| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| granulate |
to make into small particles or grains. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| modus operandi |
a method of accomplishing something; way of working. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| ontogeny |
the process of biological growth and development of a particular living organism. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |
| risible |
provoking laughter; laughable or funny. |
| sartorial |
of or pertaining to tailors or tailored clothing, especially men's clothing. |
| veneration |
a feeling of great respect; awe; reverence. |