| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| aleatory |
pertaining to or depending on luck, chance, or contingency. |
| ascertain |
to learn without question; determine. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| entreat |
to beg for something, or to do something. |
| expostulate |
to argue earnestly with someone, usually against an intended action; remonstrate. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |