| ambidextrous |
able to use both the left and right hands with equal skill. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| augury |
the art or practice or an instance of predicting the future or obtaining hidden knowledge by interpreting omens. |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| deracinate |
to pull up by or as if by the roots; uproot; isolate; exile. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| ineptitude |
incompetence; lack of skill. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| sepsis |
infection, especially by pus-forming bacteria in the blood or tissues. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |