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arcane (ahr-keyn )secret; mysterious
 from Latin arcanus (secret), which came
from arcus (chest)
 noun form: Arcanum (knowledge
available only to a privileged few)
 related to ark, which was a sacred chest
containing the scrolls of the Torah, the
religious book of the Hebrews
 synonyms: mystic, obscure,
unexplained, concealed
archetype (ahr-ki-tahyp) the original
pattern or mold
 noun
 from Greek arche (beginning) and typos
(impression)
 can also mean “typical example”
 synonym: TOTROPEPY (unscramble)
ballyhoo (bal-ee-hoo) a noisy, attentiongetting demonstration or talk
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noun
this word may have come from Ballyhooly, a town in Ireland
related to ballyrag (to tease)
can also mean “to publicize”
bedlam (bed-luhm) uproar; confusion
 noun
 from Middle English Bedlem (Bethlehem), a
shortened version of St. Mary of
Bethlehem in London, a hospital for the
insane
 bedlamite—a lunatic or madman
 synonyms: pandemonium, turmoil,
disorder, chaos
bad vs. badly
 Use “bad” as an adjective:
 That was a bad movie.
 I feel bad that your pet iguana died.
 Use “badly” as an adverb:
 The team played badly last night so they lost.
 She wanted a new iguana very badly.
 Incorrect: I feel badly for you that your
pet iguana died. (You don’t FEEL BADLY
unless your sense of touch is impaired.)
bellicose (bel-i-kohs ) warlike; quarrelsome;
describing somebody who likes to fight
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adjective
from Latin bellum (war)
noun form: bellicosity
synonyms: feisty, pugnacious, hot-tempered
antonyms: peaceable, meek
billet-doux (bil-ee doo)a love letter
 noun
 came from Latin bulla (document) and dulcis
(sweet)
 the term billet originally referred to a document
ordering a person to provide room and board
for a soldier
 plural form: billets-doux (only the noun part is
pluralized)
bizarre (bi-zahr)out of the ordinary
 adjective
 possibly came from the Basque bezar (beard)
through Spanish bizarre (brave) and French
bizarre (odd)
 homonym for bazaar (a festive gathering)
 can also refer to a flower with unusual markings
bombast (bom-bast) talk or writing that
sounds grand or important but has little
meaning; pompous language
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noun
from Greek bombyk (silkworm) and bombyx (silk)
adjective form: bombastic
political speeches, funeral orations, and
advertisements are frequently bombastic
 synonym: gobbledygook
bona fide (boh-nuh-fahyd ) made
in good faith; genuine; without
dishonesty, fraud, or deceit
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adjective
from Latin bona (good) and fides (faith)
synonyms: valid, legitimate, authentic
antonyms: counterfeit, bogus, fraudulent
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