| acumen |
superior insight; quickness and shrewdness of judgment, especially in practical matters. |
| affix |
to attach or join physically (usually used with "to"). |
| backlash |
a strong reaction against some prior development, especially political or social change. |
| demean1 |
to lower in esteem, stature, or dignity; degrade. |
| empirical |
based on or verifiable by experience or experiment, rather than on or by theory. |
| fraudulent |
characterized by or based on the use of deceit or trickery. |
| lithe |
characterized by light, graceful, flexible movements. |
| nub |
the main point, gist, or essence of something. |
| orifice |
an opening, such as a vent, mouth, or hole, through which something can pass. |
| peccadillo |
a minor sin or offense, or a slight fault. |
| preoccupy |
to absorb the entire time or attention of. |
| reconstitute |
to put together or form again. |
| resuscitate |
to bring back to life or consciousness; revive. |
| stoical |
showing little or no emotion in reaction to painful or pleasant experiences. |
| theorem |
a proposition or idea that can be proven by other formulas or propositions in mathematics, or deduced from accepted premises or assumptions in logic. |