| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| duress |
intimidation or coercion. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| ingenuous |
having or showing simplicity and lack of sophistication; artless. |
| lattice |
a flat framework made with strips of wood or other material. The strips cross each other and have open spaces in between. A lattice is often used as a screen on a porch or in a garden. |
| neologism |
a new word, phrase, or usage. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| preferment |
the act of promoting or being promoted to a higher position or office. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |