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Vocab Builder > Vocab Junkie - Set 7 > Flashcards

Vocab Junkie - Set 7 Flashcards

Learn this group of tough but common English vocab words - in chunks of 10 at a time. Just rate your confidence on each word, and it will repeat in an interval of time optimized for your brain's maximum retention.

1
Q

Define:

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

A

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

The governor obfuscated the issue with big words and numbers.

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2
Q

Define:

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

A

n. enthusiastic praise

That country’s national anthem is an encomium to the heroes of a war long past.

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3
Q

Define:

din

(din)

A

n. loud sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

During the concert, Jill couldn’t hear Rick over the din of the loudspeakers.

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4
Q

Define:

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

A

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

The heroism one sees nowadays is often alloyed with some degree of self-interest.

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5
Q

Define:

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

A

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

Mike Tyson is known throughout the world for his pugilism.

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6
Q

Define:

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

A

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety

His sanctimony was laughable, since we all knew he was one of the worst offenders.

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7
Q

Define:

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

A

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

The basilisk’s baleful glare is lethal.

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8
Q

Define:

hallow

(hal-oh)

A

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

The site for the church was hallowed in a special ceremony.

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9
Q

Define:

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

A

adj. apparent

adj. pretended

The oil spill was the ostensible result of lax safety regulations.

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10
Q

Define:

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

A

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

Carolyn’s position in the office is a sinecure; she does nothing all day yet she draws the same salary as everyone else.

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11
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

A

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

synonyms: baffle, muddle, confound

The lawyer tried to obfuscate the truth with complicated jargon.

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12
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enthusiastic praise

A

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

synonyms: tribute, laudation, praise

The professor delivered an encomium to honor her colleague’s contributions.

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13
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. loud, sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

A

din

(din)

synonyms: buzz, clamor, commotion, racket

The din of traffic outside made it difficult to concentrate on my work.

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14
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

A

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

synonyms: blend, combination; debase, devalue

The jeweler used an alloy of gold and silver to create a more affordable piece of jewelry.

His reputation was alloyed by the scandal, tarnishing his previously good name.

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15
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

A

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

synonyms: battle, sparring, duel

His interest in pugilism led him to train as a professional boxer.

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16
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety

A

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

synonyms: smug, hypocritical, preachy

Her sanctimony was evident as she criticized others while ignoring her own flaws.

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17
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

A

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

synonyms: menacing, evil

The baleful look in his eyes warned everyone to stay away.

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18
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

A

hallow

(hal-oh)

synonyms: bless, consecrate

The community gathered to hallow the new church, marking its significance.

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19
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. apparent

A

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

synonyms: exhibited, likely, manifest

The ostensible reason for his absence was a family emergency, but many suspected otherwise.

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20
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

A

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

synonyms: easy work

She landed a sinecure position that allowed her to travel while earning a salary.

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21
Q

Define:

lackey

(lak-ee)

A

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

Lori’s boyfriend becomes a lackey during her shopping trips.

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22
Q

Define:

redress

(ree-dress)

A

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

The peaceful petitioning for redress of wrongs is a right enshrined in our country’s founding document.

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23
Q

Define:

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

A

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

The king had the unctuous toady removed from his palace.

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24
Q

Define:

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

A

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, notorious

Though the professor is considered one of the greats of his discipline, lately his lectures have verged on arrant nonsense.

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25
Q

Define:

vaunt

(vawnt)

A

v. to boast or brag about

Chris, though usually very modest, will readily vaunt his achievements in a job interview.

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26
Q

Define:

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

That American doctor’s affectation of a British accent has drawn much criticism.

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27
Q

Define:

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

A

n. the study of postage stamps

His grandfather is obsessed with philately and has even made several overseas pen pals in order to study their countries’ postage.

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28
Q

Define:

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

A

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

The canonical Mozart sonatas were consulted in order to compare them to the newly-discovered manuscript attributed to him.

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29
Q

Define:

whit

(wit)

A

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

The bank robber did not have a whit of self-respect.

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30
Q

Define:

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

A

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

The veteran’s uniform was adorned by a pair of impressive epaulets.

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31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

A

lackey

(lak-ee)

synonyms: servant, butler, subordinate

He acted like a lackey, always eager to please his demanding boss.

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32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

A

redress

(ree-dress)

synonyms: help, compensate; justice

She sought to redress the unfair treatment she received at work.

The court awarded him redress for the damages incurred.

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33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

A

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

synonyms: fatty, slick; lying, untruthful

The unctuous texture of the cream made it hard to apply evenly.

His unctuous compliments felt disingenuous and insincere.

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34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, notorious

A

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

synonyms: shameless; brazen

His arrant disrespect for authority shocked his teachers.

The report was an arrant failure, lacking any credible evidence.

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35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to boast, to brag

A

vaunt

(vawnt)

synonyms: flaunt, gloat

He liked to vaunt his accomplishments at every opportunity.

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36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

A

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: pretend, artificiality

Her affectation of sophistication did not impress her peers.

He dropped his affectation and spoke genuinely for the first time.

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37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the study of postage stamps

A

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

synonyms: study of stamps

His passion for philately led him to collect rare postage stamps from around the world.

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38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

A

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

synonyms: orthodox, standard

The_ canonical_ texts of the religion are studied by scholars worldwide.

The canonical version of the story differs from the original manuscript.

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39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

A

whit

(wit)

synonyms: atom, crumb, grain, iota

She didn’t care a whit about the negative reviews of her performance.

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40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

A

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

synonyms: military decoration, service stripe

The officer’s uniform featured an ornate epaulet that signified his rank.

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41
Q

Define:

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

A

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A porcupine’s panoply of quills is quite a protective arsenal.

42
Q

Define:

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

A

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

The Greek pantheon includes Zeus and his consort, Hera.

43
Q

Define:

blandish

(blan-dish)

A

v. to coax or influence with flattery

Steve blandished her into going out with him.

44
Q

Define:

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

A

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

He ended the discussion with a peremptory wave of his hand.

45
Q

Define:

tyro

(tahy-roh)

A

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

The hapless tyro tripped over the ropes on his way into the boxing ring.

46
Q

Define:

fetid

(fet-id)

A

adj. malodorous, stinky

The fetid green substance had taken over the entire fridge.

47
Q

Define:

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

A

n. fertility, fruitfulness

An artist’s period of fecundity can come at any time of her life.

48
Q

Define:

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

A

adj. thin, pure, refined

The rarefied air of higher altitudes makes it very difficult to climb Mt. Everest.

49
Q

Define:

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. enjoyment

They played wiffleball for the delectation of it, not for the competition.

50
Q

Define:

fickle

(fick-ul)

A

adj. prone to changing often

Suzanne was a fickle friend who could not be relied upon.

51
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

synonyms: display, arrangement; armaments

The museum displayed a panoply of ancient artifacts from various cultures.

The knight’s panoply included a sword, shield, and helmet.

The soldier donned his panoply before heading into battle.

52
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

A

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

synonyms: house of worship, sanctuary

The ancient pantheon was dedicated to the gods of mythology.

In Greek culture, the pantheon includes Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon.

The artist was considered part of the pantheon of great musicians.

53
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to coax or influence with flattery

A

blandish

(blan-dish)

synonyms: charm, flatter

She tried to blandish the manager into giving her a promotion.

54
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

A

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

synonyms: opinionated, absolute, assertive

The manager’s peremptory tone left no room for discussion or dissent.

55
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

A

tyro

(tahy-roh)

synonyms: beginner, rookie

As a tyro in the art world, she eagerly absorbed all the knowledge she could find.

56
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. malodorous, stinky

A

fetid

(fet-id)

synonyms: corrupt, gross

The fetid smell from the garbage bin made it difficult to enter the kitchen.

57
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. fertility, fruitfulness

A

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

synonyms: abundance, productivity

The fecundity of the soil made the region ideal for agriculture.

58
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. thin, pure, refined

A

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

synonyms: thin, refined

The rarefied atmosphere at high altitudes requires acclimatization.

59
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enjoyment

A

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: delight, elation

He savored the dish with great delectation, enjoying every bite.

60
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. prone to changing often

A

fickle

(fick-ul)

synonyms: inconstant, unpredictable

Her fickle nature led her to change her plans at the last minute.

61
Q

Define:

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

A

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

Kevin’s parents were proud of him for his fidelity to the family business.

62
Q

Define:

fission

(fish-un)

A

n. the act of separating into parts

The controversial legislation led to the fission of the administration.

63
Q

Define:

flag

(flag)

A

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

The runner’s enthusiasm flagged when she realized she still had many miles ahead of her.

64
Q

Define:

florid

(floor-id)

A

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

The author’s florid prose did not impress the critics, who found her work pretentious.

65
Q

Define:

forbear

(for-bear)

A

v. to refrain from doing something

Although I know Adam likes to crack jokes, I would have liked him to forbear silliness in such a serious situation.

66
Q

Define:

forestall

(for-stall)

A

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

The mayor called the police before the protest even began in order to forestall rioting.

