| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| impromptu |
without advance plan or preparation; spontaneously. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |