| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| collateral |
property or other security put forward to guarantee repayment of a loan. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| glabrous |
having no hair or fuzz; bald; smooth. |
| hackneyed |
made trite or commonplace by overuse, as an expression or phrase. |
| immaculate |
not dirty; completely clean. |
| impinge |
to encroach. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| macerate |
to soften (food or the like) by soaking, as in digestion. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| penury |
severe poverty; pennilessness. |
| sanguine |
having an optimistic temperament or outlook. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |