| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| bilge |
the rounded part of a ship's hull between the bottom and the sides. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| garrulous |
given to talking excessively. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| inculcate |
to cause to accept an idea or value; imbue. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| pastiche |
a work of visual art, music, or literature that consists mostly of materials and techniques borrowed from other works, sometimes done as an exercise to learn the technique of others. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| pusillanimous |
shamefully timid; cowardly. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |