| antediluvian |
hopelessly old-fashioned; primitive; outdated. |
| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| descant |
a secondary, usually higher, melody that is played or sung at the same time as the chief melody. |
| disabuse |
to free (a person) from misconception or deception; set straight. |
| eruct |
to belch forth. |
| extenuate |
to reduce the magnitude or seriousness of (a fault or offense) by offering partial excuses. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| fungible |
interchangeable. |
| gambit |
a tactic or maneuver designed to gain an advantage, especially one that involves some sacrifice on one's part. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| naturalism |
in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| phlegmatic |
not given to shows of emotion or interest; slow to excite. |
| sudorific |
causing or increasing sweat, as a medication. |
| travesty |
something so grotesque or inferior as to seem a parody. |