| afflatus | (noun) a strong creative impulse; divine inspiration | - |
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| affliction | (noun) a cause of great suffering and distress | - |
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| (noun) a condition of suffering or distress due to ill health | - |
| (noun) a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity | - |
| affluence | (noun) abundant wealth | Synonyms: richness |
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| affluent | (noun) a branch that flows into the main stream | Synonyms: confluent, feeder, tributary |
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| (noun) an affluent person; a person who is financially well off | - |
| affluenza | (noun) an inability to understand the consequences of one's actions because of financial privilege | - |
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| aflatoxin | (noun) a potent carcinogen from the fungus Aspergillus; can be produced and stored for use as a bioweapon | - |
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| airflow | (noun) the flow of air | Synonyms: air flow, flow of air |
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| alderfly | (noun) dark-colored insect having predaceous aquatic larvae | Synonyms: alder fly, Sialis lutaria |
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| antiflatulent | (noun) any agent that reduces intestinal gas | - |
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| areflexia | (noun) absence of a reflex; a sign of possible nerve damage | - |
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| autofluorescence | (noun) self-induced fluorescence | - |
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| backflow | (noun) a flow that returns toward its source | Synonyms: backflowing |
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| backflowing | (noun) a flow that returns toward its source | Synonyms: backflow |
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| baffle | (noun) a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy | Synonyms: baffle board |
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| baffled | (noun) people who are frustrated and perplexed | - |
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| bafflement | (noun) confusion resulting from failure to understand | Synonyms: befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderment, mystification, obfuscation, puzzlement |
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| bellflower | (noun) any of various plants of the genus Campanula having blue or white bell-shaped flowers | Synonyms: campanula |
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| bioflavinoid | (noun) a vitamin that maintains the resistance of cell and capillary walls to permeation | Synonyms: citrin, vitamin P |
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| blackfly | (noun) small blackish stout-bodied biting fly having aquatic larvae; sucks the blood of birds as well as humans and other mammals | Synonyms: black fly, buffalo gnat |
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| (noun) blackish aphid that infests e.g. beans and sugar beets | Synonyms: Aphis fabae, bean aphid |
| blowfly | (noun) large usually hairy metallic blue or green fly; lays eggs in carrion or dung or wounds | Synonyms: blow fly |
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| bobfloat | (noun) a small float usually made of cork; attached to a fishing line | Synonyms: bob, bobber, cork |
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| botfly | (noun) stout-bodied hairy dipterous fly whose larvae are parasites on humans and other mammals | - |
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| bufflehead | (noun) small North American diving duck; males have bushy head plumage | Synonyms: Bucephela albeola, butterball, dipper |
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| butterflower | (noun) any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus | Synonyms: butter-flower, buttercup, crowfoot, goldcup, kingcup |
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| butterfly | (noun) a swimming stroke in which the arms are thrown forward together out of the water while the feet kick up and down | Synonyms: butterfly stroke |
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| (noun) diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings | - |
| butterflyfish | (noun) tropical fish with huge fanlike pectoral fins for underwater gliding; unrelated to searobins | Synonyms: flying gurnard, flying robin |
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| camouflage | (noun) the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance | Synonyms: disguise |
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| (noun) device or stratagem for concealment or deceit | - |
| (noun) fabric dyed with splotches of green and brown and black and tan; intended to make the wearer of a garment made of this fabric hard to distinguish from the background | Synonyms: camo |
| (noun) an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something | Synonyms: disguise |
| candyfloss | (noun) a candy made by spinning sugar that has been boiled to a high temperature | Synonyms: cotton candy, spun sugar |
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| catchfly | (noun) mostly perennial herbs with sticky stems that catch insects; widespread in north temperate zone | Synonyms: lychnis |
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| (noun) any plant of the genus Silene | Synonyms: campion, silene |
| cauliflower | (noun) compact head of white undeveloped flowers | - |
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| (noun) a plant having a large edible head of crowded white flower buds | Synonyms: Brassica oleracea botrytis |
| chalcidfly | (noun) any of various tiny insects whose larvae are parasites on eggs and larvae of other insects; many are beneficial in destroying injurious insects | Synonyms: chalcid, chalcid fly, chalcid wasp |
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| cheeseflower | (noun) erect or decumbent Old World perennial with axillary clusters of rosy-purple flowers; introduced in United States | Synonyms: cheese, high mallow, Malva sylvestris, tall mallow |
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| chiggerflower | (noun) erect perennial of eastern and southern United States having showy orange flowers | Synonyms: Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed, chigger flower, Indian paintbrush, orange milkweed, pleurisy root, tuber root |
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| chlorofluorocarbon | (noun) a fluorocarbon with chlorine; formerly used as a refrigerant and as a propellant in aerosol cans | Synonyms: CFC |
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| ciprofloxacin | (noun) an oral antibiotic (trade name Cipro) used against serious bacterial infections of the skin or respiratory tract or urinary tract or bones or joints | Synonyms: Cipro |
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| circumflex | (noun) a diacritical mark (^) placed above a vowel in some languages to indicate a special phonetic quality | - |
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| coneflower | (noun) any of various perennials of the eastern United States having thick rough leaves and long-stalked showy flowers with drooping rays and a conelike center | - |
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| (noun) any of various plants of the genus Rudbeckia cultivated for their large usually yellow daisies with prominent central cones | - |
| (noun) a wildflower of the genus Ratibida | - |
| conflagration | (noun) a very intense and uncontrolled fire | Synonyms: inferno |
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| conflict | (noun) an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals) | Synonyms: battle, struggle |
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| (noun) a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war | Synonyms: battle, engagement, fight |
| (noun) an incompatibility of dates or events | - |
| (noun) a disagreement or argument about something important | Synonyms: difference, difference of opinion, dispute |
| (noun) opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible feelings | - |
| (noun) opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot) | - |
| (noun) a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests | - |
| confluence | (noun) a flowing together | Synonyms: conflux, merging |
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| (noun) a coming together of people | Synonyms: concourse |
| (noun) a place where things merge or flow together (especially rivers) | Synonyms: meeting |
| confluent | (noun) a branch that flows into the main stream | Synonyms: affluent, feeder, tributary |
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| conflux | (noun) a flowing together | Synonyms: confluence, merging |
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| cornflour | (noun) starch prepared from the grains of corn; used in cooking as a thickener | Synonyms: cornstarch |
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| cornflower | (noun) an annual Eurasian plant cultivated in North America having showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers | Synonyms: bachelor's button, bluebottle, Centaurea cyanus |
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| (noun) plant of southern and southeastern United States grown for its yellow flowers that can be dried | Synonyms: strawflower, Uvularia grandiflora |
| cuckooflower | (noun) a bitter cress of Europe and America | Synonyms: Cardamine pratensis, cuckoo flower, lady's smock, meadow cress |
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| cufflink | (noun) jewelry consisting of one of a pair of linked buttons used to fasten the cuffs of a shirt | - |
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| cupflower | (noun) any of various plants of the genus Nierembergia having upturned bell-shaped flowers | Synonyms: nierembergia |
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| (noun) Mexican evergreen climbing plant having large solitary funnel-shaped fragrant yellow flowers with purple-brown ridges in the throat | Synonyms: chalice vine, Solandra guttata, trumpet flower |
| damselfly | (noun) slender non-stinging insect similar to but smaller than the dragonfly but having wings folded when at rest | - |
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| dayflower | (noun) any plant of the family Commelinaceae | Synonyms: spiderwort |
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| dayfly | (noun) slender insect with delicate membranous wings having an aquatic larval stage and terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days | Synonyms: mayfly, shadfly |
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| deflagration | (noun) combustion that propagates through a gas or along the surface of an explosive at a rapid rate driven by the transfer of heat | - |
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| deflation | (noun) the act of letting the air out of something | - |
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| (noun) a contraction of economic activity resulting in a decline of prices | - |
| (noun) (geology) the erosion of soil as a consequence of sand and dust and loose rocks being removed by the wind | - |
| deflator | (noun) a statistical factor designed to remove the effect of inflation; inflation adjusted variables are in constant dollars | - |
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| deflection | (noun) a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern) | Synonyms: deflexion, deviation, digression, divagation, diversion |
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| (noun) the property of being bent or deflected | Synonyms: bending, deflexion |
| (noun) the amount by which a propagating wave is bent | Synonyms: deflexion, refraction |
| (noun) the movement of the pointer or pen of a measuring instrument from its zero position | Synonyms: deflexion |
| (noun) a twist or aberration; especially a perverse or abnormal way of judging or acting | Synonyms: warp |
| deflector | (noun) a device intended to turn aside the flow of something (water or air or smoke etc) | - |
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| deflexion | (noun) a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern) | Synonyms: deflection, deviation, digression, divagation, diversion |
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| (noun) the property of being bent or deflected | Synonyms: bending, deflection |
| (noun) the amount by which a propagating wave is bent | Synonyms: deflection, refraction |
| (noun) the movement of the pointer or pen of a measuring instrument from its zero position | Synonyms: deflection |
| defloration | (noun) the act of depriving a woman of her virginity (especially by rupturing the hymen through sexual intercourse) | - |
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| (noun) an act that despoils the innocence or beauty of something | - |
| difflugia | (noun) a protozoan with an ovoid shell of cemented sand grains | - |
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| diflunisal | (noun) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (trade name Dolobid) used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory conditions | Synonyms: Dolobid |
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| dinoflagellate | (noun) chiefly marine protozoa having two flagella; a chief constituent of plankton | - |
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| disfluency | (noun) lack of skillfulness in speaking or writing | - |
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| disinflation | (noun) a reduction of prices intended to improve the balance of payments | - |
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| dobsonfly | (noun) large soft-bodied insect having long slender mandibles in the male; aquatic larvae often used as bait | Synonyms: Corydalus cornutus, dobson, dobson fly |
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| dorsiflexion | (noun) the act of bending backward (of the body or a body part) | - |
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| dragonfly | (noun) slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc. | Synonyms: darning needle, devil's darning needle, mosquito hawk, sewing needle, skeeter hawk, snake doctor, snake feeder |
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| duffle | (noun) a coarse heavy woolen fabric | Synonyms: duffel |
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| (noun) a large cylindrical bag of heavy cloth; for carrying personal belongings | Synonyms: duffel, duffel bag, duffle bag |
| earflap | (noun) one of two flaps attached to a cap to keep the ears warm | Synonyms: earlap |
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| effleurage | (noun) a rhythmic stroking | - |
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| efflorescence | (noun) a powdery deposit on a surface | Synonyms: bloom |
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| (noun) the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms | Synonyms: anthesis, blossoming, florescence, flowering, inflorescence |
| (noun) any red eruption of the skin | Synonyms: rash, roseola, skin rash |
| (noun) the period of greatest prosperity or productivity | Synonyms: bloom, blossom, flower, flush, heyday, peak, prime |
| effluence | (noun) the process of flowing out | Synonyms: efflux, outflow |
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| effluent | (noun) water mixed with waste matter | Synonyms: sewer water, wastewater |
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| effluvium | (noun) a foul-smelling outflow or vapor (especially a gaseous waste) | - |
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| efflux | (noun) the process of flowing out | Synonyms: effluence, outflow |
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| enflurane | (noun) a nonflammable liquid (trade name Ethrane) used as an inhalation general anesthetic | Synonyms: Ethrane |
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| exaflop | (noun) (computer science) a unit for measuring the speed of a computer system, equal to one quintillion floating-point operations a second. | Synonyms: EFLOPS |
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| fingerflower | (noun) tall leafy European biennial or perennial having spectacular clusters of large tubular pink-purple flowers; leaves yield drug digitalis and are poisonous to livestock | Synonyms: common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, fairy bell, finger-flower, finger-root, fingerroot |
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| firefly | (noun) nocturnal beetle common in warm regions having luminescent abdominal organs | Synonyms: lightning bug |
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| (noun) tropical American click beetle having bright luminous spots | Synonyms: fire beetle, Pyrophorus noctiluca |
