| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| maunder |
to speak in an aimless or foolish way; babble. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| penumbra |
an indefinite, borderline area. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |
| tummler |
an entertainer or social director who encourages participation by guests or audience. |