| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| magnum opus |
a great work of art, literature, or music, especially a particular person's masterpiece. |
| munificent |
having or showing great generosity. |
| ostentation |
a showy display to impress others. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |