| bereavement |
the condition or fact of being deprived of something or someone, especially by the death of a loved one. |
| coterie |
a small, exclusive group of friends or associates with similar interest or activities; clique. |
| inoffensive |
having no insulting or harmful qualities; innocuous. |
| inopportune |
occurring at an undesirable or unreasonable time. |
| leaven |
to produce fermentation in (dough or batter), consequently causing the dough or batter to rise in the process of baking. |
| metabolism |
the processes in plants and animals by which food is changed into energy or used to make cells and tissues. |
| obligatory |
required; compulsory. |
| prototype |
an original model on which later stages or forms are based or developed. |
| ratify |
to approve in an official way; confirm. |
| sinewy |
of sinew, or sinewlike; strong; tough. |
| socialite |
one who is prominent in fashionable social circles. |
| substantive |
of or pertaining to the fundamental nature or concerns of something; essential. |
| turncoat |
one who changes from one party, allegiance, or the like, to the opposite, especially a traitor. |
| virile |
having the qualities of a man; characteristically masculine. |
| zealot |
a person who is excessively and often intolerantly enthusiastic, especially about a cause or religious faith; fanatic. |