| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| derelict |
failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations; remiss. |
| deterge |
to cleanse, wash, or wipe off. |
| disingenuous |
not candid or sincere. |
| dissemble |
to disguise or hide behind a false semblance; conceal the true nature or state of. |
| facsimile |
an exact copy or duplicate of something printed or of a picture. |
| figurehead |
a person whose title sounds important but who has no real power. |
| glean |
to gather or discover (facts, information, or the like) a little at a time. |
| gnomic |
short and pithy, as an aphorism. |
| indolence |
the tendency to avoid exertion or effort; laziness. |
| obviate |
to prevent or eliminate in advance; render unnecessary or irrelevant. |
| prerogative |
an exclusive right or privilege derived from one's office, position, age, citizenship, birth, or the like. |
| quadrant |
any of the four parts that result when an area is divided by two lines, real or imaginary, that intersect each other at right angles. |
| seminal |
of critical importance; essential. |
| shyster |
a person, usually a lawyer, who uses underhanded, unethical methods. |