| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| determinism |
the belief or teaching that every effect, including human thoughts and actions, is completely and predictably brought about by preceding causes and that, therefore, free will does not exist. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| idiosyncrasy |
a characteristic of temperament, habit, or physical structure particular to a given individual or group; peculiarity. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| pinchbeck |
false, sham, or counterfeit. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |