| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| apposite |
fitting; pertinent; appropriate. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| barrage |
a great number of things coming one after another very quickly. |
| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| calumny |
a harmful statement, known by the maker to be false. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| contumacious |
stubbornly disobedient; insubordinate; rebellious. |
| dilatory |
used to cause a delay. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| hypocrisy |
the practice or an instance of stating or pretending to hold beliefs or principles that one does not actually live by; insincerity. |
| lacuna |
a gap or omitted part. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |