Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address — Vocabulary
Abraham Lincoln
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Exemplary sample Uses Broad Use
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perishbe destroyed or cease to exist
...government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.Abraham Lincoln  —  Gettysburg Addressmore
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...government of the people. . .by the people. . .for the people. . . shall not perish from this earth.
cease to exist
Show general definition to die -- especially in an unnatural way

or:

to be destroyed or cease to exist
Show editor's word notes You may encounter an informal expression, "Perish the thought."  It means that the speaker hopes the thought will cease to exist and the thing it represents will never happen.
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resolveresolve → resolved:decided
This year I resolved to lose a pound a week for 5 weeks.more
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. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . .
firmly decide
Show general definition for resolve (as in: I resolved to stop drinking.) to decide -- typically a firm or formal decision
Show editor's word notes In modern writing resolve is typically used to emphasize a firm or formal decision. In classic literature, it is used more frequently and often simply replaces decide or determine.
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endurecontinue to exist
She is gone, but her teachings endure through the ages.more
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Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . .testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . . can long endure.
Show general definition for endure (as in: endure through the ages) to continue to exist
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hallowedtreated as sacred
She was buried in hallowed ground.more
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We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live. ... But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . . we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
hallowed → hallow:make holy or sacred
Show general definition treated as sacred or greatly respected
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detracttake away from
The poor lighting did detract from the beauty of the photograph.more
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The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.†
diminish (reduce the value of something)
Show general definition to diminish (reduce the value of something)