| astute |
keen in understanding and judgment; shrewd. |
| atonement |
the act of making reparation for a sin, crime, error, or the like. |
| canard |
a deliberately false story or rumor, usually defamatory to someone. |
| centripetal |
forced or moving inward toward a center point or axis. |
| cynosure |
a thing or person that is the center of attention and admiration. |
| demarcate |
to set apart or separate, as if with boundaries. |
| extempore |
without plan or preparation; impromptu or improvised. |
| extort |
to extract or obtain (money or the like) by force, threats, or abuse of authority. |
| harrow |
to go over or break up with a harrow. |
| imprecation |
a curse, uttered or thought of. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| otiose |
having no purpose or use; unnecessary or futile. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| stipple |
a method of painting, drawing, or engraving by applying small points, dots, or dabs to a surface. |