| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| contumely |
contemptuous insolence; rudeness. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| entreat |
to beg for something, or to do something. |
| expound |
to discuss or explain in detail (usually followed by "on" or "upon"). |
| extirpate |
to get rid of completely, as if by pulling up the roots; root out. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| pliant |
easily flexed; supple. |
| recrudesce |
to become active again or break out anew, as a disease or harmful condition. |
| sanctimony |
a pretense of righteousness or piety; feigned devotion or holiness. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| stately |
dignified. |