| askance |
with distrust or suspicion. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| devolve |
of a duty or the like, to be passed on to someone else. |
| doggerel |
trivial, crudely constructed verse. |
| gullible |
believing almost anything; easily tricked. |
| laconic |
using very few words; succinct; terse. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| maladroit |
not skillful; clumsy; tactless. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| meretricious |
appealing or attracting in a cheap, showy, or shallow way. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| recidivism |
chronic return to bad habits, especially criminal relapse. |
| remonstrate |
to say in opposition, protest, or objection. |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |