| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| garble |
to mix up, distort, or confuse (a message, translation, or the like); cause to be disordered or unintelligible. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| intransigence |
refusal to alter one's ideas or position in response to the wishes of others. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| paroxysm |
a sudden strong outburst of feelings or actions. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| pungency |
sharpness or bite in taste or smell. |
| surcingle |
a girth or belt that wraps around the body of a horse to secure a saddle, pack, or the like to its back. |
| tort |
in law, any civil rather than criminal harm or injury that violates the implicit duty of each citizen not to harm others, and for which one may bring a civil suit and collect compensation. |
| tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |