| abstruse |
difficult to comprehend or understand; esoteric; arcane. |
| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| blithe |
indifferent or casual; unconcerned. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| inchoate |
partially or imperfectly developed. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| interdict |
to deter or impede by the steady use of firepower. |
| internecine |
of or pertaining to conflict, discord, or struggle within a group. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| reprise |
repetition of a musical phrase or theme in an identical or slightly altered way. |