| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| discomfit |
to upset or confuse. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| epistolary |
established or continued through letters. |
| etiolate |
to weaken, especially through deprivation of normal development. |
| expiation |
the act or the means of making amends, as for a sin or crime. |
| extrinsic |
not inherent or essential; extraneous. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| halcyon |
tranquil; peaceful; calm. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| mésalliance |
marriage with someone of lower social standing than oneself. |
| stochastic |
of, or arising from chance or probability. |