| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| foment |
to encourage the development of; instigate or foster. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| parlous |
full of dangers or risks; perilous. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| recant |
to withdraw from commitment to (a former position or statement), especially publicly; retract. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| triage |
a system of determining priority of medical treatment, on the basis of need, chances of survival, and the like, to victims on a battlefield or in a hospital emergency ward. |
| untoward |
unexpected and unfortunate. |