| adamantine |
firmly decided or fixed; unyielding. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| attune |
to adjust so as to be harmonious. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| cognomen |
a last name; surname. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| parlance |
manner of speaking or writing, especially word choice; vernacular. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| scion |
an offspring or heir. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |