| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| deadeye |
an expert shooter. |
| élan |
enthusiasm or vigor. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| exponent |
one that expounds or interprets. |
| hagiography |
an admiring and uncritical biography of anyone. |
| insouciant |
having no cares or anxieties; light-hearted; carefree. |
| jejune |
lacking interest or liveliness; dull. |
| malaise |
a state or condition of feeling generally unwell, mentally depressed, sluggish, or uneasy. |
| malinger |
to pretend illness or injury, especially in order to be excused from duty or work. |
| mélange |
a mixture, usually of very dissimilar elements. |
| rapacious |
capable of capturing and eating live prey; predacious. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| recurve |
to bend or curve back or backward, as the ends of certain shooting bows. |