| creditor |
someone to whom money is owed. |
| curriculum |
the courses offered at a school or in a particular area of study. |
| dapple |
to mark or be marked with spots or mottling. |
| dross |
anything that is worthless or useless; rubbish. |
| escalation |
increase in amount, scope, or intensity. |
| fragility |
the condition of being delicate and easily broken. |
| impale |
to pierce and hold fast with a sharp-pointed instrument such as a spear. |
| lampoon |
an attack through ridicule, as in an essay, cartoon, or comedy; satire. |
| menagerie |
a collection of usually wild or exotic animals, or the place where they are exhibited. |
| oratory1 |
the art of public speaking. |
| parsimony |
excessive unwillingness to spend money or use resources; stinginess. |
| pastoral |
of or relating to the country or country life; rural. |
| preoccupation |
the state of being completely engrossed or absorbed in thought. |
| sultry |
uncomfortably hot and humid. |
| untested |
not having been tried or used in a way that would prove or disprove effectiveness or validity. |