| appose |
to place next to or side by side; juxtapose. |
| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| blandishment |
(often plural) flattering or coaxing remarks or stratagems intended to persuade. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| cognoscente |
someone who has exceptional knowledge in a given area, especially of fashion, literature, or the fine arts; connoisseur. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| forswear |
to give up or renounce, often with an oath or pledge. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| rebarbative |
tending to irritate or repel; forbidding or unattractive. |