| Term | Definition |
|---|
| esoteric | known or understood only by a few |
| cosset | to pamper; treat with great care |
| ingenuous | showing innocence or childlike simplicity |
| ford | to cross a body of water by wading |
| forestall | to prevent or delay; anticipate |
| tyro | beginner; novice |
| frugality | tending to be thrifty or cheap |
| embellish | to add ornamental or ficticious details |
| jocular | playful; humorous |
| inundate | to overwhelm; to cover with water |
| opine | to express an opinion |
| circumspect | cautious; aware of potential consequences |
| droll | amusing in a wry, subtle way |
| analogous | similar or alike in some way; equivalent to |
| turgid | swollen as from a liquid; bloated |
| epicure | person with refined taste in food and wine |
| pallid | lacking color liveliness |
| laconic | using few words |
| effrontery | impudent boldness; audacity |
| diaphanous | allowing light to show through; delicate |
| distaff | the female branch of a family |
| talon | claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey |
| stasis | a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation |
| implacable | unable to be calmed down or made peaceful |
| pathogenic | causing disease |
| waver | to fluctuate between choices |
| amulet | ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits |
| audacious | fearless and daring |
| levity | an inappropriate lack of seriousness; overly casual |
| pervade | to be present throughout; to permeate |
| perfunctory | done in a routine way; indifferent |
| placate | to soothe or pacify |
| lavish | extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly |
| verdant | green with vegetation; inexperienced |
| condone | to overlook, pardon, or disregard |
| assuage | to make something unpleasant less severe |
| heterogenous | composed of unlike parts; different; diverse |
| tome | book, usually large and academic |
| exponent | one who champions or advocates |
| guile | deceit; trickery |
| xenophobia | a fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers |
| dissonance | a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds |
| dilatory | intended to delay |
| enumerate | to count, list, or itemize |
| zenith | the point of culmination; peak |
| overwrought | agitated; overdone |
| orotund | pompous |
| lachrymose | tearful |
| kindle | to set fire to or ignite; excite or inspire |
| reticent | silent; reserved |
| dictum | authoritative statement |
| inexorable | inflexible; unyielding |
| winsome | charming, happily engaging |
| aerie | a nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded, dwelling |
| collusion | collaboration; complicity; conspiracy |
| burgeon | to grow and flourish |
| interregnum | period between reigns |
| intrepid | fearless; resolutely corageous |
| hapless | unfortunate; having bad luck |
| cogent | convincing and well-reasoned |
| zeal | passion; excitement |
| trenchant | acute, sharp, or incisive; forceful; effective |
| enervate | to reduce in strength |
| euphemism | use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one |
| innocuous | harmless |
| hyperbole | purposeful exaggeration for effect |
| hermetic | tightly sealed |
| frenetic | frantic; frenzied |
| distend | to swell, inflate, or bloat |
| diurnal | existing during the day |
| dilate | to make larger; expand |
| disparate | fundamentally different; entirely unlike |
| plucky | corageous; spunky |
| plethora | excess |
| philanthropy | charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness |
| permeate | to penetrate |
| laud | to give praise; to glorify |
| nominal | existing in name only; negligible |
| numismatics | coin collecting |
| judicious | sensible; showing good judgement |
| disabuse | to set right; free from error |
| divine | to foretell or know by inspiration |
| dyspeptic | suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable |
| perfidious | willing to betray one's trust |
| eschew | to shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful) |
| sobriquet | nickname |
| vex | to annoy; irritat; puzzle; confuse |
| vim | vitality and energy |
| magnate | powerful or influential person |
| libertine | a free thinker; usually used disparingly; one without moral restraint |
| noisome | stinking; putrid |
| rejoinder | response |
| nascent | starting to develop; coming to existance |
| missive | a written note or letter |
| vicissitude | a change or variation; ups and downs |
| prudence | wisdom, caution, or restraint |
| demagogue | a leader or rabble-rouser; usually appealing to emotion or predjudice |
| belfry | bell tower; room in which a bell is hung |
| idiosyncrasy | peculiarity of temperment; eccentricity |
| austere | severe or stern in appearance undecorated |
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