| cantankerous |
irritable, stubborn, and quarrelsome. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| discountenance |
to embarrass or disconcert. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| erratic |
not expected or predicted; not regular. |
| eruct |
to belch forth. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| plaudit |
(often plural) an enthusiastic show of approval, such as a round of applause or a very favorable review. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| stickler |
one who must observe or conform to something (usually followed by "for"). |
| triage |
a system of determining priority of medical treatment, on the basis of need, chances of survival, and the like, to victims on a battlefield or in a hospital emergency ward. |
| uxorial |
of, pertaining to, or befitting a wife. |