| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| credulous |
disposed to believe, especially on scanty evidence; gullible. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| diatribe |
a bitter, abusive attack in speech or writing. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| pretentious |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted. |
| reprobate |
an evil or lawless person, often beyond hope of redemption. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |