| adamant |
unlikely to change in response to any request or argument; firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| alluvium |
sand, soil, gravel, or the like deposited by moving water, as along a river bed. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| desideratum |
something that is needed or wanted. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| spurn |
to reject, refuse, or treat with scorn; disdain; despise. |