| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| ensconce |
to position (oneself) firmly or comfortably. |
| frangible |
easy to break; breakable; fragile. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| ineluctable |
impossible to be avoided; inescapable. |
| internecine |
of or pertaining to conflict, discord, or struggle within a group. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| malaise |
a state or condition of feeling generally unwell, mentally depressed, sluggish, or uneasy. |
| 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. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |