| abash |
to cause to feel embarrassed, uneasy, or ashamed. |
| abeyance |
temporary suspension or cessation. |
| appellative |
a descriptive name or title, as "Terrible" in "Ivan the Terrible". |
| apposite |
fitting; pertinent; appropriate. |
| boudoir |
a woman's private sitting room or bedroom. |
| burgeon |
to start to grow; send forth shoots, leaves, buds, or the like (often followed by "out" or "forth"). |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| vitiate |
to harm the quality of; mar; spoil. |
| vouchsafe |
to grant or give with condescension or as a special favor. |