| flab | (noun) loose or flaccid body fat | - |
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| flabbiness | (noun) a flabby softness | Synonyms: flaccidity, limpness |
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| flaccidity | (noun) a flabby softness | Synonyms: flabbiness, limpness |
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| flack | (noun) artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes | Synonyms: ack-ack, ack-ack gun, antiaircraft, antiaircraft gun, flak, pom-pom |
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| (noun) intense adverse criticism | Synonyms: attack, blast, fire, flak |
| (noun) a slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer | Synonyms: flack catcher, flak, flak catcher |
| flag | (noun) a conspicuously marked or shaped tail | - |
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| (noun) emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design | - |
| (noun) stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones | Synonyms: flagstone |
| (noun) flagpole used to mark the position of the hole on a golf green | Synonyms: pin |
| (noun) a rectangular piece of fabric used as a signalling device | Synonyms: signal flag |
| (noun) a listing printed in all issues of a newspaper or magazine (usually on the editorial page) that gives the name of the publication and the names of the editorial staff, etc. | Synonyms: masthead |
| (noun) plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals | Synonyms: fleur-de-lis, iris, sword lily |
| flagellant | (noun) a person who whips himself as a religious penance | - |
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| (noun) a person who is whipped or whips himself for sexual gratification | - |
| flagellate | (noun) a usually nonphotosynthetic free-living protozoan with whiplike appendages; some are pathogens of humans and other animals | Synonyms: flagellate protozoan, flagellated protozoan, mastigophoran, mastigophore |
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| flagellation | (noun) beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment | Synonyms: flogging, lashing, tanning, whipping |
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| (noun) beating as a source of erotic or religious stimulation | - |
| flagellum | (noun) a lash-like appendage used for locomotion (e.g., in sperm cells and some bacteria and protozoa) | - |
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| (noun) a whip used to inflict punishment | Synonyms: scourge |
| flageolet | (noun) a small fipple flute with four finger holes and two thumb holes | Synonyms: shepherd's pipe, treble recorder |
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| (noun) a French bean variety with light-colored seeds; usually dried | Synonyms: haricot |
| flagfish | (noun) a fish with a dark-blue back and whitish sides with red stripes; found in swamps and streams of Florida | Synonyms: American flagfish, Jordanella floridae |
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| flagging | (noun) a walk of flagstones | - |
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| (noun) flagstones collectively | - |
| flagon | (noun) a large metal or pottery vessel with a handle and spout; used to hold alcoholic beverages (usually wine) | - |
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| flagpole | (noun) a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised | Synonyms: flagstaff |
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| (noun) surveying instrument consisting of a straight rod painted in bands of alternate red and white each one foot wide; used for sightings by surveyors | Synonyms: range pole, ranging pole |
| flagroot | (noun) perennial marsh plant having swordlike leaves and aromatic roots | Synonyms: Acorus calamus, calamus, myrtle flag, sweet calamus, sweet flag |
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| flagship | (noun) the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag | - |
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| (noun) the chief one of a related group | - |
| flagstaff | (noun) a tall staff or pole on which a flag is raised | Synonyms: flagpole |
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| flagstone | (noun) stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones | Synonyms: flag |
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| flail | (noun) an implement consisting of handle with a free swinging stick at the end; used in manual threshing | - |
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| flair | (noun) distinctive and stylish elegance | Synonyms: dash, elan, panache, style |
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| (noun) a natural talent | Synonyms: genius |
| (noun) a shape that spreads outward | Synonyms: flare |
| flak | (noun) artillery designed to shoot upward at airplanes | Synonyms: ack-ack, ack-ack gun, antiaircraft, antiaircraft gun, flack, pom-pom |
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| (noun) intense adverse criticism | Synonyms: attack, blast, fire, flack |
| (noun) a slick spokesperson who can turn any criticism to the advantage of their employer | Synonyms: flack, flack catcher, flak catcher |
| flake | (noun) a small fragment of something broken off from the whole | Synonyms: bit, chip, fleck, scrap |
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| (noun) a person with an unusual or odd personality | Synonyms: eccentric, eccentric person, geek, oddball |
| (noun) a crystal of snow | Synonyms: snowflake |
| flakiness | (noun) having or breaking into thin crisp flakes | - |
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| (noun) informal terms for insanity | Synonyms: craziness, daftness |