| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| bereft |
deprived or stripped of something. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| deter |
to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear. |
| expatiate |
to discuss something at great length; describe in great detail. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| misfeasance |
a normally lawful act performed in an unlawful way. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| unscathed |
not hurt or harmed; completely uninjured. |