| backer | (noun) someone who provides financial support for some venture | Synonyms: angel |
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| backfield | (noun) the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen | - |
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| backfire | (noun) a miscalculation that recoils on its maker | Synonyms: boomerang |
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| (noun) a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in the manifold or exhaust of an internal combustion engine | - |
| (noun) the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired | Synonyms: blowback |
| (noun) a fire that is set intentionally in order to slow an approaching forest fire or grassfire by clearing a burned area in its path | - |
| 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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| backgammon | (noun) a board game for two players; pieces move according to throws of the dice | - |
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| background | (noun) scenery hung at back of stage | Synonyms: backcloth, backdrop |
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| (noun) (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear | Synonyms: desktop, screen background |
| (noun) a person's social heritage: previous experience or training | - |
| (noun) the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground | Synonyms: ground |
| (noun) information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem | Synonyms: background knowledge |
| (noun) extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured | Synonyms: background signal |
| (noun) relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation | - |
| (noun) the state of the environment in which a situation exists | Synonyms: scope, setting |
| backgrounder | (noun) a press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy | - |
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| backgrounding | (noun) the execution of low priority programs while higher priority programs are not using the processing system | Synonyms: background processing |
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| backhand | (noun) a return made with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke | Synonyms: backhand shot, backhand stroke |
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| backhander | (noun) a backhanded blow | - |
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| backhoe | (noun) an excavator whose shovel bucket is attached to a hinged boom and is drawn backward to move earth | - |
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| backing | (noun) the act of providing approval and support | Synonyms: backup, championship, patronage |
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| (noun) something forming a back that is added for strengthening | Synonyms: mount |
| (noun) financial resources provided to make some project possible | Synonyms: financial backing, financial support, funding, support |
| backlash | (noun) an adverse reaction to some political or social occurrence | - |
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| (noun) a movement back from an impact | Synonyms: rebound, recoil, repercussion |
| backlighting | (noun) lighting from behind | - |
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| backlog | (noun) an accumulation of jobs not done or materials not processed that are yet to be dealt with (especially unfilled customer orders for products or services) | - |
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| (noun) something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose | Synonyms: reserve, stockpile |
| (noun) the large log at the back of a hearth fire | - |
| backpack | (noun) a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder | Synonyms: back pack, haversack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack |
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| backpacker | (noun) a hiker who wears a backpack | Synonyms: packer |
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| backpacking | (noun) carrying something in a pack on the back | Synonyms: packing |
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| backplate | (noun) plate armor protecting the back; worn as part of a cuirass | - |
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| backrest | (noun) a support that you can lean against while sitting | Synonyms: back |
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| backroom | (noun) the meeting place of a group of leaders who make their decisions via private negotiations | - |
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| backsaw | (noun) a handsaw that is stiffened by metal reinforcement along the upper edge | Synonyms: back saw |
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| backscratcher | (noun) a long-handled scratcher for scratching your back | - |
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| (noun) someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage | - |
| backseat | (noun) a seat at the back of a vehicle (especially the seat at the back of an automobile) | - |
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| (noun) a secondary or inferior position or status | - |
| backsheesh | (noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) | Synonyms: baksheesh, bakshis, bakshish, gratuity, pourboire, tip |
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| backside | (noun) the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on | Synonyms: arse, ass, behind, bottom, bum, buns, butt, buttocks, can, derriere, fanny, fundament, hind end, hindquarters, keister, nates, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, seat, stern, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush |
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| (noun) the side of an object that is opposite its front | Synonyms: back end, rear |
| backslapper | (noun) someone who demonstrates enthusiastic or excessive cordiality | - |
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| backslider | (noun) someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior | Synonyms: recidivist, reversionist |
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| backsliding | (noun) a failure to maintain a higher state | Synonyms: lapse, lapsing, relapse, relapsing, reversion, reverting |
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| backspace | (noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing | Synonyms: backspace key, backspacer |
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| backspacer | (noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing | Synonyms: backspace, backspace key |
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| backspin | (noun) spin (usually of a moving ball) that retards or reverses the forward motion | - |
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| backstage | (noun) a stage area out of sight of the audience | Synonyms: offstage, wing |
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| backstairs | (noun) a second staircase at the rear of a building | - |
