| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| consternation |
surprise and alarm, leading to panic, deep disappointment, or total confusion. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| emulous |
filled with the desire to equal or surpass. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| kibbutz |
an Israeli farming settlement whose ownership is shared by those who live and work there. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| prolix |
wordy and boringly long. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| quondam |
having been in the past; former. |
| quotidian |
happening every day or once a day. |