| betroth |
to pledge or give in marriage. |
| condescend |
to act as if one were of superior rank or station, treating others as inferior; patronize. |
| conservationist |
a person who promotes and encourages preservation, especially of natural resources. |
| fodder |
feed for farm animals, such as stalks of corn cut and mixed with hay. |
| imperative |
very important; urgent. |
| inestimable |
of value or worth that cannot be measured; invaluable. |
| libel |
in law, written or printed matter that is false, damages a person's reputation or material well-being, and arises from malice or extreme negligence. |
| nonexistent |
not having substance in reality. |
| parameter |
any of a set of specifications or limits, the value or variations of which determine the form or behavior of something. |
| patriarch |
a man who is the leader of a family or tribe. |
| permeate |
to pass or diffuse through; penetrate. |
| populist |
a person, especially a political leader, who represents, or claims to represent, the interests and concerns of the common people rather than the privileged, the politically powerful, or the intelligentsia. |
| resuscitate |
to bring back to life or consciousness; revive. |
| scavenger |
an animal that finds and eats dead animals or rotting plants; a person who finds things that others no longer want. |
| trenchant |
incisive or penetrating, as perception or wit. |