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| backstay | (noun) a stay that supports the back of something | - |
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| backstitch | (noun) an overlapping stitch made by starting the next stitch at the middle of the preceding one | - |
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| backstop | (noun) a precaution in case of an emergency | - |
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| (noun) (baseball) a fence or screen (as behind home plate) to prevent the ball from traveling out of the playing field | - |
| (noun) (baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher | Synonyms: catcher |
| backstroke | (noun) a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back | - |
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| backstroker | (noun) someone who swims the backstroke | - |
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| backswimmer | (noun) predaceous aquatic insect that swims on its back and may inflict painful bites | Synonyms: Notonecta undulata |
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| backsword | (noun) a sword with only one cutting edge | - |
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| (noun) a stick used instead of a sword for fencing | Synonyms: fencing stick, singlestick |
| backtalk | (noun) an impudent or insolent rejoinder | Synonyms: back talk, lip, mouth, sass, sassing |
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| backup | (noun) the act of providing approval and support | Synonyms: backing, championship, patronage |
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| (noun) (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device | Synonyms: computer backup |
| (noun) a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts | Synonyms: accompaniment, musical accompaniment, support |
| (noun) someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult) | Synonyms: backup man, fill-in, relief, reliever, stand-in, substitute |
| (noun) an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage | - |
| backwardation | (noun) the market condition wherein the price of a forward or futures contract is trading below the expected spot price at contract maturity. | - |
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| backwardness | (noun) lack of normal development of intellectual capacities | Synonyms: mental retardation, retardation, slowness, subnormality |
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| backwash | (noun) the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward | Synonyms: wake |
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| (noun) the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller | Synonyms: airstream, race, slipstream, wash |
| (noun) the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event) | Synonyms: aftermath, wake |
| backwater | (noun) a place or condition in which no development or progress is occurring | - |
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| (noun) a body of water that was created by a flood or tide or by being held or forced back by a dam | - |
| backwoods | (noun) a remote and undeveloped area | Synonyms: back country, boondocks, hinterland |
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| backwoodsman | (noun) a man who lives on the frontier | Synonyms: frontiersman, mountain man |
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| backyard | (noun) the grounds in back of a house | - |
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| baedeker | (noun) any of a series of travel guidebooks published by the German firm founded by Karl Baedeker | - |
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| bailiwick | (noun) a branch of knowledge | Synonyms: discipline, field, field of study, study, subject, subject area, subject field |
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| (noun) the area over which a bailiff has jurisdiction | - |
| bakeapple | (noun) creeping raspberry of north temperate regions with yellow or orange berries | Synonyms: baked-apple berry, cloudberry, dwarf mulberry, Rubus chamaemorus, salmonberry |
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| bakehouse | (noun) a workplace where baked goods (breads and cakes and pastries) are produced or sold | Synonyms: bakery, bakeshop |
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| baker | (noun) someone who bakes bread or cake | Synonyms: bread maker |
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| (noun) someone who bakes commercially | - |
| bakery | (noun) a workplace where baked goods (breads and cakes and pastries) are produced or sold | Synonyms: bakehouse, bakeshop |
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| bakeshop | (noun) a workplace where baked goods (breads and cakes and pastries) are produced or sold | Synonyms: bakehouse, bakery |
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| baking | (noun) cooking by dry heat in an oven | - |
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| (noun) making bread or cake or pastry etc. | - |
| baklava | (noun) rich Middle Eastern cake made of thin layers of flaky pastry filled with nuts and honey | - |
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| baksheesh | (noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) | Synonyms: backsheesh, bakshis, bakshish, gratuity, pourboire, tip |
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| bakshis | (noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) | Synonyms: backsheesh, baksheesh, bakshish, gratuity, pourboire, tip |
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| bakshish | (noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) | Synonyms: backsheesh, baksheesh, bakshis, gratuity, pourboire, tip |
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| balalaika | (noun) a stringed instrument that has a triangular body and three strings | - |
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| baldrick | (noun) a wide (ornamented) belt worn over the right shoulder to support a sword or bugle by the left hip | Synonyms: baldric |
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| balk | (noun) an illegal pitching motion while runners are on base | - |
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| (noun) one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof | Synonyms: baulk, rafter |
| (noun) something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress | Synonyms: baulk, check, deterrent, handicap, hinderance, hindrance, impediment |
| (noun) the area on a billiard table behind the balkline | Synonyms: baulk |
| balker | (noun) a person who refuses to comply | Synonyms: baulker, noncompliant |
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| balkiness | (noun) likely to stop abruptly and unexpectedly | - |
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| balkline | (noun) line across a billiard table behind which the cue balls are placed at the start of a game | Synonyms: baulk-line, string line |
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| ballcock | (noun) floating ball that controls level in a water tank | Synonyms: ball cock |
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| ballock | (noun) one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens | Synonyms: ball, bollock, egg, nut, orchis, testicle, testis |
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| ballpark | (noun) a facility in which ball games are played (especially baseball games) | Synonyms: park |
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| (noun) near to the scope or range of something | Synonyms: approximate range |
| bank | (noun) a flight maneuver; aircraft tips laterally about its longitudinal axis (especially in turning) | - |
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| (noun) a building in which the business of banking is transacted | Synonyms: bank building |
| (noun) a container (usually with a slot in the top) for keeping money at home | Synonyms: coin bank, money box, savings bank |
| (noun) a financial institution that accepts deposits and channels the money into lending activities | Synonyms: banking company, banking concern, depository financial institution |
| (noun) an arrangement of similar objects in a row or in tiers | - |
| (noun) a long ridge or pile | - |
| (noun) sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water) | - |
| (noun) a slope in the turn of a road or track; the outside is higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force | Synonyms: camber, cant |
| (noun) a supply or stock held in reserve for future use (especially in emergencies) | - |
| (noun) the funds held by a gambling house or the dealer in some gambling games | - |
| bankbook | (noun) a record of deposits and withdrawals and interest held by depositors at certain banks | Synonyms: passbook |
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| banker | (noun) a financier who owns or is an executive in a bank | - |
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| (noun) the person in charge of the bank in a gambling game | - |
| banking | (noun) transacting business with a bank; depositing or withdrawing funds or requesting a loan etc. | - |
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| (noun) engaging in the business of keeping money for savings and checking accounts or for exchange or for issuing loans and credit etc. | - |
| banknote | (noun) a piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank) | Synonyms: bank bill, bank note, banker's bill, bill, Federal Reserve note, government note, greenback, note |
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| bankroll | (noun) a roll of currency notes (often taken as the resources of a person or business etc.) | Synonyms: roll |
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| bankrupt | (noun) someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts | Synonyms: insolvent |
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| bankruptcy | (noun) a legal process intended to insure equality among the creditors of a corporation declared to be insolvent | - |
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| (noun) inability to discharge all your debts as they come due | Synonyms: failure |
| (noun) a state of complete lack of some abstract property | - |
| banksia | (noun) any shrub or tree of the genus Banksia having alternate leathery leaves apetalous yellow flowers often in showy heads and conelike fruit with winged seeds | - |
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| bannock | (noun) a flat bread made of oat or barley flour; common in New England and Scotland | - |
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| baranduki | (noun) terrestrial Siberian squirrel | Synonyms: baronduki, barunduki, burunduki, Eutamius asiaticus, Eutamius sibiricus |
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| bark | (noun) a sailing ship with 3 (or more) masts | Synonyms: barque |
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| (noun) the sound made by a dog | - |
| (noun) a noise resembling the bark of a dog | - |
| (noun) tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants | - |
| barkeep | (noun) an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar | Synonyms: barkeeper, bartender, mixologist |
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| barkeeper | (noun) an employee who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar | Synonyms: barkeep, bartender, mixologist |
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| barker | (noun) informal terms for dogs | Synonyms: bow-wow, doggie, doggy, pooch |
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| (noun) someone who stands in front of a show (as at a carnival) and gives a loud colorful sales talk to potential customers | - |
| barmbrack | (noun) a rich currant cake or bun | - |
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| baronduki | (noun) terrestrial Siberian squirrel | Synonyms: baranduki, barunduki, burunduki, Eutamius asiaticus, Eutamius sibiricus |
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| barrack | (noun) a building or group of buildings used to house military personnel | - |
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| barracking | (noun) shouting to interrupt a speech with which you disagree | Synonyms: heckling |
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| barunduki | (noun) terrestrial Siberian squirrel | Synonyms: baranduki, baronduki, burunduki, Eutamius asiaticus, Eutamius sibiricus |
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| basilisk | (noun) small crested arboreal lizard able to run on its hind legs; of tropical America | - |
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| (noun) ancient brass cannon | - |
| (noun) (classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance | - |
| basket | (noun) a score in basketball made by throwing the ball through the hoop | Synonyms: field goal |
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| (noun) a container that is usually woven and has handles | Synonyms: handbasket |
| (noun) horizontal circular metal hoop supporting a net through which players try to throw the basketball | Synonyms: basketball hoop, hoop |
| (noun) the quantity contained in a basket | Synonyms: basketful |
| basketball | (noun) a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop | Synonyms: basketball game, hoops |
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| (noun) an inflated ball used in playing basketball | - |
| basketeer | (noun) an athlete who plays basketball | Synonyms: basketball player, cager |
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| basketful | (noun) the quantity contained in a basket | Synonyms: basket |
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| basketmaker | (noun) someone skilled in weaving baskets | Synonyms: basketweaver |
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| basketry | (noun) the craft of basket making | - |
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| basketweaver | (noun) someone skilled in weaving baskets | Synonyms: basketmaker |
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