Again rhymes with:

v 1: come into possession of; "How did you obtain the visa?" 2: receive a specified treatment (abstract); "These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation"; "His movie received a good review"; "I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions" [syn: receive, get, find, obtain, incur] 3: be valid, applicable, or true; "This theory still holds" [syn: prevail, hold, obtain]

v 1: refrain from voting 2: choose not to consume; "I abstain from alcohol" [syn: abstain, refrain, desist] [ant: consume, have, ingest, take, take in]

n 1: an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; "the flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane" [syn: airplane, aeroplane, plane]

n 1: a primeval Egyptian personification of air and breath; worshipped especially at Thebes [syn: Amen, Amon, Amun]

v 1: be a part or attribute of [syn: pertain, appertain]

n 1: a board that is pulled by a speedboat as a person stands on it and skims over the top of the water v 1: rise up onto a thin film of water between the tires and road so that there is no more contact with the road; "the car aquaplaned" 2: ride on an aquaplane

adj 1: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge; "the arcane science of dowsing"

v 1: call before a court to answer an indictment 2: accuse of a wrong or an inadequacy

v 1: establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; "find the product of two numbers"; "The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize" [syn: determine, find, find out, ascertain] 2: be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; "He verified that the valves were closed"; "See that the curtains are closed"; "control the quality of the product" [syn: see, check, insure, see to it, ensure, control, ascertain, assure] 3: find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" [syn: determine, check, find out, see, ascertain, watch, learn] 4: learn or discover with certainty

v 1: to gain with effort; "she achieved her goal despite setbacks" [syn: achieve, accomplish, attain, reach] 2: reach a point in time, or a certain state or level; "The thermometer hit 100 degrees"; "This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour" [syn: reach, hit, attain] 3: find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake" [syn: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain, discover] 4: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts" [syn: reach, make, attain, hit, arrive at, gain]

n 1: something causing misery or death; "the bane of my life" [syn: bane, curse, scourge, nemesis]

n 1: old fashioned airplane; has two wings one above the other

n 1: a person with confused ideas; incapable of serious thought [syn: addle-head, addlehead, loon, birdbrain]

n 1: an inflammatory swelling or sore

n 1: a discoloration caused by blood

n 1: that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord [syn: brain, encephalon] 2: mental ability; "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense" [syn: brain, brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality, wit] 3: that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason; "his mind wandered"; "I couldn't get his words out of my head" [syn: mind, head, brain, psyche, nous] 4: someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality; "Mozart was a child genius"; "he's smart but he's no Einstein" [syn: genius, mastermind, brain, brainiac, Einstein] 5: the brain of certain animals used as meat v 1: hit on the head 2: kill by smashing someone's skull

n 1: a place on a baseball field where relief pitchers can warm up during a game 2: a large cell where prisoners (people awaiting trial or sentence or refugees or illegal immigrants) are confined together temporarily [syn: bullpen, detention cell, detention centre]

n 1: the body of individuals who manage businesses [syn: businessmen, business community]

n 1: occurs in natural gas; used in the manufacture of rubber and fuels

n 1: a race between candidates for elective office; "I managed his campaign for governor"; "he is raising money for a Senate run" [syn: political campaign, campaign, run] 2: a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort" [syn: campaign, cause, crusade, drive, movement, effort] 3: several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints) [syn: campaign, military campaign] 4: an overland journey by hunters (especially in Africa) [syn: campaign, hunting expedition, safari] v 1: run, stand, or compete for an office or a position; "Who's running for treasurer this year?" [syn: campaign, run] 2: exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for; "The liberal party pushed for reforms"; "She is crusading for women's rights"; "The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate" [syn: crusade, fight, press, campaign, push, agitate] 3: go on a campaign; go off to war [syn: campaign, take the field]

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

n 1: plant bearing very hot and finely tapering long peppers; usually red [syn: cayenne, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, chilli pepper, long pepper, jalapeno, Capsicum annuum longum] 2: ground pods and seeds of pungent red peppers of the genus Capsicum [syn: cayenne, cayenne pepper, red pepper] 3: a long and often twisted hot red pepper [syn: cayenne, cayenne pepper]

n 1: a transparent paperlike product that is impervious to moisture and used to wrap candy or cigarettes etc.

