| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| compunction |
uneasiness about the propriety or suitability of an action; qualm. |
| cyst |
a small pouch within body tissue that is filled with fluid or air. Some cysts are connected with serious disease, but most are not harmful at all. |
| declivity |
a downward or descending slope. |
| desiccate |
to remove the moisture in (food) so as to preserve it. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| lorgnette |
eyeglasses, such as opera glasses, that have a short handle by which one holds them in position. |
| minatory |
presenting a threat; menacing. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| parsimonious |
excessively frugal; stingy. |
| periphrasis |
an indirect or roundabout way of phrasing something; circumlocution. |
| revetment |
a facing of stone, masonry, or the like to support or protect a wall, embankment, or mound of earth. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |
| sotto voce |
in a low voice or undertone, so as not to be overheard; softly (often used as a musical direction). |