| adroit |
skillful with the hands; dextrous. |
| auspicious |
likely to be followed by favorable events. |
| backfire |
to have results that are the opposite of what one wanted. |
| caucus |
a private meeting of leaders of a political party to choose candidates or determine policy, or such a group itself. |
| comparative |
measured or estimated by comparison; relative. |
| conspirator |
a person who is involved in a plot with others to perform or a criminal or wrongful act. |
| dalliance |
a wasting away of time; loitering; dawdling. |
| lampoon |
an attack through ridicule, as in an essay, cartoon, or comedy; satire. |
| lineage1 |
descent from or the descendants of a common or particular ancestor or ancestry. |
| motif |
a distinct formal unit such as a design, theme, or musical phrase that may repeat in, dominate, characterize, or be a prominent feature of an aesthetic or decorative work. |
| nurture |
to care for and encourage the growth and development of (a living thing). |
| populous |
having a large population. |
| postulate |
to assert as something true, especially as a basis for reasoning. |
| scrutinize |
to look at closely and carefully, with attention to detail. |
| wizened |
shriveled or dried up. |