| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| encomium |
a formal expression of praise. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| inquest |
a legal investigation, usually involving a jury, especially a coroner's investigation of a suspicious death. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| omnibus |
concerning or including a large collection of things. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| unabashed |
not feeling or showing embarrassment, uneasiness, or shame. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |