| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| heinous |
extremely wicked or despicable; atrocious. |
| kismet |
destiny, fortune, or fate. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| reprisal |
injury inflicted in retaliation for injury received, as in war; revenge. |
| sylph |
a slender, graceful woman or girl. |