| appose |
to place next to or side by side; juxtapose. |
| asceticism |
self-discipline and self-denial as a means of spiritual improvement. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| conversant |
familiar; acquainted; practiced (usually followed by "with" or "in"). |
| cravat |
a scarf or band of cloth tied loosely about the neck. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| equivocal |
having at least two plausible alternative meanings, often intentionally so in order to deceive or avoid commitment; ambiguous. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| flange |
a collar or rim that projects from a pipe, housing, or the like to provide strength, stability, or a place for attaching other parts. |
| humanism |
a doctrine or mode of thought that gives highest importance to human dignity, values, potentials, and achievements. |
| immiscible |
not able to be mixed or blended. |
| peremptory |
not permitting refusal or disobedience. |
| raffish |
carelessly unconventional or disreputable, sometimes appealingly so. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |