| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| equipoise |
a state of balance or equal weight, importance, or the like; equilibrium. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| impediment |
an obstacle or hindrance. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |