| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| chary |
not dispensing freely. |
| elide |
to leave out or slur, as a syllable or letter, in pronunciation. |
| epicure |
a person who has cultivated tastes, as in food or wine; connoisseur. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| extralegal |
not regulated or permitted by law; outside of legal authority. |
| fledge |
to grow flight feathers. |
| gird |
to surround, bind, or encircle, as with a belt. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| inveigle |
to entice or ensnare by clever talk or flattery. |
| lanugo |
fine, soft hair, especially that with which a human fetus or newborn is covered. |
| lugubrious |
sad or mournful, especially in an exaggerated way; gloomy. |
| parvenu |
a person who has suddenly acquired wealth or status, without acquiring the tastes, manners, customs, or the like of his or her new station. |
| scabrous |
characterized by a rough or scaly surface, as the leaf of a plant. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |