| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| demotic |
of or relating to the common people; popular. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| ersatz |
serving as a substitute, especially when of inferior quality. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |
| topography |
the shape of the earth's surface across an area or region. The topography of an area includes the size and location of hills and dips in the land. |
| transpose |
to exchange the position or order of (two things). |