| Term | Definition |
| Brevity | shortness |
| comport | to conduct or bear oneself; to be in agreement |
| concise | expressing much in a few words |
| demure | sober or serous in manner |
| deprecation | a lessening in value; belittling |
| deteriorate | to in quality or value; to wear away |
| divulge | to tell, reveal; to make public |
| enlightened | free from ignorance and false ideas |
| forestall | to prevent by acting first |
| garble | distort in such a way as to make unintelligible |
| proponent | one who put forward a proposal |
| quaver | to shake |
| recoil | spring back, as from a forceful thrust |
| recoup | to make up for, regain |
| reek | a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant |
| relentless | unyielding, harsh |
| rivulet | a small stream |
| squander | spend extravagantly |
| staccato | marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds |
| statute | an act passed by a legislative body |