| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| baneful |
causing or leading to death, destruction, or ruin; harmful or deadly. |
| colloquialism |
a word or phrase typically used in conversational, informal, or regional speech or writing, hence sometimes considered inappropriate in formal writing. |
| condign |
well-deserved or fitting, especially of punishment or reprimand. |
| contretemps |
an embarrassing or unfortunate happening; mishap; mischance. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| espouse |
to take up, hold, or commit oneself to (a cause, idea, or belief); embrace. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| goad |
something that spurs a person to action; stimulus. |
| intelligentsia |
the elite class of highly learned people within a society, or those who consider themselves part of such a class. |
| pedagogy |
the act, process, or profession of teaching. |
| quiescence |
a state of inaction, rest, or stillness; dormancy. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| shibboleth |
a slogan, phrase, or belief that characterizes or is held devotedly by a group. |
| symbiosis |
a close association, usually a mutually beneficial relationship, between two dissimilar organisms. |