| belie |
to give a false impression of. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| facetious |
not serious; humorous or frivolous. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| linguistics |
(used with a singular verb) the scientific and historical study of the form and structure of human language. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| lupine2 |
fierce; greedy. |
| mahatma |
(sometimes capitalized) in Buddhism and theosophy, any of a class of persons revered for their wisdom and love of humanity. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |