| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| feckless |
weak or incompetent; ineffective. |
| foible |
a minor flaw or weakness in personality, character, or behavior. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| imbricate |
overlapping in an even sequence, as roof tiles or fish scales. |
| impute |
to ascribe or attribute to a source or cause. |
| 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. |
| oblique |
not direct or straightforward in intent, means, or achievement; indirect or devious. |
| profligate |
totally given over to immoral and shameful pursuits; dissolute. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| solecism |
a gross violation of convention in grammar, etiquette, or the like; impropriety. |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |