| ambivalence |
the presence of conflicting feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, thing, or situation. |
| broach |
to suggest or mention for the first time; bring up. |
| concurrent |
existing or occurring at the same time. |
| debase |
to reduce in value, quality, esteem, or character. |
| earthy |
realistic, practical, and unpretentious. |
| fleck |
a small patch of light or color. |
| gentry |
people who come from families of high social standing. |
| gouge |
a cut or hole made with something sharp. |
| jargon |
special words or language used by a particular group or to describe a particular interest. |
| magnate |
someone of exceptional power, wealth, or influence, especially in business. |
| ornamentation |
decoration; embellishment. |
| protagonist |
the leading character in a literary work. |
| protean |
easily changing form or character; variable or versatile. |
| rarefy |
to make less dense. |
| terse |
effectively brief and to the point; concise; pithy. |