| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| caparison |
decorative trappings to cover a horse's saddle or harness. |
| cloture |
in U.S. parliamentary procedure, a method of ending debate and causing an immediate vote on the matter being discussed. |
| deadeye |
an expert shooter. |
| deposition |
a sworn statement, usually in writing, for use as testimony by an absent witness in a court of law. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| knurled |
having small ridges. |
| neophyte |
a beginner or novice at any activity. |
| oblivious |
not conscious or paying attention; unknowing or unaware (usually followed by "to" or "of"). |
| opiate |
something that induces relaxation, calm, or stupor. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| purvey |
to supply or provide (especially food, drink, or other provisions). |
| sere1 |
dried up or withered. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |