| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| bibulous |
addicted to alcohol; alcoholic. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| conduction |
the transmission or transfer, as of heat, electrical charges, or nervous impulses, through a medium. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| germane |
having relevance to a given matter; pertinent; significant. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| 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. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |
| somatic |
of or pertaining to the body itself; corporeal. |