| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| convoluted |
complex; intricate. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| obscurantism |
a deliberate lack of clarity or directness of expression, as in certain styles of art or literature. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |
| truculent |
extremely hostile or belligerent; inclined to fight. |