n 1: a series of things depending on each other as if linked together; "the chain of command"; "a complicated concatenation of circumstances" [syn: chain, concatenation] 2: (chemistry) a series of linked atoms (generally in an organic molecule) [syn: chain, chemical chain] 3: a series of (usually metal) rings or links fitted into one another to make a flexible ligament 4: (business) a number of similar establishments (stores or restaurants or banks or hotels or theaters) under one ownership 5: anything that acts as a restraint 6: a unit of length 7: British biochemist (born in Germany) who isolated and purified penicillin, which had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming (1906-1979) [syn: Chain, Ernst Boris Chain, Sir Ernst Boris Chain] 8: a series of hills or mountains; "the valley was between two ranges of hills"; "the plains lay just beyond the mountain range" [syn: range, mountain range, range of mountains, chain, mountain chain, chain of mountains] 9: a linked or connected series of objects; "a chain of daisies" 10: a necklace made by a stringing objects together; "a string of beads"; "a strand of pearls"; [syn: chain, string, strand] v 1: connect or arrange into a chain by linking 2: fasten or secure with chains; "Chain the chairs together" [ant: unchain]

n 1: British statesman who as Prime Minister pursued a policy of appeasement toward fascist Germany (1869-1940) [syn: Chamberlain, Neville Chamberlain, Arthur Neville Chamberlain] 2: the treasurer of a municipal corporation 3: an officer who manages the household of a king or nobleman

n 1: a white sparkling wine either produced in Champagne or resembling that produced there [syn: champagne, bubbly] 2: a region of northeastern France [syn: Champagne, Champagne-Ardenne]

n 1: a bridge hand that is void of trumps 2: a movable barrier used in motor racing; sometimes placed before a dangerous corner to reduce speed as cars pass in single file 3: the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them) [syn: trickery, chicanery, chicane, guile, wile, shenanigan] v 1: defeat someone through trickery or deceit [syn: cheat, chouse, shaft, screw, chicane, jockey] 2: raise trivial objections [syn: cavil, carp, chicane]

n 1: a narcotic (alkaloid) extracted from coca leaves; used as a surface anesthetic or taken for pleasure; can become powerfully addictive [syn: cocaine, cocain]

n 1: a female actor in a comedy 2: a female comedian

v 1: express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" [syn: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch] [ant: cheer, cheer up, chirk up] 2: make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge; "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client"

v 1: hold back [syn: restrain, encumber, cumber, constrain] 2: restrict; "Tighten the rules"; "stiffen the regulations" [syn: stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrain]

v 1: include or contain; have as a component; "A totally new idea is comprised in this paper"; "The record contains many old songs from the 1930's" [syn: incorporate, contain, comprise] 2: contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" [syn: hold, bear, carry, contain] 3: lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake"; "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger" [syn: control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb, moderate] 4: be divisible by; "24 contains 6" 5: be capable of holding or containing; "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon" [syn: contain, take, hold] 6: hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of; "Arrest the downward trend"; "Check the growth of communism in South East Asia"; "Contain the rebel movement"; "Turn back the tide of communism" [syn: check, turn back, arrest, stop, contain, hold back]

n 1: decorative cover for a bed [syn: bedspread, bedcover, bed cover, bed covering, counterpane, spread]

n 1: United States writer (1871-1900) [syn: Crane, Stephen Crane] 2: United States poet (1899-1932) [syn: Crane, Hart Crane, Harold Hart Crane] 3: a small constellation in the southern hemisphere near Phoenix [syn: Grus, Crane] 4: lifts and moves heavy objects; lifting tackle is suspended from a pivoted boom that rotates around a vertical axis 5: large long-necked wading bird of marshes and plains in many parts of the world v 1: stretch (the neck) so as to see better; "The women craned their necks to see the President drive by" [syn: crane, stretch out]

n 1: hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window) [syn: curtain, drape, drapery, mantle, pall] 2: any barrier to communication or vision; "a curtain of secrecy"; "a curtain of trees" v 1: provide with drapery; "curtain the bedrooms"

v 1: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity [syn: condescend, deign, descend]

n 1: the habitation of wild animals [syn: lair, den] 2: a hiding place; usually a remote place used by outlaws [syn: hideout, hideaway, den] 3: a unit of 8 to 10 cub scouts 4: a room that is comfortable and secluded

v 1: get off an airplane

v 1: deprive of freedom; take into confinement [syn: confine, detain] [ant: free, liberate, loose, release, unloose, unloosen] 2: stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!" [syn: stay, detain, delay] 3: cause to be slowed down or delayed; "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform" [syn: delay, detain, hold up] [ant: hurry, rush]

n 1: lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; "he was held in contempt"; "the despite in which outsiders were held is legendary" [syn: contempt, disdain, scorn, despite] 2: a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient [syn: condescension, disdain, patronage] v 1: look down on with disdain; "He despises the people he has to work for"; "The professor scorns the students who don't catch on immediately" [syn: contemn, despise, scorn, disdain] 2: reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" [syn: reject, spurn, freeze off, scorn, pooh-pooh, disdain, turn down]

n 1: any of several poisonous perennial plants of the genus Apocynum having acrid milky juice and bell-shaped white or pink flowers and a very bitter root

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: territory over which rule or control is exercised; "his domain extended into Europe"; "he made it the law of the land" [syn: domain, demesne, land] 3: (mathematics) the set of values of the independent variable for which a function is defined [syn: domain, domain of a function] 4: people in general; especially a distinctive group of people with some shared interest; "the Western world" [syn: world, domain] 5: the content of a particular field of knowledge [syn: knowledge domain, knowledge base, domain]

n 1: emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it [syn: drain, drainage] 2: tube inserted into a body cavity (as during surgery) to remove unwanted material 3: a pipe through which liquid is carried away [syn: drain, drainpipe, waste pipe] 4: a gradual depletion of energy or resources; "a drain on resources"; "a drain of young talent by emigration" v 1: flow off gradually; "The rain water drains into this big vat" [syn: drain, run out] 2: deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of energy" 3: empty of liquid; drain the liquid from; "We drained the oil tank" 4: make weak; "Life in the camp drained him" [syn: enfeeble, debilitate, drain]

n 1: half the width of an em [syn: en, nut]

v 1: provide entertainment for 2: take into consideration, have in view; "He entertained the notion of moving to South America" [syn: entertain, think of, toy with, flirt with, think about] 3: maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment" [syn: harbor, harbour, hold, entertain, nurse]

v 1: make plain and comprehensible; "He explained the laws of physics to his students" [syn: explain, explicate] 2: define; "The committee explained their plan for fund-raising to the Dean" 3: serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again" [syn: excuse, explain]

adv 1: in a willing manner; "this was gladly agreed to"; "I would fain do it" [syn: gladly, lief, fain] adj 1: having made preparations; "prepared to take risks" [syn: disposed(p), fain, inclined(p), prepared]

v 1: make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache" [syn: feign, sham, pretend, affect, dissemble] 2: make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep" [syn: simulate, assume, sham, feign]

n 1: 100 fen equal 1 yuan in China 2: low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water; "thousands of acres of marshland"; "the fens of eastern England" [syn: marsh, marshland, fen, fenland]

n 1: a quantity that is added; "there was an addition to property taxes this year"; "they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks" [syn: addition, increase, gain] 2: the advantageous quality of being beneficial [syn: profit, gain] 3: the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input [syn: amplification, gain] 4: the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating [ant: loss, red, red ink] v 1: obtain; "derive pleasure from one's garden" [syn: derive, gain] 2: win something through one's efforts; "I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese"; "Gain an understanding of international finance" [syn: acquire, win, gain] [ant: lose] 3: derive a benefit from; "She profited from his vast experience" [syn: profit, gain, benefit] 4: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts" [syn: reach, make, attain, hit, arrive at, gain] 5: obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [syn: gain, advance, win, pull ahead, make headway, get ahead, gain ground] [ant: drop off, fall back, fall behind, lose, recede] 6: rise in rate or price; "The stock market gained 24 points today" [syn: advance, gain] 7: increase or develop; "the peace movement gained momentum"; "the car gathers speed" [syn: gain, gather] 8: 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] 9: increase (one's body weight); "She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising" [syn: gain, put on] [ant: lose weight, melt off, reduce, slenderize, slim, slim down, thin]

adj 1: relevant and appropriate; "he asks questions that are germane and central to the issue"

n 1: a narrow secluded valley (in the mountains)

n 1: a relatively small granular particle of a substance; "a grain of sand"; "a grain of sugar" 2: foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses [syn: grain, food grain, cereal] 3: the side of leather from which the hair has been removed 4: a weight unit used for pearls or diamonds: 50 mg or 1/4 carat [syn: grain, metric grain] 5: 1/60 dram; equals an avoirdupois grain or 64.799 milligrams 6: 1/7000 pound; equals a troy grain or 64.799 milligrams 7: dry seed-like fruit produced by the cereal grasses: e.g. wheat, barley, Indian corn [syn: grain, caryopsis] 8: a cereal grass; "wheat is a grain that is grown in Kansas" 9: the smallest possible unit of anything; "there was a grain of truth in what he said"; "he does not have a grain of sense" 10: the direction, texture, or pattern of fibers found in wood or leather or stone or in a woven fabric; "saw the board across the grain" 11: the physical composition of something (especially with respect to the size and shape of the small constituents of a substance); "breadfruit has the same texture as bread"; "sand of a fine grain"; "fish with a delicate flavor and texture"; "a stone of coarse grain" [syn: texture, grain] v 1: thoroughly work in; "His hands were grained with dirt" [syn: ingrain, grain] 2: paint (a surface) to make it look like stone or wood 3: form into grains [syn: granulate, grain] 4: become granular [syn: granulate, grain]

n 1: adult female chicken [syn: hen, biddy] 2: adult female bird 3: flesh of an older chicken suitable for stewing 4: female of certain aquatic animals e.g. octopus or lobster

adj 1: pertaining to or concerned with the humanities; "humanistic studies"; "a humane education" [syn: humanist, humanistic, humane] 2: marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering [ant: inhumane] 3: showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement

adj 1: devoid of intelligence [syn: asinine, fatuous, inane, mindless, vacuous]

v 1: thoroughly work in; "His hands were grained with dirt" [syn: ingrain, grain] 2: produce or try to produce a vivid impression of; "Mother tried to ingrain respect for our elders in us" [syn: impress, ingrain, instill]

adj 1: lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion; "humans are innately inhumane; this explains much of the misery and suffering in the world"; "biological weapons are considered too inhumane to be used" [ant: humane]

adj 1: afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement; "was declared insane"; "insane laughter" [ant: sane] 2: very foolish; "harebrained ideas"; "took insane risks behind the wheel"; "a completely mad scheme to build a bridge between two mountains" [syn: harebrained, insane, mad]

n 1: range of what one can know or understand; "beyond my ken" [syn: cognizance, ken] 2: the range of vision; "out of sight of land" [syn: sight, ken]

n 1: a narrow way or road 2: a well-defined track or path; for e.g. swimmers or lines of traffic

n 1: an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers [syn: magic trick, conjuring trick, trick, magic, legerdemain, conjuration, thaumaturgy, illusion, deception]

adj 1: most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch" [syn: chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a)] 2: (of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence; "the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb" [syn: independent, main(a)] [ant: dependent, subordinate] 3: of force; of the greatest possible intensity; "by main strength" n 1: any very large body of (salt) water [syn: main, briny] 2: a principal pipe in a system that distributes water or gas or electricity or that collects sewage

v 1: keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes" [syn: keep, maintain, hold] 2: keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction; "We preserve these archeological findings"; "The old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts" [syn: conserve, preserve, maintain, keep up] 3: supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep" [syn: sustain, keep, maintain] 4: state categorically [syn: assert, asseverate, maintain] 5: have and exercise; "wield power and authority" [syn: wield, exert, maintain] 6: maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips" [syn: keep, maintain] 7: maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes" [syn: keep, maintain] 8: state or assert; "He maintained his innocence" [syn: maintain, defend] 9: support against an opponent; "The appellate court upheld the verdict" [syn: uphold, maintain] 10: stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees" [syn: observe, keep, maintain]

n 1: long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck 2: growth of hair covering the scalp of a human being [syn: mane, head of hair]

n 1: the force of workers available [syn: work force, workforce, manpower, hands, men]

n 1: a severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men [syn: migraine, megrim, sick headache, hemicrania]

n 1: accumulated earth and stones deposited by a glacier

n 1: a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill [syn: mountain, mount] 2: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent; "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn: batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal, hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint, mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty, pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate, stack, tidy sum, wad]

