| ambidextrous |
able to use both the left and right hands with equal skill. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| descry |
to see or make out, especially something obscured or at a distance. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| recessional |
a piece of music that accompanies the exit of participants in a program or religious ceremony. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |