| apocryphal |
of dubious authorship or authority. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| consummate |
of the highest order or degree. |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| hirsute |
covered with hair or stiff hairs; hairy or shaggy. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| incursion |
a raid or sudden invasion. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| oligarchy |
a government or state in which only a relatively few people or members of a family have real power. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |