| advert |
to direct the attention by comment or remark. |
| apprehensive |
feeling fearful about future events. |
| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| constrict |
to pull or squeeze in; make smaller or more narrow; tighten. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| demulcent |
an oily or sticky substance used especially to soothe irritation in mucous membranes. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| gloaming |
late evening; dusk; twilight. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| ligature |
a band or tie. |
| louche |
of questionable decency, morality, or taste; shady; disreputable. |
| shunt |
to turn or move aside or out of the way; divert. |