| abridgment |
the process or an instance of making shorter or condensing. |
| acerbic |
sharp, sour, or harsh in manner, tone, or the like. |
| clinch |
to make certain or final; settle. |
| clout |
(informal) influence or power to persuade. |
| collusion |
action undertaken in secret partnership or collaboration, usually for illicit purposes. |
| culvert |
a man-made channel for drainage or the like that passes under a street or other thoroughfare. |
| deference |
respect for and submission to the desires, opinions, or judgments of another. |
| dissolution |
the annulment or severance of a bond or tie, especially a formal or contractual connection. |
| idealist |
a person with high or noble principles, goals, or codes of action. |
| incisive |
marked by clear, penetrating thought; sharp. |
| moot |
not clearly settled; arguable; debatable. |
| myopia |
a visual defect in which distant images are focused in front of rather than on the retina; nearsightedness. |
| parry |
to deflect or knock aside (a blow or stroke), as with one's weapon in fencing. |
| piquant |
of food, having a deliciously sharp or spicy taste. |
| prostrate |
to lie or throw (oneself) flat on the ground, especially face down in an act of humility, worship, or the like. |