adj 1: found in the ordinary course of events; "a placid everyday scene"; "it was a routine day"; "there's nothing quite like a real...train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute"- Anita Diamant [syn: everyday, mundane, quotidian, routine, unremarkable, workaday] 2: concerned with the world or worldly matters; "mundane affairs"; "he developed an immense terrestrial practicality" [syn: mundane, terrestrial] 3: belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; "not a fairy palace; yet a mundane wonder of unimagined kind"; "so terrene a being as himself" [syn: mundane, terrene]

v 1: order by virtue of superior authority; decree; "The King ordained the persecution and expulsion of the Jews"; "the legislature enacted this law in 1985" [syn: ordain, enact] 2: appoint to a clerical posts; "he was ordained in the Church" [syn: ordain, consecrate, ordinate, order] 3: invest with ministerial or priestly authority; "The minister was ordained only last month" 4: issue an order

n 1: a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder; "the patient developed severe pain and distension" [syn: pain, hurting] 2: emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid; "the pain of loneliness" [syn: pain, painfulness] [ant: pleasance, pleasure] 3: a somatic sensation of acute discomfort; "as the intensity increased the sensation changed from tickle to pain" [syn: pain, pain sensation, painful sensation] 4: a bothersome annoying person; "that kid is a terrible pain" [syn: pain, pain in the neck, nuisance] 5: something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "washing dishes was a nuisance before we got a dish washer"; "a bit of a bother"; "he's not a friend, he's an infliction" [syn: annoyance, bother, botheration, pain, infliction, pain in the neck, pain in the ass] v 1: cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed [syn: trouble, ail, pain] 2: cause emotional anguish or make miserable; "It pains me to see my children not being taught well in school" [syn: pain, anguish, hurt]

n 1: sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors [syn: pane, pane of glass, window glass] 2: a panel or section of panels in a wall or door [syn: paneling, panelling, pane] 3: street name for lysergic acid diethylamide [syn: acid, back breaker, battery-acid, dose, dot, Elvis, loony toons, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, pane, superman, window pane, Zen]

n 1: female peafowl

n 1: a writing implement with a point from which ink flows 2: an enclosure for confining livestock 3: a portable enclosure in which babies may be left to play [syn: playpen, pen] 4: a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes [syn: penitentiary, pen] 5: female swan v 1: produce a literary work; "She composed a poem"; "He wrote four novels" [syn: write, compose, pen, indite]

v 1: be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments" [syn: refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with] 2: be a part or attribute of [syn: pertain, appertain]

n 1: a pen for swine [syn: sty, pigsty, pigpen]

adv 1: unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly'); "the answer is obviously wrong"; "she was in bed and evidently in great pain"; "he was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list"; "it is all patently nonsense"; "she has apparently been living here for some time"; "I thought he owned the property, but apparently not"; "You are plainly wrong"; "he is plain stubborn" [syn: obviously, evidently, manifestly, patently, apparently, plainly, plain] adj 1: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment; "the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields"; "evident hostility"; "manifest disapproval"; "patent advantages"; "made his meaning plain"; "it is plain that he is no reactionary"; "in plain view" [syn: apparent, evident, manifest, patent, plain, unmistakable] 2: not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building" [ant: fancy] 3: lacking patterns especially in color [syn: plain, unpatterned] [ant: patterned] 4: not mixed with extraneous elements; "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing" [syn: plain, sheer, unmingled, unmixed] 5: free from any effort to soften to disguise; "the plain and unvarnished truth"; "the unvarnished candor of old people and children" [syn: plain, unvarnished] 6: lacking embellishment or ornamentation; "a plain hair style"; "unembellished white walls"; "functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete" [syn: plain, bare, spare, unembellished, unornamented] 7: lacking in physical beauty or proportion; "a homely child"; "several of the buildings were downright homely"; "a plain girl with a freckled face" [syn: homely, plain] n 1: extensive tract of level open land; "they emerged from the woods onto a vast open plain"; "he longed for the fields of his youth" [syn: plain, field, champaign] 2: a basic knitting stitch [syn: knit, knit stitch, plain, plain stitch] v 1: express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" [syn: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch] [ant: cheer, cheer up, chirk up]

adj 1: having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another; "a flat desk"; "acres of level farmland"; "a plane surface"; "skirts sewn with fine flat seams" [syn: flat, level, plane] n 1: an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; "the flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane" [syn: airplane, aeroplane, plane] 2: (mathematics) an unbounded two-dimensional shape; "we will refer to the plane of the graph as the X-Y plane"; "any line joining two points on a plane lies wholly on that plane" [syn: plane, sheet] 3: a level of existence or development; "he lived on a worldly plane" 4: a power tool for smoothing or shaping wood [syn: plane, planer, planing machine] 5: a carpenter's hand tool with an adjustable blade for smoothing or shaping wood; "the cabinetmaker used a plane for the finish work" [syn: plane, carpenter's plane, woodworking plane] v 1: cut or remove with or as if with a plane; "The machine shaved off fine layers from the piece of wood" [syn: plane, shave] 2: travel on the surface of water [syn: plane, skim] 3: make even or smooth, with or as with a carpenter's plane; "plane the top of the door"

n 1: a portable enclosure in which babies may be left to play [syn: playpen, pen]

n 1: ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic

v 1: foreordain or determine beforehand [syn: predestine, foreordain, preordain]

adj 1: characterized by profanity or cursing; "foul-mouthed and blasphemous"; "blue language"; "profane words" [syn: blasphemous, blue, profane] 2: not concerned with or devoted to religion; "sacred and profane music"; "secular drama"; "secular architecture", "children being brought up in an entirely profane environment" [syn: profane, secular] [ant: sacred] 3: not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled [syn: profane, unconsecrated, unsanctified] 4: grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; "blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath"; "profane utterances against the Church"; "it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on" [syn: blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious] v 1: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals" [syn: corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect] 2: violate the sacred character of a place or language; "desecrate a cemetery"; "violate the sanctity of the church"; "profane the name of God" [syn: desecrate, profane, outrage, violate]

n 1: water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere [syn: rain, rainfall] 2: drops of fresh water that fall as precipitation from clouds [syn: rain, rainwater] 3: anything happening rapidly or in quick successive; "a rain of bullets"; "a pelting of insults" [syn: rain, pelting] v 1: precipitate as rain; "If it rains much more, we can expect some flooding" [syn: rain, rain down]

n 1: the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers [syn: refrain, chorus] v 1: resist doing something; "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping" [syn: refrain, forbear] [ant: act, move] 2: choose not to consume; "I abstain from alcohol" [syn: abstain, refrain, desist] [ant: consume, have, ingest, take, take in]

v 1: get or find back; recover the use of; "She regained control of herself"; "She found her voice and replied quickly" [syn: recover, retrieve, find, regain] 2: come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost; "Did you find your glasses?"; "I cannot find my gloves!" [syn: find, regain] [ant: lose]

n 1: a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful; "he was helpless under the reign of his egotism" 2: the period during which a monarch is sovereign; "during the reign of Henry VIII" 3: royal authority; the dominion of a monarch [syn: reign, sovereignty] v 1: have sovereign power; "Henry VIII reigned for a long time" 2: be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood" [syn: predominate, dominate, rule, reign, prevail]

n 1: one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse 2: any means of control; "he took up the reins of government" v 1: control and direct with or as if by reins; "rein a horse" [syn: harness, rein in, draw rein, rein] 2: stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins; "They reined in in front of the post office" [syn: rein, rein in] 3: stop or check by or as if by a pull at the reins; "He reined in his horses in front of the post office" [syn: rein, rein in] 4: keep in check; "rule one's temper" [syn: rule, harness, rein]

v 1: stay the same; remain in a certain state; "The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it"; "rest assured"; "stay alone"; "He remained unmoved by her tears"; "The bad weather continued for another week" [syn: stay, remain, rest] [ant: change] 2: continue in a place, position, or situation; "After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser"; "Stay with me, please"; "despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year"; "She continued as deputy mayor for another year" [syn: stay, stay on, continue, remain] 3: be left; of persons, questions, problems, results, evidence, etc.; "There remains the question of who pulled the trigger"; "Carter remains the only President in recent history under whose Presidency the U.S. did not fight a war" 4: stay behind; "The smell stayed in the room"; "The hostility remained long after they made up" [syn: persist, remain, stay]

