| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| cession |
the act of formally giving up or signing over, as a territory; ceding. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| deign |
to consider some act to be appropriate or in keeping with one's dignity; condescend. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| epistemology |
the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin, nature, and limits of human knowledge. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| lenitive |
mitigating pain, discomfort, or distress; soothing. |
| 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. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| 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. |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |