| complaisance |
willingness to please. |
| composite |
made up of several parts. |
| culvert |
a man-made channel for drainage or the like that passes under a street or other thoroughfare. |
| emend |
to correct or improve (written text), especially by removing errors; edit. |
| finesse |
refined and delicate skill or tact in executing a task or coping with a situation. |
| imprecise |
not exact, accurate, or well-defined; vague. |
| informant |
one who reports or confides what he or she knows to another; source. |
| insular |
closed to new ideas; narrow-minded. |
| languor |
lack of strength or energy; weakness or listlessness. |
| paragon |
a model of excellence or of a particular admirable quality. |
| putative |
widely thought to be such; reputed; supposed. |
| renovate |
to put in good condition by repairing, remodeling, or the like; refurbish. |
| rudiment |
(often plural) something in an initial, imperfect, or undeveloped form. |
| singe |
to burn slightly on the surface, end, or edge. |
| uncritical |
not making critical judgments or discriminations, especially those based on standards. |