v 1: keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool" [syn: restrain, keep, keep back, hold back] 2: place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends" [syn: restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle] 3: to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement; "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom" [syn: restrain, confine, hold] 4: hold back [syn: restrain, encumber, cumber, constrain] 5: to compel or deter by or as if by threats [syn: intimidate, restrain]

v 1: hold back within; "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"; "the dam retains the water" 2: allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings" [syn: retain, continue, keep, keep on] 3: secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree" [syn: retain, hold, keep back, hold back] 4: keep in one's mind; "I cannot retain so much information"

v 1: teach new skills; "We must retrain the linguists who cannot find employment" 2: train again; "He is retraining to become an IT worker"

n 1: lettuce with long dark-green leaves in a loosely packed elongated head [syn: cos, cos lettuce, romaine, romaine lettuce]

adj 1: mentally healthy; free from mental disorder; "appears to be completely sane" [ant: insane] 2: marked by sound judgment; "sane nuclear policy" [syn: reasonable, sane]

n 1: coils of worsted yarn

adj 1: killed; `slain' is formal or literary as in "slain warriors"; "a picture of St. George and the slain dragon" n 1: people who have been slain (as in battle)

n 1: a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments v 1: twist suddenly so as to sprain; "wrench one's ankle"; "The wrestler twisted his shoulder"; "the hikers sprained their ankles when they fell"; "I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days" [syn: twist, sprain, wrench, turn, wrick, rick]

n 1: a soiled or discolored appearance; "the wine left a dark stain" [syn: stain, discoloration, discolouration] 2: (microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible 3: the state of being covered with unclean things [syn: dirt, filth, grime, soil, stain, grease, grunge] 4: a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis [syn: mark, stigma, brand, stain] 5: 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: color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages" 2: produce or leave stains; "Red wine stains the table cloth" 3: make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man" [syn: tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defile] 4: color for microscopic study; "The laboratory worker dyed the specimen"

n 1: (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces 2: difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson [syn: stress, strain] 3: a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven" [syn: tune, melody, air, strain, melodic line, line, melodic phrase] 4: (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress; "his responsibilities were a constant strain"; "the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him" [syn: strain, mental strain, nervous strain] 5: a special variety of domesticated animals within a species; "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he created a new strain of sheep" [syn: breed, strain, stock] 6: (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of microorganisms" [syn: form, variant, strain, var.] 7: injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain 8: the general meaning or substance of an utterance; "although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument" [syn: tenor, strain] 9: an effortful attempt to attain a goal [syn: striving, nisus, pains, strain] 10: an intense or violent exertion [syn: strain, straining] 11: the act of singing; "with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates" [syn: song, strain] v 1: to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to hear" [syn: strive, reach, strain] 2: test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn: try, strain, stress] 3: use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity; "He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro"; "Don't strain your mind too much" [syn: strain, extend] 4: separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; "sift the flour" [syn: sift, sieve, strain] 5: cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up" [syn: tense, strain, tense up] [ant: loosen up, make relaxed, relax, unlax, unstrain, unwind] 6: become stretched or tense or taut; "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached" [syn: strain, tense] 7: remove by passing through a filter; "filter out the impurities" [syn: filter, filtrate, strain, separate out, filter out] 8: rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender; "puree the vegetables for the baby" [syn: puree, strain] 9: alter the shape of (something) by stress; "His body was deformed by leprosy" [syn: deform, distort, strain]

v 1: lengthen or extend in duration or space; "We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible"; "prolong the treatment of the patient"; "keep up the good work" [syn: prolong, sustain, keep up] 2: undergo (as of injuries and illnesses); "She suffered a fracture in the accident"; "He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars"; "She got a bruise on her leg"; "He got his arm broken in the scuffle" [syn: suffer, sustain, have, get] 3: provide with nourishment; "We sustained ourselves on bread and water"; "This kind of food is not nourishing for young children" [syn: nourish, nurture, sustain] 4: supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep" [syn: sustain, keep, maintain] 5: be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?" [syn: hold, support, sustain, hold up] 6: admit as valid; "The court sustained the motion" 7: establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant" [syn: confirm, corroborate, sustain, substantiate, support, affirm] [ant: contradict, negate]