| cachet |
prestige. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| disencumber |
to remove burdens or hindrances from. |
| insipid |
having a bland or uninteresting flavor; tasteless. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| luminary |
a famous, important, or inspirational person. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| noisome |
offensive or disgusting, especially in smell; foul. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| relict |
a plant, animal, or geological feature that has survived in a considerably changed environment. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |