that she has two grown-up children"; "I see that you have been promoted" [syn: learn, hear, get word, get wind, pick up, find out, get a line, discover, see] 3: examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process; "The jury had heard all the evidence"; "The case will be tried in California" [syn: hear, try] 4: receive a communication from someone; "We heard nothing from our son for five years" 5: listen and pay attention; "Listen to your father"; "We must hear the expert before we make a decision" [syn: listen, hear, take heed]

adv 1: at a great altitude; "he climbed high on the ladder" [syn: high, high up] 2: in or to a high position, amount, or degree; "prices have gone up far too high" 3: in a rich manner; "he lives high" [syn: high, richly, luxuriously] 4: far up toward the source; "he lives high up the river" adj 1: greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount; "a high temperature"; "a high price"; "the high point of his career"; "high risks"; "has high hopes"; "the river is high"; "he has a high opinion of himself" [ant: low] 2: (literal meaning) being at or having a relatively great or specific elevation or upward extension (sometimes used in combinations like `knee-high'); "a high mountain"; "high ceilings"; "high buildings"; "a high forehead"; "a high incline"; "a foot high" [ant: low] 3: standing above others in quality or position; "people in high places"; "the high priest"; "eminent members of the community" [syn: eminent, high] 4: used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency [syn: high, high-pitched] [ant: low, low-pitched] 5: happy and excited and energetic [syn: high, in high spirits] 6: (used of the smell of meat) smelling spoiled or tainted [syn: gamey, gamy, high] 7: slightly and pleasantly intoxicated from alcohol or a drug (especially marijuana) [syn: high, mellow] n 1: a lofty level or position or degree; "summer temperatures reached an all-time high" [ant: low] 2: an air mass of higher than normal pressure; "the east coast benefits from a Bermuda high" 3: a state of sustained elation; "I'm on a permanent high these days" [ant: low spirits] 4: a state of altered consciousness induced by alcohol or narcotics; "they took drugs to get a high on" 5: a high place; "they stood on high and observed the countryside"; "he doesn't like heights" [syn: high, heights] 6: a public secondary school usually including grades 9 through 12; "he goes to the neighborhood highschool" [syn: senior high school, senior high, high, highschool, high school] 7: a forward gear with a gear ratio that gives the greatest vehicle velocity for a given engine speed [syn: high gear, high]

n 1: showing your contempt by derision [syn: jeer, jeering, mockery, scoff, scoffing] v 1: laugh at with contempt and derision; "The crowd jeered at the speaker" [syn: jeer, scoff, flout, barrack, gibe]

n 1: a special anniversary (or the celebration of it)

n 1: an azure blue semiprecious stone [syn: lapis lazuli, lazuli]

n 1: a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls [syn: sneer, leer] 2: a suggestive or sneering look or grin v 1: look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression; "The men leered at the young women on the beach"

adj 1: being nothing more than specified; "a mere child" 2: apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; "only the bare facts"; "shocked by the mere idea"; "the simple passage of time was enough"; "the simple truth" [syn: bare(a), mere(a), simple(a)] n 1: a small pond of standing water

adv 1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the fire" [syn: near, nigh, close] 2: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees" [syn: about, almost, most, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh] adj 1: not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances; "near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call" [syn: near, close, nigh] [ant: far] 2: being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side" [syn: near(a), nigh(a)] 3: closely resembling the genuine article; "near beer"; "a dress of near satin" 4: giving or spending with reluctance; "our cheeseparing administration"; "very close (or near) with his money"; "a penny-pinching miserly old man" [syn: cheeseparing, close, near, penny-pinching, skinny] 5: with or in a close or intimate relationship; "a good friend"; "my sisters and brothers are near and dear" [syn: dear, good, near] 6: very close in resemblance; "sketched in an approximate likeness"; "a near likeness" [syn: approximate, near] v 1: move towards; "We were approaching our destination"; "They are drawing near"; "The enemy army came nearer and nearer" [syn: approach, near, come on, go up, draw near, draw close, come near]

adv 1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the fire" [syn: near, nigh, close] 2: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees" [syn: about, almost, most, nearly, near, nigh, virtually, well-nigh] adj 1: not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances; "near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call" [syn: near, close, nigh] [ant: far] 2: being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side" [syn: near(a), nigh(a)]

n 1: a person who is of equal standing with another in a group [syn: peer, equal, match, compeer] 2: a nobleman (duke or marquis or earl or viscount or baron) who is a member of the British peerage v 1: look searchingly; "We peered into the back of the shop to see whether a salesman was around"

n 1: the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet

n 1: dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top 2: a prehistoric unrecorded language that was the ancestor of all Indo-European languages [syn: Proto-Indo European, PIE]

n 1: a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats [syn: pier, wharf, wharfage, dock] 2: (architecture) a vertical supporting structure (as a portion of wall between two doors or windows) 3: a support for two adjacent bridge spans

n 1: one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination; "three-ply cord"; "four- ply yarn" 2: (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood v 1: give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" [syn: provide, supply, ply, cater] 2: apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade" 3: travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" [syn: ply, run] 4: join together as by twisting, weaving, or molding; "ply fabric" 5: wield vigorously; "ply an axe" 6: use diligently; "ply your wits!"

n 1: a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge [syn: crowbar, wrecking bar, pry, pry bar] v 1: to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open; "The burglar jimmied the lock": "Raccoons managed to pry the lid off the garbage pail" [syn: pry, prise, prize, lever, jimmy] 2: be nosey; "Don't pry into my personal matters!" 3: search or inquire in a meddlesome way; "This guy is always nosing around the office" [syn: intrude, horn in, pry, nose, poke] 4: make an uninvited or presumptuous inquiry; "They pried the information out of him" [syn: pry, prise]

adj 1: beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" [syn: curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singular] 2: homosexual or arousing homosexual desires [syn: gay, queer, homophile(a)] n 1: offensive term for an openly homosexual man [syn: fagot, faggot, fag, fairy, nance, pansy, queen, queer, poof, poove, pouf] v 1: 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, foil, cross, frustrate, baffle, bilk] 2: put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position [syn: queer, expose, scupper, endanger, peril]

adj 1: located in or toward the back or rear; "the chair's rear legs"; "the rear door of the plane"; "on the rearward side" [syn: rear(a), rearward(a)] n 1: the back of a military formation or procession; "infantrymen were in the rear" [ant: head] 2: the side of an object that is opposite its front; "his room was toward the rear of the hotel" [syn: rear, backside, back end] [ant: forepart, front, front end] 3: the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer; "he stood at the back of the stage"; "it was hidden in the rear of the store" [syn: back, rear] [ant: front] 4: the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?" [syn: buttocks, nates, arse, butt, 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] 5: the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph" [syn: rear, back] [ant: front] v 1: stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds; "The horse reared in terror" [syn: rear, rise up] 2: bring up; "raise a family"; "bring up children" [syn: rear, raise, bring up, nurture, parent] 3: rise up; "The building rose before them" [syn: rise, lift, rear] 4: cause to rise up [syn: rear, erect] 5: construct, build, or erect; "Raise a barn" [syn: raise, erect, rear, set up, put up] [ant: dismantle, level, pull down, rase, raze, take down, tear down]

n 1: the seed of the cereal grass 2: hardy annual cereal grass widely cultivated in northern Europe where its grain is the chief ingredient of black bread and in North America for forage and soil improvement [syn: rye, Secale cereale] 3: whiskey distilled from rye or rye and malt [syn: rye, rye whiskey, rye whisky]

adj 1: (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture; "dried-up grass"; "the desert was edged with sere vegetation"; "shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings"; "withered vines" [syn: dried-up, sere, sear, shriveled, shrivelled, withered] v 1: make very hot and dry; "The heat scorched the countryside" [syn: sear, scorch] 2: become superficially burned; "my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames" [syn: scorch, sear, singe] 3: 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, sear, scorch] 4: cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat; "The sun parched the earth" [syn: parch, sear]

n 1: a person with unusual powers of foresight [syn: visionary, illusionist, seer] 2: an observer who perceives visually; "an incurable seer of movies" 3: an authoritative person who divines the future [syn: prophet, prophesier, oracle, seer, vaticinator]

adj 1: (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture; "dried-up grass"; "the desert was edged with sere vegetation"; "shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings"; "withered vines" [syn: dried-up, sere, sear, shriveled, shrivelled, withered]

