| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| bathos |
a sudden descent from an exalted style or esteemed state to the commonplace. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| dearth |
a shortage or scarcity of something; lack. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| flak |
(informal) irritating opposition, criticism, or dissent. |
| incumbent |
currently holding an office or position. |
| mirabile dictu |
(Latin) wonderful to say or relate. |
| misanthrope |
someone who hates or distrusts humanity. |
| obfuscate |
to make (something) seem or be difficult to understand; obscure or darken. |
| proselytize |
to convert or try actively to convert (others) to one's own beliefs or religion. |
| salvo |
the firing of guns or other firearms simultaneously or in succession, especially as a salute. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| supine |
lying with the face upward. |