67
Q

Define:

quail

(kweyl)

A

v. to shrink with fear

The puppy quailed at my angry tone.

68
Q

Define:

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

A

adj. straightforward

One should be forthright and honest with the authorities so as not to seem suspicious.

69
Q

Define:

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

A

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

By sheer fortuity, Linda was assigned to the same homeroom as her twin brother.

70
Q

Define:

mince

(minss)

A

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

Don’t mince words with me; just say what you need to say!

71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

A

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

synonyms: allegiance, faith

His fidelity to the team was evident in his willingness to help whenever needed.

The fidelity of the audio recording was exceptional, capturing every nuance of the performance.

72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of separating into parts

A

fission

(fish-un)

synonyms: division, severance, parting

Nuclear fission is the process that releases energy in nuclear reactors.

73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

A

flag

(flag)

synonyms: droop, fade, wane, weaken

After hours of studying, she began to flag and needed a short break.

The tired flowers started to flag in the heat of the afternoon sun.

74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

A

florid

(floor-id)

synonyms: pretty, fancy; extravagant, ornamental

His florid complexion indicated that he was in excellent health.

The florid language in her speech captivated the audience.

75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to refrain from doing something

A

forbear

(for-bear)

synonyms: avoid, constrain, forgo

She chose to forbear from commenting on the sensitive issue.

76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

A

forestall

(for-stall)

synonyms: intercept, anticipate, prevent

The company implemented measures to forestall potential delays in production.

77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to shrink with fear

A

quail

(kweyl)

synonyms: recoil, cower

He began to quail at the thought of facing his fears.

78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. straightforward

A

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

synonyms: honest, frank

Her forthright answer left no room for misunderstanding.

79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

A

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

synonyms: accident; good fortune

It was pure fortuity that they met at the café.

Their success was attributed to a mix of skill and fortuity.

80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

A

mince

(minss)

synonyms: soften, tone down

He decided to mince his words to avoid offending anyone.

81
Q

Define:

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

A

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

Jeb’s visceral response to his mother’s racist ramblings was visible to all of us.

82
Q

Define:

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

A

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

The students milled about the entrance to the refectory, counting down the seconds until supper would be served.

83
Q

Define:

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

A

adj. frenzied or frantic

Frenetic screams filled the room as people tried to get out before the fire spread.

84
Q

Define:

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

A

adj. immeasurably small

The proportion of truly selfless people in this world is surely infinitesimal.

85
Q

Define:

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

A

adj. cheerfully optimistic

Samantha had a sanguine attitude towards life that enriched those around her.

86
Q

Define:

furtive

(fur-tiv)

A

adj. secretive, sly

At the party, Julia cast furtive glances around the room to make sure her older sister was not around to send her back home.

87
Q

Define:

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

A

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

The desperate candidate abandoned reasoned arguments and resorted to calumnies against the front-runner.

88
Q

Define:

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

A

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

Joe’s small, quotidian pleasures seemed more substantial than Mattias’s high-profile jet-setting.

89
Q

Define:

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

A

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

Many parents were unhappy with the magazine’s salacious material.

90
Q

Define:

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

A

v. to beg persistently

Kate importuned her father every day to teach her how to sail.

91
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

A

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

synonyms: habitual, instinctive, inherent; affective

She had a visceral reaction to the shocking news.

His visceral storytelling resonated deeply with the audience.

92
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

A

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

synonyms: chamber, dining hall

The students gathered in the refectory for lunch.

93
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. frenzied or frantic

A

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

synonyms: anxious, hysterical, rattled

The frenetic pace of the city life overwhelmed her during the first few days.

94
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. immeasurably small

A

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

synonyms: little, microscopic

The scientist measured the infinitesimal changes in the sample’s composition.

95
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. cheerfully optimistic

A

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

synonyms: happy, cheerful

Despite the challenges, he remained sanguine about the future.

96
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. secretive, sly

A

furtive

(fur-tiv)

synonyms: sneaky, stealthy

He cast a furtive glance around the room, making sure no one was watching.

97
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

A

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

synonyms: misrepresentations, slanderous

The politician faced calumny from opponents who spread false rumors.

98
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

A

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

synonyms: ordinary, trivial

His quotidian routine involved coffee and a newspaper each morning.

99
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

A

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

synonyms: erotic, lecherous, raunchy

The novel was criticized for its salacious content and explicit themes.

100
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to beg persistently

A

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

synonyms: demand, appeal

She would importune her friends for help whenever she was in need.

Vocab Builder (9 decks)

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