n 1: (physics) a deformation of an object in which parallel planes remain parallel but are shifted in a direction parallel to themselves; "the shear changed the quadrilateral into a parallelogram" 2: a large edge tool that cuts sheet metal by passing a blade through it v 1: cut with shears; "shear hedges" 2: shear the wool from; "shear sheep" [syn: fleece, shear] 3: cut or cut through with shears; "shear the wool off the lamb" 4: become deformed by forces tending to produce a shearing strain

adv 1: straight up or down without a break [syn: sheer, perpendicularly] 2: directly; "he fell sheer into the water" adj 1: complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out- and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity" [syn: absolute, downright, out-and-out(a), rank(a), right-down, sheer(a)] 2: not mixed with extraneous elements; "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing" [syn: plain, sheer, unmingled, unmixed] 3: very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front; "a bluff headland"; "where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise"; "a sheer descent of rock" [syn: bluff, bold, sheer] 4: so thin as to transmit light; "a hat with a diaphanous veil"; "filmy wings of a moth"; "gauzy clouds of dandelion down"; "gossamer cobwebs"; "sheer silk stockings"; "transparent chiffon"; "vaporous silks" [syn: diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gauze-like, gossamer, see-through, sheer, transparent, vaporous, vapourous, cobwebby] v 1: turn sharply; change direction abruptly; "The car cut to the left at the intersection"; "The motorbike veered to the right" [syn: swerve, sheer, curve, trend, veer, slue, slew, cut] 2: cause to sheer; "She sheered her car around the obstacle"

adj 1: lacking self-confidence; "stood in the doorway diffident and abashed"; "problems that call for bold not timid responses"; "a very unsure young man" [syn: diffident, shy, timid, unsure] [ant: confident] 2: short; "eleven is one shy of a dozen" 3: wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things; "shy of strangers" n 1: a quick throw; "he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman" v 1: start suddenly, as from fright 2: throw quickly

n 1: an utterance made by exhaling audibly [syn: sigh, suspiration] 2: a sound like a person sighing; "she heard the sigh of the wind in the trees" v 1: heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily; "She sighed sadly" [syn: sigh, suspire] 2: utter with a sigh

n 1: the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth v 1: throw or toss with a light motion; "flip me the beachball"; "toss me newspaper" [syn: flip, toss, sky, pitch]

adj 1: marked by skill in deception; "cunning men often pass for wise"; "deep political machinations"; "a foxy scheme"; "a slick evasive answer"; "sly as a fox"; "tricky Dick"; "a wily old attorney" [syn: crafty, cunning, dodgy, foxy, guileful, knavish, slick, sly, tricksy, tricky, wily]

n 1: slanderous defamation [syn: smear, vilification, malignment] 2: a thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscope [syn: smear, cytologic smear, cytosmear] 3: a blemish made by dirt; "he had a smudge on his cheek" [syn: smudge, spot, blot, daub, smear, smirch, slur] 4: an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: blot, smear, smirch, spot, stain] v 1: stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance 2: make a smudge on; soil by smudging [syn: smear, blur, smudge, smutch] 3: cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it; "smear the wall with paint"; "daub the ceiling with plaster" [syn: daub, smear] 4: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation" [syn: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch]

n 1: a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls [syn: sneer, leer] 2: a contemptuous or scornful remark v 1: express through a scornful smile; "she sneered her contempt" 2: smile contemptuously; "she sneered at her little sister's efforts to play the song on the piano"

n 1: a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon [syn: spear, lance, shaft] 2: an implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish [syn: spear, gig, fizgig, fishgig, lance] v 1: pierce with a spear; "spear fish" 2: thrust up like a spear; "The branch speared up into the air" [syn: spear, spear up]

n 1: a particular environment or walk of life; "his social sphere is limited"; "it was a closed area of employment"; "he's out of my orbit" [syn: sphere, domain, area, orbit, field, arena] 2: any spherically shaped artifact 3: the geographical area in which one nation is very influential [syn: sphere, sphere of influence] 4: a particular aspect of life or activity; "he was helpless in an important sector of his life" [syn: sector, sphere] 5: a solid figure bounded by a spherical surface (including the space it encloses) 6: a three-dimensional closed surface such that every point on the surface is equidistant from the center 7: the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected [syn: celestial sphere, sphere, empyrean, firmament, heavens, vault of heaven, welkin]

