| abut |
to adjoin or press against; be next to; border on. |
| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| daunt |
to lessen the determination of; intimidate; discourage. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| fracas |
a noisy disturbance or quarrel. |
| guru |
in a cult or religious movement, a spiritual guide or leader, sometimes believed to be divine. |
| immiscible |
not able to be mixed or blended. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| nostrum |
a favorite but unproven scheme or theory, offered as a remedy for social or political problems; panacea. |
| obtrude |
to thrust or force (oneself, one's concerns, or one's opinions) on another or others without being asked. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| pleonasm |
a redundant word, phrase, or expression. |
| reconnaissance |
the act or process of examining an area, especially to gain militarily useful information. |