| benign |
causing little or no harm. |
| canny |
difficult to fool or take advantage of; shrewd; wary; clever. |
| coddle |
to simmer in water that is almost at the boiling point. |
| coir |
the fiber made from coconut husks, used for matting, rope, or the like. |
| conclave |
a secret, private, or confidential meeting or gathering. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| Draconian |
(often lower case) harshly cruel or rigorous. |
| epigraph |
a pertinent quotation or motto, especially found at the beginning of a literary work or of a chapter. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| lachrymose |
weeping, tending to weep readily, or being on the point of tears; tearful. |
| opprobrious |
expressing condemnation or scorn; accusing of shameful behavior. |
| reconnoiter |
to go through or over (an area) so as to gain information about it, as for military or engineering purposes. |
| repose2 |
to put or place (confidence, hope, or the like) in someone or something. |
| stanch1 |
to cause (a liquid, especially blood) to stop flowing. |