adj 1: moving quickly and lightly; "sleek and agile as a gymnast"; "as nimble as a deer"; "nimble fingers"; "quick of foot"; "the old dog was so spry it was halfway up the stairs before we could stop it" [syn: agile, nimble, quick, spry]

n 1: (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors [syn: spy, undercover agent] 2: a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night" v 1: catch sight of [syn: descry, spot, espy, spy] 2: watch, observe, or inquire secretly [syn: spy, stag, snoop, sleuth] 3: catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; "he caught sight of the king's men coming over the ridge" [syn: spy, sight] 4: secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage; "spy for the Russians"

n 1: an indication of potential opportunity; "he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job" [syn: tip, lead, steer, confidential information, wind, hint] 2: castrated bull [syn: bullock, steer] v 1: direct the course; determine the direction of travelling [syn: steer, maneuver, manoeuver, manoeuvre, direct, point, head, guide, channelize, channelise] 2: direct (oneself) somewhere; "Steer clear of him" 3: be a guiding or motivating force or drive; "The teacher steered the gifted students towards the more challenging courses" [syn: guide, steer]

n 1: an infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid [syn: sty, stye, hordeolum, eye infection] 2: a pen for swine [syn: sty, pigsty, pigpen]

n 1: a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands; "his story brought tears to her eyes" [syn: tear, teardrop] 2: an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart; "there was a rip in his pants"; "she had snags in her stockings" [syn: rip, rent, snag, split, tear] 3: an occasion for excessive eating or drinking; "they went on a bust that lasted three days" [syn: bust, tear, binge, bout] 4: the act of tearing; "he took the manuscript in both hands and gave it a mighty tear" v 1: separate or cause to separate abruptly; "The rope snapped"; "tear the paper" [syn: tear, rupture, snap, bust] 2: to separate or be separated by force; "planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars" 3: move quickly and violently; "The car tore down the street"; "He came charging into my office" [syn: tear, shoot, shoot down, charge, buck] 4: strip of feathers; "pull a chicken"; "pluck the capon" [syn: pluck, pull, tear, deplume, deplumate, displume] 5: fill with tears or shed tears; "Her eyes were tearing"

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, thigh]

n 1: neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front; "he stood in front of the mirror tightening his necktie"; "he wore a vest and tie" [syn: necktie, tie] 2: a social or business relationship; "a valuable financial affiliation"; "he was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team"; "many close associations with England" [syn: affiliation, association, tie, tie-up] 3: equality of score in a contest 4: a horizontal beam used to prevent two other structural members from spreading apart or separating; "he nailed the rafters together with a tie beam" [syn: tie, tie beam] 5: a fastener that serves to join or connect; "the walls are held together with metal links placed in the wet mortar during construction" [syn: link, linkup, tie, tie-in] 6: the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided; "the game ended in a draw"; "their record was 3 wins, 6 losses and a tie" [syn: draw, standoff, tie] 7: (music) a slur over two notes of the same pitch; indicates that the note is to be sustained for their combined time value 8: one of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track; "the British call a railroad tie a sleeper" [syn: tie, railroad tie, crosstie, sleeper] 9: a cord (or string or ribbon or wire etc.) with which something is tied; "he needed a tie for the packages" v 1: fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord; "They tied their victim to the chair" [syn: tie, bind] [ant: unbrace, unlace, untie] 2: finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.; "The teams drew a tie" [syn: tie, draw] 3: limit or restrict to; "I am tied to UNIX"; "These big jets are tied to large airports" 4: connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces; "Can you connect the two loudspeakers?"; "Tie the ropes together"; "Link arms" [syn: connect, link, tie, link up] [ant: disconnect] 5: form a knot or bow in; "tie a necktie" 6: create social or emotional ties; "The grandparents want to bond with the child" [syn: bind, tie, attach, bond] 7: perform a marriage ceremony; "The minister married us on Saturday"; "We were wed the following week"; "The couple got spliced on Hawaii" [syn: marry, wed, tie, splice] 8: make by tying pieces together; "The fishermen tied their flies" 9: unite musical notes by a tie

