| attenuate |
to cause to be thin, rarefied, or fine. |
| banal |
lacking originality or liveliness; disappointingly ordinary; commonplace; trite. |
| caste |
the status conferred by the class to which one belongs. |
| cavalier |
carefree and offhand; nonchalant. |
| dissimulate |
to hide one's true feelings, intentions, or the like by pretense or hypocrisy. |
| divergence |
the act of separating and moving or leading in different directions. |
| doyen |
the senior or highest-ranking male member of a group. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| fealty |
faithfulness or loyalty. |
| impermeable |
not permitting passage or penetration. |
| lien |
a legal claim on a piece of property when the current owner is in default on a debt or obligation. |
| peripatetic |
walking or traveling around; going from place to place; itinerant. |
| 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. |
| sagacious |
possessing or characterized by good judgment and common sense; wise. |
| schadenfreude |
(often capitalized) pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. |