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frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

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joyride, ride, tour, excursion, outing, jaunt: On Sunday<br />

afternoons we sometimes went for a spin in the car.<br />

spine n. 1 backbone, spinal column, vertebrae: He can't stand up<br />

straight - he has curvature of the spine. 2 thorn, needle,<br />

barb, spike, spur, prong, quill, ray, barbel, bristle, prickle,<br />

Technical barbule, spicule or spiculum or spicula: The surface<br />

of the sea urchin is covered with needle-like spines.<br />

spineless adj. 1 Technical invertebrate: There are more species of<br />

spineless creatures than those with internal backbones. 2 weak,<br />

feeble, flabby, irresolute, weak-willed, indecisive,<br />

ineffectual, ineffective, impotent, powerless: After her reign,<br />

any king would appear spineless. 3 cowardly, dastardly,<br />

pusillanimous, timorous, lily-livered, white-livered, craven,<br />

fearful, timid, spiritless, squeamish, Colloq yellow,<br />

chicken-hearted, chicken, yellow-bellied, wimpish: She said you<br />

were spineless because you refused to go into the lions' cage.<br />

spiral n. 1 helix, coil, corkscrew, screw, scroll; whorl, volute,<br />

turn, curl: In earlier Greek motifs, the spiral is commoner<br />

than the rectangular fret.<br />

--adj. 2 helical, coiled, screw, corkscrew, cochlear or<br />

cochleate; scrolled, volute(d), whorled: A spiral staircase is<br />

attractive and space-saving, but hard to use.<br />

spire n. 1 column, tower, belfry; steeple, flŠche: The spire of the<br />

church was repeatedly struck by lightning that night. 2 top,<br />

pinnacle, apex, peak, summit, acme, tip, crest, crown, vertex:<br />

We climbed till we stood on the highest spire above the valley.<br />

spirit n. 1 anima, breath, life, vitality, vital spirit, pneuma, soul,<br />

consciousness, psyche, self, heart, essence: Though past<br />

eighty, Mr Wilkins has a great deal of spirit. Even though she<br />

is gone, Annabel's spirit is still with us. 2 character,<br />

temperament, temper, persona, disposition, mind, will,<br />

will-power, attitude, bent, inclination, energy, ardour, desire,<br />

impetus, drive, urge, eagerness, zest, zeal, zealousness, fire,<br />

passion(s), enthusiasm, motivation, mettle, resolution, resolve,<br />

intention, enterprise: We have always admired the spirit of the<br />

early pioneers. Bill has shown a lot of the right spirit. 3<br />

zest, pungency, piquancy, warmth, fire, animation, life,

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