n 1: a relative position or degree of value in a graded group; "lumber of the highest grade" [syn: grade, level, tier] 2: any one of two or more competitors who tie one another 3: a worker who ties something [syn: tier, 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"

n 1: earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" [syn: attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try] v 1: make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world" [syn: try, seek, attempt, essay, assay] 2: put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe" [syn: test, prove, try, try out, examine, essay] 3: put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of; "The football star was tried for the murder of his wife"; "The judge tried both father and son in separate trials" [syn: judge, adjudicate, try] 4: take a sample of; "Try these new crackers"; "Sample the regional dishes" [syn: sample, try, try out, taste] 5: examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process; "The jury had heard all the evidence"; "The case will be tried in California" [syn: hear, try] 6: give pain or trouble to; "I've been sorely tried by these students" 7: test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn: try, strain, stress] 8: melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities; "try the yak butter"; "render fat in a casserole" [syn: try, render] 9: put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice; "Try on this sweater to see how it looks" [syn: try on, try]

v 1: turn sharply; change direction abruptly; "The car cut to the left at the intersection"; "The motorbike veered to the right" [syn: swerve, sheer, curve, trend, veer, slue, slew, cut] 2: shift to a clockwise direction; "the wind veered" [ant: back]

v 1: compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others [syn: compete, vie, contend]

n 1: a low dam built across a stream to raise its level or divert its flow 2: a fence or wattle built across a stream to catch or retain fish

n 1: the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores' [syn: why, wherefore]

adj 1: humorously sarcastic or mocking; "dry humor"; "an ironic remark often conveys an intended meaning obliquely"; "an ironic novel"; "an ironical smile"; "with a wry Scottish wit" [syn: dry, ironic, ironical, wry] 2: bent to one side; "a wry neck"

n 1: a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days; "she is 4 years old"; "in the year 1920" [syn: year, twelvemonth, yr] 2: a period of time occupying a regular part of a calendar year that is used for some particular activity; "a school year" 3: the period of time that it takes for a planet (as, e.g., Earth or Mars) to make a complete revolution around the sun; "a Martian year takes 687 of our days" 4: a body of students who graduate together; "the class of '97"; "she was in my year at Hoehandle High" [syn: class, year]

n 1: one (as a judge) who examines and settles a case 2: one who tries [syn: trier, attempter, essayer]

n 1: a town in north central France noted for white Burgundy wines 2: dry white table wine of Chablis, France or a wine resembling it [syn: Chablis, white Burgundy]

n 1: United States industrialist who manufactured plows suitable for working the prairie soil (1804-1886) [syn: Deere, John Deere]

n 1: British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888) [syn: Lear, Edward Lear] 2: the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy who was betrayed and mistreated by two of his scheming daughters [syn: Lear, King Lear]

n 1: capital of the state of South Dakota; located in central South Dakota on the Missouri river [syn: Pierre, capital of South Dakota]

n 1: an agency of the United States Army responsible for providing timely and relevant and accurate and synchronized intelligence to tactical and operational and strategic level commanders [syn: Army Intelligence, AI] 2: the branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively; "workers in AI hope to imitate or duplicate intelligence in computers and robots" [syn: artificial intelligence, AI] 3: a sloth that has three long claws on each forefoot and each hindfoot [syn: three-toed sloth, ai, Bradypus tridactylus] 4: the introduction of semen into the oviduct or uterus by some means other than sexual intercourse [syn: artificial insemination, AI]

n 1: an area of northern Israel; formerly the northern part of Palestine and the ancient kingdom of Israel; the scene of Jesus's ministry

n 1: fertility goddess in ancient Greek mythology; wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus; identified with Roman Ops and Cybele of ancient Asia Minor 2: smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Peru to Strait of Magellan [syn: rhea, nandu, Pterocnemia pennata] 3: larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Brazil to Patagonia [syn: rhea, Rhea americana]

n 1: a Siren of German legend who lured boatmen in the Rhine to destruction

n 1: the fleshy, waxy covering at the base of the upper beak of some birds v 1: wrap up in a cerecloth; "cere a corpse"

n 1: (Norse mythology) god of war and strife and son of Odin; identified with Anglo-Saxon Tiu [syn: Tyr, Tyrr]

n 1: someone who examines votes at an election [syn: scrutineer, canvasser]