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luxuriant (lug-ZHOOR-ee-ent, luk-SHOOR-) adjective

1. Abundant or lush in growth, as vegetation.

2. Producing abundantly, as soil; fertile; fruitful; productive.

3. Richly abundant, profuse, or superabundant.

4. Florid, as imagery or ornamentation; lacking in restraint.

[Latin luxurians, luxuriant-, present participle of luxuriare, to be luxuriant.]

"Mr. Nice Guyhad grown a luxuriant beard." J.D. Reed, People: going, Going, Gone, Time, 18 Sep 1989.

"Time to divide between books and introspection, between periods of luxuriant languor and frenzied hours squandered on pursuits that would never be tolerated ashore." Martin Evans, Cruise Vacation / It's A Floating Party 'Round the Clock, Newsday, 20 Apr 1997.

This week's theme: words often used in a sense different from their established definitions.

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